Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Moderate graf

As I was riding the bus the other day and trying to avoid eye-contact (while people-gazing nevertheless. It's like a game. I try to keep my ring in full-view and not gawk at people. It's interesting. You should try it.) I caught an ad for the Illinois Dept. of Rev. They want citizens to e- their tax returns. Which, I suppose, is cool. Less paperwork, right? (Marginally.) The ad read: Want taxes to be less taxing? The perfectly legible penciled-in graffiti underneath read: Vote Republican.

Probably the first instance of neo-con graffiti that I've ever seen. Which I think is interesting. Most graf that I catch is polar in its essence. There is the very conservative gang graffiti that says, this is our area, our block, our marker, stay out non-locals/non-us. There is the very liberal tagging which says that all property is public property and therefore also my property - and I have the right to mark the world with my name. Yet, even amongst those distinctives, there are shades of moderation. One of the most prolific taggers in my neighborhood goes by the nom-de-plum Jimmy Carter. Huge letters. Just a tad bit fancy. But also perfectly legible. On mailboxes all over the general Logan Square neighborhood. The southern farmer/ex-President/humanitarian is making a public-yet-restrained-yet-illegal comeback as a street chameleon.

I wonder if the Jimmy Carter guy and the Vote Republican guy ever met. And what would they say to each other. Would they engage in a lively debate about the necessity of individual rights v. corporate rights. Over earning v. living wages. Education. Etc.

Or would they just pull out their markers and try to scribble on each other as fast as they can, in the tradition of the Old West, as many moderates secretly love to imagine themselves resolving conflicts.

8 comments:

  1. I don't know... Jimmy Carter graffitist vs. neo-con graffitist.. it's tax-and-spend vs. borrow-and-spend in microcosm, no?

    Draw!

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  2. ha ha ha, now that's pretty funny.

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  3. art,

    was that a pun?

    cube rev,

    were you referring to alleged pun?

    good lordie, it's cold in this room!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes it was but you inspired it, you punny guy.

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  5. Those two will no doubt meet up at a screning of "Kickin' It Old School" this weekend.

    Didn't Jamie Kennedy already make this movie a few years ago?

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  6. i just watched the preview for it. bobby whatshisface is still funny (remarkably), but the rest of the movie needs to go. i lost whatever cheese-lovin' taste i had for it in the poster.

    at least he's not kicking around suburban-boy ghetto boy. now it's suburban-boy stuck-in-the-eighties fish-out-of-water.

    and hilarity ensues.

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  7. I still think "Firehouse Dog" is the better piece of cinema.

    Going to see "Hot Fuzz" - AGAIN - tomorrow. Now there's a movie I can recommend (provided you don't have a problem with over the top violence, language, and British people).

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  8. i don't. wifey does. which is why i didn't take her besides, she was at a male-hatin' feminique banquet last night. and i was in the need for some laughing.

    someone said there was a genius cameo in there, which kind of ruined my viewing cuz i kept looking for it. and i think i missed it. but otherwise, a fun enjoyable romp.

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Be kind. Rewind.