MTV Boycott and Protest - June 6, Los Angeles

[Defend the Sacred]

As many of you are probably aware, MTV has been airing a racist show called The Dudesons, specifically the episode "Cowboys and Findians" where young Finnish men in headdresses brutally injure themselves to earn feathers and membership in an unnamed "tribe". They call their various self-injury skits "Seven Rites of Passage [to become a Native American]". In the show they injure themselves horribly and yell things like, "I'm becoming a Native American!"

Many people have emailed and called in protest, but MTV is still airing the offensive episode and has not issued any sort of public apology.

There will be a protest at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, June 6. If you're in the LA area or can get there, please consider showing up and supporting. More info:

Coalition organizing protests: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=106854676027290&ref=mf

AIM SB post on protests: http://twitwall.com/view/?what=040A000907

There is now a petition that is going to be sent to MTV, Viacom, and the sponsors of the show (It just went live at 9am PST): http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/boycottmtv

The petition also contains information on the boycott, and a link to the full episodes, archived by activists on the web.

[Laurel]

In case anyone isn't familiar, Rob at Newspaper Rock/Blue Corn Comics has a lot of background on this:

http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/#uds-search-results

Off to the FB page and petition, thanks!

[critter - a white non-ndn person]

Good blog Kathryn.. am reposting and distributing as widely as I can.. 

[Yiwah]

...I'm speechless.

Or perhaps just naive?

I thought this sort of thing was dying out.  I thought people were becoming more educated on the matter, not less.

This is beyond comprehension.

[tecpaocelotl]

I never heard of this show.

[bls926]

One of the worst cases of stereotyping in a long time. The Dudesons would never have tried to live as a slave on a plantation or as a prisoner at Auschwitz, but Johnny Knoxville & MTV seem to think it's okay to play Indian. It is not okay!!

MTV has aired some sorry excuses for entertainment. Johnny Knoxville has produced some stupid, obnoxious shows. But this episode of the Dudesons is an all time low for both of them. This isn't just stupid and obnoxious, it is racist and hateful. Let MTV and Knoxville know how wrong they were.

[nemesis]

I have never heard of this show before and am completely astonished that they should imagine that such offensive misrepresentations are in any way acceptable.

Just a thought but I wonder whether it may be worth contacting the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Minnesota?

They have some excellent resources there and a significant collection of historical racist and offensive material including postcards and ephemera.

They have a part of the site devoted to images (including offensive and racist images) of Native Americans which can be accessed here

http://www.chgs.umn.edu/histories/otherness/otherness4-1.html

and here

http://www.chgs.umn.edu/histories/otherness/otherness4-2.html

The aim of the site is to educate people about racism, genocide and the historical use of offensive and hateful imagery.

It seems to me that some stills and video clips from the "Dudesons" deserves a place alongside the other images in the website, as they demonstrate very clearly that such offensive and racist stereotypes are not just history, they are happening right now.

If stills and video from the Dudesons were included in the Virtual genocide Museum it would make it very difficult, if not impossible for MTV to continue broadcasting the show.


Also, just a thought re the one native person in the show, who is referred to as the "king of the Indians", has a horrifying resonance with the treatment of Australian aboriginal elders who were declared kings and queens by the colonising white people.

These so called kings and queens were given neck plates describing their "status" while they and their people suffered the most vile and terrible abuses and of course genocide.

[bls926]

THE DUDESONS
LATEST NEWS FROM OUR LIVES!
http://dudesons.com/news.php


The_Dudesons

The Dudesons wasn't on MTV tonight because we're looking to AIR at a new timeslot. We'll let you know the new... http://bit.ly/asuvPD 7 days ago reply

Dudesons in America is back in JULY! till then, lets grow a dudesons army that no ones seen before! -Jukka http://bit.ly/anqSF8 15 hours ago reply

[Defend the Sacred]

Nemesis, that's an excellent idea about the Holocaust and Genocide Museum! I don't have time to get to it right now, but if any of you want to contact the Museum about this, please, go for it.

Bls, the post on their page is interesting. While they've been rescheduled and MTV is not doing the intense promotion they were doing a month ago, there are still episodes on the schedule for the coming weeks. "Cowboys and Findians" is scheduled to run the same night as the protests (Sun, the 6th), and another night not too long after that. I think they're hoping if they tone it down a bit we'll go away. No chance. 

They still have the appalling images and video clips on their facebook page.

Until it's pulled completely; and the racist images removed from the web and intro; and the public, formal apology issued; people are going to keep after them.

[nemesis]

I am typically very, very over committed at the moment but another thought in case people have some time on their hands...

It wonder also whether it might be worth contacting David Pilgrim, Ferris professor of Social Sciences and curator of the The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia?

The Jim Crow Museum was originally set up to show and challenge hateful, racist and stereotypical historical collectibles and ephemera relevant to African Americans.

Part of the museum is a travelling exhibit called "them"

"THEM: Images of Separation," is a traveling exhibition that showcases items from popular culture used to stereotype different groups. The negative imagery -- found on postcards, license plates, games, souvenirs and costumes -- promoted stereotyping against such groups as Asian-Americans, Hispanics, Jews and poor whites, as well as those who are "other" in terms of body type or sexual orientation.

The exhibition follows up the success of the "Hateful Things" exhibition, comprised of artifacts from Ferris' Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. Ferris professor of Social Sciences David Pilgrim said "THEM" responds to questions he received from people who saw the previous exhibition, which focused specifically on imagery demeaning to African-Americans.

"In the past we had people ask why did we not have objects that dealt with groups other than African-Americans," Pilgrim said. "For this show, we took our direction from Martin Luther King's famous quote, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' This is the next logical step for the Jim Crow Museum."

Through 35 separate framed pieces (some with multiple items, such as postcards), "THEM" tackles some of the most contentious, cultural hot-button issues: anti-Arab sentiment, Holocaust denial, "don't ask, don't tell" and immigration.

The exhibition also includes items demeaning to African-Americans, but that is only a part of the exhibition's larger picture. "I'm hoping 'THEM' shows discrimination and stereotyping is not just a black/white issue -- it's more pervasive than that," said Pilgrim.

http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/traveling2/

some relevant links:


http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/traveling2/THEM/ (warning, some very disturbing photos)

http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/news/jimcrow/

http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/news/jimcrow/collect/


I imagine that, apart from anything else, Professor Pilgrim would be a good ally and may help spread the word about your campaign.  Like the Genocide Museum it may also be that stills / footage from the Dudesons could make an important element of the "Them" exhibition.

[Defend the Sacred]

I just checked the recording: MTV showed "Cowboys and Findians" again last night.

Unrepentant, capitalist, racists.

The protest is going on right now.

[Defend the Sacred]

On another MTV stunt show, they hired a shameon to come and give the guys "power animals" so they could crash around, "empowered". The shameon claimed they offered to shoot a pilot for his own show. Hope nothing comes of it. More info here: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=607.msg23639#msg23639

Petition link with info on boycott: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/boycottmtv

[critter - a white non-ndn person]

i signed petition, but i think most of the people signing petition to boycott MTV don't really watch it to begin with, i could be probably totally wrong on that, but i think if there's a way to let their sponsors know that we boycott THEM if they sponsor MTV and this horrendous show, that that might have more punch?   

[Defend the Sacred]

That's why the sponsors are listed in the petition and the attached letter, along with contact info so you can contact the sponsors and tell them why you are boycotting.

You are correct that active boycotts are far more effective than passive ones. It's not enough to just not watch MTV; we need to contact sponsors and tell them why we're boycotting, and contact the cable and satellite companies that carry MTV/VIACOM-owned stations and tell them why we are not going to subscribe to their service.

[Defend the Sacred]

Copying that part of the petition and letter here, as well:

WE ARE CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE AND INDEFINITE BOYCOTT OF THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES AND THEIR PRODUCTS, WHO ARE KNOWN TO PAY FOR ADVERTISING TIME DURING THE DUDESONS IN AMERICA:

SCHICK RAZORS

DENTYNE AND TRIDENT GUM, AND ALL OTHER CADBURY CANDY PRODUCTS

PEPSI

SNICKERS, SKITTLES, AND ALL OTHER MARS CANDY PRODUCTS

DOMINO'S PIZZA

BURGER KING

TOSTITOS AND OTHER FRITO-LAY PRODUCTS

STARBUCKS

DR. PEPPER, MOUNTAIN DEW AND SNAPPLE

PROACTIV SKIN PRODUCTS

COLGATE TOOTHPASTE, TOOTHBRUSHES, AND ALL OTHER COLGATE AND PALMOLIVE PRODUCTS

AT&T WIRELESS AND MOTOROLA PHONES AND PRODUCTS

SHREK: THE FINAL CHAPTER
(DREAMWORKS ANIMATION)
*DO NOT RENT/BUY/WATCH SHREK MOVIES OR PRODUCTS OR OTHER DREAMWORKS MOVIES*

And last but not least: MTV and VIACOM

Call your cable or satellite provider and cancel your subscription to all VIACOM and MTV channels. Tell them why you are boycotting these channels and services:

Film production and distribution: Viacom International, Paramount Pictures, Republic Pictures, MTV Films, Nickelodeon Movies, Go Fish Pictures

Television networks: Comedy Central, Logo, BET, Spike, TV Land, Nick@Nite, Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nick Jr., MTV, VH1, MTV2, CMT, Palladia Video gaming: Xfire, Harmonix, GameTrailers, Neopets

New media: MTV New Media

LIST OF ASSETS OWNED BY VIACOM

Addresses:

Melissa Barreto
Stephanie Berman
Jeff Castaneda
Janice Gatti
A.J. Sarcione

MTV Networks
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036

Viacom
Philippe P. Dauman, President & CEO
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036


Ward M. Klein, CEO
Energizer Headquarters
533 Maryville University Drive
St. Louis, MO 63141

Cadbury Adams USA LLC
James R. Chambers, President
389 Interpace Pky, #1
Parsippany, NJ 07054

PepsiCo, Inc.
700 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577

Mars Incorporated
100 International Drive
Mount Olive, NJ 07828-1808

Bain Capital (re - Domino's Pizza)
111 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02199

Bain Capital (re - Domino's Pizza)
590 Madison Avenue
42nd Floor
New York, NY 10022

Burger King Corporation
John W. Chidsey, CEO
5505 Blue Lagoon Drive
Miami, Florida 33126

President and CEO: Albert P. Carey
Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
7701 Legacy Dr.
Plano, TX 75024

Howard Schultz, CEO,
Starbucks
2401 Utah Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98134

Prestige Brands Inc.
Matthew M. Mannelly, President and CEO
90 North Broadway
Irvington, NY 10533

Larry D. Young, President
Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.
5301 Legacy Dr.
Plano, TX 75024

Guthy-Renker (re - Proactiv)
41-550 Eclectic St., Suite 200
Palm Desert, CA 92260

Colgate-Palmolive
300 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022

Joaquin R. Carbonell III
Senior Vice President and General Counsel (AT&T wireless)
AT&T
208 S. Akard St.
Dallas, TX 75202         

Jeffrey Katzenberg
DreamWorks Animation
100 Universal City Plaza Blg. 5121
Universal City, CA 91608

Quick copy and paste emails to MTV staff and some media:

melissa.barreto@mtvstaff.com; stephanie.berman@mtvstaff.com; jeff.castaneda@mtvstaff.com; janice.gatti@mtvstaff.com; AJ.Sarcione@mtvstaff.com; aimsb@ymail.com; showbiztonight@cnn.com

And if someone wants to compile all the emails for the sponsors, that would be great. I thought someone had done that, but I can't seem to find them. I'll add them later if I turn them up. I know I have some, but not a complete list.