Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping

Decent Essays
Improved Essays
Superior Essays
Great Essays
Brilliant Essays
    Page 1 of 1 - About 2 Essays
  • Improved Essays

    have fun in public places. The pillow fights show people how much fun it is to gather with others in public areas such as parks. Performing is another type of protest play. Clowning is a common form of performative play. Clowning is done by an organization called the Rebel Clown Army. The goal of the organization is to protest war. To do this they use humor to get their point across. Clowns gain a lot more attention than normal people do. Seeing clowns is not an everyday occurrence. Clowns are also easy to spot due to the fact that they are always wearing bright colors. Bill Talen also engages in performative play when he transforms into reverend Billy. Reverend Billy is a part of the Church of Stop Shopping. By creating his character, Talen found a unique way to protest big businesses and poor working conditions. Reverend Billy is similar to the Rebel Clown Army clowns. He puts on an unusual show while embracing his over the top character. Protest doesn’t have to be loud though. Some of the most effective protests take place in silence. In general, the world is a loud and busy place. Silent protests take away the noise that humans are so used to canceling out of their mind. This allows for an uncomfortable situation. Students at UC Davis organized a silent protest regarding the chancellor of the school Linda B. Katehi after she refused to resign after being asked to by the faculty association. Students lined both sides of a path out of a building she…

    • 1853 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The video ‘What Would Jesus Buy’ is about a performance activist group, The Stop Shopping Choir, which denounces consumerism. They encourage people to be more conscious of their shopping habits and how it affects people all over the world. Reverend Billy, the organizer of this group, argues that overconsumption and debt will bring about the end of humankind. He refers to this idea as the ‘Shopocalypse’. The group is particularly active during the holiday season because of the commercialism and…

    • 804 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Previous
    Page 1
    Next