After some Twitter chitter-chatter this afternoon with @bluntshovels about my blog ‘The emergence of Social Propaganda in Australian Politics‘ I started looking at some of the social propaganda based Facebook Pages dedicated to hating Julia Gillard. The number of these hate pages on Facebook is simply astounding. So astounding that I haven’t had time to even look for/at hating Tony Abbott Facebook pages.
So after having a hunt through a few anti-Gillard Facebook pages; this is what I come across:
I’m not easily outraged, but the ‘Julia Gillard Must Resign Immediately‘ Facebook Page has some serious issues if they think this is appropriate political cannon fodder. Social political propaganda in Australia just hit a new, all-time low in comparing our Prime Minister to a ‘Slut’. I don’t even like typing those two words in the same sentence. She is our Prime Minister. Regardless of your political persuasion; respect is due.
The worst Tony Abbott picture assaulted by Photoshop that I have found today is:
Ouch…?
It hardly compares.
Political satire is witty, it’s funny and it’s clever. This doesn’t qualify as political satire: not even remotely.
Political social propaganda in Australia needs to get out of the gutter and get into the game. Instead of robust debate we have spam-bots regurgitating every negative Labor news headline of the past 18 months on the #AusPol feed at a rate of knots. Instead of robust debate we have pre-election campaign shots being fired over imaginary ship bows. Instead of robust debate we have this:
And this:
And one proclaiming that like Adolf Hitler, Julia Gillard will “Make the lie big, make the lie simple, keep saying it and eventually they will believe it.” I refuse to reproduce that image. If you are so inclined you can view it here.
So, dear social political propaganda Photoshop artists, #auspol spammers and Facebook warriors: I challenge you to come up with something worthy of political satire. Something that inspires debate instead of promotes cyber-bullying and vitriol. Something that adds to the political debate; something that doesn’t hinge on the fact that our Prime Minister is a woman.
Stop treating Australia’s active and vibrant social media community – also know as “Voters” – like idiots and produce something worthy of our vote come election day. You are not only actively dissuading the social voting public with your lack of social strategy and grace, but you are also influencing a generation of digital natives – yet to hit the poll booths – who are forming their political views and allegiances based on their exposure to social media content which do nothing to promote a real political agenda.
If Photoshop is the best weapon you’ve got against Julia Gillard – best make yourself comfortable in Opposition.
Some of the players in the Australian Political Facebook landscape are:
- If Mr. Bean was Julia Gillard he would look like this: 71,371 Likes
- Julia Gillard – Worst PM in Australian History: 34,477 Likes
- Election Now: 4,337 Likes
Others include:
- G.R.O.G Party (Get Rid of Gillard)
- Julia Gillards freak show (McTernan I’m hating it)
- Julia Gillard Must Resign Immediately
