The Monkey

ITS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY TODAY YALL

like there's the immediate implication of this does not require me to explain my labels to you, but also the secondary implication of my existence as a radical statement. when queer people started calling themselves queer, it was an act of public defiance and rebellion.

queer says I don't need to justify myself to you or anyone, queer says I exist and I won't shut up about it, queer says we are a community and you cannot draw arbitrary dividing lines between us. queer is a good word for queer people.

when I find people who call themselves queer, I know they are the ones who won't try to say anyone doesn't belong in our community, that they will defend gay rights with trans rights, that they will stand up against the oppression that we all face, even if it doesn't affect them directly.

the accident info was posted 14hrs ago as of 1:30pm PST, 9/23/2020

Hi Everyone! I’ve had some people reach out to me today about NFT’s, and why it’s bad that Gorillaz is involved. So I’ve decided to compile a ton of info in a post for people who are confused, and tips on how to help!

TL;DR: Gorillaz have announced that they are producing NFTs, a form of crypto currency attached to digital art that wastes more energy than most people’s homes do in a year. 

What is an NFT?

An NFT (non-fungible token), also known as Cryptoart, is a unit of unique data that represents a digital item, typically digital art, music, videos, and other digital files. Basically, think of it like a Bitcoin that is linked to or attached to a .jpg. 

It’s complicated, but in theory, it’s meant to be like fine art auctions, but for digital art. However, buying an NFT does NOT give you ownership of the file, or even exclusive access to the file. Anyone else can view and save the original image/file. All the buyer gets is the unique digital metadata that is attached to it. 

Here is a video by the Wall Street Journal that does a good job of breaking down what an NFT is.

Why is it bad?

NFT’s are controversial for several reasons. 

For one, you do not need to prove that you are the original artist or creator of the digital art to tokenize it. That basically means that anyone can take your digital art and sell it as an NFT. Shitty, I know.

It is an incredibly inaccessible and fluctuating market, and works like a pyramid scheme. (linked is a very good infographic on the topic by Cabeza Patata on Instagram.)

However, the most damning and negative side effect is its environmental impact. Because of the large amount of computing power needed to create NFTs, an INSANE amount of energy is used, creating a LOT of pollution. An UNETHICAL amount of pollution.

To quote this article by Uproxx, “In one instance, the 10 seconds it took […] to sell six NFTs consumed 8.7 megawatt-hours of energy, comparable to the amount of electricity used by a household in a single year.”

It’s hard to explain exactly HOW or WHY it uses so much power, so here are some articles that do a better job of explaining it than I can:

NFTs Are Hot. So Is Their Effect on the Earth’s Climate - Wired

The carbon footprint of creating and selling an NFT artwork - Quartz

HERE IS THE ARTICLE YOU CAN SEND TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY SAY “BUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WITH CRYPTOART WILL BE SOLVED SOON, RIGHT?” - by Everest Pipkin

What does this have to do with Gorillaz?

Yesterday, Gorillaz announced that they would be collaborating with Superplastic to produce products for their 20th anniversary, including NFTs.

This is a huge kick in the face due to the fact that Gorillaz has always produced music preaching environmental consciousness, and is deeply disappointing to fans. It’s hard to say if Jamie or Damon are fully aware of NFT’s impact, but regardless, it is a huge blow to the message of Gorillaz.

What can I do about it?

**DO NOT GIVE YOUR MONEY TO GORILLAZ OR SUPERPLASTIC.** DONT EVEN STREAM THEIR MUSIC. DO NOT SUPPORT GORILLAZ FINACIALLY UNTIL THEY ADDRESS THIS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.

Instead, you can:

Support Gorillaz fan artists by commissioning them or buying their prints!

Buy any Gorillaz merch second hand/used (but take care to avoid scalpers.)

Here is a petition for Gorillaz to cut ties with Superplastic and stop production of NFTs!

Support organizations like The Climate Emergency Fund, The Clean Energy Innovation program, and other organizations fighting climate change.

Spread the word! Share this Post! Stay informed! Make sure everyone knows about the impacts of NFTs! This should go beyond the sphere of the Gorillaz fandom!

Their roles in the band are primarily creating art and music, with any input they have beyond that seeming to be fairly minimal. This is pretty common when it comes to mainstream bands, but I’ve seen a lot of people directing their anger at these two when in reality this was a marketing decision.

https://gf.me/u/ykgw4w

A few months ago I reblogged a post sharing Jazzy’s gofundme, a girl who was poisoned by her roommate, noting that she only had about half her goal despite the fund being up for several years. I saw a lot of people reblog that version; Just a month or so later when I checked her fund again it had been reached!! And tons of people still reblog it.

I think when people are just scrolling and they come across these posts they don’t check immediately and forget about it, seeing all the notes and assuming the fund is doing well- I think more people need this visualized to realize this person REALLY needs help.

We can’t let Lakeith continue to be punished in this repulsive system. Please make sure him and his fund get the attention Jazzy does and let’s do everything we can to get him to the goal!! We have to reunite him with his family by any means possible.