In what must be the very first attempt by politicians to appeal to young voters with pop culture, a Liberal candidate has released a campaign ad that incorporates HBO's fantasy salad of sex scenes and dragons, "Game of Thrones."
Omar Alghabra, the party's flagbearer in Mississauga Centre, appears in the clip titled "Change is Coming" as a cartooned man in a suit with boomerangs for eyebrows.
The first part of the clip genuinely attempts to mimic "Game of Thrones," with a dramatic soundtrack playing over a sprawling map of distant and magical lands (Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto and Mississauga).
And then, 50 seconds in, the ad descends into a pool of absurdity.
As Alghabra walks down a road, characters walk past him while just saying his name, as if in this strange town the word Omar means "Good day" or "Top of the morning."
It gets weirder when a group of people randomly just start saying "Omar." (Is this a "Game of Thrones" thing? I've only watched the first season.)
"Omar, you've got to help," says stick-arm man. "The people are getting ready to storm the capital. They want change but no one's listening."
"We've been ignored for too long. Every year it gets more expensive to run my inn. I could barely afford to keep it open," says another man, whose hair resembles that of Ronald McDonald's armpits. (Does Ronald McDonald have armpit hair? I've only seen the first season).
The video goes on, attempting to illustrate real-world, vote-grabbing issues such as transit, but in medieval terms. ("The king's road is always busy, especially on long weekends.")
"What we really need is someone who's going to fight for us," says the inn-owning friar. "Someone who's going to advocate for the middle class."
The ad ends with the townsfolk sounding almost hesitant to send Alghabra to the capital, especially since they suggest dispatching a raven first.
"No, it's not enough," says someone else, who does not know that voting for birds isn't just not enough, it's utterly illegal under the Fair Elections Act.
"We could send Omar."
With files from Althia Raj
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