- Andy Haynes
- For real.
It felt good to recognize people when I showed up at the Occupy Wall Street protests on Friday—and, even better, to not recognize the thousands of new faces showing up everyday.
It was my third day in a row of being down there, and the largest and most exciting yet. Spirits were high, especially after everyone heard that Radiohead was due to make an appearance. I had to leave to perform in a comedy show before their appearance happened, which I guess was for the best since in the end the Radiohead stuff turned out to be a total hoax. “It can be difficult to separate rumor from fact in an open source movement,” says the official communiqué on the matter.
Good thing you have a comedian to tell you what’s really going on. For example, I, Andy Haynes, can confirm that the media seems to have started paying more attention. Or, at least, our neighboring countries are paying more attention—Univision and the CBC were both on hand on Friday. I can also confirm that I’m very excited for today, when a large contingent of labor unions are planning on attending, along with thousands more supporters. Look at me, being completely unapologetically, not cynical. (And not talking about how the “dirty hippies” smell. Sorry about that, guys. Also, remember: I am a comedian, and I will say things that I don’t believe in at all, simply because they are ridiculous. Also: I agree, not all hippies stink, but many do, and certainly everybody who lives in a park long enough does. Aaaaalso: I’m a big hygiene guy. Like, a diehard, toothbrushing, deodorant wearing, butt washing dude, and mainly for everyone around me’s sake. I find it very inconsiderate when others don’t appreciate that. But I forgive you.)
Anyway, this protest ship is really picking up steam, and hopefully it has some eucalyptus oil in said steam, like in the steam rooms those Wall Street guys sit in every night to unwind from a long hard day of raping the world. That’s got to be stressful.
By the time you read this, I will be back down at the Saturday protest, enduring the rain, hopefully with thousands of others. I’ll let you know what I smell—KIDDING—see.
Being a stinky hippie and being correct are not mutually exclusive.
No Radiohead? It’s like a comedy skit down there:
“#occupywallstreet would like to apologize to the members of the press and public who came out today to see Radiohead and left disappointed. We would also like to apologize to the band directly, and appreciate their kind words of support in the face of this confusion. They had nothing to do with what happened today.”
THanks for the laffs kiddies.
No Radiohead? It’s like a comedy skit down there:
“#occupywallstreet would like to apologize to the members of the press and public who came out today to see Radiohead and left disappointed. We would also like to apologize to the band directly, and appreciate their kind words of support in the face of this confusion. They had nothing to do with what happened today.”
THanks for the laffs kiddies.
No Radiohead? It’s like a comedy skit down there:
“#occupywallstreet would like to apologize to the members of the press and public who came out today to see Radiohead and left disappointed. We would also like to apologize to the band directly, and appreciate their kind words of support in the face of this confusion. They had nothing to do with what happened today.”
THanks for the laffs kiddies.
Univision is an American network. Yay! Its being covered by the national media!
@5 Pero sólo si usted habla español.
(Credit/blame to google translate. My high school Spanish expired years ago.)
“Univision is an American network. Yay! Its being covered by the national media!”
Keep grabbing at straws, it’s cute.
I heard from a friend of a friend that Kings of Leon are coming today though!
Pero sólo si usted habla español…..y si usted es legal.
who is this guy providing boring commentary and why do we care about things happening in NYC that we can read about in a million other places
que tontos estan Vds. Solo si usted hable espanol. solo si usted sea legal. Supongo que no alcanzaron el uso del subjuntivo?
Ademas, por que no describen como “ilegal” todas las sociedades anonimas que no hayan pagado sus impuestos legales? ellas son ilegales tambien, verdad? y mas, deberiamos describir todo conductor que sobre el limite de 40 mph en la avenida aurora como un ilegal tambien, verdad? y pasamos al tema de los bancaristas de wall st. cuando ellos hubieron eligido inversiones muy estupidas que pusieron la economia del mundo el peligro, ellos no fueron legal. Ellos tenian obligaciones de actuar con sagaz, en busca de ganas peron ademas tuvieron que tener en cuenta los riesgos. los riesgos a las inversionistas si no mas. Y fallaron en este. Pues, wall st. tambien fue ilegal. Y no vamos a olvidar que la guerra de “liberacion” de tejas por los gringos en contra a Mexico fue para que pudieran mantener la esclavitud. Este fue ilegal en varias maneras tambien. Estas? Hay mucha ilegalidad. No hablemos de Iraq o waterboarding porque ya conoceran Vds. todo esa ilegalidad. El gobierno entiero de los EEUU fue ilegal en hacer esas cosas.
(disculpe, no hablo de corriente).
@10
Que?
#10 is making the excellent point that it’s illogical how people use “illegal” to mean people who have broken immigration laws, but not people who have broken, say, traffic laws, or even better, Wall Street types whose breaking of financial regulations plunged the economy into a death spiral. Also, the war of Texan independence was fought in order to maintain slavery in Texas.
@12 Speaking of Texan independence, do you know why there were only 4000 Mexicans at the Alamo?
They could only get one car.
@13.
Yes, we know, the reason people talk about ilegals is they’re racist. Like you. The folks like Bowie and Houston and Crocket fighting to have slavery were so superior morally.
Ever notice how the port of seattle can fly canadian flags but if people see a mexican flag at a demonstration they’re all mad about that?
Serouisly, why do you dislike mexicans? They’re fun, hardworking honorable people on the whole. Many are bilingual and fairly adept and adapting to the whole globalization challenge. Why do you prefer some christian idiot named bubba from oklahoma to some mexican guy named jose from guanajuto? bubba’s people got here illegally too, so don’t tell me one’s legal the other one not. it boils down to skin color dude, and we all know it.
“It can be difficult to separate rumor from fact in an open source movement,”
Which is why its a stupid ass way to try and run a movement.
15: How many “movements” have you run or been a part of?
@16 A number of them.
@17: Ok, that’s illuminating. I was going to say: you can sit at your computer and piss all over what other people are trying to do or you can organize something that you think will work better. Let’s see what you can do.
For the record, I am an organizer for a very hierarchical movement…it has it’s strengths (like the speed of decision making, message control, etc.) but I see every day its limits as well.
@18 I sit on two boards, have organized a number of campaigns and events, volunteer with some non-profits, etc. Political organizing is not really my thing, I’m not confrontational or ideological enough, but I do support causes I like and doorbell, canvas, etc when I have time.
I agree it has limits, and you need a good grassroots base for success, but at the end of the day you need people who can stand up and say here is what we want, or here is when Radiohead will be playing. Otherwise you get your standard liberal rally full of people going off on nonsense issues like 9/11 troof or straying form the goal by bringing in Palestine, or the death penalty, or whatever their cause is. Those people will always be there, but you don’t have to give them speaking time or prominence.
I think the Tea Party excels at this. They have structure and PR, but they also have local organizations that are much more democratic and open. They also do a fuckton more than just rally. They harass the hell out of electeds, they run candidates, they work in the trenchs, they pretty much do whatever it takes. We need that coupled with a message that, unlike theirs, is not narrow-minded and assholish.
Thanks venomlash, my Spanish was unable to meet The challenge @10. Translation/summary appreciated.
@17: Zero is a number.
Giffy, the Tea Party is organized because it is run by the Republican Party. That’s probably not the example you were looking for.
Sitting on boards is not organizing a movement. Since you said you organized a number of them, name them, or say you were wrong in saying so.
America is not run by one dictator, as was the case in Egypt and is the case in Yemen and Syria. It is run by a conglomerate of multinational corporations which pretty much control Wall Street. There is no single message — “XXX out!” — that can be put on a poster to be waved. “Wall Street out!” is the nearest thing to a focused sentiment. If you’ve got better, propose them.
@22 Why not? the republicans are getting damn good at organizing things. The righteousness of ones cause has little baring on its success.
few things are as funny as dashing the hopes of Radiohead fans. actually, fuck Wall Street. the real protest should be against Radiohead and their music-hating fans (if you like that band, you know so little about music that you must actually hate it).
@21, so is -5. There are lots of cool numbers out there kids! So stay in school!!! *thumbs up hand gestures with corny grin*