Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is defending the use of a meme from the Oscars as a contemporary way to draw attention to what he considers failing green energy policies.
The meme, shared widely online, is a photo of actor Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage over comments Rock made about Smith鈥檚 wife at the Hollywood awards show on Sunday.
In the version shared on Kenney鈥檚 social media accounts, the word 鈥淩eality鈥� is written in text over Smith with 鈥淕reen Energy Policies鈥� in text over Rock.
Opinions on the premier鈥檚 use of the meme have varied online, with some critics saying it promotes violence and questioning the intent of it.
During an unrelated news conference, Kenney defined the word meme to reporters as a 鈥渉umorous image鈥� copied with slight variations and spread widely.
He says it was a 鈥渃reative and relevant鈥� way to draw attention to what he considers failed policies by the 鈥済reen left鈥� 鈥� such as a carbon tax 鈥� that make life more expensive.
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The Canadian Press
