Read A Book

Ender · Post by **Ender** » 2007-10-05 11:22am

Perhaps this should go in AMP, but I think the the social commentary and controvery around it warranted N&P. I was introduced to this the other night when my friends were making jokes about asses with book on it, and I wanted to hear people's thoughts.

EDIT: lyrics would be NSFW, so use headphones

Video
CNN whole story
CNN Creator's response

Ritterin Sophia · Post by **Ritterin Sophia** » 2007-10-05 12:06pm

I interpretted as being targetted at the members of the Cult of the Gangsta by making fun of them and telling them to get off their asses and make something of themselves, but that's just me. Fuck the asshole who was complaining about kids seeing it, parents are supposed to be monitering what their children see, there's a reason why shows use the rating system now.

UCBooties · Post by **UCBooties** » 2007-10-05 12:35pm

If they play it during their music video countdown, it's probably bookended by live-action music videos in the exact same style. How can people not see that as parody?

rhoenix · Post by **rhoenix** » 2007-10-05 12:44pm

This was one of the funniest videos I've seen for a good while, and pertinent as well. When one of my friends showed me this, he and his wife both were laughing their asses off, and saying "Shit, more rap should be like this!"

I commend the makers for making it. As for "oh teh noes, teh kids might see it!," any kids in a position to see this video likely have heard much worse from any music they listen to - so, I'd call it a good dose of realistic counterbalance.

Silver Jedi · Post by **Silver Jedi** » 2007-10-05 01:17pm

I think that one of the most telling (and saddest) things about this whole story is that everyone except the creators takes it as a given that black youth are not sophistocated enough to understand satire, and when the creators try to claim otherwise, they are simply shouted down.

SAMAS · Post by **SAMAS** » 2007-10-05 01:22pm

I love it, love it, love it, man!

Covenant · Post by **Covenant** » 2007-10-05 02:09pm

I have no idea what the hell the CNN commentator was going on about. I'm really bothered by the perception that just because something is animated that it's targetted only at children. This is put on along with other videos of similar language and imagery, and the objection is with an animated depiction of booty shakin'? That's like being offended at Jessica Rabbit in a movie made for adults.

Regardless, the fact is, the guy was using satire to make a point--and even if he was't using satire, would this point be any more offensive? Played just as lyrics, is that offensive? What's offensive about an all-black staff taking a crack at the BET-influenced Gangsta' culture by making a video with BET that's featured on their own network? Are things really so bad with the politics of race that you can't even criticize members of your own community for glorifying thuggery? If I had made that video, people might have called it racist, but the best they can come up with here is a complaint that kids might see it? The creators are right. If this is shocking to a parent, why isn't the rest of stuff on there shocking? Why is an animated ass more offensive than a real woman doing the same thing?

Talk about a dangerous double-standard. Degrading, offensive and stereotypical images are fine, since they're 'harmless' and part of the culture--but animated music videos critiquing those images are bad, because someone might see it? Yeah, and then what?

Be offended?

rhoenix · Post by **rhoenix** » 2007-10-05 05:56pm

Covenant wrote:Talk about a dangerous double-standard. Degrading, offensive and stereotypical images are fine, since they're 'harmless' and part of the culture--but animated music videos critiquing those images are bad, because someone might see it? Yeah, and then what?

Be offended?

Or more dangerous yet - get the viewer to think.

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2007-10-05 06:57pm

What a fucking terrible journalist. Is this supposed to pass for reporting, or is this guy running an editorial? Nearly everything coming out of his mouth is a loaded question. If I wanted ignorant commentary with righteous anger I'd watch Fox News. BET runs videos about pimpin' hos, bustin' a cap in cops, etc with far more explicit imagery and lyrics, where's the outcry about that? Is this unacceptable simply because it's animated, and animation is only for children?

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2007-10-05 07:15pm

There's not one offensive message in the video anyway, satire or not. Does CNN have some kind of fucking problem with messages like "read a book" or "brush your teeth" or "use deodorant"? Oh right, they think it's a bad thing because it implies that every black person acts likea shithead who doesn't know these things, right? Except that it implies no such thing; it only implies that gangsta rappers act like this, and guess what: they do.

Lonestar · Post by **Lonestar** » 2007-10-05 08:55pm

When it got to the "BUY LAND! FUCK SPINNING RIMS!" I was choking on my Yuengling. This is a great story.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2007-10-06 12:27am

Did anybody get the feeling CNN repeated the girl with the word "book" on her ass pumping up and down because the CNN reporter thought that was the most offensive part of the show?

The CNN guy admitted to start with one word that the message of the music video was right and spent his entire time attacking the presentation of the message. He brought up sesame street and uh the other one... what does he expect, rappers who are 15-18 to sit down and watch sesame street? What a joke.

rhoenix · Post by **rhoenix** » 2007-10-06 01:06am

Let's recap on all the offensive messages from this video:

- Read a book, not magazines, and not the sport page.
- Drink water.
- Raise your (goddamn) kids instead of partying.
- Buy land - fuck those spinning rims.
- Brush your teeth.
- Wear deodorant (it's called Speed Stick, it's not expensive).

(sarcasm)Yes, I can certainly see why parents are deeply upset by this.(/sarcasm)

What do you want to bet that the parents in outcry over this haven't even watched it for themselves?

Covenant · Post by **Covenant** » 2007-10-06 01:20am

brianeyci wrote:Did anybody get the feeling CNN repeated the girl with the word "book" on her ass pumping up and down because the CNN reporter thought that was the most offensive part of the show?

The CNN guy admitted to start with one word that the message of the music video was right and spent his entire time attacking the presentation of the message. He brought up sesame street and uh the other one... what does he expect, rappers who are 15-18 to sit down and watch sesame street? What a joke.

He also never even attempted to address the point that this was on an adult television program. Even if it attracts younger viewers, that's the program, and not this single music video. It's the most insane thing to say ever. As the director said, the video came on after the video it was partially parodying, so after seeing several videos with bouncing booty and gangsta' slang being tossed around--with no message whatsoever--you get this, which has nary a real ass in sight, and this is the one you're concerned about?

I'm going to mail CNN about this, even if it's stupid to do, because that debate was just one-sided, with the journalist getting his ass beat and the makers of the video too dumbfounded to actually defend their product. As they said, a bigger concern than animated ass is that your children are watching a program where hate, thuggery, and normal non-animated ass is being sold in cultural format. This reminds me of something my very black, and very oldschool hiphop boss showed us all just in passing, as this was something he got off about a lot. NSFW lyrics though.

This sentiment is not new, and it's extremely great to hear more people taking this crud to task on their double-standard. I'm just offended by the shoddy standard of journalism the debate showed. This... is CNN?

If your children are watching a dangerously adult television program, yes, be offended. Speak out. But attacking the messenger so you don't feel guilty leaving this stuff on is pretty retarded.

Ritterin Sophia · Post by **Ritterin Sophia** » 2007-10-06 12:42pm

Covenant wrote:This... is CNN?

Why does this surprise you? Do I need to bring up that article on what the Christian Nation Network said about atheist persecution? No, CNN has been called liberal, only because it's not as far right as fox.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2007-10-06 02:02pm

CNN is a rabid right-wing network in terms of social issues. But anything can look left-wing next to the Goebbels-Murdoch propaganda network.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2007-10-06 02:12pm

I'm curious if on that panel they deliberately picked only people who were offended. I can't believe not ONE of them felt it was satirical. They need to get Bill Cosby on this.

rhoenix · Post by **rhoenix** » 2007-10-06 02:14pm

CaptainChewbacca wrote:I'm curious if on that panel they deliberately picked only people who were offended. I can't believe not ONE of them felt it was satirical. They need to get Bill Cosby on this.

I think that not only would he refuse to wear a flag pin to the panel, he'd blast all of them for not watching it or thinking for themselves.

So, of course, they have to stack the panel with people paid pretty well to be indignant and outraged by this.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2007-10-06 02:17pm

rhoenix wrote:
CaptainChewbacca wrote:I'm curious if on that panel they deliberately picked only people who were offended. I can't believe not ONE of them felt it was satirical. They need to get Bill Cosby on this.
I think that not only would he refuse to wear a flag pin to the panel, he'd blast all of them for not watching it or thinking for themselves.

So, of course, they have to stack the panel with people paid pretty well to be indignant and outraged by this.

Wrong thread, Rhoenix. I think you want the Obama thread.

rhoenix · Post by **rhoenix** » 2007-10-06 02:21pm

CaptainChewbacca wrote:
rhoenix wrote:
CaptainChewbacca wrote:I'm curious if on that panel they deliberately picked only people who were offended. I can't believe not ONE of them felt it was satirical. They need to get Bill Cosby on this.
I think that not only would he refuse to wear a flag pin to the panel, he'd blast all of them for not watching it or thinking for themselves.

So, of course, they have to stack the panel with people paid pretty well to be indignant and outraged by this.
Wrong thread, Rhoenix. I think you want the Obama thread.

No, I just had it in mind as I was replying. The whole idiocy over the flag pin has me nearly in disbelief, so I apologize for any confusion - it did spill over into my response in this thread.

And as for a more on-topic reply, considering what Mr. Cosby has said about things of this sort before, I really do think his response after seeing the video would be "...and? You're getting upset about this...why?"

CmdrWilkens · Post by **CmdrWilkens** » 2007-10-06 04:29pm

Once again its just people with a big podium who want to generate "controversy" because that generates stories they can have their $8/hr copy assistants churn out in ten seconds to fill the news cycle. I retain the firm belief that most people understand this is satire but once you accept that the story is a non-starter and they can't generate 10-12 hours of news from it which means they have to go and work to generate news elsewhere. Certainly, god forbid, they actually go out and collect the news and report it when they can just manufacture stories and bleed them dry.