Popular federal public service Instagram meme page closes

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Oh! A popular Simpsons-themed public service humor account on Instagram is shutting down after more than three years of sharing comedic posts about work life in the federal government.

Under username goc_simpsons On Instagram, posts on the account reference everything from workers’ health care plan transition to teleworking and the return-to-the-office debate to the Canadian Public Service Alliance strike. last year, even problems with the city. of the Ottawa LRT system.

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At a time when public servants have been reprimanded for making certain comments on social media, meme-based accounts have provided an outlet for employees to shed light and humor on mishaps within the government.

The person behind the now-closed goc_simpsons Instagram account, who asked to remain anonymous because he is concerned that the satire they present could contravene the Code of Ethics and Values ​​for the Public Sector, shared a post on April 11 announcing that the page would remain inactive in “an indeterminate pause (ha)”.

The administrator told this reporter via direct message on Instagram that accounts like his attract public servants who don’t feel they have as loud a voice.

“We are all political animals, and especially for young public servants like me, who grew up with social media, it can be limiting to not have a place to talk and express their opinion on issues that affect them,” the administrator said. noting that the recently published Deputy Ministerial Task Force on Values ​​and Ethics Report to the Secretary of the Privy Council raised challenges around the use of social media by public servants.

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The first post on the page dates back to December 17, 2021. Since then, more than 450 posts have been shared on the account, which has gained more than 5,000 followers.

“COVID lockdowns were coming back to Ontario and I needed something to laugh about,” the admin explained, adding that the idea was inspired by two other accounts: the since-closed DecolonizeSpringfield page and King’s Parliament Hill. “The Simpsons is my favorite show and there are many relatable scenes that are still funny decades later.

“A public service version made a lot of sense!”

In recent years, the administrator said they kept the page running because they recognized that humor could be “cathartic” during difficult times.

“This account has been running during incredibly tumultuous times for the public service, from the PSAC strike to the return to office mandate, which have been difficult for so many public servants,” they said. “I can see how much people appreciate seeing their experiences reflected, and satirical memes are a good medium to do that.”

“We saw it during the ‘Freedom Convoy,’ where many public servants were personally affected but we had to maintain a level of impartiality when talking about the issue. We are seeing it again with the conflict in Gaza. Having a space to express frustration between people with common views and experiences is really valuable.”

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Similar meme pages exist, including globalgoc_memes which focuses on international affairs.

The owner of that page, who also asked to remain anonymous to avoid repercussions on his work, said in a direct message that “as a fellow admin but more so as a long-time fan” it was sad to see goc_simpsons close, and also posted about on her own Instagram story.

“People underestimate how much time and effort goes into curating memes in general, but they went a step further by using the perfect Simpsons content and making it relevant to us, which in itself is a testament to their intelligence and creativity.” said the owner of the page. saying.

The administrator of globalgoc_memes said they started their page in January 2023 after following other meme pages and noticing a gap in content specific to public servants working on international affairs.

“I want this page to be for them, I want them to feel seen in some way, even if it’s through a meme,” they said.

They said several pages were created during the pandemic, although few remain active, as a creative outlet and a way to learn and interact with coworkers about related topics.

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“Obviously I can’t speak on their behalf, but I think some people had a little more time to do it and I also think that collectively we all needed to laugh and make fun of some pretty difficult situations to cope with them in some way,” they said. saying.

The owner of the page goc_simpsons said that over the years they created and shared “too many” favorite posts to choose just one, mentioning a series about government departments as characters from The Simpsons and a series in which they took famous songs of the program and Public service letters were added. They also published a post mocking Mayor Mark Sutcliffe on CBC.

“That was a proud moment,” they said.

The plan is to keep the page available for viewing, the administrator said, adding that “a lot of hard work” went into the account.

“I’m taking on a new job that will make my life very busy and I just don’t think I have the time or energy to devote more to it,” they said.

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