UCR ARTS: California Museum of Photography
Curated by Douglas McCulloh
Lies are ever-present in human affairs, a tidal flow that rises and falls. Recently, lies have been at flood stage and photographs are central to the surge.
Statements, strings of words, are readily seen as assertions, claims. Photographs, on the other hand, are presumed to be a form of evidence. In Susan Sontag’s phrase, we assume photographs are “directly stenciled off the real.” Consequently, photographs, even dubious ones, carry credence in a way that words do not. Moreover, writes theorist Lev Manovich, “the reason we think that computer graphics technology has succeeded in faking reality is that we, over the course of the last hundred and fifty years, have come to accept the image of photography and film as reality.” For these main reasons and scores of lesser ones, photographs are ideal vehicles for lies. (Read More)
The line is fine between the genuine products of late capitalism and spoof productions fabricated by pranksters. True products and take-offs flow back and forth across a porous boundary. Packaging—finely tuned, highly evolved hype—is particularly readymade for mockery. Genuine products collapse from ludicrous overreach while cleverly crafted critiques and humorous one-offs are read as real. True and false mingle in a common herd.
The Claim
Recycling has risen to new lengths. Trojan now distributes a “pre-owned” condom—“Triple-washed & Sanitized JUST LIKE NEW!” A left hand holds the pumpkin-orange package containing “3 Pre-used, Upcycled Condoms,” only $2.97 in front of a drugstore shelf. The image received wide circulation and elicited a wide range of comment: incredulous, amused, outraged.
The Lie
The photograph does not show a genuine Trojan product, but a digitally manipulated parody so deftly crafted it is taken as real. The seminal appearance was Valentine’s Day 2020, posted by Adam Padilla who creates online content under the name adam.the.creator. Then, of course, the photo reproduced widely across the internet. A year later, Padilla offered a follow-up product: “Trojan FUSION condoms.” “Made with Real Gorilla Glue.” “For a Special Bond.”
