Vote for this guy!

There were so many hilarious moments – and candidates – in the recent Irish Presidential campaign that it’s hard to pick just one comedy highlight. But, gun to my head, I’d have to go with this astounding broadcast from Gay Mitchell. The first ten or so times I watched it, I genuinely thought it was a joke. It looks like someone gave the production gig to their fourteen year-old nephew who had a new MacBook and an afternoon off. The reader will have his or her own favourite moments but just for grins, I’ve added mine below.

25 seconds: Gay is almost run over. Look how the car’s weight shifts as its driver impatiently taps the brakes. There might as well be a Thinks Cloud over it saying ‘GET OFF THE FUCKING ROAD’.

30 seconds: Gay has an unrealistic meeting with a youth. And you just know that’s how the director referred to the lad – ‘Bring on the youth! Push it towards Gay!’

34 seconds: Gay seems to be talking to himself in the mirror. To put it at its mildest, this does not inspire confidence.

40 seconds: Gay loses focus entirely. It’s hard to shake the feeling that they meant to cut this bit out but forgot.

46 seconds: Gay wanders through a field, talking to himself like an unfortunate. OK, you can see what they were going for here. He’s a man with a vision! He’s in touch with our pastoral heritage! Etc.! But it really, really doesn’t work. He doesn’t look like a visionary, he looks like he’s slipped away from his carer.

1 minute 12 seconds: Gay sinks slowly out of the frame. Apparently, no one involved in this clip’s production looked at that and said, ‘Wait a minute – is SINKING really the visual metaphor we want?’ Amazing.

1 minute 30 seconds: Gay stares at nothing while Enda Kenny spoofs on about what a great guy he is. This is perhaps the highlight of highlights. He looks like he’s just been teleported there from somewhere else and is eagerly anticipating the moment when someone will take him aside and explain what the hell is going on.