Artist opens ‘Waterboard Thrill Ride’ at Coney Island.
Artist opens ‘Waterboard Thrill Ride’ at Coney Island.
Artist Steve Powers has opened the new “Waterboard Thrill Ride” at Coney Island in New York. “It looks at first like any other shuttered storefront near the boardwalk: some garish lettering and a cartoonish invitation to a delight or a scam — in this case there’s SpongeBob SquarePants saying, ‘It don’t Gitmo better!’” The New York Times describes the experience:
If you climb up a few cinderblock steps to the small window, you can look through the bars at a scene meant to invoke a Guantánamo Bay interrogation. A lifesize figure in a dark sweatshirt, the hood drawn low over his face, leans over another figure in an orange jumpsuit, his face covered by a towel and his body strapped down on a tilted surface.
Feed a dollar into a slot, the lights go on, and Black Hood pours water up Orange Jumpsuit’s nose and mouth while Orange Jumpsuit convulses against his restraints for 15 seconds. O.K., kids, who wants more cotton candy!
Powers’s “initial idea was for real people to undergo real waterboarding, right there in real time” but “his wife was among the first to point out that that might be a tad over the line.” However, he claims “the purpose of his art isn’t to tell people what to think, just to get them thinking in the first place.” (HT: FP Passport)
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I won’t write what I’m thinking…
August 6th, 2008 at 2:52 pmI like his “first idea” better… waterboarding actual volunteers… most likely Bush apologists that think waterboarding “ain’t so bad”.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:55 pmOh, come on, Zooey, go for it!
I’m thinking that if this buffoon actually did go through with this with ‘real people’, he’d be arrested for attempted murder, or at least felonious assault…which would kind of beg the question if that police would arrest an individual for doing this, how can we justify doing it as a country?
August 6th, 2008 at 2:55 pmMaybe after January 20, the artist can do away with the figures and start using real people. I understand that GDumbya and Darth Cheney will be looking for a new gig.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:55 pmJust sing along with: “Later on, we’ll be waterboarding… Torturing in a fascist wonderland…”
August 6th, 2008 at 2:57 pm“tom Says:
Maybe after January 20, the artist can do away with the figures and start using real people. I understand that GDumbya and Darth Cheney will be looking for a new gig.”
I’d pay a LOT more than a dollar to see that…
August 6th, 2008 at 2:58 pmOnce again, it is an artist who succinctly and viscerally expresses the truth about human conditions and behavior.
Steve Powers deserves much respect and people need to support artists who put themselves on the line to reflect and affect the society and culture in which we all live.
John McCain NOPE T-Shirts & Stickers
August 6th, 2008 at 3:00 pmWhat a great field trip for our trolls! If they serve refreshments they could make a day of it.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:00 pmI’d pay a LOT more than a dollar to see that…
Hell, I’d let the IRS keep my refund (which I still don’t have) for that.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:01 pmI wonder if there’ll be a mock ritual beheading experience, or perhaps a suicide bomber adventure.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:03 pmThe hook is, that when you go to leave, the door is locked, the lights go out, and a voice comes over the intercom…
August 6th, 2008 at 3:04 pmLie down on the floor with your hands behind your head!
I’d pay a LOT more than a dollar to see that…
Nope. It’ll still cost a buck. But for $25, you can come back for the evening performance which includes audience participation . . . it’s called “spittle-boarding”. Go ahead — let your imagination run with it!
August 6th, 2008 at 3:05 pmTripleKick 9 Says:
Go for it.
Only, since you don’t have any talent other than drinking urine, I doubt you’d get very far.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:06 pm. . . and the $100 Sunday matinee with feature “piddle-boarding”.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:07 pmTripleKick 9 Says:
I wonder if there’ll be a mock ritual beheading experience, or perhaps a suicide bomber adventure.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
_____
Why do you endorse terrorism, GG? Do you like the idea of people being beheaded or blowing themselves up?
August 6th, 2008 at 3:08 pmI wonder if there’ll be a mock ritual beheading experience, or perhaps a suicide bomber adventure.
They had them but, they burned down when they opened the “Willy Pete over Fallujah” mega-plex.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:10 pmWaddayawant for a buck…
If he charged a saw-buck, and did the deed, the people would feel they’d DONE something…They’d KNOW, and tell their friends…Pretty soon, there’d be t-shirts reading: My Parent got waterboarded at Disneyworld, but all I got was this stupid towel…
August 6th, 2008 at 3:11 pmHowever, he claims “the purpose of his art isn’t to tell people what to think, just to get them thinking in the first place.”
Which is what all Americans have been waiting for Chimpy and Co to do the last 7+ years ………Still waiting.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:12 pmIt’s good to see that TK is waking up to the fact that waterboarding belongs in the same category as the barbaric measuers he mentions.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:12 pmOh, and I see TK’s up to version 9 now.
Congratulations.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:12 pmTripleKick 9 Says:
——————————————————————————–
I wonder if there’ll be a mock ritual beheading experience, or perhaps a suicide bomber adventure.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Perhaps there would be if that were practiced here like torture is …………..
August 6th, 2008 at 3:13 pmwhich would kind of beg the question if that police would arrest an individual for doing this, how can we justify doing it as a country?
August 6th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
By making it a bidness deal?
make’em sign a release AND pay money for the experience.
nuthin illegal about it…
August 6th, 2008 at 3:14 pmArt of this nature really does get people to think. Perhaps they’ll think we don’t want to be doing this to real people. Perhaps people will begin to think that the idea of America as a torture nation isn’t such a good thing. Perhaps they’ll begin to think that Cheney and the DumbAss no longer (and never did) deserve to be leading this nation. Perhaps it’ll get people to think we need to rethink the War on Turrah.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:21 pmralph the wonder llama Says:
It’s good to see that TK is waking up to the fact that waterboarding belongs in the same category as the barbaric measuers he mentions.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:30 pmDING DING DING DING! WE HAVE OUR WINNER!
ralph’s uncompromising uppercut leaves our antagonist weak, but it’s his not so subtle jabs that leads to a clear and decisive knock out!
DribbleDick 9 thus becomes obsolete and insignificant. I predict that upgrade 10 will succumb to the same fate.
Holy crap. That’s just sick.
Hey! Why not have a thumbscrew ride? Or an Iron Maiden exhibit? Yowza!!
August 6th, 2008 at 3:38 pmThanks, DRxJ.
I’m just here to help the team. Just takin’ ‘em one troll at a time and, good Lord willin’, things’ll work out.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:45 pmI think you can offically have shower shoes with fungus now, Ralph. You’ve made it to the show… it’s colorful.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:50 pmWow… what a great and powerful idea. I do think, however, that any right-winger up to the challenge, you know the ones who say that waterboarding isn’t torture, should be given an opportunity to put his values where his mouth is. Wouldn’t you just love to see a line of uber-conservative Bush supporters after the first waterboardee comes out? There won’t be a set of dry underwear to be found!
Anyone who says that waterboarding isn’t torture should tell it to the Cambodians who were victims of the Khmer Rouge. They will be the first to tell you how horrible it was and what this sort of torture can make you say and do.
It makes me sick that my country, formerly the leader of the free world, has stooped so low as to actually employ and defend the use of waterboarding. What happened to us?
August 6th, 2008 at 3:53 pmDarryl,
August 6th, 2008 at 3:55 pmWhy do you hate first amendment rights so much, you assclown?
So Dartll. Are we to assume that, unlike the artist, you and Bill0 should tell people what to think? Ain’t gonna happen D.
And calling farts flowers doesn’t prevent them from smelling. Our government has pursued a policy of torture and prisoner abuse that will shame our country for generations. Pretending it didn’t happen will just get more innocents killed.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:59 pmLadies and Gentlemen,
August 6th, 2008 at 4:00 pmI give you……
PARODYLL
I’ve written my own letter, Daryll…
Mr. O’Reilly-
I am deeply disturbed that our Government continues to condone “Harsh Interrogation” techniques, such as waterboarding, at locations around the globe. These are practices (more like a Horror Show)that our children will have to answer for and no one should have to endure. Also, they weaken our position in the vital fight to gain accurate intelligence of terrorists’ activities as well as recruiting new converts to the terrorist’s cause. In order to protect/save lives I urge you to speak out against these practices immediately.
Belac
August 6th, 2008 at 4:00 pmSeattle, WA
Uh-oh… Daryll’s on the job. That means this artist is TOAST.
No art exhibit can stand up to the withering critique delivered via email of someone who has not seen that exhibit.
August 6th, 2008 at 4:01 pm(polite applause)
August 6th, 2008 at 4:02 pmDaryll Says:
“…Please enlighten the millons of viewers about this artist and the exhibit. People should be outraged.”
Exactly! All those millions of viewers should be enlightened and enraged about this kind of practices.
Which is, of course, the whole point of the exhibit.
August 6th, 2008 at 4:07 pm“Daryll Says:
“…Please enlighten the millons of viewers about this artist and the exhibit. People should be outraged.”
Knuckleheads like Parodyll and O’lielly getting all bent out of shape is probably the best advertising a show like this could ever hope to garner for free.
August 6th, 2008 at 4:12 pmDaryll missed the point?
Say it ain’t so!
August 6th, 2008 at 4:12 pmDaryll Says:
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Don’t worry, this entertainment exhibit, aka trash, will be removed, shortly. I’ve sent an email message to the NYC Mayor’s Office and Bill O’Reilly.
Mr. O’Reilly,
I am sincerely disturbed by this artist, who decided to create this so called “thrill ride/side show” as an interpretation of his perspective on waterboarding, at Coney Island. This is an exhibit (more like a sideshow) that our children should not observe. Also, it mocks our government’s tactics for receiving key Intelligence to protect/save lives. I have forwarded this message to the NYC Mayor’s Office to ensure that this ridiculous form of entertainment is removed. Please enlighten the millons of viewers about this artist and the exhibit. People should be outraged. Here is the link to the NYT article, http://www.nytimes.com/ 2008/ 08/ 06/ arts/ design/ 06wate.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin.
Daryll
McLean, VA
August 6th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Your post and behavior and laughable attempt to claim that Chimpy and Co’s practice of torture protects/saves lives is much more deplorable and ridiculous………….
August 6th, 2008 at 4:27 pmLOVE IT
Forget “conceptual ” art: this is “realism” art!
August 6th, 2008 at 5:07 pmBlenczkowski (sic?) should be more than willing to volunteer to participate in this exhibit, to prove it doesn’t outrage reasonable observers – in fact, that should be a requirement of all those who advocate such treatment be meted out to others….
August 6th, 2008 at 5:14 pmDaryll Says:
Don’t worry, this entertainment exhibit, aka trash, will be removed, shortly. I’ve sent an email message to the NYC Mayor’s Office and Bill O’Reilly.
Ewwww, scary!!!!!
Nothing spells “success” like bringing free attention to the matter.
Thanks for your indirect support!
Fcuking retarded pansy.
August 6th, 2008 at 7:44 pmpmavrk2:
August 7th, 2008 at 12:53 amI felt the same way about the “piss christ”. Didn’t you?
TripleKick 9 Says:
I wonder if there’ll be a mock ritual beheading experience, or perhaps a suicide bomber adventure.
I wonder if morons like you will EVER understand that WE are responsible for what WE do. That WE are defined by OUR actions. Did you think you were making a point? We cannot defeat evil by becoming more evil we will only ADD to the amount of evil in the world. DUH. Spiraling the tragic barbarity further out of control is not the answer. Find those comitting such acts and punish them adress the root causes of barbaric acts and draw a bright line between us and them dont BLUR that distinction. That way we can seperate the moderate and decent Muslims and Arabs from those perpetrating barbaric acts. Making it so we cant tell the difference only makes sense to the terminally stupid.
August 7th, 2008 at 1:58 amDaryll you are an idiot. Torturing people doesnt save lives it it EVIL. Torture is ineffective that has been shown over and over. We KNOW we got bogus info when we tortured the guy who told us Saddam was working with al Queda to develop poison gas we KNEW it at the time. They just say whatever they think their torturers want to hear. You are a moron. That is clear. Waterboarding is TORTURE. It was torture when it was used during the Spanish Inquisitions it was torture when we tried and convicted Japanese officers for waterboarding OUR soldiers. Appologies for torture make my skin crawl and you are a sick perverted piece of garbage for appologizing for torture. Seek the help of a mental health professional immediatly. You MAY regain your humanity some day. Do you even remember what it was like before your soul dried up and blew away or did it just abandon you saying it was SO out of there about the time you tortured your first small animal to death I am guessing about age six?
August 7th, 2008 at 2:04 ampmavrk2 Says:
In fact, I will wear my new “I’d rather be Waterboarding” shirt on the ride…
That must be because you are a sick perverted piece of human debris whose soul is as dried up and rancid as a banana peel after a blast furnace. You are sick seek the help of a mental health professional immediatly. Only the morally retarded would make light of torture. You clearly qualify
August 7th, 2008 at 2:18 amA quisling who commiserates with the terrorists and criminals while paying no attention to the victims.
Thanks! That’s the best description yet of the idiot-boy-king der Chimperor, a.k.a. le Shrub.
August 7th, 2008 at 2:34 ampmavrk2 Says:
Hey now, back under the bridge, you don’t want all those liberals crossing without you there, right troll???
August 7th, 2008 at 2:35 amI just watched poor stupid old McLame in Sturgis.
If that’s your idea of an American President, a bumbling, fumbling with his britches senile idiot, well, let’s just say that says A LOT about how stupid you are.
August 7th, 2008 at 2:37 amDo you have the same outrage against the terrorists who would cut your head off without mercy. Do you have the same outrage at illegal aliens who come to this country and break our laws and our trust by committing the most hanous crimes imaginable?
Personally, I stopped pissing in my pants around the time I got out of diapers.
BTW, it’s spelled “heinous”.
It really is going to be hard to get your ignorant point across to anybody other than the GOoPers you hang with.
August 7th, 2008 at 2:41 amOh by the way Pmark you really are an idiot. The World Court ajudicates ONLY disputes between countries you mean the International Criminal Court. There isnt any question that by international law and treaties that we are signitories of we are obligated to allow a Mexican National or ANY foriegn national being accused of criminal conduct the right to contact their countries diplomats and inform him OF that right we apparantly didnt follow that treaty. There really isnt any argument we did. So yes the international Court of Justice was right and I doubt anything would have turned out differently had we allowed that contact or if we had another trial after allowing that contact. Bedwetting morons like you only care about treaties when OTHER countries dont abide by them and laws when they are convienient to YOU. What a moron and coward you are.
August 7th, 2008 at 3:20 amI didnt phrase that very well I meant the International Court of Justice (not the ICC I mistyped that) ajudicates only disputes between countries so they werent saying that Medellin was innocent nor that he should go free or anything having to do with our right to subject him to our justice system. The FACTS of this matter arent even in dispute we DIDNT follow our treaty obligations so you are an idiot to think I would NOT agree with them nor that it makes any point whatsoever whether I do or not.
August 7th, 2008 at 3:34 amPmack it is YOU who are clearly the coward here. Whining and sniviling for your mommy from under your bed. I dont CARE how long he has been here. He is still a Mexican national therefore we ought to comply with our treaty obligations under the Consular act. You worthless festering baboon. Stop whining so piteously. No one is saying we cant charge him with murder you incredible moron. It is only being said we comply with the treaty WE SIGNED that says we have to tell foriegn nationals they have a right to contact the diplomats from their country an obligation that doesnt disappear because they have been here for ten or fifteen years. No one is saying the law cannot take its course MY GOD YOU ARE IGNORANT only that WE comply with international law while doing so. Just how incredibly stupid are you? This is pretty simple. Find a six year old to explain it to you. It is un-American cowards like YOU who will ruin this country be being so scared you tell our government to eschew all rules and laws to make you FEEL safer. Exactly how much of a hardship would it BE to allow the guy contact with the Mexican consulate? Are you so stupid and cowardly that you are afraid Mexico would send their special forces into Texas to break him out of prison. Your stupidity is embarassing. Go back and cower under your bed some more you ignorant cowardly pus headed cretin.
August 7th, 2008 at 10:47 pmpmavrk2 Says:
Ready to cash in your McBush tokens?
You’ve won a free set of neuticles.
And NO, they’re not to put in your mouth.
August 8th, 2008 at 12:02 am