Anti-Pearlman Permanent Poster League
Encyclopedia
The Anti-Permanent Pearlman Poster League of the East (APPPLE) was an early (1979-1984) example of grass-roots political satire performed to generate media coverage. It employed tactics now known as culture jamming
and guerilla communication that have been widely popularized by Billionaires for Bush
, Greene Dragon, Code Pink
, and other organizations.
Named after Al Pearlman—a Philadelphia Democratic
City Councilman at Large elected in 1975, 1979, and 1983 and unsuccessful candidate for a Democratic State Senator nomination in 1982—its purpose was protest Pearlman's practice of campaigning through wooden signs, nailed to telephone poles far taller than any person and not removed after elections.
The sign issue was symbolic of the "in your face" attitude of both Pearlman and his political friend, ally, and mentor, Philadelphia Mayor Frank L. Rizzo. The posters were generally constructed and installed by members of the Philadelphia Building Trades, strong political allies of both Pearlman and Rizzo.
The Pearlman posters generally featured pictures of Pearlman, which the Anti-Pearlman Permanent Poster League would decorate with creative new designs in the wee hours of the morning. They would then call Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Clark DeLeon, who would month after month reveal their latest exploits to his readers with stories and pictures. This did not seem to deter Pearlman and his backers (some Philadelphians, Pearlman supporters and opponents alike, thought the saga was helpful to Pearlman), but it did deter other candidates from following suit.
Members always stayed anonymously in the background, letting their artwork and commentary speak for itself.
The group ceased its activities after Pearlman, fatally stricken with cancer, committed suicide at the age of 54 on June 10, 1984, in his hospital room with a gun brought by a former wife.
Culture jamming
Culture jamming, coined in 1984, denotes a tactic used by many anti-consumerist social movements to disrupt or subvert mainstream cultural institutions, including corporate advertising. Guerrilla semiotics and night discourse are sometimes used synonymously with the term culture jamming.Culture...
and guerilla communication that have been widely popularized by Billionaires for Bush
Billionaires for Bush
Billionaires for Bush is a culture jamming political street theater organization that satirically purports to support George W. Bush for those activities which are perceived to benefit corporations and the super-wealthy...
, Greene Dragon, Code Pink
Code Pink
Code Pink: Women for Peace is an anti-war group that is mainly composed of women. It has regional offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and many more chapters in the U.S. as well as several in other countries...
, and other organizations.
Named after Al Pearlman—a Philadelphia Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
City Councilman at Large elected in 1975, 1979, and 1983 and unsuccessful candidate for a Democratic State Senator nomination in 1982—its purpose was protest Pearlman's practice of campaigning through wooden signs, nailed to telephone poles far taller than any person and not removed after elections.
The sign issue was symbolic of the "in your face" attitude of both Pearlman and his political friend, ally, and mentor, Philadelphia Mayor Frank L. Rizzo. The posters were generally constructed and installed by members of the Philadelphia Building Trades, strong political allies of both Pearlman and Rizzo.
The Pearlman posters generally featured pictures of Pearlman, which the Anti-Pearlman Permanent Poster League would decorate with creative new designs in the wee hours of the morning. They would then call Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Clark DeLeon, who would month after month reveal their latest exploits to his readers with stories and pictures. This did not seem to deter Pearlman and his backers (some Philadelphians, Pearlman supporters and opponents alike, thought the saga was helpful to Pearlman), but it did deter other candidates from following suit.
Members always stayed anonymously in the background, letting their artwork and commentary speak for itself.
The group ceased its activities after Pearlman, fatally stricken with cancer, committed suicide at the age of 54 on June 10, 1984, in his hospital room with a gun brought by a former wife.