It was April 1st, some time in the early 1980's. A local radio station in my home province decided to play an April Fool's day prank. They had someone posing as the Minister of Agriculture in Finland. They gave him the name of Loof Lirpa (April Fool backwards in case you missed it). He went on the radio station to supposedly talk about this new development in crops in his home country that allowed wheat to be grown in the harshest winter conditions. This new wheat was not subject to frost damage, drought damage and could even survive hail. Many people could tell right away that this man was an imposter. His accent was flawed and sometimes sounded more British, or Canadian, or Chinese then Finnish. Then there was the whole premise of his story. No plant could survive the -40 Celsius temperatures of Saskatchewan in January. So many did not believe him.
But a few people were taken in by Loof Lirpa. Some farmers listening into the program phoned and asked where they could get such seeds. If it worked in Finland, surely it could work in the cold Canadian prairies. They wanted these sure fire seeds. And the provincial minister of agriculture- never a bright man at the best of times, phoned into the station wondering if Canada could improve it's trading relationship with Finland and import tonnes of these seeds into Canada. The cabinet minister and the foolish farmers were outraged when the radio station revealed this to be a hoax the next day.
Now don't get me wrong. I love good jokes. I am, as my friends and family will sadly attest, a punster. I also used to love to listen and to watch the wonderful satire programs on CBC radio and television. Being able to laugh at ourselves is something which is very Canadian. We even showed that at the Vancouver Olympic games closing ceremony when suddenly the obelisks which did not work at the opening ceremony were comically cranked into place at the closing ceremony. It made me laugh and I think God laughs with us when we laugh.
However, even though I like to laugh, I know there are times to be serious. Some things deserve solemnity. Life needs to be valued for instance. People deserve respect. Justice is important. Fairness is important. Dealing with serious issues such as sexism, abuse, ending violence, fighting discrimination are things which should be taken seriously.
I think politics is something that should be taken very seriously. Politicians make decisions that affect people's lives. But unfortunately so many politicians have become caricatures. They try to garner votes by taking outlandish positions on issues or merely finding blame in their opponents rather than offering new insights of their own. The media does not help our view of politics. The media looks at politic leaders debates not as a platform to raise different points of view but rather as a death sports where we look for the knock out punch. Politics is not entertainment. Government decisions change lives for good and for bad. We don't need a government that entertains.
All this being said, I have liked programs like the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Political satire has been around for decades and is one way for us to think about the issues in a non-threatening way. However it is becoming increasingly hard to separate real news from fake news. Because candidates for office are making more and more ludicrous statements, the fake news seems little different from the real news. People are crying out for justice, looking to escape poverty, struggling for economic survival in a global marketplace, seeking gender equality, fighting racism, and dealing with oppression. Their needs have not changed. Yet politicians have become more like Loof Lirpa and not fantastic statespeople. We need politicians who are willing to deal with reality and not entertain. Blessings.
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