Society sure changed a few years ago when people started using #hashtags. The medium is the message, the use of hash tags seemed to simplify ideas into sound bytes and cliches. And when used in a sentence, the #hashtag tag itself is a tremendous interruption.
Local LA artist Why Denmark Is Broke has been contemplating the role of hash tags in society, and has hit the streets with a new street series entitled #Newspeak.
When asked what these particular #hashtags had to do with the message (see how the hashtag #interrupts the thought process?), Why Denmark Is Broke had this to say as a further explanation:
It's goal is to highlight our blissfuly ignorant eagerness to reduce ourselves to a trending controllable mass. The second piece is written from the perspective of this individual.
It's referencing the following quotes from 1984. "Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia." and "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face— forever."
The second tag is a hashtag version of this message. Pro party language from the book mixed with orwell's vision of the future (the boot quote) written in the same gleeful tone that someone might write: #Best #night #evr #living #beautiful #epic under their Twitter or Instagram post.
The goal is to point out that we have voluntarily reduced ourselves to the most simple language in the interest of trending, celebrity, and acceptance. All the while, accomplishing an end result that, from Orwell's perspective, would take have taken tyrannical leaders, wars and poverty to enforce. Bonus, we actually do have perpetual wars, poverty, poor education and a very big brother.
Whoa baby this guy sounds like he has an education. Go educated street artist!
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#loveit
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