Co-option (If You Can't Beat 'Em...) - The Art of the Prank

August 23, 2007January 15, 2019

Shock and Awe?

Go Ahead, Drop Those Drawers
August 22, 2007

Brattleboro, Vt. (AP) — Vermont’s clothing-optional capital is stripping off its temporary ban on public nudity.

A month after passing the temporary ban, the Brattleboro Selectboard voted 3-2 on Tuesday to reject a proposed ordinance that would have made it permanent. When the emergency temporary ordinance expires next month, public nudity will no longer be illegal.

It’s all about tolerance, one board member said.

“We in this country are going down a slippery slope these days,” said Dora Bouboulis, noting a national newspaper recently published an article about the emergency ordinance under the headline “Tolerant town gets intolerant.”

She said it wasn’t up to the town to restrict anyone’s right to dress or undress.

Before the vote, residents weighed in on both sides of the debate.

Michael Gauthier gave the Selectboard a petition with signatures of 967 people who support a nudity ban.

“What is the point, other than shock and awe, that the nudists are trying to make?” he asked.

Photo: Cleveland Scene Blogs

August 3, 2007January 15, 2019

Flash Mob Marketing: Culture Jamming Co-Opted

[Editor’s Note: The below link has some factual errors. The photo of the No-Pants mission in London is actually of Charlie Todd’s Improv Everywhere event in NYC, and the Best Buy event took place at Target in 2006, not 2007.]

From 1 Million 1 Shot, August 2, 2007:

Flash Mobs, Culture Jams, and other Impromptu Rallies

On January 13, 2007, over 300 people participated in the largest No-Pants mission that invaded the London”s Underground, for no other purpose than to freak other riders out. They rallied using text messages.

In San Francisco on Valentine”s Day of 2007, a group of 4,000 individuals, split into two groups wielding pillows, and lined up across from another in a Braveheart-like scenario. As the clock struck 6 o”clock the two groups ran full speed at one another, and proceeded to pillow fight for over an hour. Attendees were informed of the location and time via a website, through texts messages, and countless emails.

Continue reading “Flash Mob Marketing: Culture Jamming Co-Opted”

July 9, 2007January 15, 2019

Calling All Aliens

At Roswell Festival, Doubt Is an Alien Concept
by William Booth
Washington Post
July 8, 2007

Roswell, N.M. — Attention, all aliens. Come on down. Because, seriously, this is your crowd. About 50,000 of your closest admirers are expected this weekend for the Roswell UFO Festival, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the nearby crash landing of a flying saucer — and, naturally, the ensuing government coverup.

A weather balloon? Please. We are not fools.

At least that’s the thinking here. Not up on the latest ufology? The debate today is all about “disclosure,” meaning not if, but when. When is the government finally going to open its top-secret files to reveal its voluminous data on the sightings, abductions and close encounters dating back to at least July 5, 1947. “The anomalies.” Here in the desert Southwest. And probably Mars. Read the rest of this story here.

July 8, 2007January 15, 2019

The Graffiti Project on Kelburn Castle

From thegraffitiproject.net about a project recently completed in Scotland:

“Kelburn is prominently located on the west coast of Scotland, 35 miles west of Glasgow, overlooking the sea. Parts of the building are in need of repair, but funds have recently been secured to begin an extensive restoration, that includes the removal of the external render, allowing the opportunity to use the present surface as a vast temporary canvas…

“We are bringing together four of the world”s leading graffiti artists from Brazil to create a unique burst of colour, embracing the walls and turrets of the south side of Kelburn Castle and the castle grounds. On a traditional typecast building, this bold and striking artistic statement will hopefully receive positive media attention, whilst challenging the public”s understanding of both urban graffiti art and the British institution the building represents. It is a project that bridges between rural and urban realms and unites two proud and very different cultures.”

Watch the project evolve:

via Davidairey

July 7, 2007January 15, 2019

Pass the Jam

A new book about culture jamming:

OurSpace: Resisting the Corporate Control of Culture
by Christine Harold

When reporters asked about the Bush administration”s timing in making their case for the Iraq war, then Chief of Staff Andrew Card responded that “from an marketing point of view, you don”t introduce new products in August.” While surprising only in its candor, this statement signified the extent to which consumer culture has pervaded every aspect of life. For those troubled by the long reach of the marketplace, resistance can seem futile. However, a new generation of progressive activists has begun to combat the media supremacy of multinational corporations by using the very tools and techniques employed by their adversaries.

In OurSpace, Christine Harold examines the deployment and limitations of “culture jamming” by activists. These techniques defy repressive corporate culture through parodies, hoaxes, and pranks. Among the examples of sabotage she analyzes are the magazine Adbusters” spoofs of familiar ads and the Yes Men”s impersonations of company spokespersons. Continue reading “Pass the Jam”