Billionaires: The High Wealth and Visual Images of Protestors

There has been an increase in the inequality status between individuals. The people on top posses a lot of wealth in comparison to the commoners. The book is about Billionaires, who are known to be about protestors who make use of satire to bring about a sarcastic mocking of the vulnerabilities (Stern, 2016). The billionaires bring forth an impression of the extremely high levels of wealth. It is through the use of visual images such as the wearing of tuxedos and top hats. The wealth is also demonstrated politically through the use of signs containing information such as 'Corporations are People Too. '

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The Billionaires make use of satire to criticize and bring about awareness concerning two significant aspects. The first of the aspects criticized is the massive gap in the wealth of various individuals. They show the great divide between the rich and the poor. There is also a demonstration of the change in electoral politics brought about by money (Haugerud, 2017). The Billionaires are usually ordinary individuals varying from experts, writers, musicians, academics, lawyers, and actors. They usually are not well-off. They are good at posing to be wealthy and usually adopt personas about Billionaires. They are known to take names such as filthy rich and other names illustrating being wealthy. After the attendance of the Billionaires meetings, an individual should take up a name showing that they are wealthy.

The research was conducted by various anthropological methodologies regarding the activities conducted by Billionaires. The methods included observation of the individuals and their activities, conducting interviews with the numerous participants, and talking to participants. Oral history interviews also played a huge role in gaining of insights concerning the Billionaires networks (Rosano, 2016). The Billionaires played a massive role in highlighting political messages, majorly the state of inequality. The use of satire and dress up increased the viewership of the messages.

It was a media campaign that included street performances and parody songs and other visuals. It aimed at involving the media to pass along the messages and the citizens taking about the inequalities. The billionaires brought an impact in reframing the conversation and help change the thinking of most individuals. It is through the use of humor. The use of irony increased the possibility of addressing the major social issues facing the country.

There was increased growth of the network of the Billionaires. The use of political satire was very critical in passing along the messages. It helped in addressing economic inequality. It refers to a state characterized by the presence of unequally distributed income among various people existing in a locality. It usually is illustrated by the presence of extreme poverty and wealthy individuals, reducing the likelihood of the individuals rising to the higher economic ladder. Through the Billionaires, we see how irony helps in opening up spaces of hope.

In my opinion, the billionaires played a significant role in ensuring that the different social issues are addressed (Haugerud, 2016). Their use of irony illustrates the increasing growth of economic inequality and the influences of money in policies. The billionaires take up the conversation on these intricate issues and debate about them in the public sphere. No billionaires left behind the book is significant due to its exploration of the use of political humor, irony, and satire. The billionaires wear different attires such as the ball gowns and the tiaras to increase the portraying of the characteristics of rich and powerful individuals. It is also significant as it addresses economic issues. It also brings up conversations concerning significant aspects with the public sphere that would otherwise not be addressed.

References

Stern, P. (2016). Review of the book No Billionaire Left Behind: satirical activism in America by Angelique Haugerud. Anthropological, 58(1), 126-127. Retrieved from https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/620960.

Haugerud, A. (2017). In conversation with Sindre Bangstad about the anthropology of politics, neoliberalism, and satire, conducted via E-mail correspondence, November/December 2016. Anthropology of Our Times, 183-207. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53849-9_9.

Rosano, M. (2016). Haugerud Angelica, No Billionaire Left Behind: satirical activism in America. Critique of Anthropology, 36(4). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/0308275X16683064Haugerud, A. (2016). No Billionaire Left Behind. Satirical Activism in America. Anuac, 5(1), 321-323. DOI: 10.7340/anuac2239-625X-2255