The Comeback Of The Fun Guerrilla
In the late 60s the German fun guerrilla movement, with Fritz Teufel being the most famous member, used all kinds of pranks to protest against state authorities and right wing policies. "Assassination" were planed, the plans announced and pudding was bought to be used as the deadly weapon. State authorities were ridiculed when they took such plots seriously.
Yesterday saw an unexpected comeback of fun guerrilla means.
Some 570,000 facebook members, many of them likely fake, "liked" a group page for the return of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, the former populist defense minister recently relieved after plagiarizing his Ph.D. thesis. They had called for Pro-Guttenberg demonstrations on Saturday in several German cities. The facebook group and the call for demonstrations received large media coverage.
A few demonstration did indeed happen yesterday, but only a few dozens people appeared in Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne. The people taking part turned out to be mostly fun guerrilla pranksters.
Slogans shown included "Gutti for Kaiser", "We are your people", "Lead us to light" and "Gutti has hair nice". In Cologne the "Communist League Pro Guttenberg" rallied in support of Guttenberg's proven dislike of copyrights, "cut+paste=communism" was their slogan. "Cut & paste" hair paste tubes with Guttenberg's stylish picture on them were offered for sale. In Berlin the Hedonist International movement presented itself as instigator of the demonstration. When its spokesman was interviewed he rallied against the "far left media like Die Welt and FAZ which destroyed Guttenberg". Both papers are well known for their rather right wing stand.
All this ridicule, widely reported, likely destroyed any chance for Guttenberg's comeback. His alleged mass support was shown to be none at all and the facebook numbers as virtual junk with no base in reality.
The only real Pro-Guttenberg demonstration seems to have happened in his small hometown. In front of a few hundred party followers zu Guttenberg's father, the conductor Enoch zu Guttenberg, spoke of a "man hunt campaign" against his son something "I haven't seen since 1945". Enoch zu Guttenberg was born in 1946.
Yesterday's well covered return of fun guerrilla protest is likely, at least in Germany, to start a new wave of anti-right wing action using ridicule as its major tool. I wonder how effective it would be if people in the U.S. would start to use fun guerrilla style action to expose the tea party's hypocrisy.
Posted by b on March 6, 2011 at 10:14 UTC | Permalink
And they say Germans have no sense of humor ;-)
Seriously, very well done. You have shown that there is a real political cost for being America's man in Germany. Other poodle wannabes will think twice.
Posted by: Lysander | Mar 6 2011 12:47 utc | 2
And they say Germans have no sense of humor ;-)
Seriously, very well done. You have shown that there is a real political cost for being America's man in Germany. Other poodle wannabes will think twice.
Posted by: Lysander | Mar 6 2011 12:47 utc | 3
I am sure Guttenberg will also be a topic at the Carneval - he deserves it.
What is up with the rumors that he also had a extra-marital affair? At the supermarket, I saw two Covers from the "Regenbogenpresse" alledging it. However, I did not have the time to look inside the magazines.
Posted by: Fran | Mar 6 2011 15:20 utc | 5
In the United States, there was a group called "Billionaires for Bush and Gore," which became "Billionaires for Bush." Now it's "Billionaires for WealthCare."
http://www.billionairesforwealthcare.com/
It never got national traction, but in those areas where it showed up at political rallies and other public events, people had great fun. Once we showed up at the local post office, dressed as "Billionaires," on the day most people file their taxes. We thanked everyone for paying our taxes for us...
Posted by: JohnH | Mar 6 2011 15:36 utc | 6
b-
Post like this are why you're so cool. Thanks for sharing.
Unfortunately Americans are humorless warmongering sock puppets whom wouldn't get the irony of such a thing.
Too bad, as laughter is truly the best medicine, and the wounds are easier to heal.
i love this and laughed out loud.
"cut+paste=communism" was their slogan. "Cut & paste" hair paste tubes with Guttenberg's stylish picture on them were offered for sale.
von cut 'n paste!
Posted by: annie | Mar 6 2011 19:32 utc | 8
Unfortunately Americans are humorless warmongering sock puppets
Unfortunately, you're a retard.
The only funny thing about you, b, is your monumentally persistent condescension of "America."
The unfunny Americans.
Posted by: slothrop | Mar 6 2011 19:58 utc | 9
In my town, a lot of people thought the Billionaires for Bush were legit, and they supported them. They think billionaires should keep their money.
And the Stewart/Colbert rallies were dumb, not funny.
Posted by: Susan | Mar 7 2011 0:14 utc | 10
Slothrop,
Are you calling b a retard for my words? Hmmm, now that's not funny. And since I believe you fancy yourself as one of my fellow countrymen, I believe you've proved my point;)
Susan@6. Yes, Billionaires for Bush thoroughly confused a lot of Republicans, which was amazing, since the signage was always pretty far out. But that shows you how far out American conservatives truly are. Nothing appears too extreme for them.
Posted by: JohnH | Mar 7 2011 2:45 utc | 12
Nobody in America is funny. Forget Abbey Hoffman, Mort Sahl, Lenny Bruce, Bill Hicks, George Carlin, The Living Theater, Chris Rock, et al.
Thankfully, the Germans are forging the path of Enlightenment with comedy. Apparently, the citizens of Koningsberg could set their watches by the daily strolls of one Emanuel Kant, who also had names for the local roosters. Funny shit, like that.
Posted by: slothrop | Mar 7 2011 3:35 utc | 13
we've got these obnoxious Baptists who like to look somber standing with their hellfire signs during the Saturday Farmer's Market. a few years ago i formulated a response to these assholes, but have yet to implement the plan.
the plan is simple: we would call ourselves the BANANA HAMMOCK TAG-TEAM DANCE TROUPE, and we would gather in fabulous opposition to these nicely dressed zealots, then DANCE provocatively in skimpy speedos to Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus
Posted by: lizard | Mar 7 2011 5:18 utc | 14
"Being slothrop means never having to say you're sorry"
Posted by: A passing (non-German) psychiatrist | Mar 7 2011 10:31 utc | 15
Lizard,
What about a little dancin' to Blasphemous Rumors too?
Speaking of funny Germans, Hogan's Heros was littered with them. Who can forget Shultz?
@9 " The funny thing about you b, is your monumentally persistent condescension of America."
The truth sometimes hurts a bit.
American exceptionalism is the end result of many years of blatant propganda & disinformation, spread by most of the American Corporate media. Eaten up by an underinformed public, blinded by their own selfishness & greed. I for one, find it refreshing to have someone point that out from time to time. Maybe Americans are having an awakening in Wisc. I doubt it.
Posted by: Ben | Mar 7 2011 16:01 utc | 17
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Getting Faux News to report from Faux Tea parties?
Recommended inspirational viewing: The Yes Men
Posted by: a swedish kind of death | Mar 6 2011 11:12 utc | 1