Paul Proteus' Web Review

This week’s preferred site of choice is the delectable www.adbusters.org

Here you will find a gallery of amusing and satisfying images that are fit to adorn the wall of any respectable citizen who does not fit the commercial demographic.

Under the link ‘spoof ads’ you will find images promoting corporations such as GAP and McDonalds while at the same time highlighting them for the money grabbing soul destroying entities that they really are. An image of Hitler posing in his khakis points towards the evil empire that lies behind the GAP company and it’s wonderfully endearing slogan ‘Everyone in Khaki’. (By the way have you ever noticed how when you remove the letters G and L from the slogan ‘GAP ATHLETIC’ you are left with ‘AP ATHETIC’ interesting!). While a similar sentiment is expressed in the image depicting an American Flag, a flock of sheep and a Tommy Hilfiger logo.

The site contains much more than just images though. For those who fancy themselves as independent advertising modification agents there is expert advice on how to go about altering billboards, and other form of public advertising that are shoved in our faces everyday, in order to make them more relevant and less sickening.

There is currently a debate on the website concerning the events in America, so if you simply cannot get enough of THAT debate you will also be a welcome visitor. Adbusters are considering whether or not to pull an image of the US flag that replaces the stars with the logos of global multinationals that we have come to know and despise, here you can vote for or against this proposal (isn’t democracy great!).

In addition, if you are a budding poet or writer and have any issues with advertising or the multinational takeover then you can submit your work to adbusters who will obligingly consider it for the site.

The other key feature at the moment is ‘the mental environmental movement’. This is an ongoing campaign against global institutions that are clouding our culture with drone like slogans, advertising campaigns and initiatives. There are multiple discourses provided on this subject and plenty of mind enriching opinions to consider.

9 out of 10 consumers certainly do not prefer www.adbusters.org but you and I certainly will.

Proteus has nothing more to transmit.

Webmaster comment - People who wear 'GAP' sweatshirts might as well wear a slogan saying 'I'm prepared to wear clothes made by slaves in Indonesia for 12p an hour because this culture of 'chilled out' consumerism is the only one here and I'm going to grip on to it by the skin of my teeth because I have a deep and sickening fear of rejection from my peers. There are no leaders, no icons and no heroes so I can fill the void in my soul by erecting models of conformity I receive from 'public consensus'. Plus I can always use my mobile to contact another person who, as a desperate cover for the insane world they live in, has managed to shift their brain to a level beyond ignorance or apathy, fuelled by tabloid television and mind-numbingly empty music, finally achieving a kind of polite zombie state of glad which can be feasted upon by the creators of a decadent youth culture that produces 'chill out comedy' films such as American Pie 2 - which I made the drastic mistake of seeing yesterday.

Don't think, just wake and serve.