Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Pieing & Public Advocacy
No doubt you've seen video of the public pieing of Rupert Murdoch by now (if not, watch it above). By no means is he the first public figure to come face-to-face with a big ol' helping of public humiliation. The Washington Post offers a primer on the pie's history as a tool of activism.
Does a pie to the face count as activism? Does it have value as a communication practice? Is revenge really that sweet?
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Even though the pie can make a statement, I would not consider a pie to the face activism. Obviously the person that pied Murdoch was upset, but he accomplished absolutely nothing by doing that. He did not get to make a point, express his views, or describe his dissatisfaction with Murdoch. The man just made himself look bad.
ReplyDeleteA pie in the face has several different definitive values as a communication practice. It has a celebratory place in baseball, where it is an honor. In this situation, it shows disgust. Sometimes it is just supposed to be funny. As strange as this is, it has become a known action in our culture.
As for the topic of revenge, the song "Sweet Revenge" by Barlowgirl offers some interesting lyrics for thought: "While I thought somehow this hate would heal me, But this hate is never ending and it's only killing me, Oh sweet revenge you've lied again, I find I can't get free till I release this vengeance that I seek"