E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Filip Singer / EPA
Czech Presidential candidate Vladimir Franz takes part in a pre-election TV debate in Prague, Czech Republic, on Jan. 10, 2013.
Petr David Josek / AP
Presidential candidates Vladimir Franz, center, Milos Zeman, right, and Premysl Sobotka, left, talk prior to a television debate in Prague on Jan. 10, 2013. The Czech Republic holds the first round of the Presidential election on Jan. 11-12.
The Associated Press reports — He's tattooed from head to toe, a warrior-like mix of blue, green and red.
He's also running in a surprising third place ahead of this week's Czech presidential elections.
Vladimir Franz, an opera composer and painter, seems the most unlikely of candidates for a prestigious post previously held by beloved playwright-dissident Vaclav Havel and Vaclav Klaus, a professor credited with plotting the economic transition from communism to a free market.
Michal Cizek / AFP - Getty Images
Presidential candidates (L-R) Premysl Sobotka, Milos Zeman, Vladimir Franz, Jiri Dientsbier and Karel Schwarzenberg attend a TV debate on Jan. 10, 2013 in Prague.
Some have a nickname for Franz: 'Avatar.' And during a televised debate a caller compared him to "an exotic creature from Papua New Guinea."
But he's not short of admirers in a country where voters are increasingly tired of politicians they say are corrupt and failing to deliver on years of promises, more than two decades after the fall of communism. Read the full story.
Michal Cizek / AFP - Getty Images, file
Vladimir Franz react as he stands in front of supporters, cheering as he announces the collection of 88,388 signatures to become eligible for the Czech presidential elections, on Nov. 5, 2012 in Prague. "The world of art gives you the capacity to speak authentically about things, you're not infected with the newspeak that people are so fed up with these days," Franz told AFP.
A Czech art professor, composer and punk who is tattooed from head to toe has become a candidate in the upcoming Czech presidential elections. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
Leave a Comment:
id hit it.
wut? ಠ_ಠ
Life is certainly a box of chocolates.
When I saw this headline, I just had to czech it out.
I certainly can't claim to know much about Czech politics, but if it's okay with them, it's okay with me.
Good one BMette!!
If you look at the still-pictures of this guy he doesn't look real. Kinda looks like a clay bust that got moldy.
Really??? mmm...nah...
Makes me a little embarrassed to be of Slovak heritage.
That's a ridiculous thing to say.
No, it's a correct thing to say. This slimemold isn't even human. Scrub him.
Good to see other countries stepping up to the plate and showing their disgust for corrupt politics and the status quo. If only we can get our own country, America, to get with the program.
Why not?
He looks like a circus freak. Most likely has some serious mental issues also.
The only mental issues evident I see are here on this board.
Well said, IngVer
Thanks for saying that IngVer. I thought I was the only one that noticed this.
The last three schmucks have absolutely no skills in critical thinking. May be drowning in ink themselves.
@ Vanderleun, I'm pretty sure you think people that have ink on there body must be idiots. Well you sir must be the idiot for being so close minded. I have plenty of ink on my body and with a Masters in Fine Art and working for a successful toy company designing toys for them, and living a comfortable lifestyle . Oh yes I must be stupid and made stupid decisions in my life because I have ink on me. Before you open your mouth try to think.
He can't be any worse than Obama.
True but he does manage to be uglier. Win!
It seems encouraging that someone so out of the ordinary could be considered for a political role. In my opinion, it's about time that someone outside the realm of corruption; someone fluent in creativity and without bias, steps up to the plate. Better him than someone trained in years of government and wise in all things corrupt.
He has a better chance of becoming president here.
I thought Dr. Manhattan had moved to another galaxy.
Moron
Spot on! You totally are.
My Great grandmother would turn over in her grave. I think I'd like to change my father's side of the family heritage to another group of folks.
WOW hate to be the person trying to have a serious talk with him, his face is soooo distracting, might be a great guy but not someone I would want representing my country just to far out there in left or right field
Who cares what he looks like, so long as he will do the best job for his people and nation? If we concentrated more on character and qualifications, and less on appearance in the US, we'd get some better candidates for office, ourselves.
Why would anyone want to do that to their body? I find tattoos repulsive.
Well as long as we are sure those are tatoos and he is not from some underworld.
Yes... he looks different... but really what does that matter?
it is sad that people have to hate based on appearance and not spent not even one second to learn what he is about or what he represents...
Because he was not born that way. He chose to decorate himself in that manner. I think that says a lot about someone.
the appearance is obviously the easy part to focus on. what would REALLY concern me about a person like this is their decision making. how does one think that making oneself look like that will lead to getting votes? no matter what the guys platform may be he has put himself at a competitive disadvantage by making himself look like a reject from a star trek film.
Sadly CompWiz that is the "human condition" of our society.
Remember the old saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover."
I understand why we do it... and I agree he looks strange... and also I am sure he never realized when he did how much it would set him back with people who have never met him...
I guess I just don't understand why we can't even give him a chance first BEFORE we right him off as a loser / vagrant / freak, etc...
to those of you saying "give him a chance" or "don't judge a book...", i agree to a certain extent and would at least want to hear what he thinks. that said, his decision making is still terrible. he would likely never admit it, but for the purposes of trying to get elected (a popularity contest...), he likely wishes he didn't make himself appear as if he was in a horrible industrial accident.
If you can't judge a book by its cover what reason do you have for buying it?
If it wasn't for his "ink" no one would be talking about him right now!
He would just be another person in the mix of things.
i wonder if people that mutilate their bodies to this degree with tats and piercings and whatever else realize that they have absolutely no credibility and that it's basically impossible to take them seriously. i realize this isn't a beauty contest and that my opinion ultimately doesn't matter to anyone besides me, but this guy looks like a fool. he may look cool at a biker rally or porn convention or some other assembly of freaks, but to me he just looks like a cartoon.
Yikes! it's the Lizard from Spider-man! Google it!! LOL
I am Czech and from the Czech Republic - reading foreign news. Based on interviews and TV debates this guy is pretty moderate in opinions and kind to others, even to verbal attacks (mainly against his tattoo), he never cooperated with communists, he is not corrupted and he does not have any significant political experience.
He is humanistic philisopher, I think he would be close to what Vaclav Havel was. Many people choose his "corruption purity" before his looks - his candidacy started as recession and sort of got out of hand.
There are just two better candidates. By better I mean people who did not join communists (ever!) or people who ever worked and lived among us or that do have a moral credit.
Do not judge people just by their look, and if he wil be the president, do not use blue background in TV studio! :))))
Mejte se fajn...
"Do not judge people just by their look"
Oh puhlease. This look screams that there is something depraved and unwholesome about this man, even for a politician.
Dvoukvitek, Thanks for filling us in on some of this man's background. I find him quite interesting. His tattoos are not random nor are they portraying some sort of allegiance to some group or cause; the tattoos are artful and thoughtfully done--I think that might suggest a creative and controlled person, which could be a very big plus in decision making. The tattoos are certainly attention getting and perhaps his "normal" appearance might not have given him an attention getting "edge," which can be helpful in politics. I see the tattoos as revealing a person who is bold, creative, decisive, and has the ability to think and plan complex projects --what more could voters ask for?
Another slime leaking dump truck pretending to be a human being. Flush him.
Where is the Czech Republic again ? Adjacent to Mongolia and Sinkiang ?