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“Even the Rev. Al Sharpton”
*Even* him? Wasn’t Al Sharpton the man who “stood up” for Tawana Brawly? Isn’t he the man who condemned the Duke Lacrosse players for “raping” the poor misunderstood stripper? Does he really have *any* credibility left at all?
It is far past the time where “disadvantaged blacks” are worth discussing. Rather we should discuss “disadvantaged people”, regardless of color, to see what we as a society can do to better help those who fall into this *economic* group. (OJ being a great example of how guilty people, black or white, can walk away from their crimes scotfree, provided they are rich. Justice is color blind, but remains acutely dependent on economic status.)
Posted by wolf on May 22, 2007 at 7:17 AM
What a cop-out.
Posted by whattheheck on May 22, 2007 at 12:49 PM
whattheheck and wolf (you guys are still here?):
I don’t think it’s a cop-out at all to give black Americans a unique place in our history. Furthermore, it’s folly to lump all black Americans into the same level of experience. Mr. Muwakkil comes from one foreign to those street dwellers who produce the majority of hip-hop, yet holds the interesting perspective of one who has lived through some of the last worst moments of institutionalized US racial policy.
I think his perspective holds more weight than your own, based on his relevant experience and his informed study. Is it not easy to pass judgment on cultural expressions which have no effect on you or your life, rather than see hip-hop - and the use of internally offensive language - as a double-standard or playing the race card?
Neither of your arguments hold logical water: not wolf’s convenient socioeconomic ‘equality’ nor whattheheck’s random dismal of Russell Simmons’s comment about artistic license. I think it would be just as ridiculous to consider Joseph Conrad as racist for ‘Heart of Darkness’. Imus, on the other hand, continued a ‘wink-wink’ culture within white male power structures, which allows them to be seemingly egalitarian, while harboring racist stereotypes.
To paraphrase Chris Rock: I ain’t saying he should have been fired, but I understand…
Posted by rocco on May 22, 2007 at 5:43 PM
Rocco,
Posted by whattheheck on May 23, 2007 at 5:45 AM
“Thus, when Imus
Posted by Kuya on May 24, 2007 at 1:30 AM
Mr. Muwakkil, I enjoyed your debut radio show on WVON last Saturday and will continue to listen, congrats on the new gig.
Regarding your commentary: hip hop culture and music is really nothing more than the progression of the same Black American cultural expression that was/is Gospel, Blues, Jazz, Rock, Soul, Funk etc…In fact, hip hops’ first cousin “be bop” was just as villified because of its perceived association with drugs. The primary difference being “big business saw great profits”, “and accelerated hip-hop
Posted by theloneous on May 25, 2007 at 7:16 AM
I was listening to a hard rock station today and Prodigy came on singing “Smack My Bitch Up” in which a part of the song has a girl humming a tune that sounds Middle Eastern.
Culture is reflected in music. Right or wrong, it is what it is.
Imus can point to hip hop and the girls in the locker room may call each other nappy hos in jest but Imus is white. We have to choose our humorous words carefully. Anybody know a white comic that could get away with what Carlos Mencia does?
Posted by kimberlyausten on Jun 1, 2007 at 9:13 PM
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Reader Comments
“Even the Rev. Al Sharpton”
*Even* him? Wasn’t Al Sharpton the man who “stood up” for Tawana Brawly? Isn’t he the man who condemned the Duke Lacrosse players for “raping” the poor misunderstood stripper? Does he really have *any* credibility left at all?
It is far past the time where “disadvantaged blacks” are worth discussing. Rather we should discuss “disadvantaged people”, regardless of color, to see what we as a society can do to better help those who fall into this *economic* group. (OJ being a great example of how guilty people, black or white, can walk away from their crimes scotfree, provided they are rich. Justice is color blind, but remains acutely dependent on economic status.)
What a cop-out.
whattheheck and wolf (you guys are still here?):
I don’t think it’s a cop-out at all to give black Americans a unique place in our history. Furthermore, it’s folly to lump all black Americans into the same level of experience. Mr. Muwakkil comes from one foreign to those street dwellers who produce the majority of hip-hop, yet holds the interesting perspective of one who has lived through some of the last worst moments of institutionalized US racial policy.
I think his perspective holds more weight than your own, based on his relevant experience and his informed study. Is it not easy to pass judgment on cultural expressions which have no effect on you or your life, rather than see hip-hop - and the use of internally offensive language - as a double-standard or playing the race card?
Neither of your arguments hold logical water: not wolf’s convenient socioeconomic ‘equality’ nor whattheheck’s random dismal of Russell Simmons’s comment about artistic license. I think it would be just as ridiculous to consider Joseph Conrad as racist for ‘Heart of Darkness’. Imus, on the other hand, continued a ‘wink-wink’ culture within white male power structures, which allows them to be seemingly egalitarian, while harboring racist stereotypes.
To paraphrase Chris Rock: I ain’t saying he should have been fired, but I understand…
Rocco,
“Thus, when Imus
Mr. Muwakkil, I enjoyed your debut radio show on WVON last Saturday and will continue to listen, congrats on the new gig.
Regarding your commentary: hip hop culture and music is really nothing more than the progression of the same Black American cultural expression that was/is Gospel, Blues, Jazz, Rock, Soul, Funk etc…In fact, hip hops’ first cousin “be bop” was just as villified because of its perceived association with drugs. The primary difference being “big business saw great profits”, “and accelerated hip-hop
I was listening to a hard rock station today and Prodigy came on singing “Smack My Bitch Up” in which a part of the song has a girl humming a tune that sounds Middle Eastern.
Culture is reflected in music. Right or wrong, it is what it is.
Imus can point to hip hop and the girls in the locker room may call each other nappy hos in jest but Imus is white. We have to choose our humorous words carefully. Anybody know a white comic that could get away with what Carlos Mencia does?
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