Naked Flat Viewing
Yesterday I talked about what Americans are doing in response to high rents in New York – putting forward a Mayoral Candidate standing on the single policy of high rents. Today I turn to the German approach – which is to take their clothes off!
The Independent rather breathlessly declared on Thursday:
The movement is sending shock waves through the normally orderly world of Berlin estate agents: when they show off apartments for rent, their presumed tenants strip off and prance around wearing nothing but Mickey Mouse masks to hide their identities.
The protesters, who paint their naked bodies with slogans such as “too expensive” and “rip off”, pose as ordinary would-be tenants and queue up to “view” expensive apartments to let.Once inside they strip off and dance around to blaring music pumped through loudspeakers while being filmed.
Sadly the truth is probably a little less dramatic. Hedonist International
…wants joy, pleasure, happiness, and a life based on self-determination for all people.
…doesn’t view hedonism as the engine of a society based on mindless materialist entertainment, but as the chance to overcome present circumstances.
…is not an organization, but an idea, whose implementation is the responsibility of every individual. Nobody but the individual is responsible for his or her actions. Hedonists organize themselves in manifold ways to take specific or random action.
This generally involves taking their clothes off & dancing to loud music – quite a traditional form of enjoyment. There have been few demonstrations – at the G8 conference three years ago, a raid on a Nazi bar, and on Saturday, 31.07.2010 at the Friedrichshain a “hedonistic apartment sightseeing rally”.
Youtube have removed most of their videos, citing “Community Values”, but this one probably gives a flavour of the event.
Central London Flat hunting tends to be a bit of a grind, here’s hoping that Hedonist International have hit on a way of making it more exciting, and maybe even cheaper.
