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Goldie Looking Chain Win Media Activist Award

undercurents | 22.11.2005 18:25 | World

In Swansea today Welsh rap stars Goldie Lookin' Chain were presented with an award for their work in raising the issue of Homelessness.

GLC with their MISTY

Press Release: Contact Undercurrents 01792 455900 or 07973 298359

Goldie Looking Chain Win Media Activist Award

November 22 2005
In Swansea today Welsh rap stars Goldie Lookin' Chain were presented with an award for their work in raising the issue of Homelessness. Signing autographs and promoting their latest album in Derricks Records on Oxford street, the rappers accepted the MISTY (Media Activist) award by saying their infamous slogan ‘Safe as F**K’.

The humorous presentation was filmed and will be shown at the BeyondTv internatioanl video festival this weekend. The rappers from Newport recently showed their support for housing charities Shelter Cymru with a sit-in protest with a difference. They crammed all 8 band members into a Mini Cooper to illustrate the overcrowding problems of bad housing.

The MISTY awards have been created to celebrate the people using media to bring about positive social change. The awards ceremony will launch the 6th annual BeyondTv international video festival, taking this weekend. Overlooking Swansea Marina, BeyondTv video festival has attracted people from the Middle East, America, Europe, England & Scotland. Tickets cost £10 (£5 concession) and available from 01792 463980.

Coordinator of the BeyondTV video festival, Helen iles said today-
‘It’s wonderful that musicians and filmmakers use their skills to bring positive change in society. The MISTY awards are a way of thanking the many people using their artistry for more than just making money.
She continued to say:
‘The camcorder has now put video making into the hands of the wider public. Our festival aims to showcase the people with imagination who are presenting issue’s often overlooked or misunderstood by the mass media.’

MISTY’s will be presented to artists, musicians, media activists and video makers from across the UK. Nominations for The ‘Best use of a Cream Pie’ include the recent targeting of ‘Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson

BeyondTv is supported by Arts Council of Wales, Swansea Council & the media development agency for Wales, SGRIN.
END
Notes to editor:
Photographs are available of Goldie Lookin’ Chain with MISTY award. Call Paul 07973 298359
BeyondTv programme online www.undercurrents.org/beyondtv

undercurents
Homepage: http://www.undercurrents.org/beyondtv

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

Hilarious!

22.11.2005 21:40

Where would any of us be without "Goldie Looking Chain"?

Now that our awareness of homelessness has been adequately raised, what's going to be done about it?

I spy more Geldofs in the making, no doubt complete with ironic, self-deprecating one-liners about "charidee".

I have a challenge for GLC and their ilk: try raising awareness of your favourite causes without raising awareness of your own careers.

Zorro

hey zorro

23.11.2005 16:09

GLC could have quite easily gone on with their careers and ignored homlesness
having been homless for 14 years im glad that people like that will raise awarness in their circles and if in the process it boosts their carrers so fuckin what it may lead to a few less people sleeping on the street
fuck u zorro

The reactionary mask of Zorro

24.11.2005 14:12

Hey! I'm Zorro! I'm really left wing and radical! I do so much for the cause!

Watch me now as I...slag off Goldie Looking Chain! Pow! Sock! Take that, forces of capitalism!

Next week: Zorro steals an apple from Tesco!!!

Sorrow

Spot the difference

25.11.2005 16:14

Geldof and Bono doing their bit for Live8 - general derision and abuse from the activist community.

GLC doing their bit for the homeless - pats on the back and "media awards" presented as they promote their latest release.

So why does a good cause need celebrity support before people take notice of it? Probably because we've become so attuned to ignoring everything that isn't associated with a recognisable, media-friendly personality.

I don't these people's sincerity, but over the long term they get far more out of it than the causes they support. In the long run, I'd say they diminish people's ability to organise sustainable action on important issues, because they contribute to the general public's high-intensity media-centric short attention span. And as we've seen with Live8, when the celebrities become not just visible supporters but spokesmen, the message is either muted or distorted out of all recognition.