In 1980s America, TV got radical. What sparked it?

stills from a TV programme — *Peter Wollen Reads the U.S. Press: People Magazine and Scientific American in the Same Breath*, 1988

(Image credit: Paper Tiger Television)

Television in 1970s America was disappointing. After the optimism and excitement of the 1960s, there was an air of disillusionment around a cultural output which seemed to centre around idealised, out-of-touch programming that felt dated. As an antidote, public access channels began to spring up on US Cable TV networks, with the non-commercial and community based system offering a chance to create independent programming.

The greater freedom it offered sparked some brilliant TV. Paper Tiger Television, formed in 1981, was one such collective taking advantage of the new platform, with their eclectic programming offering a radical alternative to mainstream broadcasting. Every Wednesday at 8.30pm, their grassroots system invited a figure - it could be a theorist, an activist, artist or scientist - to conduct a critical reading of a text, which could be a film, a book, newspaper, magazine or TV programme. Over four decades, 200 members created over 300 shows.

Contributors like Noam Chomsky, Herb Schiller, Donna Haraway, Joan Braderman, Martha Rosler, Joel Kovel, Tuli Kupferberg, Amy Goodman, James W. Loewen, Archi Singham and Thulani Davis jumped at the chance. Now, for the first time in the UK, over 40 of these programmes, rarely seen since their original broadcast, have been united in an exhibition at Goldsmiths CCA.

Seen together, they mark a clear departure from the conceptual art of the 1970s, instead ushering in the era of punk. ‘The work of Paper Tiger reflected the skills of people from art school - people who knew how to do more with less,’ the Paper Tiger Television community says. ‘It was the challenge and the creative energy that fuelled the collective’s work. It was hard, in some ways, but our struggles made our work better. There was no money and therefore the homemade look grew out of necessity. We would borrow a backdrop from a theatre group to add interest to the set. We would do the credits on cards because we did not have the video tech. What started as a necessity became our look and our strategy to be different and to represent the very nature of the collective. As an alternative to the style of corporate media, this then became our resistance, our form of standing apart and standing up to the mainstream.’

They point out the public access model, which allowed for programming to be made cheaply, epitomised democracy. This spirit runs throughout the show, beginning with the title, It’s 8:30. Do you know where your brains are? Paper Tiger Television explains: ‘In NYC there was a commercial news program that began their program with “It’s 10pm, Do you know where your children are?” All New Yorkers knew this well. A Tuli Kupferberg cartoon of a guy watching TV changed it to “Do you know where your brains are?”’

Practically too, the phrase was useful, reminding viewers to tune in weekly. ‘On a more philosophical level, we ask viewers to think about what their brain is doing. Is it alert? Is it thinking about what is going on in the world? This show is sometimes funny, seemingly cute, but these are big questions about our society and the way we communicate with each other and frame and discuss the problems and the successes. You're watching TV - you shouldn’t turn off your brain! We also often started with the image of a clock. This became a visual cue to say “TIME” to watch, turn on your brain and be creatively, intellectually and socially engaged.’

Programming was eclectic, featuring everything from Herb Schiller’s critical readings of the New York Times and Renee Tajima’s critique of the representation of Asian women in Hollywood productions to Martha Rosler reading Vogue and Richie Perez watching Fort Apache: The Bronx. ‘You will see makers from various points of cultural and political life, from many different places geographically,’ the collective adds. ‘The topics span a broad scope of life from feminism, queer issues, environmental activism, political struggles from US and abroad, as well as expression from artists, musicians and poets.’

This diverse nature reflects the spectrum of creativity involved across the board. ‘You will see the makers of the programmes while you watch. The camera people can be seen in the shows, we don’t hide the seams. The process is part of the show. A collective member walks on set and hands a script note to the speaker. Collective members are on set, making music and providing visual interest. The shows end with credits listed as this show made by. There is no named producer, editor, or writer; all in the collective get the same credit.’

'It’s 8:30. Do you know where your brains are?' at Goldsmits CCA until 19 April

goldsmithscca.art

Hannah Silver is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in journalism, spanning national newspapers and independent magazines. Currently Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles for print and digital, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury since joining in 2019.