The Banksy-Paris Hilton CD
Profit Pop took a hit recently as political artist Banksy removed hundreds of the new Paris Hilton CDs from music stores throughout the UK, replacing them with Banksy’s own “altered” version of the album. It’s not surprising that a human being who so utterly personifies the disastrous collusion of corporate malfeasance and greed with the vaccuous and violent ignorance of Western pop culture is also the target of a political art campaign by one of the west’s greatest creative agitators.
Shopdropper Banksy crept into nearly 50 record shops across Britain and replaced Hilton’s debut album with 500 copies of his own rendition, taking time to replace the bar code on the altered versions so customers would—and did—complete their purchases.
Banksy’s remixes on the CD include titles such as “Why am I Famous,” and “What Am I For?” Images on the album cover and inside jacket show Hilton with a dog’s head and in various model poses with bubble captions such as: “Life wasn’t meant to be fair” and “Every CD you buy puts me even further out of your league.”
One manager of an HMV admitted that it was difficult to find all the imposter CDs and even complimented the guerrilla artist on “a good stunt.” Paris Hilton herself admitted that the new tracks sounded “different” and “weird.” Looks like corporate music has a new corporate spokesperson, and Banksy has yet another muse.
Interested in shopdropping? Want to print up your own labels, replace merchandise, mess with the system? Well now there’s a how-to video. Enjoy!
Subscribe to Art Threat via RSS
Become a fan on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I thought this was an awesome stunt. That being said, however, you guys forgot about Danger Mouse. He was the one that actually remixed the tracks on the CD.
Just one self promoter substituting his product for that of another self promoter. Personally I prefer Hilton’s work to Banksy’s. At least you can dance to it.
Cynick:
Nobody can account for bad taste, especially when it comes to music we dance to. And while they both self-promote, I’d only label one of them an artist, unless you include dressing up toy dogs as “art.”
i think it was a great fucking idea. more creative than i could be. its just funny.
Banksy is the best!!! I hope never die…
He did it to prove a point, not necessarily for others to consider 'art'. Art is defined differently by others, just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it's not art.
As long as it follows the rules of art, it is in fact, art.
The only way I'd ever buy a Paris Hilton cd would be if I KNEW it was the Banksy version.
We have been watching Paris Hilton’s BFF. Where do they get hold of these folks? They are from another planet!