The push towards an, as yet, uncalled federal election is on with the recent surge of Conservative ads. While America gets to enjoy the soap opera of Sarah Palin, we get the comedy of Stephen Harper.
The most recent Conservative strategy is to turn Stephen Harper into a Mother's Day card. Sentimental music plays in the background while Harper prattles on to a mysterious senior citizen couple in a Canadiana living room.
My personal favourite is "Family is everything." Harper tries to make us forget about the robotic handshake he gave his kids a few years back by mustering as much enthusiasm as he is capable of regarding being a parent. Apparently, Harper is out to destroy the outdoorsy stereotype of Canadians by spending recreational time indoors with his kids; they play cards, watch movies and pretend to be the Partridge family.
The kicker is the sense of contented defeatism that ends the ad. Harper's folksy end quote is, "You know, the time is precious but, uh, but it's, uh, being a father is the best experience of my life." Then, "Canada. We're better off with Stephen Harper" flashes on the screen. While Harper tries to convince us (and himself?) how worthwhile fatherhood has been for him, his party touts him as the lesser of two evils. Like if you were given the choice between two STDs, you secretly hope for herpes because you would be better off with it.
Normally, I would look forward to the political satires but can you parody something that is already so clearly a comedy?
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