Potatoes Don't Matter
Potatoes Don't Matter
‘Potatoes Don’t Matter' is a short, illustrated lecture by Charlie Wood responding to the recent controversy surrounding the rebranding of the classic toy ‘Mr Potato Head’ as the gender neutral ‘Potato Head’. Conservatives all over the world cried cancel culture and ‘trans activism’ but it seems that was always the plan. In the Charlie, using an original video collaging technique explores the issue with high potato fashion, dead pan humour and anti-capitalist politics. The online culture wars are a site of manufactured outrage to distract from the real centres of power and the attention economy is as stacked in favour of the rich as the actual economy. This exists as a problem far beyond Mx Potato head but this was a clear example that the artist used to make comment on the current state of identity, culture, power and the so called ‘trans debate’. The video also features a song, performed by Frankie Thompson and dedicated to Piers Morgan.
Artist Biography
Charlie Wood is an artist, performer and writer working in many mediums and forms. Their work explores Queer outrage, contemporary mythology and the intersection of comedy and tragedy. They recently graduated from Central Saint Martins and since then have created work for Les Enfants Terribles, Gash Theatre and Damien Frost. They have performed at The Glory and Royal Vauxhall Tavern and they are an associate artist with Created a Monster Theatre. They have featured in work by John Cameron Mitchell, Gillian Wearing and have recently been commissioned by The Wardrobe.
-