Bobby Jindal announced his plan to run for president to his children, but it was not an ordinary announcement as he recorded it secretly and uploaded the video as his presidential campaign. Jindal's move created a buzz.
The Louisiana governor was in a round table with his wife and three children, Selia Elizabeth, 13, Shaan Robert, 10, and Slade Ryan, 8. Jindal lodged a hidden camera in a tree which recorded his children's reaction when he spilled the big revelation about his move to run for the White House.
In the video Jindal could be heard saying, "Mommy and Daddy have been thinking and talking a lot about this, and we have decided we are going to be running for president this year." There were no reactions from the children, until their mother asks, "What do you think about that?" One of the boys then gives a thumbs-up.
Jindal's spokeswoman, Shannon Dirman, confirmed that the children were unaware that they were being taped while their dad shared his plans about running for president, CNN reports.
The video was shot on weekend at the governor's mansion and it was intended to get the natural reaction of the children about their father's announcement. The said video was shown to the children before it was made public, CNN notes.
The short homemade film with poor sound quality did not get the approval of many. It was largely mocked on social media and obviously Jindal's creativity didn't work.
In a report from Yahoo Parenting, the public reaction to the almost 2-minute video was negative. It received terrible adjectives like "creepy," "terrible," "awkward start" and "oddest campaign announcement video ever released."
There was an outburst of disapproval on Twitter for what Jindal did.
New slogan - Jindal for President: He's not afraid to exploit his kids for political gain. https://t.co/iBVHExGlo0
— Robert Mann (@RTMannJr) June 24, 2015
I have a kids are off limits rule in politics... includes exploiting them for your own campaign. Bad taste #Jindal https://t.co/boC0MLav9j — Kyle Hillman (@kylehillman) June 25, 2015
what America really needs is a man who secretly records his kids https://t.co/sUHkOjCbI9
— J. Arthur Bloom (@j_arthur_bloom) June 25, 2015
Paul Hokemeyer, a family therapist, found the video disturbing. He told Yahoo Parenting, "It feels contrived and manipulative. It took what should have been a private family moment and turned it into a narcissistic and voyeuristic event."
Hokemeyer expressed his concern for the children. He believes that even though 8-year-old kids already developed a clear sense of self and autonomy, they still look to their parents for security and support. Using a hidden camera for advancing a parent's professional agenda may lead the child to question his parent's trustworthiness.
The family therapist added that what Jindal received was the exact opposite of what he was striving for. Jindal didn't appeare as a family man in the video, but contrived and insensitive to his family's emotional needs.
Hokemeyer, on the other hand, was impressed with how Jindal's children managed the news. The children remained undisturbed.
"Someone seems to have done a very good job thus far in raising emotionally healthy and well-adjusted children. Let's hope the decision to create and use this video was an isolated event that can be chalked up to bad judgment - or bad campaign advice," Hokemer said.
