"My dear remaining fellow Australians, the end of the world is coming," the prime minister of that nation remarked in impeccable deadpan today.Julia Gillard has proven she knows her way around the new media landscape—and how to use it to her political advantage. Like Barack Obama, she's taken to social media platforms to engage with younger demographics. And even when a Facebook Q+A led to a handful of aggressive and sexist comments, and one user calling her a "slut" to her face, she handled the fallout with grace. Her speeches, especially a passionate one that charged one of her opponents was being misogynistic, have gone viral.Now, she's returned with a tongue-in-cheek video address that is, essentially, a made-for-YouTube meme. In it, she warns her "fellowing remaining Australians" of the impending Apocalypse later this month.
"Whether the final blow comes from flesh-eating zombies, demonic hell-beasts or from the total triumph of K-Pop, if you know one thing about me it is this - I will always fight for you to the very end." The video is already well on its way to virality. There's also a reference to the controversial and pioneering carbon tax her party pushed through Congress, and a few thoroughly politician-y jokes. "At least this means I won't have to do Q and A again," she says. "Good luck to you all."