[PREV - OPIATE_MEDIA] [TOP]
FAST_MEDIA
January 21, 2001
It's a common complaint
that the world moves too
fast nowadays.
And it has become a common
complaint that this is
making it impossible to As V. Vale puts it:
have a real
"Oh, the next trend... Everything has
subculture gotten so splintered and fragmented.
mass movement With corporate control it doesn't seem
underground like it's possible to have a trend.
scene Because undergrounds are like
mushrooms. They have to develop and
No sooner does an idea grow in darkness. And now the slightest
emerge than forces little thing that happens, CBS is there
crank up their engines right away, and the ad guys have their
to "co-opt" it. little moles in there doing their cool
hunting so they can immediately design
the latest clothes that will fit the
The word is that: look and start developing hair products
or whatever. So it doesn't really seem
clothing designers, possible to me, that there's ever going
major labels, to be a mass movement ever again
movie makers comparable in diversity and breadth [to
punk]. I just can't see that happening
will all rip your again. And it's sad."
styles and start
pushing toned down V. Vale interviewed
mass market versions in "Comet", Spring 2000,
before you barely Vol 1, Number 1
get started.
Maybe Vale's
RE/Search is
now a part
Is this a problem? of the
Maybe this means that co-optation
"we" are winning? machine?
After the revolution, MEDIA_FAST
there's no more need
for the underground.
But none of "us" seriously
doubts that there's
something wrong with
the mass-market versions. It's worth thinking about exactly
*what* is wrong with it.
Still, maybe it means
that they're on the run? It may be something
Maybe the true revolution subtle and ineffable,
is close to being won. like a loss of "edge".
Or it *might* be something
There's a Bruce Sterling line more childish: a need to
that goes something like: feel superior to the crowd.
"I never intended to start The annoyance that someone
a subculture. My intention else is wearing your special
is to take over the main perfume.
culture. My intention is
to win."
Aside: isn't it
interesting that Or for that matter:
Vale never did a "Raves"-- an echo of
"Cyberpunk" book? the old punk/disco wars?
What would you SUBCULTS
do to design a DISCO_SUCKS
subculture so
that it can not
be co-opted?
PURLOINED
Note that the beloved superhero
of Critical Mass, "Dildo Man"
exists in a total media-blackout.
They can't put you on TV if you
go around wearing a bike helmet
with a big white dildo glued to
the forehead.
Similarly, could a fad for
"Fuck-off MTV" T-shirts (But the competing
keep your music scene off channels might
of MTV? snap you up...)
It occurs to me that there is
also a media blackout on
certain political issues.
Use that to effect?
E.g. always perform in front
of a satiric banner insulting
to major advertisers.
And there's Sterling's observation
about Burning Man: nudity is a
youth costume which cannot be
co-opted...
And the bay area improv scene
has some built in media (More than many of
repulsion effects built in: the practitioners
would like.)
Slightly pudgy, graying hair,
glasses and sometimes with
bald spots: these guys just
aren't "telegenic", so they
get left alone.
Hakim Bey (circa 1992) suggested
something which should've been
obvious: secret societies that
One of my best ideas: practice their art "immediately"
only for each other.
A special sigil, trademarked,
whose use is licensed only He envisions some sort of
under peculiar terms: it can't hybrid of tong society
appear in any mass media, and community center.
any websites, magazines, books,
or newspapers. It's use is (He puts a lot of energy
granted toward all clothing into denying that this is
and jewelry manufacture "elitist", but that's an
(and possibly, signage, murals, anarchist for you.)
etc).
The basic idea is that if you
choose to wear the sigil, it's
illegal for your image to appear DRAG
on television.
(It would require a special
clause about not being
allowed to erase or remove
the sigil in order to avoid
this restriction. That
might or might not be
upheld in court, but I bet
it'd sound good enough to
make them think twice.)
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