miss_s_b: (feminist heroes: oracle)miss_s_b ([personal profile] miss_s_b) wrote,
@ 2012-04-05 07:12 pm UTC
Current mood: contemplative
Entry tags:politics
http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploads/document/88fhchg0tf/YG-Archives-FictionalCharactersVoting-050412.pdf

So YouGov did a survey on which party people think various fictional characters would vote for. From the little I know, I would suspect most of them are correct, but I want to talk about the one I know is definitely false, and the one I think is probably wrong.

Firstly, Victor Meldrew is definitely a Labour voter. This is canonical, he talks about it in the show, he reads the Daily Mirror onscreen on a regular basis, and in one episode is shown roundly abusing a Tory canvassar, and in another episode castigating a Tory politician in a hospital. So why do the majority of people think of him as a Tory?

There's a definite stereotype effect going on; most of the Tories are characters people don't like, or love to hate, and most of the Labour characters are seen as good fun but a bit thick. The one Lib Dem is the Vicar of Dibley - worthy, does good works and makes people happier, but is ultimately pretty powerless and someone to feel sorry for. So I think people put Victor Meldrew as a Tory because he's so bloody grumpy, and people see him as selfishly grumpy - but he's totally not. He's a tireless crusader against injustice, not just for himself, but for others (see the episode set in the Old People's home), and he has the Labourite's unshakeable conviction that the government ought to sort things out.

The other one that I think is a bit off is the Doctor. The biggest result for him is "wouldn't vote", which is probably correct, because I think the timelord maxim of non interference still has SOME traction on him... But then the next biggest is Green LOL! The Doctor is a scientist. The Greens, despite their hearts being in the right place, are totally wedded to woo. Add to that their occasional authoritarian tendencies and... no, the Doctor is a Lib Dem. I shall stubbornly cling to that belief.

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etoile: (Lady Gaga)


[personal profile] etoile
2012-04-06 07:42 pm UTC (link)
Without wanting to get caught up in the merry flame war which appears to be brewing, the comments about Labour supporters did upset me a bit too.

For me, when something bad happens my first instinct (beyond "FLEE!", obviously) is "what can WE do about it?" I think if someone is elected to do a job and is paid by the public purse, it's not too unreasonable to expect them to muck in with everyone else if / when things turn to shit.

Some people might be of the quaint belief that the Parliament Fairy can just wave a magical bit of paper and the world will turn to puppies and rainbows but they'd be an idiot, regardless of which party they're in.

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miss_s_b: (feminist heroes: oracle)


[personal profile] miss_s_b
2012-04-07 12:47 am UTC (link)
So, let me get this right...

Nobody has a problem with me describing Lib Dems as powerless people to feel sorry for, and nobody has a problem with me describing Tories as grumpy selfish people that nobody likes, but people have an issue with me saying that Labour supporters would like the government to sort everything out? I'm trying not to get too incredulous here, but REALLY?

I shall bear in mind that Labour folks are especially touchy in future and just not talk about them at all. That seems to me to be the safest thing.

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miss_s_b: (feminist heroes: oracle)


[personal profile] miss_s_b
2012-04-07 12:49 am UTC (link)
Sorry, you ere possibly the wrong person to post that to, I just... I genuinely am a bit flabbergasted by this.

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etoile: (I don't know. You know.)


[personal profile] etoile
2012-04-07 12:59 am UTC (link)
It wasn't what you said in the post itself that got to me (since those were sweeping generalisations based off what the poll showed and I presumed were tongue in cheek anyway) but the stuff in the comments. If that's been your experience of every single Labourite you've ever spoken to, I can't argue with that (I don't want to argue at all really!) It just stings a bit when you get the (probably unintentional) impression someone you like and agree with a lot of the time thinks you're an idiot :(

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miss_s_b: (feminist heroes: oracle)


[personal profile] miss_s_b
2012-04-07 01:05 am UTC (link)
Not every single, but the vast majority of.

And my problem with Juggsy was basically that a person I don't know from Adam came into my blog and started shouting at me about being a lying lazy idiot. That sort of thing will put me on the defensive.

FTR, I find the vast majority of Labour folks to be a lot closer to me politically than Tories; I think the disconnect comes when you say "what can we do to sort this out" you're thinking of "we" as a bunch of people you know, where as I think you are saying "we" as in the labour party, which has been in government a lot more than it hasn't the last few years. So when I say that Labour people want "the government" to sort things out what I'm meaning is "the Labour party in government", which has been the case for much longer than it hasn't for all of my adult life.

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etoile: (I don't know. You know.)


[personal profile] etoile
2012-04-07 01:15 am UTC (link)
Ah, my "we" is everyone both inside and outside of parliament. Might be working in different capacities but should be everyone.

Also, I refute the idea of there being people I know, you'll be claiming I socialise beyond visiting Tescos next.

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miss_s_b: (feminist heroes: oracle)


[personal profile] miss_s_b
2012-04-07 01:20 am UTC (link)
Ah, so you mean "we" as in the whole of society? That's a big we.

* pokes your Delirium icon *

I may have had more brandy than is sensible for trying to think. This is hy I am watching Todd and the Book of Pure Evil which doesn't require thinking, and also has swearing and pot smokers in it.

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