Kyle Magee and Oliver Vodeb: How to Participate in the Public Sphere

Noone does anti- advertising activism like Kyle Magee. And we at Memefest should know.

Kyle reflects on the emotional and ethical dimensions of activism: the costs and joys of confronting advertising, police, and institutions; the fine line between protest and performance; and the everyday struggle to remain free in a system built on control. 

Kyle’s determination is as radical as it is eloquent, it is completely honest, direct and uncompromising. His peaceful actions happen in broad daylight because the arguments he has against advertising are strong and convincing, so why should he hide!? Kyle Magee’s position comes from a realisation that the public sphere is colonised and that it is corporate media and advertising that are an immense threat to democracy, to people and the environment, to state just the most obvious. He is not alone with these views but is often alone when it comes to doing the work on the ground. On his website www.democraticmedialplease.net he writes a message for the judiciary:” unfortunately, your honours, even though I am engaged in ‘political activism’ of the most earnest and sincere nature, I do still happen to possess some variety of a sense of humour.” Great! And one more important thing: his work is continuing the tradition of culture jamming, media pranksters and other misfits who have been “hacking, slashing and snipping in the empire of signs” as Mark Dery would put it. 

It is fascinating to look at the evolution of Kyle’s techniques. Not a trace of posing and no fancy formal acrobatics, only direct action. There is really a lot to learn about communication here! And BTW: read Kyle’s book what the f*#k do you do that for? and follow him at this corporate media Instagram account @democraticmediaplease. ;) And again, do check his website, especially the video section with documentation of his direct actions.

We love Kyle! We love his actions and his earnest activism! As he said in the podcast, he is keeping the flame alive.

There is much more in the original written chapter, and If you want to read the whole chapter in Radical Intimacies, Designing Non-Extractive Relationalities, find more about the book: here.

 

PODCAST CREDITS:

Hosted by: Oliver Vodeb/ Memefest​. The podcast is a collaboration between Memefest and Intellect publishers.​

Music: Thanks to Bait for their song Property Law. Two best friends meeting seasonally in bucolic surrounds to generate improvised music. Property Law recognises the Indigenous peoples of the world's relationship to land. As in, "we don't own the land. The land owns us." Each of us is only passing through. Empires, Epochs come & go, but the spirit of the land persists.