A GRETA Thunberg helpline has been set up for “middle aged men” and “adults angry with a child”.
The tongue-in-cheek helpline is the work of Australian satirist Mark Humphries and has been created to poke fun at those openly criticising the 16-year-old for her outspoken views on climate change.
Thunberg delivered an impassioned speech at the UN climate summit in New York on Monday, calling on global leaders to take action.
"You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words," she said.
"People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing."
Her comments sparked criticism in some quarters with Ryan Tubridy among those to court controversy after telling listeners on his radio programme Thunberg should be brought home to “watch a movie”.
In response to the backlash, Humphries put together a spoof advert for the helpline, poking fun at Thunberg’s critics in amusing style.
The video starts with a man sitting on a sofa, speaking directly to camera.
Hang in there! Help is available. https://t.co/aenieXxVut
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) September 26, 2019
“Hi,” he says. “I’m a middle-aged man with an embarrassing problem. I get irrationally angry at a Swedish girl who wants to save the planet.”
“Luckily, there’s now a number I can call,” he adds.
A voiceover then continues: “If you’re a grown adult who needs to yell at a child for some reason, the Greta Thunberg Helpline is here to tolerate you.”
The video then cuts to a series people criticising Thunberg.
“She’s just fuelling needless anxiety,” one man explains. “She’s making the end of the world sound like it’s the end of the world.”
Another rants into a phone: “This whole charade’s gone too far. Now I see she’s speaking in front of a mock UN!” with a woman on the other end explaining : “...Sir that was the real UN.”
The video has proven popular online, with Thunberg even giving it her seal of approval on Twitter, writing: “Hang in there! Help is available.”
Climate Change may not be a laughing matter but the response to Thunberg and this inspired spoof certainly are.
