Culture Jamming

One of my favourite examples of culture jamming is the Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping. Reverend Billy is not actually a reverend, but an anti-consumerism activist who leads a group of activists who believe that consumerism is overwhelming our lives. The Church of Stop Shopping is made up of a 35-person choir and a 7-person band. They have dozens of original songs, a major motion picture, a critically acclaimed stage show and multiple media platforms. They protest consumerism peacefully while attempting to educate the public about the consequences of unsustainable consumption.

There are several YouTube Videos about Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping. Here is the link for one video, which is a trailer for one of their shows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axp-dW00daQ

This video provides a quick overview of some of the initiatives of the Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping. It shows Reverend Billy walking through a Starbucks and explaining why it is not a fair business in terms of how it treats its employees and suppliers, and why people should not shop there. The choir and band are outside of the coffee shop, singing ``no more Starbucks.`` Then it shows Reverend Billy speaking to a group of people in store that sells Disney products about how Michael Eisner (the previous CEO of the Walt Disney Company) makes $330,000 an hour and the people who make Disney`s products make $2 a week. The members of the Church of Stop Shopping are then seen walking down a street, carrying crosses with Mickey Mouse nailed to them. Reverend Billy says that the Disney Company is the high church of retail and, by putting Mickey on the cross, they are putting two forms of organized religion together.

I think that what Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping are doing is fabulous. Their stunts are really funny at times, such as another YouTube video where Reverend Billy is performing an exorcism on a credit card. They are taking organized religion – which they often compare to consumerism, especially when it comes to Disney – and they are using it to poke fun at our society. The Church of Stop shopping has a gospel choir that songs about things like boycotting Starbucks and the ``Shopocalypse.‘‘ It is really entertaining to hear their songs because I think it is pretty smart to get your message out in that format.

I think Reverend Billy often compares consumerism to religion because he is trying to point out the similarities between the two. Religion is an organization, something you belong to and believe in. It has leaders and people that you trust. People follow religion devotedly, which is similar to how people consume. We want to keep up with the latest trends and buy whatever products are popular, and many people are constantly consume as if it is a religion that they feel the need to follow every day. It is almost as if advertisements are the gods and consumers follow whatever they say in hopes of achieving a better life – no matter what the price tag.

In a previous blog, I wrote about satirical fake news and how I think it is a great way to get people thinking about important issues while still informing us about what is going on in the world. I think that Reverend Billy does the same thing. He provides entertainment while still spreading an important message about over-consumption. Reverend Billy seems like a ridiculous character in the way he dresses and acts but, if you actually listen to what he is saying, he makes a lot of good point and really knows his facts about businesses and consumption.

I think that what Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping are doing is really great and has the potential to make a significant impact on society. They are making a strong statement about our society and the lifestyle choices that so many people are making. Culture jammers have the potential to change our world for the better. Culture jamming is all about breaking the old syntax of our lives and replacing it with a new way of being in the world. Culture jammers aim to take a step toward a transformation of the North American way of life. They have adapted a lifestyle of defiance against our society`s culture; against a society that they believe has taken a wrong turn and they no longer want to participate in it. They are acting out against the masses and consumerism by using different forms of the media to spread their message and educate people about the error of their ways. Reverend Billy is a powerful example of culture jamming because he is acting out against consumerism in our society and he is spreading his message through a variety of ways while providing entertainment.