A video satirising Ukip’s stance against immigration within the European Union has been created by a production channel based in Manchester.
Stewart Tempeste-Drain and Jordi Fiesto are the two main forces behind the newly-released Euro Disco Zone video – which features the satirical ‘Fear Party’ led by ‘Mick Mirage’.
The duo work within the creative industry in their day jobs, but by night they operate under the project name Lumumba Monologues, who describe themselves as huge advocates of ‘original expression’.
The 32-year-old Stewart said that the video was made in response to the prolonged media coverage being given to Ukip, which he doesn’t agree with.
“A large portion of the mainstream media reinforce the myth that immigrants are bad,” Stewart told MM.
“Apart from the fact we think this view is misguided, they aren’t to blame for the problems of society.
“You end up having an argument that’s framed by Nigel Farage and gets discussed in the world I think most of us don’t live in.
“This world that’s being pumped out by the media for this debate is not something we recognise.”
A series of ‘front pages’ that the duo mocked up using their creative skills lampoon similar coverage Nigel Farage has enjoyed in the national and local press.
One of their mock newspapers the ‘Daily Fail’ features the text: ‘Hate filled drivel and fear based propaganda. Repeat repeat repeat the same misinformation and divise message everyday’ repeated throughout its front-page article to represent their views of the coverage.
Another mock newspaper the ‘Daily Distress’ features the headline: ‘We must stop the migrant invasion’, along with an amusing sub headline: ‘Over 90% of hungarians are living in Chorley’ to emphasise Ukip’s scare-tactics against staying in the satirical ‘Euro Disco Zone’ – their take on the Euro Zone / European Union.
The front pages includes other headlines like ‘rhetoric over reason’ and ‘why patriotism and nationalism creates prejudiced berks’.
The pair believed that with an election approaching, the time was right to create a parody video that examines why there is so much anti-European sentiment in the UK and how this would be interpreted on the continent.
“We live in Manchester and know, work with, and socialise with people from all over the world. It just doesn’t sit right with us,” he said.
“We made the ‘Fear Party’, because it’s what ultimately we feel underpins this type of politics – people in power playing with our fear.”
Other media corporations are also satirised throughout the video, with television coverage included from ‘Shite News’ and ‘Skewednight’.
Although he doesn’t support Ukip’s political stance, Stewart said that he doesn’t aim for the video to come off as offensive to supporters of the party.
“There’s not any specific political angle that we attack or comment on – and we never aim to offend. It’s social commentary that’s a bit of fun or at worst just bit stupid,” he said.
“We’re not trying to undermine or say other views are stupid, we’re just saying there’s an alternative world out there where people actually get on and do things together constructively.
“We wouldn’t call ourselves politically motivated and we don’t have a political agenda, we’re just essentially commentating on what we see as we see it.
“Even a hardened Ukip supporter would watch the video and not think it’s offensive because of the way it’s done.”
ALL IN THE NAME: Mick Mirage features on a range of satirical television outputs
Stewart explained that he created Lumumba Monologues along with Jordi as a fun way to respond to cultural events that affect the world, but they were not looking to make a ‘big name’ for themselves or be ‘controversial’.
“We use this as an outlet to do all the things we want to do for fun. Obviously when in a professional environment, you can’t do this stuff,” he said.
“An idea doesn’t necessarily have to take a particular route, but we try to link it with some form of social commentary because it has a grounding in something worth saying.
“We go through stuff meticulously to distinguish what is fun and satire and what is offensive – we just want people to share the video in the way that it was intended to bring some positivity to the conversation.”
