BROOKE GLADSTONE:  As you just heard, political ads are flying fast, furious and frequently fallacious, especially those from super PACs and third party groups. So, we’re re-launching our Media Scrutiny Theater series. What’s Media Scrutiny Theater? Well, it’s our take on the late, great Mystery Science Theater, which was basically the silhouettes of one human and two robots in front of a big screen in a dark theater, making fun of bad science fiction films.

BOB GARFIELD:  Since a few years ago the Wall Street Journal dubbed us “the irrepressibly snide duo,” we thought we might as well apply that – talent to what are indisputably the worst short films of the season, the current crop of political ads. It’s not all snark because Brooke insists on a few – fact checks. But we thought a little video would make this necessary confrontation with the good, the bad, and the ugly go down a little easier.

  [MST CLIPS]:

AD ANNOUNCER:  We are Americans –

BOB GARFIELD:  Likely voters in the swing states of Iowa and Wisconsin.

WOMAN:  - retirement –

BROOKE GLADSTONE:  This is in black and white, so they’re obviously evil.

ANNOUNCER:  Who shares your values?

BOB GARFIELD:  Nobody. If they want values, let them get their own.

ANNOUNCER:  As President, Barack Obama has never visited Israel.

BROOKE GLADSTONE:  Or Gaza, Lebanon, Argentina -

BOB GARFIELD:  Sweden, Hungary –

BROOKE GLADSTONE:  Holland, Disney World.

BOB GARFIELD:  Duh! It’s all Romney’s fault!

JOE SOPTIC:  And furthermore, I do not think Mitt Romney is concerned.

BOB GARFIELD:  Murderer!

WOMAN:  Priorities USA Action is responsible for the content of this advertising.

BOB GARFIELD:  And that is, who?

  [MUSIC UP AND UNDER]

BROOKE GLADSTONE:  So check out Media Scrutiny Theater. You’ll find it at www.onthemedia.org/blogs/mst. There’ll be two of them a week, through the election, so let us know what you think.