I created this remix to highlight the commodification of race in the 2009 inauguration. The efforts to commemorate our first black President through the buying and selling of Obama products actually erased a history of radical struggle, turning black identity into another resource appropriated by the mainstream to produce capital.

Created solely from television footage collected on Inauguration Day 2009, this remix examines the illusion that racial equality can be bought, sold and “held on to”. While talk of inter-racial harmony permeated mainstream news networks, the reality of race relations remains an issue of white privilege, something that consumerism and commodification cannot solve. Through the commodification of blackness, whites are able to purchase race relations and the false image of solidarity rather than take into account and acknowledge their own white privilege.

See my previous remixes as well as essays and articles here.
You can watch the remix on Youtube here

Category: short film
Topic Tags: consumerism, elections, government, identity correction, obama, presidency, race, television

This remix is somewhat unique because it comes to us from a non-profit organization rather than from an individual artist. The speeches, press conferences, news clips and ads of US political figures, both left and right, are edited to make an official event trailer for Power Shift 09 and their lobby day on March 2nd. The video also represents an example of how political remix video is being used to harness real, on-the-ground grassroots action for policy change. It’s exciting to see organizations using appropriated footage in their campaign videos. It wasn’t too long ago when the fear of using such copyrighted material kept most non-profits from making interesting remixed media. Hopefully the fair-use trend will continue and encourage others to transform corporate media into tools of social change.

The Power Shift 09 website says they “will bring 10,000 young people to Washington to hold our elected officials accountable for rebuilding our economy and reclaiming our future through bold climate and clean energy policy”. The organization advocates for green jobs and investments in solar and wind energy rather than the polluting and dangerous options of oil, coal or nuclear. The event is happening from FEB 27th to MAR 2nd. You can also see their other event promos on the Power Shift youtube channel and regester for the event here. I might just have to find my way to DC myself for this one!

Category: political speech
Topic Tags: activism, al gore, energy, environment, government, mccain, obama, ralph nader, schwarzenegger

This remix, by a group calling themselves “Paul Harvey Oswald”, combines a significant amount of appropriated source material. In addition to news segments, sports footage, commercials, television clips, and additional text, this remix relies heavily on the strategic placement of repetitive sound bites.The result is a blunt critique of American consumerism, mass media and car culture.

Category: short film
Topic Tags: advertising, cars, consumerism, corporations, military, war

This is a commercial bumper running on the Al Jazeera English news channel that remixes footage of Israeli defense minister (and winner of the recent Israeli elections) Tzipi Livni speaking about the attack on Gaza with images of the human catastrophe on the ground.

The remix does not exactly fit our definition for PRVs as the source footage is used with permission of the owners; in this case, the news channel. However it’s notable because it successfully implements juxtaposition in an effort to reveal hypocrisy. Additionally, we give a lot of credit to Al Jazeera for running this because we know  that  not one major western news channel (except perhaps the Daily Show) would  run a PRV like this, despite having access to ample material!

We are also excited to hear that Al Jazeera recently announced they have released select broadcast quality footage under Creative Commons license for creators to re-use and remix. The first clips in this new Creative Commons Repository are direct from the war zone in Gaza. It’s especially poignant considering Israel bared journalists from entering the occupied territory during the worst of the bombardment.

Category: tv commercial
Topic Tags: isreal, palestine, tzipi livni, violence, war

Welcome to the newly redesigned and reconfigured Political Remix Video website! Special thanks to my brother Justin McIntosh for the redesigned graphics.

As you may have noticed we have a new URL so please bookmark us and also make sure you update your rss feed. Incidentally all incoming links to the old blog will be forward to the corresponding posts and pages on this new one.

You will find we have some new features including the expanded use of post tags for remix topics, a remix video submission form and a page of critical media literacy resources. Plus remix artist Elisa Kreisinger has joined the site as another blog editor! We will be updating with new content and a bunch of new posts with political remix videos very shortly so stay tuned!

Category: News
Topic Tags:

This educational style political mash-up video was constructed by Martin “Xavi” Macias Jr. His remix was created at the Fair Use Remix Institute (FURI), a workshop that I co-facilitated during the summer in Chicago. FURI used remixing video as a creative media literacy tool. You can also check out the other videos the youth produced

Here is what Xavi says about this remix: “The Genesis Of Obesity is a video that portrays the predatory tactics that fast food corporations use when marketing to the consumer, specifically youth. In watching this video you will go through a storm of images and sound that are meant to reflect the style that is used by these multinationals when flooding the media with their images. Furthermore, it is a commentary and reflection on the direction that Big Media has taken and its role in portraying, and therefore transforming, pop culture.”

Also make sure to check out this article about remix video as a new activist tool written recently by Xavi for Youth Radio.

Category: short film
Topic Tags: corporations, food, health, mcdonalds

Another election debate remix critical of the current system – this one from 236.com. The video uses carefully synced-up CNN footage from all three presidential debates to highlight the repeated use of well rehearsed talking points by both candidates. If watching the debates gave you a funny feeling of déjà vu each time, this remix is definitely for you.

Category: political speech
Topic Tags: elections, mccain, obama, presidency