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the
current
Monday
Report
below!
This week's report by Steve Kostecke, ULA Editor-in-Chief
"How to Keep 'em Down!"
The Associated Press took us up on our challenge to attend the ULA
protest at Miller Theater this past April 17th – and then, whether
intentional or not, brought us down. “Intentional or not” since the
reporters for the AP may not be conscious of how thoroughly they’ve
internalized the values of their corporate employers and are therefore
not aware of how they ultimately portray people and events. Or,
giving them the benefit of the doubt, perhaps a cabal of media
overlords does exist who artfully tug all the strings behind the
corporate curtain for the purpose of preserving the power-elite’s
stranglehold and who thrive on subtly subverting anything which
smacks of “the people”.
Either way, here’s what my beef is…
At the Associated Press website with their podcast on our protest at
Columbia University’s Miller Theater, they posted two photos of
ULA-ers. Not one but both photos succeed in portraying the
Underground Literary Alliance as a buncha bozos which any AP
reader would do very well to chuckle at and move on with hardly a
second glance. The proof:
Why this of Frank Walsh (and clown) (AP Photo/HO/Geoff Hall)-
Instead of this of poet Natalie Felix – ? (ULA photo)
And why on earth this – (AP Photo/HO/Geoff Hall)
Instead of something like this – ? (ULA photo)
I can tell you why.
Because – comparing the first pair of pictures – an image of a strong
young attractive woman denouncing the Establishment would be too
appealing and might end up strengthening our cause. Such an image
might plant one too many seeds in the minds of the AP’s Asap
podcast market – primarily youths from their late teens to early
thirties – and their confused, anaesthetized minds might kick into
gear and start utilizing their snoozing analytical functions. ULA-style
raging against the literary-industrial complex (or any other complex
of power) might end up appearing a little too justified or, worse, cool.
Because of this threat, it’s best to paste an image of a guy in a
comedic coat and vest – with a clown in the background! – over the
ULA message. This way Americans will know which side of their
cognitive dissonance to side with.
And with respect to the second pair of images, all I can say is: I’m a
founder of the ULA and have been at the core of it for the past six
years, and what a clown holding a speaker and a drill has to do with
the group – or anything we’ve been working so hard on all these
years – is beyond me. It’s beyond absurd. To focus on the most
grotesque and arabesque aspect of the ULA protest is unfair, evil, or
both. And to the question: Then why did you have a clown holding a
speaker and a drill at your protest? I respond: The clown’s presence
isn’t the point. It’s a question of perspective, of aspect, of how
exactly the decision-makers in the mainstream media are going to
allow a group or event to be depicted – as a hip energized poet doing
his rap (like Shawn Terreri in the ULA photo above) or as a clown
with a frog-tie and gorilla-glove engaging in bizarre gestures. The AP
made it clear with their two pictures from the protest: the ULA is to
be perceived as the Jokesters of Lit. “We’re giving them their say,”
the mainstream press editors are exclaiming with traditional
American fervor, “but, for god’s sake, taking them seriously is just
plain silly.”
The Underground Literary Alliance is not – I repeat not – jester-
ridden (though we’ve got some wild ones) and should very much be
taken seriously for its legitimate critique of the present state of
English Language Lit & Letters – and presented as such. The
question remains: will the mainstream ever allow this to happen?
With this latest nationwide press coverage by the Associated Press,
we’re still shaking our heads and wondering.
We most certainly weren’t taken seriously by this guy…
(AP Photo/HO/Miller Theater)
This is George Steel, the executive director of the Howl event at
Miller Theater – or as we at ULA Headquarters tend to call him,
“That Tuxedo Guy.” As in: “I can’t believe That Tuxedo Guy
claimed that we had nothing to say and then actually chortled at us
[listen to the podcast – he defines the term chortle]!” – or – “I can’t
believe how That Tuxedo Guy chortled that all we did was engage in
‘gleeful anarchy’!”
Just juxtapose Tuxedo Guy’s image with the concept of Allen
Ginsberg’s underground classic Howl, and what reaction do you get
(except laughter)?
That’s right: Moloch has eaten the poem.
Click here for more info on the ULA's Columbia Howl Protest.
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Steve Kostecke edits the ULA’s Monday Report and the ULA’s
communal lit-zine Slush Pile, which can be obtained via this website
or amazon.com
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