Defaced Election Signs

a project by The Montreal Gazette

2 notes

RoboBloc

Another Outremont candidate Robocopified. Élise Daoust: ice cream seller, fencing gold medallist, bionic crime fighter. Robo-Thomas Mulcair should be worried.

Photo taken by Dean Evans, submitted by Claude Arsenault.

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So far Gilles Duceppe has won the lion’s share of sign alterations. This one was crudely spray-painted “poo”. At least the vandal is polite with his choice of words. Spotted in St. Louis Square, Plateau Mont-Royal, by Alana Coates.

So far Gilles Duceppe has won the lion’s share of sign alterations. This one was crudely spray-painted “poo”.

At least the vandal is polite with his choice of words.

Spotted in St. Louis Square, Plateau Mont-Royal, by Alana Coates.

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MP Thomas Mulcair is barely recognizable under the devilish revisions. This sign was spotted on St. Laurent Blvd., the dividing line between the Outremont and Laurier-Sainte Marie ridings. One is an NDP stronghold. The other, Bloc Québécois. As far as turf battles go, this is pretty tame. Thanks to Monique Muise for the submission.

MP Thomas Mulcair is barely recognizable under the devilish revisions. This sign was spotted on St. Laurent Blvd., the dividing line between the Outremont and Laurier-Sainte Marie ridings. One is an NDP stronghold. The other, Bloc Québécois.

As far as turf battles go, this is pretty tame.

Thanks to Monique Muise for the submission.

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I had second (and third, and fourth) thoughts about posting this. The only time it’s ever acceptable to use a Swastika is on actual, proven Nazis. Everything else is a misuse of a powerful and injurious symbol. It trivializes the terror and agony and pain of the Holocaust. On the other hand, it shows that even campaign signs abide by Godwin’s Law: this Internet-born axiom states that as an online discussion grows longer, the chances that someone will mention Hitler increases. And once someone does, the discussion is declared to be over. The person who made the Nazi comparison instantly loses the debate. Spotted by Bill Van Laethem on Monk St. in Lasalle.

I had second (and third, and fourth) thoughts about posting this. The only time it’s ever acceptable to use a Swastika is on actual, proven Nazis. Everything else is a misuse of a powerful and injurious symbol. It trivializes the terror and agony and pain of the Holocaust.

On the other hand, it shows that even campaign signs abide by Godwin’s Law: this Internet-born axiom states that as an online discussion grows longer, the chances that someone will mention Hitler increases.

And once someone does, the discussion is declared to be over. The person who made the Nazi comparison instantly loses the debate.

Spotted by Bill Van Laethem on Monk St. in Lasalle.

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Is this anarchist against any government or the NDP’s vision of government? Spotted in the Gay Village by Alana Coates.

Is this anarchist against any government or the NDP’s vision of government?

Spotted in the Gay Village by Alana Coates.

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What are the signs made of?

Corrugated plastic is a tough, lightweight, and durable material, which is why it’s favoured by political candidates, lawnsign makers, pet enthusiasts and aircraft modellers.

The high-impact polypropylene sheets can take years of abuse as a do-it-yourself guinea pig cage, or as an indestructible remote-controlled airplane.

If elections are held in wintertime, campaign signs can be reused as excellent makeshift sleds. The low-friction surface of the plastic ensures a swift descent down any snowy bank.

The biggest maker of corrugated plastic is Coroplast, a company so successful that it became the generic trade name for the material, like Kleenex, Band-Aid and Dumpster.

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Duceppe is dolled up on the corner of Rachel St. and Berri St. It vaguely reminds me of Mister Brainwash, a Los Angeles street artist who gives public figures a Marilyn Monroe makeover. See this for an example. Spotted by Amy Luft.

Duceppe is dolled up on the corner of Rachel St. and Berri St. It vaguely reminds me of Mister Brainwash, a Los Angeles street artist who gives public figures a Marilyn Monroe makeover.

See this for an example.

Spotted by Amy Luft.

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Gilles Duceppe as Robocop? The interpretations are numerous: is he a rule-crazy automaton? A heroic problem solver? A superhuman creation prone to hacks and bugs? But it wasn’t just Duceppe. Brendan Murphy, who snapped the photo, said all candidates in Montreal’s Mile End were Robocopified. “Apparently they were actually done by the guys who were doing the 35mm RoboCop screening at Dollar Cinema,” he wrote.

Gilles Duceppe as Robocop? The interpretations are numerous: is he a rule-crazy automaton? A heroic problem solver? A superhuman creation prone to hacks and bugs?

But it wasn’t just Duceppe. Brendan Murphy, who snapped the photo, said all candidates in Montreal’s Mile End were Robocopified. “Apparently they were actually done by the guys who were doing the 35mm RoboCop screening at Dollar Cinema,” he wrote.

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Michael Ignatieff is given the Guy Fawkes treatment on this poster found on Sherbrooke St. W. and Jeanne Mance St. What isn’t clear is whether the vandal sees Ignatieff as a hero or a villain: Fawkes was an English conspirator who sought to kill a Protestant king and replace him with a Catholic one. The Liberal slogan has also been altered: “Quebec has the power to change replace things.” Thanks Basem Boshra for the submission.

Michael Ignatieff is given the Guy Fawkes treatment on this poster found on Sherbrooke St. W. and Jeanne Mance St. What isn’t clear is whether the vandal sees Ignatieff as a hero or a villain: Fawkes was an English conspirator who sought to kill a Protestant king and replace him with a Catholic one.

The Liberal slogan has also been altered: “Quebec has the power to change replace things.”

Thanks Basem Boshra for the submission.

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Political ads try to create a clean, straight-laced image for candidates. Something as simple as a speech bubble is enough to subvert that illusion. The speech bubble on incumbent MP Marc Garneau - a former astronaut - reads, “I’ve been to space.”

Political ads try to create a clean, straight-laced image for candidates. Something as simple as a speech bubble is enough to subvert that illusion.

The speech bubble on incumbent MP Marc Garneau - a former astronaut - reads, “I’ve been to space.”