They might be heartwarming if the Legault government wasn’t under fire for leaving many newcomers to Quebec in the lurch.
It shows a presumed immigrant reciting a list of words that rhyme with “Bonjour!” in a francization class.
There would be nothing remarkable about this slice of life — it might even be heartwarming — except that the government is under fire for leaving many newcomers to Quebec in the lurch.
But the fact Premier François Legault’s administration managed to scrape together $2.5 million for an ad blitz extolling the importance of speaking French comes across as particularly tone-deaf when so many people’s opportunity to learn the language is on hold and their hopes of integrating and contributing to Quebec society delayed. At a time when Quebec seems to be quietly cutting operational costs, the video capsules could have been axed painlessly.
But it’s not the only reason the campaign is off-key. It also smacks of trying to change the channel after a particularly tense summer on the language front.
It’s in this fraught context that the government’s new spot lands.
Credit where due, the contents at least attempt to be inclusive. The ad features a diverse cast of Quebecers, from a taxi driver, to a retailer in a boutique, to an office worker. It sets a positive tone, portraying French as something we all have in common.
“We learn it,” the voice over continues. “We choose it … It depends on us … It depends on all of us.”
“Just to be clear,” asks a passenger on a crowded Montreal bus near the very end, “It is …?”
“French!” interjects the narrator, as the man nods knowingly, before the scene cuts to a teen wearing headphones who declares: “That is so it.”
Of course, what goes unsaid is equally potent. In an era where the government is trying to crack down on the use of “Bonjour/Hi” in many public settings, especially downtown Montreal, the savvy viewer is left with the implicit understanding that “Hi” is now verboten. How dare we make American or fellow Canadian tourists feel welcome!
The tag line was: “In Quebec, French is in decline. Let’s reverse the trend.”
How do you say cringey en français?
Given the propensity for gaffes and hypocrisy, it’s a wonder the government bothers with such ads when there are so many more constructive ways to reinforce French. Like investing in courses for new immigrants.