Sarah Thomson releases another subway-themed music video, and it is glorious and awkward
Mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson, perhaps worried about voters confusing her with the bad guys from The Matrix Reloaded, has hit upon a way of building her public profile that is both brilliant and awful: she makes music videos.
Today’s release is a parody of Pitbull and Ke$ha‘s “Timber,” with all the lyrics changed to make the song about Thomson’s promise to expand Toronto’s subway network using road tolls. Thomson sings the vocals, and the rap sections are done by someone identified in her campaign’s official press release as “White Kanye.” The video is embedded below.
Give that a minute to sink in. Wow, right?
In a race full of candidates who seem almost pathologically afraid to offend voters, it’s a little refreshing to encounter one who will do things apparently without giving the slightest thought to how they might be perceived. (This is the same woman who arrived at city hall to file her nomination papers in a horse and carriage, and who launched her campaign with a barrage of subway-themed poetry and a video of her being interviewed by her grade-school-aged son.) Also, pulling stunts is a good way for Thomson to circumvent the media’s indifference to her campaign—a state of affairs she has to find galling, considering how seriously she was taken in 2010, when she waged a more conventional campaign against a field made up of fewer big-name candidates.
On the other hand, the song is awful, and it does nothing to reassure voters that the person behind it is serious about leading the city. If Thomson wants to be invited to some debates, she may have to dig out a few of those business suits she was wearing four years ago.
In the spirit of constructive criticism, though: this music video is way better than Thomson’s previous one.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/sarah-thomson-releases-another-subway-themed-music-video-glorious-awkward/&title=Sarah Thomson releases another subway-themed music video, and it is glorious and awkward&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/sarah-thomson-624x395.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_266275" align="alignnone" width="656"] (Image: Sarah Thomson/Facebook)[/caption]
Mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson, perhaps worried about voters confusing her with the bad guys from The Matrix Reloaded, has hit upon a way of building her public profile that is both brilliant and awful: she makes music videos.
Today's release is a parody of Pitbull and Ke$ha's "Timber," with all the lyrics changed to make the song about Thomson's promise to expand Toronto's subway network using road tolls. Thomson sings the vocals, and the rap sections are done by someone identified in her campaign's official press release as "White Kanye." The video is embedded below.
Give that a minute to sink in. Wow, right?
In a race full of candidates who seem almost pathologically afraid to offend voters, it's a little refreshing to encounter one who will do things apparently without giving the slightest thought to how they might be perceived. (This is the same woman who arrived at city hall to file her nomination papers in a horse and carriage, and who launched her campaign with a barrage of subway-themed poetry and a video of her being interviewed by her grade-school-aged son.) Also, pulling stunts is a good way for Thomson to circumvent the media's indifference to her campaign—a state of affairs she has to find galling, considering how seriously she was taken in 2010, when she waged a more conventional campaign against a field made up of fewer big-name candidates.
On the other hand, the song is awful, and it does nothing to reassure voters that the person behind it is serious about leading the city. If Thomson wants to be invited to some debates, she may have to dig out a few of those business suits she was wearing four years ago.
In the spirit of constructive criticism, though: this music video is way better than Thomson's previous one.
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ah jeez
Yeahs, she’s a shoe-in.
Obviously she’s never heard of the word “publicist”. Either that, or she has one that she needs to fire.
Frightening…..couldn’t watch more than a minute. Is this a clown race for mayor?
Hey, why think of anything original, when you can steal from actual artists with talent, right?
Her last failed campaign in 2010 saw her campaign manager quit, to be replaced by one of John Tory’s sons…which didn’t help. This time, I believe her campaign manager is her cat, Muffin.
the current mayor is a disgrace.
she is an idi*t
Dont feed the mayor troll.
Haha… I’m not sure about substance, but she sure has her own style and I respect her for that… Let’s view the field: Ford’s a crack head, Tory’s a bit of a loser (though, I’d vote for him in a pinch), Chow isn’t much to write about, if not riding on the coat tails, and I can’t even spell Soknacki (is that right?)… For those hating on Sarah’s videos, have you seen what Ford has put out?
Now some would say that at my age, I should think more about conservative values… (65+) but something about the slate of candidates is really stifling my idea of what it means to be a politician with a vision… other than Sarah… at least, having looked at what she stands for (her platform) I might vote for her, regardless of her “strange” behavior… can she be worse than Ford???
I read comments she made at the meeting; they were almost juvenile, things like “I find infrastructure sexy”. ? Not crucial, not vital, not fundamental, but “sexy”?
Candidates need to realize the job of mayor involves coordinating a unified councils into making balanced decisions, not promoting their brand or coming off as a talk show personality.
I spat out my coffee laughing at your comment, and I have cats.
“can’t spell Soknacki”
Would you pay more attnetion to him if he changed his name to Smith?
The guy is actually very reasonable, too bad T.O. has a history of not liking reasonable.
Keep it in your pants Dave…..