Art has been used in conjunction with political activism for many decades. From unique protest signs, defaced billboards and street theatre; culture jamming refers to the alteration of mainstream images to push all kinds of potentially subversive political messages. This form of activism can be described as a tool or method used by tactical media activists, and is often done using satirical spoof humour. They use these to remain flexible, mobile and responsive to changing contexts, and thus achiever a variety of specific non-commercial goals (Branwyn, 1997, pp.258-268).
Beginning in the early days of punk rock, the band Negativland used the term culture jamming as a way of describing the way billboards were altered (Branwyn, 1997. p.248). New media technologies have allowed for easier manipulation and has since spread considerably, undertaken by many grass roots organisations.
Meikile (2002, pp.119-121) stresses the differences between tactical and alternative media. Tactical media does not try to create better alternatives for existing media (ie radio stations, papers). However they are in coalition with alternative media using guerrilla style campaigns to thrust issues into mainstream attention. They will strike at particular events which can later be discussed through alternative media outlets. Wide-spread protests for example often attract a handful of creative activism. Culture jamming techniques are identifiable with the “postmodern aesthetics: appropriation, collage, ironic inversion and juxtaposition� (Meikile 2002 p. 131).
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Specifics sites such as http://www.whitehouse.org/, http://www.deportation-class.com/, and http://www.gatt.org/ are examples of how the internet has enhanced culture jamming. These websites are funded by TMark, an online centre for unfulfilled sabotage projects. The whitehouse.org for example is set up similar to the original http://www.whitehouse.gov . What activists have done however is changed certain small, almost unnoticeable aspects of the site to address particular issues regarding the current government. The humour which is created helps deliver the message more effectively. Using these types of satirical culture jamming methods as a form of political activism is more popular, creative and interesting for a viewer to comprehend (Meisner, 2000). It can also attract attention from mainstream media, which happened to the spoof website http://www.gwbush.com (which has since been taken down). While commentated on at a press conference, Bush’s suspect reply of “there ought to be limits to freedom� stirred considerable interest from mainstream media. This gave the website substantial amounts of free publicity. This shows a combination of off-line and online activism in terms of tactical media (Meikile, 2002, p.113).
Another simple example is how the search engine google was utilized as a form of tactical media. If a citizen was to type “weapons of mass destruction� into the search engine and use the “I’m feeling lucky� search function, this page would be revealed.
This is a replica of a page that almost all internet users are familiar with. Activists have simply tweaked it slightly to get their point across in a simple and humours fashion.
Editing programs have allowed for the easy alteration of main stream symbols and have been used in many spoof websites, video clips and pictures. Bands such as System of a down and Rage against the machine have used simple editing techniques to display certain messages.
With the increase of advocacy with the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq culture jamming in this form has splurged consider, poking fun and provoking political response from viewers.
This picture has used intertextuality, a postmodern technique (Hartley, 2002,pp.126-127).
Image from the System of a Down film clip, boom.
Branwyn, G. (1997) Jamming the media: a citizen’s guide: reclaiming the tools of communication, San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
Hartley, J. (2002) Communication, Cultural and Media Studies: The Key Concepts, Third Edition, London: Routledge.
Lovink, G. (2002) Dark fiber, London: MIT Press.
Meikle, G. (2002) Future Active: media activism and the internet, New South Whales: Pluto Press.
Meisner, M. (2000) e-Activism: Environmental activists are using the Internet to organize, spoof and subvert, Alternative Journals, vol.26, iss.4,p.34, viewed 10th October 2004, <http://proquest.umi.com.gateway.library.qut.edu.au/pqdweb?index=2&did=000000582280921&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1098328698&clientId=14394>
Jason Spierings 22:17, 27 Oct 2004 (EST)
