The Man Who Cannot Be Moved by Noramy

THE MAN WHO CANNOT BE MOVED

FANA T FANA T FANA T FANA T FANA T FANA T FANA T FANA T FANA T FANAT

TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM

THE MAN WHO CANNOT BE MOVED

“... one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject ...” WINSTON CHURCHILL

CONTENTS

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

HONOUR ABOVE ALL

CO-SIGN

BEATING THE ADDICTION

THE MAN WHO CANNOT BE MOVED

ONLINE GENERATION

CARRY ON TRADITION

THE BOY WHO SAVED POMPEY

CONCLUSION

VISUALISING DEVOTION

BEATING THE ADDICTION PREFACE

I have a confession to make. I have a problem, a major problem. I, Ladies and Gentleman, am a drug addict. It’s taken me a while to recognise my problem, and has been rather hard to accept. It’s an addiction that started as a kid, began gathering significant momentum in 2003, really struck and became a definite addiction in 2005, and now, with my being 26 and having just finished a degree in Sports Development and Physical Education, it is something that needs dealing with before it has a potentially disastrous impact on my life.

voice has started in my head, asking whether enough is now enough, suggesting that maybe I should get a grip and stop letting it dominate my life. The little voice, and the not so little voice of my mother, argues that if I were to give up then I could do so much more in my life. The saved money could enable me to travel like I always wanted to, and the extra energy to furthering my future work prospects. But it’s not that easy, I’m finding it so hard to come to terms with the thought of letting go. No doubt you’re curious as to what drug it is I am addicted to (either that or you’re bored and about to turn off), and so here it is: I, Danny Norton, of Woolton Liverpool, am a football fan. A matchgoing fan. A season ticket holding fan. Ok, so maybe it’s not an actual drug per-say, but I am addicted.

It is an addiction which I estimate has cost me in the region of £6500 over the last five years (which considering I am a poorly student who works part time is quite something), and has just caused me to slam the phone down on my mother, as I couldn’t take listening to her telling me why I should give it up.

I drink occasionally, I don’t smoke, and the closest thing to drugs I’ve taken are substances with obscene amounts of caffeine in on nights before an assignment was due. Football is my drug. But it’s an expensive drug, one that, as stated earlier, has cost me in the region of £6500 over the last five years through season tickets, cup games, away games and major finals in Cardiff, Istanbul and Athens.

The fact that I’m now finished being a tax dodging “learner” is a very significant factor in the timing of my finally accepting I have a problem. I can no longer feed my addiction using that wonderful invention of the student loan. So many times over the last few years I have not had the means to feed my need, my want, my precious, and so I went into debt to, and occasionally trouble with, a loan shark (otherwise known as a credit card). My thinking was, ‘my student loan is due in a couple of months; I’ll pay it off then. Live for the moment, get that rush, that feeling you crave, you deserve it, you only missed two lectures this week...’ and so I was satisfied, at least until the next week.

Now, I know I could continue to go to the home cup games, and I might be able to get hold of the odd league ticket here and there, so it’s not like I’d be giving up my addiction completely, but the thought of having to give up my season ticket fills me with as much horror as the thought of Margaret Thatcher naked.

It is now payment time for my next fix. However, prices have gone up again, as they have been consistently and drastically over my time as an addict. And I now do not have the safety net of the student loan to fall back on. I really don’t know how I’m going to finance it. And so a little 9

THE MAN WHO CANNOT BE MOVED INTRODUCTION

THE MAN WHO CANNOT BE MOVED

THE CREATION OF ‘THE MAN WHO CANNOT BE MOVED’ HAS DEVELOPED FROM MY CHILDHOOD OBSESSION OF SOME OF MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE IDOLS

I had begun my Final Major Project for my Graphic Arts Degree with a clear objective in mind, being a lifelong fan of Arsenal Football Club; I had decided that my Final Major Project would be a 10-year anniversary tribute to their historically unbeaten team, The Invincibles. I had insisted on using my diverse skills as a creative to produce several predetermined outcomes that really captured the unwavering love of my childhood idols, fanaticizing over this almost perfect idea. In hindsight, I didn’t really contemplate the wider possibilities of ideas, which I could explore and avoid creating designs that had already been done.

religious fundamentalism and racial supremacy most of which divides nations and so-called communities causing numerous military conflicts, terrorist acts and violence. A good example of this is the September 11 attacks, in which the extremist Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda put into motion terrorist attacks on the City of New York in the United States. This caused the War on Terror in Afghanistan but also caused quite radically negative views on believers of Islam and Arabs in general. Although it is not always violent, fanaticism exists everywhere including aspects of consumerism, sport and design, which may promote quite narrow-minded philosophies provoking a lack of unity in society, or in some aspects, it may provoke society to fight for something they believe in and love. Yet whatever the reason that may provoke such obstinate behaviour, we are all fanatics of or have a strong belief in a certain ideal.

Instead, I began looking at my original idea with more depth and became interested in why I was acting like a singleminded Fanatic that I also saw in other admirers of Football. As a result, I started to understand the term Fanatic and wanted to investigate the obsessive nature of Fanaticism. In the Collins English Dictionary Fanatic is defined as, “… a person whose enthusiasm or zeal for something is extreme or beyond normal limits.” It also describes Fanaticism as “Wildly excessive or irrational devotion, dedication, or enthusiasm…” It almost sounds as if the words are replacing the noun and verb Addict in describing someone who is addicted to non-tangible beliefs as well as other human beings rather than drugs. These beliefs, religions, persons or group of people become the drug for the fanatic.

The naming of this book originates from the idea of the unwavering enthusiasm of fanatics for what they love unconditionally. I hope to successfully interpret this fixed nature of fanaticism through the content, structure and design of the book. I have put together a few case studies that represent different types of fanatics, highlighting what also makes fanatics so similar in their behaviour and their impact on the world around them. As the book develops towards the end I hope to get across what I feel a true fanatic is, how they should behave and how I currently see fanatic behaviour influencing society.

The more I investigated these two terms, the more I began to realize how they meant more than just being a general fan or a supporter of a subject or even a figure. I began to find quite negative results in my research as excessive fanatic behaviour is often linked to radical political ideologies,

HONOUR ABOVE ALL

HONOUR ABOVE ALL EXTREMIST AND RADICAL BELIEFS PROVOKING VIOLENCE AND TERROR AROUND THE WORLD HAVE BECOME MORE AND MORE PROMINENT

closing borders to believers of Islam. Yet extremist violence does not only exist in terrorism in the west.

“... if he kills for an idea, he can

Honour killings are another form of violence caused by radicalised beliefs. It is the murdering of a person accused of bringing shame upon their family, an act that has been claimed to be on the rise. More recently pregnant Pakistani woman Farzana Iqbal was a victim of an honour killing by her own family because she had married someone she was in love with. 25 year-old, Farzana was stoned to death by 20 members of her own family including her father and brothers out in broad daylight in front of a court in Pakistan. She was engaged to her cousin, which was an arranged marriage by her family, but wished to marry Mohammad Iqbal, the man she fell in love with.

just as well get himself killed for one; in either case, tyrant or martyr, he is a monster ...” EMIL M. CIORAN, PHILOSOPHER

In 2005, four Muslim men would perform suicide bombings aboard the London Underground and a London double decker bus that would cause the death of 52 people and injuring 700 others. These attacks are believed to have been carried out due to Britain’s involvement in the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Farzana’s father handed himself into police unashamed of what he had done, claiming killing his daughter was a matter of honour and she had insulted his whole family by marrying a man without their consent. Her father’s self-applauded actions represents 1000 murders like Farzana’s carried out every year in Pakistan due to the tribal like custom in which a woman marrying of her own free will can bring dishonour to the reputation of one’s whole family.

Similarly, this is also believed to be the reason for the nonsensical murder of off-duty British soldier Lee Rigby also in London. He was brutally killed by two Muslim Extremist men in May 2013 painting how fanatical behaviour can evoke such a vile act. One of the murderers held the notion that it was only right to kill the British Soldiers that were in Muslim lands killing Muslims and committing the act for God.

Like Lee Rigby, Farzana Iqbal was innocent and she died as a cause of extreme ideals, but what is even more chilling is that her family obsessed over their honour, a traditional and abstract perception of how the Pakistani society would respect the family name, above her own life.

Events like these have changed the way a lot of people view Islam, generalising all Muslims as extremists. The Lee Rigby murder trial would provoke the protests of nationalists calling for Lee Rigby’s killers to be hanged as well as unproductively

POWER OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE

IN 1981, JOSEPH ‘RUN’ SIMMONS, DARRYL ‘D.M.C.’ MCDANIELS AND JASON ‘JAM MASTER JAY’ MIZELL FOUNDED ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR HIP-HOP ACTS IN HISTORY, RUN D.M.C.

Run-D.M.C.’s sense of style also made an impact on their lyrics, swaying the creation of one the group’s most familiar songs, ‘My Adidas’. Released in 1986 the song was an appreciation towards the trio’s favorite footwear that they were hardly seen not wearing, their Adidas trainers. Before the release of the tribute song, the sportswear company Adidas’ sales were falling. Run-D.M.C.’s admiration for the specific tennis shoe, called the ‘Superstar’, helped reignite Adidas’ popularity in the market selling 382,000 pairs of the Adidas Superstar trainers in one year as well as reports of $22 million pounds worth of products sold in one weekend. Yet, it was a very iconic Hip-Hop moment that really showed the groups affect on their supporters and HipHop culture.

“... the music, the image, the concepts was so powerful, if they’re going to wear Adidas because we say it’s cool, that means they would drink, abuse, fight because of this ...” DARRYL ‘D.M.C’ MCDANIELS, RAPPER

Run-D.M.C. are known to be one of the most celebrated and influential American Hip-Hop groups to emerge in the 1980s. Being the first in the Hip-Hop musical genre to appear on MTV and to be nominated for a Grammy Award, they went on to sell 230 Million records worldwide. They are often credited as the greatest Hip-Hop group of all time as well as being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 by close admirer and fellow successful Hip-Hop artist Eminem.

In a Madison Square Garden concert whilst performing ‘My Adidas’ for their fans, Run would ask them to, ‘Put your sneakers in the air!’ Reports say how the whole crowd of tens and thousands of fans held up an Adidas shoe. Adidas Executive Angelo Anastasio was invited to this very performance and was astonished at the crowd’s devotion to the brand of footwear. Anastasio would provide Run-D.M.C. with the first $1 million endorsement deal in Hip-Hop. This very moment is where the group changed the way the culture was seen and the perceptions of young people who echoed the traditions of Hip-Hop at the time. Additionally, Run, D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay never forgot their responsibility of their influence on the young people that adored their music.

As influential as their music was, so was Run-D.M.C.’s sense of fashion at the time. Fans would copy the group’s style wearing the same Cazal glasses, Kangol hats and Adidas garments from head to toe with pride imitating their idols. With that being said, the Hip-Hop trio were always conscious of this and about the message they were sending to their followers. They made a decision to be careful in the way they represented themselves, because their image and music could also endanger their fans.

Thousands of fans hold their Adidas shoes in the air at Madison Square Gardens

ONLINE GENERATION

Ai Weiwei gives the finger to the Chinese Government, a photo as part of his art exhibition called ‘Fuck Off’

ONLINE GENERATION THE INTERNET HAS BECOME NEARLY ACCESSIBLE EVERYWHERE AND IT IS SAID THAT ALMOST FOUR OUT OF 10 YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ADDICTED TO BEING ONLINE

Most young people will spend time using the Internet for playing games, watching films and social networking and are said to feel addicted to Social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter that have impacted change in social interaction and influenced our freedom of speech. Yet in the world of art this freedom of expression has been suppressed for a certain Chinese artist by the name of Ai Weiwei.

“ ... I call on people to be ‘obsessed citizens,’ forever questioning and asking for accountability ...” AI WEIWEI, ARTIST

The contemporary artist has become known more recently for openly criticizing the Chinese Government through his artwork as well as on the Internet. Ai Weiwei claims that the Chinese Government is corrupt having covered up a lot of the truth and facts of events that have happened and are still going in China, and expresses how he is continuously censored by Chinese authorities much like a lot of the online content is in China, wanting to expose the truth of Chinese Society.

However hard China try to suppress the “rebel”, Ai Weiwei’s story has managed to leak out of Chinese territory with the aid of the Internet and is still able to organise a lot of his exhibitions outside of China online. Weiwei has given the world an insight to a fanatic of social change who shares his devotion to the cause online. This example of positive fanaticism towards freedom has attracted the backing of followers not only in China who have risked arrest by authority, but also of those who have become an admirer of Ai Weiwei’s work for it’s message around the world. Dedidicated to opposing a government that is adamant on restricting its own society from the World.

Although arrested under false charges, beaten by the Chinese authorities, and robbed of his right to leave his home country, Ai Weiwei continues to fight for social change under constant surveillance and wants to influence freedom of speech for the Chinese population which shares the same fate he has if they decide to speak out against their leaders.

Ai Weiwei’s case shows how the Internet is not only a worldwide obsession but how it is promisingly influencing cultural stances, and our religious practices. Viral videos, online campaigns and instant journalism are having a massive impact on social activity. Organised protests and up to date information via a Facebook Group helped to direct 2011’s Egyptian Revolution. Ai Weiwei’s story also informs us of how the internet has become not only something that the world has become addicted to but also a way of life that people have a right to obtain.

“Many of the young people we spoke to simply did not feel they would be able to manage without it.” DR BARBIE CLARKE, YOUTH RESEARCHER

CARRY ON TRADITION

CARRY ON TRADITION FIRST PREMIERED AT THE ICONIC CHINESE THEATRE, SCI-FI FILM FRANCHISE STAR WARS HAS HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON POP CULTURE AND DANGERLOUSLY RELIGIOUS FANS

First opened in May 1927, the TCL Chinese Theatre is located on star-studded Hollywood Boulevard and holds a capacity of 932. The Chinese Theatre has hosted many Hollywood film premieres and also hosts footprints, handprints and signatures of popular actors, actresses and other film personalities that have attended premieres since it’s opening. Opening for the first time, the theatre is described to have had thousands of fans lined up and rioting to get a chance to see movie stars and celebrities.

ahead of the Star Wars Episode III’s release on May 16th 2002, Star Wars enthusiasts began lining up outside of the Chinese Theatre, some even in costume dressed up as some of their favorite characters. 20th Century Fox were distributing the Star Wars films at the time and released a statement notifying fans that instead of a premiere at the Chinese Theatre, the film would be premiered at the ArcLight complex, a mile away from the Chinese. Yet fans stood firm and refused to move even whilst employees of the Chinese Theatre insisted that they were not releasing the film. For these loyal followers the film would not open anywhere else, as it was tradition.

“... If the film is not playing at the Chinese... I have zero desire to see it at all ...” OBI GEEWHYEN, WARSIE

“This is still the epicenter for Star Wars fans. For the big iconic pictures of the 1970s, people lining up were here ...”

One cultural phenomenon that the Chinese Theatre has hosted a premiere for, is the epic space opera film, Star Wars, now known as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Initially director of the film George Lucas was skeptical about how successful his film would be but having become a popular sci-fi series, of six films, Star Wars boasts 12 million followers on social networking website site Facebook alone.

SARAH SPRAGUE, WARSIE

On the day of release, patient fans were guided by ArcLight complex employees to the ArcLight cinema so they could actually have a chance to watch the film. Not only did these employees volunteer but wore Stormtrooper costumes, the fictional soldiers of Star Wars. These Star Wars fans showed showed how commited they are to the franchise and ‘Star Wars Tradition’ that they were resolute in staying in line at the Chinese Theatre for 7 weeks, unwavering until their fictional idols of authority came to their aid.

The first 5 films of the Star Wars series have traditionally premiered at the Chinese Theatre. Religiously committed fanatics are reported to have queued up at Hollywood Boulevard for each premiere of each Star Wars installment at least a month in advance. In the eyes of ‘true’ fans, it would only make sense that the most recent installment, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, would open at the Chinese Theatre. It had become unwritten law! And so seven weeks

The first premiere of Star Wars at the Chinese Theatre in 1977

Star Wars fan in costume while hundreds queue up for third installment â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Return of the Jediâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in 1983 29

THE BOY WHO SAVED POMPEY

Entrance to Portsmouth F.C. Stadium, Fratton Park

8 year-old Sharedholder, Alfie Blagden with family and a free Season Ticket 32

THE BOY WHO SAVED POMPEY IN 2012 THE ONCE REPUTABLE PORTSMOUTH FOOTBALL CLUB WAS FACING CLOSURE BUT THE UNCONDTIONAL SUPPORT OF FANS HAS KEPT ITS STADIUM DOORS OPEN

Portsmouth F.C. is one of the oldest football clubs formed in the UK being founded in 1898 in the city of Portsmouth. They have been champions of England twice in the mid-20th Century and have also won the FA Cup twice since their formation, playing against the best teams in top tier English football as part of the Premier League.

“No one pressurised him, it was all his own doing and totally off his own back. He’s determined to help all he can ...”

Yet due to over-zealous suspending by club owners to achieve success, Portsmouth would go into huge financial debt forcing the club to go into administration in the 20092010 Season and as a result they were relegated from the Premier League. The once reputable football club continued to drop from to tier to tier, and as of 2013, they are currently in the fourth tier of the Football league system, League Two.

KORA BLAGDEN, ALFIE’S MOTHER

Portsmouth F.C., which is now the largest fan-owned football club, is an example of how a group of followers of one cause can unite as a community to save the cause that they love. This adoration is evident across all ages of Portsmouth supporters influencing the story of 8-year-old Alfie Blagden.

It is of no surprise that Portsmouth has lost a lot of followers along the way who have lost faith in the club that has fallen so low and looking to face closure. Nevertheless a lot of supporters have held on to their dear Pompey, still boasting an attendance of nearly 20,000 on average per football match. This resolute devotion has shown in the fight for fans to own their local football club, which they have won as of April 2013.

Any child his age would of wanted Father Christmas to bring them toys, but all Alfie wanted for Christmas was his favorite football club to be saved when their future was looking bleak. So on Boxing Day, Alfie decided to begin saving his pocket money to save Portsmouth F.C. He also began raising money, doing chores, doing car washes and finally receiving £73 from a Bournemouth fan to complete his goal in raising £1000, which is the total cost of a share in Portsmouth.

“... I wrote to Father Christmas asking him to save Pompey. That was allI wanted.”

After spending over a year raising money Alfie became a shareholder and was awarded a certificate at the club grounds by Director of the Portsmouth Supportors Trust. He also received a season ticket from fellow fan Steve Kattenhorn, who was impressed by the young boys unwavering dedication to the football club he is sincerely attached to.

ALFIE BLAGDEN, PORTSMOUTH SHAREHOLDER

“He is worthy of a child hero award or something similar because he worked so hard ...” STEVE KATTENHORN, PORTSMOUTH SUPPORTER

VISUALISING DEVOTION CONCLUSION

VISUALISING DEVOTION

MY INTENTION IN MAKING THIS BOOK WAS TO VISUALLY REPRESENT THE NATURE OF FANATICISM

My research into developing this publication involved finding and studying different examples of fanatics and really understanding what it means to be a fanatic of something. From this research I selected five case studies to write about which I felt represented five areas in which people are most devoted, Religion, Music, Politics, Fiction and Sports.

“ Whatever influences the person’s devotion stands out to them and it is all that they see, it is like a sense of infatuation..”

The particular case studies I had chosen are all diverse showing how fanatics can be over reliant on ideals, the influence on fanatic behaviour and their loyalty. Yet all of the case studies highlight the fanatics’ passion for what they love or believe in whether negative or positive, which ties all these stories together.

horror as the thought of Margaret Thatcher naked.” Quite an ill-mannered statement to make but definitely something no one wants to imagine.

I had also included an article written by a football fanatic as the preface of ‘The Man Who Can’t Be Moved’, which I really felt evoked the impression of being a fanatic of something. “… the thought of having to give up … fills me up with as much

To visually describe the nature of a fanatic I felt that playing with the layout of a publication with the use of typography, colour and imagery would be the best way to do so. I had decided that I wanted to start the publication quite ambiguous to draw the reader in by highlighting key bits of text that were vague in their message to the audience as well as highlighting relatable words and key issues within the case study or article. As you read along, more and more and text starts to appear as well as imagery and significant quotes to particular case studies and their subject matter.

“Yet all of the case studies highlight the fanatics’ passion for what they love or believe in whether negative or positive, which ties all these stories together ...”

This visual representation is meant to symbolise the fanatic being focused on what matters to them most, what they believe in. The scarce text and gradual development of more content as you read further into the book represents how the fanatic can become engrossed in something they are obsessed about and also distort their perspective of life. I chose bright colours, bold and flat colours to break up

Extreme Enthusiasm

Unwavering devotion against the odds

Internet Fanaticism

and the different section of the book but also relates to highlighting what is more important to the excessively devoted. Whatever influences the person’s devotion stands out to them and it is all that they see, it is like a sense of infatuation. The colours also express eagerness and wholeheartedness.

happiness to the public. I could also say this for the other case study that spoke to me strongly as well which was ‘Online Generation’. More specifically Ai Weiwei reflects the Alfie’s fight to save Pompey on a more a mature and political level through the use of art and the Internet. I respect that Ai Weiwei’s use of social media, of which his own government often censors him, is also that of constructive fanaticism. He wants the Chinese society he is in to be more open to the world and be able to other understand other ideals culture like we can in western culture. And this is possible with the way we have fanaticised over the development of the Internet and it’s uses.

The typeface and text has also been manipulated to appear tighter to provoke the lack of space and legibility. This goes back to the title of the book representing the dedicated fan that won’t be swayed by the ideas of others but only by that which they admire and believe in. The big and bold titles also reflect the extreme enthusiasm linked to fanaticism. Moving on, I believe all my choices of case studies have been important for the reader to understand compare and contrast different aspects of a fanatic. Although I felt that two case studies spoke to me the most in my research. The first is the story of Alfie Blagden, ‘The Boy Who Saved Pompey.’ I had placed this story last as I felt it strongly contrasted the type of fanaticism seen in the first case study I included on extremism and death caused by fanaticism, ‘Honour Above All.’

This moves me on to what I have realised and discovered along my research and in the making of this book. As highlighted in ‘Online Generation’, it is said that 4 out of 10 young people feel addicted to the Internet. I feel that the Internet is a worldwide addiction, as it is replacing a lot of different aspects of society. Yet we mostly use this non-tangible entity for pleasure and I feel that, like Ai Weiwei, there is a way we could use it constructively to change society. We have constant access to the Internet in the west through mobile devices, which easily makes us fanatics of being online to socialise, learn and entertain ourselves amongst other things. However, I feel we can still constructively exploit it’s potential to positively change the world.

The story of Alfie Blagden is one of genuine love but also of what I believe is a ‘True Fan’ who was going out of his way to save something that is part of his community. I see Alfie’s actions as what I like to call ‘constructive fanaticism’. Fanaticism is often seen as something that is destroying the society we live in, through narrow-minded and negative ideologies, causing war, violence and supremacy as highlighted in my introduction and ‘Honour Above All.’ 8 year-old Alfie shows how the fanatic can offer something different to society, bringing a sense of community and fighting, in a positive light, to keep what brings joy and

Finally, I think learnt most about the perception of the fanatic and fanaticism. As mentioned before, fanaticism is mostly percieved as a negative term but I have also learnt that the term can be also looked at in a positive light, it is really extremely negative enthusiasts that distort our view of the fanatic.

Noramy Kipoto

Graphic Artist

“... the fanatic can offer something different to society, bringing a sense of community and fighting, in a positive light, to keep what brings joy and happiness to the public ...”

“The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be.” MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

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TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM TICISM