ForbiddenKnowledgeTV
Tyler Bass & Alexandra Bruce
June 22, 2015

It was Andy Warhol who so famously said that, “In the future, everybody will be famous for 15 minutes.”

These words have turned out to be increasingly prophetic, with the profusion of contestant- and reality-type television programming. Does anyone remember who won any of the episodes of “Real Life,” “Survivor” or “Iron Chef”?

Tabloid journalism and the paparazzi have accelerated this trend, turning what may have before been isolated coverage into continuing media coverage, even after the initial reason for media interest has passed. “Joe the Plumber” actually believed his hype so much, that he ran for Congress, only to lose, forever to be forgotten (one hopes).

Who here still remembers “Chemical Ali”? I did – but not the way he died – or here’s an oldie but a goodie: the Bagel Boy? Cher’s boyfriend of 3 years and famously 18 years her junior? I just discovered that Rob Camilletti now is a successful private pilot to the stars and that to this day, he still spends Christmas with Cher and her family.

YouTube has spawned untold quantities of briefly-famous cats and human beings, leading some wags (the originator is disputed) to declare that, with the rise of online social networking, blogging, and Internet celebrity,
“…everyone will be famous to fifteen people.” I know that *I* am! 🙂

But I’ve often wondered where I’d be, without the real greats, like DAHBOO7? That man is a total STAR – I’m not kidding!

There are amusing spins that have been made of Warhol’s borderline-truism. The British artist, Banksy has made a sculpture of a TV that has, written on its screen, “In the future, everyone will be anonymous for 15 minutes.”

Would that we could! The NSA won’t let us – but, ¡Hasta la Victoria Siempre! This goofy era, too, shall pass!

Of course, for every 15-minute Hall-of-Famer, there is the inevitable cavalcade of Astroturfers. Paid trolls have been a staple of the Internet for at least a decade. A few years ago, it was disclosed that the military had developed the technology to multiply a roomful of trolls intoan army of them – actually, make that the US Air Force, who seem to be the branch most involved with this kind of PsyOp stuff.

Airmen tasked with influencing opinions on Social Media use software that can create up to 10 false personas each, with detailed,
“believable” backgrounds – and obviously, each propounding strong, scripted, politically-driven (if not exactly patriotic) opinions. I’ve actually met a few, online, in my day and I’m sure that I’ll meet some more. Never pleasant, to have your life threatened,using Jesus’ name and throwing in, how my life isn’t worth protecting, when that’s what they were sworn to do and what my tax dollars are paying for.

Thanks fer yer service, as I ban you from my FB, page…

We’ve recently learned about Crisis Actors, so it should come as no surprise that political candidates can hire agencies to provide extras to cheer at their events, all the more to convince others of just how much everyone loves them.

This is actually an ancient practice, which was used in every empire one can think of, strecthing back into the millennia, especially at state funerals, where the amount of wailers hired, reflected of the departed potentate’s power and prestige.

Enter Adam Swart. His business is thriving. UCLA was darned proud of their Alum and did a profile on him, to inspire potential UCLA students about the similar greatness that they, oo could achieve, by attending classes in their hallowed, cement block, earthquake-resitant halls.

Swart runs a company that hires celebration actors to pump up campaigns. In the two years since UCLA did this report on him, he old Libertychat.com, “We have worked with dozens of candidates in the US…primarily but not exclusively Republican.”

This week, The Hollywood Reporter obtained an email from the group, Extra Mile Casting, which the newspaper claims is an attempt to drive fake enthusiasm for the Donald Trump presidential candidacy.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the casting call reads, in part: “We are looking to cast people for the event to wear t-shirts and carry signs and help cheer him, in support of his announcement…We understand this is not a traditional ‘background job,’ but we believe acting comes in all forms and this is inclusive of that school of thought.”

So, those “real people” you saw during Donald Trump’s campaign kickoff?…Not.

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