Friday, June 26, 2009

Your Children Will Arise and Turn You In

In an earlier post, "Life Under the Regime of Science," I shared this MasterCard "Priceless" ad to which Jonah Goldberg in The National Review drew my attention. It features a child instructing his father in how to shop in an environmentally responsible way. But the father is not asking for the advice. The cute child is presented as wiser than his young, unshaven, slightly goofy looking father who we are supposed to believe is clueless and careless. "Making dad a better man: priceless."



A reader in Ottawa, Canada, alerts us to a similar ad that was aired in our neighboring country to the north where individual liberty is viewed as a dangerous notion among those who think only politically pure thoughts.



Mr. Glennie shared these insights:

In Canada here, there are `public service announcements' that feature the `scientist' / TV host / environmental nut David Suzuki.

In this spot, Suzuki is seen sitting (in a treehouse, apparently in the middle of the night) with a group of children, who are letting him know how they are `reducing their carbon footprint.'

Then, one of the children whispers to Dear (Leader) David: `Jimmy's parents don't believe in conserving...'

Beyond the obvious question as to why a 70-year-old man would be in a treehouse at night with a group of children unrelated to him, it shows the totalitarian mindset behind present-day `environmentalism'.

After all, the lad isn't informing on "his own" parents, but those of someone else.

It is startling that neither Suzuki, the producers of the spot, nor yet the energy company that subsidizes the production cost, would have stopped to think about these things.


There is an interesting little detail they throw in. When one of the children addresses him respectfully as Dr. Suzuki, he interrupts and insists that she call him "David," and then the conversation continues. Why would Powerwise* take this extra step in undermining adult authority among children? (This "Call me David; Mr. Suzuki is my father" attitude is common enough as it is.)

*According to their website, powerWISE is funded by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Ontario Power Authority and local distribution companies.

4 comments:

RB Glennie said...

Hi David,

thanks for doing the research that I was too lazy to do myself.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that, apparently, the segment came from the David Suzuki foundation itself!

I'm reminded of a segment that I saw last evening, in which the late reporter Ed Bradley interviewed the now-late pop singer Michael Jackson, in 2003, just as Jackson was prepared to go on trial for child molestation charges (for which he was subsequently acquitted).

Bradley asked, `Do you think it's acceptable for a 45 year old man to sleep in the same bed as a child?' (as Jackson admitted doing).

I must say, it gives me pause to know that a scenario in which a 70-year-old man is a treehouse with a group of children in the middle of the night, is not considered creepy.

perhaps the `denormalization' of the family has now reached its tipping point.

I hope not...

David C. Innes said...

Mr Glennie, Perhaps I was watching the very same Michael Jackson interview just as you were watching it. I thought it was Jeffery Toobin interviewing. He asked Jackson if he thought it was appropriate to be sleeping in the same bed with children. Jackson replied by asking the interviewer, "Don't you sleep in the same bed with your children, or with any child that just needs love?," or words that are close to that. "No! I don't!," he replied, noting of course the line that Jackson crossed.

Like you, my thoughts went immediately to the Suzuki commercial. No tipping point, my friend. I saw the same reaction in the comments on the Suzuki video on YouTube.

RB Glennie said...

I never thought about it, but Toobin and Bradley do look alike... (or did)

As for tipping points, well I hope you're right.

David C. Innes said...

When your comment starts flying around the internet, old Mr. Bradley will be flattered and young Mr. Toobin will undertake a radical makeover (but nothing that will rival Jacko's, I suspect).