This 'Hip' New Web Show Markets The NRA To Millennials
Pamela Engel
May 15, 2014, 1:20 PM
As its membership ages, the
National Rifle Association is trying to appeal to the younger generation with a
"hip" new web show called "Noir."
The show features Colion Noir (not
his real name) and Amy Robbins as hosts, and the first episode is about 16
minutes long. As Mike Spies at Vocativ pointed out, the show is likely part of the NRA's bid to attract younger
members.
Noir defies the stereotypical NRA
member, whom he refers to as OFWG: "Old, fat white guys." The show
could be helpful if the NRA hopes to change its image with young people, and it
seems Noir is already well liked within the gun community. The Los Angeles Times
writes that he has become an "internet sensation" and is
growing in popularity.
The NRA doesn't release demographic
information for its members, but we know gun owners tend to be older white men.
A Pew Research
Center survey from last year showed the 18-29 age group is the smallest
proportion of gun owners in America.
That survey also showed higher rates of gun ownership among men than women, and
higher rates among whites than blacks.
The sleek set of "Noir,"
coupled with references to twerking and Lululemon, make the show look like
something you'd see on MTV — but with talk of firearms and Second Amendment
rights added in.
We'll be interested to see if this
show resonates with millennials since the first episode had some
eyebrow-raising moments.
After Robbins mentioned Hillary Clinton airing her opinion
about gun control on TV, Noir said
(emphasis ours):
"Of all the women on the
planet, we get stuck with her as being the potential first female president of
the United States.
... She's very uninspiring. And not to mention the fact that it's pretty
blatant that Hillary is no longer sleeping with Bill Clinton. Because if she
were, he would inform her that this whole gun issue thing and trying to walk
this elusive line of gun control but still for the Second Amendment rights is
probably not the smartest thing to do."
He also took a swipe at New York City's former
anti-gun mayor, Michael Bloomberg,
calling him the "lamest billionaire on the planet."
Other segments on the show had the
hosts discussing guns as though they're accessories — Noir and Robbins
complained that the packaging guns come in isn't nice enough, and Noir
described one of his favorite guns, the Smith and Wesson Shield:
"It's the gun even an
anti-gunner can like. ... It’s a gun for someone that’s self-assured. It’s a
gun for the city urbanite who makes frequent trips to the CVS at the bottom of
his loft because he refuses to buy food from a natural grocery store. Or the
24-year-old bombshell whose idea of acceptable grocery story attire is a pair
of yoga tights and a T-shirt."
Another segment called "Gun
Pads" (like "Cribs," but with guns) shows firearms used as decor
in houses.
Like guns on a piano:
The NRA has its work cut out for
it in presenting a positive image to millennials, especially minorities.
According to a 2013 Harvard University survey,
the 18-29 age group's view on the NRA is split — 38%
have a favorable view of the association, 38% have an unfavorable view, and 23%
have never heard of it.
And the breakdown by ethnicity
shows that minorities tend to have a negative view of the NRA:
There might be some opportunity
for NRA membership growth among millennials since a decent number of them do
not favor stricter gun control laws. The 2013 Harvard University poll found that while 49% of millennials think gun control laws
should be more strict, 12% say they should be less strict, and 35% think they
should be kept as they are.
The NRA is apparently trying to
tap into the groups of young, anti-gun control people by launching other online
shows under its new media venture, NRA Freestyle. One
premiers later this month, and the other will be released in the fall.
The NRA has been rather
close-lipped on "Noir," though. When we emailed questions about the
show, managing director of public affairs Andrew Arulanandam sent back one
sentence: "The new network and shows are a part of our overall
communications efforts with NRA members, gun owners and the American
public."
You can watch the first full
episode of "Noir" here:
New episodes air on Sunday nights.
Gun Control
Hillary Rodham
Clinton was the secretary at the U.S.
Department of State for the Barack
Obama administration, is a potential candidate for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign, and a principal
for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea
Clinton Foundation.
Note: Open
Society Foundations was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, and the American Constitution Society.
George
Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, a co-chair, national finance council at Ready for Hillary, was the chairman for
the Foundation to Promote Open Society,
and was a benefactor at the Harlem
Children's Zone.
Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Harlem Children's Zone, and the Robin Hood Foundation.
Michael R.
Bloomberg was a benefactor at the Harlem
Children's Zone, a donor for the Robin
Hood Foundation, the New York (NY) mayor, and is a co-chair for Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
NRA-ILA (Mayors Against Illegal Guns Gun Control History)
Joyce Foundation
was a funder for Mayors Against Illegal
Guns.
Valerie B. Jarrett
was a director at the Joyce Foundation,
is a member of the Commercial Club of
Chicago, and the senior adviser for the Barack Obama administration.
Eric H. Holder Jr.
is the attorney general at the U.S.
Department of Justice for the Barack
Obama administration, and was a board member for the American Constitution Society.
Robert
Raben was the assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice, a director at the American Constitution Society, and is the president of the Raben Group.
Raben Group is the lobby firm for Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
Raben Group is the lobby firm for Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
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