Body language: Gilles Duceppe rarely looks relaxed

April 18, 2011

CALGARY, AB, Apr. 18, 2011/ Troy Media/ – It’s time to take a peek at the messages that Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe is communicating to the voting public in Canada.

First off, Duceppe rarely looks like a relaxed man. He has a habit of giving a miniscule, forced smile, which looks highly unnatural and stilted, and he tends to tightly grip the podium, desk, anything that happens to be within his reach, as if it might blow away if he’s not careful, leaving him without any sort of protection at all.

In a recent news interview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew2-gA7jkgk&feature=youtu.be) Duceppe braced himself on the desk, coming across as defensive and stubborn, rigid and inflexible, not willing to listen to anyone else’s point of view. His chin is constantly came up, giving an impression of contempt and aloofness – is this message intended for anyone who does not reside in the province of Quebec? He rarely made eye contact with the interviewer, so either he was listening intently and thinking deep thoughts when coming up with answers to questions . . . or he couldn’t have cared less what the interviewer was asking.

Rarely made eye contact

In another one-on-one interview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIeelMJSFGM&feature=fvwrel), he looked as if he was trying to appear relaxed – sitting back with legs crossed – but he was bobbing his left foot, as if impatient or ill at ease. He did use open hand gestures with palms up, but again made eye contact only part of time.

In yet another appearance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzKzklCWqO4&feature=related), he used the stop sign with palms toward the host; fell back into finger-pointing; and used such gestures as hands to chest (as in “Who, me?”).

During the April 12 English language debate, Duceppe immediately stepped into his favourite position: braced (as in inflexible, domineering and decisive). His postures were argumentative and defensive (dropped body positioning, dropped shoulders, leaning toward the exit). He failed to make eye contact, giving the impression that none of it was worth his time or energy. He pointed his finger, as well as slamming his hands down on the podium (pretty clear what he meant: “You may as well all stop talking now – I am not listening anymore!”). At one point, he actually used the stop sign gesture at Harper, with both hands, to warn him that the discussion was not open for dialogue and he was not prepared to listen.

A stilted smile

The French language debate of April 13 (http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/04/13/cv-election-french-language-debate.html) wasn’t much different, with Duceppe showing that fleeting, stilted smile and braced posture. His left shoulder was often dropped (either toward the exit â€¦ or Harper, who was on his left). He leaned toward Harper in an aggressive manner and was quite adept at pointing his finger at anyone who happened to hold a differing opinion.

On a positive note, Duceppe is definitely animated when he speaks. He rarely, if ever, looks bored. His arms are open in a sign of honesty and sincerity. He faces those to whom he is speaking. When he addresses an audience, he attempts to include everyone by moving his head around to make as much eye contact as possible. He usually stands erect, although he does have a slightly hunched body position (perhaps he wasn’t told to stand up straight when he was a child?).

Faith Wood found a way to survive the stresses of her prior policing career and has gone on to become an internationally recognized behavioral strategist. She is passionate about unlocking the secrets of the brain and our unconscious motivations. Visit www.imind.ca to learn more.

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