It’s a hoax. ‘Karen’ is an actress named Ditte Arnth Jorgensen. It was perpetrated by Visit Denmark as a way of positioning the country. VisitDenmark CEO Dorte Kiilerich defended the controversial viral ad in the Danish newspaper Politiken:

Karen’s story shows that Denmark is a broad-minded country where you can do what you want. The film is a good example of independent, dignified, Danish women who dare to make their own choices…We tell a good and sweet story about a mature, responsible woman who lives in a free society and shoulders the responsibility of her actions. And she uses a modern social medium.

Most commentators either are agreeing with Ms Kiilerich, saying, yes, it’s a helpful portrayal of Denmark, or disagreeing with her, saying that’s the wrong story to be telling about Denmark.

I say both sides are wrong.

They’re wrong because they’re looking at the content of the message. They should be looking at the fact of the message.

Anthropologists (and economists) use a concept called honest signals. (It’s a wonderful concept; I’ll surely write more about it another time; read a primer here). And the honest signal that’s being sent here is that a public body in Denmark had the mindset and the moxy (that’s an Americanism for wherewithal, for testicular fortitude) to dream up, script, approve the script for, produce, and launch this particular ad.

And that, frankly, that honest signal, says a lot about Denmark. It says Denmark is not like other places. It says Denmark thinks differently. It says Denmark is not Russia, Egypt, America, Ireland, Mexico, Malaysia or countless other countries whose tourism departments definitely would NOT have created that ad.

That, I believe, is the real message of the Danish mother seeking.