Thank you!

I just wanted to say THANK YOU! to all the people who have written in with their support. Like this nice man:

"I just wanted to extend a very genuine thank you
for using your artistic talents to do your part
in envoking a broader social awareness and
ulitmately reform. The courage and refusal to
live in fear are lessons that nearly all
Americans could greatly benefit from. For those
who are truly confident that Fox News is
providing them with "fair and balanced news," (a
truly sad thought) I highly reccomend the
documentary 'OutFoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on
Journalism.' It is a very telling and in depth
look at the very real and pressing dangers of the
continually enlarging corporate conglomerates
taking control of our media.
You are right, media is not meant to be
entertainment. It is meant to be fact and
evidence based. There are rules of ethics and
journalistic integrity that could easily restore
the viability of our media if followed.
Once we move beyond the large corporate media for
mind-numbing "news," the tools are there (and are
being implemented by many smaller outlets) to
make our media something our nation can once
again pride itself on.
Thanks again Karen!"

No, Thanks you!
And thank you for mentioning OUTFOXED....it's one of the many examples of "evidence" that people who watch Fox overwhelmingly ignore...

Quite a day, Part 2

I also "appeared" on a neo-con website today:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44949

And Fox NewsHeadquaters called twice, but that's another story.
Let's just say I think I pissed off a lot of people today.

Anyway, another "interesting" comment:

"As a talk show host for a small radio station I can say that Shox News bill board add will have a little effect on the American public. The masses out there are too involved in programs like American Idol and the brain dead reality shows. It's unfortunate but none the less a reality that this bill board will have no lasting effect on majority USA. While I agree with the Shox News billboard statement it is also true that no major news media outlet reports the entire truth or facts as evidenced by the nonsense being reported out of Iraq and Afghanistan. The liberal left and conservative right are both deceived that there agenda is correct and both wasting their energies fighting each other for that is exactly what the powers to be want. They enslave us while you all fight each other. So who's the real loosers in this game. Welcome to slavery 101 Amerika."

Wow. I just hope you are wrong. I still believe that if people would have spoken up a long time ago, that maybe things wouldn't be as bad as they are (although if you listened to FOX, EVERYTHING GREAT!). I know that my little meager billboard cannot compete with the cacophony of lies and propaganda in the echo chamber of the mainstream media. But it won't stop me from trying, even if it means threatening emails, because I refuse to live in fear of speaking my mind, and I believe that silence in these times can even more dangerous.

Quite a day

A lot of hate mail and name calling today: hate-monger, leftist neo-nazi, bleeding heart, liberal, communist, etc. etc.
Besides the "Get a Life" and "You suck"s, I decided to choose some of my "favorites" and post them for all to read.
I will try to repond to each or any that have at least a miniscule amount of intelligent argument.
Fortunately, there aren't that many.

"It's sad, really. If you take a psychological approach to people's beliefs and actions supporting their beliefs, they usually stem from childhood traumas and events that scarred them.
The fact that you feel the need to use this type of 'shock art' to make a statement exposes quite a bit about yourself. First and foremost, you are really insecure, and don't really know any better or more positive/productive ways to showcase your talents. You should strive to be an individual, shine independently, not join a bandwagon of schlocky losers who can only gain noteriety by jumping on the 'Bash Bush Bandwagon'.
Secondly, it's funny that your anti-mainstream medai stance is being touted in the mainstream media.
Kind of hypocritical, but that stems from your insecurity.
It's not my job to analyze you, nor do I mean to criticize you. But, in the pursuit of plain common decency, try to be a bit more responsible in your 'art'. You are an adult, and should try to set a more mature example for today's youth. If you really believe that an outfit like Fox News is distorting and lying to the public, perhaps you should provide some facts and/or evidence to the effect, rather than display your 'biased allegations' regarding their operation. Otherwise, you become another 'unidentified source' in a condemning character assassination piece, with no credibility, simply a voraciously negative and ignorant (devoid of fact) opinion.
Separate yourself. If you are truly intelligent, make sound, legitimate fact-based allegations that noone can refute. If not,
...go back to your ACLU/MoveOn bashing party. (See? I don't know you, but that's the impression I get with your actions.)"
-Marc Haines
____________

Marc,

I would love to go into more detail and facts for you to support my point opinions, but that material is readily out there in many books, documentories and a plethera of information in libraries and on the net. However, a billboard is a quick read.
You need to get the idea across FAST. You don't have time to write a book. And if I wanted to write a book, I would be an artist. Despite what anyone thinks of my art, that's what I do. And this is how I express myself.

And about the Bush Bashing. There is absolutely no Bush reference in this, no political party affiliation. Like a lot of people who wrote me today, you lump me in with the "Dems" and the Liberal and the Commies, etc, etc, BORING!
This about the politics of the media. ALL of the media (BTW- FYI: i am not a fan of ABC, NBC< CNN or any other major network that people assume I also have to automatically LOVE).

I am an individual, not a stereotype. And if I am so insecure, why would I offer a forum for this discussion. I welcome it.

from Kevin

It will take nothing short of a Revolution to dislodge the current regime of liars, cowards, criminals, and murderers. The Revolution has to take place in the citizen's minds before it can become a reality. Art (writing, painting, or whatever) is the key to waking people from the corporate hypnosis foisted upon us from above. This billboard is a perfect example of how to shock/wake the slumbering masses. Everyone with eyes wide open should take a cue from this bold move. Time is running out!

Some news stories of interest:

Fun with Bill
Downing Street Memo
GITMO
MORE GITMO

Shox News reply...

I disagree. News is not entertainment; it is the reporting of facts and evidence. All the things that once made our country great, things like journalistic integrity, have vanished or become perverted by those who control the media (for their profit.) Once we crossed that line between truth and propaganda, we became no better than any communist or facist dictatorship. I don't only disagree with Fox News, but with the entire mainstream media.

bman said....

You are confusing entertainment with truth. Since all truth is subjective, you cannot expect news to be anything more than entertainment. Art, like news, and like any form of speech, is political -- it wants to persuade. Effective art, news and speech is entertaining. The fact that you may disagree with Fox News really misses the point.

Statement

Art combats apathy, provokes consciousness and unites people around humanitarian or political issues. Art belongs to the masses and not only in galleries o r museums. I take my art to the street in order to make my voice heard by all people, regardless of race or gender. My art plays a subversive role in society, offering an alternative narrative to the dominant culture. I hope to initiate a dialogue in the community, not only about political issues, but also about the assumption that art and politics do not mix.