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Penn Fraser Jillette the 58 year old American illusionist, comedian, musician, actor known for his advocacy of atheism, scientific skepticism, libertarianism and free-market capitalism has published an article in the New York Times titled ‘Don’t Replace Religion; End It’ in which he states “Religion cannot and should not be replaced by atheism. Religion needs to go away and not be replaced by anything. Atheism is not a religion. It’s the absence of religion, and that’s a wonderful thing. Religion is not morality. Theists ask me, “If there’s no god, what would stop me from raping and killing everyone I want to.” My answer is always: “I, myself, have raped and killed everyone I want to ... and the number for both is zero.” Behaving morally because of a hope of reward or a fear of punishment is not morality. Morality is not bribery or threats. Religion is bribery and threats. Humans have morality. We don’t need religion. Atheism is the absence of religion. We don’t really need atheism. We just need to get rid of religion. Religion is faith. Faith is belief without evidence. Belief without evidence cannot be shared. Faith is a feeling. Love is also a feeling, but love makes no universal claims. Love is pure. The lover reports on his or her feelings and needs nothing more. Faith claims knowledge of a world we share but without evidence we can share. Feeling love is beautiful. Feeling the earth is 6,000 years old is stupid. Religion is often just tribalism: pride in a group one was born into, a group that is often believed to have “God” on its side. We don’t need to replace tribalism with anything other than love for all humanity. Let’s do that, okay? Religion also includes fellowship, joy, compassion, service and great music, and those can be replaced by ... fellowship, joy, compassion, service and great music. Atheism is the absence of religion. We don’t really need atheism. We just need to get rid of religion.”  Inspired by Penn Jillette, New York times ow.ly/lLxST Image source Facebook ow.ly/lLxQN Don’t replace religion, end it (June 26 2013)

 

Penn Fraser Jillette the 58 year old American illusionist, comedian, musician, actor known for his advocacy of atheism, scientific skepticism, libertarianism and free-market capitalism has published an article in the New York Times titled ‘Don’t Replace Religion; End It’ in which he states “Religion cannot and should not be replaced by atheism. Religion needs to go away and not be replaced by anything. Atheism is not a religion. It’s the absence of religion, and that’s a wonderful thing. Religion is not morality. Theists ask me, “If there’s no god, what would stop me from raping and killing everyone I want to.” My answer is always: “I, myself, have raped and killed everyone I want to … and the number for both is zero.” Behaving morally because of a hope of reward or a fear of punishment is not morality. Morality is not bribery or threats. Religion is bribery and threats. Humans have morality. We don’t need religion. Atheism is the absence of religion. We don’t really need atheism. We just need to get rid of religion. Religion is faith. Faith is belief without evidence. Belief without evidence cannot be shared. Faith is a feeling. Love is also a feeling, but love makes no universal claims. Love is pure. The lover reports on his or her feelings and needs nothing more. Faith claims knowledge of a world we share but without evidence we can share. Feeling love is beautiful. Feeling the earth is 6,000 years old is stupid. Religion is often just tribalism: pride in a group one was born into, a group that is often believed to have “God” on its side. We don’t need to replace tribalism with anything other than love for all humanity. Let’s do that, okay? Religion also includes fellowship, joy, compassion, service and great music, and those can be replaced by … fellowship, joy, compassion, service and great music. Atheism is the absence of religion. We don’t really need atheism. We just need to get rid of religion.”

 

Inspired by Penn Jillette, New York times ow.ly/lLxST Image source Facebook ow.ly/lLxQN

Alain de Botton the 43 year old Swiss British writer, philosopher, television presenter and entrepreneur who discusses various contemporary subjects and themes, emphasizing philosophy's relevance to everyday life, claims to have launched the first Athiest Church in the UK, in the wake of a comedian led launch on an Atheist church in Canonbury. In an article published by Tom Marshall in the Islington Gazette titled ‘Nation’s first atheist church launches in Canonbury’, Marshall states “A Sunday gathering billed as the nation’s first-ever “atheist church” got off to a flying start this week – despite irking one the UK’s most famous non-believers who says he did it first. There was standing room only as some 200 people descended on the first congregation of the Sunday Assembly, cramming into an ex-church in St Paul’s Road, Canonbury. But writer and philosopher Alain de Botton, who is known as one of the most forthright atheists in the UK and last year published a book titled Religion for Atheists, told the Gazette that his organisation beat them to the punch. Mr de Botton, whose School of Life centre in Bloomsbury hosts Sunday gatherings of atheists, said: “We want to wish the comedians all the very best on their venture, while modestly adding that we have been ploughing this furrow for many years and they shouldn’t therefore claim the idea as their own …We wouldn’t want to start a schism so early on in the movement.” …Attendees enjoyed uplifting talks, readings, music and some time for quiet reflection, as founders and stand-up comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans led proceedings. Mr Jones said: “We’re huge fans of Alain’s and would love to get him down to talk, if he wants to … So many people turned up and were getting really excited, it was just overwhelming. It seems people just loved the idea and it far surpassed our hopes.”   Inspired by Tom Marshall, Islington Gazette ow.ly/gKBwH Image source Facebook ow.ly/gKBvZ A schism so early on in the movement (January 20 2013)

Alain de Botton the 43 year old Swiss British writer, philosopher, television presenter and entrepreneur who discusses various contemporary subjects and themes, emphasizing philosophy’s relevance to everyday life, claims to have launched the first Athiest Church in the UK, in the wake of a comedian led launch on an Atheist church in Canonbury. In an article published by Tom Marshall in the Islington Gazette titled ‘Nation’s first atheist church launches in Canonbury’, Marshall states “A Sunday gathering billed as the nation’s first-ever “atheist church” got off to a flying start this week – despite irking one the UK’s most famous non-believers who says he did it first. There was standing room only as some 200 people descended on the first congregation of the Sunday Assembly, cramming into an ex-church in St Paul’s Road, Canonbury. But writer and philosopher Alain de Botton, who is known as one of the most forthright atheists in the UK and last year published a book titled Religion for Atheists, told the Gazette that his organisation beat them to the punch. Mr de Botton, whose School of Life centre in Bloomsbury hosts Sunday gatherings of atheists, said: “We want to wish the comedians all the very best on their venture, while modestly adding that we have been ploughing this furrow for many years and they shouldn’t therefore claim the idea as their own …We wouldn’t want to start a schism so early on in the movement.” …Attendees enjoyed uplifting talks, readings, music and some time for quiet reflection, as founders and stand-up comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans led proceedings. Mr Jones said: “We’re huge fans of Alain’s and would love to get him down to talk, if he wants to … So many people turned up and were getting really excited, it was just overwhelming. It seems people just loved the idea and it far surpassed our hopes.”

 

Inspired by Tom Marshall, Islington Gazette ow.ly/gKBwH Image source Facebook ow.ly/gKBvZ

You've got about a minute to impress (November 14 2012) You’ve got about a minute to impress (November 14 2012)

Lenny Henry the 54 year old British actor, writer, and comedian has been profiled by Megan Connor for The Guardian in an article titled ‘This Much I Know’. Henry states “If you’re a famous comedian you’ve got about a minute to impress on stage. You get a clap at the beginning and “My mum used to like you!” and then there’s nothing to do but roll your sleeves up. A TV talent show changed my life [Henry won New Faces in 1975 with his impression of Stevie Wonder]. It took me from being a nobody in Dudley, where I was a welder, to being recognised on the street. Nowadays people have to go to Edinburgh for years to get noticed, and that is a shame. Of course there’s Britain’s Got Talent, but I think we need a more regular platform where people can perform in a non-competitive way. …Shakespeare has changed me. I was sad that I never got to grips with him at school, so when I was asked to play Othello it was like someone opening a door to something I’d never been involved with. I can feel him in my veins now. I tend to put things in boxes. I have to do one project at a time now, because I have been a workaholic, and that can lead to a nervous breakdown. …I will always remember a time in the 50s when we lived in a bedsit. There was me in a cot, my sister in a campbed, and my parents in a bed next to me, and I will never forget feeling the heat from a parafin lamp on my face.”

 

Inspired by Megan Conner ow.ly/f5riy image source Facebook ow.ly/f5ran

If you take personally you're a dopey gorp (October 22 2012) If you take personally you’re a dopey gorp (October 22 2012)

Ricky Dene Gervais the 51 year old English comedian, actor and producer who achieved mainstream success with his television series ‘The Office’, according to Jordan Zakarin for the Hollywood Reporter “…it’s safe to say that he likes to get on people’s nerves, or at the very least, push their buttons. It’s a large part of his comedy, pushing that socially acceptable envelope and insisting people learn to take the joke.” Zakarin states “A committed Atheist, Gervais often muses on his disbelief in god through the social media platform [Twitter]. That doesn’t always sit well with his followers, who instead of deciding to unfollow him, respond back with great frustration and often, attacks. …He no longer retweets the name of his opponents — he doesn’t want to give them publicity — but does respond, quite aggressively, to their attacks. One thing to know about Gervais: he doesn’t back down. Especially because refusing to do so only helps build his brand. Win-win. Here is a sampling… 30 Sep 12 “Why do you always mock the Bibble asshole!!??” I can’t believe my luck with this tweet. Hahaha 1 Oct 12 “Atheism is narcissistic” And what’s the term for believing that the same God who ignored the holocaust will help you win an award? 1 Oct 12 “stop going on about religion and tweet some jokes” Fuck you. Pay me. 4 Oct 12  The Earth is 6,000 years old. Please RT to raise ignorance and confusion amongst the gullible. 5 Oct 12 “so what do you think being dead feels like?” You know what it felt like for the billions of years before you were born? Exactly like that. 5 Oct 12 Opinions don’t affect facts. But facts should affect opinions, and do, if you’re rational. 5 Oct 12  Complaining about what someone tweets about is like calling up the numbers in classified ads and shouting “But I don’t want piano lessons!” 5 Oct 12 I love how people walk round with crucifixes, skullcaps, pointy hats, funny beards and then say “you shoud keep your atheism to yourself.” 5 Oct 12 I get many tweets from Christians saying I should keep my beliefs to myself, but I never see them tweeting that to other Christians. Weird”

 

Inspired by Jordan Zakarin ow.ly/exFQg image source Thomas Atilla Lewis ow.ly/exFBj

Unique style of observational comedy (August 4 2012) Unique style of observational comedy (August 4 2012)

Des Bishop the 37 year old Irish-American comedian who has developed a unique style of observational comedy, most critical of his adopted home in Ireland and the America he left behind, has been profiled by Jay Richardson in an article published in The Independent on his plans to learn Mandarin from scratch and perform stand-up in China. In the article Bishop states “What I thought China was and what it is are two very different things, all you hear is the very narrow focus upon human rights, the economy, the one-party system and the disparity between the rural poor and the urban wealthy. You never hear about everyday life. I was blown away by how different it was to my expectations and how much it was unlike the West. I picked up [a regional Irish variant language] faster than I expected and quickly started using it at gigs in Irish-speaking areas. Only improvised stuff, just bantering with the crowd. I realised structuring material would be difficult but actually messing around with the language, it was easy to be funny. What surprised me learning Irish was how much better I understood what made those places tick, it’s something you don’t feel until it happens”.

 

Inspired by The Independent ow.ly/czs6y image source Facebook ow.ly/czs5E

John Barry Humphries the 78 year old Australian comedian satirist and Dadaist artist renowned for his on-stage character and alter egos Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, has announced the pending retirement of the Dame and Sir Les. The Dame Edna character is famous for her ‘Wiseria hue’ (lilac) coloured hair along with the “face furniture” cat eye glasses, her favourite “gladdies” flowers (gladiolas) and repetition greeting “Hello Possums”. The character evolved from an ultra conservative drab Melbourne housewife of the 1950’s that satirized the suburbia of Australia, into an outlandish character “Megastar” with her elevation of a ‘Damehood’ as her popularity grew internationally. Humphries in his character as Dame Edna has interviewed many celebrities on chat shows, treating them as ordinary people, satirizing the celebrity cult with a mix of prudishness and class snobbery. On the pending retirement, Humphries stated “Edna will crop up on television I guess but not in a live show, the fact of the matter is that I’m beginning to feel a bit senior. It’s the best aerobics you could do, leaping around on stage, but it’s grueling when there are other things to do.”

 

Inspired by @abcnews http://ow.ly/9O7AK image source Aurelien Guichard http://ow.ly/9O87o

Stephen Tyrone Colbert the 47 year old USpolitical satirist comedian has announced he will form an “exploratory committee for president of the United States of South Carolina. I’m doin’ it!”, in the upcoming South Carolina GOP presidential primary, his home state. Colbert hosts the Comedy Central’s satirical news show The Colbert Report where Colbert assumes the identity of a conservative political character. A GOP voter poll of 1112 voters taken for the South Carolina primary placed Colbert with a 5% vote in spite of not even being on the ballot, ahead of other formal candidates. Colbert on his show addressed the legal issue of his SuperPAC (Political Action Committee). With assistance of his lawyer, Colbert handed control of the PAC over to Jon Stewart, changing its name to ‘Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC’, highlighting the absurdity of campaign funding laws that govern election spending.

 

Inspired by Ross Kuippold http://ow.ly/8tOVy Image source http://ow.ly/8tOVh

Maung Thura the 50 year old Myanmar comedian poet and performer known as Zarganar “tweezers”, goaled and tortured by the Myanmar military authorities has been released and allowed to leave the country. Speaking from Bangkok on his arrival, Zarganar renowned for his humour stated “When I saw the airplane I got a shock, when I saw the airport I got a shock, when I saw the big building and big bridge and good road I got a shock … Our young people in my country, daily they worry… Their faces are full of anxieties.” Zarganar was released by the junta as part of prisoner amnesty in the lead up to formation of civilian government. Zarganar had organized aid-related activities and been sentenced to 59 years imprisonment as a result, although not his first time, having been arrested for joining the 1988 student-led uprising against the military dictatorship, imprisoned tortured and released the following year.

 

Inspired by France24 http://ow.ly/8eWm9 image source http://ow.ly/8eWmE

 

Timothy David “Tim” Minchin the 36 year old British-Australian comedian singer describes in an article published in the Guardian, how in Texas he “came across my first proper religious nut”. Minchin is an atheist as well as a skeptic, and cannot understand how someone can call them self a skeptic and still be religious. “If you apply doubt to anything … the whole religion thing is obviously a fantasy.” In the article Minchin discloses an email from the company booked to supply him a piano: CANCEL !!!!!!!!!!. I need to decline after watching that insane Tim Minchin. What a God-hater. So sorry, please cancel the Entire Event In Dallas. Go back to Australia we do not appreciate Tim Minchin in TX. WE ARE NOT DELIVERING THE GRAND PIANO!!! NOT FOR 1 MILLION $ HA HA HA. You probably agree. Find a better comedian (not a demon). Love in Christ.

 

Inspired by Tim Minchin http://ow.ly/7G8Bh image source ticketupdates http://ow.ly/7G8HG

Danilo Gentili Jr the 32 year old Brazilian Comedian talk show host, known for his pushing of humors boundaries has succeeded in opening the Comedy Central Apresenta (Comedy Central Presents). Gentili was chosen to host the channels stand-up night club show, receiving high ratings and reviews on its opening night. Gentili received notoriety 12 months earlier when he made a joke of the soon to be first female president of Brazil Dilma Rousseff, regarding her torture as a former Marxist guerrilla fighting against the military dictatorship. Gentili joked that “Seriously a president has to be smart. If she was caught and tortured, it’s because she was an idiot.” However Gentili acknowledges that under the military regime this type of political humor “could never have happened. Probably in the first two minutes of the show the army would have moved in”.

 

Inspired by Tom Phillips http://ow.ly/6SjBu image source Júnia Machado http://ow.ly/6SjO6

Edward Regan “Eddie” Murphy the 50 year old US comedian and actor has been announced as the next host of the Academy Awards, following the James Franco and Anne Hathaway comedic hosting of last year’s awards. Murphy will again join up with director Brett Ratner who is producing the awards show, after having starred in his latest movie ‘Tower Heist’. Ratner released a statement stating “Eddie is a comedic genius, one of the greatest and most influential live performers ever. With his love of movies, history of crafting unforgettable characters and his iconic performances — especially onstage — I know he will bring an excitement, spontaneity and tremendous heart to the show”. Murphy is also a singer and musician having also performed in a music video featuring Michael Jackson titled ‘Whatzupwitu’.

 

Inspired by Susan King http://ow.ly/6tXt2 image source David Shankbone http://ow.ly/6tXs8

Jonathan May-Bowles the 26 year old comedian left-wing blogger known as Jonnie Marbles who had been convicted and sentenced to six weeks imprisonment for the throwing of shaving foam at News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch in the UK parliament, has had his sentence reduced by a third. District judge Daphne Wickham told May-Bowles at the appeal, “Your counsel has sought to persuade us that this was something of a slapstick event, a custard pie throwing … used in all sorts of comedy situations … That might be funny or have an element of comedy about it in a different situation, but not in this situation … It is impossible to imagine that he [May-Bowles] did this without knowing that it would attract huge, probably worldwide, publicity”. Inspired by Alex Alvarez ow.ly/5XCAT image source thedailybeast ow.ly/5XCG1 Described it as a protest by prank (August 14 2011)Jonathan May-Bowles the 26 year old comedian left-wing blogger known as Jonnie Marbles who had been convicted and sentenced to six weeks imprisonment for the throwing of shaving foam at News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch in the UK parliament, has had his sentence reduced by a third. District judge Daphne Wickham told May-Bowles at the appeal, “Your counsel has sought to persuade us that this was something of a slapstick event, a custard pie throwing … used in all sorts of comedy situations … That might be funny or have an element of comedy about it in a different situation, but not in this situation … It is impossible to imagine that he [May-Bowles] did this without knowing that it would attract huge, probably worldwide, publicity”.

 

Inspired by Alex Alvarez http://ow.ly/5XCAT image source thedailybeast http://ow.ly/5XCG1

Stephen Glenn “Steve” Martin the 65 year old actor and comedian renowned for his offbeat absurdist comedy routines has attempted to turn jury duty into a performance art. Tweeting from his Twitter name @SteveMartinToGo, Martin has amused his large following of 380k+ with his observations of the legal processes. Gags included ‘guy I thought was up for murder turns out to be defense attorney. I bet he murdered someone anyway’ and ‘Other jurors are stupid. First, they don’t believe in hexes, plus, they want me to put my magazines away’. It was later revealed that Martin was tweeting from a jury pool and was not actually from a trial jury. However judges regularly granted new trials or overturned verdicts in criminal and civil cases due to jurors’ online activities.

Inspired by the Telegraph News http://ow.ly/3vWBa

Political Arts | Ian Bunn Visual Artist

My digital art work is essentially politics and art. It’s about iconic people, places and events of our day.  Recorded visually through daily compilations of manipulated digital images, posted online and disseminated via online media and social networks. The works are diaristic in nature that metaphorically record a spectator’s experience of the contemporary digital age.  The resulting work intentionally has a painterly aesthetic acknowledging my historical painting practice.

Adapting Pop Art’s notion of mass media imagery into a context of the contemporary digital age, the work draws on a myriad points of reference. Utilizing fractured images to provide an allusion to the digital noise pounding away daily into our sub consciousness.  The work is essentially popular culture arts, diverging from the traditional Pop Art notion of a pronounced repetition of a consumer icon, instead this work focuses on the deluge of contemporary digital content. The compilation of the fragmented imagery is vividly distractive, not unlike cable surfing or a jaunt through Times Square.

This digital photo manipulation art work is premised on the basis that Pop art in its beginnings, freeze-framed what consumers of popular culture experienced into iconic visual abstractions. With the advent of the techno age, visual information circulates in such quantities, so rapidly and exponentially, that to comprehend a fraction of it all becomes a kind of production process in itself.  Hence this work considers fragmented elements of Popular Culture through an artistic and conceptual exploration of specific people and events of the day.

www.ianbunn.com

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