Political rally office in Mitte resorting to using childlike depictions for instigating political support
In the storytelling world, "My Friend Conni," the classic kids' series with 50 million books sold, has been a favorite family read for nearly thirty years. Little Conni, the girl in the striped shirt, always follows the rules. But suddenly, she's zooming down the bike path in an SUV – and it's not a picture from a book cover!
The cover, sporting the trademark style of Carlsen Verlag, features the character behind the wheel. The title reads, "My Friend Conni drives her SUV over the bike paths in Mitte." The Mitte district office, as you might've guessed, posted this dubious creation on Instagram!
Whether Conni's grandpa requires a car due to his aching knee or the neighbors with the triplets need their vehicle – it's all there under the post. And so is this little question that should be on Conni's mind: "Why does the traffic councilor, Christopher Schiner, appear to dislike such people?"
CDU Faction in an Uproar over Conni Post
The CDU faction at the district is furious about the post, branding it as sarcastically discriminatory. Leader Sebastian Pieper (46) declares, "The office is mocking people who genuinely face transportation issues due to their circumstances!" He continues, "It's unacceptable for an office to utilize children's book characters on social platforms to push their political agenda!"
In response to an inquiry from B.Z., the district admitted to creating the disguise using artificial intelligence. However, they defend it by stating they merely followed an internet trend that playfully modifies the Conni cover for laughs. They claim the representations did not violate neutrality requirements or disrepute legitimate issues, according to a spokesperson.
Pieper remains indignant. The faction had planned a vote of no confidence against councilor Schriner (45 representing the Greens) for that very evening. Reasons? He's accused of making ideological politics against the people. The outcome was yet unknown at press time.
Even Carlsen Verlag, the publishers, jumped into the fray! A spokeswoman exclaimed, "We distance ourselves from any ill-intentioned use of the Conni character and reserve the right to take legal action under applicable laws!"
- The CDU faction found the post from the Mitte district office's Instagram account about Conni driving her SUV particularly unsettling, labeling it as sarcastically discriminatory, as it appeared to mock people who genuinely face transportation issues due to their circumstances.
- The social media post, which was created using artificial intelligence and humorously modified the Conni cover, has sparked controversy, with the CDU faction claiming that it was unacceptable for an office to utilize children's book characters to push their political agenda.
- As the debate with the traffic councilor, Christopher Schiner, over ideological politics against the people escalates, even the publishers of "My Friend Conni," Carlsen Verlag, have entered the fray, distancing themselves from any ill-intentioned use of the Conni character and reserving the right to take legal action under applicable laws.
