(Untitled)

[lindsay40k]

Is it possible to interpret Apeman Hop, a catchy tune by the Ramones, as anything other than appallingly racist?

The band has always struck me as very left-leaning, at the very least liberal left, but this...

Comments

[evil_genius]

I don't see it?
Like at all?

[lindsay40k]

It's all very disappointing... i just can't see how an artist can juxtapose this with songs like The KKK took my baby away.

[evil_genius]

can you explain to me how this song is even a little racist?

[kadeshaderow]

I guess it's a matter of perception shaped by cultural upbringing.

You know, sort of like your anti-semitic jew-hating.

[lindsay40k]

I don't know about the history of race relations in your country, but in the UK there was a spate of widespread outright racism which often compared Black people with monkeys. Coming from a cultural background with a legacy such as this, it's difficult for me not to perceive a racist character to the juxtaposition of terms such as filthy, stupid apeman... lives in the jungle in a cave by a hill... he's primitive, barely human with a skit that is clearly an exchange between two characterisations of African men, surrounded by monkeys, with one of the men apparently making monkey noises.

It could be a simple case of being extremely clumsy, naive and/or insensitive whilst innocently trying to pen a song about amusing prehistoric archetypes, but I find it difficult to believe that the legacy of racism in the US could not have occurred to any of the band or production team whilst recording this.

[evil_genius]

lindsay40k wrote:I don't know about the history of race relations in your country
I'm American.

lindsay40k wrote:, but in the UK there was a spate of widespread outright racism which often compared Black people with monkeys. Coming from a cultural background with a legacy such as this, it's difficult for me not to perceive a racist character to the juxtaposition of terms such as filthy, stupid apeman... lives in the jungle in a cave by a hill... he's primitive, barely human with a skit that is clearly an exchange between two characterisations of African men, surrounded by monkeys, with one of the men apparently making monkey noises.
I can only read the lyrics you've posted. uhm. Lindsay it sounds to me like the problem here is not with that song.
While it is true that Johnny Ramone was a bit of a racist. Joey, the one who actually sang(I use the term loosely) the songs, was not. If google is to be believed Dee Dee and Tr

lindsay40k wrote:It could be a simple case of being extremely clumsy, naive and/or insensitive whilst innocently trying to pen a song about

[lindsay40k]

Y'all American? I don't remember you ever mentioning it before, just that you live in Finland

[evil_genius]

upon further reading I've discovered my original assertion that Johnny Ramone may have been a racist is COMPLETELY unfounded. I retract the claim.

lindsay40k wrote:Y'all American? I don't remember you ever mentioning it before, just that you live in Finland.

I don't mention it explicitly very often. But don't worry, most everyone seems to just assume I'm Finnish anyway. You'd have to look pretty closely to notice the few schools I've mentioned on my profile page are all in the states.

lindsay40k wrote:I'm aware of the South American cultural baggage of mass sacrifice, but if it's a slant against them, that doesn't explain the African skitThere is a third option here. That being it wasn't a slant against either those of South American descent or African Descent. But rather a slant specifically against.... Apemen i.e. per human primates. As for the skit, try to remember these guys are all born around 1950, they all had fairly average upbringins at least from an education stand point. So it's not like you'd expect them to have a deep and nuanced idea of

[lindsay40k]

Hey, now. All I did was throw the question out there. I've not denied that there are several ways of looking at the song, and I guess if no hardcore fans have discussed the issue it probably is nothing. So, I can happily listen to it.

[evil_genius]

YAY

We now return you to your normally scheduled program of awesome punk rock.