Image by Robert Stiene (Well, not all of it, obviously)
Anyone who has been on Facebook in the past 24 hours has seen the images: famous works of art with the iconic image of the pepper spray-wielding UC Davis police officer who blasted the protesters in the face.
Friends have begun debating whether it's disrespectful, demeaning, or makes light of what is clearly an event that was not funny, in which people were injured, and during which the Constitution of the United States was nullified.
Maybe because I've been reading a fantastic book: 33 Revolutions Per Minute, which examines the history of the protest song, I'm seeing the meme in a different light.
It takes a while to write a song, to get it out on the airwaves, no matter how timely it is. Our new social networks have allowed us to spread protest in what has become known as a "viral" manner. For me, these images--many of them hiding a great deal of anger--are a version of the protest song.
DO not be fooled. There is outrage in these images. As Rob Stiene said: "What I see is an icon-izing of the absurd/offensive. "Which one of these is not like the other?" Hence the transportation of the image into "other" (and iconic) settings."
By defacing beautiful works of art, as the faces of those beautiful young people were defaced, people are voicing their protest. It's an important meme.
I refuse to condemn it. For me, it's a way of yelling, "Give me an F!" You know the rest.
Sing it, Country Joe.
Come on Wall Street, don't be slow,
Why man, this is war au-go-go
There's plenty good money to be made
By supplying the Army with the tools of its trade,
But just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,
They drop it on the Viet Cong.
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Comments
"By defacing beautiful works of art, as the faces of those beautiful young people were defaced, people are voicing their protest. It's an important meme." ~r
Once again both of our posts today, are fueled by outrage, and, I think, love for what's right.
rated.
The most important aspect though is that it makes the cop look cruel, thuggish, and ignorant. Back in my day, we'd have called him a Pig. This treatment demonstrates that label even better than the word.
My favorite is the cop spraying the Constitution.
As our Joanie has written, however, not all cops are like this. This guy should be fired immediately.
http://boingboing.net/2011/11/20/occupy-lulz.html
(In keeping with your musical theme, we had an RCMP officer up here who was more than happy to spray protesters. He rapidly became known as "Sgt. Pepper".)
I'm still reeling fromt he fact that JW went to woodstock.
I'm just a couple of years too young, but not too young that I don't remember the protests.
I went to the boingboing url that Green Heron provided and saw the one where he was spraying a praying Jesus in the face. It was strange to see because with each abuse of innocents I realized that he would do that to Jesus. In my heart it hurt me, because I knew he already did.
However, I have a visceral loathing for the word "meme" - I don't know why! I almost skipped this post because of it, but am quite glad I did not. Good work.
A friend told me a long time ago, there is no such thing as security. It took me years to understand his meaning, as I thought stable job, stable friends, stable marriage, owning a home was the answer. I see now what he meant, all of those are illusions of security, and can go at any time. Our fixation on security is part of the political illusion/man behind the curtain trick that both sides are playing and both sides are losing on.
Watching the video, I was stunned at the casual, disinterested way that officer went about spraying those people. That's what is disrespectful and so very offensive.
One of the things about and around Occupy is the artistic expressions. It reminds me a little of Burning Man ... But this is more serious fun.
'Poor' Pike - not just the videos and outrage, but these pix and the contempt will be with him the rest of his life...
(In *your* face buddy, I hope you've been fired -- pssssst!)
Isn't that guy upset enough?
He is, as far as I can tell, an offiicer on the campus police force. I work at a big University with a police force. It looks like he went way out of control with excessive force e.g. pepper spraying non violent protesters.
But here's a few questions I have: What is the neccesitty for an armed police force on any campus? Why are these campus police armed with riot gear, jackbooots and helmets? Who gives the orders for the campus police to intervene?
If a campus requires a police force (and that is definitely up for debate) those "officers" should be PROTECTING students, including students who are demonstrating. Like - who the fuck is paying your wages - the University or College that hopefully upholds the right to free speech.
So, who unleashed the thugs? Well, I would guess it was the University.
I can't believe someone called the violent pepper sprayer an "animal". I think he acted like a jerk, but I want to know why there were Campus Cops in full riot gear at a peaceful protest. Who told them, who ordered them, to put on that gear and show up?
They are employed by the University. So I see a much more devastating trend - demonizing one man's heinous actions as a symbol when that man was probably acting on orders from a bastion of thoughts and ideas.
i hope some Art comes out of this Occupy thing.
they have maced old women, beat up a poet laureate,
and, what is this?: caused a miscarriage?
i heard that on another blog.
the more they provoke violence, the more coverage
they get, they know well, the Occupiers, and
that is simply grotesque.
ok ok there is not a "leader" they keep saying.
but what about a writer, a poet? some kinda artist?
for this is more, much more, than about economics.
it is a cultural upheaval, and during them
we usually get some good art.
I reposted an article "The Pepper-spray President" pointing out it really is 1968 all over again. This morning Scanner gave me Jimmi Hendrix and "Machine Gun", and now you gave me the wonderful (and forgotten until now) Country Joe. We used to yell "Give me an 'F'" in class when I was in high school!
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/11/21/technology/bits-pikefloyd/bits-pikefloyd-tmagArticle.jpg
there are a lot of products on sale. Which one is better for 48 years old mom? Handbag,glasses or biniki? Please help.
Viva la revolution!