Monkeying around

A friend whom i helped out on a project wanted me to re-edit something we did. Basically it was an exploration of “Media” and the animal that is created from it. We used a few templates as a backdrop – the Corey DeLaney [sic?] and the Andrew Simonds case involving Cricket Australia [the greatest 'sledgers' in the world] making a ‘formal’ statement against Harbahajan Singh for calling him a ‘Monkey’. Whether this was a result of the neon lip gloss that Simonds wears – whether it’s because one of his parents is from the Solomon Islands or whether he was described [by the Indian cricket fans] as a ‘monkey amongst the kangaroos’ is uncertain to ascertain. So what we did was come up with a plan to storm onto the field at day 4 of the South Australian test match dressed in a monkey suit.

Me and another guy would record the event, post it onto you tube and then launch the project and see where the media animal would take us. Firstly we all got dressed up in big black wigs, yellow shorts and handed out flyers to the [freshly] published website. Then after we’d handed out the flyers and lunch was over the unnamed monkey man ran onto the field to a herald of applause and laughter. basically the thinking was that the use of the term ‘monkey’ to Andrew Simonds was an insult to monkeys world wide and that we were rectifying a wrong made public by the media. After I edited the project in an internet cafe I found in the Adelaide CBD we uploaded it and watched as the counter rose. Within the first 3 hours there were over 300 hits. As we scoured the internet for news clippings we returned to the video and saw it has grown another 30 people in just 5 minutes.

 

Then the information started to get obscure. One ‘Reuters’ picked up on a piece of information that was incorrect [having been released and NOT fined $3000 and then three online newspapers ran with the story – so much for investigative journalism. What was interesting about it was the way these amorphous inaccuracies continued to grow and develop in their own organic ‘Chinese Whispers’ way. Each story added another fantastic element onto the next and then blatant mistruths were being bandied around. The ‘monkey-man’ in question at the time was in the Adelaide CBD police holding cell and had just been released to face a court charge some time in the future. It was of little concern to him. His was an experiment in information and ‘hype.’ How did Corey Delaney manage to create such a stir with his public disgrace? And how did his moment of celebrity rise and just as easily tumble??? The internet and new systems of media breeds such brief temporal heroes and then throws them to the ground with equal disdain. No wonder celebrities need such thick skin… and the constant tragedies that plague their lives in order to remain ‘hot’. It doesn’t allow for weak souls. However when weak souls inevitably get thrown into the melting pot we feel we need to exploit the weaknesses, capitalize on them, because maybe in some way it makes their rise that much more attainable, real, and therefore marketable. Eeeek. I’m glad I’m with the guy in the monkey suit.

Anyway the counter is now at… well see it for yourself – HERE