7 posts tagged “satire”

If only they showed this in the ’50s about life in 2000!

At one point, it seemed Keeley Hawes was getting cast in receptionist roles. There was The Avengers movie with Ralph Fiennes and Sean Connery; and this pre-Tipping the Velvet Channel Five comedy, Hotel!, which had nothing to do with Arthur Hailey. Watch out instead for the stunning Lysette Anthony (who would be in her mid-30s at this point, but wow), Pakistani actor Athar Malik, better known as Art Malik, playing a terrorist again (he was a Mujahadin warrior in The Living Daylights and the villain in True Lies), and Lee Majors as the President (who probably doesn’t need much of an introduction). Some good sight gags, much in the vein of the Zucker movies.

Kim Jong Il in Team America

‘I will abolish any court I like. I don’t care if people never voted for that. I am supreme!’

‘Hey, I pass laws all the time that say that any crime I did a few years ago was always perfectly legal. Anyone in my position would.’

‘Do you want to say something against me politically? Of course you can. You just have to meet all the requirements of this new law I’ve passed. Sucker.’

‘Yes, you will find yourself in contempt if you go around making fun of me or any Parliamentary sessions we have. I could have you prosecuted. That’s the fun of being a dictator.’

‘Why should I meet with the Dalai Lama? He’s a dickwad. I’m happier cosying up to Beijing.’

‘What economic policy? As long as the people remain poor, they will give me loyalty.’

‘Screw you. I’ve got my BMWs.’

   What a great legacy Kim Jong Il the Labour Government has left North Korea New Zealand.
   And National’s response: ‘Duh … Euh … Um … Screw it, let’s put that Coldplay track on again and see if we can have a party for under-40 Aucklanders.’

My friend Sarah went to the Massey University design school exhibition and this was the one thing that drew her eye, enough for her to grab the business card from the stack there. The designer is Kylie Phillips, a new grad. I want to note that, for me, this is not a public dig at John McGrath, whose image appears on Ms Phillips’ business card. But it does highlight how public images—related here to the 2007 mayoral election in Wellington—are used for humour and satire.

Kylie Phillips card 1

Kylie Phillips card 2

This Canadian campaign has caused people to be up in arms—well, those who didn’t see that it is a satirical campaign raising awareness of the use of child soldiers in war zones all over the world.
   It was sent to me by Helen Cameron, a long-time reader of my blog. She sent one link which showed that there were members of the public so incensed by this that they tore down posters advertising Camp Okutta.
   But that is perhaps the reaction that the producers of the ad, WarChild Canada, a registered charity, wanted.
   When we are confronted by images of kids with AK-47s—and, let’s be frank, they are usually African kids in an African jungle—we find that there is some distance between us and them. WarChild Canada has been clever by setting Camp Okutta in Canada itself, using kids of different races in a local setting. It brings home the message far more effectively than a street campaign or one founded in reality.
   Have a glance: it certainly made me think about the issue in a different way.

I love this dialogue from Yes, Minister’s first series, episode five, ‘The Writing on the Wall’, and have to say that it must be true. Gavin Knight has been posting episodes from that series: this one is here. The dialogue below, transcribed by The Broad View, is from the third video.

Jim Hacker: Doesn't the Foreign Office realize what damage this will do to the European idea?

Humphrey Appleby: Well, I'm sure they do. That's why they support it.

J. H.: Surely the Foreign Office is pro-Europe. Isn't it?

H. A.: Yes … and no. if you'll forgive the expression. The Foreign Office is pro-Europe because it is really anti-Europe. The civil service was united in its desire to make sure that the Common Market didn't work. That's why we went into it.

J. H.: What are you talking about?

H. A.: Minister. Britain has had the same foreign policy objective for at least the last 500 years. To create a disunited Europe. In that cause we have fought with the Dutch against the Spanish, with the Germans against the French, with the French and Italians against the Germans, and with the French against the Italians and the Germans. Divide and rule, you see. Why should we change now, when it's worked so well?

J. H.: Ancient history, surely.

H. A.: Yes, and current policy. We had to break the whole thing up, so we had to get inside. We tried to break it up from the outside, but that wouldn't work. Now that we're on the inside, we can make a complete pig's breakfast of the whole thing. Set the Germans against the French, the French against the Italians, the Italians against the Dutch. The Foreign Office is terribly pleased. It's just like old times.

J. H.: Surely we are committed to the European idea.

H. A.: Oh oh oh. Really, Minister.

J. H.: Then why are we pressing for an increase in the membership?

H. A.: Well, for the same reason. It's just like the United Nations, in fact. The more members it has, the more arguments it can stir up. The more futile and impotent it becomes.

J. H.: What appalling cynicism.

H. A.: Yes. We call it diplomacy, Minister.

A while back, I found a blog linked at NZBC that pretended to be written by Australian Prime Minister John Howard. Here on Vox is one by George W. Bush. You’ll need to realize it’s all tongue-in-cheek, though it didn’t stop some folks from writing comments as though they took it seriously.
   Remember, Dubya was hassled in ’78 by his Democratic congressional opponent for being too smart, so I’m pretty sure a guy with a master’s degree out of Harvard (Harvard then, not now) can write better than the Vox dude. The scary thought is that that really is the presidential blog.