Madonna: American Lie.

April 24, 2003 8:46 AM

Madonna: American Lie. Spotted in the last week while cycling along Goswell Road in London, poster activism passing comment on corporate America's sick misappropration of Che Guevara's iconic portrait, and possibly on current American war propoganda. Also in the Old Street area: someone (or perhaps the same person?) is going around making the association directly.
posted by Practise (22 comments total)

I think the ad itself is due more to Madonna's ego than American corporations.
posted by stifford at 8:57 AM on April 24, 2003

See, if Che had only set himself up with a nice Limited-Liability Corporation and taken out the proper trademarks, he would be able to protect his intellectual property.

Question for Practise: is it only allowed to use the image if you check with the ideology department first? If not, how can an hommage be "sick misappropriation"? Please advise.
posted by dhartung at 9:01 AM on April 24, 2003

selflink.
posted by angry modem at 9:01 AM on April 24, 2003

Yea, because Che Guevara is a hero! For liberating the Cuban people and all, with that other hero Fidel Castro. Wearing his picture on a tshirt or something has been soooo rebellious for the last thirty years or so, shame on Madonna for getting in on the sexy Che action.
posted by andrewzipp at 9:02 AM on April 24, 2003

Self link?
posted by Summer at 9:03 AM on April 24, 2003

I love how your first photo has Clear Channel under neath the billboard, sorta ties the whole Madonna/American Lie/Clear Channel thing together.

Is Madonna trying to be ironic? Is she saying she's some kind of revolutionary or innovator? She's a corporate pop star for christ's sake. You can't call her a sellout because she was sold from the first note she sang.
posted by Pollomacho at 9:04 AM on April 24, 2003

ten bucks says this selflinking guy did it himself and took pictures.
posted by angry modem at 9:04 AM on April 24, 2003

Madonna's uniform does not impress me.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 9:06 AM on April 24, 2003

If you're going to self-link, at least be sneaky about it.

There's no longer anything revolutionary about Madonna.
posted by me3dia at 9:11 AM on April 24, 2003

Gotta give Madonna credit here, I would never have imagined that you could still get a rise out of people with the so-overappropriated-that-it's-become-a-joke Che image, but judging by this thread she's done it again. All you MeFi trolls should take note from a professional on how to make a career out of it.
posted by fuzz at 9:12 AM on April 24, 2003

Self Link Indeed, DELETE THIS POST
posted by banished at 9:17 AM on April 24, 2003

And self linked from such a great site. Ack. All you need is a liberal splattering of flash.

Where is Practise to defend him/herself? ;)
posted by twine42 at 9:31 AM on April 24, 2003

To angrymodem:

It's something I saw and photographed. I couldn't think of any other way of showing it than posting it on my web site. Posting it on some free-site would cause loads of pop-ups for people clicking the links, no? Otherwise I don't know what you mean.

I wish I had thought of doing it, but I'm afraid it wasn't me.

And Stifford:

I agree, this is true. I was just looking at her as a possible embodiment of corporate America. You know, million-selling pop star on major label. Representing the musical establishment.

dhartung:

Anyone's free to use any imagery they want. I'm equally free to offer my opinion of an ageing pop-star losing her edge appropriating the famous image of a revolutionary freedom fighter in order to gain credibility.
posted by Practise at 9:47 AM on April 24, 2003

Self-link, self-link. Fine, suggest another place to host the images and I will. (Am I able to edit my original post to do this? This was my first ever MeFi post, so not really aware of the etiquette for posting images etc. Probably my last post, too, after this).
posted by Practise at 9:51 AM on April 24, 2003

BTW, the copyright owner of the pic never enforced the copyright ... until it was used in a vodka ad

BTW, Che left a government position in Cuba to go back to being a dirt-poor guerilla in the Bolivian jungle in circumstances that led to his death.

You might not agree with their views, but both the photographer and the photographed are examples of people who talk the talk and walk the walk. Refreshingly unusual, if you ask me.
posted by magullo at 9:55 AM on April 24, 2003

Spotted in the last week while cycling along Goswell Road in London, poster activism passing comment on corporate

Practice said where he/she spotted it: while cycling.
posted by thomcatspike at 9:57 AM on April 24, 2003

corporate America's sick misappropration of Che Guevara's iconic portrait

I think "sick" is a little (lot?) melodramatic. Everywhere you look there are images taken out of historical context and used, often cleverly, several generations later. Just because it strikes a chord with you doesn't mean it's either "sick" or has a whit to do with "corporate America".

I think the ad itself is due more to Madonna's ego than American corporations

Thank you. People, the lady has a flagging career and is marketing her new "controversial" album in much the same fashion she always has. Signifying by using the Che image is her last ditch at appearing rebellious, not unlike the kiddies who wear the same image on t-shirts they bought at OzzFest. Pretending it's some kind of blasphemy is laughable (especially when you consider the last thirty years of the Cuban human-rights condition, but that's another discussion).
posted by dhoyt at 10:23 AM on April 24, 2003

(Also curious how this post invokes Matt's "Best of the Web" criteria. As far as neat stuff I observed on the way to work, I have no doubt we all have a goldmine in front of us every single day, but self-posting it to the masses seems a little iffy.)
posted by dhoyt at 10:45 AM on April 24, 2003

Self-link, self-link. Fine, suggest another place to host the images and I will. (Am I able to edit my original post to do this? This was my first ever MeFi post, so not really aware of the etiquette for posting images etc. Probably my last post, too, after this).

easy, practise, easy. based on precedent involving myself i don't think you have a problem. matt's mileage may vary, but he did let my post stand, the circumstance was very similar in nature. i was very new at the time, and appreciated immensely the comment Optamystic made. you saw something unique and interesting occuring right in your face and you posted it the best place available to you. the self-linking rule is more about heading off self-promotion, your post is clearly not intended to promote your own website. i don't know what the fuck banished's problem is, but i find the remark coming from him hilarious, given his handle.
posted by quonsar at 10:45 AM on April 24, 2003

MeFi is about seeing interesting things that are not self-created or self-promotional, and bringing them to the group's attention. Usually the things of note are on the web somewhere. In Practise's case they were in meatspace, so he put them on the web himself. I'm glad s/he posted those pics... nice to see someone calling Ms. M on her latest silliness.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 10:52 AM on April 24, 2003

Practise, if the photos should be moved to avoid the self-link, there's always PhotoIsland.
posted by dhoyt at 10:53 AM on April 24, 2003

Say what you want about Madonna but between the whole hacker/Kazaa thing and now this I am now officially aware that she has an album coming out; Something that ordinarily wouldn't have popped up on my radar.
posted by zeoslap at 11:05 AM on April 24, 2003