A paradox or so it seems – The Church of Fashion in Lincoln Heights is holding a Baracktober fest tonight (Tues) at 6 p.m., and part of the motivational entertainment will be a screening of one or more of the many performances of the Rev. Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping. Perhaps the world has spun so wildly beyond recognition in recent days that Fashion and Shopping have spun apart? Perhaps. I thought they were the same thing. Even when we’re not talking expensive materials. But it’s a new world. And we’re hoping Barack can be president in it.

If you’re uninitiated, the Reverend Billy is a performance artist who preaches that consumer culture is poison to the soul. That’s my kind of church, as long as I can keep buying the things I absolutely must have to live the way I do.

Robin Shulman described Rev. Billy in the Washington Post:

[The Rev. Billy] and his flock have exorcised cash registers and staged other "interventions" in retail stores. He has been arrested dozens of times. In 2003 he was banned from all Starbucks outlets in the world, and in 2005 he was banned from Disney properties. Now Morgan Spurlock, who directed the film "Super Size Me," has produced "What Would Jesus Buy?" a "docu-comedy" about Talen's gospel now in limited theaters.

He is also part of a movement of people toying with avoiding consumer culture. … He has traveled across the country, along with his Stop Shopping choir, setting up makeshift confession booths where people can discuss their shopping sins, baptizing babies to keep them safe from consumer culture, performing weddings and even officiating at a few funerals.

So his work may be performance art. But isn’t all religion?

Meantime, the Church of Fashion is run partly by Charon Nogues, formerly of Echo Park. I have met her on email only, when she was the first person to rally support for Evalia of El Batey grocery store -- the landlord wanted to triple the rent, which would have put her out of business. As a result of community pressure El Batey ended up staying in place.

Later, Nogues fell afoul of some members of the community when she opined on a neighborhood list that “Echo Park is over.” She had moved on to Boyle Heights. Lots of indignation and a little venom was spewed her way. But she still posts on the neighborhood list, and her Church of Fashion sounds inspired.

This is what she wrote about Baracktober:

It's Baracktober people... Lets get together to discuss what we can do.

After all the comments and commitments are made, we will be screening some very motivational material: The Reverend Billy and the church of stop shopping.

@ The Church of fashion 3110 N. Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90031 Tel # 323 227-5725

It’s a thrill this week to see how many local two-days ahead fundraisers have been set in motion for Obama. Everything from bake sales to dinner parties. Everyone wants to send money. Spending on the campaign -- as spiritual exercise, or political exorcise.