In Ojai, Ca we were tired of our town's, right-leaning Fourth of July parade. So we dicided to build the U.S.S. Constitution.
Our parade marshall leading our Float at the beginning of the parade
We are a guerilla theater group founded just before the Iraq war operating under the rubric that the only way to reach the American public is through entertainment. We were frustrated with traditional protest because it had become too easily neutralized by the media. We were tired of our towns right leaning Fourth of July parade which we felt really didn't represent the majority of people in Ojai. Ojai is know as a fairly "Arty" place, yet on the Fourth we were bombarded with support the troops, gung-ho, Under God propaganda. And it wasn't even well thought out, well done propaganda. We got into the parade by forming a group called the Ojai Patriot's Club. The OPC's Colonial ReEnactment Players, or C.R.E.E.P., were in charge of the parade performance.
"Old Ironsides" bravely cruising down Ojai Avenue
©Brooks Smothers, 2005 use with permission please email
Battle Stations! Man The Guns! Corporat pirates off the port bow!
They're trying to take the Constitution!
Arrrrrrgh!
©Brooks Smothers, 2005 use with permission please email
They've taken her Captain! But, who's that on the bow!
©Brooks Smothers, 2005 use with permission please email
The Head Pirate and his puppet King George V
©Robert Clement, 2005 use with permission please email
©Robert Clement, 2005 use with permission please email
©Robert Clement, 2005 use with permission please email
Their loyal minion The Carlyle Group
©Brooks Smothers, 2005 use with permission please email
Our parade Marshall is wearing an orange jumpsuit with "Prop. of GITMO" on back
Please forgive the re-post, I should have known the pics were too big and I've had a lot of requests to make them smaller and try again.
I can tell you, we all felt very patriotic that day.
SPK
"When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Pro." - HST