Religion and Politics??

[Susan McAllister]

I know that in polite society we aren't supposed to discuss religion and politics, and I have no intention of delving into the religion thing, but politics - well, maybe.

I am curious about political mail art. I've seen some, but rarely make it. Not because it offends me but because I don't really know how to integrate the two very well. And I wonder if some people might be offended by receiving it.

I suspect there is a long history of political mail art, but I don't know where to find about it. DVS, might you be a source of info about this?

Anyone, jump in and tell me what you think. Are you into to it? Ot hate it?

[Austin Wills James]

Val, I know you weren't speaking in absolutes by any means. For what it's worth though, I'm a staunch Athiest, who never graduated college. :)

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Susan: I bin pornographic Mail Art that I find offensive (the rest I keep, 50 lbs+!). I know from my mentoring/welcoming next members to IUOMA experiences, that some gals/ladies/women have been targetted by a limited number of guys/blokes/men who have sent them porn. It causes distress, extreme distress in some cases. So much so that a few of them have left. I have encouraged others to complain to Our Leader Ruud, and he has dealt with the offenders.

On the wider, and original issue, I think that political satire is more acceptable than religios satire in Mail Art  because, inter alia, i) it is more widespread in society and the mass media; ii) few people take politicans seriously, iii) we can easily 'see through ' polticians, iv) if you satirise, for example, the US President, he's not going to send a hit squad round to get you tomorrow, whereas if you satirise a religion, well the End of Your World may be Nigh.

Now I may be about to stir up a hornet's nest here, but has anyone else noticed that IUOMA (especially the US members therof) is very much a (quite highly educated, middle-class, straight) WASP community? Why might this be the case? Does it matter? And how does it determine the nature of our  Mail Art?

And this particular discussion, too?!

Val

[Susan McAllister]

They are exactly what you were imagining.

[Austin Wills James]

Oh that's awesome! I guess reading "flaming nuns" caused my mind to go there, haha.

[Susan McAllister]

There ia a group of guys in nun drag who do entertainment and charity work. They are called the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Very funny guys.

[Austin Wills James]

Haha, no. (I do want a photo of myself in front of 710 Ashbury though.) Most of the other couples my wife & I hang out with are gay, so I quite often end up being the only guy in a tye-dye shirt in many of the local gay bars. :)

[Susan McAllister]

Austin, you been to San Francisco lately?

[Austin Wills James]

Why does that automatically cause me to picture drag queens dressed as nuns, saying things like "Oh! You did NOT just take the lord's name in vain!"?

[Susan McAllister]

PS Ana, I'm not offended by flaming nuns.

[Susan McAllister]

Hey Ana, Thanks for joining in. It sounds like you are OK with the making of political and religious mail art, but I see you mentioned two things that would offend you. I think one of things that interest me about this topic is how do you deal with receiving mail that you find offensive.

Several years ago I received ome ATC's about how Jesus loves me. I was offended and angry. I wrote her a very reasonable note saying to please not send me that type of art. She responded reasonably saying no problem and that was that. Since I have been at IUOMA I have received two crude pornographic drawings from men I didn't know. This time I definitely felt it was inappropriate, but I wasn't angry. My thought was, well, this is mail art. There are all kinds of people here with all sorts of ideas and you aren't going to like them all. So what? I didn't respond to them at all and went on with making art.

This now seems to me the best way to deal with the situation. But I suspect many people would choose a different kind of response. I guess I'm interested in how people feel about receiving mail art they deem offensive and what they think is a useful way to deal with it. What do you think?