Non-Preaching Activism in New York. The Theatrical Militancy of Billionaires for Bush and Reverend Billy
Non-Preaching Activism in New York. The Theatrical Militancy of Billionaires for Bush and Reverend Billy
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纽约的非传教活动。
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发表时间：
2010
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影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Bleuwenn Lechaux
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作者：
Bleuwenn Lechaux
本文基于2007年和2008年在纽约市进行的田野调查，旨在分析由两个激进集体领导的艺术和讽刺行为的社会用法和影响：比利牧师和停止购物教会以及布什的亿万富翁。第一个组织反对过度的消费主义，并谴责参与纽约市公共空间私有化的行为者，如跨国公司。第二个群体谴责扩大社会不平等的政策，他们使用各种行动形式和具有讽刺意味的口号，假装支持美国政府关于减税的决定，以及更广泛地说，支持任何有利于特权群体的法律。对艺术和讽刺行为的诉诸具有谴责和非说教的特点。首先，这些行动针对的是被认为对集体确定的社会、经济和政治问题负有责任的民选人员或机构。然后，活动家倾向于批评和脱离与他们认为与某些形式的宗教仪式和政治激进主义有关的内涵，向唱诗班布道和布道。这些艺术和讽刺行为的非说教性质的一个主要利益恰恰在于它们有能力在改革派活动家的社会圈子之外引起敏感。这篇文章首先考察了艺术和激进主义之间的正式转移--叙事、服装、音乐曲目--借鉴了美国的文化和宗教参考，同时嘲弄了它们。对这些行动的分析性描述将导致对其政治和社会影响的重要洞察。这些音乐和戏剧形式的抗议活动在多大程度上有能力质疑政治信仰，武装被说服的活动人士，让犹豫不决的人，甚至是反对者，转而支持这些抗议团体所倡导的事业？
This article, grounded on a fieldwork conducted in 2007 and 2008 in New York City, aims at analyzing the social usages and effects of artistic and ironic actions led by two activist collectives: Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping and the Billionaires for Bush. The first organization is opposed to excessive consumerism and denounces actors, like multinational corporations, involved in the privatization of public spaces in New York City. The second collective—by using forms of action and ironic slogans pretending to endorse US government decisions regarding tax cuts and, more generally, any law favouring privileged groups—condemns policies which widen social inequalities. The resort to artistic and ironic actions assumes denouncing and non-preaching characteristics. First, these actions target elected people or institutions perceived as responsible for the social, economic, and political problems identified by the collectives. Then, the activists tend to criticize and disassociate from connotations which to them are associated with certain forms of religious ceremonies and political activism, delivering sermons and preaching to the choir. A major interest of the non-preaching nature of these artistic and ironic actions would precisely lie in their capacity to sensitize outside the social circles of converted activists. The article first examines formal transfers between art and activism—narratives, costumes, musical repertoires—drawing on US cultural and religious references while taunting them. The analytical description of these actions will lead to a critical insight into their political and social effects. To which extent do these musical and theatrical forms of protest have the capacity to call political beliefs into question, to arm convinced activists, to convert the undecided, or even the opponents to the causes championed by these protest groups?