guest post by Burstein
In response to the threatened crackdown on the Pillow Fight and other “flash mob”-esque events, The United Nations Commission on Costumes & Holidays (UNCCH) has issued a response: the San Francisco Protocol on Abnormal Public Events. I for one welcome their intervention in returning San Francisco to a state of normalcy in which life occurs in a restrained, non-threatening fashion.
“The time has come to bring abnormal public events (commonly referred to as “Flash Mobs”) under the soothing blanket of global bureaucracy (sic). The alarming rise in messy “Trash Mobs” such as pillow fight are a clear warning to the International Community. The response: the San Francisco Protocol on Abnormal Public Events, a clear framework for regulation of these events through strong yet gentle local and international oversight. The UNCCH asks you to imagine a world in which these chaotic events are tamed, packaged, and decaffeinated. The San Francisco Protocol will finally make this possible.”
Yours in the service of Humanity,
Commander EDW Lynch
UNCCH
In all seriousness, much can and has been said on the cost to the city, ethics of personal responsibility, and the time, place and manner of such public actions. I admire and respect individuals who seeking to define and create the culture in which they live. I also value consistency. If you attend, organize or even merely appreciate these events my question to you is thus: what do you want the city to do for you?
I want the city to continue its unique and amazing tolerance for actions like Pillow Fight because that is what makes SF home to me and many other freaks like you. So, along with taking responsibility for your events, I would implore you to take responsibility for your culture as well and politely email the following people with your thoughts:
- Seth Rosenfeld – San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer
- Lisa Seitz Gruwell – San Francisco Recreation and Park Department
- Denis Kern – San Francisco DPW
Here is a draft letter for you all to riff upon when composing your own:
Dear XXXXX,
I have found your comments in the San Francisco Chronicle on the recent Pillow Fight to be exceptionally concerning. Part of what makes San Francisco unique and a magnet for so many brilliant and creative individuals from around the world are these very events that you are threatening. These events exhibit some of the best aspects of our city: a culture of tolerance, public expressions of joy and spontaneity, and an urban space that truly belongs to its inhabitants and neighbors. Your threatened crackdown is a challenge to that which makes our city special, that which draws the talent that fuels our economy, and that which improves our collective quality of life. I strongly suggest significant reconsideration from you and your supervisors before taking any further action that might suppress San Francisco’s robust, magnetic and beautiful freak culture.
Sincerely,
Your Name Here
See Previously: San Francisco Might Try to Shut Down Pillow Fight & Other Events
photo by Dave Young
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, this is good!
;-)
For those of us who don’t live in the city anymore but used to these events are the only outlets for us suburban freaks.
Listen if we used to have Bike for Beers in San Jose but by the 4th year the SJ fascist cops were arresting us and using helicopters to follow us. Please San Francisco doesn’t be become as fascist as San Jose.
: (
Just to show how pathetic I am, my first thought was:
“Well, the protocol doesn’t actually impose any obligations upon signatory or UN member states; the terms all apply directly to the Prankster. States don’t even have any explicit enforcement obligation. Unless Pranksters sign on of their own accord, this isn’t going to have much legal signficance, never mind the obvious enforcement problem.”
All this bluster. “I want the city to continue its unique and amazing tolerance for actions like Pillow Fight because that is what makes SF home to me and many other freaks like you. ” They’re trying to shut us down, man!
Um, the original invite asked people to clean up afterwards didn’t it? So somehow find a way to stoop to engaging in manual labor and personal responsibility and clean the place up afterwards. Then when the city gives you shit about, you have every reason to thumb your nose at them for bringing a tiny ray of sunshine to their day. Twisting a lament about garbage into a personal attack on your creative expression is the worst kind of spoiled, overprivileged twaddle.
I’d also like to see prankster culture take seriously the question of how pranks impact others around them (and the low-wage workers who wind up with the cleanup that literally at times “rolls downhill”) and adopt a “Leave No Trace” mentality similar to Burning Man. Asking the city to continue to embrace that which makes SF unique is definitely worthwhile, but I think those of us who participate should also consider what we’re willing to give back. Being responsible for messes we make is a minimal expectation that shouldn’t have to impact anyone’s fun.
I agree with all that was commented, and the point of the post is not to denigrate the need for pranksters to take responsibility of the impact thier pank has on their immediate environment. The point was that many people fail to appreciate the political structures that create the cultural space which they enjoy. I think that personal responsibility does not end with cleaning up the environment, but also extends to making your voices heard.
In my eyes t is not an “either/or,” but an “and,” when discussion personal responsibility to the environment or engage in public discussion. There is no spoiled twaddle or sense of entitlement in pointing out that most people don’t express their views or reasons to those that regulate public spaces, which in turns undermines their ability to govern and regulate effectively.
It is spoiled twaddle if no acknowledgement of the fact that the backlash came in response to the refuse created and the dollars and manpower associated with clean-up. Issuing a manifesto immediately following ignoring this makes it look like such arguments are beneath your purview. If it’s not “either/or” but “and” why the silence on this aspect? Building support will stand on much firmer ground if such criticisms become moot by collective action and responsibility. If the city persists in resisting when their only defense is that it makes them vaguely uncomfortable, it makes them look much more foolish, and much more like humorless authoritarian-loving drones. If like Elusis recommends a “Leave No Trace” aspect is adopted in addition to the usual mad creativity and participatory acts of collective glee I’d be thrilled to copy the draft above and send it out. Having spent the better part of my twenties cleaning up other people’s messes, I can’t help but sympathise with some concrete concerns expressed and feel a little disappointed.
The commenters here bring up some excellent points that warrant some vigorous UN answers. First, to Zpoot: You are very astute in identifying some of the concession language in the Protocol-this was due to extensive diplomatic pressure from the United States and China to limit the scope of the Ten Points. Additionally, as others suggested, we tried to include “Leave No Trace” as an 11th point but discovered that the term, and indeed good intentions behind it are the intellectual property of Burning Man LLC.
Let me be clear: the United Nations is not anti-expression. We celebrate all the world’s cultures. We just urge those cultures to express themselves within strict international guidelines and subject to the monitoring of the International Community. Responsible expression is carefully planned far in advance and takes into account all stakeholders and environmental factors. That way, nothing is too spontaneous and no international feelings are hurt. So please, San Franciscans, continue to be weird so that other cities and advertising agencies can benefit from your creativity. Just be sure to fill out the appropriate paperwork. Contact the UNCCH for your UNAPE-A “Permission to Engage Abnormal Public Event” application packet.
Commander EDW Lynch
I am disappointed, though not surprised, by this classic liberal response: solving a problem with more world-government regulation. What this difficult situation calls for is a robust system of public-private partnerships to fill the space currently occupied by these pillow fights &c. For example:
- AMD Presents: A Pillow-Fight in Second Life: AMD has generously agreed to release the pillow models created for this event to the community.
- Widen+Kennedy+Culture+Spotting: Participants meet in Union Square, and “tag” examples of subcultures and memes that have not yet been leveraged in a marketing asset. Tags will be verified by WK staff. The participant with the most tags will, upon signing a waiver, receive a pair of Nike sneakers that look like graffiti.
- Microsoft Presents: The _people_ready_ Mob: Participants will put on efficient, business-casual clothing and a quietly confident expression, then convene in a private-but-outdoor-looking space to perform a task that mobilizes human potential in some way TBD.
There’s also a plan in the works to allow San Franciscans to virtually participate in a pillow fight somewhere else (I’m pretty sure Philly is dirty anyway) using Twitter and various kinds of “-casting”. Let’s all mobilize our networks to support these events and the companies that are, finally!, participating in the conversation!