Category Archives: Communication Breakdown
‘Juggalo Journalism’: Post-Empire America’s New Beat
Earlier this week, Brooklyn-based filmmaker Sean Dunne released American Juggalo, a documentary that examines the subculture surrounding Detroit horrorcore rappers Insane Clown Posse and the group’s Psychopathic Records roster. As Dunne explains in his synopsis for the film: “American Juggalo is a look at the often mocked and misunderstood subculture of Juggalos, hardcore Insane Clown Posse fans who meet once…
Jesse DeMarco Goes To War
Go to war, follow leads, collect footage, and edit a news story. That’s the premise behind Defiant Development’s Warco: The News Game, which gives users a new take on the “first-person shooter” genre popularized by games such as Call of Duty, Fallout, and Gears of War.
The game’s protagonist, a female journalist named Jesse DeMarco, is on assignment in a…
Selling The New Cool: Inside The World Of ‘Influencers’
“I believe, really, all cool things come from the hood,” says Coltrane Curtis, CEO at Team Epiphany. “So if you’re able to have that education, and see the trends before they happen, then you got an advantage.”
Curtis isn’t saying these words over the phone, or in a cafe somewhere while sitting across the table from me. Instead, his image…
The Making Of White Michael Vick
This afternoon ESPN The Magazine published an article titled “What if Michael Vick were white?” The piece, written by novelist and music journalist Touré, looks at how race is “an undeniable and complex element of Vick’s story, both because of his [playing] style as well as the rarity of black QBs in the NFL.” Touré goes on to punctuate that…
When Riots And Freedom Are Used To Sell Jeans
As London burns and violence creeps north into Manchester and Birmingham, Levi’s launch of an advertising campaign that features images of rebellious youth clashing with police in riot gear comes at a bad time. That’s the reality the brand is facing with “Legacy,” the latest spot in its often controversial Go Forth series. And according to Creative Review, such synchronicity…
Fear Of A Non-White Spider-Man
Yesterday Marvel announced that, following the death of Peter Parker in its Ultimate Fallout series, the mantle of Spider-Man would be passed to a young kid named Miles Morales. Naturally, the news incited chatter across the Internet. Most reaction, however, was pinned to a singular detail: Morales is a half-black and half-Latino character, not white like Peter Parker. Cue the…
The Art Of Being Downsized
In June of 2009, I lost my job. I was informed by phone while on vacation with my wife and three-year-old son. We were staying at a cabin in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands and the news punctuated what had been a great trip. Within seconds I made the swift transition from employed to unemployed, and that moment when reality came crashing…
Homophobic Friends
Video editor Tijana Mamula has made a shocking discovery: Sitcoms are riddled with homophobia, especially the long-running, Emmy Award-winning Friends. In truth, of course, there’s no shock. If you’ve watched any sitcom in the last 30 years you’re familiar with the genre’s formulaic, lowest-common-denominator approach to humor. Cheap jokes, or laugh tracks instructing you when and where to chuckle,…
American Apparel’s Near-Death Experience, feat. Dov Charney
American Apparel has always thrived in a strange ethical limbo, championing fair labor practices for its workers while producing clothing that is sold using sexually suggestive imagery: Partial nudity, girl-on-girl action, and even the introduction of nipple-tweaking (NSFW) into the annals of brand advertising.
Anti-Censorship Campaign Gets Down And Dirty
To make a point, the new anti-censorship ad campaign for Reporters Without Borders purposefully blurs the line between decency and reality: Vladimir Putin sleeps on the job engages in thoughtful self-examination; President Obama gives a reassuring pat on the arm to smiles while groping Hillary Clinton; and David Cameron calls on a reporter signals his explicit discontent.
We All Lose When Creative Types Throw Gang Signs
An unknown staffer from BBDO Belgium “shows his set” during the Cannes Film Festival this week. Because, in case you didn’t know, the ad firm has a set. It all started here, when BBDO Germany was in recruitment mode and created a hood version of the Uncle Sam “I Want You” poster. Copyranter says it best: “You better watch that…
When Political Attack Ads Intentionally Stoke Controversy
Earlier this week conservative political group Turn Right USA was hoping that a video featuring rappers, AK-47s, and stripper poles could tilt California’s special congressional election in favor of the Republicans next month. In the video — titled “Give us your cash, B–ch!” — and its accompanying website, the group claimed that Democratic candidate Janice Hahn increased gang violence in…
