Random Culture

Kenneth Cole Activist Blog

Kenneth Cole has launched a blog, and it's not about fashion. The Awearness blog is about politics, the environment, social responsibility and much more. The question remains, will users really care what Kenneth Cole thinks about this stuff? Read more at: Awearnessblog.com

Barack Obama is Your New Bicycle

Simplicity can be wonderful. Barack Obama is a nice guy, so what better way to pay homage to him than with a website that talks about all the nice things he does...

Visit BarackObamaIsYourNewBicycle.com and learn about all the nice things Barack Obama does for you.

Shepard Fairey: Obey Obama

Shepard Fairey of "Obey" fame has created some nice posters in support of Barack Obama. According to the Creative Review Blog, the Obama campaign said Fairey wasn't on the campaign payroll, and created these posters on his own. Fairey offers the following on his site:

”I believe with great conviction that Barack Obama should be the next President. I have been paying close attention to him since the Democratic convention in 2004. I feel that he is more a statesman than a politician. He was against the war when it was an unpopular position (and Hillary was for the war at that time), Obama is for energy and environmental conservation. He is for healthcare reform. Check him out for yourself: barackobama.com. Proceeds from this print go to produce prints for a larger statewide poster campaign.”

You can buy posters or find out more by visiting ObeyGiant.com.

Link via Creative Review.

Fox Launches Daily Show Parody

What happens when you try to parody a parody show? You end up with crud... Fox's new "The 1/2 Hour News Hour" is Fox's forced satire of The Daily Show. Check out a clip below:

The Design Behind Gore's Presentation

I saw "An Inconvenient Truth" this weekend, the Al Gore movie about global warming. Politics aside, if you've seen any slides of the actual presentation Gore has been giving, the design is awe inspiring.

This morning, I found a post on the Presentation Zen blog about the company behind the design of this presentation, Duarte Design. They're a Silicon Valley design firm that's got a good reputation in presentation design and infographics.

I've definitely got powerpoint envy after seeing this.

New Microsite: Guns for Sale

Amnesty International has launched a new microsite "Teleshop: Guns for Sale." On the site, you can watch a video parody of a "home shopping network" channel selling AK-47s. The video is also available as a podcast in the iTunes music store. According to Iain at CrackUnit.com, the site was created by Poke, and the video was created by Mother.

Thanks to Frances for the link.

Kanye West vs. Bush

Watch Kanye West speak his mind on national TV.
Update: If you have trouble with the link above, you can find the video on the MSNBC website. Click on the link that says "Kanye West off the script."

You may have heard about the recent remarks made by Kanye West during a telethon to raise money for the victims of hurricane Katrina. If you haven't seen the video, follow the link above to view it.

While I don't often post about things that would be considered "off topic," I wanted to post about this because of its importance. It's clear to me that a lack of open, candid conversation is one of the reasons people are no longer turning to traditional media for news. I think it's important for people to see Kanye's remarks because I don't think he should be censored, which is exactly what the networks are doing. In the original broadcast, his remarks were censored on the West coast, and I'm sure they won't show up in subsequent broadcasts.

The point is this: even people who don't agree with Kanye shouldn't dismiss his sentiments. Remember... It's not just his opinion.

Product Placement Mayhem

This proves that nothing is sacred when it comes to product placement. A 30-second spot for an Arnold Schwarzenegger ballot initiative shows the California governor seated at a cafeteria table. According to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune, "Prominently displayed on the table are bottles of Arrowhead water and Diet Pepsi. In the background are packages of Cheetos, Sun Chips and Ruffles, all Pepsi products."

What's even worse is that Schwarzenegger has been calling on the ban of junk food in schools, and surely most of these Pepsi products would qualify as junk food... Clearly a conflict of interest.

The Schwarzenegger camp says that the product placement was just a "coincidence."

Link via Agenda Inc.