Focus on Family
print, Fall 2006
Graduate Studio I: Bethany Johns, Matthew Monk
Tags: asshattery, cynicism, gender, irony, politics, snark
Overview
- A poster that subverts and refutes common arguments against gay equality.
- An 18x24” digital ink-jet print that asks Dr. James Dobson (and friends) to focus on his own f-ing family.
Process
I self-selected the gay marriage debate as my topic — partially because it’s something I believe in, and partially because the most outspoken opponents on the issue are so amazingly unhinged.
With so many rhetorical positions to consider, and so little time to craft my message — I began by researching what both sides were saying, and then tried to direct each message towards a specific argument. I initially worked with the language and tone used by mainstream gay advocacy groups in creating my initial sketches, but I was unsatisfied with the results.
Form
It just seems that to me that when crazy people on talk shows are spewing about how married gays are going to bring Armageddon or at least an increase in man-duck relations that quiet, PSA-style paragraphs about the true meaning of Christianity or respect for the Constitution is not going to make a strong counterpoint.
So instead of making a straightforward poster that addresses a single argument against gay marriage, I opted to make a subversive poster that snarks all over them all.
Of course.
