Hello, from Yello
Hello, from Yello.
This inaugural issue of Yello is giant-sized. To cover a broad range of topics for the first issue, I wrote more articles than I plan to put out in a typical week. Some articles are new and others were pre-released.
If you like my stories, please consider sharing them on social media and tapping the heart icon at the bottom of each post to show them some love. 💛
Yello is politics for your eyes. I hope you like it.
Yours,
The week in politics and culture
Twenty Democratic presidential candidates will debate Wednesday and Thursday in Miami, Fla. Crowded stages mean candidates could have “as little as six or seven minutes of speaking time,” per the New York Times. ⏲️ I’ll be in Miami for the debates. Send me your street art recommendations.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced a proposal Monday to cancel all student debt, which totals $1.6 trillion. “If we could bailout the crooks on Wall Street, we can free generations of Americans from the outrageous burden of student loans by canceling all existing student debt,” he wrote on Instagram. 🎓
The Supreme Court is expected to rule on several cases before the end of the month, including one on gerrymandering and another that would add a citizenship question to the census.
Artist and Obama “Hope” creator Shepard Fairey said South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is his favorite candidate “so far.” Fairey told Yello he plans to have a conversation with Buttigieg’s team “soon.” 🎨
Rihanna debuted a shirt that reads “Immigrant” for her second Fenty collection. Born in Barbados, Rihanna told the Cut she thinks people sometimes forget she’s an immigrant. “I think they see Rihanna the brand,” she said. On Instagram Rihanna posted this photo, tagging @realDonaldTrump in the caption.
Pop star primaries
Speaking out on politics has become a basic job requirement for the modern pop star. They’ve gotten so involved that some of them actually endorsed candidates in a midterm year, although most of those endorsements didn’t do any good.
Regardless, pop star support is something all candidates seem to appreciate, even if they act like they don’t. During the 2016 race, then-candidate Donald Trump boasted he didn’t need J.Lo, Jay-Z, or Beyoncé to get people to his rallies, but he’s since cultivated relationships with his own musician supporters.
The upcoming campaign could see pop activism reaching new heights. Imagine Beyoncé and Taylor Swift dropping primary endorsements right before Super Tuesday, when their home states of Texas and Tennessee vote, or Kanye West serving as the opening act at a Trump rally.
I wrote about eight pop stars who could weigh in on 2020. Read the story here. Previously unreleased.
Politics and activism at the summer’s biggest street art show
On June 19 I toured “Beyond the Streets,” a massive graffiti and street art exhibit that opened Friday in Brooklyn. For me, it was heaven.
I spoke to curator Roger Gastman before the opening and asked him what makes street artists tick. He listed off four traits — defiance, disruption, activism, and ego — and said almost every street artist fits into a majority of them. Those traits became a mission statement for the show, he said, and they appear on the opening wall of the exhibit.
I was most interested in seeing the activism portion of the show, and there was plenty to see, including more than 30 works from Shepard Fairey. Particularly striking were pieces by Cleon Peterson and Conor Harrington that explore fascism and nationalism. Read the story here. Previously unreleased.
Why I photograph political street art
My first street art scoop came when I photographed the first known act of vandalism on then-candidate Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after he announced his campaign.
Street art sighting began as a hobby, but today it feels like a calling. I shot street art whenever I came across it and I started seeing more and more. Readers have sent in their sightings from across the country and around the world. I believe we’re living through a golden age of political art, but it usually only makes the news if it’s something big like a hijacked billboard or a giant baby Trump balloon. I wanted to cover the era more fully, documenting its images and discovering its artists. Read the story here. Previously unreleased.
Trump trademarked the reelection slogan “Keep America Great” before he even became president
If 2020 is a referendum on the incumbent, MAGA provides voters with a straightforward criteria for assessing whether he deserves another term. Has he delivered on his campaign promises? Is America more or less great since he took office? In KAG, Trump provides his answer in the affirmative, trademarked before he even started the job. Read the story here. Published June 13.
Announcement rally walkout songs are the only ones that really matter
The diversity of the 2020 field is evident in the songs they picked for their big day. From rock to pop to Lizzo, if your tastes are eclectic, you might enjoy putting them all on shuffle. Read the story here. Published June 14.
Actually… Joe Biden’s logo is fine
I’ve found that the campaign logos that get the most negative reaction tend to be those of more established politicians, like the Hillary H, the Romney R, and the Jeb Jeb!. It's easier to disparage a mark for a politician who has well-known foibles from which to hang criticism, but they’re also logos for an already well-known brand. It’s a rebrand, and everyone hates a rebrand. Read the story here. Published June 17.
Is there a candidate whose logo you want me to write about next? Email in your suggestion to hunter@yellozine.com.
As a slogan, KAG fizzled on arrival
For such a confident slogan, KAG got a soft launch. The stage on which President Trump formally announced his reelection campaign Tuesday had his old slogan written across it. He didn’t get around to mentioning the new one until about thirty minutes into his speech. Read the story here. Published June 19.
Yello Field Guide
Yello is free, but to fund my work, I’m offering readers a paid subscription option. Subscribers will get access to the Yello Field Guide, with exclusive stories.
The Yello Field Guide is on sale now, and if you subscribe before Friday, you can get 20% off an annual subscription. Click below for the offer:
I’m also selling a limited-edition, numbered, 24-page print zine that includes stories from the inaugural newsletter issue.
You can purchase the zine here.
This issue of Yello is dedicated to my mother, my father, Michael Hastings, Robin Givhan, and Britney Spears.