Let Them Eat Cake – Mady Johnston
Statement
My practice is rooted in performance, satire, and theater. I create an informative character who earnestly teaches you about the truths of the world “that most people don’t know.” These truths are comedic notions that are often hilariously false, but they are said with authority. This relates to a psychological phenomenon where if you say something with enough authority and with enough repetition, people will eventually believe you. It’s called the illusory truth effect. This effect has been consistently used in the advertising industry. We can look back at advertisements from the fifties and categorize them as absurdly incorrect, like a healthier cigarette or Coca Cola being great for babies.
My piece is replica of a 1950’s diner. Please feel free to sit in the booth and enjoy your consumption. Can we ever have enough?
The two characters featured are Banjo and Betty. Banjo believes she is much smarter than Betty, which, to be fair, isn’t difficult to be. They live in different eras, but they consume, and they consume, and they consume.
Betty/Banjo: Mady Johnston
Narrator/Doctor: Saad Khan
Johnny: Sam Sliman
Suzanne/Hand: Chris Conway
Filmed by: Chris Conway and Hannah Walton
Script: Mady Johnston, Ethan McCoy, Chris Conway, and real 1950’s advertisements
Video length: 16:08
Bio
Madelyn Johnston is a performance and installation artist from Long Island, NY. Her practice is rooted in satire and comedy. Madelyn pushes the boundary of what is true by creating a character that proudly explains demonstrously false facts. With a keen eye for societal absurdities and a knack for turning them into thought-provoking commentary, Madelyn’s work challenges viewers to question their own perceptions of reality. Through her works, she invites audiences to engage with her playful yet insightful exploration of truth, fiction, and the blurry line that often separates the two.
