Admit it; you were keeping score. And we won! Our treasure trove of gold, silver, and bronze
was prime-time worthy. American women won 27 gold medals, as many as the entire
country of Great Britain, more than China, 40 percent more than Russia. The Rio
Olympics turned watching gymnastics—once shunned as the Cold-War provenance of
Eastern Europe—into a Red State, core family value. Provided one had the requisite cable provider
to be able to tune in.
Unlike state-sponsored sporting events that demand a return
on investment, art should never try to be popular. Sports are Collectivism. Art
is Individualism. As Oscar Wilde noted, the great value of art is that it
disturbs us and disintegrates the fixed idea. And therein lies the rub.
Despite the protestations of some, and with the
encouragement of others, we are moving forward.
On Labor Day we will hoist the flag, raise the barber pole, and proclaim:
CUT YOUR HAIR IN THE SOCIALIST STYLE! A series of programs will thereafter
ensue.
Program #1. The Disconnected Undercut.
Where: The Drugstore KC, 3948 Main St, Kansas
City, MO 64111
In the barber chairs:
Charlotte St Fellows Dylan Mortimer
and Misha Kligman
Convening at 6:30pm
(light socialist snacks and beverages). Barbering
and discussion begins promptly at 7pm.
Topics for discussion during this performance (fixed ideas
these are not). Who’s your favorite socialist: Jesus, Pope Francis, or Bernie
Sanders? Your least favorite: Barack
Obama, Hillary Clinton, or Donald Trump? Sports as collectivism. Art as individualism. Banners, slogans, and
apartment art: untitled conceptualism in the face of oligarchy. alt-socialism. Solidarity and love. The price of a decent
haircut. The tyranny of dialogue.