While the state-run TV did reform after the Revolution, by most accounts, it's coverage during Maspero violence (in front of the state TV building, Maspero) only served to incite more violence.
Recently I have seen street art around Midan Tahrir focused on TVs.
Translation: "Descend to the street" (The word "descend" is a common word in Egypt-- you "descend" from the metro train to the platform).
I photographed this stencil during the demonstration on Friday 18 November near AUC Tahrir campus.
Who is telling whom to "Descend to the street?"
During the 9 October Maspero violence, State TV told Egyptians to "Descend to the street" to defend the military against the Christians. Is the street-artist mocking that incident?
From what I have seen on other blogs, this stencil-- created by Adham Bakry-- is not new and has appeared before. I, however, have not seen the stencil since my arrival in August. It made a strong comeback in the downtown area during Friday 18 November demonstrations.
This stencil first appeared on Sunday 20 November. While the stencil appears in a few places throughout Midan Tahrir, it is mostly limited to near the AUC Tahrir campus building. I photographed this specific stencil on The Wall.
As I look at this street art of TVs, I am reminded of the late African-American poet Gil Scott Heron's poem "The Revolution will not be Televised."
The refrain of the poem is "The Revolution will not be Televised." The Egyptian Revolution, however, was televised on State-run TV, Al Jazzera, BBC, any network you name it. And in contrast to his words ("There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clock news"), the Egyptian Revolution was on the eleven o'clock news around the world.
Scott Heron said "Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville Junction will no longer be so damned relevant." Egyptian pop culture is, however, still relevant. Not all, but some of the graffiti in Cairo makes reference to an Egyptian film or the Egyptian version of "Green Acres."
So was Scott Heron wrong? He concludes his poem, "The Revolution will be no re-run brothers, the Revolution will be live." In these words, Scott Heron spoke an absolute truth.
There is no re-run, this is it. I may hear what seems like a re-run of sirens from my window, but for each victim in that ambulance the siren is all but real. No matter what information the state TV is spewing from the television in front of me, the sirens are still real; the chants are still loud. The Revolution will not be televised.
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