ZARA STEALS MOUSTACHE FROM POSTER DEFACER

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Oh the hurly burley of art-defacement-commerce-copyright these days. From street art advertising vandalism, to crass consumer commercialism. Let's start somewhere near the beginning, and let's keep it dumb if possible!

Firstly, smart-alecks draw mustaches on images of people and things, so much so that the act was used as a signifier in a confrontational art piece that's now almost a hundred years old (see Marcel Duchamp, L.H.O.O.Q., 1919.) 

And, for decades in New York City people have drawn mustaches on subway posters, so commonly that the defacement action is saluted in a classic Daffy Duck cartoon (see Daffy Doodles, 1946.) 

Then things really get going. Graffiti artist and performer Patrick Waldo gained some recent notoriety by writing "Moustache" in nice swirly script on the lips of thousands of people (and things) pictured in advertising posters in the New York subway. The police, the Metropolitian Transit Authority, poster installation companies and their advertiser clients were not impressed by the cleverness or the "adbusterness," they nabbed him and convicted him on vandalism charges.

The very lovely retail clothing brand Zara swipes Waldo's mustache schtick, drops it on a skull drawing, prints up thousands of t-shirts featuring this graphic and thus creates another piece of consumerist disposable clothing, retail $16.95.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Waldo presents a one-man show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre called "Moustache Man: Confessions of a Graffiti Artist." 

Then Waldo publicly accuses Zara of stealing his bit, Zara apparently removes the t-shirt from their website offerings. By the way, Zara apparently get accused of co-opting inspiration fairly often. 

So who's the dick here? Sort of both of them. We at NYD love the defacement and the deflating of super hyped ad-crap, but the griping about someone stealing "mustache" is a bit weinerish. Acceptance of fair use and what exactly is or is not part of the cultural milieu can really get one's zeitgeist in a wad. But on the other hand, a multi-million dollar corporation blood-sucking the life out even the most barely interesting aspects of unprotected creativity, well thats being a multi-million dollar asshole. So until Moustache Man moves up to the Shepard Fairy clout/money level it's Zara that gets the finger wag from NYD. 

We congratulate both parties for doing what they can to keep defacement a part of the public consciousness, and Zara, if your listening please consider drawing some dicks on your t-shirts next season, that's an awesome aspect of poster defacement that we're sure your cute little t-shirt buyers would love to get hold of.

FAIREY STORY OF HOPE ENDS IN PROBATION

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Last week the long saga of copyright infringement and evidence tampering regarding Shepard Fairey's iconic "HOPE" poster ended in federal court with Fairey receiving two years of probation and a $25,000 fine. If government prosecutors had gotten their way Fairey would of received a six month prison sentence and risked being exposed to some nasty "fair use" in the federal hoosgow.

The "HOPE" saga is a very interesting and informative case in the emerging canon of modern copyright law but it's important to note that this thing really hit the fan for Fairey because of evidence tampering, the Feds seriously hate that shit.

Reappropriation, copyright theft, forgery and evidence tampering, whatever - we here at NYD feel that Fairey's real crime was making possible the ongoing plague of crappy HOPE parodies! Mr. Fairey - J'accuse! 

For more info on this amazing case take a look at The Huffington Post, their article also references some other fair use issues in the arts,  "Shepard Fairey Sentenced To Probation For Destroying Evidence Involved With AP Civil Case"

 The New York Times also gives a good recap of the case in "Shepard Fairey Is Fined and Sentenced to Probation in ‘Hope’ Poster Case"

The Fairey conviction was also coverd here at NYD, plus check out the cool/cruel custom "Obey" graphic.

And if you must make your own Hope parody poster image feel free to visit the automated Hope-a-tron at Paste magazine. Shame on you!

TEENS FROM 1976 SPEAK OUT - GRAFFITI, FUN OR DUMB?

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We at NYD of course think graffiti is both "neat" and "sneaky" or, in an answer to this amazing film's questioning title — "Graffiti, Fun or Dumb?" — we think it's both FUN and DUMB. This educational film from 1976 not only addresses the classic questions of whether or not graffiti is "valid" and why youth feel a need to rebel but it also has a nice little history recap at the beginning. Everything is wrapped up in awesome 70s fashion package with a theme song so amazing that it is now the official anthem of New York Dumb. Best lyric excerpts -

- Make trouble everywhere, and never seem to care...
- But baby if it's costing money…who's gonna pay?
- Are they big heroes or are they just zeros?

Hear the theme song and take a look at the best educational film on the cultural aspects of graffiti of the 20th century — "Graffiti, Fun or Dumb."

The dialog and voice over in the film is unbelievably campy and funny but also weirdly accurate, like a relevant argument being made in an absurdly unpersuasive style. Most of the comments make a sort of corny sense and oddly the basic discussion points haven't changed in 36 years.

Let us leave you with one of the quiet truths declared in the film, "For a time there was a certain romance attached to graffiti, it was something one did to declare oneself against authority, like funky old clothes, long hair and hip talk." Thankfully, even after almost four decades there is still a certain romance involved, and thank frickkin' god that we still have the hip talk!

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Song lyrics for the theme song of Graffiti Fun or Dumb

Hey is it fun or just dumb?
Yes either fun or just dumb
You know there are kids at school
some of them break the rules
Hey is it fun or just dumb?

Why does it have…(unsure of this line)
Some of us do… (also not sure what this line is)
Make trouble everywhere
and never seem to care
Hey is it fun or just dumb?

Maybe what their doing's funny
maybe it might look that way
But baby if it's costing money
I wonder what it will cost - who's gonna pay?

Hey is it fun or just dumb?
Yes either fun or just dumb
Are they big heroes or are they big zeros?
Cause either it's fun or just dumb
Either it's fun or just dumb

Love this film enough to buy it, or jusy want to browse the most amazing archive of educational films ever, vist  A/V Geeks.

NEW YORK LOSES MEI DICK

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We here at NYD are sure we speak for everyone when we express our great sadness at the loss of New York's favorite dick joke signage - Mei Dick. The loss was recently documented at Jeremiah's Vanishing New York and attracted many angry comments about the forces believed to have destroyed the revered icon. A few out of context nuggets;

…replaced by glitzy condos filled with douchebags…
…consume and excrete what's left of what was once Little Italy and Chinatown…
…Is this a serious question? Answer is white transplants…
…"these people"? Talk about condescending and offensive…

Though the sign is gone the overall dickness of New York has not appreciably decreased.

What does Mei Dick really mean? One online commenter stated that the characters might be read as "Beautifully Hidden," that's an exquisite rendering of the mysterious signage, and that's how NYD wants to remember Mei Dick. But, New York's dickness must move forward and create a new banner for visitors to rally around, the torch is passed to a new generation of "these people, douchebags and whites." Will dick rise again? Yes New York, yes!

PENIS! ART! DEFACEMENT! WE OFFICIALLY LOVE SOUTH AFRICA

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Until recently when most of us here at NYD heard a phrase like "presidential penis" we assumed that we we're in for a stupid rehash of the Clinton-Lewensky-impeachment story, but no more! Now we have a new 21st century super stupid political dick story, South African President Jacob Zuma is now the undisputed holder of the title "Most Dick-linked President Lately."

It all starts with the penis. South African artist Brett Murray is well known for taking on cultural and political issues in his art but the President of South Africa and his party the African National Congress are not amused by his recent work entitled "The Spear," which depicts Zuma in a mock Leninist hero pose with his ding-dong hanging out. It's not a bad looking schlong and some people might be a bit proud, but the political powers that be took offense. A little background on Zuma for those who need some context; it seems his general dickness and corruption/sex/hiv/weirdo-ness is well known (hence the mockery by penis,) we're not even sure his supporters claim that he's not a super dick. For more Zumarific info visit Wikipedia. Murray's political art often modifies and re-conceptualizes well known pop culture images and graphics, for more on Murray take a look at his "Hail to the Thief" site, great stuff.

But wait, there's more! Dick painting defaced! "The Spear" was defaced by what were apparently anti-wang activists while being exhibited at the prestigious Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg. The de-sexing of the painting was oddly redundant, first the genitals and face were x-ed out in red, then large chunks of the image were painted over in black, a sort of gang-bang sloppy seconds defacement party, nasty.

What, not enough dick stuff? We'll throw in a series of off color (but perhaps not inaccurate) satirical cartoons. One of South Africa's most celebrated political cartoonists Zapiro (Jonathan Shapiro) raised a ruckus in May when he layered parody on mockery by cartooning President Zuma in his "Spear" pose but with the addition of a penis shower head squirting out streams of "accusations." Why the shower head? Long story, but Zuma thinks showers probably protect him from getting AIDS.

You're asking is it possible to get even more use out of this dick-o-matic prez-a-tron, yes! Just last week Zapiro commented on the defacement/censorship of Murray's painting "The Spear" and the ANC's heated reaction to the painting by portraying Zuma as an erect penis at the art gallery apparently looking himself in the eye, oh, and Zapiro added a rude limerick to make sure the point is getting across. Guess what, Zuma and his party liked this cartoon even less than the first one, so sensitive!

We here at NYD can't wait to see how this gets ramped up next, stay tuned to NYD for more details on what promises to be the most prick packed political offer we've ever made! Not available in stores, act now while supplies last!