If you know me well, you know that I can't stand Jay-z. If talent and reward went hand in hand it is my opinion that he would be begging to get on open mic nights and saving up his pennies. Instead, he is one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world. If that isn't a lesson in the way things work then... There are people, however, to be looked down upon more. People who's station in life and actual worth are even farther out of whack. People who make me feel like Jay-Z and I are playing for the same team. These people work at FOX News.
For years now we have been asking ourselves the question, "Are these people really that dumb, or are they just playing to the rubes?" I think most have settled on: A little from column A. A little from column B. This clip pissed me off even more than usual. Maybe because it is about hip-hop. Maybe because it illustrates the clear racial/social/generational/class/intelligence divide that still separates us.
What are we supposed to be offended by here? That young black rappers use the word "nigger"? Well that is an active debate, but you are late to it and have no place in it. Are you Chuck D or Q-Tip? Are you Cornel West? What are you doing in this conversation? Holding a place for uptight, rich, white people who don't give two shits for hip-hop in the first place? Yes, I consider you an uptight white person Michelle Malkin. Have you ever been anything else?
I guess this issue gets me hotter than Tabasco (if you are a real hip-hop fan, fill in the next line and get the joke) because I love rap music in a very real way and feel that these fortunate people get paid to sit on TV and take the piss. Whether you agree that "nigger" is acceptable or not, you should not be surprised that it is used at a hip-hop show. To pretend that you are is base journalism that should be offered behind a curtain at the county fair for an extra nickel. No, check that, it isn't worth that much. Is this kind of discussion racist? Of course it is. Racist in the sense that it pretends there is no ongoing dialogue in the community that is being portrayed.
The real irony in all of this is that the controversy surround Jay-Z, who the only reason he is a VIP at the inauguration of our president is because the power structure has deemed him acceptable. It wasn't Immortal Technique or Talib Kweli sitting near the podium. It wasn't even Mos Def or Black Thought. It certainly wasn't Chuck D, Dead Prez or Michael Franti.. It wasn't even everyone's darling Kanye (George Bush hates black people) West. It was Jay-Z who has been deemed safe enough to hump Beyonce, America's debutante.
You know what gets me riled up? This. You can kill prisoners in our custody as long as you don't celebrate by saying "My president is black, nigger!" I am sure it also upset these two ladies as well.
Good thing in all of the years that we had a white president no one ever used the word "nigger." I am sure FOX would have been very unsettled.
6 comments:
Well, It looks like Malkin is wearing a spay-on tan, unless its just the color settings on my computer that makes her look like prom night at the trailer-park (bright orange that is)> Maybe thats a form of trying to find some solidarity with darker folks, so I'd check that uptight white business if I were you.
Seriously, this is the stupidest conversation i think I've ever seen. It's Jeremiah Wright all over again: imagine if we, or any politician for that matter, were held accountable for every word and action of people we admire or call friends. Imagine if McCain were held accountable for every "idea" expressed by Hank Williams JR who played his election night party. Imagine what poor company you would be keeping if you couldn't include anyone in your social circle who cursed or said they were happy to see the Bushes moving out. Cut out every person who ever uses the word "nigger" and i wouldn't have any black friends under the age of 40, not many over the age of 40.
I am sick right now and am literly getting worn out by my anger. If blacks want to use the n word, go for it. Theses dumb bitches over at fox are saying that "Sure we'll give you a black president but from now on color is "non existent", you can't celebrate a win for the black team, and you'd sure as hell better never use irony in the face of the white people because then you yourself are racist." And don't give me that content of your character bullshit, sure what matters is who we are as people but those assholes just love to lump all blacks together as one entitity. They won't even say black, they have to say African-American, entirely forgoing the fact that Africa is infact many countries and cultures and most blacks here have little or no conection left to Africa. Then they play the I-am-so-non-racis-I-can't-talk-about-race-unless-if-to-ridiculously-use-it-to-boost-my-ratings card. Michelle Malkin needs to step down from her pedestool and get over it. No one cares that you have a blog, so do have of American children. My 12 year old neighboor has a blog and she makes more sense then Michelle Malkin, maybe Fox can get her next. Yes my president is black, get the stick out of your ass and move the fuck on.
P.S. Did anyone else find the look on Megan's face funny when she had to say "Young Jeezy"?
Oh and I forgot to mention that "feel good kumbiah" comment, fuck her. That's all I have left to say.
Caitlin, I think that in your last comment you picked up on exactly what is going on in this clip. Obama's inauguration, from what I saw anecdotaly, as well as from what polls showed, brought about a large amount of good feeling from conservatives. Not that they loved Obama, but that they could support him as president. This clip is an effort, I think, to get a certain amount of people to say, "No, there is just something i don't like about him. He associates with young black men with funny names." I wouldn't be surprised if the next time I talked to my dad he used the name "Young Jeezy." It is entirely an effort to make people uncomfortable with President Obama's (that felt really good to type) blackness.
Oh, a while back Nas was on the Colbert Report singing (rapping?) "Sly Like A Fox", probably on youtube.
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