Yo Mama Out For Snacks -Anonymous
The choice of medium and distressed effect of the piece calls to attention the former greatness of the printed word, a greatness used to show the sharp relief the current state of newspapers. It is clear that the artist grew up in a journalistic and dysfunctional household as the artist draws parallels between his/her mother and a failing media. The irony of using a medium to describe the intertwined failure of family and media leaves a pungent aftertaste in the viewer’s mouth.
—S.K.
“Yo Momma…” is obviously a piece commenting on the sorry state of print journalism. As we all, and the artist, are painfully aware, print journalism, especially the elite class of behemoth periodicals to which the Chicago Tribune belongs, is in a state of freefall in regards to both content and readership. The artist is drawing attention to a number of the more distressing aspects of this decline. By addressing the Tribune media group in such an infantile manner, the artist is referencing the dumbing down of once erudite papers, as each edition seems to spend more time on color photos, infographics, and advertising, and less on report what was once considered news. Indeed, the tribune (and other such papers) are regressing into a childlike state compared to what they once were, and with such a lack of direction and vision to arrest the fall, it appears as if this child’s parents (or ‘momma’) has left them alone, perhaps to go fetch snacks. The artist furthers his or her point by bringing the message directly to the paper, and by using the paper’s own medium (the bold printed word) to attack the target. Indeed, even in formatting (the use of the dash, the gap between two words so that they stretch to fit the entire line) the art evokes the antiquated giant it so eloquently attacks.
—J.L.
