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The rarely updated blog of Joel Dixon
< Penguins fire Michel Therrien | Takeaway of the year? >

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Life Imitating Art

# Posted by Joel Dixon at 19/02/2009 21:08:54

Bell and I have been watching the semi-recent Working Dog television series The Hollowmen, a comedy set behind the scenes of the "Central Policy Unit" that aims to get the Australian Prime Minister re-elected. Extremely funny, as most Working Dog productions are, but a scene I watched tonight had me thinking.

In the episode "Military Matters" the CPU is tasked with a recruiting drive aimed at getting more of Generation Y to sign up for military service. A bit of a satirical list of things the television ad should and shouldn't contain were presented:

Quoting The Hollowmen:
Murph - Director of CPU - What images would you show?

Military Guy - Not combat.

Nick - Senior Political Advisor - You wouldn't show combat?

Military Guy - Good Lord no, I wouldn't show anything that's dangerous or life threatening. It's a real negative. The images need to show other aspects of military life.

Murph - Training?

Military Guy - No.

Murph - Barracks?

Military Guy - No ... Commradary, travel, good times.

Military Guy 2 - The meals.

Nick - People in uniform?

Military Guy - No.

Murph - You wouldn't show people in uniform?

Military Guy - Not combat uniform. T-shirts, polos, chinos, a touch rugby clobber.

Murph - We've gotta show some military images.

Military Guy - Do you...?

Murph - Tanks?

Military Guy - No.

Murph - Ships?


Military Guy - No.

Military Guy 2 - Maybe if the focus is on the water?

Military Guy - Yes, a tropical setting.

Military Guy 3 - Keep the focus on the fun.

The transcript doesn't do it justice - as most of the comedy was in Military Guy's delivery, but you get the picture. Anyway - it all seemed a little familiar to me. Check out the following television ad entitled "7 Days In The Navy":

7 Days In The Navy



Care to guess which aspects of military life they focused on?

I'm pretty sure the Hollowmen episode came after the television ad first aired. Either way - either The Hollowmen are probably pretty accurate regarding The Navy's decision making process - or The Navy doesn't understand that The Hollowmen is a comedy.


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