Bus shelter posters proclaiming that Vice President Kamala Harris is the "official candidate of the Philadelphia Eagles" were spotted around Center City Philadelphia over Labor Day weekend.
The idea that a professional sports organization such as the Eagles would endorse a candidate in a heated presidential election is, of course, ludicrous. As the fake ads began to go viral, the Eagles quickly put out a statement calling the posters "counterfeit political ads."
We are aware counterfeit political ads are being circulated and are working with our advertising partner to have them removed.
A few minutes of casual internet sleuthing reveals that the posters are almost certainly the work of Winston Tseng, an NYC-based street artist who routinely goes viral for similar stunts using similar graphics. Examples of Tseng's previous work can be seen on his personal website and on his Instagram account, where he has thousands of followers. The sites feature a number of provocative messages plastered in bus shelters and elsewhere, often co-opting corporate branding to deliver political messages. A few examples:
Instagram: @winstontseng
Instagram: @winstontseng
Instagram: @winstontsengIn a 2021 interview with Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine, Tseng indicates that he puts the posters up himself: "I started putting up posters a few years ago, but didn’t really think of them as street art or ever imagine they’d be seen that way . . . As far as installing them in public, the main motivation is just wanting to create tangible work . . Plus, the act of putting them up in public is pretty fun."
In the same interview, Tseng adds that he's no stranger to controversy, and that MAGA enthusiasts regularly harass him online: "I get random threats on social media about every month or so. From what I can tell it mostly stems from the 'Keep NYC Trash Free' posters I did a couple years ago, which got quite a reaction from the MAGA folks. They doxxed me and started harassing any company or organization they thought I was connected to."
Case closed, right?
Ha. It's election season, baby. Pennsylvania is a swing state. And Philadelphia Eagles fans are... well, Philadelphia Eagles fans. Let's get nuts.
First, what if the Eagles were in on it? That's the position taken by right-wing investigative journalist Laura Loomer. It's all very simple, you see. I'll let Ms. Loomer explain:
EXCLUSIVE:
🚨🚨🚨🚨
Are the @Eagles lying about the pro Kamala Eagles ads not being their ads?
It appears that is the case.
Let’s look at additional evidence I’ve uncovered that suggests the Eagles did in fact approve these ads which they are now calling “counterfeit”.… https://t.co/41NnJ7dacQ pic.twitter.com/LtjQVhCimj
Second, if the Eagles were not in on it, when do they plan to utilize their security force to dole out some punishment? Can we get Big Dom to bust some heads? Jondavid Longo, mayor of Slippery Rock, PA, wants answers.
After they are removed, what will @Eagles do to punish those responsible and undo the harm done to this political process by falsifying your endorsement?
Third (and this is a question I genuinely share): How and why are some of these posters still up?
It seems like Septa, the city, and various advertising intermediaries are waiting for each other to do something. Joe from South Philly, an Eagles fan, took matters into his own hands in at least one location. Fox 29's Steve Keeley (of "I am stoked, Steve!" fame), filmed this video of Joe conducting guerrilla art of his own:
LISTEN: @Eagles fan Joe from South Philly explains why he is out at bus shelter at 34th & Walnut, covering one of the what the team called “counterfeit political ads.” pic.twitter.com/jLys1DsKpZ
Fighting fire with fire. Gotta respect it.
We all enjoy a good conspiracy theory, so hopefully this isn't just the work of one man. Sadly, however, it sure looks like that's the case.
Asked about the goal of his artwork in 2021, Tseng had this to say: "I’m not necessarily trying to change anyone’s mind, and I realize I’m not proposing solutions either. Whether it’s a literal depiction or conveying a popular sentiment, the goal is to capture the times we’re in, and hopefully there’s some lasting value in that."
Mission accomplished, Tseng. Nobody will forget this work anytime soon.
OnPattison has reached out to Winston Tseng for comment, but Tseng has not responded as of the date of this publication.
UPDATE: On Sunday, September 8, Winston Tseng sent the following statement to On Pattison. He later posted the statement publicly on Instagram. A follow-up article can be found here.
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