The Uriah Heep Effect

[poliphilo]

Our politicians have got it into their heads that they should always smile at the public, no matter what they're saying. Theresa May was at it last night- smirking through a piece to camera about how she's going to cut the police budget. It was wholly inappropriate. Serious talk demands a serious face. Smile when there's nothing to smile about and you don't look friendly and reassuring (which is presumably what they're aiming for);  you look like a creepy underling trying to suck up to the boss.

It's the Uriah Heep effect. 

David Cameron doesn't do it- he's one of the few with the PR skills not appear to be doing PR- and that's almost certainly why he's prime minister. 

Comments

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

Exactly. And this is why Cameron is taken more seriously internationally than Tony Blair. He actually looks as though he takes the job seriously, rather than just scouting for his next PR moment.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Cameron seems naturally affable. Perhaps that's why he doesn't feel the need to fake it all the time.

[wolfshift.livejournal.com]

you look like a creepy underling trying to suck up to the boss.

Or like a creepy politician trying to screw the little people.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Some politicians genuinely have the common touch. The rest fake it- and the results are ghastly.

[wolfshift.livejournal.com]

One of the more ghastly effects is that they keep getting elected.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

And that's the problem; no-one who isn't a politician ever bothers to stand.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

Good observation, Tony. We have far too many of that kind here, smiling while "sentencing" people to more hard times. Our President is not guilty of that, which just give his enemies one more thing to use, that being the fact that he is "morose". Grrrr!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'd like to see a few more politicians being "morose".

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm sure the fact that Cameron was a personal friend of Murdoch's fifth daughter had nothing to do with it.

The weird thing is that when I look at Cameron I see a pink and pampered child of money. I find him creepy, transparently insincere and rather a dim bulb, despite the remarkably high opinion he has of himself.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think he's clever but shallow.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

How is he clever?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

He's clever at the whole PR thing. He projects an image of competence and decency. He seems to be quite good at thinking on his feet too (though he gets into trouble with his off the cuff reactions).

Cleverness isn't the same thing as intelligence- and certainly not the same thing as wisdom.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

No, not the same thing at all.

I like the example of the Siamese cat that I once had. He was amazingly clever, probably the most clever cat I've ever lived with. But intelligent? cat's aren't particularly intelligent, even Siamese. Not sure what the difference is, but it's like the man said about pornography: I know it when I see it.

Cameron rather fascinates me and thus my interest. Allowing the Tories into power was probably the dumbest thing I've seen since Geo W Bush was allowed to steal our presidential election in 2000 and again in 2004. I should have thought that the British electorate would want less of what caused the world economic collapse, not more of the same, only harder and with more feeling.

Now, because the Brits couldn't tell the difference between cleverness and intelligence, it will take years for your economy to recover, if indeed it ever does. I used to believe that the American voter was uniquely drunk and stupid and feel like I should probably reconsider.