Following on from James Graham’s ‘Inter-generational equity with background of handbags’ moment, Alex Foster has an interesting poser – why have no women yet submitted video questions for the candidates, as invited by Chris ‘cunning as a’ Rennard?
Answer: because we are far too busy doing all the actual work to have time to video ourselves asking why other people aren’t doing it properly. And because we are plotting to kill you. All of you. And take over the world.
AHAHAHAHA.
Actually, in all seriousness, as soon as I saw the Rennard clip I thought, “What a freaking gimmicky waste of time, why would anyone want to video themselves asking a question, what does it really add to the proceedings, when will we get our pointy heads round the idea that ‘innovative campaigning’ and ‘YouTube-compatible’ are not the same thing?” Yes, I thought all that. I did not think, “Hey, I could ask a question about Darth Vader and Spiderman. Cooooool.”
Personally, I’d rather write a question down and get a written answer, because you get more information and the respondent has to think about their answer more than they would if they were talking. I remain obdurately convinced that a clear writer is a clear thinker, but I realise it is just possible that I am clinging to a melting icesheet with an elitist tinge here.
So I wonder if it simply reflects the ratio of men to women who are (a) actively involved and (b) online as a matter of course. To play lazy-ass observational demographics for a moment, there’s a party spike in activist men under fortyish whose activism has a strong online bias, and another spike in activist women over fiftyish whose activism is founded in, er, real life or whatever it is called.
Fourteen men have submitted questions, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the ratio of male-to-female online active members is greater than 14-1. So at the moment, mathematically-speaking, less than one woman has filmed herself asking a question, which is probably why that clip isn’t being shown because it would freak people out.
November 14, 2007 at 12:25 pm
One of the reasons we’re trying out a range of different online hustings format (including the read and write text only format at http://forum.libdems.org.uk) is to see which work best. My guess so far is that different formats most appeal to different people, so diversity is a good thing to repeat in future.
November 14, 2007 at 2:08 pm
I know, I know (grumble grumble kill all the men grumble). It is clearly a good thing to have as many different formats as possible. If it wasn’t for a diverse approach I would have nothing to grumble about.
November 14, 2007 at 3:37 pm
The problem with a written answer though is that you have no idea who wrote it. Admittedly, the fact that a candidate is only as good as his/her correspondence officer should be a factor in an election, but if I’m getting an answer I want to be looking the buggers in the eyes when they give it to me.
Of course it’s possible that Clegg’s luvvy friends have given him access to the CGI mocap technology they’re using in that new Beowulf film (the clue is how ripply his muscles are in the video – not that it is possible for Nick to be any better looking than he is already of course) but I think on balance that is unlikely. At least for this election anyway.
November 14, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Anyway, how long do you think it takes to make a video. Mine – using just a bog standard mobile phone – took me five minutes.
November 14, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Ah, but you see, you are not factoring in the time it will take me to work out how to use the video function on my phone. Mind you, I suppose if I just made that initial time investment, I could film myself asking questions as much as I wanted, it would open up whole new horizons.
Agree partially re written answers, but I tend – slightly uncomfortably – to assume that if someone is writing for someone they are likely to be closely in tune with their opinions, thought pattern and writing style, and therefore to all intents and purposes be representative. “Uncomfortably” because I’ve been in the writing position myself when that hasn’t been the case at all. But meh, what is one to do…
November 14, 2007 at 6:21 pm
I just wouldn’t want to make a total arse of myself
November 14, 2007 at 6:31 pm
There is that too.
November 14, 2007 at 10:46 pm
“I’d rather write a question down and get a written answer, because you get more information and the respondent has to think about their answer more than they would if they were talking”
IAWTC. Also, I look AWFUL on film, as evidenced by a certain YouTube put up by my ex…
It’s not that there aren’t girl geeks, or even Liberal Girl geeks, it’s just that we tend to not want to put our ugly mugs up on video for everyone else to judge our chins.
November 15, 2007 at 8:36 am
I still don’t understand what advantage filming the questions is.
Presumably Nick and Chris are both capable of answering written questions on video?
There are clearly advantages to seeing both candidates answer questions “live” rather than receiving written answers, but forcing people to ask the questions by video just reduces the people who will actually do it (whether because of technology issues, vanity or general can’t be arsedness)