The Letters Re-Commence
Perhaps this begs an intruduction of some sort:
for some time now (ten years?) i have been writing letters to various companies. it began when i was in college in the mid-nineties but really gathered momentum when mike schwartz and i were preparing to ride our bicycles across the country. without going into a terribly long winded explanation of these letters, suffice to say (suffice it to say, it is sufficient to say) they function to serve several purposes.
1. they are intended to be rather absurd, which to me is art.
2. they are intended to express the simple, but terribly upsetting fact, that we as "consumers" have lost any voice that we might have once had, regarding communication with large or even small corporations.
yes, this is in some way an extension of my thoughts on the ad free blog issue. this is where i could writes tomes...but know that in time these sentiments will likely all appear in the letters themselves. the amount of times that i have been completely taken advantage of and more or less financially abused by these companies who have lied to me on numerous occassions, is far too many to count.
so sometimes, we take to the streets and protest, sometimes we boycott certain products, sometimes we vote for people who lose, and sometimes we write letters to senators. but sometimes, we write letters as though they were grafitti on a wall. a flower left on a stranger's car. a gesture. one that will likely have no direct effect on society, other than making me laugh, and perhaps brightening the day of some secretary, or assistant, or mailroom clerk.
that said, i do believe that the world can best be changed by a collection of a million small gestures. perhaps all of the years living in berkeley suggested this to me...an overabundance of "think globally, act locally" stickers.
nevertheless, these letters are (for the most part) not intended to change the world, but simply to give a voice to this part of myself. i don't really see this in any way as an attempt at activism, rather i see it as a work of art. i'm not sure why i get such joy from writing these letters, but some mysteries in life are best left undiscovered. perhaps it's that it gives at least some small voice to these sentiments of mine. perhaps it's simply that i enjoy the little piece of silliness that i can send off into the world. in some way, i feel as though even mentioning "activism" is out of place here, as the letters are more like a painting to me than anything else.
anyway, i said i wouldn't write much. couple my love for writing the letters with my general malaise about the fact that my blog has felt lifeless for a while, as i'm tired of writing about what i ate for lunch (etc.), the idea makes sense. as time permits, i will be posting one a week, and eventually, uploading the archives. enjoy the read.
March 12, 2007
Dear Misses/Sirs & Leaders of Quaker Oats~
Let me begin by informing you that if I can, I believe it is in my best interest NOT to buy Quaker oatmeal anymore. This may seem an odd beginning to a letter, but this decision is ultimately for personal reasons. You see, I am rather concerned with my health (no I am not sick, just making efforts to eat in healthy ways) and have for some time done my best to eat only organic foods. I therefore do what I can to limit the amount of chemicals I ingest, and your products seem to be full of such nonsense. I'm not sure why you folks feel the need to load your products up with a bunch of harmful things when perfectly good oatmeal can be made without any of that crap, but I certainly don't profess to understand the workings of humankind, much less the workings of CEO's of major corporations.
That said, I am not standing on a soapbox either, for that too I often find bothersome. You folks wish to sell a product that I choose not to buy any longer which is fine; in effect, that is to some degree at the core of capitalism. Now, I won't go into a lengthy discussion of capitalism versus socialism or Marxism or any of that either. While I feel that the capitalist model of North America is failing us terribly, I do principally believe in the idea. Unfortunately, human nature being what it is, we don't seem to have the ethical will to maintain a capitalist society in any sort of reasonable fashion. To me, the simple fact that we lack universal healthcare is a clear indicator that the "American" capitalist experiment is not working. But back to my point.
I used to consume Quaker oatmeal, and my favorite flavor was cinnamon and spice. I find it to be overly sweet now, but in the past it was just wonderful. The problem is, I am an avid cyclist and have done several tours by bicycle, including one from San Francisco to Maine a few years ago. On this trip in particular there were sections of the riding where groceries were scarce. Mike (my cycling companion) and I bought much of our food from gas stations, especially when traveling across the Nevada and Utah deserts. Without going into great detail, this gas station eating was miserable. Ironically, one of the highlights, was the fact that I knew every damn gas station in America would have Quaker oats. (You guys sure do have one hell of a distribution deal!) So I would buy this oatmeal, and eat it out there in the desert. (unfortunately, those desert stories will have to wait for another time, as they are rather lengthy and I'm trying to have this letter finished in the next ten minutes). So fast forward.
About six months after the bicycle trip (called the great sitting) Mike, My new wife and myself drove across the country following the same route. At that time I was still eating Quaker oats and as we spent most nights camping on the roadside, this was breakfast. It all seems so long ago. So I write to you today from Troy, New York where I make my home. I am currently in graduate school at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where I study electronic art; I am primarily a composer and musician incorporating computer programming and gestural controllers into my work. But I am also a photographer. While I wouldn't define myself as a professional photographer, nor would I define myself an amateur. I have had photos of mine on numerous cd covers for various labels, and my work has appeared in several books. I have also worked a bit as a photographer for video and film, some of which has played at a number of prestigious festivals.
So here's my thought: I enclose a photo here of Mike from that fated drive across the country following in the footsteps of our bicycles. As you can see, he is wearing a headdress of some sort, (I believe it is a woman's pantyhose) but more importantly there is a box of Quaker oats prominently displayed in the image. It is my belief that your advertising is too oblique and "hyper-real." In other words, it does not speak to the common man/woman because of it's inflated sense of perfection. Simply put, this photo does. There is an urgency and a truth to this photo, one that I believe would touch people's souls. Their hearts. I therefore strongly suggest that you use this photo for future advertising campaigns, or hire me to do other work for you along these lines. If you wish to negotiate a contract, please contact me at your earliest convenience. If you would like to see more of my portfolio, bio, etc. please visit www.jeffpitcher.com or email me directly.
Best~
Jefferson Pitcher
Posted by jeff pitcher at March 18, 2007 12:12 PM
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