Comment from Jill
Time: December 27, 2007, 1:23 am

Fabulous, if you ask me. A perfectly natural reaction to a culture that marginalizes so many artists and holds consumerism sacred. If people aren’t harmed, I don’t see any reason to consider shopdropping a problem. What shopdroppers are protesting is the problem!

Comment from Orhan Kahn
Time: December 27, 2007, 3:32 am

Interesting stuff.

Comment from Brian
Time: December 27, 2007, 10:20 am

How do you define “harm”?

Would you consider stores (particularly large ones) who have to add staff to located, remove, and dispose of these items, harm? Their costs (and our costs) go up. The consumer (me and you) ends up paying the price.

Comment from Tim
Time: December 27, 2007, 10:39 am

I would think that the people that have issue with this are concerned for customer/employee safety and are wary of law suits. Who is to say the products being placed on the shelves are not dangerous? Poisoned or tainted food products, explosives, computer viruses, etc.

While I agree that this is a novel idea, I would not want someone putting items of an unknown origin on my store shelves.

Comment from YouKnow
Time: December 27, 2007, 11:02 am

If I opened up my grocery bag and found some stupid note like that in there, the first thing I’d do is wonder if some psycho had poisoned the food I had just bought. And it would piss me off to have to throw it away because some little brat thought she was being clever.

Its an interesting idea, but it doesnt serves anyone’s needs, except those of the selfish shopdropper who wants their message to be heard.

What makes you think that what you have to say is any more important than what the rest of the world has to say? Stand in line for your 15 minutes of fame like everyone else!

Comment from Whodo
Time: December 27, 2007, 11:09 am

Remember the Tylenol poisoning cases? They were shopdropped, in a manner of speaking. You can appreciate why it makes people nervous.

Comment from Nick
Time: December 27, 2007, 12:26 pm

Jill, if you are going to blame a factor for the “plight” of artists, perhaps you should blame economics instead of culture. Artists often produce very little for the economy, except perhaps motivation for other more-productive members of society. Thus, they earn less money and power than you assume they should receive. If you’re a starving artist, it’s not because society conspires to impinge upon your human rights, but because capitalism illuminates the inefficacy of a large proportion of the population working as talented, motivated artists. Much like I cannot earn a living by keeping my friends and family entertained, motivated, and acting morally and ethically, sometimes, neither can an artist.

Comment from Urbanist
Time: December 27, 2007, 12:58 pm

This was, of course, expected (as it did) to produce a number of different reactions. When art goes into the public realm - be it graffiti, subvertising or shopdropping - it inevitably entertains and enlightens some while upsetting and worrying others. One could argue, as WebUrbanist has time and time again, that art that provokes discussion is often the best kind. It is interesting, though, that cult figures like Banksy seem to be forgiven their often intrusive and disruptive art while unknown artists who don’t have the same fame seem to be criticized for the same things.

Comment from Mo
Time: December 27, 2007, 1:16 pm

Nick’s comment = brilliant

Comment from Floyd
Time: December 27, 2007, 7:43 pm

Hell, I was doing this when I was a little kid — used to make up fake lables in macpaint and paste them on boxes and such in the grocery. My favorite had to be the year that Jeffery Dahmer got caught and I put ‘Dahmerville Brats’ (contains young white, dark and yellow meat) labels on around ten of the ‘Johnsonville Brats’ packages in the store.

Comment from Olver Hope
Time: December 27, 2007, 7:48 pm

Leaving something harmful is a whole other story. There is nothing wrong with what is being as long as it doesn’t’ hurt someone and if it wasn’t done with the intent of doing so.

If you are that nervous, then stop buying products and make everything your own. The odds of someone shop dropping, and the odds of a angry employee adding something at the factory are more or less the same I would bet…

Comment from Olver Hope
Time: December 27, 2007, 7:48 pm

right?

Comment from Counterpoint
Time: December 27, 2007, 8:21 pm

It seems that if you have something good to say, just say it. Then the people that agree with you will both listen, and follow. This gorilla tactic can have the opposite effect than desired. You may make an enemy where one didn’t exist. You complain about ideas and beliefs being shoved in your face, then do the same to someone else. Hypocritical, don’t you think? Jesus didn’t use this tactic, and people are still following him today. In 2000 years, no one will know you or follow you. If what you have to say is so good, get on a soapbox and say it. Don’t be a coward and hide in anonymity! So brave, but so scared. You will not be someone to follow, your childish actions will be loathed.

If you choose to be an artist, you made the choice. That’s the beautiful thing about us who can see the system and still get around it. Rather than whining about your song, what else do you do all day long? Nothing,… well that’s why you are where you are. If you only want the fame and fortune, then the only difference between you and them, is they got paid, and you didn’t. Sounds like a bunch of whining to me. And to take from Nick, you can’t expect to be fed and clothed, just because you make your family and friends happy. I do it for free, and I am all the better for it.

This is what your brilliant Idea can lead to…

http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=FCEE0873B5BF05711D3961AA7255A8D1?contentId=5321016&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

Explain who is the selfish one. What did this little girl do to deserve this on Christmas? Some self-righteous a-hole ruined this girl’s holiday, and parent’s are fuming. Thank you for bringing enlightenment into my life. Now give me what the f- I paid for.

Comment from Olver Hope
Time: December 27, 2007, 9:00 pm

Oh! …because by one single action you are able to know everything about someone…you are foolish.

Just because someone does ONE thing does not mean that they are instantly assigned swith the million attributes YOU assign to them. Did your so called Jesus stereotype people?

Plus, people who do this could be doing it, not looking for a response, but for the mere fact that they want to. The best part…no matter you flawed pointless opinions…you will never be able to stop them.

So go ahead and think you KNOW just how these people are…when in fact they are most likely all different you don’t’ have a single correct idea at all…

You typed “Don’t be a coward and hide in anonymity!” behind the name “Counterpoint” with no email address….hypocrite?

Comment from Not Brian
Time: December 27, 2007, 10:24 pm

Re Brian: You’re a douchebag. Firstly, stores will not hire more individuals to find a few shopdrops, they’ll just put more work onto their existing staff. Costs do not increase. Second, if the store does end up hiring more people (droplifting becomes about 1,000,000x more popular among the public) they will simply pay everyone less. Third, if anything, the prices of items may increase without any real overhead incurred by the retailer and shopdropping would be scapegoated while the retailer lines his pockets.

Have no sympathy for the big-boxes, no sympathy for most jackass ultra-capitalist “entrepreneurs”.

Comment from Anony-mouse
Time: December 27, 2007, 10:31 pm

I have to agree with Not Brian. I work in a retail establishment and due to, well, douchebaggery, new hires don’t occur for REAL work that NEEDS to be done now. Our prices increase, our profitability increases, our workload increases but no raises come down the pipe and no additional help is sent in. If you think a store is going to hire more staff to deal with this phenomena then you’re obviously unfamiliar with the way retail works.

Easy formula: You hire just enough people to do about 50-75% of the work well and put 100% of it on them, pay them exactly what’s required to keep them from quitting and you stay with this trend through the temporary rise in profit you will see WELL into the inevitable sharp decline due to poor customer service, when everything is in the shitter then you do a round of payraises and hiring, but ONLY enough to bring morale up to just above the suicide threshold and watch profits rise again.

Comment from G@ttoGiallo
Time: December 28, 2007, 4:24 pm

It simply amuse me as many other inventive things. I adore people and things’ shaking, life’s boring without fantasy…

Comment from Ridzki
Time: December 29, 2007, 6:11 pm

I thinks it’s a great form of self expression and raising awareness of a particular consumer product. Pity, I haven’t seen one droplifting product in my entire life

Comment from Saint Splattergut
Time: December 31, 2007, 11:02 am

Hahah, Floyd… you rule!

Comment from Jessica Short
Time: January 1, 2008, 1:06 pm

Droplifting is very controversial, I think.
People might be amused to create art in form of customized labels, but the customers who want a specific product might be very disappointed if they do not find the advertised value after they purchase the drop-lifted product.

It is some sort of fun anyway !

Comment from moondancer
Time: January 2, 2008, 7:43 pm

Unamused. Middle class artiste pretending to be a revolutionary, gee thats never happened before.

Comment from Connie
Time: January 6, 2008, 7:49 pm

Dumb…
Last I checked, defacing someone else’s property or tampering was a crime.

Talk about shop dropping … Between September 29 and October 1, 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after taking Extra-Strength Tylenol that was poisoned with cyanide. Police believed that someone had bought or stolen the medication from a store, tampered with it, and put it back on store shelves.

Hence, the safety sealed bottles of today.

Comment from friend
Time: January 20, 2008, 6:20 pm

Perhaps said artist is not of the egotistic variety. They don’t want conventional stardom. Perhaps it is out of a love for humanity such that it pains them to see people working long hours to buy an Ipod. An expensive toy that is designed to break within two years so you have to buy a new one. Yes, perhaps this emotion is misguided, only causing more inconvenience for those involved, but isn’t it something that people do care enough to do these things anonymously. They obviously spend their own time and money in hopes of changing something. The status quo in this country is pitiful. I already see myself being pushed into a corner thanks to student loans, high rent, and the cost of health care. Again, as many of you see it, and I might agree, some of these tactics are misguided, but I think the accusations of selfishness or egotism are far from the truth.

Comment from Sam
Time: January 26, 2008, 9:44 pm

Well, there seems to be different types of shopdropping. There is the type that is used to make people aware of something, giving a message of your opinion. This may be a crime or just a distructive way of making enimies, but still getting your message to those who care. Same as if it’s just a fun and amusing way to spend your time.
The best way of using shopdropping I think is to share your artwork. Digital forms like DVDs and CDs may not be the best idea (people may suspect viruses) but art in the form of printed or painted pieces, maybe if put with other pieces with a “FREE” sign on it, perhaps a note explaining your purpose for putting it there (to get your work known). This would be a harmless and (in my opinion) crimeless way to advertise your work, as long as you explain your purpose. Also you could put your website address on that explanation note, even more advertising so they can see the rest of your work.

It’s all in how you use it I guess. And as long as you have good intentions and make those intentions known, i see no reason why anyone should get angry.

Comment from wonderland
Time: February 13, 2008, 1:35 pm

hi everyone i am the one who made the shop drop film i would just like to make a few things clear:

i dont harm the food i can understand why you may be a bit parnoid but if you find an egg box with a message in it think carefully about how the hell someone could posion an egg without the shell breaking and as for the tins well they are clearly labled so if you dont want to buy it you dont have to also if you think about it say someone was trying to posin food surley it would be stupid to make the tin stand out they want it to blend in wouldnt they?

as for shops having to employ more people to deal with shop dropping, well i dont think that is the case at all and even if it was the fact that it would be increasing job oppertuinty is a good thing isnt it?

i think that counterpoint comparing me to jesus is one of the funniest things i have ever heard i dont care if im not remebered in 2000 years time im living for the moment, the here and now as for me being a coward well im not a coward and im not brave either im just me and the reason i dont put my name on the tins is because its not about who i am its about what the shop dropped thing is and how it makes the person who finds it feel (hopefully happy) im not trying to get lots if recognition im just trying to make people happy thats all

“Rather than whining about your song, what else do you do all day long? Nothing,… well that’s why you are where you are.”

im not sure what song it is that your talking about but i do think its rather funny you have made an assumtion about me which is competely inaccurate its not like i consider shop dropping my job i work im going to uni soon and im completely happy ‘where i am’

and as for the little girl at christmas well that has nothing to do with shop dropping they took the ipod from the package and kept it and thats stealing, and i dont ‘deface other peoples property’ i buy it take it home relabe it and then put it back and there are no laws about defacing your own property

youknow im not a brat im not sure what made you think i was i dont think what i have to say is more important (which is why i try to encoage other people to shop drop) im just not waiting to be ask im just saying what i think not all the messages are even politcal some of them are completely random and say things like ‘biting people is wrong’ because i think it would be funny to go into tesco or somewhere and see something like that on a tin and as for the fame as i said thats not why im doing it

and finally to all the people who have left nice comment THANK YOU YOU HAVE MADE MY DAY you have no idea how happy it makes me feel having people say nice things about my film what you hav said has out weighed the bad things people have had to say so again THANK YOU

Comment from JeremyH
Time: February 28, 2008, 4:02 pm

Classic textbook example of passive-aggressive behavior.