Let's Weigh In

Last night the inhabitants of lower Manhattan were shaken out of their slumber to the incessant thunder of helicopter blades slicing the air and bright searchlights flooding through the windows. In a city that is still recovering from the Post Traumatic Stress of an air born terrorist attack, in the specific part of town where this attack occurred, this awakening was terrifying to say the least. No one knew it was coming and more importantly no one knew why. All one could deduct was that something horrible was either happening, had happened, or was being prevented--hopefully.

If sleep was recovered after this 3am wake-up call, then the morning news cleared up the disturbing mystery. There was not another terrorist attack; the NYPD cleared out Zuccotti Park, home of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

We've been pretty quiet about the OWS movement that's swept the nation and the world. It started with a triumphant wave of hope, a resurgence in the belief of change. But lately it's been falling short of expectations, heading into its 3rd month with a dark cloud hanging over its head. Stories of crime, violence, drugs, sexual harassment, rape and even murder have sprung up in the various camps around the country. As Portland, Oakland, and NYC have been cleared out by police, many are wondering where the movement is headed next.

But that's not what we want to talk about today. What sparked this perhaps long over due post was not the 3am Chopper wake-up call. It was news of this T-Shirt:

We're a fashion company after all, aren't we?

The "Occupy All Streets" T-shirt hit the scenes via a twitpic sent by Russell Simmons of Jay-Z wearing the T, which is available on Rocawear, the mogul's own clothing line. A month ago, Simmons brought Jay's right hand man down to Zuccotti Park for a stroll through the scene. Wearing a gold chain and diamonds in his teeth, Kanye West briefly toured the OWS headquarters before having to leave due to crowd issues. Despite all three very much belonging to the 1%, they appear to sympathize with the movement.

Or do they? Controversy sparked when it was made evident that proceeds of the $22 Tee will NOT go to the OWS movement. The shirt is suppose to symbolize that "change can happen anywhere". Of course, that's if you purchase the shirt for $22-25 dollars from a multimillion dollar corporation that is part of but an even larger conglomerate, the business model of which has been and will continue to be to increase its profit and secure its position through trades, acquisitions, and a investment in pricey luxury goods. In other words, support a movement about economic inequality by giving money to that 1%, which will use your money to remain in the 1%.

To quote the man himself, Hov is not a business man but "a business, man". He also isn't the only one trying to make a profit out of a movement that is apparently against that kind of thing. Maybe it's natural. This is America, the commodification capital of the world. We have Hallmark Holidays. When disasters strike we donate money before we'd think about donating time. We feel connected to homeless children in country's oceans away because we buy certain bottled water, while those children don't even have access to clean water. More importantly, the bottle water we buy is often a part of larger corporate schemes that keep those children from having clean water. If we can make money off of a national tragedy, then why not capitalize on a counter cultural movement? The 60s wouldn't be the "60's" if that never happened. So what's the big deal now?

The big deal now is that this particularly countercultural movement is suppose to be against that kind of thing. The big deal is that our heroes (we all love Jay and Yeezy here at Profound) are in this case the villains, simply by being our heroes. But what does that mean for us?

Are you going to buy the Occupy All Streets T? Would you buy it? Should you buy it? Should you care? We've been silent about this whole issue for a while, but we want to hear what you have to say. Is it alright that MTV and Rocawear can capitalize on the youth movement against economic inequality? Is the movement even a movement in the first place? Hip-Hop use to be a countercultural movement, now (at least in mainstream terms) its the business of some of the richest men and women in America, and they don't go through great lengths to hide it at all. Whose really for the people? Where's our folk music, the artists singing our songs and our stories?

I am not in the 1%. But I'm also not in that 15%. You know, one of those 44 million Americans who live below the poverty level--the ones who can't even afford to Occupy a Park. The ones who are essentially invisible because that 99% doesn't want debit card fees for the debit cards they're privileged enough to qualify for, which allow them to exist within this country as a recognizable person worth something to society. Where do the 15% go? Should they Occupy All Streets? Should opposition happen anywhere? Should they invest $22 in a T-shirt? There's a lot of ironies here, a lot of tensions, and most importantly no right answers. But it's time--been time--for the Profound Community to weigh in.

So tell us, what do you think. Where's OWS headed? Is Jay-Z and Rocawear right or wrong? Where is the change really going to happen and who is going to do it? If half of our generation is in Zuccotti Park, and the other half is in Madison Square Garden Watching the Throne--how do we come together?

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