Liberal Media Elite

This is continuing a mini-series of political ads from around the world—or at least from those countries whose languages I kind of understand.

This one is from Canada’s last federal election and ran only in Québec. Why? Well, first it’s in French. And second, it’s for the Bloc Québécois, the independence-minded federal party of la Belle Province. Since they’re all about being all Québec all the time, they don’t really bother even thinking that, say, Saskatchewan exists.

Because Quebecers generally hate Conservatives and the Liberals were a mess, the Bloc’s slogan was simply, “Heureusement, ici, c’est le Bloc”—happily (or luckily), it’s the Bloc here. Which is rather confident of a political party to say: “Clearly, no one else will win, so just show up to the poll and feel lucky that you live in the one part of Canada that you don’t think sucks.” Though the Conservateurs did make some big in-roads, the Bloc cruised to reelection in Québec. But the province’s lack of Liberal votes may have lead to the current minority government of Conservative Steven Harper. Or, as I like to call him, the Pillsbury Doughboy of Alberta.

Anyway, another fine example of sophisticated storytelling being used effectively in politics. Just not in America (Scott Kleeb, that doesn’t mean you):

This ad is from Groen Links (literally Green Left), the Dutch version of the Green Party. Well, except that Groen Links actually gets votes. It’s one of my favorite political ads. And it’s pretty entertaining even if you don’t read Dutch!

As a woman drives ’round the Netherlands to the tune of “I’m Comin’ Home,” she picks up various people carrying various placards. “How does it sit with your green heart?” An Arab-looking gentleman gets a sign pointed at him saying “HE’S STAYING HERE” and carries a sign himself saying “Learn Dutch. Increase your chances.” “More hybrid cars.” As a young couple kisses, they cover their disgusting lust with the sign “Groen Links has real respect for creation.” Heh.

Eventually, she gets stopped by a cop who presents her with a traffic warning sign, “Hands off our gays.” Except that “gays” in Dutch is homo’s—without any of the negative connotation. (Yes, plurals can be formed correctly with ’s in Dutch, as slack-jawed-yokel wrong as that may look to perfectionist anglophone eyes.)

Anyway, enjoy and marvel that elections don’t have to be drenched in misleading gore:

Their slogan at the end, “Groei Mee Groen Links” is a nice touch, too: “Grow along with Green Left.” It rhymes in Dutch. That’s what matters.

Okay, one of these ads is in French, the other in English. But the Conservative Party of Canada is currently running TV ads (even though they don’t have a federal election coming up). The ones in Québec are much funnier than those in English. My favorite is “TV Vente”—essentially parodying shop-at-home TV stations and equating that attitude with the Liberal Party of Canada:

Compare that to the dry, bland, unwatchable lies of the English counterparts:

All in all, if I was being pandered to by the doughy evil of Alberta, I’d rather speak French.

Although… Honestly… If any Democrat had made the mistake Stéphane Dion did in that clip, I would be calling for him to be run out of town on a rail. Stuuuuupid move.