(This post first appeared on tonylankester.com)
Sometimes writing a blog entry is hard work. Occasionally, though, someone gives you material — an idea, a reference or image to work from — that is so rich, so ripe with possibility it makes you want to hurl yourself at the feet of the giver, weeping with gratitude.
That’s how I feel now. Please read this statement issued today by the ANC Youth League. Cut and pasted, with no additions or deletions from me. Yet.
ANC YL instructs Nandos to promptly withdraw their disgusting advertisements.
The African National Congress Youth League calls for the immediate withdrawal of the disgusting Nandos television and radio advertisements which uses cheap satire to undermine electoral politics in South Africa. Whatever is the lousy explanation of the Nandos advertisement, the ANC YL is fully aware that the advertisement is intended at mocking the President of the ANC YL, and in a racist fashion portrays political leaders as Cartoons.The ANC YL has commissioned our Lawyers to investigate the legal issues that could arise around the whole advertisement, and they will soon advise us on action. While awaiting the legal advice, the ANC YL instructs the Nandos Company and those who did the advertisement to promptly withdraw the advert from all television screens and radio channels. If Nandos does not withdraw the adverts, the ANC YL will mobilise the people of South Africa to take militant action against Nandos and anything associated with Nandos.
Oh where to start???? Other bloggers like Matt Buckland have had their say on the ad and I am largely in agreement that it is average at best. If you haven’t yet seen it, do yourself a favour and view it now.
Let’s now go through this little gem of a press statement piece by piece
ANC YL instructs Nandos to promptly withdraw their disgusting advertisements.
The African National Congress Youth League calls for the immediate withdrawal of the disgusting Nandos television and radio advertisements which uses cheap satire to undermine electoral politics in South Africa.
OK we’ll ignore the contorted grammar/confused singularisation of “uses”. I love the fact that the ANCYL genuinely believe that they have the right to “instruct” anyone to do anything. When did they become so powerful? And they’ve missed the point — the ad in question does use satire, but not to “undermine electoral politics in South Africa”. It uses satire to illustrate what a complete and utter buffoon Julius Malema is. On the one hand the nation’s joker laughably sets himself up as the party’s “decoy”, providing political cover for his masters to continue their race to the Union Buildings unhindered. In so doing he is happy to verbally harangue and demean whoever comes across his path without a hint of decorum or dignity. On the other, he gets cross when a puppet makes him look, well, like the blustering buffoon that he is.
Whatever is the lousy explanation of the Nandos advertisement, the ANC YL is fully aware that the advertisement is intended at mocking the President of the ANC YL…
Again, some fearless mangling of the English language and distortion of logic. But isn’t it great that they feel compelled to articulate how aware they are of the purpose of the ad. “You can’t pull the wool over our eyes…we know you’re taking the piss” they assert. Well…duh. Well spotted guys. If you didn’t get that the ad was intended to mock Mr Malema then you really would be in serious trouble. Well done on getting the joke.
…and in a racist fashion portrays political leaders as Cartoons.
I enjoyed the random use of capitals here. It makes the word stand out — again in a “we spotted that this wasn’t really our beloved President” kind of way. But hang on a second, let’s take another look at the ad — it wasn’t a Cartoon or even a cartoon. It was, in fact, a puppet. Or, more accurately, a ventriloquist’s doll. The person standing next to it pretending to be the operator was a clue. But what I’m missing here is this: The sentence construction might be at fault here but it seems to say that portraying a political leader as a Cartoon (puppet) is a racist action. I’m sorry? I’m just not getting it.
The ANC YL has commissioned our Lawyers to investigate the legal issues that could arise around the whole advertisement, and they will soon advise us on action. While awaiting the legal advice, the ANC YL instructs the Nandos Company and those who did the advertisement to promptly withdraw the advert from all television screens and radio channels.
Let’s put this another way: We phoned our Lawyers (like Cartoons, deserving of a capital. Quite right too.) and told them we were unhappy. They are presently locked in the law library desperately trying to find some justification for legal action. But whether or not they find anything, we still want you to pull the advertisement. No, scratch that, we don’t want you to…we are instructing you to. We’re hurt and feel betrayed by Nando’s and we’re going to put the word “Company” after their name, again with a capital, just to show how serious we can be. And at the same time we are going to enjoin those who “did” the advertisement just for good measure. Note that advertisements are “done” these days, not made or produced or created. Done.
If Nandos does not withdraw the adverts, the ANC YL will mobilise the people of South Africa to take militant action against Nandos and anything associated with Nandos.
This is my favourite bit. Not only are we so overwhelmingly pissed off with Nando’s, but we are convinced that the “people of South Africa” agree and will join our “militant action”. But wait — there’s more. Not only are we going to take this action against Nando’s, but “anything associated with Nandos”. Anything? Anything at all? Just to help the ANCYL here is a list of things “associated with Nandos” that they need to make sure to include in their action:
- Chicken (obviously)
- Peri-Peri (ditto)
- Mozambique (their map is on every wall in every branch)
- Chicken livers (from the starter menu)
- China (who make the toys that come in the kiddies packs)
- Mealies, mealie farmers and all people everywhere who sell, eat or look at mealies (including the lady in the Madam & Eve Cartoon…yet again clearly racist and the ANCYL’s next target)
- Wet wipes (who do a roaring trade when people eat Nando’s in their cars)
- The Nando’s branch in London
- The Lusitoland Festival and, by extension, everyone living in the south of Johannesburg
- Potato wedges, potato farmers and people who look like potatoes
- Me (because I had Nando’s for dinner tonight)
There’s more, obviously, but let’s not get picky. To battle people. Our leader’s dignity has been attacked. Not by him (this time) but by those cocky people who did the advertisement. At last, something meaty to complain about.
Look, on a serious note, the ad is lame. Not up to Nando’s usually high standard. It plays to stereotypes, isn’t particularly well acted and lacks a fiery punchline. But deserving of militant action? Hardly. If Julius Malema ever wants to be taken seriously as a politician, it is time he grew up. Seriously. Or else he will continue to be the national joke, the laughing stock of all and a continued source of shame to millions of intelligent and rational ANC members. And he will, therefore, never be a serious contender for high office. But at least there will be lots of laughs on the way.
And me. I had Nando’s for dinner last night, and I have just had the leftovers for lunch. I am thus available to be mobilised against with immediate effect.
Superb, Tony, and right on the money. Which is all the ANCYL are after here. They figure if Zuma can supplement his income with lawsuits or the threat of lawsuits, they can, too. The ‘nuisance suit’ is a cottage industry theses days and if you launch enough of them you’re bound to get at least one to pay up.
If Nandos continue with this kind of ridicule of black leaders,I personally pledge my time to the ANCYL to join them in whatever action they see it fit to force the Nandos team to withdraw that ad.
They should not take the ANCYL for granted,it is the most powerful youth political organisation in Africa.If nandos want a cut in their future profits they should go on with such ads,we will ensure that their trade is stumped.
Delicious!! Declaring war on cocks reminded me of ZANU PF’s original campaign way back in 1980.
The symbol of the party was a cockerel.”Pamberi ne jongwe” (spologies for spelling any Zimbos), literally translated means “Vote for the cock”
No further comment required?
Just as I was sniggering at this, I discovered that the Dutch just put their satirists in jail for an evening:
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2008/05/cartoonist_arrested_for_discri.php
it’s not nearly as ludicrous as the whole teabagging protests in the states last week.
[oh, man. google "countdown shuster teabag", "countdown olbermann teabag" and "maddow cox teabag" for laughs. i don't know how shuster got through that while keeping a straight face. good god.]
ahh ha ha! The SABC might think that South Africans aren’t ready for satire. Fine. Just report the ANC news: it’s satire enough!
Hilarious post – well written! Given the collective intellect of the ANCYL this isn’t surprising at all. There also seems to be a collective sense-of-humour failure. Ye gods, what next …?!
just had a Nando’s Vege burger… Spare me, dear Military, spare me.
Viva Nandos viva !
Viva peri-peri viva !
Down with reactionary ANCYL rhetoric !
One chicken, one bullet…
Chorus:
Bring me my machine-gun…
I think I will have Nandos for dinner every night for the next week and invite Simphiwo Simphiwo to join me and entertain me with his great objective wisdom……hmmmm, i wonder…would it make Malema a Cannibal if he ate Nando’s?
I have a couple of extra things “associated with Nandos”:
- Vitality and their Vitality meal
- Discovery
- Anyone with a medical aid scheme
- Anyone that has been to the doctor. Ever
- Anyone that gets flu this year.
Satire, I am afraid, is just not appreciated in Africa. If the minority is looking for survival skills, the first might just be to give up satire.
Just a bit of advice from someone who has spent lots of time in lots of countries on this continent!
You had me worried there, but its just about finger likken chicken.
Its a shame really… The ANC Youth League has many extremely dignified and rational members (I promise im not lying, I have actually met, and talked to them!!)… Julius really gives the entire organisation a very bad image – maybe they need to take militant action against HIM!! Talk about bad branding!!
Julius is a political genius. Andy Warhol would weep at his brilliance. No education, no skill to speak of, and yet he gets and keeps the headlines. One day he will start talking sense. One day he will grow up. And he will be a master at using the media to keep him top of mind. He has had more airtime and I bet has better brand recognition than almost all of the party leaders whose faces were on the ballot papers. Thats how you win elections…
Can’t say I agree with the last few sentences. I thought being “the national joke, the laughing stock of all and a continued source of shame” was the fast track to presidency.
Don’t they have a right though, to ask that they should not be a subject of satire. There are various know entities that you cannot make satire about if you still want to thrive in business.
No public figure has a ‘right’ to ask not to be satirised. Once you throw your hat in the ring you are declaring yourself as a power seeker and if you seek power over others, the public, the press and the electronic media have a right to comment on your performance. That is what freedom of speech means!
If you think SA-can satire is rough, read Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” (on any website that provides documents in the public domain) and take special note of the original date of publication. (If you can’t place the name Swift, try “Gulliver’s Travels”–which was also a political and social satire, not a children’s story!)
Skattebolletjies, do’nt you just LOVE the revised version of the add. Julius and Nandos both incognito. Nandos advertisers for parliament ,I say ! ! !
Professionally, it’s a cheap shot – ‘borrowed interest’ as its called in the advertising industry.
It gives me no reason whatsoever why I should eat Nando’s overpriced and over-hyped dead fowls. Oh, and the juxtaposition of Nando’s ‘Flame Grilled’, with Fatboy Malema is just about as unappetising as any food ad could be.