Reification: A users' guide - Iconoclast Media

' Black Bloc Chic '
On the Cooptation of
Militant Imagery Anita Riot
“Under the shimmering diversions of spectacle, banalization
dominates modern society and the world over and at every
point where developed consumption of commodities has
seemingly multiplied the roles and objects to choose from…
The smug acceptance of what exists can also merge with
purely spectacular rebellion; this reflects the simple fact
that dissatisfaction itself became a commodity as soon
as economic abundance could extend production to the
processing of such raw materials”.
-Guy Debord in ‘Society of the Spectacle’
Since their emergence in the public consciousness following
the 1999 anti-WTO protests in Seattle, black blocs have
become an expected fixture of militant demonstrations in
North America. A tactic, but also more than that; an image
associated with political militancy and confrontation, the
black bloc has developed into a potent symbol of anticapitalist
resistance.
Faced with the twin realities of permanent austerity and
environmental catastrophe, we find ourselves at a historical
moment where the allure of resistance appears to be growing;
the threat of cooptation, however, is ever present. On the one
hand, the growing visibility of militant resistance can act to
demystify political confrontation and encourage participation.
On the other hand, such visibility exposes revolt to the
recuperative claws of capitalism. Through representations in
mainstream media, and even more insidiously, by means of
corporate branding campaigns, black bloc and other militant
imagery has moved from the margins of radical subculture
to become a popular, even ‘edgy’ marketing device.
Hollowed out of any revolutionary content and completely
disentangled from its anti-capitalist roots, black bloc
imagery has in recent years been utilized as a consumptive
tool to market and sell luxury goods. Both the fashion and
music industries (to the extent that they can be separated)
have appropriated images of political militancy for use in
advertising campaigns and brand development, capitalizing
on the sexy, yet dangerous aesthetic to sell their products. In a
sick irony, the very high-end boutiques likely to be the target
of a black bloc attack are equally likely to carry products and
fashion lines inspired in part by an appropriation of black bloc
iconography. Examples of this appropriation are ample.
The website trendhunter.com markets itself as an online hub
documenting the hottest trends and cutting edge ideas in
5
fashion, culture and design. In a recent blog post entitled
‘Anarchy-Inspired Apparel’ the website explores the growing
fashion trend of anarchist inspired fashion, specifically
focusing on the clothing line The Black Bloc by False.
Described as a collection of traditional punk rock apparel,
the line features patched vests, hoodies and graphic tees that
“…incorporate the anarchy symbol, skulls, mohawks, bombs
and all things anti-establishment”. According to the site,
the designers of the clothing line advocate a DIY ethos and
a rebel-driven operation committed to providing high-end
clothing for “…the fashionista rebel with a cause”. Rarely has
the appropriation of radical culture by the self-proclaimed
fashion elite been so disgusting and blatant.
The submission by the aptly named False is not the only
fashion enterprise to adopt the black bloc name. Black Block
by André, the brainchild of French graffiti artist André Saraiva,
is the brand name of both a storefront and clothing collection.
Featuring black polo shirts, leather jackets, distressed denim
and decorative household items, the goods are marketed as
artistic with a hint of rebellion. The designer describes the
brand as a “… nonbrand brand” (how clever!), and storefronts
are covered from head to toe in “anti-authoritarian” graffiti.
This flagrant co-option bleeds into the realm of other
superfluous commodities as well. Take ‘Anarchy’, the newest
fragrance from the misogynists at Axe body spray. The first
of their fragrances marketed to both women and men, this
product has been promoted under the tagline “Unleash
the Chaos”. The advertising campaign features dramatic
commercials replete with riotous scenes of police chases,
car crashes and mobs, released alongside an ‘Anarchy Girls’