Guerilla Girls + The Birds?

Bryan Gonzalez

Midterm Proposal

October 30, 2017

Professor Cacoilo

The Guerrilla Girls + The Birds?

       A group of masked women protesting against sexism, and racism in the art world known as the Guerrilla Girls demonstrate the difference that can be made by projecting the voice. When others simply just didn’t seem to really care or were too afraid to say something, the Guerrilla Girls sprang into action by spreading a message about the unjust depiction of women in museums and the overall lack of art by women and colored artists. This was all accomplished while hiding their identities wearing gorilla masks. The manner in which the Guerrilla Girls have always decided to portray themselves seems comedic in order to grasp an individual’s attention. People see them walking around the streets and the first thing they think to themselves is, “Why is that person wearing a gorilla mask?” which influences them to discover the cause. Even though there is no doubt that the Guerrilla Girls have definitely helped spread awareness during all of their years active, the art world is unfortunately still not as diverse as it should be. Why is this the case? Why do we live in a world where prejudice, racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination still exist?

         How exciting would it be for the Guerrilla Girls to suddenly be transported to a world free of discrimination and instead filled with equality and happiness for everyone? In the modern adaptation by Don Zolidis of the play, “The Birds”, by the ancient playwright Aristophanes, two men referred to as “X and Y” go on an adventure to find this particular world. The plot of this play revolves around the constant struggles that people go through in everyday life. Some of these struggles include paying taxes and rent, the unjust government, dealing with obnoxious people, and most importantly, discrimination. In order to escape reality, the two main characters in the play pack their bags, leave their Metropolis with the guidance of two small birds, and try to find their Utopia, a perfect world to live in. After a series of events, they think they have finally found it among a group of strange birds but it still needs some work done. The birds at first are offended to have two men try to enter their world. However, the men are given a chance as long as the city would have long term benefits for the birds as well. After numerous efforts to solidify their city, they end up realizing that it is impossible to live in a world without regulations and discrimination.

      Despite progress to stop discrimination and inequality, the unfortunate truth is that there will never be a time where it will completely vanish and the idea of a utopia is completely fantasy. The Guerrilla Girls themselves have shown that despite their efforts to display more art by women in museums and galleries, many of them have kept a minimum of only three exhibits by women and artists of color. Both the Guerrilla Girls and the two men in this play tried to make a stance and fight for what they believed was unjust. What would the Guerrilla Girls have done if they had arrived in this land of the birds? Would they have agreed to help create a perfect world or would that completely be the opposite of their purpose? There would no longer be a need for masks and they could build museums filled with art only by women and artists of color if they wanted to. However, being part of an activist group releases a sort of feeling of heroism. The Guerrilla Girls would most likely rather keep on spreading their messages and educate a society instead of perhaps taking the easy way out and live in a perfect society. The Guerrilla Girls and “The Birds” both depict the similar concept of being exposed to discrimination and the method taken to fight against it. If the Guerrilla Girls somehow traveled into the plot of “The Birds”, how would the plot change with their presence?

References

The Guerrilla Girls. Confessions of the Guerrilla Girls. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc, 1995. Print.

Zolidis, Don. The Birds: A Modern Adaptation, Playscripts, Incorporated, 2007

The Birds at the Kirstenbosch Amphitheatre

The Birds at Hartnell College, California

The Guerrilla Girls, New York Times