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Joey Skaggs | |
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| Born | 1945 (age 79–80) United States |
| Other names | Kim Yung Soo, Joe Bones, Joseph Bonuso, Giuseppe Scaggoli, Peppe Scaggolini, Dr. Josef Gregor, Joseph Virgil Skaggs, Dr. Richard J. Long, Dr. Joseph Schlafer, Dr. Joseph Chenango, Baba Wa Simba, Joseph Bucks, Jojo the Gypsy, Joseph Howard, Joseph Adore, Joseph Sullivan, and the Rev. Anthony Joseph. |
| Education | High School of Art and Design School of Visual Arts (BFA) |
| Occupation(s) | Artist, writer, lecturer |
| Website | https://joeyskaggs.com/ |
Joey Skaggs (born 1945) is an American multi-media artist,activist,satirist, educator[1] and prankster.[2][3] In a career spanning six decades, he has produced paintings, sculptures,guerrilla theater,[4]performance art, socially revealing hoaxes,media pranks, and films. Skaggs is one of the originators of the phenomenon known asculture jamming.[5]
Joey Skaggs, originally trained as a painter and sculptor, began experimenting with performance art in the 1960s, utilizing public spaces and mass media as platforms for his work. His projects often incorporate elements of guerrilla theater, satire, and hoaxes to address themes such as societal norms, media sensationalism, and institutional power dynamics.[5]
Skaggs employs aliases and maintains anonymity to ensure the success of his hoaxes and satirical projects.[5] He operates independently, without formal sponsorship or financial gain,[6] staging elaborate scenarios that critique media systems and expose the spread of misinformation. His work often incorporates humor and abusurdity as tools to engage audiences and provoke discussion about societal and cultural issues.
Skaggs has been recognized for his innovative use of performance and media deception. In this regard, he can be likened to a playwright or filmmaker in that his hoaxes are tightly scripted affairs meant to bypass an already suspicious gatekeeping establishment—conceived, written, produced, directed, staged and acted with locations, props, and pre-packaged footage (press release and video content).[7] Critics and commentators have noted his influence on art, activism, and media literacy highlighting his unique approach to blending performance with social critique.[5]
In 2017, the feature documentaryArt of the Prank, directed by Andrea Marini, about artist Joey Skaggs, was released internationally on television and streaming platforms after screening at film festivals.[8][9]
In 2020, production began on a series of short oral history films titledJoey Skaggs Satire and Art Activism, 1960s to the Present and Beyond. The films document firsthand accounts of Skaggs’ art and satirical performances, exploring the planning, execution, and impact of his interventions. They aim to preserve the legacy of his critique on media and societal norms, while examining public and media reactions to his work. The series serves as both an educational resource and historical archive, highlighting Skaggs’ role as a pioneer in performance art and media activism. Individual episodes have been screened at film festivals in the United States and internationally[5][10] as production continues.
In the late 1960s, Joey Skaggs erected a life-size sculpture depicting a decayedJesus Christ inTompkins Square Park to critique religious hypocrisy within the Church. The piece was later exhibited in 1967 atNew York University and twoCentral Park Be-ins. In 1969, Skaggs brought a duplicate of the sculpture toSt. Patrick’s Cathedral, where church officials denied him entry and he was removed by police.[11]
In 1968, Joey Skaggs took a group of approximately 60East Village hippies to suburbanQueens to satirize tour buses that brought visitors toGreenwich Village to observe the hippie counterculture. Participants included publisherPaul Krassner and artistYayoi Kusama, who painted polka dots on nude dancers as part of the performance. The event received media attention, including an interview with Skaggs on theToday Show, a front-page article in theDaily News, and coverage inThe New York Times and other publications.[12]
Joey Skaggs staged a protest against theVietnam War on Christmas Day, creating a life-size Nativity scene with symbolic elements to critique U.S. involvement in the conflict. The display, set up inCentral Park, included a manger, papier-mâché figures such as pigs in police hats, sheep holding briefcases, and a camel representingHubert Humphrey. It also featured depictions ofJohn F. Kennedy,Bobby Kennedy, andMartin Luther King Jr. as beheaded wise men, along with a Vietnamese baby Jesus surrounded by peasant sculptures of Mary and Joseph. Skaggs and his collaborators, dressed as American soldiers, planned to set the display on fire but authorities intervened.[13] The event was reported inThe New York Times under the headline “Yippie ‘Nativity Scene’ Leads to Tickets for Littering.”[14]
In 1971, while living on a dairy farm in central New York, Joey Skaggs learned about theEarlville Opera House, a historic building constructed in 1892 in Earlville, New York, that was slated for demolition to make way for a parking lot. Skaggs purchased the building and led a campaign to preserve it. Today the opera house is listed on theNational Register of Historical Places and operates as a vibrant performance and exhibition venue. It celebrated its 50th anniversary as a cultural center in 2022.[15]
The "Cathouse for Dogs" is regarded as Skaggs’ first major media hoax. In 1976, Joey Skaggs placed an ad in New York’sVillage Voice promoting a "Cathouse for Dogs,"[7] claiming pet owners could pay $50 for their dogs to be sexually gratified. When the media expressed interest, Skaggs staged an event with volunteers and dogs and later provided video footage toWABC-TV, which was incorporated into the documentary,It's A Dog's Life, which addressed animal cruelty and won an Emmy.[16] Skaggs was subpoenaed by the Attorney General’s office for operating a bordello for dogs. At the hearing, he revealed the hoax, emphasizing the role of media in misrepresentation. WABC-TV did not issue a correction.[17][5]
Later in 1976, under the alias Giuseppe Scaggoli, Joey Skaggs announced an auction for a fictitious “Celebrity Sperm Bank,” claiming to offer sperm from rock stars such asMick Jagger,Bob Dylan, andJohn Lennon. On the day of the supposed event, Skaggs staged a scene outside a brownstone onWaverly Place in New York City, featuring actors posing as bidders and protesters. When the media arrived, Skaggs claimed the sperm had been stolen and read a ransom note that humorously referenced activistAbbie Hoffman. Despite the event not occurring as advertised, it attracted significant media attention in both print and broadcast news.[18][19]
In 1981, Joey Skaggs orchestrated the “Metamorphosis Cockroach Miracle Cure” hoax to critique the media’s susceptibility to sensational stories. Using the alias Dr. Josef Gregor—an allusion to Gregor Samsa, the protagonist inFranz Kafka’s novellaThe Metamorphosis—Skaggs held a press conference dressed in a white suit andPanama hat adorned with fake cockroaches. He claimed to have developed a “miracle cure” derived from hormones extracted from super-roaches immune to toxins, asserting it could treat conditions such as acne,anemia, and radiation exposure. Accompanied by friends, colleagues, and students from theSchool of Visual Arts, Skaggs offered the cure “freely to the world.” Despite overt references to Kafka’s story, the clues went unnoticed and the claim was widely reported, including byUPI.[20] Skaggs, in character as Dr. Gregor, appeared onWNBC-TV’s Live at Five, where he was interviewed about the discovery. Media outlets, includingPeople andThe Wall Street Journal, later exposed the hoax, though WNBC-TV did not issue a retraction.[21][1]
In 1983, Joey Skaggs created “Fish Condos,” a series of aquatic sculptures designed to resemble bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, and kitchens, intended for upwardly mobile guppies. While some speculated whether the pieces were part of a hoax, the fish tanks were functional and real. The sculptures satirizedgentrification in New York City and commented on environmental degradation. “Fish Condos” received significant media coverage, appearing inNew York Magazine,Life, and theNeiman Marcus Christmas Catalog,[22] among other outlets. They were also featured on television and exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide.[23][24]
In 1984, Joey Skaggs created the fictitious “Bad Guys Talent Management Agency” to help his friend Verne Williams fulfill his dream of becoming an actor. The agency claimed to represent “bad guys, bad girls, bad kids, and bad dogs.”[25] Skaggs designed a mock FBI wanted poster as a headshot for Williams and sent it to casting agents in New York City, leading to Williams securing a role in Berry Gordy’s feature filmThe Last Dragon and launching his acting career. The story gained media attention, including coverage inPeople Magazine and other outlets, which led to an influx of aspiring “bad” actors seeking representation.[26]
In 1986, Joey Skaggs, under the alias Joe Bones, created the “Fat Squad,”[27] a fictitious organization offering to enforce clients’ diets for $300 a day with a three-day minimum. The "Fat Squad Commandos" claimed to monitor clients and prevent them from cheating on their diets, operating under the motto, “You can hire us, but you cannot fire us. Our commandos take no bribes.”[17] The hoax attracted significant media attention, including a segment onABC’sGood Morning America,[28] where a staged scene featured a client and commandos guarding a refrigerator.[29]
In 1986, Joey Skaggs announced the creation of the “Annual New York City April Fools’ Day Parade,” a satirical event publicized each year through a press release. The parade is described as featuring satirical floats and performers parodying political figures and social issues. According to the press release, the route begins atFifth Avenue and59th Street and ends atWashington Square Park, where the “King of Fools” is crowned.[30][31]
In 1990, Joey Skaggs orchestrated two simultaneous hoaxes, “Comacocoon” and “Hair Today, Ltd.” “Comacocoon” was presented as a company offering a vacation alternative involvinganesthesiology and subliminal programming, claiming to provide benefits such as relaxation, weight loss, and elective surgery. “Hair Today, Ltd.” purported to offer total scalp transplants using donorcadavers. Promotional materials for both fictitious companies were designed to resemble genuine advertisements and were sent exclusively to journalists. The exaggerated claims were intended to attract media attention. After both campaigns generated coverage and Comacocoon received a subpoena from theDepartment of Consumer Affairs with 17 charges related to the company’s claims, Skaggs revealed them as hoaxes, further highlighting the media's susceptibility to sensational stories.[32][33]
In July 1992, Joey Skaggs, using the alias Father Anthony Joseph, an Anglican priest from California, pedaled “Portofess,” a portableconfessional booth mounted on a tricycle to theDemocratic National Convention atMadison Square Garden in New York City.[34] The manifesto he handed out declared “Religion on the move for people on the go” and said, “The church must go where the sinners are.”[35][36]
In the fall of 1993, Joey Skaggs, using the alias Dr. Joseph Skaggs, announced the launch of "SEXONIX," a purportedvirtual reality company claiming to turn sexual fantasies into immersive virtual experiences. Skaggs announced the company would debut at the Metro Toronto Christmas Gift and Invention Show but, just before it did, he alleged that Canadian customs had seized the equipment at the border, labeling it morally offensive. Taking the hoax into cyberspace, Skaggs posted messages onelectronic bulletin boards in New York andSan Francisco (early precursors to social media platforms), asking for public assistance in retrieving the equipment. The hoax attracted media attention in bothCanada and the U.S. and has been described as one of the earliest documented internet hoaxes, illustrating the potential for disinformation in the emerging digital age.[37]
Joey Skaggs created a 30 second television commercial featuring Maqdananda, a new-agepsychic attorney who claimed he could predict outcomes for his clients. Offering services like psychic surgery malpractice and renegotiating past-life contracts, the ad aired onCNN Headline News across the Hawaiian Islands. Callers to 1-808-UCA-DADA were met with the message, “I knew you’d call.”[26]
In 1994, Joey Skaggs, posing as Kim Yung Soo, the head of a fictional Korean company called Kea So Joo, Inc. (purportedly translating to “dog meat soup with alcohol” in Korean), launched a hoax titled “Dog Meat Soup.”[38] Skaggs claimed the company was offering to buy unwanted dogs from shelters for $0.10 per pound for human consumption. Despite never directly responding to any inquiries, reports emerged alleging conversations with company representatives, along with unverified claims that large dogs were disappearing from the streets and that legal charges were being pursued against the company. Skaggs later revealed the hoax, which he orchestrated with assistance from Korean collaborators.[39] The performance aimed to critique the media’s willingness to report on news without verification and highlighted widespread cultural bias.[40]
In 1995, Joey Skaggs, under the alias Dr. Joseph Bonuso, Ph.D., announced the creation of the “Solomon Project,” a fictitiousartificial intelligence program he claimed could deliver swift, unbiased legal verdicts and revolutionize the American judicial system. FollowingO.J. Simpson’s acquittal in the trial forNicole Simpson’s murder, Skaggs, as Dr. Bonuso, declared that the Solomon Project had found Simpson guilty. CNN contacted the Solomon Project and aired a segment examining the implications of using AI in legal decision-making. After discovering the project was a hoax, CNN issued a follow-up report acknowledging they had been misled.[41]
Between 1996 and 1998, Joey Skaggs, using the alias Dr. Joseph Howard, created a media hoax titled “Stop BioPEEP.” In this performance, Skaggs portrayed awhistleblower alleging that a fictional multinational corporation was developing a virus capable of genetically addicting consumers to specific products, transforming them into “consumer junkies.” He further claimed this virus could be used for targeted genetic manipulation, which he termed “gene-ocide,” suggesting it could eliminate specific groups. The hoax incorporated an international group of collaborators, a fake website, and staged protests in the U.S. andAustralia, including one at theUnited Nations. The hoax attracted media attention and, at times, was conflated with reports of an emergingbird flu outbreak inChina. Skaggs later explained that the performance was designed to provoke discussion about the ethical and societal implications of genetic engineering.[4]
In 1999, Joey Skaggs organized the “Doody Rudy” protest in New York’sWashington Square Park in response to then-MayorRudy Giuliani’s policies, which included efforts to limit creative expression and the “quality of life” campaign targeting homelessness. Skaggs collaborated with artistSteve Powers (ESPO) to create a 10’ x 14’ painting depicting Giuliani as theMadonna. Protesters, wearing “Doody Rudy” hats, wheeled a trashcan filled with faux elephant dung and held signs such as “Doody Rudy with Dumbo’s Dung” and “Help Support the Homeless—$1.00 Contribution Per Throw Will be Donated to Housing Works, Inc.”[42] Participants threw the faux dung at the portrait, referencing Giuliani’s criticism ofChris Ofili’sHoly Virgin Mary painting, which incorporated elephant dung and had been displayed at theBrooklyn Museum. Giuliani had publicly opposed the exhibition and threatened to withdraw city funding from the museum.[43] The funds raised during the protest were donated toHousing Works, a non-profit organization supporting homeless individuals living withAIDS.[44]
In 2000, Joey Skaggs launched “Final Curtain,” a performance art hoax critiquing the commercialization of the death-care industry. Advertisements in alternative newspapers with the tagline “Death got you down? At last an alternative” directed readers to a website for the fictitious “Final Curtain” memorial theme park and mall. The site featured detailed architectural drawings, a business plan, artist-designed memorials, and descriptions of attractions such as “Dante’s Grill,” themed gift shops and restrooms each equipped with a perpetually flowing drinking fountain of nondenominational holy water.[45] The website also listed fictional company executives, with Skaggs personally assuming all roles in media responses.[46] The hoax garnered widespread media coverage, both before and after Skaggs revealed it as a satirical commentary on the commodification of death.
On July 4, 2004, Joey Skaggs staged a satirical performance in New York City’s Washington Square Park, critiquing PresidentGeorge W. Bush’s leadership. Skaggs, dressed asUncle Sam, pedaled a tricycle carrying a large replica of theWhite House and led a parade of approximately 75 participants, including singers, cheerleaders, and actors portraying government officials. At the park’s center, Skaggs delivered a speech and opened the replica White House to reveal an effigy of President Bush seated on an upside-down bucket of fertilizer. The effigy was surrounded by symbolic props, including toilet paper designed to resemble hundred-dollar bills, toy weapons, and a pen attached to a replica of theConstitution, for its potential rewriting. Actors portraying members of the President’s Cabinet and Saudi Royals distributed mock $20 bills, representing the purchase of votes, as part of the performance.[47] The event continued Skaggs’ tradition of using public art and mobile sculptures to address political and social issues through satire and humor.[48]
In 2012, Joey Skaggs staged a protest at theGoldman Sachs headquarters in New York City, critiquing the role of major financial institutions in the 2008 economic and housing crisis. As part of the protest, Skaggs, portraying "Recycle Man," towed a sculpture titledMobile Homeless Homes with a tricycle. The sculpture, resembling three connected garbage receptacles, was designed to appear like overflowing trash cans but was hollow and habitable. The performance was accompanied by participants dressed as homelessMuppet-inspired characters and a band playing a satirical song titledMobile Homeless Blues.[26] The protest referenced reports of Goldman Sachs employees allegedly using "Muppets" as a derogatory term for clients affected during the financial downturn.[49]
In 2012, Joey Skaggs staged another performance art piece titledSanta’s Missile Tow outside theUnited Nations headquarters in New York City. Dressed asSanta Claus, Skaggs pedaled a mobile rocket launcher featuring a 10-foot mock nuclear missile mounted on a slingshot. Accompanied by six performers dressed as elves, he delivered a message to world leaders with the slogan, “Peace on Earth—Or Else.” The performance included a parody of “Jingle Bells,” with revised lyrics critiquing nuclear proliferation and advocating for peace.[50]
In 2014, Joey Skaggs, under the alias Peppe Scaggolini, staged a performance art piece titledThe Tiny Top Circus inWashington Square Park, New York City. Promoted as “the world’s onlypataphysical circus,” the event featured a purportedBigfoot, displayed in a cage draped with a circus tent and mounted on the back of a tricycle. The tricycle was pedaled into the park by a performer billed as “the world’s strongest man.” The event included theatrical elements such as armed guards, a carnival barker, sword swallowers, jugglers, and live music by theConey Island Sideshow Band. Audience members were escorted to view Bigfoot, which was ultimately revealed to be Skaggs dressed as a large, hairy foot.[51]
Following the election ofDonald Trump as President in 2016, Joey Skaggs incorporated a series of performances titled "Trumpathons" into his Annual New York City April Fools’ Day Parade. The 32nd Annual Parade in 2017 featured a sculpture called “Trump’s Golden Throne,” depicting a life-sized effigy of Trump tweeting while seated in a golden outhouse. Parade participants, many wearing Trump masks, attempted to set aGuinness World Record for the largest gathering of Trump look-alikes.
In 2018, for the 33rd Annual Parade, Skaggs staged “Trump's Military Parade," inspired by Trump’s expressed interest in a military display. The performance featured an effigy of Trump riding a tricycle-mounted rocket launcher, accompanied by look-alikes of world leaders, includingKim Jong Un andVladimir Putin, alongside participants in Trump masks portraying soldiers.
The 34th Annual Parade in 2019 included an oversized effigy of Trump with aPinocchio-like nose, wearing a witch’s hat and cape, and accompanied by a mobileKool-Aid stand. Participants held signs and wore Trump masks, critiquing the volume of false statements attributed to the President during his administration.
Since 2021, Skaggs’ website has offered satirical materials, including a customizable Trump Presidential Pardon and, since 2022, a downloadable Top Secret Cover Sheet for Classified Information. During the 37th Annual Parade in 2022, Skaggs distributed Putin Protest Masks as a statement againstRussia’s invasion ofUkraine. In 2024, for the 39th Annual Parade, a billboard truck displayed images of Skaggs as theGrim Reaper alongside his sculpture “Democracy at the Guillotine,” encouraging voter participation. As of December 2024, the website also offered a customizableBiden Presidential Pardon.[52][53]
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