Gordon Brown’s YouTube triumph
The prime minister decided last week to announce his new policy on MPs’ expenses by posting a clip on YouTube. I defy anyone to watch it through without falling about with incredulous laughter. Is it possible that no-one in No. 10 had the gumption to step in and prevent this suicidal venture into no longer very new technology, especially when the subject matter alone obviously required the announcement to be made in the House of Commons?
Prime Minister on MPs\’ expenses
Brian
One great difference between home-made videos and professionally-made films is that if you stop a home-made one you will almost always surprise someone looking silly or in an awkward position, while that is almost never the case with professional films. Brown is not moving his body or limbs here, but stopping the video does reveal some very silly facial expressions. Also, there is a horizontal crease in his tie that comes and goes in a most distracting way as he moves backwards and forwards.
I give professional advice to people to people who have to make presentations at examinations, meetings ad congresses. Brown would need a lot of work.
Brian writes: I don’t think you need to stop or pause the video to see the ghastly rictus of an imitation smile repeatedly being switched on and off, apparently at random, to huge comical effect. Moreover his movements are awkward and unnatural, his voice strained, the manner totally lacking in warmth. He should keep away from home videos. He’s not bad reading a prepared speech at a lectern, but he’s incapable of seeming natural when ad-libbing or pretending to be spontaneous. It doesn’t mean he’s a bad prime minister or a poor politician (he isn’t either) but it does mean that he has a problem communicating.