User:Jasper van Loenen/RWRM/Annotation Ant Farm Media Burn

Ant Farm, Media Burn, 1975 (video)

The video starts with the text "action news" and some short clips from 4th of july news broadcasts. A news reader briefly explains what a media event is - an event staged purely to get media attention - and that they - the media - were invited to "the ultimate media event". The next part of the video consists of video material taken from different news channels filming at this event.

Someone was about to drive a car trough a wall of burning televisions. Even though they claim the general public wasn't invited, a lot of people showed up and snacks and souvenirs were sold.

The event would be opened by a VIP, namely John F Kennedy - played by an actor. After he read a speech the drivers hit the television wall, though the actual hit isn't show: on-screen it is covered by a large black triangle.

They say the event was sponsored by a group called Ant Farm and that the car will be for sale. It is clear the media aren't sure what to think of the event. Some call it "weird" or say its "over our heads".

Then the video jumps back to earlier that day, but from the artists perspective. They are filming how everyone is preparing, including the people selling the souvenir and hot dogs ("junk food, so we can relate to television"). It seems most people are excited for the event to happen.

The car is unveiled and a man called "Bill Ding" (actually John Hilding) explains what will happen: members of Ant Farm spend 1500 hours modifying a car - some changes are made as an homage to Harley Earl (an industrial designer from General Motors). The two drivers will not directly look at the road, instead the 'Artist Dummies' will look at a monitor showing the live feed from a camera mounted inside a raised tail on the back of the car. They will also use a digital countdown and a digital speedometer. If all goes according to plan they will hit the wall of televisions at 55 mph (88,5 km/h) and after the event, the car will be up for sale.

The JFK actor - called the "Artist-President" - reads his speech in which he condemns the passive act of watching television, from behind a large television. He says people are controlled by the ones controlling the information and that 'we' are addicted to a constant flow of media.

After he leaves, the drivers are brought in using a window-less van. The anthem of the USA is played while images of Navy ships and the US flag are shown. Then the drivers get in the car. Their outfits and the sounds you hear reminding of astronauts. After mounting black windows on the car to block their view, they hit the gas and drive right through the wall of televisions. A slow-motion sequence shows how they hit the wall and the raised tail of the car gets broken off. Then the drivers are driven back in JFK's car, waving and shaking hands as if they are heroes.

The video ends with the following text, followed by rolling credits on top of a time lapse video of the whole event:

"99.9% OF ALL HOMES IN USA WITH ELECTRICITY HAVE TV SETS
THERE ARE 68.5 MILLION TV SETS IN AMERICAN HOMES
COLOR SETS ARE WATCHED 49 HRS/WK
B&W SETS ARE WATCHED 49 HRS/WK
26% OF EACH HOUR IS ADVERTISING
AVERAGE DAILY VIEWING TIME IS 6 HRS, 15 MINS"