Lanesville TV: January 26th, 1973

On January 26, 1973, the Videofreex’s installment of Lanesville TV (Channel 3) consists of an interview with a follower of the Divine Light Mission, a semi-religious organization lead at the time by then-17-year-old Guru Maharaj Ji.

The piece takes a more explicitly political stance than many of the Videofreex’s more abstract works, showcasing a controversial discussion regarding the role of anger in social change, and questioning the validity of the Divine Light Mission’s tactics. At one juncture, the interviewer asks Lanesville’s guest: “Weren’t you ever a socialist?”. The video intermittently displays a phone number on the screen and accepts calls from concerned viewers, paralleling the format of mainstream news programs. The episode ends at the interview’s close as an offscreen voice mutters: “How ‘bout...Theme!,” ending the segment in anticipation of the next installment.

— Charlotte Strange