Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Gas Pump Blogging

Suitable for placing on gas pumps, or anywhere else.
(warning: graphic)

download pdf:

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22 comments:

MG said...

Wow hardcore, Scarlet!

Bound to make people look twice.

-Mox

Anonymous said...

Great, but wouldn't it be better received if it were a wounded serviceman/woman in the picture? Right or wrong, Americans don't really care about the wounded/killed Iraqis.

Anonymous said...

I love how harsh it is, and it will certainly get people's attention and then... nothing. No education, no idea to think about, no goal, no solution, no tag line, no point, nothing. Many people might not even recognize the picture as a war-related, and think it was a refinery accident or something.

I'm guessing you are trying to link gas with the Iraq war. And I guess this is a way to speak out against the war. Or maybe you are speaking out against the supposed motives of the war, but not actually war? Or maybe you are against all fossil fuel? Is it that effective if the reader has to guess at your meaning? Or is this a Dada form of protest?

However, you might succeed in making normal people (non-left wingers like myself) feel angry, feel accused of something simply for the necessity of filling up their car, and thus succeed in making them reject this outright, or tear off your sticker.

If you're going to piss people off you might as well try targeting specific people instead of carpet-bombing people filling up their Prius or moped. Like, put a "I guzzle for bin Laden" sticker on a Hummer, THAT would be funny.

...Or are you just trying to tell people to chill out about gas prices? I don't get it. I'm rambling. I like it. It's just missing something...

Anonymous said...

I agree with the sentiment, yet I'm very ambivalent about using that image in this manner. I remember that boy as one of the first victims of the United States' attack against Iraq. The use of that child's image in this manner strikes me as inately degrading to him. I'm sure that's not the intent. But it's an image of someone's private agony.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said: "...instead of carpet-bombing people filling up their Prius or moped."

I'm not sure where you live, but here in Kentucky, when you pull into the gas station, it's not full of mopeds or Priuses, it's full of SUVs and mini-vans.

Reminds me of the reports local news always does when gas goes up, with shots of "angry" customers filling their tanks and complaining about how much gas is costing them. I'd take their anger more seriously if they weren't filling up brand new, big honkin' SUVs. As is, it just comes off as they're too stupid to realize they can change vehicles and reduce their costs themselves.

Anonymous said...

Vote this up on reddit:

http://www.reddit.com/info/6r05y/

Unknown said...

I live in a rural area, where people drive long distances to work and have bought SUVs because they can get to work at 7 a.m. (or 11 p.m) in the snow. Now, they're stuck with them.

Anonymous said...

It would be great if you actually said something profound and changed minds - all you seem to do is come up with dumb phrases that don't do anything to inspire people. Nice work!

Anonymous said...

These are wonderful! I plan to print out a couple sheets and take them on a cross country trip next week.

THANK YOU!!

Anonymous said...

Yes, this should be used. Most families have children and theses images stay in the back of peoples minds.

It reminds me of this pic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:TrangBang.jpg

Anonymous said...

You're a copy-cat and a procrastinator, Scarlet; it only took ya 2 years to put your idea on a sticker...and it's as brilliant then as it is now. Especially now, when the prices aren't merely high, they're budget-busting high.

Anonymous said...

It should tell that this is war-related.

Anonymous said...

very powerful.
some of the other ideas are good too.
please, go ahead and make one you like better. I like this one, but would love to see lots of different gas-blogging.

mpower1952 said...

Last time I filled my gas tank, I passed the time while the meter rolled saying: "A dollar for Bush, A dollar for Cheney." You can time it so each phrase clocks a dollar.

What about a sign with that on it?

Anonymous said...

How about a couple of wounded war vets with the caption - "How many soldiers per gallon?"

Your fan in PA

Anonymous said...

Yes, Please.
How about a lineup of wounded vets in their wheelchairs and artificial legs ?
Please ?

Another Fan in PA

Anonymous said...

I fucking love it. Period.

Anonymous said...

I just wanted to add my voice to what seems a fairly unanimous chorus in the comments: this has the nucleus of a brilliant idea, but it is more graphic than strictly necessary, and many 'Merkins won't empathize with some foreign-looking kid.

One of those shots of flag-draped coffins in the back of a transport plane would get essentially the same point across, in a more overtly patriotic and less graphic fashion. That sort of sticker campaign, I could get behind.

Human said...

This is one of many ways to influence people. For those that say Americans don't care about foreigners, I say, all the more reason to shove it front of their faces. As for the suggestion that it would be better to depict an American Service person, that may be, but there is not any reason not to do both.

I would like to see some work from those who object to this. What does their flyer, sticker or handout say or depict?

There is every reason to press on all fronts. Each in one's own way.

Peace. It's possible.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps we should post them near fainting couches for the dainty few that can't handle the truth and need to sugar-coat it with *American soldiers* who *volunteered* to make their sacrifice.

Fact is, the majority of war victims are and have always been women and children - not soldiers. Google it.

Anonymous said...

I'll make another point about posting at gas stations... It's something I've wanted to do for quite some time but gas stations have cameras all over the place. Just last week I got popped by a county code enforcement guy who tracked me down through my license plate on a security camera or highway camera or something. So far it was just a letter threatening to fine me for signs I posted but I'd worry that on private property the gas station owner could try to sue you for damage to the pump then damage to their lost revenue etc.

It'd make a good bumpersticker or like I keep saying if you all learn to screen print or make use of large format printers at copy centers you could be posting these as giant signs on the overpasses

Anonymous said...

How about a simple bumper sticker on each pump near where the price is displayed. And for those pumps that have those advertising displays put the sticker right in the middle of the screen.

"Thank you, Bush and the Republicans, for the price of this gas. Signed The Oil Companies"

That will get the attention of the repubs faster than a picture of an injured Iraq boy. That is real MONEY coming out of their wallets.