Ian Bunn | Political & Popular Culture Arts

David Choe the 36 year old American painter, muralist, graffiti artist and graphic novelist of Korean descent, having achieved success with his “dirty style” figure paintings comprising raw, frenetic works which combine themes of desire, degradation, and exaltation; has been the subject of an article on The Daily Beast by Lizzie Crocker titled ‘Facebook Artist David Choe Launches New Gig With Porn Star Asa Akira’. Crocker states “A year after David Choe became the most surprising multimillionaire to emerge from Facebook’s IPO, the bad-boy graffiti artist is making the publicity rounds with a new pornographic podcast featuring porn star Asa Akira. …Tits, ass, and goblins. Bare-chested chicks straddling hellhounds. Perverse imagery has long permeated graffiti artist David Choe’s work, including the infamous murals he spray-painted at Facebook’s first headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. The company’s then president, Sean Parker, allegedly told Choe to “go crazy and draw as many giant ‘cocks’” on the walls as he wanted. Choe was paid for the job in Facebook stock, which was valued at $200 million when the social media behemoth went public last February. …A year later, Choe is opening up about his new gig with porn star Asa Akira: DVDASA … The first two episodes of DVDASA feature comedian Yoshi Obayashi as a special guest, though Choe hopes to lure actors, rap artists, and other “legitimate people” into the podcast studio… He claims he created the podcast as a forum to voice personal transgressions and divulge bizarre fetishes and fantasies. “When you talk about everything openly, it’s hell on your personal relationships,” he says. “It’s weird, because it feels good and yet it’s also really self-destructive. But [Asa and I] have already figured out that we’re self-destructive people anyway, so it’s like, fuck it.”

Inspired by Lizzie Crocker, The Daily Beast ow.ly/hYBSx Image source Facebook ow.ly/hYBS8

Some kind of justice and equality here (January 20th)

Oliviero Toscani the 69 year old Italian Photographer renowned for his controversial advertising campaigns of well known Italian brands, has again sort controversy with the release of a calendar. Toscani’s calendar features twelve close up images of penises for an advertising campaign. The consortium that procured Toscani’s services, Vera Pelle Italiana is a group of companies that manufacture tanned leather products. The controversy follows a similar campaign last year for the same consortium, with a calendar depicting close up images of female crutches. That calendar incurred the wrath of both feminist groups and the advertising watchdog, claiming the images were offense to the dignity of women. Other campaigns conducted by Toscani included men participating in homosexual behavior for a clothing brand, an AIDS awareness campaign with images depicting a dying man in hospital surrounded by grieving relatives, and another awareness campaign with gruesome images of an emaciated anorexia suffer. This latest calendar launch was attended by a well known Italian porn star Rocco Siffredi.

Inspired by France24 http://ow.ly/8tRpg image source Twitter http://ow.ly/8tRC0

Benedict Garrett the 31 year old UK teacher with the stage name of Johnny Anglais has been given a reprimand for performing as a stripper and porn star while working at an East London High School as the head of personal, social, and health education. Suspended from teaching after students found his website, Garrett has been reprimanded and will be allowed to resume teaching provided he stopped conducting his alternate business. Garrett maintains that he has not breached any regulations, and should be permitted to return to work as a teacher without restrictions on his stripper and porn star activities. Found guilty of professional misconduct at a hearing by the General Teaching Council, deeming that his activities was not acceptable conduct for a teacher and banned him from teaching for two years.

Inspired by Rachel Cooke http://ow.ly/6lwD5 image source Weinterrupt http://ow.ly/6lwOZ