"What Imus did was bad" AND "but why do rappers talk about women like that?"

[skywardprodigal]

Why did the wild-haired, deeply-in-need-of-moisturizer, dried up, white, self-declared feminist activist ask me why the rappers say things as bad as Imus did and nobody complains? Not that she was saying that Imus was okay. "ANYthing said about ANY women that's NEGATIVE is NOT OKAY

Comments

[cognative]

Well some "activist" white people see blackfolk as merely tools for their own enlightenment. She sounds like one of them.

[starfishncoffee]

Oh but they're enlightened ALREADY! Their role is to schools US on what us little Black and Brown people don't understand about our lives dontcha know???

[skywardprodigal]

*nods*

Yah. Some do. And then they have to be vocal!

[carlyinrome]

Um.

That's kind of the only thing I can think of to say to this, except I really enjoyed your description of the "activist."

So many people do not have good sense. Why are they the ones constantly running their mouths? There must be a scientific explanation.

[skywardprodigal]

Heh. Yeah. There's not much to say. I should have seen the crazy coming and crossed the street, but I was at the counter, the postal clerk was being super nice to me, while letting me handle my business while he took someone else since I'd made a mistake...

I don't know if it's that people lack 'good' sense so much that they confuse talking with thinking.

[coniraya]

Sexism was a part of American culture loooooong before rap music. Racism was a part of American culture loooooong before rap music.
The idea that without rap music everything would be hunky dory for black women = profound bullshit.
The idea that no other type of music includes sexism = foolish.

It's such a sign of privilege to decide that you can bring up Imus (or any discussion of race)with any random POC on the street and then think you're bringing up some profound shit when you talk about sexism in rap music. Like you pointed out the community has been discussing this for years, white folks just didn't care as long as they could profit off of it. Next time someone brings that shit up I might end up in jail for smacking a fool. I admire your self-control very much.

[skywardprodigal]

Next time someone brings that shit up I might end up in jail for smacking a fool. I admire your self-control very much.

I'm not going to jail no matter what I do. :) Now that that's out of the way...The self-control is about not letting people get in my way. Or, moving myself around them (when need be). I tell myself all sorts of good things that I've got to be thankful for, including NOT BEING THEM.

But occasionally, the sameness of the effery (because effrontery and fuckery look about interchangeable when it comes to this sort of thing) gives me a 'let me crazy' moment.

Seriously, I grew up with guns. I come from a culture -- a lot like your home one I imagine (because of high stakes politics) -- where good manners are often due to one of three things: 1)a genuine belief that all people are important 2)the genuine belief of one's superiority to the person displaying the bad manners or 3)not having both a solid alibi and a place to stow the body of the offender immediately on hand.

[littleeva]

What really pisses me off, more than Imus or the rappers is how the media disregards black woman, how violence in the black community is never seen as serious as when it happens to white people. How when a white girl goes missing, it's front page news but when a black girl goes missing or is murdered it's in the back pages if in the newspaper at all and it's not even mentioned on the TV news. THAT'S what offends me.

[skywardprodigal]

*nods*

I am always grateful when the police or media or the authorities do right by a black girl or black child.

just an excuse to use this icon, really.

[hemlock_martini]

I just love the thought process involved here. "I am perplexed by the actions of these 'talking music singers' that the young people enjoy so much. ZOUNDS! A black person! Surely THEY will know the answers!"

Just the excuse to use this icon

[skywardprodigal]

I think...the woman wasn't thinking so much as bent on rearranging her prejudices.

Funny icon you got there. :)

And you're mean for giving me a giggle fit when I'm past due a washroom break.

Re: Just the excuse to use this icon

[hemlock_martini]

My icon wouldn't be funny if it weren't true.

Also, the use of "ZOUNDS!" is instant comedy.

I guess it's nice that she was trying to reach out to someone else to figure something out instead of falling back on internal half-knowledge and ignorance, but still...wrong way of going about it, wrong time, wrong everything.