[Fashion] Phoenix Foundation spokesman denounces ‘Illusive’ logo brand

Phoenix Foundation spokesman denounces ‘Illusive’ logo brand

Gustav Hilarius, Alliance News Network

Amidst a smattering of interest-group protests, one official voice spoke out during this week’s launch of Visionary’s new ‘Illusive’ brand apparel. Randolph Grideaux, spokesman for the Phoenix Foundation for Cerberus Defectors and Ex-Cerberus Assets, vehemently denounced the Illusive line in a prepared statement Monday. “No matter the intent, any kind of statement that could be construed as glorifying Cerberus is dangerous and morally wrong,” said Grideaux, who served as a high-ranking operative prior to his defection from Cerberus. “There are millions of victims barely cold in the grave, and already Visionary’s seeking to profit off them. We can’t forget what happened, least of all by being flippant about it.”

At the moment, the Illusive line consists entirely of male human apparel, all of it branded with a monochrome headshot that supposedly depicts the ‘Illusive Man’, ostensible leader of the original Cerberus organization until its dissolution in 2187. (At least four similar organizations calling themselves 'Cerberus' have since displayed a presence on the extranet, although it is currently unclear whether they are doing so ironically.) Sales figures suggest the line is most popular with men between the ages of seventeen and twenty-eight with a smaller following among the asari demographic. Over six hundred images are currently hosted on I Just Blue Myself, the popular asari image macro site, depicting its users wearing Illusive clothing and holoshopped into popular Cerberus-related memetic pictures such as This Is Humanity and Skeleton With Magic Sword.

Visionary was undeterred by the Phoenix Foundation’s condemnation. “We’re very sorry that Mr. Grideaux feels we aren’t giving his employers the respect they deserve,” replied Visionary spokesman Idril Selon. “Unfortunately for him, the only way Cerberus and their kind deserve to live on is as punchlines, and considering the sales figures, the public agrees with us. Then again, Randy’s been in the extreme minority of public opinion before. I’m sure he can handle it.”

Cerberus was an Alliance Black-Ops cell that went rogue. Some of us didn't know who's side we were on until it was too late. Others of us just wanted to better our people and had no other option. Above all, however, the organization, not the people, was evil, corrupt, xenophobic and disgusting. Keep in mind that they had droves of defections as their crimes came to light. And also consider that, within the organization, the left didn't know what the right was doing. In other words, most of us have no knowledge of what happened until it hit the news, and then we doubted them, and then we sought to do the right thing. Cerberus looked very appealing a few years ago, they were the only ones hitting the Collectors, after all. Again, consider that the organization swelled then shrunk massively, and after those who were disgusted with what the organization really did had finished defecting, they were so short on men that people like Thanatos were high-ranking operatives.

That is the lamest bullshit apology I've ever heard.

It is not an apology, it is an explanation. The guilt or innocence of individual operatives is a difficult issue and one that should be taken on a case by case basis, not decided in broad strokes. I agree with Gong, many of my former compatriots are disgusting animals shaped like men who deserve to be put to death.

I'm waiting for the day when I walk into a salarian wearing "Elusive man" t-shirt.

To be honest, I completely agree with you. If I had my way, SATAE would be sending in the stormtroopers and prepping the courtrooms now.

Hear hear. Mind if I ask where you are? Somewhere in the PRC, or out in the colonies?

Same here. Still doesn't mean I don't advocate trials. If someone is (relatively) blameless, then they've got nothing to fear.

(And when was it too late? The political assassinations, or kidnapping people to turn into husks and worse?)

No other option? For crying out loud, if the literal only way you can think of "to help humanity" is to join a terrorist group, you're either a certifiable idiot or certifiably insane.

The two aren't mutually exclusive - the evil, corrupt, xenophobic, disgusting things Cerberus did were made possible by the thousands of willing recruits.

They were also killing people. Poisoning children with eezo to make more biotics, and damn the 90% who died of tumours and in-utero poisoning.

Pardon my language, but if that ever sounded appealing to you, go fuck yourself.

No, none of that ever sounded appealing to me. You want to now what did sound appealing to me? The chance to work with massive resources and a team of trained specialist towards a better understanding of artificial intelligence. Again, the left did not know what the right was doing. I did not know what Cerberus was doing and my information was limited to what they wanted me to know, especially in the higher ranks. I knew that they were taking down the Collectors. I didn't know about the Pragia cell, which for the record went rogue, I didn't know anything about the Lazarus cell beyond it existed, I was aware of Operation Overlord and cited it as an example of why safety regulations are of paramount importance and chocked it up to another team's failure. When atrocities came to light, I started to look for a way out. When it became clear that my loyalties were wavering, this was actually my saving grace. They didn't implant anyone who wasn't "steadfastly loyal" (and usually fairly stupid). That almost everyone who remained in the organization was implanted speaks volumes about what the rest of us knew. And, for the record, I do support trials and if it was found I did something wrong, I would gladly face the punishment. That said, Gong and his people would not give me a fair trial, and neither, I think, would the Alliance. One would condemn me for who I am, and the other would pardon me for what I did.

Hm...I wonder if an alien government could be persuaded to do the trial for any willing...

while it may seem like they're glorifying the illusive man, a strong case could similarly be made that they're simply reducing his cause and image to that of a counterculture rebel on a t-shirt. i read that nearly the same thing was was done to che guevara in the 20th and 21st centuries with trends in countries he was opposed to. this was bad for che, because for all his flaws there was much more to the man and what he believed in. it's good to do this to the illusive man, though, especially in the wake of all this sovereign nation crap. instead of tuning people into his ideals it will more likely, in the long run, turn his insane traitorous philosophy of helping the reapers into a blurb.

the release from the phoenix group makes me wonder whatever happened to the defectors i worked with back in the war, though. pharos was ex-cerberus but i wouldn't have trusted anyone else to be half as good a CO as he was, especially at the war's end in london when those sovereign-class ships came down and things went to hell.