Again i didn't go to today's lecture because I had to go buy dvds from Big W because they were only $5 dollaz eeaaach. What a bargain aye! $5. So I had to go early before all the good ones went hahaha. Again I read the lecture in the course content at Learning at Griffith. I kind of wish i went to this one as reading it is really boring. But from what I've read its about how we, as consumers, are displayed content such as advertising on the big screen or on TV etc. I didn't read much as it was really boring. However, I learnt more in my tutes by Jules who explained to me that we are "Culture Jamming". What is Culture Jamming I hear you ask? Well my fellow negro, Culture Jamming is where consumers disrupt mainstream social movement. Basically trying to change the world for the best utilizing the media. Culture jamming re-figure logos, fashion statements, and product images to challenge the idea of "what's cool," along with assumptions about the personal freedoms of consumption. Now with the idea of culture jamming in our heads, my group and I need to create a rumor in order for us to change the world, well in our case the city of GOLD COAST haha. I will let you guys know soon what this rumor will be once we have finalised it.
Tutespark Questions -
1. What Is The First Considered Culture Jam?
I can't find when or what was this first culture jam but I can say how culture jam was shown to the public. Before email became popular (1990's) markets and organizations relied heavily on print materials such as newspapers and magazines, but one print that usually got people talking and looking was billboards. A well known company that specialises in marketing on billboards is the Billboard Liberation Front (Center For Communication & Civic Engagement 2010). This is an group of culture jammers that are devoted to improving and/or radically changing key words to alter a message (see pictures)
2. What Is The Most Influential Culture Jam?
I can't seem to find anything on what is the most influential culture jam, but I don't think there is a right or wrong answer as this is a matter of opinion, right? Well, for me, the most influential culture jam is the Nike story (see question 3 for more detail). I never head of Nike using sweatshop kids to make their clothing until late 2002 or 2003 in high school for an assignment of child laborers. When I found out I stopped buying Nike clothes altogether. I could support a high profile company that was doing this. Weren't they supposed to be changing this, not supporting. I looked up to Nike when I was growing up. The athletes who wore or were sponsored by Nike made me want to wear it. Everything they standard for I believed in. A lot of people who I spoke to about this feel the same was as I do on this subject. They thought it was influential as when this came out, it was all over the front pages of newspapers and magazines, internet forums we coming out expressing their great dislike over what Nike was doing. It ruined their reputation big time. Although, honestly, I still do at times buy their products if I really like it. Hey I know what your thinking "man he's contradicting himself here". I know but I just can't help it, these sweatshop kids make some really cool shoes but that still doesn't change the fact that their only being paid like 50cents for a 12 hour work shift. NIKE YOU NEED TO CHANGE BIG TIME!!!!
3. What Is The Most Damaging Culture Jam?
The most influential culture jam was probably in 2001 when political activist took a swipe a giant athletic brand Nike for the companies dealing in Third World countries. "Nike is seen as a high profile example of a company that cares more about its brand image than the human rights in Third World countries" (Micheletti, Follesdal & Stolle 2006, p. 127). The story goes like this....Back in 2001, Nike began a custom made shoe for order online on their website and you could have an I.D written on your shoes with a choice of colour. Well, Jonah Peretti, a internet entrepreneur and the founder of BuzzFeed and Hufington Post, tried to buy a custom pair of Nike shoes with the word "Sweatshop" as his i.d because he wanted to remember the toil and labor of the child that made his shoes. Nike, however, felt that this word was a little too close to heart and decided to send him a little email explaining why he was not able to have that i.d. From there countless emails were exchanged between Peretti and Nike about the use of this word, until, Peretti decided to send an email to his friends containing these emails (see bottom for email). This email sparked a chain and was emailed from friends to other friends until it because viral and millions of people had hold or read on websites about this email. This emails damaged Nike's reputation as athletic brand and as a high profile human rights company. Nike responded in its own way but deciding to play on with these emails and launched numerous campaigns (see pictures).
The shoes that started all this.........
NIKE SWEATSHOP EMAILS (2001) -
From: "Personalize, NIKE iD"
To: "'Jonah H. Peretti'"
Subject: RE: Your NIKE iD order o16468000
Your NIKE iD order was cancelled for one or more of the following reasons.
1) Your Personal iD contains another party's trademark or other intellectual property.2) Your Personal iD contains the name of an athlete or team we do not have the legal right to use.3) Your Personal iD was left blank. Did you not want any personalization?4) Your Personal iD contains profanity or inappropriate slang, and besides, your mother would slap us.
If you wish to reorder your NIKE iD product with a new personalization please visit us again at www.nike.com
Thank you,
NIKE iD
From: "Jonah H. Peretti"
To: "Personalize, NIKE iD"
Subject: RE: Your NIKE iD order o16468000
Greetings,
My order was canceled but my personal NIKE iD does not violate any of the criteria outlined in your message. The Personal iD on my custom ZOOM XC USA running shoes was the word "sweatshop." Sweatshop is not: 1) another's party's trademark, 2) the name of an athlete, 3) blank, or 4) profanity. I choose the iD because I wanted to remember the toil and labor of the children that made my shoes. Could you please ship them to me immediately.
Thanks and Happy New Year,
Jonah Peretti
From: "Personalize, NIKE iD"
To: "'Jonah H. Peretti'"
Subject: RE: Your NIKE iD order o16468000Dear NIKE iD Customer,Your NIKE iD order was cancelled because the iD you have chosen contains, as stated in the previous e-mail correspondence, "inappropriate slang".
If you wish to reorder your NIKE iD product with a new personalization please visit us again at www.nike.com
Thank you,NIKE iD
From: "Jonah H. Peretti"
To: "Personalize, NIKE iD"
Subject: RE: Your NIKE iD order o16468000
Dear NIKE iD,
Thank you for your quick response to my inquiry about my custom ZOOM XC USA running shoes. Although I commend you for your prompt customer service, I disagree with the claim that my personal iD was inappropriate slang. After consulting Webster's Dictionary, I discovered that "sweatshop" is in fact part of standard English, and not slang. The word means: "a shop or factory in which workers are employed for long hours at low wages and under unhealthy conditions" and its origin dates from 1892. So my personal iD does meet the criteria detailed in your first email.
Your web site advertises that the NIKE iD program is "about freedom to choose and freedom to express who you are." I share Nike's love of freedom and personal expression. The site also says that "If you want it done right...build it yourself." I was thrilled to be able to build my own shoes, and my personal iD was offered as a small token of appreciation for the sweatshop workers poised to help me realize my vision. I hope that you will value my freedom of expression and reconsider your decision to reject my order.
Thank you,Jonah Peretti
From: "Personalize, NIKE iD"
To: "'Jonah H. Peretti'"
Subject: RE: Your NIKE iD order o16468000Dear NIKE iD Customer,
Regarding the rules for personalization it also states on the NIKE iD web site that "Nike reserves the right to cancel any Personal iD up to 24 hours after it has been submitted".
In addition it further explains:
"While we honor most personal iDs, we cannot honor every one. Some may be (or contain) others' trademarks, or the names of certain professional sports teams, athletes or celebrities that Nike does not have the right to use. Others may contain material that we consider inappropriate or simply do not want to place on our products.
Unfortunately, at times this obliges us to decline personal iDs that may otherwise seem unobjectionable. In any event, we will let you know if we decline your personal iD, and we will offer you the chance to submit another."
With these rules in mind we cannot accept your order as submitted.
If you wish to reorder your NIKE iD product with a new personalization please visit us again at www.nike.com
Thank you, NIKE iD
From: "Jonah H. Peretti"
To: "Personalize, NIKE iD"
Subject: RE: Your NIKE iD order o16468000Dear NIKE iD,Thank you for the time and energy you have spent on my request. I have decided to order the shoes with a different iD, but I would like to make one small request. Could you please send me a color snapshot of the ten-year-old Vietnamese girl who makes my shoes?
Thanks,
Jonah Peretti
{no response}
References -
Center For Communication & Civic Engagement (2010), Culture Jamming Culture Jamming and Meme-based Communication
Retrieved at: http://depts.washington.edu/ccce/polcommcampaigns/CultureJamming.htm
(Online, 07 September, 2010
Micheletti, Michele, Follesdal, Andreas & Stolle, Dietlind 2006, "Politics, Products and Markets" Exploring Political Consumerisim Past and Present", Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Nike Sweatshop Emails (2001) the life of an internet meme
Retrieved at: http://www.shey.net/niked.html
(Online), 07 September, 2010
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