You swim in a very deep toxic sea of media indoctrination. Perpetual currents of information drag and push you far out and away from any island of quiet. You are bombarded with wave after wave that aims to convince you to consume, consume and consume some more.
Alone we can sink to frighteningly bleak depths.
But together we can hold tight. Together we can make anchor. And we can form our selves as a bridge, a platform, an island, to climb up and out of the waters edge to see that another world is possible. In fact, another world exists.
Tuesday, November 06 2007 @ 07:25 AM EST hopeace
, Views: 1,515
"Was that a Hallowe'en costume or a social experiment?" a psychology classmate recently asked me.
"Both," I replied with a wild grin.
Thus ended another adventure of TV HeAD, channeling the path of resistance!
It all started last year in Victoria. I've always enjoyed and appreciated how dressing up in costume at Hallowe'en allowed your Jungian Shadow to have a little prime time. I haven't always created political/social commentary costumes. Mostly I aimed for weird, funny, and beautiful garbs. But one year I became an Orca who was "oFINded by all the fricken' whale watching boats following me around!" I'd say with a crazy laugh, "You're bringing the Killa Whale outta me!" Then another year I admired the mad fast-food server dotting a meat cleaver. She was completed with a blood bespattered MacDonald's uniform. Since subversion is one of my Shadow faces, Hallowe'en has become an opportunity to turn on TV HeAD and turn off the world....
You know, I’ve happenstanced upon a few subversive activities in my 9 Victoria years: squeaky license plates being stolen from a looted car; a needled woman fishing for veins in the neck of a man on the steps of a church; a fist in the shocked face of a cop from a masked woman that freed a silly arrest; and I’ve even opened the door of the Y’s steam room to witness some fellow getting his noogies nibbled. But never, not-even-once, have I stumbled upon somebody scribbling a tag. A tag: you know, all those billions of omnipresent signatures that are everywhere. Not even once...
Tuesday, January 23 2007 @ 08:48 PM EST hopeace
, Views: 1,316
Darren Alexander and Max Sloan are long time media revolutionaries here in Lakwamen First Nation territory, known as Fernwood, Victoria, BC, Canada, Earth. As with most Media Activists and Guerrilla artists, an opportunity to plant a consciousness lifting seed into the mainstream media is prime ground.
This February the Victoria Independent Film & Video Festival has introduced the “My Victoria Video Competition.” Artists are instructed to show what affects them about downtown Victoria in one minute. Check out Darren & Max’s entry entitled “Greatest Canadian.” I wonder if Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe will cover his eyes and hum through the scary parts…
Thursday, December 21 2006 @ 10:50 PM EST hopeace
, Views: 2,352
We all know about the advertisement awards for most novel and impactful commercials. However, I am unaware of any award recognition for Bad-ad of the year. That would be strange considering there are a zillion to choose from. Perhaps we are the first to do so.
This ad struck me deep. Many ads strike me, for better or worse- as that is perhaps the main function of advertisements: catch your attention. You see ads, like art and music, ride the lines of acceptance. Ironically, even ads that cross the line and become sanctioned, increase their bottom line.
Yet, we know when an ad or art has crossed the line.
Monday, December 11 2006 @ 06:10 PM EST hopeace
, Views: 1,603
One of the hardest things I have done is to freestyle. The almighty Wikipedia says: "Freestyle rap is an improvisational form of rapping, that is performed with no previously composed lyrics, and reflecting a direct mapping of the mental state and performing situation of the artist."
I had the privilege of hanging out in one of Mike Sheehan’s freestyle workshops. I left convinced that freestyling is a means of liberating one's mind. You literally have to stop thinking, stop scripting and stop regurgitation the slogans branded onto our consciousness. Although associated with the nastiest of canned culture (rap with a bad rap), I believe it is a tool of liberation from the hypnoticness!!
So when brother Mike has turned his spontaneous rhyme into a dirge on Santa Clause, I stop to listen! Check it out...
In my first year of teaching Media Literacy at Victoria High School, one of my students brought in a VHS taped recording of the Christina Aguillera music video “Dirrty”. We had been discussing the objectification of women and the use of sex as a marketing tool and she wanted to show this video in class. We had just enough time in class to watch it once and then the bell rang. But something had caught my attention. It wasn’t so much a visual clue, as it was a sense. Later after school, I decided to go through the video with the SLOW button and watch it frame-by-frame.
As I am all about deconstructing media, I can be quite cynical and negative regarding all forms of advertising. However, If you have ever listened to O'Reilly on Advertising on CBC, you can gain an appreciation of commercials that are good at what they intend to do- that is catch your attention.
One of my friends who is an avid media deconstructor sent me this heinz tv commercial. He suggests this one pulls all the punches- sex, humour and a surprise ‘a-ha’ ending. What do you think?
i struggle to live the story that I am attempting to write
i ink myself along each line of the day
fact and fancy smeared with the curve of my palm
my imagination of all that could be jogs in front of me-
wagging his ass ill never keep up
or surpass
always- his behind is in my face
and the newsbrokers pummel pummel PUMMEL
my heart and sense of mind
with all that’s gone askew -my innards so mashed that i can barely soak up any hope
before it all seeps away
ive called upon the muse for new lines to our story- to end the madness-
and from her the ink has rained down so greatly
that I struggle not to drown
in the darkness of responsibility
and accountability
of awareness
it would be so much easier to just... dot...dot...dot...
so much to do... so much needs to change It ain’t just a matter of time
when we are running out of pages to write upon
at least there is one comfort that I can embrace from my pain
- I know that I have shred my trance
Do you like to be manipulated? If you’re like most people, the answer is ‘nope.’ Well, you are being manipulated! We all are! How could one not be swayed by the massive tsunami of information, much of which is aimed at us to consume and be consumed?
In this rant I will speak of Subliminal Persuasion: just one of the mind-fishing techniques that the promoters of consumption use to catch your attention.
"Was that a Hallowe'en costume or a social experiment?" a psychology classmate recently asked me.
It all started last year in Victoria. I've always enjoyed and appreciated how dressing up in costume at Hallowe'en allowed your Jungian Shadow to have a little prime time. I haven't always created political/social commentary costumes. Mostly I aimed for weird, funny, and beautiful garbs. But one year I became an Orca who was "oFINded by all the fricken' whale watching boats following me around!" I'd say with a crazy laugh, "You're bringing the Killa Whale outta me!" Then another year I admired the mad fast-food server dotting a meat cleaver. She was completed with a blood bespattered MacDonald's uniform. Since subversion is one of my Shadow faces, Hallowe'en has become an opportunity to turn on TV HeAD and turn off the world....
