Oddly Enough Blog
News, but not the serious kind
How many floozies live at this address?
Alert readers of this blog will recall my complaints about the U.S. Census last year.
I wrote about their heavy-handed approach, their fixation that my single-family dwelling was actually housing countless lodgers, and their surprise visits looking for an Apartment 2 and Apartment 3 somewhere in my home.
Also, I wasn’t too crazy about the census question asking whether I spend some of my time living in prison instead of here. Shouldn’t the government already KNOW who lives in prison?
But let’s not dwell on that again until 2020. Instead, let’s look at how another country handles it. Hungary, for instance.
It turns out, in Hungary they don’t even WANT to visit every house, kicking in doors and looking for hidden apartments. No, they’re very happy if you’d just fill out the form online. And, to get your attention, they have created a provocative video commercial featuring a topless young woman in red underwear and lacy black stockings, holding a whip.
The woman opens the door to a census taker, who, realizing his timing is bad, offers her the option of completing the census online.
An official explained to us that they “want to reach the younger generation as well,” which I guess in Hungary is the topless red lingerie and whip generation.
U.S. Census folks, take note. This is a nice way to treat citizens, and you should give it a try.
BTW, if a topless woman with a whip and red lingerie answers the door at my place, it will be that shameless hussy from Apartment 3.
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Images: Screen grabs from Hungarian video

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Hungry is counting on you…
Do it online, do it at the floor, do it on the floor. Just do it.
I’m sorry, what product was being advertised again?
Blog Guy, how many times did you (or was that Lamar?) watch the video to decide which screen grabs to use? And did you know that was @justCAM’s sister in @Shra’s shoes?
My hovercraft is full of eels.
Exactly, Frisco. I weel not buy this record, it is scratched…
I humbly offer two unrelated haiku:
Is this a good time?
Answer the questions online
Always a good time
Monty Python jokes
Like Hungarian Phrasebook
Plea: incompetent
Hmmmm, maybe I’ll go to Krasnoyarsk via Hungary.
Interesting, I guess Krasnoyarsk has been used so often on this blog that it no longer shows as a misspelled word.
@69 … very observant. She was the body double.
humble haiku
knocking on the flap
shameless hussy’s answer door
cenus is throbbing
another Hungary haiku
Don’t go knocking ’round
lest you feel the lash o’ lass
in Apartment 3
The last time I wore a get-up like that and someone rang the doorbell, I’m quite sure I didn’t answer.
Let’s take a poll: How many of you commenters, when dressed in red lingerie and carrying a whip, would answer the door, and how many wouldn’t?
Ability to reply is not restricted to any one gender.
Well, the ability to carry off that outfit is pretty much restricted to one gender…
@Blog Guy: Depends on your definition of “carry off.”
Shortly after I got married, my wife (then in law school) needed me to run over to the apartment of one of her friends to pick up a law book. I went over and knocked. She answered the door wearing red lingerie.
I waited in the hallway while she brought me the book.
Hey, does anyone remember the safeword?
I wouldn’t want them to take my whip away, so I guess I wouldn’t. I think you have to look through trick binoculars first, to get all that black around your eyes!
I thinkt the black stockings would be ever so much nicer without the red bow/garter thingies. They make me giggle.
There just HAS to be a Knock.. Knock.. or Knockers joke in here someplace.
Yeah, but probably not for this blog…
@ifly: I’ll take you up on that challenge with no inappropriate language. In fact, this is right along the lines of the ad campaign.
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Census.
Census who?
Cens us (Since it’s) just you and me, baby, why don’t you say we…
No, thanks. I can do that online.
If you know very much about the Hungarian Secret Police following WWII into the 1950s, the AVO (later AVH), you know why Hungary takes this kind of approach with its census. If you are ever in Budapest, stop in at the Museum at 60, Andrassy Place, formerly the headquarters of the AVO, but now popularly known as “Terror House.” It will scare the bejeebers out of you. Recommended fiction for your trip: The Secret Ways, by Alistar Maclean.
It’s hard to tell from the fuzzy photos, but that looks more like a cat ‘o nine tails than a whip to me…
Do the Hungarians use salmon bars as well BG?
Do not disturb us
with your petty questionnaires –
“Population Boost”!