'Question Evolution' - Graffiti In Edinburgh, Nov 2021

[Spookdaddy]

When I was working in Edinburgh in November I noticed a lot of what looked like relatively new graffiti consisting of the two words 'Question Evolution'. This seemed to be quite common around the George Street/Princes Street New Town area - and although I didn't make a note, I reckon I saw it plastered in ten to twelve separate locations, including - but not limited to - most of the phone boxes and some shop doorways.

Now, clearly the sentiment is not a new one, and it's possible it might be the extra curricular activity of one individual with a idée fixe - but, given the timing, and the way the anti-vax movement seems to have become an umbrella for all kinds of what I think of as Post Millennium Contrarianism, I'm just wondering if there might be a connection. (Although very different in substance, the anti-vax movement reminds me in some ways of the Countryside Alliance, which became a sloppy mix of all kinds of disparate and barely connected interests - some, in this latter's case, clearly in direct conflict with others).

So, I wonder if anyone has noticed a surge in such graffiti in other areas of the UK, or abroad? And am I right in suspecting that the anti-vaxxers are acting as both camouflage and catalyst for a whole range of other interests - some of which we may see surge once the fire goes out of the pandemic. Is this maybe an early probing attack in the next instalment of the PMC? We've got the anti-vax movement - but the pandemic isn't going to last forever; 9-11's just a bit passé these days; flat earthery has lost its wind - and no-ones quite sure how serious some of those guys are anyway. Is it time for creationism to go full mainstream?

 

[gordonrutter]

When I was working in Edinburgh in November I noticed a lot of what looked like relatively new graffiti consisting of the two words 'Question Evolution'. This seemed to be quite common around the George Street/Princes Street New Town area - and although I didn't make a note, I reckon I saw it plastered in ten to twelve separate locations, including - but not limited to - most of the phone boxes and some shop doorways.

Now, clearly the sentiment is not a new one, and it's possible it might be the extra curricular activity of one individual with a idée fixe - but, given the timing, and the way the anti-vax movement seems to have become an umbrella for all kinds of what I think of as Post Millennium Contrarianism, I'm just wondering if there might be a connection. (Although very different in substance, the anti-vax movement reminds me in some ways of the Countryside Alliance, which became a sloppy mix of all kinds of disparate and barely connected interests - some, in this latter's case, clearly in direct conflict with others).

So, I wonder if anyone has noticed a surge in such graffiti in other areas of the UK, or abroad? And am I right in suspecting that the anti-vaxxers are acting as both camouflage and catalyst for a whole range of other interests - some of which we may see surge once the fire goes out of the pandemic. Is this maybe an early probing attack in the next instalment of the PMC? We've got the anti-vax movement - but the pandemic isn't going to last forever; 9-11's just a bit passé these days; flat earthery has lost its wind - and no-ones quite sure how serious some of those guys are anyway. Is it time for creationism to go full mainstream?

It's been in Edinburgh a lot longer than that and it pretty much seems to have appeared in most of the same places that the Flat Earth material was in.

 

[Spookdaddy]

It's been in Edinburgh a lot longer than that and it pretty much seems to have appeared in most of the same places that the Flat Earth material was in.

Actually, I did wonder. I do a lot of urban photography, and always keep an eye out for graffiti - but hadn't really picked up on this in the summer, when I was last up in Edinburgh. Some that I saw in November was definitely new - so it's still ongoing. Any idea roughly when it shifted from flat earthery to evolution? And do you reckon there's more recently?

(A work colleague in Edinburgh walked out of a tattooists somewhere around the south side - like, literally off the chair - when it became apparent the guy was a flat earther. I think his farewell was something along the lines of, go read a book before you put a needle in me ya gabshite.)

 

[gordonrutter]

Actually, I did wonder. I do a lot of urban photography, and always keep an eye out for graffiti - but hadn't really picked up on this in the summer, when I was last up in Edinburgh. Some that I saw in November was definitely new - so it's still ongoing. Any idea roughly when it shifted from flat earthery to evolution? And do you reckon there's more recently?

(A work colleague in Edinburgh walked out of a tattooists somewhere around the south side - like, literally off the chair - when it became apparent the guy was a flat earther. I think his farewell was something along the lines of, go read a book before you put a needle in me ya gabshite.)

There does seem to be more. And it seemed to change from flat earth to question evolution around about the time wrote an article for FT on flat earthers and wanted to include a pic of Edinburgh flat earth graffiti and all I could find was question evolution! That was published in 393 so September 2020 so a few months before that?

 

[Bigphoot2]

We're not so sophisticated in Dundee, there was once a spate of graffiti that said "Hairy Bum Cheeks" appearing in various places and my local bus shelter deserved an award for the most mistakes in one short sentence - "Dundee Untied is a poofs."

 

[gordonrutter]

Noticed some graffiti on some very expensive new build flats at the start of the week.

"This building is a disgrace to democracy". Got cleaned off very quickly.