And here i thought i was just amusing passangers on the train

September 19, 2005 3:29 PM

speech bubbles - fun times with guerilla art, Ji Lee printed 50,000 speech bubbles and plastered movie posters, advertisements and whatever with them in NYC, then came back and photographed what people added (via)
posted by sourbrew (45 comments total)

yeah i definitely screwed up that via, now with propper boingboing props
posted by sourbrew at 3:31 PM on September 19, 2005

I like these.
posted by Specklet at 3:33 PM on September 19, 2005

Invest in polka dots!

Nice.
posted by Wolfdog at 3:35 PM on September 19, 2005

This is brilliant.
posted by Elpoca at 3:38 PM on September 19, 2005

Ha! Great idea.
posted by dreamsign at 3:45 PM on September 19, 2005

I saw this earlier today and enjoyed it so much I immediately thought about buying some of those stickers for myself. The simple ideas are without fail always the best.
posted by fire&wings at 3:49 PM on September 19, 2005

print them yourself - look here.
posted by bashos_frog at 3:55 PM on September 19, 2005

Good post. btw I find the graffiti at the 23rd and 8th subway stop to be the most entertaining.
posted by fungible at 3:57 PM on September 19, 2005

Very cool.
posted by caddis at 4:00 PM on September 19, 2005

Excellent, thanks for the post.
posted by bullitt 5 at 4:04 PM on September 19, 2005

Subvert everything!
posted by furtive at 4:06 PM on September 19, 2005

My associates in Oakland already did one better many years ago
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 4:07 PM on September 19, 2005

As much as I appreciate this, how is it not theft?
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:17 PM on September 19, 2005

I'm still giggling over "I'm hideously deformed!". Great post.
posted by wanderingmind at 4:28 PM on September 19, 2005

Theft? How would it be theft, ever? Vandalism, maybe. But theft?
posted by boo_radley at 4:28 PM on September 19, 2005

Yes it's theft becaus you're stealing back public space from advertisting.
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 4:30 PM on September 19, 2005

One of them says something about there not being tax for purchases over $110. Is this true? Where is this the case?
posted by dobbs at 4:35 PM on September 19, 2005

As much as I appreciate this, how is it not theft?

No, actually, this is vandalism.

When advertisers appropriate and exploit on our visual landscape and brainspace -- that's theft.
posted by ottereroticist at 4:37 PM on September 19, 2005

These are superb! I love the "Ooo weee, I love Cancer" lady with the special packs of Camels.

Definitely the Best of the Web!
posted by fenriq at 4:56 PM on September 19, 2005

Yeah, the "I love cancer" one was my favourite as well.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 5:38 PM on September 19, 2005

One of them says something about there not being tax for purchases over $110. Is this true? Where is this the case?

dobbs, in New York State there's a 'tax-free week' every year. It corresponds with the beginning of the school year, and is only good on purchases under $110.
posted by item at 5:45 PM on September 19, 2005

ottereroticist >>> "As much as I appreciate this, how is it not theft?

"No, actually, this is vandalism.

"When advertisers appropriate and exploit on our visual landscape and brainspace -- that's theft."

I disagree. Our laws allow for anyone to purchase billboard space. Don't like it? Get the laws changed. But stealing that space from them, which they have paid for, strikes me as wrong.

Don't get me wrong here... I hate the massive plastering of advertising over every available surface too. But it just seems wrong to me.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 5:58 PM on September 19, 2005

Um, it's wrong and illegal. He's a graffiti artist, so this is pretty much par for the course. And it's fucking hilarious. That won't get you off with a judge but it'll sure get you off with me.
posted by zpousman at 6:04 PM on September 19, 2005

love it.
posted by shoepal at 6:07 PM on September 19, 2005

They may have paid for it, but they didn't pay me.

Why should I have to become a legislative activist in order to reclaim the privacy of my own visual cortex? Why am I required to collude with the ongoing appropriation of the visual and auditory commons?

Anyway, I'm not disagreeing that defacing ads is probably illegal; I'm quibbling with the word you've chosen to describe the crime.
posted by ottereroticist at 6:21 PM on September 19, 2005

Am I really the first one to bitch about the crap interface and the unbearably slow load?

Wow. I never get to do that.
posted by yhbc at 6:41 PM on September 19, 2005

dirtynumbangelboy the point is not to be fair, or approved of.

in fact it wouldn't be anything if it were consented to.
authorizing graffiti of this sort would make it a poster, and so not graffiti. the fact it is not wanted by the owner is what makes it good. i hope this helps.
posted by nola at 6:42 PM on September 19, 2005

This is completely awesome. "If I was on the other side of the road, you'd be reading this in Soho."

It's almost enough to make me wish that my town was covered in advertising, just for the chance for something like this to happen. (Though, to be fair, there's been some pretty sweet graffiti on University construction barriers lately).
posted by thecaddy at 6:54 PM on September 19, 2005

If you put up an ad in a New York City subway or on a bus stop, you have to be resigned to the fact that eventually somebody will crudely draw a penis in the mouth of each person in the ad. Just a fact of life.
posted by fungible at 7:11 PM on September 19, 2005

Wow, I can't believe how out of touch people are with our legal system and what specific words, like "theft" actually mean. Jesus, that is very depressing.
posted by odinsdream at 7:13 PM on September 19, 2005

I have to second the vote on "Invest in polka dots, fucker"; "Trade one exploitation for another?" (where PETA is selling the idea of fur being evil with a nude woman) is a particular favorite.

no like the slow load but 'twas worth it
posted by mowglisambo at 9:34 PM on September 19, 2005

Yeah, no kidding. Not every crime or illicit act is "theft". Next you'll be telling us drug use is theft, because it steals your productivity away from the economy!
posted by delmoi at 9:36 PM on September 19, 2005

when i first moved to nyc in '99 i was marking these ads with blank speech bubbles but meant for them to stay blank (as if to say, you know, "i am mute, i am an idiot."). then these stickers started showing up and i realized some people are witty.
posted by gorgor_balabala at 11:43 PM on September 19, 2005

This the best thing Ive seen on metafilter in a long, long time. My top ten favs are here. Insert blah blah self link noise here.
posted by skallas at 12:23 AM on September 20, 2005

The "trade one exploitation for another" one elicited a loud "Ha!" from me, scaring my roommate.

I also like the meta musing News Anchors "what do you think they'd say about us?"
posted by kosher_jenny at 1:35 AM on September 20, 2005

"trade one exploitation for another" was spot frickin' on.
posted by dabitch at 2:20 AM on September 20, 2005

these are fantastic.

dirtynumb, it would in a sense technically be "theft" if the perpetrator were sued by the owner of the property on which the ad appears; it's actually a civil infraction and they would have to sue the perp for the tort of conversion. in other words, that's freaking absurd, dude. ain't gonna happen.

the police would probably cite the stickerer with something like "willful and wanton disregard of public/private property." there are resources to abet your safe getaway, such as this guide to wheatpasting and stickering. probably wouldn't even happen if you bragged to the cop after placing the sticker (or completing your witty riposte). they do take spray paint vandalism a bit more seriously, though.

in nyc, the po po (mostly) have better things to do, unless, say, the republican national convention's in town.
posted by Hat Maui at 2:43 AM on September 20, 2005

The handwriting throughout is suspiciously similar on many of the bubbles.
posted by archimago at 5:42 AM on September 20, 2005

I genuinely hope that ad-defacing becomes a popular leisure activity.
posted by sonofsamiam at 6:41 AM on September 20, 2005

The "Date me please" one made me laugh out loud.

Someone needs to do this in Chicago. ; )
posted by SisterHavana at 6:54 AM on September 20, 2005

error 404: File not found
The document you requested is not found.

S/he's apparently taken it down.
posted by deborah at 9:43 AM on September 20, 2005

Damnit, I just found out that the site's gone. Maybe I can still see it in the Google cache.

DAMN!
posted by fenriq at 9:53 AM on September 20, 2005

By the way, this reminds me of something my brother used to do when he was still cool. He'd had a stamp made and would read magazines and stamp "Fashion Violation" on people who were dressed like idiots.

It always made me smile to see what bothered him. I'd be curious as to what he'd say about something like this lady.
posted by fenriq at 9:55 AM on September 20, 2005

Late to the party and getting a 404 -- anyone know of a mirror??
posted by samh23 at 1:04 PM on September 20, 2005

403: Forbidden!
posted by rhapsodie at 3:34 PM on September 20, 2005