WARNING - video has NSFW language

[emchy]

so... the guy on this website http://notarapper.com/base.htm
made this video

and so - viewing it. it feels really problematic to me. it has messages like buy some land, read a book, drink water, etc. instead of drinking 40s and buying rims for your car. and telling kids to buy land instead of rims for their car is a good thing. and we all know that PC PSA's don't work. but it also feels fucked up. like - is this what it takes to make kids want to bother to listen? it aired on BET and on VH1s The Best Week Ever. I don't know what sort of pop culture response it's getting. But I feel like - almost like it's one of those things that within it's own cultural context it's fine. Like bitching about your own mother. But once out in the world where other people can put their stuff onto it - maybe not so much? I totally saw films like that while working at Frameline and I was all - omg if I saw this in a straight context i would be so offended - but here at a queer film fest knowing the filmmaker is queer it feels more ok. Racism / classism is so fucking loaded though. Just... would love to know your thoughts.

Comments

[hurtcynic.livejournal.com]

According to Wikipedia:

Honky:

A term used by black prositutes in the 20's, when the white 'johns' would pull up in their cars and beep their horns..."your HONKY is here"

Honky was later adopted as a pejorative in 1967 by black militants within SNCC seeking a rebuttal for the term nigger. They settled on a familiar word they felt was disparaging to certain Americans of European descent; hunkie meaning an American of Slavic or Hungarian descent.[1][2]

And according to the Merriam Webster dictionary:

Nigger:

1. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a. a black person.
b. a member of any dark-skinned people.

2. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a person of any race or origin regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant, etc.



Sorry to split hairs, but Honky is a term meant to be used as a slur to counter nigger, only against white people. So by definition, it's technically as racist as nigger.

I understand what you're saying now about how an individual interprets the humor is what makes it wrong or right. Hence what I said earlier: "And I think most importantly, it makes us look at ourselves and say "Why did I find that shit funny?". Because if you answered "It wasn't funny", then you're either sensitive, or racist, right? (-:" I'm saying almost exactly the same thing, how we interpret our reactions makes us dig a little deeper. Am I laughing because I'm racist? Am I laughing because it's a funny stereotype? Am I not laughing because I'm offended? Am I not laughing because I thought it was factual? All important questions.

I look forward to your continued response.

[cindymonkey.livejournal.com]

racist vs bigoted is about the group that has dominant power in culture. reverse racism is a red herring b/c while white people can experience prejudice and discrimination there is not an entire socially constructed methodology of oppression to enforce it. yes both of those are slurs. but one has a lot more power based on how much power the person being insulted has.

example. call a differently abled person lame and it has a whole different context as calling someone who is not differently abled lame.

racism is about power.
bigotry and prejudice are about idiocy.
big difference.

[hurtcynic.livejournal.com]

LoL, you're completely right. Honky is no way near as offensive to a white person as nigger is to a black person. And there's a good amount of reason why, chiefly because black people suffered through hardship and the term is derogatory through hardship. Honky... well, it's sole purpose in creation was to put some of that power into a black person's hands. Doesn't make it right, and it surely is bigoted and discriminating, but you're right. Like what Tim Curry said in "Clue" about communism, reverse racism is "nothing but a red herring".

I think racism can also be the result of idiocy, though. It's powerful, but sometimes it's hard to see the lines between bigotry and prejudice and racism. Bigotry is more like ignorance, because a bigot essentially doesn't know any better. Someone who's prejudice (under common connotations) has a little more control, has an active thought process behind WHY they are discriminating. And racism, well, you can be racist if you are bigoted. You can be racist if you're prejudice. It's really all in perception.

But I ultimatly agree with you. HOW you interpret what you say or what's being said to you can make all the difference. And really, the solution is education.

So, uh... read a mutha-effin book. (-: