Hurt by ridicule and derogatory comments about his physical appearance, CAQ candidate Victor Pelletier denounces the double standard that short people, especially the youngest, face.
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“That’s enough,” said the color bearer of the CAQ last Saturday in Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne.
Since the announcement of his candidacy, and in particular since the publication of a photo in which he can be seen next to François Legault in a slightly oversized jacket, he has been the subject of a flurry of insults on social media.
So much so that he had to turn off notifications on his phone when he saw the amount of “really free comments” targeted at him.
– “André Arthur Live du Paradis,” a parody account borrowing the identity of the late and controversial Quebec radio host, tweeted: “Victor Pelletier, A little con man with crooked brown teeth.”
– Robert Roy, calls the CAQ contestant “Little Balluster eater criss”.
– “You like to put on the jacket of the big bunch of serious chefs, you look like a little escort (sic)”, posts anonymously the user “Om Shanti ** #TrudeauMustGo”.
“Behind the candidates are people,” felt the need to remind Mr. Pelletier on Saturday. “Attacking people’s bodies and looks is hurtful,” he added.
A “clarification” is necessary, the 21-year-old candidate explained on Tuesday in an interview with our parliamentary office.
A cartoon also appeared on Sunday, once again making fun of his jacket. The “trolls” returned it. “It’s a certain honor to have been in a Serge Chapleau cartoon, but hey, it was the performance once again,” said Mr Pelletier, denouncing “the chain reactions” that took place.
“I laughed about it the first day. […] I still have a good sense of humor, I can take it and I found it very funny and yes I should have picked a different jacket and god knows I did he confessed. But hey, after spending a day on this we could have moved on to another call.
“There might be other young people who see that, other people who might even be short in stature, and then they’re like, ‘Okay, maybe I wouldn’t be in my place going into politics because I’m going to be preserved ‘ the candidate worried.
From the top of his 5ft 2in, Victor Pelletier sees “a double standard” towards taller people. “I would tell you that we simply go to the wringer.”
This double standard, “there’s one more for young people,” he added.
He fears his story will discourage other young people from getting involved in politics or even voting directly. The CAQ candidate also believes “abstain” is the enemy to beat in this by-election.
- Listen to the interview with Victor Pelletier, the CAQ nominee for the Montreal Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne by-election, on QUB radio:
As something bad is good, Victor Pelletier is delighted at the many encouraging messages he has received since his retirement on Saturday. He also held talks on this with his opponents from the other parties.
“They agree with me: yes, we’re on an election campaign, but we’re human beings and we don’t have to go there,” he summed up.
“I hope it will show that politics is not just that: it is also people who agree that there is a certain human decency in the countryside.”
If he observes an increase in hatred on social networks, especially since the pandemic, he is at least comforted by the fact that voters are treated with much more respect on the ground.
“I would tell you I don’t get the comments I get on social media on the pitch, which is very positive,” he said.