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Alleged Radiohead Imposter: Hoax Was To Drum Up Support For Occupy Wall Street
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 2, 2011
Modified Oct 2, 2011
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Gothamist
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 2, 2011
Modified Oct 2, 2011
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Yesterday we noted the Village Voice's efforts to locate those responsible for a fake email sent to Occupy Wall Street organizers claiming that Radiohead wanted to support the protests with an appearance on Friday. Now, "J. Erin Stubbie" has sent us (along with the Voice) an email hinting at why he/she allegedly started the rumor.
"Stubbie" claims that "the prank was to give folks an excuse to go to Zuccotti," but also "to illustrate the buffoonery of self-important spokespeople and committees. This is what happens when two people get put in charge of something." Here is the body of the email:
Yeah, you found me, but I'll be taking my story to the Times freelancer who got arrested on the bridge yesterday instead. To the gutsy go the spoils. I'm not an "organizer" or a provocateur, I'm an occupier who tried something, like a lot of us are. The whole occupation was a bluff by Canadians in the beginning anyway. If you continue to think of the only acting bodies as the organizers and self-declared spokespeople, you'll continue to miss what's happening. The prank was to give folks an excuse to go to Zuccotti, and although I'm sure I'm terribly sorry for all the pain and suffering I've caused apolitical Radiohead fans, it worked, and now our numbers are larger and growing. But it was also to illustrate the buffoonery of self-important spokespeople and committees. This is what happens when two people get put in charge of something (the vaguely tyrannical "Arts and Culture committee") and empower themselves to speak "officially." Now they've put one person in charge of communications. There are left authoritarians too, they're a vocal minority, but they don't speak for me or plenty of others.
So this is a call for more humor, more pranks, more of that good old anon shit at Occupy Wall Street and at the other occupations springing up around the country. It's not that hard, it's a lot more fun than long meetings, and it'll work.
NOTE: This email is for publication in its entirety or not at all. None of that out-of-context lamestream media trickery. As a precautionary measure, I've CC'ed the comrades at Gothamist, who seem totally prepared to call you out for even the appearance of violating source instructions. You, of course, don't have to publish this note, but I imagine they probably will.
Officially yours,
J. Erin Stubbie
Tagged
hoaxes
let down
occupy wall street
radiohead
village voice
Zuccotti Park
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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