TOW #7: Let Them Eat Crack by Banksy

The unknown British street artist who goes by the pseudonym Banksy has created myriads of subversive graffiti that contains his commentary on the political and social concerns of the world. In an attempt to expose the crude reality of the corruption and injustice that is internationally prevalent, Banksy has displayed his street art in publicly visible surfaces, including the 2008 “Let Them Eat Crack” graffiti featured on a building in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. Many of his works are exhibited in largely populated areas in order to bring light to the issues towards an audience that may know about the dilemmas but chooses to turn a blind eye. His explicit depiction and openness towards the difficulties speaks volumes about his morale and values.

            This graffito depicts a rat clothed in a stereotypical Wall Street businessmen attire, paws red with what seems like blood. The rat turns back to observe what he wrote, which reads in the same red liquid, “LET THEM EAT CRACK.” This phrase is a play-off of the quote Marie Antoinette is best known for, “Let them eat cake.” The background behind Antoinette’s saying represents the ignorance of the upper class on the hardships and poverty that peasants face when Marie demanded the peasants to eat brioche, “cake,” when she learned that they had no bread to eat. By creating a parody of her quote on his street art, Banksy was able to effectively deliver the corruption and amoral attitude of Wall Street and their constant hunger for money and power.

            The controversies that relate back to Banksy’s street work grasped my attention, encouraging my desire to analyze his graffiti. Many of his drawings invoke public outrage, but I believe that this piece was widely accepted by many in the public as the majority of the American population are under the 1% regarding financial stability.