This email hit the Crikey inbox this morning:

“Have a look at this link
– you should see Howard’s eyebrows, they’re up and down like
yoyos! Nearly as funny as that ‘I’m with stupid’ photo that’s
going around. Howard’s ignored our skills shortage, Labor wants to make
sure young people are taking up traditional trades and Beazley is doing
something about it.

Please email this to everyone you know.”

Seems the ALP has finally cottoned on to the idea of viral marketing.

The party’s eager national secretary, Tim Gartrell, even has a shiny
new plan: “a new under-the-radar marketing technique, designed to go
directly to voters from other members of the public.” Check it out on
the ALP website.

However, they don’t seem to have grasped that “please email this to
everyone you know” may let people know that they’re being asked to act
as unpaid lackeys of the Labor Party. Or the idea that a bad flash
animation is not nearly as funny as the “I’m with stupid” photo, which
actually required some planning and initiative.

Plus, the segue from eyebrows to skills shortages appears kinda random – until you consider that one of the trades Beazley wants to pay the youngsters to take up is hairdressing – an essential trade, as I’m sure we’re all well aware – and who else would trim the eyebrows of a PM?

It all comes together like a post-modern pop culture reference…not.