Culture Jamming : Activism and the Art of Cultural Resistance

A collaboration of political activism and participatory culture seeking to upend consumer capitalism, including interviews with The Yes Men, The Guerrilla Girls, among others. Coined in the 1980s, “culture jamming” refers to an array of tactics deployed by activists to critique, subvert, and otherwise “jam” the workings of consumer culture. Ranging from media hoaxes and advertising parodies to flash mobs and street art, these actions seek to interrupt the flow of dominant, capitalistic messages that permeate our daily lives. Employed by Occupy Wall Street protesters and the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot alike, culture jamming scrambles the signal, injects the unexpected, and spurs audiences to think critically and challenge the status quo. The essays, interviews, and creative work assembled in this unique volume explore the shifting contours of culture jamming by plumbing its history, mapping its transformations, testing its force, and assessing its efficacy. Revealing how culture jamming is at once playful and politically transgressive, this accessible collection explores the degree to which culture jamming has fulfilled its revolutionary aims. Featuring original essays from prominent media scholars discussing Banksy and Shepard Fairey, foundational texts such as Mark Dery’s culture jamming manifesto, and artwork by and interviews with noteworthy culture jammers including the Guerrilla Girls, The Yes Men, and Reverend Billy, __Culture Jamming__ makes a crucial contribution to our understanding of creative resistance and participatory culture. "Culture Jamming is a must for modern day activists who want to overturn the status quo, and fast, and who embrace the creativity and interconnectedness of modern life." ― __Foreword Reviews__ "A vivid picture of significant episodes along a timeline spanning more than two decades . . . This book represents a collection of mostly successful cultural resistance tactics . . . hopefully inspiring new effective strategies for the times ahead." ― __Neural__ "The essays, interviews, and creative work assembled in this unique volume explore the shifting contours of culture jamming by plumbing its history, mapping its transformations, testing its force, and assessing its efficacy. Revealing how culture jamming is at once playful and politically transgressive, this accessible collection explores the degree to which culture jamming has fulfilled its revolutionary aims. . . . a crucial contribution to our understanding of creative resistance and participatory culture." ― __We-make-money-not-art.com__ "Culture Jamming subverts an engineered ‘culture of consumption,’ identifying the oppressive relationships upon which knowledge creation is founded and taking steps to emancipate society from false narratives of creativity." ― __Political and Legal Anthropology Review__ **Marilyn DeLaure** is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of San Francisco. She has published essays on dance, civil rights rhetoric, and environmental activism. **Moritz Fink** is a media scholar and author. He holds a doctoral degree in American Studies from the University of Munich. **Mark Dery** is a cultural critic. His writings on media, technology, pop culture, and American society have appeared in __Artforum, Cabinet, Elle, The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Salon, Spin__, and __Wired__, among others. His books include __Culture Jamming: Hacking, Slashing, and Sniping in the Empire of Signs__, __The Pyrotechnic Insanitarium: American Culture on the Brink__, and __Escape Velocity: Cyberculture at the End of the Century__, which has been translated into eight languages. He edited the scholarly anthology __Flame Wars: The Discourse of Cyberculture__. His latest book is the essay collection __I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts__. Coined In The 1980s, Culture Jamming Refers To An Array Of Tactics Deployed By Activists To Critique, Subvert, And Otherwise Jam The Workings Of Consumer Culture. Ranging From Media Hoaxes And Advertising Parodies To Flash Mobs And Street Art, These Actions Seek To Interrupt The Flow Of Dominant, Capitalistic Messages That Permeate Our Daily Lives. Employed By Occupy Wall Street Protesters And The Russian Feminist Punk Band Pussy Riot Alike, Culture Jamming Scrambles The Signal, Injects The Unexpected, And Spurs Audiences To Think Critically And Challenge The Status Quo. The Essays, Interviews, And Creative Work Assembled In This Unique Volume Explore The Shifting Contours Of Culture Jamming By Plumbing Its History, Mapping Its Transformations, Testing Its Force, And Assessing Its Efficacy. Revealing How Culture Jamming Is At Once Playful And Politically Transgressive, This Accessible Collection Explores The Degree To Which Culture Jamming Has Fulfilled Its Revolutionary Aims. Featuring Original Essays From Prominent Media Scholars Discussing Banksy And Shepard Fairey, Foundational Texts Such As Mark Dery S Culture Jamming Manifesto, And Artwork By And Interviews With Noteworthy Culture Jammers Including The Guerrilla Girls, The Yes Men, And Reverend Billy, Culture Jamming Makes A Crucial Contribution To Our Understanding Of Creative Resistance And Participatory Culture. Foreword / Mark Dery -- Introduction / Marilyn Delaure And Moritz Fink -- Part I. Definitions And Debates. Culture Jamming : Hacking, Slashing, And Sniping In The Empire Of Signs / Mark Dery -- Pranking Rhetoric : Culture Jamming As Media Activism / Christine Harold -- The Faker As Producer : The Politics Of Fabrication And The Three Orders Of The Fake / Marco Deseriis -- Putting The Jamming Into Culture Jamming : Theory, Praxis, And Cultural Production During The Arab Spring / Mark Levine -- From Culture Jamming To Cultural Acupuncture / Henry Jenkins -- Part Ii. Critical Case Studies. Radical Scavenging Revisited : Emile De Antonio And The Culture Jamming Of Compilation Film / Christof Decker -- Never Mind The Bollocks : Shepard Fairey's Fight For Appropriation, Fair Use, And Free Culture / Evelyn Mcdonnell -- Facing : Image And Politics In Jr's Global Street Art (2004-2012) / Michael Levan --^ Answering Back! Banksy's Street Art And The Power Relations Of Public Space / Benedikt Feiten -- Co-opting The Culture Jammers : The Guerrilla Marketing Of Crispin Porter + Bogusky / Michael Serazio -- Culture Jamming In Prime Time : The Simpsons And The Tradition Of Corporate Satire / Moritz Fink -- The Poetics Of Ruptural Performance / Tony Perucci -- Turning Tricks : Culture Jamming And The Flash Mob / Rebecca Walker -- Memes, Movements, And Meteorology : Occupy Wall Street And New Mutations In Culture Jamming / Jack Bratich -- Jamming The Simulacrum : On Drones, Virtual Reality, And Real Wars / Wazhmah Osman -- Balaclavas And Putin : Pussy Riot, Carnivalesque Protest, And Political Culture Jamming In Russia / Anna Baranchuk -- Part Iii. Culture Jammers' Studio. The Day I Killed Freedom Of Expression / Kembrew Mcleod -- Notes On The Economic Unconscious From A Billionaire For Bush / Andrew Boyd -- Artwork And Commentary / The Guerrilla Girls --^ Delocator.net : Using The Web To Organize And Promote Alternative Behaviors / Xtine Burrough -- The Yes Men : An Interview / Marilyn Delaure -- Networked Reality Flow Hacks / Paolo Cirio -- Iocose : Art, Authority, And Culture Jamming / Paolo Ruffino, Matteo Cremonesi, Filippo Cuttica, And Davide Prati (iocose) -- Say Yes : An Interview With Reverend Billy And Savitri D / Marilyn Delaure. Edited By Marilyn Delaure And Moritz Fink. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover CULTURE JAMMING Title Copyright Dedication CONTENTS Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction PART I. DEFINITIONS AND DEBATES 1. Culture Jamming: Hacking, Slashing, and Sniping in the Empire of Signs 2. Pranking Rhetoric: “Culture Jamming” as Media Activism 3. The Faker as Producer: The Politics of Fabrication and the Three Orders of the Fake 4. Putting the “Jamming” into Culture Jamming: Theory, Praxis, and Cultural Production during the Arab Spring 5. From Culture Jamming to Cultural Acupuncture PART II. CRITICAL CASE STUDIES 6. Radical Scavenging Revisited: Emile de Antonio and the Culture Jamming of Compilation Film 7. Never Mind the Bollocks: Shepard Fairey’s Fight for Appropriation, Fair Use, and Free Culture 8. Facing: Image and Politics in JR’s Global Street Art (2004–2012) 9. Answering Back! Banksy’s Street Art and the Power Relations of Public Space 10. Co-Opting the Culture Jammers: The Guerrilla Marketing of Crispin Porter + Bogusky 11. Culture Jamming in Prime Time: The Simpsons and the Tradition of Corporate Satire 12. The Poetics of Ruptural Performance 13. Turning Tricks: Culture Jamming and the Flash Mob 14. Memes, Movements, and Meteorology: Occupy Wall Street and New Mutations in Culture Jamming 15. Jamming the Simulacrum: On Drones, Virtual Reality, and Real Wars 16. Balaclavas and Putin: Pussy Riot, Carnivalesque Protest, and Political Culture Jamming in Russia PART III. CULTURE JAMMERS’ STUDIO 17. The Day I Killed Freedom of Expression 18. Notes on the Economic Unconscious from a Billionaire for Bush 19. Artwork and Commentary 20. Delocator.net: Using the Web to Organize and Promote Alternative Behaviors 21. The Yes Men: An Interview 22. Networked Reality Flow Hacks 23. IOCOSE: Art, Authority, and Culture Jamming 24. “Say Yes”: An Interview with Reverend Billy and Savitri D About the Contributors Index