For my post graduate exhibition, I have been exploring the intersections of reality TV and modern day politics. Looking at constructed storytelling, and how what we assume to be the truth, often is a curated and produced version of the truth, meant to either sell us a product or for someone to gain power. My initial inspiration to this theme, was hearing the Danish prime minister say that the Danish people did not work enough and we needed to dispel the persistent myth that going to work has to be enjoyable. Hearing that made me think of Kim Kardashian saying “I have the best advice for women in business. Get your fucking ass up and work. it seems like nobody wants to work these days”. This made me think of how much reality stars have in common with politicians.
But he hasn’t got anything on! Is a paraphrase of “The Emperor’s new clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen. The video consists of sounds bites from political interviewers and sound bites of Kim Kardashian speaking. In the end of the Andersen tale, everyone is aware that the emperor is indeed not wearing anything, however the emperor still walks on, ignoring this fact. This is similar to how politicians will very rarely admit to broken promises and mistakes. If they don’t lose face, they can go on pretending everything is fine, just like the emperor. The vague and out of touch answers from Kim Kardashian could might as well have been real answers from any given politician.
Introducing Motivation Doll! is a satirical 90’s toy commercial/infomercial inspired video for a doll that says the following quote by Kim Kardashian “I have the best advice for women in business. Get your fucking ass up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days”. I wanted to critique how from a young age capitalism teach us the myth of how “if you work hard enough, you can do anything”, ignoring systematic issues that makes it harder for some. As well as looking at how hope(lessness) is a powerful selling tool.
Well, yeah, like if the actions don’t match the words, it’s hard to, like, believe the person, with the actions is a video with a script collaging quotes from reality TV shows, quotes from politicians, my own writing and the real drama between penguins in Odense zoo, Denmark. The video looks at different outlets where “truths” are being told, whether it being reality TV, news, social media or documentaries, the hierarches of these and questions the credibility of them. Who will receive a profit and/or power, from where you are receiving your information? And does this influence how “facts” are being manipulated and presented to you?