J Is for Juvenile: The Chris Christie Scandals in LEGO
My previous post featured the work of Turkish LEGO photographer pulup, who has used LEGO minifigures to raise global awareness of increasing social and political repression in his country. As I’ve become familiar with his work on Instagram, it has inspired me to use the plastic minifigures and their surroundings for political satire as well.
J is for Juvenile. And if an adult who plays with LEGO says your actions are juvenile, that’s saying something.
The recent scandals surrounding New Jersey governor Chris Christie are tailor-made for political satire with LEGO. In large part, this is because of the juvenile nature of the event that touched off the political firestorm — the closing of lanes on the George Washington Bridge from New Jersey to New York, clogging traffic in Fort Lee for days as retribution for the mayor’s non-endorsement. Christie aides rejoiced in what had all the hallmarks of a high school prank. Emails described children stuck for hours on school buses, with an official responding that their parents were probably voters for the governor’s opponent, so who cares? Of course, things could have gotten very serious very quickly, as emergency responders were also stuck in the backup from the closed bridge lanes.
Look what Governor Christie did to Little Brick Township!
Damn you, Governor Christie!
Dear Governor Christie: Nobody likes their pizza delivered cold.
It’s the Chris Christie Happy Hour! Beer! Wings! Hot Dogs! Cold Pizza!
Patricio tries to get answers at the New Jersey Governor’s Mansion.
No interview with the governor, but Patricio digs up the Weapons of Mass Disruption.
As scandals often do, this one has not only legs but tentacles. Soon, it was revealed that the governor paid $2 million over the lowest bid for Hurricane Sandy recovery ads so that his family could be featured. To the extent that the “Stronger Than the Storm” ad could be considered a campaign ad, there are other legal issues as well.
But wait! There’s more!
The Christie family films the “Stronger Than the Storm” ad. Aren’t they cute?
A more ominous misuse of Hurricane Sandy relief funds was then revealed: the alleged withholding of such funds from the city of Hoboken because Mayor Dawn Zimmer refused to approve a pet development project, known as the Rockefeller Project. Zimmer met with Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno and reported that the threat was made at that meeting. Again, circumstantial evidence points to retribution, as Hoboken has not received its share of recovery money despite major destruction from the 2012 superstorm.
“None of this hurricane mess gets fixed, Dawn, until you approve our project.”
Federal investigators are on the case. So are the folks of Little Brick Township.
Beautifully done, Lyn. The chaos you’ve created within your satire is particularly incredible.
Thank you, Sandra! I entered the photo of the traffic tie up in an Instagram hometown contest, representing Fort Lee, New Jersey after the bridge closing. Fingers crossed that it wins! I was actually part of this, rerouted through Fort Lee in the middle if the night by the inexplicable closing of on ramps to the bridge. I’m sure Fort Lee residents didn’t appreciate lost drivers in their neighborhoods honking horns at 12:30 am.
Oh, Lyn! This is awesome!
Thank you, Linda! We’re having a lot of fun with this scandal.
This intrigues me. What a creative avenue to illustrate. Well done Lyn!
Thank you, Marge! It was a lot of fun to create, and it seems like it’s helped to inform a lot of people outside New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area about the scandal. Maybe folks will be inspired to pick up LEGO as a way of keeping their politicians honest (or in some places, sane and reasonable).
LOL Lyn — LEGOS for social and political change!!
Did you see the work of pulup in the previous post? He’s doing the same thing, but in Turkey, which is why he can’t use his real name.