Racism On The Air

[slowginjoe]

you're right, enough said. i'm sorry if i'm overly sensitive on this issue and got a little carried away. but if you haven't figured it out yet it's because i have been personally affected by this tragedy. and i'd prefer to just leave it at that...

 

[rando]

Re: Re: Re: Our culture rewards idiocy.

I think what olliebear said was stereotyping. But what Miss Jones aired was Racist and Inhumane. To me those are two completely different issues which should not even be compared in any way, especially in the amount of pain caused. She is also PAID to be a public spokesperson which is fiduciary in nature and she completely forgot that.

If you don't think what they aired was racist then try calling the next chinese person you see a chink or a chinaman and see how they respond. why did they use the word 'African' instead of the 'N' word in the song, since they used Chink for Chinese? because the show hosts themselves are black. they must've forgotten that just a few decades ago their ancestors had to fight against mindless bigots just like themselves so they could be where they are today.

poking fun is one thing, but pouring salt in the wounds of 200,000 dead people and their families is another. how did you all feel when the news aired iraqis cheering after the trade centers went down? what about a song written just to poke fun of 9-11? wonder why radio stations here never did a song like that... think!!

Woh Joe! One man's stereotyping is another mans racism but I digress.

It seems like the main theme here was one of insensitivity. And to that end I found olliebears post amusing if not obviosly naive. Perhaps it was insensitve of me to disparage olliebear in this thread given that his post was likely intended to express his agreement that Miss Jones (and people in general) should be more sensitive. Without agreeing or disagreeing with that premise, I can understand the perspective.

Given your admitted involvement with this tragedy I can also understand how you might not recognize that olliebears remarks, while perhaps not inhumane, could be offensive to those whom they were directed at. I made no attempt to compare the relative badness of the two, as you have, but rather I only mocked his inconsistency. His post and subsequent follow-up, both in style and format, only detract from the more serious issue at hand. Even in your affected state, you should be able to see that.

Please accept my condolences for your loss.

 

[olliebear]

My point was to question ourselves?

Why did Hot97 launch such a tasteless and stupid stunt? My point was that we as a society not only tolerate it but reward it. We as a society rewards people like Howard Stern with millions and we live in an ever coarsening culture. Just look at the state of so called rap, heavy metal, or Paris Hilton, or shows on tv and movies, or as Super Bowl nears once again, Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction. So while you and I may not listen to Hot97, or Howard Stern, many others do, and that's why Hot97 did what they did--becuase their audience is the type that would yuck it up. Racist? Certainly that braodcast was racist. And there are peole who think that is funny too. But then are we all racist to some degree? How many here have never told, listened to, or laughed at a Black joke or a Polish joke, or a Italian joke sometime in their lives? Does that make you a racist? Were those joke insensitive too?

Don't we all generalize to some degree? Don't we all stereotype to some degree? Or is that too tacky to be mentined in polite society. Or is the label "racist" the ultimate demonization for anything that we disgree with? Don't we see certain "civil rights leaders" use that term as a weapon to demonize everyone who questions them? Or the mere challenging them makes us racists too?

I had wanted use Hot97 to challenge our conception of ourselves because we as a society has allowed them to believe that it was OK to raise the level of garbage.

It appears that instead of a challenging debate, this has reverted to the exact labeling and misunderstanding without any condieration of the merits.

I apologize if I offended anyone.

 

[Kanab]

Re: did I castigate the wrong group?

OK, the hip hop crowd--ironically the majority of CD sales are to white middle class young males, young males with Raider jackets, pants hanging down their butt cracks showing off their boxers, listening to hip hop lyrics about killing cops and slapping 'hos, driving around their lowered Hondas, wearing big (fake) gold Mercedes emblems around their necks, and just playing wannabe gangbangers flashing hand signs, every other word out of their mouths starts with an F or an N...

is that the audience for Hop97?

or am I generalizing?

Or is generalizing a form of racisim?

or is it a difference without distinction???

olliebear, don't worry about it, I've read a lot of your posts and your a good guy. I get tire of all of the PC crap. I think these DJ's went over the line and will pay with their job's. Oh well do we care what happens to idiots like these DJ's? I would never hear them sing this song since I would never listen to a hip/hop station. I know there are good hip/hop songs, but I understand they like to do a lot of hate filled lyric's.

 

[slowginjoe]

through this forum i know you're all good guys. that's why we can talk about such a controversial subject and still remain civilized about it. thanks for all your thoughtful comments!

 

[dsongalong]

of course we're all good guys...we drive 4runners!

 

[rando]

I was just trying to have a little fun at olliebears expense. I didn't mean to ruffle any feathers though if I did, that's ok with me too.

 

[Mark86]

I can't believe somebody would have the nerve to actually air this song on the radio for everybody to hear. I can't believe anybody would find something like that funny. I hardly ever listen to Hot97, so I don't know what that station is like. This reminds me of something else that happened on a New York radio station. I am sure the New York people remember 102.7 WNEW and what happened to that station after Opie and Anthony got to it. For anybody who does not know, they got thrown off the air because they were willing to pay a couple money if they had sex in St. Patrick's cathedral for everybody to see. This caused them to lose their jobs and WNEW crumbled ended up going off the air. What once was the biggest classic rock station is now a variety station. I wonder if the same will happen to Hot97? The DJ should at least lose her job for using such poor judgement.

 

[olliebear]

Or my cynical self sees

this as a case of no such thing as bad publicity. Now that Hot97 is the hot news, would it attract more listeners, the same type of wannabes who revel at the "in your face" tasteless trash talking format? The station people were suspended, not fired. Perhaps that is a hint that they're just keeping them in the closet until this blows over, but laughing at the ratings spike coming in for their station.

PT Barnum reputedly said one should never underestimate the intelligence of the public.

We as a culture also have a short memory, willing to forgive and forget at the slightest bit of contrition, then rush into celebrating the idiot again, if not in admiration, then merely for the sake of famous for being famous. Just look at Martha Stewart. Just look at Joye Buttafuco/Long Island Lolita. TV movies made of them. Just look at Micael Jackson. Just look at Scott Peterson. He gets mobs of women proposing to him! Charlie Manson gets his face on t-shirts and has more notoriety than Dr. Christian Barbard who pioneered heart trasnplant surgery. Monica Lewinsky has her own desinger line of purses. No, not knee pads or blue dresses.

So we do reward scum and celebrate even tasteless bad behavior.

Merely trying to at this from every angle.