Occupy Yourself 

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— Kimberly Lawson

ARTS

Antoine Williams: This local artist consecutively addresses the struggles of race, class and consumerism in his colorful, funky, thought-provoking works. One of my favorites, titled "The Problems We All Live With," challenges viewers to contemplate the point at which capitalism has gone too far. Williams wants folks to chew on this: "When does it go from serving as a liberator from need to a prisoner of want?"

Carlos Valencia: The comedian, a former Charlotte resident (Yay!) who now resides in Atlanta (Boo!), has worked some Occupy-inspired jokes into his act: "At first I thought the '99 percent' was in reference to the number of women Herman Cain had sexually harassed, but then I realized it was actually a reference to the people powering a grassroots movement dedicated to reforming a corrupt economic and political system of government." OK, the punch line's a mouthful — but it's funny.

Henry Schreiber: Not that his work is political in any way, shape or form, but this local artist has revolutionized the way we look at marmots (see his painting 'The Marmot with the Golden Helmet'). Selected pieces paint them up as prideful creatures clothed in armor and battle gear. To fight or gather nuts? That is the question. Of course, in reality, the harvest reigns supreme for these little guys — they're out occupying the streets, too.

Lee Camp: This New York-based comedian (and occasional contributor to The Huffington Post and The Onion) is fed up with the government. So fed up, in fact, he's taken to visiting Occupy camps, delivering adamant, vocally exhausting speeches/stand-up routines, and posting vids to his website (leecamp.net).

Les Misérables: Pick up a copy of Victor Hugo's novel-turned-musical for some major uprising action. Following real historical elements of the Paris Uprising of 1832 and the people's fight for freedom and democracy, you'll be singing "Do You Hear the People Sing?" and walking the streets in no time.

— Anita Overcash

MOVIES

Bananas (1971): Sometimes it's better to protest with a smile instead of a scowl, which is where this Woody Allen classic comes in. He plays accidental revolutionary Fielding Mellish, who eventually becomes president of a Latin American country known for leading the world in locusts, hernias and gonorrhea. Mellish: "When is the revolution?" Rebel: "In six months." Mellish: "Six months? I have a rented car!"

Duck, You Sucker, aka A Fistful of Dynamite (1972): Yes, everyone knows about such Sergio Leone classics as Once Upon a Time in the West and A Fistful of Dollars, but here's a frequently forgotten title worth checking out. Set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution, this stars Rod Steiger as a Mexican outlaw and James Coburn as the Irish explosives expert who awakens the self-centered bandito's anarchic spirit and sense of national pride. Steiger's performance serves up enough ham to feed the entire Occupy Charlotte movement.

Reds (1981): Late in Warren Beatty's superb film about American Communist John Reed, the gravely ill activist attempts to relieve himself, leading an observer to point out that "this one even pisses red!" While there's nothing Marxist or sickly about the Occupy Charlotte gang, one can note their devotion to the Queen City and assume that they do indeed piss Panther blue.

Revolution (1985): This titanic turkey about the Revolutionary War posits that Al Pacino, who looks as natural in this period setting as would Lady Gaga, almost single-handedly liberated us from British rule. On second thought, despite its irresistible camp-classic value, it's best to skip this one, lest Occupy Charlotte elects instead to Occupy Hollywood to prevent more duds like this one from being made.

V for Vendetta (2006): This is a top-notch film, but after viewing, we're going to ask readers to momentarily forget Guy Fawkes (see photo) and instead remember, remember, the seventh of December. That's the print issue date for this story, in which we cite R for Rhiannon, for her extensive, in-depth coverage of the Occupy Charlotte movement, and G for Grooms, whose impassioned columns consistently embolden enlightened progressives while annoying deranged conservatives and libertarians.

— Matt Brunson

BOOKS

Corporate Dick-Heads: Pigs at the Trough, by Arianna Huffington / Age of Betrayal: The Triumph of Money in America, 1865-1900, by Jack Beatty. Huffington asks, "Who filled the trough?" and details how corporate swine gorge themselves on huge bonuses with government help, while average Americans struggle. Beatty serves up smartly written, valuable history about the first time corporations bought Washington and impoverished half the country.

Corporate Dick-Head Fiction: Fire Sale, by Sara Paretsky / Bonfire of the Vanities, by Tom Wolfe. Paretsky's novel is a fast-moving mystery about scheming corporate bullies and the struggles of the working poor. Wolfe's Bonfires survived the terrible movie made from it, and its portrayal of 1980s New York investment bankers (aka the "Masters of the Universe") is some of the most piercing, savage satire of corporate sleazeballs since Trollope's 1875 The Way We Live Now.