J.J. Weinberg has adopted a Bob Ross persona to try to convince Congress to restore federal funding for public media.
On Sept. 8, he “Bob-tized” a statue of Irv Kupcinet outside Trump Tower in Chicago, placing a Bob Ross wig on the statue’s head and leaving a placard urging the public to support restoring the federal funding. Both items have since been removed.
Weinberg plans to “Bob-tize” a statue each week.
“I call Bob the patron saint of paint,” Weinberg said. “That’s what I feel like the country needs. I feel like the world needs that.”
“I call the whole movement the Joy of Protesting,” he said.
Bob Ross starred in “The Joy of Painting,” a PBS show that originated in Muncie. It aired from 1983 to 1994. Ross, who died in 1995, was known for his distinctive hairstyle and for turning his mistakes into “happy little trees.”
J.J. Weinberg, dressed as Bob Ross of “The Joy of Painting” fame, hopes to invoke the PBS icon’s spirit in shaking “happy little money trees” to restore government funding for public broadcasting. (Doug Ross/for Post-Tribune)
Weinberg chose Ross for his posthumous honor because another PBS show, “Mark Kistler’s Imagination Station,” inspired Weinberg to become a professional artist. Cosplaying as Ross, whose visage was distinctive, would draw more attention to the arts because the show was so popular for so long.
PBS shows like these stir imagination and inspire children and adults as well as educate them, Weinberg said.
“It’s our first responsibility,” to exercise that First Amendment right to speak out for public broadcasting, he said. Spreading the message on Instagram, TikTok and other social media, “it’s important to the imagination of the next generation.”
“It’s not just about Bob, and it’s not even about just PBS. It’s about public broadcasting,” Weinberg said.
“I’m trying to get a mini Bob mob set up for Sept. 28,” gathering at the Art Institute, Weinberg said. “I’m hoping to have like 100 Bobs there,” marching to Trump Tower.
He’s also trying to organize a Million Bob March on Washington on Oct 29, Ross’ birthday. Dress as Bob Ross, Big Bird, Mr. Rogers, whatever, just show up, Weinberg urged.
“The goal is to recruit the whole entire nation, one person at a time,” he said.
One of Weinberg’s recruits is fellow Valparaiso resident Daniel Dunevant.
There are so many reasons to protest, he said, but focusing on a single Trump administration program is strategic.
“The important thing is to focus. We can’t do everything at once. It’s hard to message about everything is wrong. That doesn’t work.”
Defunding public broadcasting, however, is an issue that resonates.
“They defund the democratization of imagination,” he said. “This is the American dream that has been crushed for so many people.”
“For me, I generally understand the importance of the institution of public media,” Dunevant said.
“It’s a focus point on what we can point to that’s not just the general many wrong things that the Trump admin is doing, but a specific thing. But at the same time, through this Million Bob March, we can have fun with it. That’s the important thing that makes it different and makes it more powerful than a more serious movement.”
“Not that we don’t have a serious goal, but that its ability to satirize and be whimsical and be fun sort of protects it in a certain way.”
Dunevant acknowledges being recruited by Weinberg. “We go way back, and at some point we thought very different politically,” Dunevant said. “I’ve grown to understand things differently over the years.”
Daniel Dunevant cosplays Bob Ross to bring awareness to federal funding being eliminated for public broadcasting. (Daniel Dunevant/provided)
“Now it’s the Republicans throwing away with reckless abandon the Founders’ vision of government,” he said. The separation of powers isn’t being respected.
Weinberg went to the recent World Cultural Festival in Valparaiso, where little girls recognized him as Bob Ross. “That was just such a cementing moment. Those children were me at 10 years old,” he said.
At the Blueberry Festival in Plymouth over Labor Day weekend, “I couldn’t go about 10 feet without somebody saying, Hey, it’s Bob Ross,’” Dunevant said.
“Not many people know that PBS nationally or statewide has been defunded. I was very surprised. There was only one person who knew.”
“This is not just about focusing people on a certain issue but simply just raising the awareness of the existence of this issue,” he said.
“I would hope to accomplish, through the Million Bob March, to send a message nationally and statewide that we need to fund PBS and the importance of it.”
“You can’t convince every American, but you can show a significant number of Americans to reach a certain critical mass that would allow for enough pressure to be put on government, like Congress, like the Senate, that would cause things to be changed,” Dunevant said.
It’s a simple message: Reverse it or be voted out of office.
Weinberg drafted legislation to reinstate the funding and shared it with U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland. Weinberg appeared at a Mrvan town hall session in Portage while wearing his Bob Ross costume.
State Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, loves the draft legislation, too, Weinberg said.
“Bob Ross was a kind, gentle soul. Mr. Rogers was a kind, gentle soul, and we need that. Nobody could look Bob Ross in the eye and tell him we don’t have money for public media,” Weinberg said.
He created a website for his Million Bob March, www.happylittlehairdos.com.
“I’m inviting the nation to come dressed up as Bob,” he said. He’s also inviting the public to participate in a national day of service.
“Going to the school dressed as Bob, going to the grocery dressed up as Bob or Fred or Big Bird,” he said, are other alternatives.
“I’m going to be back on the national mall with my Bob Mob doing a happy little protest.”
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
