Althouse: "It takes a different kind of person to speak the language."

June 15, 2011

"It takes a different kind of person to speak the language."

Was that a reference to race, and if so.... does that make the response — a crazy viral ad — not racist?

41 comments:

roesch-voltaire said...: PAC money gives us a talking ass--more asinine politics from Turn Right USA.; 6/15/11, 1:51 PM
Scott M said...: First...would I run with this ad if I were running for office or if I was working for someone that was? No.

Would I if I was an outsider that felt passionately about defeating the Democrat because of this particular issue? Sure, why not?

Any labels of racism or misogyny leveled at this ad must also be applied to a healthy chunk of rap videos (which is obviously what they're trying to make fun of). If you claim this ad is racist and misogynistic but defend rap video makers, you might be an ideologue.; 6/15/11, 1:57 PM
RuyDiaz said...: OT:

Speaking of Racism: Stephen Jay Gould was a hack

But Ralph L. Holloway, an expert on human evolution at Columbia and a co-author of the new study, was less willing to give Dr. Gould benefit of the doubt.

"I just didn't trust Gould," he said. "I had the feeling that his ideological stance was supreme. When the 1996 version of 'The Mismeasure of Man' came and he never even bothered to mention Michael's study, I just felt he was a charlatan."; 6/15/11, 2:01 PM
Lyle said...: What an awesome political ad. Gangsta rap is coming back to haunt, well gangstas and those that apologize for them.

One comment over at TPM hilariously pointed out how sexist the ad was!!! Yes, gangsta rap is sexist!!!

If they were really brave they'd take it to the next level and move from quoting "bitches" to "niggas".; 6/15/11, 2:02 PM
MadisonMan said...: Watch it without sound. After about 20 seconds, when Janice Hahn's name goes away (I kept seeing that as Justice Hahn), it's very ineffective imagery. Al Capone? Manson? WTH?; 6/15/11, 2:03 PM
Scott M said...: Al Capone? Manson? WTH?

My son's first roommate in college was a fan of gansta rap from south Chicago. He had all the obligatory Scarface and Capone pictures on his side of the room. Putting Manson up might be a surreal irony thrown in for humor. Most of this ad is.; 6/15/11, 2:05 PM
rhhardin said...: Race issues are pretty confused in Los Angeles, where apparently Latino gangs are wiping out the blacks. PC is confused by having to pick sides.

The bitch aspect would seem to be black; I don't know that it's sexist, beyond calling whoever it is a slut, which she probably is in some unfavorable sense.; 6/15/11, 2:05 PM
Michael said...: If you think that rap music is racist then I suppose the ad is racist. If you think a rap video is racist you are likely a racist yourself since it is an art form created by and for African Americans. You are trapped in your racism and you cannot get out even if you think the contents are vile since the contents are commonplace in the community you fear and revere. You might say it is in bad taste but that reflects on you and your racist judgmental self. None of this applies in whitebread Wisconsin, by the way.; 6/15/11, 2:40 PM
edutcher said...: I love trying to raise the Willie Horton flag and, after The Weiner, any Democrat who hasn't condemned him has no right talking about sexism.

Over the top?

Yeah.

Would I run an ad like that if I were running for political office?

Probably not.

But, she did dive hire the gangsters and it's her cross to bear.

The blonde shaking her ass was gratuitous, but the gang stuff?

Fair game.

PS Roesch and the rest of the Demoweenies had better be prepared to condemn this little bit of bait and switch before they start whining.; 6/15/11, 2:47 PM
Sayyid said...: I'd just like to point out that the tune on that ad is a parody of this song (marginally NSFW warning -- it's another booty bounce vid, since I couldn't find the original music video for the song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4danMHtragI; 6/15/11, 3:02 PM
Anonymous said...: What is racist anymore? Is it what liberals say it is with no questions asked? I'm pretty sick of the whole game.
Liberal hypocrisy is just as blatant as conservative hypocrisy, and being an obvious hypocrite when you have no fixed moral values is getting pretty low in the barrel.; 6/15/11, 3:37 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Ha ha ha.

Ad described as "crazy," and I'm thinking, "How crazy can it be?" So I open it in another tab and leave it be while doing other things. I finally get back to it and think about closing the tab and not bothering to watch it.

I am so glad that I didn't!

That ad is so awful and bizarre that it looks like something Hahn would have made herself to try and tar her opponents.

What were they thinking?; 6/15/11, 3:40 PM
bgates said...: Is this that awful ad where the gangsters throw somebody's grandmother off a cliff?; 6/15/11, 3:47 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: No, this is the one with black actors playing gang members and rapping by a shimmying booty playing the booty of the person the ad is directed against.; 6/15/11, 3:50 PM
garage mahal said...: Definitely not racist, and there are NO right wing racists. None!; 6/15/11, 3:54 PM
Franklin said...: That has to be the work of mobys. No actual person can think that would be effective, regardless of whether they think it's OK.

Can we do some investigating...has to be fake...I hope?; 6/15/11, 3:57 PM
Scott M said...: Ah, Garage. It's satire. If the left can commit ridiculous works and then fall back on the satire claim when it blows up in their face, why not the right?; 6/15/11, 3:57 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: It crams so many elements of poor taste into one ad.

Racism
Sexism
Cheap graphics
T&A
Bad music
Poor blocking
Terrible writing
Lack of visual clarity

It's incredible. It should be saved so that people of the future will believe that it did exist.; 6/15/11, 3:58 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: It's so bad that I suspect it was a lampoon attempt that did not come off. At all.; 6/15/11, 4:04 PM
Shouting Thomas said...: PAC money gives us a talking ass--more asinine politics from Turn Right USA.

Wait a minute.

Didn't Obama just have a rap artist in the White House who glorified Joanne Chesimard, the murderer of a NJ State Trooper?; 6/15/11, 4:06 PM
Shouting Thomas said...: Definitely not racist, and there are NO right wing racists. None!

So, garbage, you've got to clarify things for me.

Obama inviting a black rapper who glorified a black woman who murdered a NJ State Trooper is the good kind of racism?

Perhaps you can tell me in detail how I can tell the difference between good racism and bad racism.

I'm sure you can do it.; 6/15/11, 4:09 PM
kimsch said...: Aren't they supposed to have editors over there?

"The election pits Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn (D) against businessman Craig Huey, a tea party Republican who's second place finish in one of California's first jungle primaries came as a surprise to most."

Should be "whose."; 6/15/11, 4:37 PM
Sayyid said...: On further reflection, it also made me remember the old "Demon Sheep Ad" - I'd think it was mere coincidence, except both ran in California.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRY7wBuCcBY; 6/15/11, 4:50 PM
Fred4Pres said...: I find the term "jungle primary" in the article racist.

I do not care what the context is! To me it is subjectively racist and that is all that matters!

Damnit!; 6/15/11, 4:52 PM
Fred4Pres said...: First of all, the ad is a parady by being so over the top. It is obviously trying to do that. It is intended to freak people out. But racist? No more so than the typical rap song geared to teenage boys. Get over that part.

Second, Janice Hahn is an idiot and deserves to be mocked for her "gang work." This does that.

Given how the left deals with Palin, I have zero problem with this. I hope he does more of these for the more contemptable members of congress.; 6/15/11, 4:57 PM
Anonymous said...: It is a parody. And it seems not as offensive as a real rap song to me. Tasteless, yes. Racist, no.

Also, several LA pols have been caught paying off various Hispanic and black gangs for years--and then denying it when they are arrested for the same criminal activity. It's paying off the Afghan warlords. It's well known. It's their admitted strategy! So truth is a defense.

LA Weekly has done a lot on this.; 6/15/11, 5:03 PM
Franklin said...: How is that a parody?; 6/15/11, 5:14 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: This is not as funny as the rap video with fake Obama. that was some good stuff.; 6/15/11, 7:00 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Scott M,

Any labels of racism or misogyny leveled at this ad must also be applied to a healthy chunk of rap videos (which is obviously what they're trying to make fun of). If you claim this ad is racist and misogynistic but defend rap video makers, you might be an ideologue.

I saw it the same way. Also, the Dems are highlighting this video in an open attempt to use the "racist" and "sexist' PC bullshit to their advantage - in other words, it's a ploy - they're not really bothered by it, but just wants to see what sticks.

I say don't let 'em.; 6/15/11, 7:07 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: BTW - this morning I posted my blog entry on a Facebook page, that was pushing the PC line about this video, and they got flustered and ended up deleting the FB page. The guy said something like "this thread isn't going the way I intended."

They can't take it.; 6/15/11, 7:16 PM
Anonymous said...: Whoever the actors are should crusade, righteously, against any attempt to portray their art as anything but provacative, brilliant, and theirs to do with anything they damn well please.

The actors will have to be marginalized by whatever means neccesary for the racist schtick to stick, and, judging by the choice to be in the video and assuming the assumable (the actors knew the risks, the pros/cons), they will be ready to stand, Black Man In America, against labels of their art which mislead and deceive instead of create wonderment and excitement, even in the most jaded of Wykehamists.; 6/15/11, 8:38 PM
rcocean said...: I'm still trying to figure out how using Black rappers to attack a white Congresswomen is racist.

Maybe its "Unconscious" racism.

90/100 when a liberal calls someone "racist" it means "I don't like him -and I don't have any other comeback".; 6/15/11, 9:33 PM
Anonymous said...: Jesus Christ... are you defending that ad, Althouse?

Before you charge racism at the ad, consider her one line in the video: "It takes a different kind of person to speak the language." By that she means, it takes black people to talk to black people.

Or maybe she means, it takes former gang members to talk to gang members? Because, you know, this was a reference to the program she supported where former gang members would mentor imprisoned gang members so that they wouldn't return to the same-old same-old when they got out.

The ad itself is so over-the-top that I thought it was a Moby operation. Could it be?

If so, that means that you, Althouse, have been Moby'd...; 6/15/11, 10:05 PM
JAL said...: @ST Didn't Obama just have a rap artist in the White House who glorified Joanne Chesimard, the murderer of a NJ State Trooper?

You mean the Joanne Chesimard whose child was raised by her BFF Bernardine Dohrn?

Also a friend of the Obamas?

Who also just happened to be at Rashid Khalidi's going way party that we can't see the videos of?

The one BHO and his wife were at....

That Joanne Chesimard?

Wow. Racism, domestic terrorism, anti-semitism, islamist terrorism, and deep enduring friendships -- all in one tidy circle.

And everyone gets their panties in a wad over an crazy video.

Just my mind wandering ...; 6/15/11, 11:08 PM
JAL said...: Not to mention we don't get to read any of *their* emails.

Does this Hahn person use email?

Can we read them?

Maybe she is a racist!; 6/15/11, 11:11 PM
Dustin said...: "If you think a rap video is racist you are likely a racist yourself since it is an art form created by and for African Americans. "

What in the hell kind of argument is that?

If something is made by and for blacks, it's not racist? Why not? Of course the worst of this stuff has racism and sexism in it. A lot of it also talks about non-blacks in a derogatory way, but also has a very awful view for what blackness is.

Race doesn't matter. If something makes it matter, it's racist in my book. But even if you have a more strict definition, the argument that blacks can't be racist against themselves is absurd, and the argument that if you take exception to some rap out there youre a racist is just stupid as all.; 6/15/11, 11:57 PM
Anonymous said...: Buckley.

More Buckley.

Faster please, more Buckley, all of us.

"Yes, it is true, he does tend to first reach for an anecdote... but then again, so does the New Testament."

WFB on Re*gan.

*from memory as I wished it happened

Back when I was but a child; with certitude, too young to understand, I had the hope that someday I would understand, unlike all those Reagan Demonizers, whose age dependd on nothing upon naught: Leftism has no era.; 6/16/11, 2:00 AM
Anonymous said...: I fucked up.

William F. Buckley Jr. would not have written:

"Yes, it is true, he does tend to first reach for an anecdote... but then again, so does the New Testament."

Though I don't know much, I do know WFB didn't use redundency unless it had a purpose, and WFB never deceived unless in service of God or Man via America.

That being said, I'm certain Buckley said closer to this than what I paraphrased above:

"Yes, it's true, he does tend to reach first for an anecdote... but then, so does the New Testament."

I realized, after having tried to transcribe WFB before with similar results, it's the lil things that matter.; 6/16/11, 2:09 AM
Anonymous said...: ""It takes a different kind of person to speak the language.""

AmazingHotelsOnline, compare hotel price, accommodation reservations; 6/16/11, 5:50 AM
Clyde said...: I watched it. I laughed, because it was so over-the-top. I especially liked the bit at the end where the creator told McCain-Feingold to "suck it." The part with the rogue's gallery of Democrats, when the voiceover said that there were already too many gangsters in Congress, also made me laugh out loud, primarily because it was true.; 6/16/11, 7:26 AM
sorepaw said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/16/11, 3:37 PM