Geriatric Punks

Wow, that is a great site, I will see if I can get a Whirl_mart inspired event at our Whole Foods in SF.
I can't help but notice that this seems to be based in Austin, do you know any of the involved people?

Posted by: davel at July 6, 2002 09:08 AM

Very nice. I really like the idea that the Wal-Mart people get twitchy and nervous watching unassuming people walk quietly up and down the aisles.

Posted by: mccreath at July 6, 2002 02:37 PM

davel - This week was the first time I've heard of Whirl-Mart, so I don't think I know any of the people involved here in town. I wish I did, for I think it's great.

I think a Whirl-Mart inspired event would be great at Whole Foods, for I think the audience might be more receptive to the ideas of the performance. It's easy to pick on Wal-Mart. I bet the average shopper at WF consumes just as much as those at Wal-Mart, only more likely to afford premium prices for organic foods.

It would be a good performance anywhere. 40 people deposting nothing at a bank. 40 people not buying gas at a gas station. 40 people not learning in a classroom (oh wait, that's high school).

Posted by: kong at July 6, 2002 03:33 PM

You'd think I'd be into this, seeing as how I'm all about performance art, AND perf.art in a public arena (as opposed to acts done in a performance space/gallery/museum), but my initial reaction is that this action seems smug and condescending. It reminds me of that time when John Macky said in an Austin paper interview that (paraphrasing) whole foods employees were smarter than workers in the national grocery store chains. I think it's telling that, in the chronicle story, the Whirl performers run outside and congratulate themselves; it seems to me to be more about how superior the actors feel.

I'm not at all surprised that Adbusters is somewhat behind this; that magazine often runs up quite a bill in the Holier-Than-Thou department, though I do like other things they have done, articles on globalization etc. Their Buy Nothing Day campaign is another case; buy nothing, of course except Adbusters Magazine, and they themselves buy nothing except million-dollar television ad time promoting Buy Nothing Day.

Granted I haven't read the Whir-Mart site yet; perhaps after I do my unease will be appeased. (?) But it does open a dialog, which is, what is a better way to protest Wal-Mart and other huge nasty congloms? One way is, just don't go there, which I'm sure we all do (or don't); another is to contact the management directly and tell them in no uncertain and quite direct terms WHY you refuse to spend yer money there, and always will. This, I've never done, but perhaps now I will..

In my opinion, performance art can be a very great way to discuss issues. Maybe there always is a necessary and unfortunate veneer of superiority involved in perf.art that I've just never noticed, that this is a hallmark of the "medium." Is it?

Posted by: lang at July 8, 2002 01:46 PM

Further, does even my comments on this issue smack of superiority over the Whirl-Marters? I certainly don't intend that? Is there no way to comment on issues without a level of "I'm right you're wrong"??!!

Posted by: lang at July 8, 2002 01:50 PM

**** choosing not to answer ****

Posted by: davel at July 9, 2002 01:34 AM

wiser words were NE'ER spoken DaveL !

Posted by: lang at July 9, 2002 08:42 AM

Adbusters has a campaign called : TV Turnoff Week:
Here's a excerpt from their page for this campaign:

TV TURNOFF ON CNN
On April 18th we claimed 30 seconds of
black screen on CNN Wolf Blitzer
Reports. Over a million viewers tuned in
-- that's far more than we've ever had for
a single uncommercial. We want to
thank everyone who pitched in and
helped us buy the time. Your support far exceeded our expectations.

Posted by: lang at July 9, 2002 09:28 AM