Norway has turned an image of Trump into a tourism ad
Norway responded with humor to Donald Trump’s insult, in which he called the country a “shithole.” The national tourism board, Visit Norway, published photos of unusual public restrooms with views of fjords, waterfalls, and the coastline. The photos were accompanied by the slogan “Norway is making toilets great again!”—a reworked version of the U.S. president’s famous campaign slogan.
On October 29, the Norwegian tourism agency Visit Norway published an ironic response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks. Instead of issuing official statements or engaging in diplomatic disputes, they decided to showcase the public restrooms the country can proudly present to tourists. Visit Norway presented a selection of photos of unusual restrooms located in picturesque spots across Norway. Among them are restrooms near fjords, waterfalls, and observation decks. Some have panoramic windows offering views of the natural landscape, while others are situated right on the coast of Helgeland.
The tourism board captioned the photos with the phrase “Norway is making restrooms great again!” This is an ironic reimagining of Donald Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again,” which he used during his presidential campaigns. Visit Norway also joked that these restrooms are worth visiting not only when nature calls. “These restrooms are worth a visit both when you really need to go and when you don’t,” the tourism board noted.
Why Norway Chose Humor
Jens Kjeldsen, a professor of rhetoric at the University of Bergen, believes that this response helped Norway avoid turning Trump’s insults into a serious diplomatic conflict. In his view, humor in this situation was an apt way to respond to the U.S. president’s remarks. “It’s like a bully in kindergarten. If you take it too seriously, the bully wins,” the professor explained.
At the same time, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Bart Eide also responded to Trump’s statements. He pointed out that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by an independent committee, not by the country’s government. “We reminded him of that,” the diplomat said.
What exactly did Trump say about Norway?
The reaction was prompted by remarks Donald Trump made at a rally in Michigan on the eve of the U.S. midterm congressional elections. During his speech, the U.S. president sharply criticized Norway and stated that he did not want to accept immigrants from that country. Trump called Norway a “shithole country” and linked his criticism to the fact that he had not received the Nobel Peace Prize. He also mentioned the decision to award the prize to South African lawyer and former International Criminal Court judge Navi Pillay.
The U.S. president called this decision “an indelible stain on Norway and on those people who made such a shameful and indecent decision.” In addition, Trump stated that the Nobel Peace Prize has lost its credibility, and that the United States will never “forget Norway.” However, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which operates independently of the country’s government. This is precisely what Norway’s foreign minister pointed out.
Instead, Visit Norway decided to respond to the insults not with political statements, but with photographs of designer public restrooms. In this way, the tourism board turned Trump’s harsh words into an opportunity to once again draw attention to the country’s tourist attractions. The Guardian reports on this.
U.S. President Donald Trump made harsh remarks about Norway during a Republican Party rally in Port Huron, Michigan. He linked his remarks to the fact that he did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize, according to RMF24.
