(((PIC))) Shepard Fairey Upgrades the Obama Hope Poster

[blogslut]

From the http://obeygiant.com/headlines/occupy-hope">artist's site:

Occupy HOPE

This image represents my support for the Occupy movement, a grassroots movement spawned to stand up against corruption, imbalance of power, and failure of our democracy to represent and help average Americans. On the other hand, as flawed as the system is, I see Obama as a potential ally of the Occupy movement if the energy of the movement is perceived as constructive, not destructive. I still see Obama as the closest thing to “a man on the inside” that we have presently. Obviously, just voting is not enough. We need to use all of our tools to help us achieve our goals and ideals. However, I think idealism and realism need to exist hand in hand. Change is not about one election, one rally, one leader, it is about a constant dedication to progress and a constant push in the right direction. Let’s be the people doing the right thing as outsiders and simultaneously push the insiders to do the right thing for the people. I’m still trying to work out copyright issues I may face with this image, but feel free to share it and stay tuned…
-Shepard Fairey

I found this on http://wonkette.com/456712/annnd-shepard-fairey-remixes-his-obama-hope-poster-for-ows">Wonkette.

[ingac70]

1. The Guy Fawkes masks are stupid....

He tried to blow up Parliament because he wanted a Catholic THEOCRACY.

[Modern_Matthew]

2. Pop culture. nt

[eShirl]

3. it's not really supposed to represent the historic Guy Fawkes anyway

[dipsydoodle]

4. Then why use it

.

[Edweird]

9. 'V for Vendetta'.

[dipsydoodle]

15. You mean comic status

pathetic

[ingac70]

17. +1

[Edweird]

20. It's ok if you don't 'get it'.

[dipsydoodle]

24. No you don't get it.

Warner Brothers own the licence for those masks. Dumbfucks who wear them are funding a Corporation.

Otherwise known as shooting yourself in the foot. Don't come much funnier than that - like I said comic status.

[Edweird]

29. I find the symbolism easy to grasp, but intellect varies greatly from person to person.

Like I said, it's ok if you don't 'get it'.

[ingac70]

31. Yeah, some people paid attention in history, some didn't. n/t

[Edweird]

34. It's a widely recognized, accessible symbol from a recent and relatively well known movie.

[Mimosa]

60. V for Vendetta is a great film

It's up there with Brazil and 1884 as one of the great dystopian movies. I think most of us who understand 1984 and Brazil also appreciate V for vendetta the movie. They Guy Fawkes masks actually had little or nothing to do with the historical Guy Fawkes.

[fascisthunter]

32. of course you don't

you don't even like the movement itself

[CJCRANE]

38. I like Warner Bros...

but I also think their executives should pay higher taxes.

[ohheckyeah]

57. dumbfucks who wear shoes are funding

a corporation. Ditto on underwear, jeans, shirts, etc. Maybe we should all go around naked?

Whatever device you are posting from is funding a corporation.

[dixiegrrrrl]

54. but ya know, dipsy, the mask has taken on new meaning for us now.

Think of it that way. We have re-purposed " it.

:hug:

[dipsydoodle]

58. I just don't understand the rationale

in using a copyright image such as that.

:hug:

[sabrina 1]

65. No, it's far from comic status.

But if that's how you see it ...

Wish it was about comedy, sadly there is nothing funny about what is going on.

[ingac70]

5. Then what exactly is it suppose to represent?

Because I see that mask and all I can think is religious asshole.

[Edweird]

7. It was used in 'V for Vendetta'.

[ingac70]

19. So a misrepresentation from a comic book and movie....

is the symbol of OWS? :eyes:

Like I said... it is stupid.

[Edweird]

22. You are certainly entitled to your opinion. Tell me about the symbolism you used

in the nationwide protest YOU organized.

[NorthCarolina]

85. Oh, snap....

:fistbump:

[CJCRANE]

23. AFAIK it's not the symbol for OWS...

it's more closely associated with Anonymous (who have similar ideals but different tactics).

[sabrina 1]

67. Or maybe, something intended to 'confuse'

which it has successfully done. Not stupid at all, very clever in fact. Put it this way, it gives cover to people who may need it, for various reasons. But it's find that people dismiss it as stupid, silly or whatever. That may be the intention.

[CJCRANE]

8. An idea

[ingac70]

12. What idea? n/t

[CJCRANE]

14. The pic shows the "I am Spartacus" moment

when everyone stands up for their rights together.

[ingac70]

16. A theocrat is a bizarre choice for that. n/t

[CJCRANE]

21. Sometimes iconic symbols transcend their origins...

remember Che Guevara for instance?

But strictly speaking, it's a "V" mask not a Guy Fawkes mask, you need to watch the movie to get the idea behind the iconography...

and the idea is a simple as standing up together for our rights.

[ingac70]

27. I've seen the movie, read the comic book....

Che Guevara never transcended his origins for anyone who bothered to educate themselves.

http://projectbritain.com/Guy.html

[ClassWarrior]

28. So? I look at the swastika and think of the peaceful Native American tribes who originally...

...designed it. Does that mean I can fly a flag with one over my house and expect no trouble?

NGU.

[dipsydoodle]

35. Its actually Hindu.

.

[fascisthunter]

37. And native American... you got the point though

didn't you.

[dipsydoodle]

39. The only point I was making

was that the origin quoted was wrong.

[Exultant Democracy]

48. Actually you are also wrong about that, it popped up separately in a number of ancient cultures

The swastika has been found in excavations of Mississippian-era sites in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys.

[knitter4democracy]

84. This is true. The broken cross was Latvian long before the swastika.

It's an easy pattern to draw, knit, weave, and represent. It's symmetrical, and it's not far from the circular swirl (which is more difficult to weave into cloth).

[fascisthunter]

36. end or argument right there

[CJCRANE]

40. So who exactly is offended by Guy Fawkes?

Which group of people?

[ClassWarrior]

47. Several people on this thread. Try to keep up.

NGU.

[CJCRANE]

49. Several offended DUers is business as usual...

I've just never seen any evidence that Guy Fawkes is seen as an offensive image.

Where is the outcry about the movie or comic book? I don't see it anywhere. Maybe you should write to Alan Moore, the British writer who created the comic book, to complain about him using an offensive image.

[ClassWarrior]

50. When did I ever say it was an offensive image??

:crazy:

You're picking on the wrong poster, Junior.

NGU.

[CJCRANE]

51. Okay...maybe I misread your reference

to the swastika...

Apologies

:blush:

[ClassWarrior]

52. All I was saying was that symbols can change meaning pretty drastically over time.

Kind of the same point you were making in post #21.

No worries. :fistbump:

NGU.

[CJCRANE]

55. Talking about changes in meaning...

I was just reading about Guy Fawkes on Wikipedia.

Apparently the (American English) word "guy" (for a male person) originally came from his name, via British English "the guy" (for an effigy of a person).

So Guy Fawkes literally is everyman.

[ClassWarrior]

56. Hey, good catch. Apparently the disgruntled posters on this thread need to stop using...

...the word "guy."

NGU.

[ingac70]

64. No. Guy Fawkes was literally a theocrat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes

[CJCRANE]

69. _

deleted

[dipsydoodle]

68. I don't really think invention really contributes anything

Guy Fawkes (13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

>

Guy Fawkes was born in 1570 in Stonegate, York. He was the second of four children born to Edward Fawkes, a proctor and an advocate of the consistory court at York, and his wife, Edith. Guy's parents were regular communicants of the Church of England, as were his paternal grandparents; his grandmother, born Ellen Harrington, was the daughter of a prominent merchant, who served as Lord Mayor of York in 1536.<4> However, Guy's mother's family were recusant Catholics, and his cousin, Richard Cowling, became a Jesuit priest.<5> Guy was an uncommon name in England, but may have been popular in York on account of a local notable, Sir Guy Fairfax of Steeton.<6>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes

Subsequent use of the name has got sfa to do with this subject.

[CJCRANE]

72. Not the name "Guy", the meaning of the word "guy". Here's a link to an etymology website:

"fellow," 1847, originally Amer.Eng.; earlier (1836) "grotesquely or poorly dressed person," originally (1806) "effigy of Guy Fawkes," leader of the Gunpowder Plot to blow up British king and Parliament (Nov. 5, 1605), paraded through the streets by children on the anniversary of the conspiracy.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=guy

Yo can also check the dictionary of your choice.

[dipsydoodle]

73. Its the difference between a common noun and an actual name.

Like grace and Grace, faith and Faith...........

[CJCRANE]

76. The noun "guy" is derived from the name "Guy". "Guy" did not mean "guy" (man)

until after Guy Fawkes was burned in effigy on Bonfire Night. The effigy was called "the Guy". This then evolved to mean an unkempt man in British English but lost its derogatory meaning in American English and just meant "a man".

[graywarrior]

41. Seems to me it's come to represent solidarity, that there are no particular leaders

and that we are all alike--the 99%. I think the mask is fitting.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. Yeah, those are not Guy masks as such they are the mask worn

by the character V in the film V For Vendetta. The use of the mask in the film is in part ironic, as the State V seeks to bring down is a theocracy of sorts.
So those wearing that mask are not invoking Fawkes, but V. They know this. Most people do. In the US, historical Fawkes means nothing, and the mask even less. The film V however is known and understood, although most here miss the ironic meaning of the mask choice.

[and-justice-for-all]

30. +10

[Mimosa]

61. BlueNorthwest, I knew you'd explain it well

Everybody who doesn't 'get it' needs to watch V for Vendetta! :D

[gkhouston]

80. To me the ironic choice is a subtle threat -- any one showing

an outward appearance of compliance could in fact be a threat. Authoritarian governments often use intimidation to subject their citizens. The mask is a reminder that intimidation can go both ways.

[CrispyQ]

45. Agreed. This is much more relevant:

;)

[ingac70]

91. +1

[JackRiddler]

46. Congratulations for being first in with an irrelevant attack/distraction.

Now the thread can go all diagonal. Good work.

[lbrtbell]

66. It represents "V for Vendetta"

Learn your pop culture, please.

[ingac70]

92. I already know it. Now you read a history book. n/t

[L0oniX]

81. Mrs Agent Mike?

[Edweird]

10. It's clear what side Obama is on and any hope is clearly misplaced - hence the OWS.

[kenny blankenship]

11. Hope? That and about $25,000 will get you bailed out of Homelander custody.

Pending your trial.

[CJCRANE]

13. Yes, the slogan should be "Occupy" or "Protest"

or something a little more appropriate for the times.

[Mimosa]

62. Agree! I done lost my 'Hope'. ;) n/t

[snot]

18. Thanks for including the big version and sources! :)

[woo me with science]

25. All out of hope for that, sorry.

We are clearly on our own.

[and-justice-for-all]

26. I like it!!!

After reading the the graphic novel and watching the movie, I neither saw nor read that the character of V was at all interested in any type of supressive state. He was strongly opposed to it in any form.

Guy Fawkes himself, as a historical figure is another matter, but that is not the intention of the poster. It represents V and his fight against oppression.

[fascisthunter]

33. I see he has come around too

I think that's what pisses some off

[DirkGently]

42. Excellent.

[dipsydoodle]

43. Warner Brothers

nuff said

[CJCRANE]

44. It's like Robin Hood...

you don't need to know the exact history to appreciate the idea or symbolism in popular culture.

[WillyT]

53. Great Poster !!! - Bookmarking - K & R !!!

We will find out the answer in the coming months.

:shrug:

[aletier_v]

59. OWS Creativity

is impressive

[Kaleko]

94. Really. That and its sense of humor is off the charts.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

63. Kinda like the revolutionaries "hoping" that King George III would join them.

[stillrockin]

87. +1

[Modern_Matthew]

70. It's obvious that those with their lips so close to the President's ass...

Cannot see beyond the Guy Fawkes mask to understand the real message behind this sign.

So fuck them.

[blogslut]

74. Is it possible

...that someone can support the president, support OWS and understand the point of the mask in reference to both the movement and this artist's rendition?

Because I support the president. I support OWS. I understand the point of the mask in reference to both the movement and the artist's rendition.

Am I one of the fucked?

[Modern_Matthew]

75. Yes, it's possible...

I was referring to those attacking the use of the Guy Fawkes mask... rather than directly addressing the message of the image.

I, too, support the President as a lesser of two evils. Before OWS, I considered myself one of the fucked.

[blogslut]

77. Good to know

Because, frankly, this whole side-choosing thing exhausts and disheartens me. It's not that I don't recognize the huge disparity betwixt the corporate/obscenely rich and everyone else. It's more about the fact that divisiveness among the 99% distracts us from our common problem.

We've got to stick together and bring around as many people as possible to our way of thinking.

[stillrockin]

88. um, that would be a *big* yes.

[Poll_Blind]

71. Oh snap! nt

PB

[glinda]

78. I like it.

[deutsey]

79. k&r

[rhett o rick]

82. Occupy didnt happen under Bush because many thought that electing a Democrat

would set things straight. When they realized they were wrong, there wasnt any hope, that OWS emerged. Obama's side-kick is Jeff Immelt and that says a lot. He has chosen sides and it aint the 99%.

[Electric Monk]

83. k&r

[stillrockin]

86. obama is no ally of ows. banks are his masters.

[bengalherder]

89. Guy Fawkes, OMG!

It recent use comes from Alan Moore's graphic Novel and the movie based on it.

There is also an implicit reference to 'Guy Fawkes Day', one of staid England's most riotous, anarchic, and subversive holidays.

None of which has much to do with the historical Guy, no more than 'Robin Hood', that popular inverter of cash flow, probably has much to do with whoever the semi-historic 'Robin of Locksley' was or was modelled on.

[Brickbat]

90. I like the fact that it's been redone, but goddamn I am tired of seeing that fucking mask.

[ingac70]

93. +1

[Oilwellian]

95. Kudos to Shepard

"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."