Mike Gravel’s Ripple Effect
July 5th, 2007 by alex
In many arts, such as painting, poetry, woodworking and arrogance,
Americans have made significant contributions. We have few rivals when
it comes to growing marijuana or blowing stuff up. But in one art we
are as inventive as small appliances or perhaps cucumbers.
I speak of the art of political advertising. American politicians
expend untold billions of dollars on campaign commercials. Not only do
these ads all appear to have been produced by the same vicious idiot,
it appears that this vicious idiot has been lobotomized and then
repeatedly, thoroughly concussed.
That is why as Americans we all owe a debt of aesthetic gratitude to
the genius of former senator and current Democratic presidential
candidate Mike Gravel, who has taken the pabulum and kitsch that is our
political art and transcended it — swept it up, summarized it and
broken through it into a new range of possibilities. Mike Gravel is to
political advertising what Ralph Waldo Emerson is to the essay, Walt
Whitman to poetry, Jackson Pollock to painting, 50 Cent to bullet
wounds. He is the avant garde of the new artpolitical era.
The medium of Gravel’s genius is YouTube, but he ought to be on every
cable network and broadcast channel in the country. In one ad, he
appears in front of a pond. He stares at the camera for about a minute,
just squints at us all, confronting us with the very essence of human
existence. His silence, it emerges on a careful listening, is
infinitely more expressive than the words of Hillary Clinton or Barack
Obama, and is a bolder and more precise formulation of policy
initiatives. Then Gravel picks up a rock and throws it into the pond.
Then he walks slowly away.
In another ad, Gravel gathers firewood. Then for about seven minutes we simply watch a fire burning.
These are Dadaist campaign ads, as revolutionary in their context as
Duchamp’s urinal, Warhol’s Marilyns, Washington crossing the Delaware,
Bugs Bunny’s attack on Elmer Fudd. But how are they to be interpreted?
Chucking a rock into a pond and lighting a fire are acts with extreme
symbolic resonance. As Gravel’s act ripples over the world’s waters,
growing ever less sizable until a single molecule washes up in New
Zealand, his message or his messagelessness permeates the entire
environment, undetectably changing everything. Perhaps Billy Joel — who
should be writing music for the Edwards’ campaign — didn’t start the
fire. But Gravel did.
These “symbolist” readings are, however, impoverished. I prefer to
think of it like this: In American politics, language has been so
emptied of meaning that silence is the only remaining medium of
expression. Spend the next 20 years debating whether the immigration
bill = amnesty; meanwhile, people, as Gravel shows us with unremitting
clarity, are still crossing borders. Gravel’s works bring us out of the
yapyap — the blah, blah, blah, yackety, smackety, if I may — and back
to the things themselves, the reality that exists before and outside
our words, the reality that eventually shuts us up or kills us.
The ads are both a commentary on the emptiness of our political
discourse — a parody if you like — and a refutation of that emptiness,
or a triumph over it, a reinsertion of brute content, a silent
explosion of truth into a world of mere and moronic fiction.
Our politicians are voids or spreading zones of emptiness, a set of
focusgrouped phrases and nice outfits, a congeries of cliches,
representations of which there is no reality. In the terms of the late
theoretician Jean Baudrillard, our politics is a precession of
simulacra.
But Gravel’s politics reminds us that if someone were to drop an anvil
or a piano on you from a tall building, you would amount to a puddle.
Gravel’s works confront us with our own existences and our deaths, the
brute thereness of truth, the skull beneath the $400 haircut, the
cellulite under the pants suit. His is neo-existentialist,
postapocalyptic, post-post modern art, a silence that screams and
cajoles.
Gravel’s politics are a politics of the body and of the physical world,
of what is underneath our language and above it, what is broken and
beautiful, the real world of human beings.
I suggest to you that a Gravel presidency would lead to an entirely new
America, doing to us what cubism did to post-impressionism: dragging us
moaning in glorious epiphanic pain into a new world.
It may be that Gravel, like Vincent van Gogh, Friedrich Nietzsche or indeed, Crispin Sartwell, is a premature birth of an astonishing future. He may toil in obscurity, misunderstood or ignored in his own time. And yet, whether we can fully theorize him or not, Mike Gravel, though he may never be president, has brought us all to the very brink of political ecstasy.
Crispin Sartwell teaches art and art history at
Dickinson College. His latest book is “Six Names of Beauty.”
- Login to post comments
Comments
Genuine!
Submitted on July 16th, 2007 by L.TMike Gravel = G E N U I N E
Some help?
Submitted on July 15th, 2007 by mandervanOk, I need some help with something Gravel wrote. It's possible that after the current administration I am paranoid, but some of Gravel's statements and ideas (lovely as they seem) give me the impression that he sees the world in an almost black and white way. For instance, from his section about the HRC debate, "None of the top tier candidates would have been comfortable facing an opponent who consistently points out their refusal to embrace true equality for gays and lesbians." This stance has a tone of "us vs. them" and it makes me nervous for fairly obvious reasons. This attitude has lost the USA much respect and friendship, etc. Perhaps I've misunderstood Gravel's statement. I agree with so much else--for example, I'm sure HRC did bow to the star factor, as has CNN and other debate media. However, in my research about other candidates, few of them seem to refuse equal rights-just go about them differently. I'm not very internet savvy, though, and many of you seem to be quite active and involved, so maybe you can point me towards some good sources. I'm not trying to downplay the rather daunting issues facing the GLBT community, just trying to get a feel for the way in which Gravel (or any other democratic candidate) would use political power. Thanks in advance for the help. I wasn't sure where to post this.
Simply put
Submitted on July 15th, 2007 by RydaxTo put it quite simply, the other candidates don't advocate equal rights for LGBT. They might support(on in Hillary's case, helped create) Don't ask don't tell. They don't advocate for equal rights. They call for civil unions(if that) which promise lesser rights and a lower standing than actual marriage. He advocates hate crime protection, which the others may/may not. It is hard to tell where they stand because most of them don't even have any information about it on their websites. Basically and honestly the others (except maybe Dennis) don't call for full and equal rights like Mike. If you watch the HRC Forum you'll see what Mike means. His statement is an honest statement that they do not advocate equal rights for all.
Oh and a good place to post this question would be in the Gravel Forum, under Top or other Issues.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. -- Benjamin Franklin
Vote for Mike Gravel, anything else would be insanity!
Politics as usal!!
Submitted on July 15th, 2007 by blueyes20Ripples at Campaigns Wikia
Submitted on July 9th, 2007 by JaywinLet's make some ripples at Campaigns Wikia. Any and all can easily edit the Mike Gravel pages. Check out
Mike Gravel: http://campaigns.wikia.com/wiki/Mike_Gravel
Mike Gravel/Get Local: http://campaigns.wikia.com/wiki/Mike_Gravel/Get_Local (links available for "Demand Mike Gravel" in many states at the moment, all states eventually); add any grassroots organizations here
Mike Gravel/Calendar: http://campaigns.wikia.com/wiki/Mike_Gravel/Calendar (add Mike Gravel's upcoming events here)
Set up a username at Campaigns Wikia: http://campaigns.wikia.com/wiki/Special:Userlogin (Not necessary, but helpful)
Want to chat about Mike Gravel? If you've got a username, go to: http://irc.wikia.com/campaigns/
IT'S WORKING
Submitted on July 8th, 2007 by blueyes20Many people just haven't heard of Mike Gravel!! But when they find out where he stands on the issues and learn about the National Initiative. Their eyes light up almost like there is finally some hope at the end of the tunnel!! The great thing I have found in helping Mikes campaign is I feel good about spreading the message!! I for once in my life feel like if I am doing somethng good for my country WIN OR LOSE!! But Mike will win it is a matter of letting people know who he is, once they see him speak or read his issues they will see he is the only realistic candidate!! Keep it REAL Mike I got your back!! Gravel 08"
Mike Gravel A rippling Affect
Submitted on July 7th, 2007 by jg51the precession of simulacra notwithstanding
Submitted on July 7th, 2007 by jflThe real wold of human beings has been kept in the closet for so long that wild, wild horses cannot drag us away once it breaks out.
Up until now, and for several more months yet, it will be just our self-selected selves, driven to politics by the war, by despair at the destruction of our nation by the 537 war criminals in Washington and the spokespeople for their employers among the MSM that have noticed Mike Gravel.
But his ripples are spreading. When the attention of 300,000,000 Americans is finally drawn in earnest to this campaign there will be a wildfire of enthusiasm for Mike's message working in his favor.
In our favor. If its not Mike it's going to be Ron Paul. I urge you to check out the good doctor. You'll come away with a renewed commitment to Mike Gravel.
Don't know what made me think of the Stones' tune "Wild Horses" above, but I followed up and discovered that it was released on 12 June, 1971. The same day the NYTimes published the first installment of the Pentagon Papers.
Reminding myself of the lyrics now makes me think of the tune as a plaint to the Lady in the Harbor, the Statue of Liberty.
Childhood living is easy to do
The things you wanted I bought them for you
Graceless lady you know who I am
You know I can't let you slide through my hands
Wild horses couldn't drag me away
Wild, wild horses, couldn't drag me away
I watched you suffer a dull aching pain
Now you decided to show me the same
No sweeping exits or offstage lines
Could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind
Wild horses couldn't drag me away
Wild, wild horses, couldn't drag me away
I know I dreamed you a sin and a lie
I have my freedom but I dont have much time
Faith has been broken, tears must be cried
Lets do some living after we die
Wild horses couldnt drag me away
Wild, wild horses, we'll ride them some day
Wild horses couldnt drag me away
Wild, wild horses, we'll ride them some day
homegrownradionj.com
Submitted on July 6th, 2007 by kate of the kioskI will be reading this article and some of the blog comments on The Radio Kiosk tomorrow!
11- 1 EST
www.homegrownradionj.com
the un-ads
Submitted on July 5th, 2007 by k1mgyThey weren't really meant to be ads, but a simple project by a couple of filmmakers looking to make a splash. Impressive.
I agree with the author's projection of a Gravel Presidency.
We tried a village idiot corporate shill warmonger for 8 years. How about a visionary peacemaker for 4?
I agree . Political
Submitted on July 5th, 2007 by L.T"Political Ecstasy"!
Submitted on July 5th, 2007 by Mike__M"Mike Gravel--dragging us moaning in glorious epiphanic pain into a new world, 2008" How's that for a campaign slogan?
Well, thanks for an excellent commentary Crispin Sartwell.
Political sloggans and exposure
Submitted on July 5th, 2007 by RoxannaHere is another Campaign Sloggan…. “ There is Nothing to Grumble with Gravel” He speaks the Truth.
I do not believe he is a bitter man as one poster posted … I believe he is a passionate man that truly loves this country and wants people to wake up, taking responsibility to free and empower themselves from the elitist choking by the corporate world.…. Because that..... is who is running America and running the media of what is feed into main stream America.It is about lies, ads and ratings.
I personally would like to see interviews of Mike Gravel on Public Television..and the internet... Why can’t that happen? This man needs exposure in every direction as he is not going to get it from most regular t.v. slots without much money behind it!
Bitter? NO. Angry? YES.
Submitted on July 8th, 2007 by Marlyn