What is a protest?...The Sequel

In my first blog of the semester, I came in with a definition of protest that seemed pretty simple. Looking back on it now, I can tell how much I didn't know then compared to what I know now. The basic idea of what a protest meant to me then is still pretty much the same now: a person who protests has to have a belief that goes against whatever they want to protest. They take action that will hopefully lead to change. Whatever that action is, it varies among different people.
I still believe this to be true, but with all of the things we've talked about and looked at in class, there is much more that I would add to the idea of "protest". Before I took the course, whenever I thought of "protest" I thought of picketing, boycotting, slogans, and speeches. The word protest made me see anger, resistance and people chanting and marching. Those were the thoughts that ran through my head. It was all I had seen on t.v. shows and in movies. When people protest, they do all of these "civil rights era" type things. However, over the course of the semester, it was cool to see so many different examples of protests that never crossed my mind before. It broadened my view of what constitutes as a protest.
Examples like art, movies, and music can all be used as forms of protest. My original idea was correct, but I just did not apply it to all of these different outlets. You can express a belief and challenge something in a song. You can paint a picture on a wall and make a statement that speaks louder than words. Shephard Fairey's work dealing with war really proved this to me. The movie about the Yes Men came off as a protest to me, but in such a unique way. It introduced me to satirical and documentary-based forms of protest. All of these various forms are things that I see everyday and, until now, it never clicked how much entertainment and art can create serious action.
Another thing I would add to my original blog would be the importance of who the protester is. Credibility is crucial and influence works best when that person is well-respected or highly regarded by people. It's not always the size of your protest, but rather, the quality of the individuals involved. 100 people could do a lousy protest boycotting the use of computers in universities, while a single music artist can release an anti-war song that impacts millions.
Nonetheless, I know that I will look at things differently now...and I guess I can blame rhetoric for that.