Soundings

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32715, 18 September 1971, Page 6

Soundings

I don’t know how many days are left till local body election day and I don’t think I’ll bother finding out. There are one or two people I’d really like to vote for. But I’m not sure if I will, because they will probably let themselves be packaged, and sold in radio, television and newspaper advertising, and with every repetition their messages will sound phonier and their qualifications seem more doubtful. Admittedly the lopal body elections have never been as bad in this respect as the General Elections, but last time there was a distinct trend towards the saturation advertising campaigns that have come to be part and parcel of the national election scene. And once this trend starts it proves very hard to reverse. Perhaps I am over-reacting. After all, there has been a kind of Madison Avenue approach to politics for a long time now. Still, I’m sure I’m not the only one to feel even more depressed by the prospect of it all than I used to be. I wonder what would happen if the rest of us tried to promote ourselves through advertisements as dubious as those of some of the would-be leaders of our populace.

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DENIS McCAULEY

For example, the mother ad: “Hello there. I’m your mum. Mothers are good. I am a mother. Therefore I am good. (Sound of old fashioned piano.) You want a girl just like the girl that married dear old dad.”

Or the father ad: “I’m not saying I’m the world’s best father. What I am saying is that I’m a good, serviceable, long-lasting father, with the interest of my children always to the fore, and honest most of the time.” Or even the combined parents’ ad: (Starting with a hubub of voices representing children of various ages.) “Aren’t they great?” “I’ve watched ■ them for I'4 years and I know they’re reliable.” “We don’t always agree but they’re always in there trying.” “I’m only eight but already I know they’re the greatest.” “Mummeeee.” Perhaps even the Seamen’s Union could get into the act: “We believe in teamwork and this is what’s made us great. We have as loyal a bunch of chaps as you’d ever find, always ready to pull together and get the job done.”

But you don’t think the idea likely? Wouldn’t you have said the same thing about the selling of the Mayor 20 years ago?