5. “Guilty (of Being White)” – Minor Threat
The usually bullshit-averse Ian Mackaye tried to justify this song by saying that it was inspired by feeling intimidated growing up as part of Washingston D.C.’s white minority. We have to wonder if he explained that to the gangs of skinheads who showed up to Minor Threat shows after they released this single.
4. “White Riot” – The Clash
Joe Strummer may have meant the line “Black people got problems, but they don’t mind throwin’ a brick” as a compliment. He may have spent too much time around punks.
3. “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)” – Weezer
Ha-fuckin-ha, Rivers Cuomo. You know, uninspired parodies of rappers’ bravado used to be just unfunny and mildly embarrassing for their creator. But their persistence into the 21st century is pretty much unforgivable.
2. “Rock and Roll Nigger” – Patti Smith
Uhh…
1. “Play That Funky Music, White Boy” – Wild Cherry
Reverse racism is not cool, guys! White people know they’re uncool–you don’t have to rub it in.
Top 5 Questionably Racist Songs by Supposedly Progressive Artists
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68 responses to “Top 5 Questionably Racist Songs by Supposedly Progressive Artists”
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Don’t over react-they’re trying to make a point.
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Calling The Greatest Man that Ever Lived racist is perhaps the funniest thing that I have read all day, because
1. You are equating making fun of a style of music to making fun of a race, when music transcends race (ex.: Eminem is white, and considered to be one of the best rappers ever). When people make fun of country music, is it racist against white people? How about making fun of the foibles of a Mariachi band? Are you racist against Hispanics? Absolutely not. Every form of music has cliches that can be mocked, and it has nothing to do with race.
2. Cuomo continues the “bravado” through 5 or 6 other types of music throughout the song, not just the rap section. The WHOLE song is a joke, not that section.
No offense, but if this is what passes for racism today, I think we’ve lost sight of the meaning of the word….
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I don’t think that word means what you think it means.
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^^^Best. Answer. Here.
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“Joe Strummer may have meant the line “Black people got problems, but they don’t mind throwin’ a brick” as a compliment. He may have spent too much time around punks.”
Of course Strummer meant it as a compliment. He was commenting on the apathy of white youth in the UK. I’ve always thought the song was pretty straight-forward about that.
Agree on Minor Threat, though. The lyrics imply that discrimination against black people is a thing of the past, criticizes affirmative action and was simply a wrong move.
Sure, Mackaye’s personal frustration with being abused by his peers because of his race and being expected by some to feel guilty because of the actions of others of his race is understandable. But his comments on the song (especially early ones) betray his real intentions and thoughts writing the song. -
Just want to sign my comment, accidentally posted it as anonymous.
Luce
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After the havoc that I’m gonna reap
No more words will critics have to speak -
Umm, some “interesting” Strummer/Clash lyrics from the days before “Rock Against Racism” when it wasn’t completely clear wear early UK punks stood politcally, even The Clash.
From ‘Hate & War’:
Hate and war – I hate all the english
Hate and war – theyre just as bad as wops
Hate and war – I hate all the politeness
Hate and war – I hate all the copsI wanna walk down any street
Looking like a creep
I dont care if I get beat up
By any kebab greekFrom what I understand, Strummer was about as far from being a racist as any white guy could be, but people forget today that early UK punk toyed casually with Nazi/racist imagery.
And like any sophisticated songwriter, he is not necessarily singing in the voice of the lyrial, first-person “I”–ie, he’s assuming another’s voice.
Also, the somewhat more ambiguous “Safe European Home”:
“I went to the place where every white face is an invitation to robbery
An’ sitting here in my safe European home
Don’t wanna go back there again” -
she owns
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Safe European Home was written about when the Clash went to Jamaica to record with Lee Perry and were almost killed/robbed in the studio and were tricked out of possessions and almost mugged on the streets. however, the “safe european home” part is ironic, as their neighborhood in london was no safer. the song ends with a “rudy can’t fail” chant and ska chords. the song is really a sort of “hey, remember the crazy time we had in Jamaica” song rather than “boy is England more safe than the West Indies.” they’re actually parodying their own whiteness.
as for the other allegations, the Clash’s continual reggae/funk/rap experiments and collaborations with black artists is enough to disprove this racism stuff. (the real skinheads were the Sex Pistols, who wore swastikas and had songs about death camps, albeit only for shock value.) they wrote “White Riot” based on an incident where Joe and Paul Simonon joined in on the Notting Hill Carnival race riot with a group of Caribbean immigrants, and afterwords wondered why the working white poor of England did not protest their own problems. It was a song about not wanting to “borrow” a riot––if anything, it was a compliment towards the Caribbean immigrants. however, they realized the song was taken out of context and deliberately headlined the Rock Against Racism shows to prove it.
check out the excellent documentary film “Westway to the World” for more on this (which, btw, was directed by Don Letts, a friend of the band and a British resident of west indian origin)
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“Safe European Home was written about when the Clash went to Jamaica to record with Lee Perry and were almost killed/robbed in the studio and were tricked out of possessions and almost mugged on the streets. however, the “safe european home” part is ironic, as their neighborhood in london was no safer. the song ends with a “rudy can’t fail” chant and ska chords. the song is really a sort of “hey, remember the crazy time we had in Jamaica” song rather than “boy is England more safe than the West Indies.” they’re actually parodying their own whiteness”
Oh yes because being white is soooo horrible, isn’t it, mr white coolie uni-educated pussy.
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whoa, i wrote a lot more than i thought…
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“(ex.: Eminem is white, and considered to be one of the best rappers ever).”
wtf?
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and ian mckay was like 17 when he wrote that song.
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listen, we all love ian mackaye… and goddamn if it isn’t a catchy song. but it’s still kinda racist.
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Prof. Scott Plous uses the word “niggle” and “nigglers” in class sometimes. I thought racism makes people who drink soy milk break out in hives? Huh, guess I was wrong.
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presumably the lyrics in ‘hate and war’ are not meant to be taken at face value. and i’m pretty sure ian mackaye has more or less disavowed ‘guilty of being white’
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“Woman is the Nigger of the World, Think About It”
John Lennon and Yoko Ono
FUCK THEM BOTH
yeah I said it.
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Those songs are not racist. Stop being stupid.
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And the Anonymous, April 28th, 2009
12:11 pm is really stupid. Go kill yourself. -
web 2.0 at its finest. or was this meant to be satire? at least Ben Firke knows what he’s talking about.
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yeah racisim isn’t alright
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I DIGG ALL THESE SONGS, I DON’T GIVE A FLYING FUCK IF THERE A BIT RACTIST TO YOU
OHH AND I AGREE WITH ADAM ABOUT THE Anonymous, April 28th, 2009 12:11 pm
STUPID TURD! -
WOOPS SHIT I MADE MYSELF LOOK STUPID, I MISSPELLED RACIST
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You’ve showed your true side, in trying to make a point. Once again,racism goes both ways,and you my friend are no better than the “artists” you’ve listed. “White People know they are uncool”. It just shows your fucking ignorance. The shit will never die until real black men try and educate their children to NOT stereotype and hate. “Black people are dumb and they know this”—This is a false statement,but do you see how ignorant it is. Quit posting shit like this,because you’ve wasted time that you could have used to do positive things,as opposed to focusing on the negative.
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Yeah, its pretty pathetic and a big fail at funny too. Anti-racist really means anti-white.
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If you live in the past,there is no future.
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I’m guessing that most of you above are white and have never left the U.S. and traveled to Africa, Jamaica or even parts of Los Angeles. If you had, you’d know what its like to be in a “place where every white face is an invitation to robbery.” Not a racist statement at all. That’s simply an accurate observation.
Its all these middle class white people who seem to worry so much about being racist. Black people don’t seem much concerned about it.
When we have a black muslim president today who is racist as hell, I wouldn’t be too concerned about what Joe Strummer was saying 30 years ago.
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Get the fuck out of here, Jamaica has TONS of white people – three of our 9 prime ministers were black and don’t compare us to those thieves out in compton. If you want to be an asshole go ahead, but don’t drag the Black, Chinese, Indian and White communities in Jamaica with you. You probably went looking for a rent-a-dread and got jumped by gangsters.
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When we have a black muslim president today who is racist as hell, I wouldn’t be too concerned about what Joe Strummer was saying 30 years ago.
Obvious troll is obvious
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Fuck it if u dont like racism stop reinforcing the stereotypes.nigger nigger nigger nigger nigger nigger
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Let’s face it. All of us are racist to some degree. What would you do if a black family named “Jeffereson” moved in next to your home? Come on, what would you do? All you pretenders would say “nothing.” All you real people would say: “probably start looking for a new home.”
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Black is a color, Jackass is an Attitude. They’re not synomymous with each other. There are several black families in our working class, small city neighborhood, and they’re some of the nicest people and I’m glad they’re part of my community. The Jerk-Walters up the street? White assholes who let their damn house fall apart, have a daycare I wouldn’t send my enemies kids to, and an unwed daughter with a tween son who’s going to be a problem someday because of the abuse he gets from the Head Jerk-Walter. The group home across the street is less of a problem than they are. Don’t be so d@mn secure in your assumptions about anyone but your own self, and I’d be concerned about your sanity, if you were even sure of that small part of the universe.
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Please, please, please shut the fuck up you ignorant cunts and at least make an attempt at assessing your perspective. Even if every single person is racist to some degree, how does that make it something acceptable – 2 million flies can’t be wrong, right? Superb logic.
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The word “Nigger” is not only used in a non-racial context in Patti’s song, it’s used in a complimentary sense. I really doubt she investigated it too much when she wrote it. Initially, I’m pretty sure, especially when this was in midst of the punk movement, that she didn’t give it that much thought. After all it’s barely focused on race, even if it can be considered “Violence Induced White Chick Doesn’t Know What She’s Doing Here” talk from certain perspectives. It is analyzed and scrutinized to this day even if it wasn’t meant to be offensive(Perhaps that’s a reason), and it is gusty for her to still be singing it, but I do not think she was being outright racist. Which is an issue itself to be honest that I don’t wanna discuss right now.
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I love how people think whites are so concerned with racist remarks. I come from a small town and when I moved to Indianapolis, the blacks take offense to anything and everything they can. I use “boy” and “son” a lot when I’m talking and I got told that if I showed up in this one guys neighborhood he would shoot my ass. I also had a black guy call me a stupid cracker so I called him a nigger and he got all upset. The thing i hate most is when blacks think they can be racist because of what my ancestors did. It’s stupid and wrong. The thing people fail to see is nigger, even though commonly refered to blacks, means any lowlife. This means anyone can be a nigger, Blacks, Whites, Mexican, and Asians can all be niggers. Call me racist I don’t really care but the majority of the nigger population is black. Just so you people know the Civil War was not about slavery. It was about the South believing they weren’t getting enough money for the crops that they produced. It just so happens that the end of slavery fell under the same time. Blacks fought for the south not because they had to but because they wanted to.
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Of course they did! The blacks fought to continue slavery because they just loved the violent forced labor policies, the fact they could be beaten, raped, killed, and sold at someone else’s whim! Many blacks just loved slavery! You have proved your hypothesis correct: anyone can be a nigger.
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i dont think the word nigger is racist. when i say that i mean blacks call whites crackers and white trash. that really doesnt bother me. i mean its just a word that cant really do antthing. i know im not white trash. a nigger is different from a black guy. a nigger is like alot of rappers. a black guy islike will smith.
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free clue: you are racist.
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you’re an idiot. Go to dictionary.com and look up the word “irony”
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Ian Mckaye is certainly not racist. He toured with and cited the Bad Brains, an all black hardcore punk band, as one of his main inspirations. I am half black. If I wrote a song criticizing my white classmates for disrespecting and picking on me, that would not mean I hate all whites, because I am not stupid enough to think that all whites are racist. Ian McKaye was right in writing “guilty of being white”; It was supposed to mean that his black classmates discriminated against him for his race because they were under the impression that he was racist because of what his white ancestors did. It is an anti-hate song; it means that racism and ignorance can come from any end of the color spectrum.
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However, Bad Brains were “homophobic” so Ian is guilt by association but Bad Brains is guiltless because slavery.
Got it?
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By the way, if you are half black, you are all black!
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1. People who, after 235 years of historically recorded American racism, are still making “accidentally racist” remarks are either the bearers of a severe learning disability or complete fucking morons. There is really no grey area.
2. Fuck John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
3. Country music is an African-American genre of music. Country, Blues, Jazz, Rock – all began with African-America. You know – the people who make no cultural contribution.
4. Additionally, punks weren’t “artiste”s singing in 8th and 9th person. *smirk* He said what he said and I don’t believe Joe Strummer was racist. He wasn’t even from England, I think he was from Poland or something like that originally.
5. Eminem is not considered one of the best rappers ever.
This has been a public service announcement.
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you’re an idiot with a mask of intelligence. American pop music is a merging not only of african music, but also, irish jigs primarily, and a host of other european songwriting traditions. Only a total reverse racist (of which I have met many) would think that african-americans did it on their own, though they were clearly the largest innovators in jazz, blues, rock, reggae, and rap, which was the end of black music. However, white people have had a major role in capitalizing and building on these innovations, and it’s not all theft.
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Morrissey’s National Front Disco is considered racist (‘England for the english’), but looking at the lyric in context, I think he’s taking the rip out of the NF, who are a far-right party, much like the BNP. I mean, he calls it a disco, possibly saying that it isn’t very serious. Also, think about the connotations of the word disco, it’s like in teen movies where they act like it’s so serious, when it’s in fact it’s a load of crap. I don’t think the song is racist, and another thing is that I don’t think Patti’s song is racist, simply a social statement, and perhaps like Morrissey’s song, a simple satire.
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Here’s an article that i feel brings some valid points to the question of racism within punk music. It’s focus is Patti Smiths “Rock N Roll Nigger” but i think the historical context mentioned in the article can be applied to many artists http://www.greatwhatsit.com/archives/2336
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I love minor threat, but that song has always bothered me. I’ll take Ian’s word for it (you can see him trying to explain it away on youtube), but the lyrics are written by a foolish child and it would make more sense for him to just say that.
1. Joe Strummer was born in Turkey to a Scottish mother and an English father who worked as a diplomat. He grew up all over the world – besides Turkey he also lived in Africa, Mexico and europe. Eventually, coming back to england when he was around ten. Where anyone got POLAND from i’ll never know.
2. I would certainly bet that Patti investigated it before using the word. This song came out in 78, not exactly during the punk heyday and she is not some ignorant kid (she was born in 1946) who’s just throwing the word around put a writer who had a close relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, was friends with Gregory Corso and was just as inspired by rimbaud as a great pop song.
I can’t speak for all the songs and i have already said what i wanted to on Minor Threat, but to say that White Riot or Rock and Roll Nigger are racist songs is just foolish. Perhaps you’ve never heard the songs and are judging them by the title or someone said they are racist, i don’t know and it’s pointless to spend anymore time on your motivation and intent.
I believe the real problem is that we lump all popular musicians together when there are some, Strummer and Smith, who are actually intelligent artist who work from a context that is much larger than pop music (using the word pop instead of rock, punk, blues, country ect…). They’re taking inspiration from visual arts and authors, artists who are afforded much more freedom and whose work will not be judged so quickly by some kook who would rather cause a sensation then think.
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I am from the southern U.S. It is racist to use that word in the entitled fashion she did (“please make an exception for me because I am an artiste, blah blah bullshit bullshit bullshit”). I know she is some kind of supposed punk rock messiah but personally she has always given me the creeps…she strikes me as having anti-social personality disorder or at least a screaming lack of empathy to employ a racist slur like this in service of her ‘art’. Unforgivable.
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That Patti Smith song most certainly is racist. That would be like me as a black person penning a song called “Urban Faggot”, “R&B Wetback”, or “Hip-Hop Kike” and acting shocked that people are upset about it. You can hang out with Mappelthorpe and still be a racist. LGBT friendly doesn’t equal nice by default. Everyone can hate. I’ve heard that song. I think it’s garbage. If she knew anything and studied the origins of that word as you put it, she’d leave it in the 1800s. She’s not black. That is not a word for her to be using under any circumstances. I agree with you about the others, though.
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stop picking on joe and patty, cunt.
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There is no such thing as reverse racism dumb ass blacks are racist too.
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Retard… if you think guilty of being white is racist, try listening to a rap album some time…. its not Ian’s fault some dickhead Nazis decided that song was about them ya fuckin crybaby.
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You guys are idiots
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Well,then I epitomize “uncool” (or as other black folk might say,”Selling out”),as this life-size B rad doll-think Barbie’s then-boyfriend’s handsome black buddy,Brad,except life-size,muscular,beefy-I’m 5’8″,212 lb.,sporting 181/4″ biceps,though like most 58-year-old dudes,I’m attempting to lose 20-30 lb.)wants to be a Country song-writer.(Of course,that figures because I’m into buxom blondes
between 25 and 45,Country largest demographic.What say you,fellow posters?) -
Wow,can you even SPELL IQ,much less possess one?Barack H. Obama Jr’s mother,
the late former Stanley Anne Durham,was a Kansas farm broad who married Barack
Hussein Obama,Sr.,a Muslim Kenyan.”Barry,”as Mr. Obama was known as a youth,was
born in Hawaii(an AMERICAN STATE SINCE ’59,YOU BIRTHER/TRUTHER BIGOT RETARDS!!!!)Aug.4,1961,travelled extensively in Asia,Africa,Europe and the U.S. before settling in Chicago as a young man.How ’bout THAT,buds and babes? -
You should listen to the lyrics of white riot before you call it a ”racist” song. The Clash was inspired by the black community due to their bravery of starting of the riots to show that they are sick and tired of the governments way of treating them. Watch the documentary Westway to the world as joe strummer talks about the origin of the song. To call white riot a racist song is the dumbest misstake you can make…
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Whoever wrote this should
1) Relisten to a few of these songs with open ears and an open mind
2) Research some of the songs, perhaps. There is history behind some of these….
3) Realize that just because there’s a naughty word it doesnt make it racist. Patti Smith made the definition of the word clear in the song.
4) Look up the word racism. What is Reverse racism? Wouldnt that be acceptance?
5) Rethink the concept of humor, because this is neither ironic, or funny.
Am I the only one who forgot to laugh here? -
No, Joe Strummer was not from Poland, but he was also not racist, heading up the Rock Against Racism shows and anti-Nazi rallies. White Riot was complimentary, he was saying that in answer to their problems black people were willing to fight to be heard whereas others oppressed in England were complaining but not doing anything to facilitate change.
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Why in the hell are people racist. Hate someone who is bad but to hate a whole race because of one guy is sick and stupid. Maybe the phrase one apple spoils the bunch is racist. We are all flawed we are all to some degree missing the mark of perfect intelligence. I mean if we were so smart then why did Jesus have to be maimed and killed for doing absolutely nothing. Again Jesus was the every man. He was Jewish and Nazarene and born in Bethlehem. So again we are all one race. Hate a man for having a tan or through no choice of his own was born in another country or another nationality is just utterly ridiculous. As much information that is readily available and as much as we have made discoveries that you would think in 2012 we would have no need to be racist. That fact that people would just simply ignore another persons stupidity and not revert to schoolyard playground antics is mind boggling. And we all wonder why we are down at the bottom in education in America. We don’t learn education in America. We are not taught what to do to help yourself in life. In America on TV/Radio/churches/Movies and plays teach us to do what is right for yourself and to ban anyone who has another look or way of thinking. That even tho one person is right and another person is right as well but gets to the conclusion differently is utter senseless and will be America’s down fall. The devil is having a field day with America and we are to stupid and mindless to see it.
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^^^THIS.
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I’m racist and I find this black
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“1. “Play That Funky Music, White Boy” – Wild Cherry
Reverse racism is not cool, guys! White people know they’re uncool–you don’t have to rub it in”
I don’t call blacks walking around with their arses hanging out their oversized pants and dancing like they’re trying to take a shit (or afraid of melting?) cool. Steve Mcqueen and Robert Mitchum are the definition of cool, not some apeish negro who speaks like an animal.
Those skins at Minor Threat show, what the hell did they have to do with the reason for the original idea for that M.T. song?
P.S. Here’s some real humor: Why don’t sharks eat blacks? Because they think they’re whale shit! hahahahahaha!!!!!!
How do you fit 6 million Jews into a Volkswagon? 2 in the front, 3 in the back, the rest in the ashtray! hahahahahahaha!!!! -
Protip when reading this story: “Arts-related Humor department”
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Rock n roll Nigger drives me crazy…I really hate arty elitist b.s. people (vincent gallo, anyone) who think they are so far out of the bounds of ‘normal’ that they can get away with being obscenely insensitive. Patti Smith was just wrong, period.
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This is where the old saying “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.” Just the mere fact that you used the term “reverse racism” is mind boggling. Racism does not just flow one way. Anyone can be a racists! It is ignorance like this that keeps racism alive.
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Well I still am offended by the title of that Patti smith song, and even more offended because I once heard it’s was supposed to be about my idol jimi Hendrix!
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ok im here 10 years later to tell you
Inspiring racists (you know, like the president does) is the same as being racist. So fuck minor threat. Also white minority…ugh.
If White Riot didn’t center around race then it’d probably be good…and I think the message is clearly anti-capital. It’s not like it’s an original idea though and the song doesn’t need to exist. Misguided.
Just fuck weezer.
The n- word was thrown around by a lot of white punks in the 70’s and 80’s (and by white hippies before them). The optimistic context is that they’re identifying with the downtrodden among them and trying to renounce their privilege…which you can’t do. Totally misguided but maybe sometimes forgivable? You decide. Patti Smith is a borderline hack.
A shame that that wild cherry song is played so much. Repugnant.
Also I agree with Hosoi down below.
Absolutely fuck eminem.
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