Pinko Magazine Hedonism + Activism

Saw Cloverfield last night, and enjoyed it quite a bit. (Two reactions though — neither one a spoiler — (1) uhm … ewww, re: Marlena’s eventual fate and (2) That is NOT the Spring Street 6 station.) Anyway, I was disturbed to see a completely over the top, total bullshit National Guard recruitment propaganda ad running before the film. The same brainwash ad also ran before Juno. The ad (which I’ll post in full after the jump) isn’t really an ad at all — its a fully produced, three and a half minute music video by cock-rockers Three Doors Down. There’s football. There’s guns and helicopters and exploding cannons. (wtf do we still use those?) And, natch, there is the steaming, flaming, heaping burning rubble of the World Trade Center.

On its merits, it’s embarassing: Citizen Soldier (that’s the song) is the worst thing ever written, and builds up to the extremely catchy chorus of “Citizen soldiers holding the light for the ones that we guide from the dark of despair.” (Muslims, clearly.) Three Doors Down are performing on top of a mound of dirt (not entirely dissimilar from the steaming, flaming, heaping burning rubble of the World Trade Center) and the video has these words and phrases that float across the screen. “I will never accept defeat,” “I will never quit,” etc. At one point it flashes “I will never leave” and held it on the screen just long enough for me to yell “Iraq! Iraq! I will never leave Iraq” and embarass my date before finally completing the thought … “I will never leave … a fallen comrade.”

Here’s the full video:

If you were unfortunate enough to watch all 3:31 of Citizen Soldier, you’re not alone. The video has over 675,000 views on Youtube, and tens of thousands more at the National Guard’s own site. It’s an effective tactic: using a popular rock band to play into the hyper-masculinity of the cultural messages already battering teenage boys, particularly in poor and working class neighborhoods. Just this week reports came out about the huge recruitment gap in all branches of the military; 9-11, cock-rock baiting gambits like Citizen Soldier are the only card the armed forces have left to play.

In fairness, I see the National Guard as much different than the rest of the military. It really is meant to be a force ready to help at home, in disasters and crises and hurricanes. It used to be a good deal for people trying to pay off loans and make some extra money. Arguably I think people should join The National Guard (not me of course — I would be trouble in the barracks — but someone. Maybe someone who can fire a cannon?) and it is an honorable act of community service. But sadly the Bush Administration, by running us into this horrible war in Iraq, has decimated the guard, dragging them into a battle most guardspeople never signed up for. 9-11 and football and subliminal words won’t change the fact that instead of helping their communities, kids who sign up for the guard could find themselves in the middle of Baghdad. It’s not glamorous, like playing guitar on top of a rock pile with Three Doors Down is supposed to be.

A modest proposal to counter the ad campaign. First, movie theater ad buys are actually really cheap. They are overlooked but they are a great bet for non-profits. You can target your audience, target your locations, and do a good campaign. Groups like American Friends Service Committee, Peace Action, War Resisters League and United for Peace and Justice, who are leading the effort to stop dishonest recruitment of young people, would do well to put their own ads up in the same theaters before the same movies. We would do well to support these groups from time to time. Lastly, there is a great book out by the super Aimee Allison called Army of None; it’s a tangible guide to military counterrecriutment. It’s the best tool you’ve got if your little brother went to see Cloverfield and left wanting to strap on a revolutionary war uniform or play the drums with Three Doors Down.

buzz-it!

About The Author - Ben Wyskida is a writer, activist, conscientious hedonist and political communications strategist living in Brooklyn. - Visit Ben's site.