Yes. Kind of.
Actually, it’s a computer-generated version of Bernie Herpin, the Colorado Springs City Councilman, dancing in his Fruit of the Looms after eating pot-laced brownies given him by council colleague Sean Paige.
Colorado Springs City Councilman Bernie Herpin is depicted dancing in his underwear in a PikesPeakOcean cartoon on YouTube. Herpin, right, as seen on his website.
Ed Billings
The somewhat crude cartoon is the creation of Ed Billings, 40, who has lived in Colorado Springs since 1987.
Billings is the creative force behind PikesPeakOcean, a “channel” on YouTube.
Billings has created 159 videos and cartoons in the past year. Mostly, they satirize the Colorado Springs City Council.
Some lampoon the city’s image as a national punchline after the council slashed budgets resulting in streetlights being turned off, trash cans removed from city parks and the sale of police helicopters.
Billings says he was inspired to act after attending council meetings at City Hall last November and becoming upset at the proceedings.
At first, he simply videotaped the meetings and posted excerpts on YouTube with commentary.
Then he discovered the Xtranormal.com website and its tool for creating cartoons. Soon, Billings was cranking out two-minute cartoons featuring folks like Herpin, Paige, Mayor Lionel Rivera and other characters.
Billings said he uses the cartoons to expose the dealings of the council. He describes them as classic political satire.
I describe them out sometimes funny, often crude, unsophisticated and occasionally outrageous, over-the-top and even offensive.
But I can’t stop watching them! Here’s a look at his PikesPeakOcean page on YouTube:
In one video, Councilman Scott Hente is depicted trying to stop Billings from making his “trite little videos” in a confrontation at City Hall.
Billings uses the video to declare he won’t be intimidated and encouraging viewers to stand up to government and take control back from the politicians.
In one video, Billings uses the exact transcript of an email from Herpin as his script. In the email, Herpin attacked Billings, saying: “If you had half the sense God gave a turnip, you’d understand how the city budget works.”
Herpin went on to tell Billings:
Billings is not alone in his political satire on YouTube. His work inspired Springs native Dan Robertson, 52, to create his own cartoons which he posts at JCP1801 on YouTube.IS THAT REALLY BERNIE HERPIN DANCING IN HIS UNDERWEAR? is a post from: Side Streets