May

11

Analysis of a Local Public Disturbance

Filed Under Black/African American Issues, Class Classism and Economic Inequality, Crime/Hate Crimes, Demography, Environment and Conservation, Hip Hop, Politics, Race and Racism | 18 Comments

Note: This is a long piece and rambles over a lot of ground before I get to something resembling a point. I felt the pull of the current while writing it; I just wanted to get it out as soon as possible. I’m going to take a break from guest-posting here for a bit afterwards, since I have a lot of obligations coming up. I’m sure Sewere and Lyonside will soon have some interesting posts to fill the temporary guesting gap.

What makes a viral video?

Here are some qualities I’ve noticed.

1) They show a human or animal engaged in some unique or extreme activity
2) They exhibit noteworthy artistic skill or cleverness
3) They greatly reinforce prior beliefs
4) They greatly challenge prior beliefs
5) Newsworthy: they show something that connects with our sense of the local and the current, the here and now. We can relate the narrative of our lives to what happens in the video.

These videos also generate mountains of racially-based commentaries wherever they’re posted. Actually, it’s often more a spittle-flecked monologue than it is a dialogue.

I’ll talk about two other viral videos before I show the Soulja Girl one.

I remember a video from last year that showed a high school fight. Two young men take off their shirts and square off. It’s a white kid and a smaller, shorter Asian kid. The crowd is yelling their support of the white kid; they’re on his side. It begins. Whoever uploaded it has added a soundtrack: Rick Ross’ “Everday I’m Hustlin” booms over the fight. The Asian kid moves like greased lightning and after a few punches, the white kid is down. He gets up and walks off. The Asian kid drops him again; this time he can barely stagger away, blood and bits of teeth spraying from his mouth. The video ends.

This video was popular among Asian-Americans, for obvious reasons. A narrative built up around it. The white kid was the bully. The Asian kid was the hero. The narrative had dubious authenticity, but it felt right, it fit with the video and it fit with many of our experiences. I’ve certainly had the experience, multiple times at school, of being surrounded by a circle of hostile white kids screaming at me. I watched the video several times. It created a strong surge of mixed emotion. I couldn’t think straight while watching it. I loved it and hated it at the same time for making me romanticize the violence.

Another example is a popular video I saw last year that’s much less violent but seemed to arouse equally strong emotions. A young, pretty, blond white girl sits in front of the camera and talks about her infatuation with Arab men. Nothing is pornographic or poetic; her tone is quite flat and even bland. Arab men are handsome. They’re sexy. They’re romantic. They know how to treat women well. They’re fun to hang out with. She only goes out with Arab men now. Her current boyfriend is Arab. She’s learning Arabic. She’s converting to Islam. That’s it, really.

You can imagine how the typical anti-Arab commenter reacts to this. Her positive stereotyping sends them into a frenzy. What she believes is the exact opposite of what any white, presumably Christian woman is supposed to believe about Arab men. It’s a huge challenge to their own beliefs, and they have to deal with it by turning her into a non-representative freak, someone who’s not deserving of the title of woman, even.

If it was a more common fetish for example, a white man giving similarly bland reasons for liking Asian women — there is no way the video would have gotten the same attention and reaction.

I first saw the Soulja Girl video at the Creative Loafing blog. It’s a local Atlanta blog. There are other local sources for the video. It’s viral because it’s current, it involves something that almost all Atlantans are familiar with (the MARTA train), it shows an extreme of human behavior and it reinforces some prior beliefs for a lot of people. I have to warn viewers, the video is quite depressing and is going to arouse a lot of negative emotions. I’m going to talk much more about those reactions than about the video itself.

Here are some comments from the initial Creative Loafing post. There’s a good dialogue in that the stupid comments do not go unchallenged.

Reason #3,129 guns should be kept off MARTA

# Jill Chambers Says:
May 7th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
It’s just one more reason why MARTA needs to have their police actually riding on the trains. How sad that someone would so rudely disrespect the elderly woman and that all those other riders did not even try to come to her defense.

# Cricket Says:
May 8th, 2008 at 6:46 am
This is a perfect reason that people with concealed carry permits SHOULD be allowed on MARTA. If I had seen this, and it had escalated to actual physical violence, I would have no problem giving that ghetto wh*re two in the hat.

# Ken Edelstein Says:
May 8th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Cricket, you make the point of gun control advocates everywhere.

# DaleC Says:
May 8th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Cricket it DID escalate to physical violence when the guy finally stood up and stopped the aggressor. No weapons needed.
That poor old woman. I can’t believe it took that long for SOMEBODY to stand up to her being assaulted.
Notice how rapidly Soulja Girl’s attitude changed when she was confronted by someone who showed force in an appropriate manner.
Bullies fold when someone calls them on their crap. It’s a shame it took someone that long to stand up to her.
As an aside, don’t you just LOVE the beautiful world of Hard Core Hip Hop culture.

# Roxie Says:
May 9th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Dude, Dale, did you just call “superman” Hard Core HipHop?
Please, appropriately hang your head in shame.
The woman in the video was not a life threatening individual. Although, she is severely testing sanity and patience, being horrendously disrespectful, aggressive, and antagonizing..It was NOT dealt with appropriately by the young man, as you can see, it only escalated the situation. There are better ways to deal with something like this that do not involve HITTING.
Of course, armchair quarterbacking is so easy. It took so long for ppl to respond b/c they couldn’t believe what was happening and certainly didn’t expect it to last as long as it did.

Hilarious.
# nast Says:
May 9th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Seeing as how this incident was defused by a simple act of wig pulling, perhaps Gov. Perdue should sign a bill that protects individual rights to pull others’ wigs in restaurants, parks, churches and other public places.
“A wig-pulling society is a polite society.”

In the next update to the story, the spittle-flecked monologue begins.

MARTA statement regarding videotaped lunacy

# troy c Says:
May 9th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Is she an Obama superdelegate?

# LMM66 Says:
May 9th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Not one of those losers tried to help an elderly woman. Everyone there was dumb*** you-know-what. As people have mentioned here already, THIS is how stereotypes are formed. And whether folks like it or not, THIS is the norm for “them”.

# Weary One Says:
May 10th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
M.A.R.T.A.
Moving Africans Rapidly Through Atlanta

# Roxie Says:
May 11th, 2008 at 1:02 am
Wow. I didn’t know so many racists liked CL.

MARTA actually stands for Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (although everyone knows the other five words). It’s a contentious intersection of race, politics and economics.

Compared to better-known train systems, such as New York City, the trains are very limited in the ground they cover. The crime rate is low and the trains and stations are extraordinarily clean. Everyday users of the MARTA trains are predominantly working-class/middle-class African-Americans. All other Atlantans take the trains periodically, usually to go the airport or to attend special events held downtown.

Central Atlanta is a diverse mix, with the largest bloc being native (Atlanta-born) African-American. White people who live inside Atlanta are comparatively progressive in their politics, especially because of the huge GLBT community. They’re not a choir of enlightened angels, by any means, but one thing is sure: if they were scared of seeing and talking to black people every day, they wouldn’t be living where they do.

The suburbs to the east are where many richer, non-Atlanta-born African-Americans have settled. And to the far north, the suburbs trace the arc of white flight. The iron claws of the northern suburbs have had a pretty bad effect on the development of public transportation in Atlanta. Their politics, plus the road-construction lobby’s dirty money, ensures that Atlanta’s traffic congestion and air quality get worse and worse every year. MARTA’s system is funded only by the two counties of metropolitan Atlanta, although people from the surrounding counties frequently use it for park-and-ride. The counties of the northern suburbs refuse to link their own systems to it, for fear of getting too many undesirable people in their neighborhoods. A well known fact: “MARTA is unique in that it is the largest United States transit agency not to receive state operational funding.”

The comments to the video illustrate an intense fear and loathing of public transportation. This fear and loathing feeds from racism, then back into racism, in a vicious feedback loop. “If only I could never leave my car,” they pray. But parking is limited at their sporting events and their centers of bureaucracy. Every once in a while, they have to bravely step onto a MARTA train. And they’re not even allowed to carry their guns on board! They resent that.

Anyone who is passionate about Atlanta and knowledgeable about Atlanta and lives inside it, no matter what their race, knows about this dynamic. We’re all hostages to it.

Getting back to a more personal level, what do viewers feel about the woman?

I didn’t think that drugs were involved. It definitely wasn’t crack. People on crack aren’t that fluid and expressive and coordinated in their movements. I think a lot of people on the train had the same visceral reaction I did the fear and awe of the mad. If you don’t look at them, maybe they won’t notice you.

In fact, that’s what happened. I read it first at local videojournalist A.Man.I’s blog: Soulja Girl Turns Herself In. The fuller story was reported here and on local radio stations.

MARTA’s ‘Soulja Girl’ Getting the Help She Needs

She’s only 25 years old, but the dark bags under Nafiza Z.’s eyes tell the story of a young life blighted by psychosis, delusions, hallucinations and mania that are the hallmarks of her mental disorder.

Yesterday afternoon, Nafiza, was in the DeKalb County jail receiving the psychiatric treatment she desperately needed. But on April 7th, Nafiza was spiraling out of control on a MARTA train traveling through Atlanta’s east side.

The scenes captured on another passenger’s cell phone of Nafiza aka “Soulja Girl” terrorizing an elderly passenger – caused a sensation on the Internet and embarrassed MARTA officials who quickly issued a warrant for her arrest.

People with bipolar disorder aren’t usually that violent or aggressive even in their manic phase. They are usually more of a danger to themselves than they are to others.

Nafiza’s boyfriend Dee, with whom she has a baby son, said it more eloquently when he called into the Ryan Cameron Show on Friday, “If she wasn’t bipolar she would be the good a person on earth,” said Dee.


“That girl got a good heart. The city don’t help her, man! They just kick her back out on the streets. The city don’t help [black mentally ill] folks like that. Once you get in that [manic] stage you can’t help yourself. It mess with your mind, man. Once your mind gone it’s a wrap!”

I don’t know exactly what it’s like to be in the grip of clinical mania, adrenaline coursing through your body, other strange chemicals surging through your brain. But I know what it feels like to be a witness to something like that. Perhaps the awe and fear of the bystander is partly because of our empathy with mania… as if we’re seeing the dial turned up to 10 on an experience we’ve felt at level 3 or 4.

It reminds me of a bizarre experience I had when I was in college in Miami. I was at a donut shop late at night, studying with some friends. An older white man walked in and set down at the booth next to us. He started talking very loudly to the air in a sharp, agonized tone. It was a monologue about being a Vietnam vet and how he was betrayed and how it was all the fault of the gooks. That sentiment, those words, over and over again.

My friends were shrinking into their seats. They were all foreign students and terrified of getting into trouble and getting deported, especially the one from Iraq. I had the opposite reaction. My skin was on fire, there was a buzzing noise in my ears, my body started shivering and trembling as if someone had plugged me into an electric current, and everytime he said the word “gook” the current spiked. After a couple minutes of this, I couldn’t take it anymore. I got up and faced him and started yelling back.

There was chaos after that point. Another older white man came over, said he was also a Vietnam vet and then took my side of the loud, disjointed argument. The staff of the donut shop got involved. There were numerous threats of ass-kicking. The police came. They tried to talk him down but eventually arrested him after he got into his car, because he was obviously in no condition to drive.

My friends, who hadn’t moved during the whole time, told me I was crazy. Yes, my actions were pretty irrational, but I didn’t feel like I had a choice. I’d waded up to my knees in something that the mentally ill man was drowning in. I suppose I won, but my victory was pretty hollow.

This was the first narrative that I connected to the video I watched today. But after that man went out into the parking lot, I have no idea how his story began or ended.

After I read a bit more of Nafiza Z.’s story, I feel almost guilty for writing this analysis. I still empathize with the bystanders and the poor elderly lady, but I also empathize with her terrible struggle. I hope these words will go to show how the hatred expressed toward her has more to do with a complicated web of politics, race and resentment than it does with her actual actions. Finally, I hope she can transcend the person shown in that video and become the person she wants to be.

Jan

10

(Pt 2) 2007 The Year in Race, Ethnicity, and Racism: The Top 10 List of the Most Fashionable Racial Trends

Filed Under Black/African American Issues, Blackface Parties, Hip Hop, Media Praises and Critiques, Original Essays and Analysis, Pop Culture, Race and Racism, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

In 2006, inspired by Racialicous, I put up a post of the top trends in race and racism for 2006. Given the popularity of that post, and the general enjoyment I get from discussing folks’ perceptions of trends, I figured I would make a list again this year. Here is the second half of my 2007 list. They are in no particular order:

6. “Model Minority” Black Immigrants–This was one of my predictions for 2007, and I was right about this one. There were several stories about African and Caribbean immigrants, focusing on the grand achievements. While some people think comparing African American blacks with foreign born blacks provides evidence that African Americans could really do better if they just “worked harder” and stopped “using the race card,” they miss how immigration law shapes the social status of foreign born blacks, especially African born blacks. Given the current structure of immigration policy, most of the African born blacks who are able to come to the US come as professional and students. The number of refugees and poor immigrants is fairly small, but the number of diplomats, professors, and students is fairly high. My partner and his relatives are good examples of this–He and his sister were the first to arrive in the US. His sister has a PhD, speaks 5 languages, and is a translator for the United Nations, and my partner was a excellent sprinter who was able to convince three Division I American Universities to give him track scholarships based on his race times in Nigeria. For both of them, it was the demand in the US for their talents, combined with a great deal of determination, that brought them to the US, but they hardly represent the typical Nigerian.

7. College Racism–Oh how I wish I didn’t have to put this on the list again, but a quick look at Vox Ex Machina,, which maintains the definitive list, reveals numerous incidents of racism on college campuses. From nooses to racially themed parties to rogue newspapers and all kinds of other incidents, students were busy this year. Often, the racist students posted their racist handy work on facebook and other social networking sites. I’m not really sure if today’s college students are any more racist than the college students were back when I was in college (mid-1990s). Social scientists could use survey data to track racial attitudes of college students, but the colorblind ideology is so prevalent that students know how to give the “right” answers even if their behavior belies such sentiments.

8. Celebrity International (Transracial) Adoption–I’m not sure if this trend fits better into 2006 or 2007, but nonetheless, it seems like every celebrity wanted to adopt a child from outside the US. Following the lead of Madonna and Angelina Jolie, numerous celebrities were rumored to be looking to adopt. I don’t think many of these celebrities will actually follow through and adopt, but there is something unsettling about transracial, international adoption being hip and cool. We are talking about the well being of children, but when adoption seems to be a media fad, I can see many unprepared and otherwise ignorant people adopting for the wrong reason and not respecting the rule of law like this French charity in Chad.

9. Begging to Apologize to Blacks via Al Sharpton–Apparently, racist whites have anointed Al Sharpton the “King of Black America” because every two bit loser who made a racist comment this year went begging to apologize to black folks via Sharpton (and sometimes Jesse Jackson, who must be second in line to the thrown). Don Imus, Michael Richards, Dog the Bounty Hunter, and I’m sure others who I have forgotten, all either went on Sharpton’s show or begged to meet with him. Do I really need to say anything else?

10. Using Racist Comments By Whites To Talk About How Blacks Need to Change–This may be number 10 on the list, but it was by far the most annoying trend of the year. It seems like every time a well known white person made racist comments the discussion ended up being refocused on how blacks need to fix themselves. I dedicated a full post to this topic in Oct. because I just couldn’t take it anymore. In fact, many of these discussions remind me of of children’s excuses for bad behavior. For example, let’s say I find little Timmy’s hand in the cookie jar. What’s the first thing little Timmy says, “Well Sarah did it, too?” Now, any good parent is not going to be fooled into turning Timmy’s cookie theft into a reason to punish Sarah. Unfortunately, when it comes to racism, many in white America act just like little Timmy, so racist comments from Don Imus and other whites turn into discussions of the pathologies of Blacks.

What do you think? Did I miss anything?

Oct

18

Video is Here: Let’s Do A Video Challenge with Jodeci

Filed Under Black/African American Issues, Hip Hop, Pop Culture, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

And you wonder who the real brains behind Jodeci was. Definitely Devante. You know those Pretty Ricky fools cain’t sing like that or write music. (Yes I did say cain’t, as in ryhmes with ain’t. I don’t know why, but many Ohio people pronounce it that way, and I was back in the OH when Jodeci was popular. )

I’ve got a used sociology textbook for the first person who can give the song title and performing artist for the 5 songs Devante plays before KC and JoJo come out.

And if you want a better version of “Lately” check out the MTV link below. It’s from Unplugged. (I know KC needs to put his shirt on, but just listen to the singing.) Why did they take Unplugged off the air? That was a great show because you could weed out all of the riff raff, fakes. Jay Z Unplugged was great. I’m gonna find that on YouTube.

Sep

8

New York Times on Black College Bands

Filed Under Black/African American Issues, Education and Academia, Hip Hop, Media Praises and Critiques, Pop Culture | 7 Comments

Anyone who knows about historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) knows that at many HBCUs being in the band is a big deal. In fact, it’s often the opposite of many white schools where being in the band usually means you get labeled a band geek. A good friend of mine went to an HBCU along with another high school classmate of hers (I’ll call the classmate Kendra.). I asked my friend if she ever talked with Kendra while they were away at college since they grew up in the same small town together, and she said not really. I asked, “Why not?” She went on to tell me how Kendra was in the band, and my friend felt that Kendra had decided she was way too cool.? It took me a while to figure out what my friend was getting at because in my high school being in the band meant people called you a band geek or nerd, but at her school being in the band (or on the football team) meant you were one of the most popular people.

I was reminded of this conversation after reading an article in the New York Times discussing Prairie View A&M University’s band. Here’s an excerpt:

At four blasts of a drum majors whistle, the Marching Storm, Prairie View A&M Universitys 250-piece marching band, invaded the football field at Reliant Stadium here in columns spread evenly across 80 yards. It was halftime at the annual Labor Day Classic that pits Prairie View against Texas Southern University, and for many in the stadium it was the most important part of the game.

The joke about black-college football games in the South is that the crowd patterns are the reverse of the norm. The fans talk, flirt and eat during the first two quarters, then return to their seats to scrutinize the marching bands through their eight-minute shows at halftime.

The Marching Storm has had brushes with mainstream attention over the years. It has appeared in television commercials and in a Dallas Cowboys halftime show with Destinys Child. Yet it remains a source of local pride, uncontrolled by corporate interests; its budget is about a third of the football teams. Along with other bands from historically black colleges and universities, or H.B.C.U.s, it is an example of a robust vernacular American musical form that serves a social function and isnt aiming at commercial success. It is one of many, all over this country.

You can read the entire article at the links above. It’s a good read; they have a brief discussion at the end about how Hip Hop artists are influenced by HBCU bands.

Aug

29

Serious Question…About Hip Hop

Filed Under Black/African American Issues, Gender and Sexism, Hip Hop, Pop Culture, Serious Questions, Uncategorized | 18 Comments

In the Male Chauvinist Pig Thread, Dianne asked the following question:

Im a late 30sish person who doesnt like all that many rap songs. Not because I dont like the style or the lyrics but simply because I havent heard all that many. I somehow managed to miss the whole phenomenon in the 1980sanyone got any recommendations for non-misogynistic hip hop artists to start on?

So what would you recommend for non-misogynist songs.? I gave her some songs and artists that I thought had feminist and pro-women sensibilities:

Queen Latifah had some good stuff back in the day that is very pro-women. Lauryn Hills 5 time Grammy winning album has some great feminist inspired songs.

Tupac has a few good songs that have pro-women themes Dear Mama Brendas Got A Baby and Keep Ya Head Up. He also has some really sexist songs like I Get Around, but those ones I named are pretty good. He also has a song much less popular called White Mans World which not about sexism but is about racism.

There are tons of songs and artists that are not feminists but are not misogynist.? I like Tribe Called Quest and Common, but let me not take up all the space with my recommendations.

What would you recommend?

(Below in the comments section, I put lyrics and a link to the video for Tupac’s? “Keep Ya Head Up”)

Aug

28

Male Chauvinist Pig Comment of the Week from the “King of the White Girls”

Filed Under Black/African American Issues, Gender and Sexism, Hip Hop, Interracial Relationships, Media Praises and Critiques, Pop Culture, Race and Racism | 55 Comments

? All Hip Hop has an interview with some producer called Polow Da Don, who apparently calls himself “King of the White Girls.”? Here’s what the idiot had to say:

AllHipHop.com: Now, you call yourself the “King of All White Girls.”? Elaborate on that for me.?

Polow Da Don:? Just the King of the White Girls. I ain’t self proclaimed but I run with it. [Laughs] There was a stage in my life where I went crazy with dating white women. I have nothing against black women, but theyre raised differently. White women are raised to respect and serve their men.? Black women are taught to question [their men]. Black women look at submission as being weak. White women look at submission as being a woman. And anyone who has a problem with this statement is ignorant.? Just look at the divine order: it goes God, man, woman, child.

Here’s what’s sad.? This is not the first time I have heard an African American man make assertion that white women are submissive and black women “don’t know their place.”? The notion that white women are weak and subservient goes way back as does the idea that black women unfeminine and aggressive.? In fact, this dude is repeating the same ideology as slave masters from a couple hundred years ago.

What makes it even worse is how he asserts that it is the will of God that men should dominate women (So I guess he thinks these black women that he hates are sinners?).? This is typical Christian fundamentalist nonsense, and I don’t even have the time to address that.

While he’s already being criticized for the quote above,? it is interesting that this response was immediately followed by a discussion of women in Hip Hop production and the music business.

AllHipHop.com: Umm, okay.? Im going to leave that one alone. So whats your view on women in production, or the lack of?

Polow: I think they have to work twice as hard, but there is a market for them, and they should be working to break that ground.? Because the person who does will open a lot of doors and make a lot of money. I get beat CDs from women a lot, actually.? Really, my sister does beats. She was the first person to teach me to use a beat machine.

AllHipHop.com:? Thats dope.

Polow: Yeah, Rasheeda, out of Atlanta, she produced some records for her.? She actually wrote and produced her biggest record Do It.? So nah, I think women can do it.? Just gotta put in work cause its a male dominated field.

AllHipHop.com: I agree. Now, there was a little controversy over a beat you gave Fergie for “Glamorous” and a beat you had done for Gwen Stefani for her remix to “Luxurious.”? This isnt the first time a producer has been in this predicament where his creativity is being questioned.? What can you say about that?

Polow Da Don: Gwen said she didnt like the remix, which was the dumbest thing Ive ever heard of.? And the remix was one of the best things I had done at the time.? When I finished that I felt like, Im gonna be the s**t when this hits.? I called her and let her know it was the biggest mistake she made in her career.? I was a fan of hers, and I wanted to help her out. And now you see Fergie blowing her out the water in sales, even though Gwen is the bigger star.? Will.I.Am has just really looked out. Maybe somebody will call and try to help me out like that when Im wack.?

Well, buddy the reason women have to work twice as hard is because of jerks like you.? ? At least he acknowledges that women have? to work harder, but he doesn’t directly connect it to sexism,? and he precedes this discussion with some of the most bigoted anti-women rhetoric I’ve heard in a long time.? This guys hates women so much he has to get a dig in on Gwen Stefani for not liking his beats.? Isn’t it bad business to insult your clients?

So next time you hear somebody ask why there aren’t very many women in Hip Hop; remember it’s guys like this who run the show.

Apr

18

New York “Urban” Radio Sation Power 105 Changing Formats

Filed Under Hip Hop, Media Praises and Critiques, Pop Culture, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

I saw this posted over at Lester Spence’s site.? Basically the gist of the article is that Power 105.1 is changing it’s format supposedly in response to the backlash from the Imus firing.? Power 105? and Hot 97 are the worst Hip Hop radio stations I’ve listened to.? They thrive off racist, sexist, and sensationalist music and commentary, which I have discussed before.? On top of that, they play the same thing over and over and over. I’ve listen to hip hop and urban format stations in Detroit, Toledo, Columbus, and Hartford (why they had one idiot who was also on Power 105 and Hot 97).? The only one even remotely close to the drivel of NYC Hip Hop Radio was the Hartford station, and they paled in comparison. In my own experience Top 40, radio is worse than hip hop radio, but New York may be an exception.

However,? I think this is the real reason Power 105 is changing formats. Yes, folks the payola scandal in New York was just settled, and the corporations had to pay out over 12 million dollars.? (Check this out from 2005, so you can see how the station was at the center of the controversy.)? ? Color me skeptical, but in my view the FCC is actually more likely behind the format change not any Imus blowback.

Check out this related story.

Apr

16

Some Things I Said About Race, Criticisms, and Hip Hop in 2003

Filed Under Black/African American Issues, Hip Hop, Media Praises and Critiques, Original Essays and Analysis, Pop Culture, Race and Racism, Sociology, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

This discussion over at Pandagon reminded me of an article I wrote a few years ago.? Here are a few quotes.

On criticism of Hip Hop:

Rap music has long been the target of criticism from the popular media, White politicians, and even some older African Americans. Often, antirap sentiments are thinly veiled anti-Black comments. Moreover, these antirap comments are often framed differently from those attacking White musicians, as Binders (1993) analysis of media accounts indicates. Her study indicated that White heavy metal fans were viewed as potential victims of the music, whereas predominantly Black rap fans were viewed by media outlets as potential victimizers. A small number of African American leaders have also criticized rap on similar grounds. C. Deloris Tucker and Reverend Calvin Butts have both argued that rap music promotes violence and misogyny and have publicly criticized rap music on these grounds (Ogbar, 1999; Rose, 1994). White media outlets, possibly in search of African Americans to make criticisms, have quickly picked up Black leaders criticisms. In the new millennium, critics from within the hip-hop community have argued that many contemporary artists have abandoned antiracism messages and focused instead on money and sexual exploits (Powell, 2000). They go on to say that corporate control and the desire to reach a wider and Whiter audience has led rap away from overtly antiracist sentiments. Although hip-hop artists have always been diverse and self-critical (Ogbar, 1999), criticism from within hip-hop seems to have increased in recent years.

Although many leaders have argued about the effects of rap on its fans, studies exploring effects of rap are few. This is partly because the small body of research on hip-hop focuses more on artists, lyrical content, and the history of hip-hop. Moreover, any social differences (gender, age, race, social class, etc.) in fans that could be correlated with influence are generally overlooked.

? On race and preference for rap:

The most striking finding from this study is that the racial gap in preference for rap music is closing. Unlike the previous research (Epstein et al., 1990), this study shows that preference for rap was not significantly different for Blacks and Whites; however, this may be misleading. Black adolescents named more rap artists and were more likely to say that theywore clothes like rappers and used words or phrases similar to rappers. Moreover, African Americans were more likely to say that they listened to rap because it was truthful and taught them about life. Although White adolescents say they like rap, many of the White respondents in this survey had difficulty naming three rap artists, which indicated that they did not have a high level of commitment to the music. Rap may only be a fad and a phase…….

The responses to the open-ended questions on the survey support the idea that African Americans have higher commitment to rap. The wider variety of rap acts Black adolescents listed provides evidence that they have a broader knowledge of rap. Some of the White respondents answers to the question, Why do you listen to rap? indicated that Whites were listening to rap because it has a good beat, so the message of the music was not as important as the sound. This leads me to believe that although Black and White adolescents are saying that they like rap, they may be getting two different messages from the same music. Many young African Americans appear to be looking at rap for its messages about life and its aesthetically pleasing sound, yet Whites seem to be listening almost exclusively because of the aesthetically pleasing sound. In many ways, these findings support Berrys (1994) and Martinezs (1997) arguments that rap is a form of resistance. Although young African American rap fans are not arguing that rap leads them into social protest, they seem to be indicating that it offers a counterdominant message that they use as an affirmation of their experiences.

Not only are rap music and hip-hop culture a potential form of resistance, they may also have broad-reaching implications for identity development and maintenance. Although many may see music as a passing phase, it is often a source of information about ones group (or other groups), and it can also be a (re)affirmation of ones identity. This could be particularly true for young African Americans, who are less likely to have their experiences reflected in the dominant culture.

Therefore, future research needs to examine not just how much adolescents report they like to rap but their knowledge and commitment to the music. Furthermore, the extent to which Black and White adolescents are getting different messages from the same rap songs must be clarified.

On? rap? as an interracial socializer:?

Because so many young Whites listen to rap, future research should also focus on rap as an interracial socializer. Whites in this study (who were fans) indicated that rap had affected their opinions about racism. The survey did not measure how rap had affected their opinions of racism or how it has affected their opinions of African Americans more generally. However, rap as an interracial socializer may be detrimental for many reasons. First, many Whites who listen to rap may be motivated by curiosity. Rap may allow White adolescents to satisfy their curiosities without ever having face-to-face contact or interpersonal relationships with any African Americans, so rap can be a way for Whites to vicariously learn about African Americans. They may be able to satisfy curiosities about African Americans and even mimic what they may see as African American life without having an understanding or appreciation of African American experiences. Second, rap music does not reflect the diversity of African Americans. Rap often operates from the perspectives of young, urban, Black men. White adolescents may get a picture of African American life that is not inclusive of those who are older, from rural areas, or female (or other important social characteristics). The third reason this could be detrimental is because it may perpetuate prejudices, particularly the view that African Americans are materialistic and hedonistic, which could inadvertently promote stereotypes more than it dismantles them. Although rappers themselves are not fully accountable for how their music is interpreted, many fans may not be accessing alternative sources of information about African Americans. In addition, many rap songs are fictional and do not even represent the artists true beliefs or those beliefs of African Americans in general. Rap, like any other cultural product, is also subjected to corporate control, which could potentially limit antiracist messages because those messages may not be as economically profitable.

I am not making the case that rap sends only negative messages to White adolescents. Many artists do have images that are less stereotypical (Ogbar, 1999); however, those voices are often less commercially successful. Rap would probably be best when combined with other forms of interracial socialization, particularly in a society that has been built on racism, sexism, and capitalism. Daily interactions or interactions that are not from media could be beneficial.

Bibliography?

Sullivan, Rachel E. “Rap and Race: It’s Got a Nice Beat, but What about the Message?” Journal of Black Studies 2003; 33; 605-622.

Berry, V. (1994). Redeeming the rap music experience. In J. Epstein (Ed.), Adolescents and their music: If its too loud youre too old. New York: Garland.

Binder, A. (1993). Constructing racial rhetoric: Media depictions of harm in heavy metal and rap music. American Sociological Review, 58, 753-767.

Epstein, J. S., Pratto, D.,&Skipper, J., Jr. (1990). Teenagers, behavioral problems, and preferences for heavy metal and rap music: A case study of a southern middle school. Deviant Behavior, 11, 381-394.

Martinez,T. (1993). Recognizing the enemy: Rap music in thewake of the Los Angeles riots. Explorations in Ethnic Studies, 16, 115-127.

Martinez, T. (1997). Popular culture: Rap as resistance. Sociological Perspectives, 40, 265- 286.

Powell, K. (2000, October 9). My culture at the crossroads:Arap devoteewatches corporate control and apolitical times encroach on the music he has loved all his life. Newsweek, p. 66.

Ogbar, J. (1999). Slouching toward Bork: The culture wars and self-criticism in hip hop music. Journal of Black Studies, 30(2), 164-183.

Rose, T. (1994). Black noise: Rap music and Black culture in contemporary America. Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press.

I can forward you a copy of the entire article if you would like to read it and don’t have library access.

Apr

12

Framing Video Girls

Filed Under Black/African American Issues, Gender and Sexism, Hip Hop, Media Praises and Critiques, Original Essays and Analysis, Pop Culture, Race and Racism, Sexuality and Heterosexism, Sociology, Uncategorized | 10 Comments

I originally wrote this post in January of 2006, but I wanted to repost it for all of those folks, who claim that African Americans and supporters of African Americans (i.e. me), don’t critique sexism in Hip Hop.? Pam over at Pandagon has a similar post about the efforts to challenge sexism in Hip Hop.? Personally, I can think of examples of African American men and women challenging Hip Hop sexism going back a long way.

I saw a VH1 special in one of my insomniac moments earlier this week on the women in music videos, more specifically the women in rap videos. The Video Girl has become a mainstay of contemporary music videos and many artists and directors simply won’t make a video without a harem of scantly clad women. Video girls have gotten a great deal of attention since Karinne Steffans (aka Superhead) released her book Confessions of a Video Vixen. Steffans got a great deal of air time in the special, and what I liked about her appearance in this special was that she focused on her own experiences with exploitation, and it clearly wasn’t a discussed of what big name artists she had sex with (In defense of Steffans, she often tries to focus on her exploitation without mentioning names in interviews, but what people think is that the book is “tell-all-and-take-a-few liberties-book” and that’s why people are so pissed at her.) As I listened to Steffans one thing struck me even though I had seen several of the videos she performed in, I had no idea up until that moment what videos she was in. With a few exceptions, I didn’t recognized any of the women they profiled even though I had seen most of the videos they were in. What struck me is how nameless and faceless most of these women are. It’s as if they are merely the accessories. I could name every artist just by looking at their faces but not one video girls. Therein lies the problem; many of these videos portray women as objects not people.

The other thing that struck me was the defenses that were used for having so many video girls. It was clear that the artists, directors, casting agents, and the women themselves, had a sense that this was exploitation, or at the very least, they knew others were uncomfortable with it, so they developed several sets of frames to defend the use of these women in the videos. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept of framing here ia a good description from Wikipedia, In communication theory, and sociology, framing is a process of selective control over media content or public communication. Framing defines how a certain piece of media content or rhetoric is packaged so as to allow certain desirable interpretations and rule out others. Media frames can be created by the mass media or by specific political or social movements or organizations.

The three frames I want to discuss here are 1) the “they chose to do it” frame 2) the “sex sells’ frame 3) the “white boys do it too” frame. I’m sure there are other frames use to defend the exploitation of women in videos, but these were the three that were most commonly mentioned.

1. They choose to do it. People using this frame argue that there is nothing wrong with using video girls because these women freely perform and audition. They go on to say that if one woman chooses not to perform in the provocative manner that they ask, they can always find another woman to take her place. This frame is often followed up with a subframe I’ll call the “they’re hos anyway” frame. Here artists, directors, and producers argue that it doesn’t matter what these women are asked to do because they are promiscuous anyways. The underlying assumption is that women who are willing to perform in these videos must be “loose” or they would not be willing to perform in the first place. What I find interesting about this frame is the conundrum that it places women in. If they want to be part of the video, they must be willing to be provocative or producers will find someone else, but when they do these provocative things, they become hos who get no respect and are expected to do anything. This can be taken to extreme forms such as requests for sexual favors from artists and their posses, casting directors, and others.

Another problem with this way of thinking is that it completely ignores the very limited number of nonstereotypical roles available to young Black women performers. For many of these women, this is the difference between being an employed performer or an unemployed performer. This is a general problem for minority actors, but for Black women this problem is compounded by sexist stereotypes. Black women are frequently cast as “bitches” and/or “hos” This problem extends well beyond hip hop videos, but no where is it more apparent than in these “video harems.” The notion that this is just a choice that these young women make ignores the fact that their choices are very limited to begin with. I wouldn’t dispute the idea there is some degree of freewill, but gendered racism and racialized sexism limit the options of Black women. I also think these images are very alluring for young women, who view these videos as compliments–”look I”m hot enough to be in the video.” Steffans herself said that she initially liked the attention that this got her, but it is a sad that these compliments are not so much reaffirming the person as they are objectifying them. It’s a fine line between “you’re beautiful” and “look at that ass.” We also need to get beyond the idea that the women who appear in these videos have low self esteem. This reduces the objectification of women to a psychological problem located within individual women. This is a larger problem; one about the status of women in general and the value of women in society. When we reach the point where many men and women think that showing women’s boobs and booties sans head is a compliment to women, that is a societal illness, not a psychological problem. Moreover, pathologizing these women while ignoring the men who are so pivotal in creating this images is victim blaming at its best. Sure individual women need to take responsibility for their lives, but we need to take collective responsibility–especially men–for how we continue to objectify women.

2. Sex Sells. There are a few problems with the sex sells frame. The first problem is the notion that because something is popular and will sell that it is somehow good. Yes, sex does sell, and so does violence, misogyny, and racist stereotypes. Or as one women in the documentary put it, “Crack sells, too.” Does that mean we should be promoting it? Not necessary.

Another problem with the sex sells framework is that it is disingenuous. They don’t mean sex sells. They mean sexual images of women’s bodies sell. I think it is entirely possible that sex can sell without exploiting women. There is nothing wrong with sex, but sex that involves mutual respect is essential. There is no really sense of love, commitment, or respect in these videos.

This is also capitalism run amuck. The artists believe that the only way to get popular and make money is by selling sex. Lost in all of this is any sense of creativity. In order to see that more positive images of hip hop can sell one needs to look back about 15 years ago. While hip hop had its sexism, the video harems were much more toned down. Today even female rappers feel the need to exploit their sexuality and portray themselves as Jezebels. There is a very clear inverse relationship between these harem videos and the creativity and originality in hip hop. Once an art has been reduced to a formula it gets stagnant, and right now hip hop is like a dried up pond in the south in August–stagnant and germy.

3. White Boys do it too. In this frame people argue misogyny is only criticized when it comes to Black artists or Hip Hop. This critique is correct in identifying a double standard. White artists use women’s bodies to sell their music as well, but there are two big problems with this argument. The first problem is that it ignores the fact that the hip hop world has perfected the art of using harems in videos. Yes, the White hair bands did it in the 1980s, but at the present some of the most exploitive and misogynist videos are coming out of hip hop. Even so called positive artist are promoting images of Black women was bitches and gold diggers. The White rockers and pop artists shouldn’t get off the hook. They undoubtedly deserve critique, but the racial double standard is not a reason not to critique Hip Hop videos. It simply means that there is plenty of criticism to go around.

The other problem with this argument it that it is justifying behavior by saying others are doing the same thing. It’s like the old saying, If your friend jumps off a bridge, would you do it, too. ? Exploitation and objectification of women is wrong no matter who is doing it. Trying to turn the focus on others is a distraction that many people use when they know they need to clean up their own house.

The VH1 show won’t be last on this topic. Videos girls aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, and the critique of video harems isn’t going to stop either. But one of the things that we really need to do is reframe the issue if we want to have a real discussion on the portrayal of women in music videos; we need to think about how the issue has been framed and how we can reframe it. Someday in a future post.? I’ll try to pose some alternative frames, but for now I wanted to critique the ones that are out there.

What do you think? How can this issue be reframed; do you think there are other frames used to talk about video girls?

Jul

3

Two Stars, Two Fired Celebrities, Two Opinions

Filed Under Black/African American Issues, Hip Hop, Pop Culture, Uncategorized | 24 Comments

Star JonesStar and Bucwild

Two of my favorite forms of entertainment are Hip Hop radio and TV talks shows.? Being that I like these two genres of entertainment, I have listened/watched both of the two celebrities pictured on the right.? First, is Star Jones who was first featured on TV news shows sometime around the OJ trial to give her expert legal advice based on her experiences as a prosecutor in New York city.? Star later joined the successful? talk show? The View.? DJ Star got his start as a Hip Hop journalist.? He teamed up with his brother and eventually the duo make it to the both of New York City’s flagship Hip Hop radio stations.? Recently, both Stars have been surrounded by controversy for the same reason–both were fired from their jobs, and in both cases they left with a bang.? Star Jones managed to get back at her bosses at the View by announcing her departure early and leaving the show even earlier.? DJ Star didn’t get the chance to bow out himself because he was fired for saying he was going to sexually abuse a rival DJ’s 4 year old (This is his second major? firing, he was fired previously for insensitive comments he made about the death of pop star Aaliyah.).? He was later arrested for these threats.? So there is the background for each, let me give my opinion on the firing of each of these celebrities.

DJ Star (aka Troi Torrain)

I first listened to Star when I lived in Connecticut.? Recently, fired from a Philadelphia station for calling an Indian phone operator a “rat eater” and making other racist comments Star was on a continual downward spiral going to smaller and smaller markets, which landed him in Hartford.? He was first fired? in New York for comments about Aaliyah, then in Philly for the “rat eater” comment.? I listened to Star and Bucwild on 104.1 in Connecticut because it was the new Hip Hop station in town, and I wanted to diversify.? I listened to and enjoyed some of the off color humor, but I started to tune out because I was hearing the N-word way more than I liked.? Star also acted like a jerk; he’d hang up on people and insult them.? He and his side kicks frequently made racially insensitive remarks–especially against Asians and Blacks.?

Right about the time I moved to New York, so did Star.? He was one Power 105, which has had an ongoing feud the station that he was previously fired from Hot 97.? Star’s antics continued, and I became so disgusted by the constant racist remarks, trash talking, and the degrading behavior towards women and gays? (on both stations) that I had given up on listening to the NYC Hip Hop stations.? I was frustrated that some people use New York as a barometer for Hip Hop radio because it really isn’t.? ? I have lived in Detroit, Toledo, and Hartford, and until Torain came to Connecticut I had never heard “shock jocks” on Hip Hop stations.? I suppose it is possible that these stations have since changed, but I suspect New York stations are much worse than other Hip Hop stations.?

I’m not the only one tuning out.? Community activist Errol Lewis? notes that the ratings for these two stations have fallen,? while the R&B station WBLS 107.5 has seen a growth in listeners.? WBLS is African American owned, and it represents a much tamer slightly more community oriented type of radio.? In fact, Hot 97 has become such a hot bed of problems, their landlords have tried to evict them, mainly because of several shootings related to guests and hosts of the station.? In fact, the nickname for Hot 97 is “Shot 97.”?

I now listen almost exclusively to public radio and WBLS.? Shock jocks, whether it’s Howard Stern or Hip Hop DJs like Star, don’t entertain me.? The sad thing is that Star is a relatively intelligent guy, who could easily? do the same show and make it funny without trying to be the number one “hater.”? ? What is even more sad is how many people eat this up.? You would think someone like Troi Torrain or Howard Stern would become damaged goods after all of the on air fines and firings.? But this kind of radio seems to have an audience; however, the audience may be dwindling if Errol Lewis is right.

Did Star deserve to get fired?? I think he did. Threatening to sexually assault a child and encouraging listeners to give out the address where the child can be found crosses the line.? Moreover, he managed in one episode to use offensive language directed at gays, women, Asians, and children.? ? The content was definitely not suitable for the day time airwaves.? I also feel that prior to this incident his use of racial? and sexual slurs? was spiraling out of control.? People are getting fed up with this sort of lowest common denominator programming.?

Star Jones-Reynolds

Well DJ Star isn’t the only Star with problems.? Day time diva, Star Jones? has also gotten the boot, after 9 years co-hosting the View Star? (I wouldn’t call her? Diva except for the fact that she calls herself a diva all the time.)? My feelings about this Star are much more ambivalent.? Let me explain.

I have a love hate relationship with Start Jones.? In the beginning when the View was new I tuned in, and I liked Star.? In fact, at that time it was Debbie Mantanopolous and Joy Behar that annoyed me.? Star was an intelligent woman, and an accomplished attorney.? Just what they need to add to the mix of a “diverse group of opinionated women.? But over time, I really started to get annoyed by Star and in the last few years I have quit watching the show except on rare occasions, and Star was one reason.? The other reason was Elisabeth Hasselbeck.? The two of them became icons of conservatism, and I found it a little annoying.? In fact, my first negative reactions to Star revolve around her constantly proclaiming how much of a diva she is.? I remember one episode where they were talking about exercise, and she was vehement about how she didn’t do that and she didn’t like to sweat.? On another more recent occasion, Star was talking about taking her husband’s name after marriage, focusing on how great and romantic it was and how it is what “your supposed to do.”? I about fell on the floor.? If she wants to do that fine, but the whole “that’s what you’re supposed to do” thing annoyed me.? The longer I watched Star the more I got to the point where I was like, not only would I not be friends with this women, but the whole diva persona had to go. (Side note: I’m a very down to earth person, and I really can’t stand people who don’t want to get dirty or sweaty–it wreaks of class entitlement and general arrogance.)

Star did a 180 degree turn when she got engaged.? Her relationship was all she ever talked about.? The network is claiming that their focus groups found her weight loss and her wedding turned off viewers.? I can see that because she started to annoy the hell out of me around that time.? In fact, on the occasions that I was watching.? I would change the channel as soon as she started with the wedding talk–she was a true Bridezilla.? In fact, ABC felt she over stepped her bounds by promoting companies on the View? that gave her wedding freebies, and they suspended her for a day or two over it.? This was the first major sign of trouble for Star.

I was a little more sympathetic to her on the weight loss issue.? It really wasn’t other folks business, but when she decided to write a book about her “self improvement” journey and featured her weight loss prominently in the book, I thought it was really pathetic that she did not reveal how she lost weight.? If there is one thing that annoys many people in this day and age, it’s the perception that someone is fake or dishonest.? So when Rosie O’Donnell dissed Star, saying she probably could do a push up.? I laughed.? I remembered watching Star try to exercise and complain about sweating, and then I laughed even harder.?

Some people? have suggested that race could be a factor in Star’s firing.? I don’t think so.? Star has become a figure that people love to hate, and it really seems to transcend race.? On the African American message boards and radio shows I listen to/read, Star is a very divisive figure. Wendy Williams is always dishing good gossip on Star, and judging by the reactions of the audience Wendy isn’t the only one who gets riled up over Star.? It seems to me that Whites are not much different–we are divided over Star too.? Of course, there are other ways that race could enter the picture,? but my sense is that race has played a relatively small role in this situation.

The big elephant in the room is gender.? ? Many people have suggested that the stage might not be big enough for Rosie O’Donnell, Star Jones-Reynolds, and Barbara Walters.? On the one hand, this appeals to stereotypes of women–we’re catty, we can’t get along, etc.? On the other hand, it also shows that we can be just like men jockeying for power and fame.? The fact that we have this many powerful women jockeying for power is a sign of progress, and as long as people don’t treat this like a “cat” fight I can accept it.

Now let me get down to the point.? I have already let everybody know Star was grating on me and did influence me not to watch the show, but I’m not so sure that the way she was let go was fair.? She had put a lot into the show, and it seems like they felt bringing in Rosie O’Donnell was more important than any sort of loyalty to Star.? I personally would have liked to see Star, who is relatively conservative on gender issues, duke it out with Rosie.? In fact, I think the addition of an out lesbian is great for the show.? It would be nice to see Joy Behar and Rosie (the gender liberals)? in a tag team match with Elisabeth and Star (the gender conservatives).? It would have been even more interesting to see this given the numerous rumors about her husband’s sexuality, which Star routinely dismisses.? ? I also think that negative viewer opinions of Star were misleading.? It seems to me that Star is someone many people dislike, but I think she still brings in ratings.? She’s a love to hate sort of figure, and the dynamics of the show with Rosie would be great.? As far as her plugging wedding items and all of? behavior they didn’t like, they should have pulled her aside and asked her to cut it.? If she didn’t cut it, then they could fire have fired her, and done it in a fairer way.? Now Barbara Walters is looking bad because it became really obvious that Star was fired and didn’t just move on to bigger and better things.?

So what will happen to Star and Star?

DJ Star is probably going to get another chance at fame.? He’ll likely join Howard Stern on satellite radio, and? I don’t think he’ll tone it down.? Star Jones is also going to go on to good things.? I personally would like to see her do a legal show or something of that ilk.? She’s more interesting when she talks about professional opinions, not her personal life.

Here are some Star and Star links.

Jay at hiphopmusic.com Has the details of two of DJ Star’s firings. Here? and here.

Here are Stephanie’s response? and Shavar Jeffries response? to Star Jones firing.

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