Thumbing Their Noses at "The Man": An Analysis of Resistance Narratives About Multinational Corporations

Abstract

This research project examines the narratives that emerged in alterations of corporate billboards and advertisements. The altered billboards were found in Adbusters magazine and the magazine's Web site-particularly the "Creative Resistance" campaign developed by the publishers of Adbusters. Through the use of narrative criticism I construct a resistance narrative that glides throughout all of the altered billboards and is paramount to the anti-corporate movement and culture. This resistance narrative is based upon the identity of the culture and corporations that they resist, the cultural values of both the anti-globalists and corporations, and the political community that is constructed from the resistance artists' calls to action. The resistance narrative that emerges provides empowerment that is necessary for community building in the anti-corporate movement and culture.