Topic History of: ukelele songs at PinkEye screening
Max. showing the last posts - (Last post first)
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Kiki |
hey y'all, I didn't mean to shut down the conversation, just to add to it! Feel free to continue... - Kiki |
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Kiki |
long-winded post that was written 24 hours ago (so doesn't reference most of the last 6 or 6 posts)
hey y'all, I'm really glad we're all talking about this. One of my big pet peeves is how discussion of racial politics and racism is so difficult and taboo here in the South, that it's rarely possible to discuss it in a meaningful, non-aggressive way. So THANK YOU.
I'm also really glad that we're keeping this on-topic, about the issues and about the actual songs, not about individuals or personalities. Let's keep that up.
---- stepping out of Moderator role ----
Here's my personal take on it (stepping out of Moderator role for a moment).
(PREFACE: My general position as an ally is that: 1) anti-racism is an ongoing process of listening and learning, 2) what's most important is for me is to first shut up and listen, then consider with an open mind, 3) it is my responsibility to educate myself and not demand that people of color tutor me, and 4) it is also my responsibility as an ally to speak up, and to be accountable for my own racism.)
I too was uncomfortable with some of the language in Lerman's songs. Before we booked Lerman, I'd listened to other songs on MySpace, and had this reaction:
First, I was uncomfortable with the language. He uses politically offensive and edgy language. But when I felt uncomfortable about it, my second reaction was to pay attention to that feeling. I know about myself, as a white person who considers myself an ally to people of color and an anti-racist, that sometimes my discomfort comes from use of specific terms -- without considering their context.
For instance, I personally will never use the N-word. I always substitute "N-word" if I need to somehow quote it. However that doesn't change what the word refers to, that merely addresses my own discomfort with using it. While I'm not comfortable using it, there are times in our culture when it's use is appropriate - in the context. For example, quoting someone who's used it offensively. Some hiphop songs use it as a term of brotherhood among men of color. I don't personally approve of using it even then, but it is culturally and politically appropriate in those contexts.
So what I've learned is that CONTEXT is more important than vocabulary. With that perspective, I re-listened to Lerman's songs more closely, and decided that he was using these offensive terms to make subtle political points. (We may not all agree about this.)
(SIDE NOTE: "Smell My Dick" is not a Lerman song, and is not posted on his Myspace or website.)
My take was that Lerman is specifically not "preaching to the choir." Meaning, that when this type of humor is used in an overly-obvious way, we white liberals can all congratulate ourselves on getting the joke made at the expense of politically oblivious or conservative peers. While I enjoy that kind of humor as different from less-political humor, I don't think it does anything to make us think or push any political boundaries.
Lerman's songs, on the other hand, I felt were more open to interpretation -- and therefore made me (and I hope others) specifically think through all of the political implications, and my beliefs. I LOVE THIS! I think we on the left NEED to be challenged into defining and re-defining our beliefs.
My personal experience of coming to new and more radical politics follows this same kind of dialectic: first I'm offended or feel misunderstood, second I think it thru trying to understand, third I come to a new place regarding that particular issue. So this is how I feel Lerman's songs work.
On the other hand, I've followed that process with the "Smell My Dick" song, and I agree that I don't feel it's making a subtle or underlying political point that offsets the offensiveness of 1) using the "n-word" (particularly to a white audience in the South!), and 2) a white person appropriating a stereotypically black voice for humor.
While I think there can be racially specific humor, and even use of stereotypes, that isn't offensive, I think "Smell My Dick" went over the edge, without enough justification or basis. I would ask Lerman to re-consider using this song in his performances.
In his defense, I think that doing the kind of edgy, potentially offensive humor he does means that sometimes you're gonna go over the edge. Which is an opportunity for him and us all to learn and decide how we will all react to such situations in the future.
--- back in Moderator role ---
However I do want to publicly apologize to the audience that I, as host for the evening, didn't contextualize Lerman's performance, or offer any way for audience members to deal with their reactions. If, before his performance, I had let the audience know that he uses edgy, potentially offensive language to make somewhat subtle political points, I think the audience would have had a chance to listen more carefully and evaluate their own reactions in that context. Also, if I'd established a post-show forum for folks to discuss their reactions with Lerman, I think that would have done more towards my own goal of promoting critical thinking and personal re-evaluation of each of our politics.
So please accept my apologies -- I'll definitely take those steps next time.
I also want to specifically apologize to the people of color in the room who understandably felt "left out to dry" by my not speaking up. I know that's a frustrating and depressing scenario, particularly when you were probably expecting to be in a "safer" space of mostly queer left-leaning folks. I will take this as a challenge, as a self-avowed ally, to stand up and say something in difficult circumstances in the future, and try to remember that I speak not just for myself, but for those around me as well, when I openly confront offensive stereotypes.
While, upon reflection, I personally support Lerman's songs and performance (aside from the "Smell My Dick" song), it definitely makes me re-think it AGAIN to hear that poeple of color in the audience also felt offended. |
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Amy from G'ville |
Ben you can say you're not racist, which maybe you aren't. I don't know you so I don't know. But what I don't get is what was supposed to be funny about that song where you pretended (pretty badly) to be a Black woman? How was that doing anything other than making fun of her and what is a pretty funny song about infidelity but is NOT your song? Where was the joke supposed to be in your performing it? |
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todd |
QUOTE:
and i think some people should get off soapboxes and into the world to fight racism where it actually exists, which is probably not at a Queer multicultural festival.
This snippet is entirely unfair and an ad hominem directed at people whom this writer knows absolutely nothing about-- almost as if "those people who have concerns either are too P.C., just don't get satire, or have nothing better to do than complain, and thus their criticisms should be dismissed." As a friend of Laurie, I can assure you she does a lot to fight racism in "the world [...] where it actually exists." Furthermore, (and this in many ways is even more disturbing to me) why shouldn't a Queer multicultural festival be considered part of that "larger world"? Why should it be excepted? (Just wanted to say as an aside, though, that I had a really good time at the festival and that the organizers should be commended overall.) |
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Laurie |
Hey, I have been thinking about this and don't have time to fully/thoughtfully reply right now, cause i am buisy with birthday parties and good bye parties for kids and friends.....
I do agree however,that i went too far with the black face vaudeville comparison...I don't think that was an accurate analysis....It was reactive ignorance on my part and i appreciate being called on it....it was full of entitlement and misinformation....
I still think that the performance of the song by Ben was racist and that the audience (myself included)who went along with it needs to be called on it. |
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Myra in ATL |
To Laurie:
I was just linked to your comment and am compelled to comment. Since you put in a qualifier in your comment, I am a straight, black woman.
I feel like you are the one "Misappropriating black culture," when you compare a cover song performed in 2008 to a "Vaudeville black face." That is a gross misinterpretation of the social implications of blackface. PLEASE research it. I will even link the wikipedia article for you for a good jump start.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface
"using it to gain laughs in his performance to a primarily white audience in which most of us sang and laughed right along with him."
So now not only are you calling Ben Fuerman a racist, but the entire audience? Laurie your opinion is valueable, but full of entitlement, misuse of historical reference, and far more offensive than the actual performance.
You're pointing out that the LGBT community cannot compare their struggle to that encountered by people of color is a regurgitation of something you do not understand and shouldn't use divisively.
My 2 cents. |
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2008 Mondo Homo Dirty South - Atlanta, Georgia