the baron and the bedouin

The power of hype. The power of the entertainment complex as part of a larger military industrial complex is well known. As a marketing concept, a conceptual form of engaging with the public, The Dictator is proving interesting. Content is another issue. In fact , the content reminds me of the series of articles recently posted on French Salon painting. Trite, contrived, artificial, mediocrity reinforcing the bourgeois tastes then for being cultured and educated, here for being “hip”. The contexts always change but the buy-in of mass consumer tastes will always tend towards the tacky, sentimental, and the kitschy even if well executed. Baron’s latest epic appears set to bring to the fore all the worst possible stereotypes of Colonial Orientalism and Sam Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations. At least there is no intellectual pretension, but there is a form of pretension in objectifying the “other” and setting up all the variations of invidious comparison endemic in our market system.

Read More:http://dailybillboard.blogspot.ca/2012/03/bonus-day-dictator-and-bruno-movie.html ---Let's face it, this film is going to be very polarizing and you're either going to love it or hate it, although you have to admit these huge billboards are extremely eye-catching.---

…Even though THE DICTATOR doesn’t come out until May 11th, bus shelters and this huge billboard below have been popping up all over Los Angeles. They all have little to no explanation of what the images of Sacha Baron Cohen’s character is related to, but they are great teaser posters. The one below is on La Brea Avenue (a major North-South artery in Los Angeles) and it is huge – the image doesn’t really do justice to how much it stands out. Of course, the void from fact that they don’t clearly state the movie information is negated by the television and video support for the title. First, there was the Super Bowl tease trailer and then, at the Oscars, there was the hugely popular video of Cohen’s altercation with Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet. The video that E! placed on YouTube a few days ago has already garnered close to 7 million plays. Read More:http://scarletstrategic.wordpress.com/tag/sacha-baron-cohen/

Read More:http://seeingsubjects.org/course_pages/orientalism.html ---Orientalism (in Said's sense) encompasses not just literary works but also the production of images. There is a whole genre of painting known as ‘Orientalism,’ though it was not quite as well regarded in some academic circles as some of the other famous modern genres, perhaps in part because it was wildly successful in commercial terms. Here is a typical 19th C. example, called "The Arab Tale-Teller," painted by Horace Vernet---

Curious too, that this film presents itself as Syria appears the next to fall, followed probably by Jordan as the goal of a straight flush works towards its tortuous conclusion. Not to mention the tension over a strike in Iran which seems inevitable given the reluctance of diplomacy to go to the limit of its potential. All the better to villainize an incredibly diverse Semitic population into a homogenous target.

ADDENDUM:

“On behalf of the nation of Wadiya, I am outraged at being banned from the Oscars by the Academy of Motion Pictures of Arts and Zionists,” Cohen’s character from The Dictator rants in his new video. The comedian also takes a swipe at Hilary Swank for attending the birthday of Chechnyan President and alleged human rights violator Ramzan Kadyrov. We never thought we’d say this but: burn, Hilary Swank!…

Read More:http://www.artknowledgenews.com/Sothebys_New_York_to_Offer_19th_Century_European_Art.html

“While I applaud the Academy for taking away my right to free speech,” Cohen continues. “I warn you that if you do not lift your sanctions and give me my tickets back by 12 p.m. on Sunday, you will face unimaginable consequences.” We are praying this means the comedian will try to take the red carpet anyway; he’s the only person alive who has the guts to intenti

There are some interesting ideas here regarding the creation of an alternate world:

… No logo. No release date. No information at all (except for some well-hidden studio logos in the corner). Instead of just promoting a movie, the marketing team behind The Dictator is creating an entire experience. They’ve turned outdoor ad space into propaganda. They’ve created a fake country. Cohen even showed up in character at the Academy Awards. We’re not just watching a movie. We’re becoming a part of it. Transforming a landscape and shaking up reality might be the ultimate use of outdoor advertising….Read More:http://www.thehangline.com/creative-examples/a-new-regime-in-los-angeles/

Read More:http://www.dubaiart.org/page9.htm ---£795 Ludwig Deutsch (1855-1930) Austrain Artist 100% Hand painted oil painting on canvas with free delivery. Original dimensions: 60 cm x 48 cm (24in x 19.02in) All Dubai Art's paintings are custom made and can be painted to the exact dimensions you need.