Every Racist, Cultural Appropriating, and Insensitive Thing Done During the MTV VMAs
UncategorizedAgainst my better judgment, I watched the MTV VMAs last night. The event hosted some crazy outfits, weak performances, bad jokes, and shade; and some great moments like Big Sean’s acceptance speech and Tori Kelly’s incredible performance were absolute gems (Tori was actually my sole reason for watching the show). However, I was not even an hour into the show before I was astounded by the level of blatant disrespect.
Seven specific things cast a cloud over the show. Here they are:
1. Miley Cyrus’ Dreadlocks
Miley sported blonde dreadlocks during the VMAs. I would not be surprised if mainstream media credits her with introducing a new hair trend, maybe calling it “hipster hair locks.” After crediting Miley for inventing twerking, anything is possible.
 |
| Getty Images |
Miley’s hairdo is an example of cultural appropriation. Blacks with dreadlocks are often looked at negatively, but whites with dreadlocks are often looked at as cool. When Zendaya sported dreadlocks at the Oscars, Giuliana Rancic said it made her “feel like she smells like patchouli . . . or weed”; however I am 99.9% sure that people have said and will say that Miley’s dreadlocks made her look earthy or fashionable. I’m not saying that whites, including Miley, are not allowed to have dreadlocks. One of the problems articulated in cultural appropriation is mocking another culture for something then doing the same thing. Another problem is when people see two cultures doing the same thing and judge them differently. Cultural appropriation is a deep subject, one that I cannot fully explain in this particular post.
She may or may not have meant any offense by it, but Miley’s hair set the tone for the show we were about to see.
2. Rebel Wilson’s Mockery of Police Brutality
MTV was quick to remind us that mainstream media love black culture but not black people or issues. Rebel Wilson walked out in a police uniform to present the Best Rap Video VMA. “I know a lot of people have problems with the police,” she said, “but I really hate police strippers.”
So she dresses up like a police to introduce best hip hop video? And then tries to downplay it by talking about police strippers? I’m done.
— Jode-Leigh (@bottled_blonde) August 31, 2015
— Pulley (@Pants_So_Short) August 31, 2015
After taking off the uniform to display a “F— The Stripper Police” t-shirt, Wilson shared a story about hiring a stripper police for her grandmother’s birthday. The stripper would not feel up Wilson’s grandmother and gave her a short back massage. “I hate this injustice,” she said, mocking this country’s issues with police brutality and, dare I say, the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
Mock the Black Lives Matter Movement before presenting Best Rap Video. I see you white supremacy. I see you. #VMAs
— zellie (@zellieimani) August 31, 2015
3. LAPD Spelled Out on Ouija Board at Miley’s Rapper Sleepover
 |
| Not today, Satan. |
I’m saved, so I’m not even going into this one. I’m about to have prayer meeting, so you can look that up for yourself.
4. Iggy Azalea performing with Demi Lovato
As long as she keeps on with that fake blaccent of hers, I’m not interested. But God bless.
5. Miley calling Snoop her “Real Mammy”
Edit: After re-watching the clip, I realized that Miley was actually thanking her real Mammy (grandmother), Snoop Dogg, and her pet pig – not calling Snoop her Mammy. So forget this one.
In one of Miley’s skits, she ate weed brownies with Snoop Dogg. Snoop said that Miley’s grandmother, Mammy, made the brownies with him. After Miley came out of a hallucination that reinforced my decision to never try drugs, Miley told the audience to “give it up for my real Mammy, Snoop.”
WAIT A MINUTE. Did Miley just call Snoop her MAMMY??!! #VMAs
— Makiah Green (@makiahisms) August 31, 2015
Mammy, the most well-known racial caricature of black women, was created during the American slavery era. Mammy is a Southern archetype for a black woman who happily worked as a domestic servant and/or nanny in a white family that nursed the family’s children. She is often portrayed as an overweight, loud, and very dark-skinned woman with a bandana, perpetuating the idea that white men did not find black women attractive. Mammy’s happy character was used to show that black slave women were content with being slaves, thereby “justifying” the practice of slavery.
The word “mammy” is a variant of “mother,” used in many English dialects as such; and though Miley probably calls her grandmother “Mammy” in real life and MAYBE meant nothing by giving that name to Snoop Dogg, it added salt to the wound.
6. The White Squad Commercial
We could not even catch a break during the break. MTV aired this commerical:
I found out after the show that “White Squad” is a satire by MTV’s “Look Different” anti-bias campaign that tackles racial inequality that privileges whites and discriminates against people of color. In retrospect, I think the satire did a good job articulating some aspects of white privilege. Most people however, including myself, did not know that at the time; and not knowing, combined with the bull we witnessed for over an hour, made people believe that MTV was mocking systematic racism. Needless to say, the timing of that commercial could have been better.
7. Miley Endorsing Donald Trump
This was really the last bloody straw. Kanye West gave a convoluted, but eventually meaningful, acceptance speech upon receiving the Vanguard Award and, at the end, announced his run for presidency
Miley continued the political talk by saying, “Trump, you had my vote, but now, Kanye West for preseident!” Now, she might have been joking, and maybe she wasn’t; but the fact that she would even find it funny to endorse a candidate flaunting racism, bigotry, xenophobia, and misogyny is beyond me.
“trump you had my vote”
no miley don’t even joke about that
— Jackie. (@ghostofclifford) August 31, 2015
Did I miss anything? Please let me know.
MTV, we are not amused. I hope a show like last night’s never happens again, but I cannot be confident that it will not. Here’s to hoping and fighting for a better future.
Note: This post has an excess of comments, so to see them all (including responses), click “Load more” at the bottom of the page, under the comment section (you may have to click it more than once).
Continue the discussion with me on Twitter @theNiaLangley and Facebook /NiaLangleyOfficial.
120 Comments
Alyssa 31 August 2015
Excellent piece, you nailed it
nialangl 31 August 2015
Thank you for reading!
Dino Donboss 1 September 2015
Your so on point keep up the good work i see you page going somewhere. Meaningful
Danny R. 31 August 2015
good read! soooo glad i didn't watch!
nialangl 31 August 2015
Thank you! I'm glad you didn't watch, too.
Stephanie Valentine 31 August 2015
same,im glad i did not waste my time watching it! great report !
Ms. Joy 12 September 2015
YES I agree. I am glad I did not watch either! How dumb do they think their viewers are? I'd rather watch Shaun the Sheep hahaha…
Cierra Hinton 31 August 2015
A lot of this I missed because I was watching it on the MTV App… smh I caught the Rebel Willson joke though
nialangl 31 August 2015
Yeah, that joke was one of the first indications that the show was going to be full of stuff I wouldn't like.
Wilson's Australian, so maybe she doesn't know how bad police brutality is in the States, but the joke was still done in poor taste.
Vannica Soy 1 September 2015
Yeah, and the joke was done a couple days after a police officer was murdered at a gas station in Houston. Well played MTV… well played..
None 2 September 2015
The joke was not only offensive because of its comical view of police violence, it also intersected with a joke on women of size as strippers. Often women who are not traditionally thin, end up making fun of their own size in order to downplay it and end up perpetuating body image issues.
Anonymous 31 August 2015
you do know you are wrong right? no one claimed miley invented twerking and everything you said about her dreads is complete bullshit, the police joke was about straight outta compton and n.w.a., mammy is also used by tons of white people to identify their grandmothers, white squad was just MTV trying to be funny but just looking stupid and I guarantee black writers were part of that too, miley was not endorsing trump that was her failed attempt at improv and her saying that is not going to effect voters at all. quite spewing these heavily opinionated, bias, mustering lies.
nialangl 31 August 2015
1. After her performance at the 2013 VMAs, mainstream media credited twerking to Miley, saying she either invented it or made it popular – which isn't true because people of color have been twerking for years.
2. I wrote that Miley may not have meant any offense by her dreads, but cultural appropriation is very real. I will refer you to this video on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1KJRRSB_XA
3. Though the words "F— the Stripper Police" are similar to N.W.A.'s song and association with Straight Outta Compton, the joke was not exclusive to the song of movie. If you've been paying attention to the news recently, you know that police brutality has been a serious issue in America for all races, but specifically minorities. Because of that, the joke was done in poor taste.
4. I also said in the post "mammy" is a variant of "mother." I know that some people actually used "mammy" to address mothers and/or grandmothers, and I also wrote that Miley maybe didn't mean anything by it. But like I said, it added salt to the wound.
5. I'm starting to think you didn't actually read this article because I acknowledged that White Squad was a satire; however, I said that most people weren't aware of that, and because of the other stuff witnessed during the show, the timing of commercial could have been a lot better.
6. I also wrote that Miley could have been joking about Trump; but endorsing Trump with his racism, bigotry, and everything else should not have been joked about.
Thanks for your comment! Have a nice day! 🙂
Anonymous 31 August 2015
High five top you! You nailed it!
Anonymous 31 August 2015
I was just reiterating what you were saying to show you that it is ridiculous. I don't know anyone besides far right newscasters over 50 that think miley invented twerking.
Anonymous 31 August 2015
Just saying Kevin Heart came out with a full squad of police as a joke… why is it ok for Kevin Heart but in your case its not ok to joke about that…?
nialangl 31 August 2015
Before you made the comment, I hadn't seen or even heard of this joke of Kevin Hart's. I just watched it, and I don't think it's funny.
I think it's fine for anyone of any race to make a joke about police/brutality as long as it's done in good taste and with good intentions. I've enjoyed many comedians jokes on the subject. Wilson's joke was not done well.
Anonymous 31 August 2015
Nia, I suggest you watch the 1janitor's video on cultural appropriation (https://youtu.be/eGgj9S8XO7k) because your reasoning is more than flawed. You state: "The problem is when people see two cultures doing the same thing and judging them differently," which is vague in itself. You do not realise that you are imposing more harmful stereotypes, and in fact, are expressing the types of attitudes that you *appear* to be so against. Watch the video, and maybe even write another article to properly analyze the VMA's without your preimposed bias. https://youtu.be/eGgj9S8XO7k https://youtu.be/eGgj9S8XO7k
nialangl 1 September 2015
You're right. "The problem is when people see two cultures doing the same thing and judging them differently" is vague and an incomplete thought. I fixed it. Hopefully, what I'm trying to say makes more sense.
It's not that I'm offended by white people/any people borrowing black/other cultures. I think it's cool when people feed off of each other's cultures. It builds community. I have a problem with cultural appropriation.
1janitor made some good points, but I don't think he didn't fully grasped what cultural appropriation is. Cultural appropriation isn't simply liking something from another culture and partaking in it. It's more like accessorizing with things from another culture after mocking it.
So using hair as an example again, blacks with dreads are often seen as potheads. Whites with dreads look like hipsters. Blacks "look crazy" with bantu knots, but when Marc Jacobs used a similar hairstyle in one of his shows, people called them "high fashion mini buns." Blacks with cornrows are looked at as ghetto, but whites with cornrows are looked at as edgy or chic.
My problem isn't with interests, and it isn't always with individual acts of borrowing from another culture. Again, my problem is when people see two cultures doing the same thing and judging them differently.
Thank you very much for your comment.
Catlin Lorito 1 September 2015
Okay, I want to respond to a few parts of your response: "Cultural appropriation isn't simply liking something from another culture and partaking in it. It's more like accessorizing with things from another culture after mocking it." The assumed part of this argument is the act of mocking: the reason why the1janitor gave blackface as a primary example is for the fact that it is a blatant cultural mocking that is, and historically was, offensive, demeaning, inappropriate and humiliating (or had the function of aggressively mocking). In this case, I am not quite sure how Miley Cyrus is or even has maliciously imitated anything… Iggy Azalea on the other hand, is a blatant symbol of mockery. After viewing her music video where she asserts that she is a "runaway slave master" while simultaneously doing the whip motion, I can 100% conclude that she is an active cultural appropriator in the absolute worst ways.
The second issue that I see in your argument is: "So using hair as an example again, blacks with dreads are often seen as potheads. Whites with dreads look like hipsters. Blacks "look crazy" with bantu knots, but when Marc Jacobs used a similar hairstyle in one of his shows, people called them "high fashion mini buns." Blacks with cornrows are looked at as ghetto, but whites with cornrows are looked at as edgy or chic." This is also a biased assumption. I am nearly positive that you cannot find any factual statistics that affirm these beliefs. Just as the1janitor was saying, dreads are associated with the rastafarian culture, not potheads… When using terms such as 'hipster', 'ghetto', 'edgy', 'chic' or even phrases such as 'looks crazy', these are all your opinions that most likely do not apply to the masses (I might be wrong but will have to look into the research behind it) These sort of stereotypes are commonly found exploited by the media, which is entirely wrong, but important to note. While the media tends to influence some of our concepts about the society we live in, it does not reflect the reality, and it is often harmful and a major source of misinterpretation when we rely on sources that profit off of controversy and twisting the words of people (i.e. interviews, T.V. shows, magazines)… I understand that your problem is, "when people see two cultures doing the same thing and judging them differently,"
but I would consider looking at the exact level of mockery that we are concerned with… What I am saying here is that, we cannot afford to let social media, or media in general, to shape how we conduct ourselves, treat others, and view the society we are in. We cannot afford to trust sources that LITERALLY make money off of lies and exaggerations. I hope that I have at least provided another way to look at the issues presented, and I look forward to your response.
HRH CNA 1 September 2015
I love that you are commenting as Anonymous!! Coward, you cannot even stand behind your own dumb ass comments. You are misinformed and incorrect.
Danielle muir 1 September 2015
eeeh I'm black but i do have 2 agree with other commenters, u r taking urelf 2 seriously. Personally, I cannot c the issue with white girls wearing dreads for fashion anymore than a black woman wearing it just for fashion. The way ppl view the 2 ppl rocking the same do is problematic but that is the issue and not simply white ppl wearing dreads. She was joking abt Trump….seriously it's not that serious. I make jokes abt a Trump presidency, doesn't mean I dn't take the elections seriously.
I will agree with u on Iggy, cn't stand her and she is pure mockery
Miley calling Snoop her mammy is a little offensive but then again I need to watch the whole thing 2 catch the context.
The MTV adv., dare I say, I laughed. I dn't think it was that deep, it was just meant 2 b funny. …..
It wld take 2 much energy to dissect this whole thing and I def. can't be bothered 2 watch smn Miley Cyrus hosted but taking every little thing this seriously is not going to help the cause of black equality which is the root of every piece like this. I respect ur views but nitpicking on things that really just don't matter isn't getting us anywhere.
Anonymous 1 September 2015
Wow totally agree Caitlin you nailed it!
nialangl 1 September 2015
I completely understand what you're saying.
I also agree 100% with what you said about Iggy.
When I say mocking, I don't mean specific individuals mocking then accessorizing. I mean a collective culture (not everybody) mocking another, and then individual members of that culture (who may not have mocked) taking part in the culture's stuff and not being mocked. (I said mocked a lot there, and I'm sure there's a better way to articulate that, but I can't seem to find the words. aha) Yes, that still could be looked at as assumed, but the only proof I have is in my experience.
I honestly don't think that Miley specifically has mocked or maliciously imitated anything (not 100% sure since I don't follow her closely). The way I worded it in the article may lead people to believe I'm upset with Miley specifically for that hairstyle, but I'm not. I'm more upset with the general perceptions that I'm almost sure will happen. I'm not upset with individual choices. People can do whatever they want with their hair. I even straighten mine. Not everyone is like me in that sense. Some people are mad at individuals.
I can't give you actual statistics. I can only share my experiences and the experiences of people I know. I know dreads are mostly associated with the Rastafari Movement. I have Rastas in my family. But because smoking ganja (marijuana) and dreads are the two most well-known things about Rastas, Rastas are often depicted as poorly groomed potheads in this common culture. And sometimes, the Rastafarian association is forgotten, and people will only associate dreads and marijuana together. Again, I don't have stats. But I've seen it. I have Rastafarian family members, but I also have a Christian father with dreads. He doesn't smoke, but sometimes the association is there.
The same goes for my other adjectives. I'm not going to go completely into it, but examples include the stereotype (that not everyone believes) that blacks with cornrows are ghetto; and I put "look crazy" in quotes because I literally heard that used in describing bantu knots, along with "you should never wear them in public." On the flip side, Kylie Jenner's cornrows being called edgy by many fashion and entertainment sources and Marc Jacobs' bantu knot lookalike being called high-fashion by the same fashion magazines.
Like you said, a lot of this comes back to media exploitation and exaggeration, but the media has such a huge influence on people. I honestly believe that if media weren't such a huge part, cultural appropriation would not be as big of a deal.
Thanks for your opinion. I get what you're saying. Hopefully, what I tried to say made sense or at least helped you understand how I feel.
Anonymous 1 September 2015
This is the best post here and hasn't been responded to ..
nialangl 1 September 2015
^The above was addressed to Catlin.
Lana R 2 September 2015
Catlin Lorito:
http://www.refinery29.com/2015/02/82786/zendaya-giuliana-rancic-dreadlock-comment
This is about how a black girl (Zendaya) with dreads gets called out saying she looks like she smells like weed. Yes it has updates on this article that theyve apologized but they shouldnt have said that comment in the first place. Here's what they say about mileys dreads: http://www.popsugar.com/beauty/Miley-Cyrus-Hair-MTV-VMAs-2015-38248898#photo-38248898
Theres lots of controversy on her dreads now so most articles about it are like this, but right before things blew up on this subject she was getting praised about her dreads.
Here is the article about Marc Jocobs and his "high fashion mini buns": http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/28/bantu-knots-mini-buns-difference_n_7452532.html
and where Marc said he got his insperation or whatever from bjork: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/mullets-fros-amp-beehives-20100617/bjoerk-aa969aa23aa
But people are saying he invented these "Mini buns" and everyone is calling him out even if he didnt think of them himself, because he didn't mention they were bantu knots. Or that Africans have invented this hairstyle thousands of years back. The main reason (in my opinion) why Bjork (and other artists like Gwen Stefani) didn't get called out about it (as much) was because it was early to mid 90s and social media wasn't as big back then, almost nonexistent. Now we can actually tell people when they're appropriating things. Heres another article about bantu knots and marc btw: http://atlantablackstar.com/2015/05/26/news-flash-marc-jacobs-invented-bantu-knots-thousands-years-african-people/
(cont. below)
Lana R 2 September 2015
(Cont. 2)About the cornrows, kylie jenner recently had them and got backlash for it from Amandla Stenberg but because everyone loves the kardashians/ Jenner sisters they praised Kylie and defended her (also cause she was "just a child" even though so is Amandla…) Anyway apparently Kyle did it again recently. Fine lots of girls have been doing them. But you know you can google corn 'rolls' and get the same results as corn rows…Ive seen many white girls call them corn rolls. IMO you should know what theyre called before you wear them (and that goes with anything. Clothings, shoes, hair styles, everything. Get the proper name especially if it isnt part of your culture before you wear it.) Ive seen many people call black girls ghetto because they'll have cornrows and hoop earrings yet the white girls get called chic or urban. I don't really have articles about that but i'm sure you can find some. Cornrows have been worn by white girls since the 90s/2000s though so to me it isn't as big of a deal but it's more that like amandla said, they aren't using their 'power' to help any of the black community. If they supported blacks more like fighting for their rights and bringing awarness to some issues then i'd personally be more okay with it, after all they are just braids. But to just do it cuz you can and to call them cornrolls and to think it makes you look more "gangster" "urban" and/or even "ghetto" that's just too far and those people shouldn't wear them.
Anyway my point of this comment to you was that Nia wasn't giving "biased" information. These things are literally happening. White girls are getting told theyre so beautiful and "new aged" with these hair styles when black girls are getting shamed for the same hairstlyes. Black police officer women (and i'm sure plenty of other professions) can't even have alot of natural hairstyles because (again in my opinion) the ones they do tend to use are now considered "too high fashion" thanks to Marc and other celebs or just not professional and even "untamed" when a white police officer just can't have a huge claw clip or hair out of place as her no's for hair styles. Just because we're calling people out for culture appropriation doesnt mean we're letting media form how we think or whatever. It's because of social media that we can let more people know what is actually offensive. We're just trying to have a voice. No race wants to be forgotten or rewired. So why let others get away with taking something from 1 culture and renaming it or taking something and calling the race that's known for wearing that something bad names and stereotypes but another race gets praised and called good things when they wear that same item?
Lana R 2 September 2015
(Cont. 3) That's all we're pointing out. Not "oh no this is from my culture noone can ever wear it unless youre in that culture!" No it's just "hey! Know what youre wearing and where it came from please. That's all we ask is for the recognition and no hate when we wear our own items of our culture." Nothing is biased about any of Nia's responses or posts. We are just tired of getting called horrible things and then months later a different race does the same exact thing and they get praised as if they just invented something new.
And imo most of the looks whites have taken from blacks (or really almost any culture) just dont look good. The bantu knots only look good on blacks because their hair texture, same with dreads esecailly when the whites who wear them don't keep up with them. You still have to wash dreads…and they dont start half way down your neck causing a rat nest of hair on the scalp…I've seen some really pretty dreads on white girls but most of them imo aren't taken care of and probably not washed or washed often enough. If people understand what theyre doing before they wear a certain thing they can make things look great and be fine for me. But not everyone does and not everyone is okay with it. Thats just my opinion there but to me it's all about knowing why things in different cultures are worn before wearing them and the upkeep of certain things that make or break it. But again everyone will have a different opinion on what they find offensive.
(sorry for so many messages. It wouldn't let me put it all in 1 or even 2. I didnt think it i typed that much…oops haha)
Anonymous 2 September 2015
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/02/marie-claire-kendall-jenner-cornrows-tweet_n_5078924.html
Sophie 3 September 2015
Caitlin, you couldn't have said it better. This argument creates racism where it doesn't exist, which is just aiding the conservatives in moving this country backward instead of forward. So a white woman sporting dreadlocks is racist now? Although dreads are, of course, a style borrowed from black culture, this is in no way cultural appropriation. There is no basis for your saying that white people with dreads are cool and edgy while black people with the same style are seen as "ghetto." I admit I was appalled when aight Azalea, the little darling of cultural appropriation, came on stage during Demi Lovato's performance, and that is certainly a valid point. As for Rebel Wilson's bit, although it was a bit insensitive, I think it was probably just a victim to poor timing and lack of specifics. I understood it as a nod to NWA and the new Straight Outta Compton movie, but I can't identify the intent of the joke for sure because I didn't write it. And the Mammy thing? Come on! This might be the most ridiculous yet. I know you edited the article to address the fact that Miley was really talking about her grandmother and not Snoop, but no, this does not even come close to "adding salt to the wound" in any way. White woman thanking her "Mammy", her grandmother, is racist? No. This actually has nothing to do with anything in this argument AT ALL. Did I say that was the most ridiculous aspect of this article? I might just take that back, because MTV's White Squad commercial is CLEARLY a satire protesting racism, not endorsing it. Oh, and lastly, the Donald Trump joke? If you knew anything about Miley Cyrus or her beliefs, you would know that Trump is the last person on the planet she would ever support. She was mocking him and his policies on live TV, and I commend her. Nia, we probably see eye-to-eye on myriad subjects and I deeply respect your opinions here, but I notice that most of these points have no or very little basis, and you often point out your saying things like "maybe this isn't supposed to be racist" or "maybe I'm wrong" in response to people leaving comments like mine. I just feel like this is only perpetuating racial stereotypes. I know it's hard not to be hyper-sensitive to what is or seems like racism given the history of racism as well as the current social and political climate of the United States and the world, but trying to love (without over-accentuating) cultural differences, and find the kindness in others instead of creating fictitious hatred, can help move us forward.
Anonymous 31 August 2015
Omg! Lol get over yourselfs! That's why your miserable and angry all the time. Sup taking every thing so serious. Her wearing dreads and you being offended lmfao now that's ridiculous. Hey voting for trump. Um ok so. Police brutality then switching it to strippers um so. Milley calling snoop mammy offended you omg get over you trying to find reasons top complain. Your annoying and disrespectful for finding reasons top bitch
nialangl 31 August 2015
*yourselves 🙂
I'm neither miserable nor angry. Funny how whenever a black woman speaks up, she's often looked at as angry, but that's fine. 🙂
I didn't say I was offended by her sporting dreads. I cited it as an example of cultural appropriation. Also, your "so" attitude toward issues like Trump and police brutality is not good. Indifference is dangerous.
I wasn't searching for reasons to to complain. I only reported on what I saw.
Thank you so much for your comment! Good day!
Anonymous 31 August 2015
I like how you did exactly what he just said you do to his comment lol
Anonymous 1 September 2015
Bitch shut the fuck up you can't even talk correctly! Every time someone speaks out it's b***** like you that wants to comment and not even get the f****** point! Have SEVERAL seats and GET YOUR LIFE! �� F*** OUT OF HERE.!
ayo owolabi 1 September 2015
Nobody should have to engage with someone who cannot take the time to grammatically correct or basically structure their sentence.
Anonymous, you came to pick a battle but unfortunately you do not sound well-versed or that educated to effectively make an argument. A lot of these terms, which I'm sure hold no weight in your mind, are for the most part past a middle school level of critical understanding. If you know you cannot argue like an adult, I suggest you find one and pass along the notes you wrote on the back of your Laffy Taffy wrapper because the rest of us are busy trying to find common ground and a better way of understanding each other.
Let's Overreact to everything shall we? 1 September 2015
I enjoy it when people choose to correct the grammar of those who oppose them rather than those who support them. Because if you go back and look at the comments from those saying "your so on point" and "i see you page going somewhere" you didn't feel the need to correct them. Correcting someone's grammar and misspelled words doesn't devalue their ideas or comments.
And I personally think you were looking for reasons to complain and looked way too far into the acts in the show to create a "hidden agenda" that wasn't actually there.
nialangl 1 September 2015
I think it's funny that you're looking for reasons to complain and looked way too far into my ONE instance of correcting someone's grammar. The above comment was one of the first on this post, and I felt like putting my English degree to use. Perhaps I was on edge because I was called a bitch, but I disgress.
If you've noticed, I've since refrained from correcting anyone for or against my opinion. And I never said ill grammar or misspelled words invalidates opinions. So.
Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Anonymous 31 August 2015
This is why I don't watch this award show anymore, glad I listened to my first mind smh
Anonymous 31 August 2015
So if a white person wants to wear dreads it's cultural appropriation. Yet black people are totally ok with themselves weaving on long, straight, flowy MALAYSIAN, INDIAN, AND BRAZILIAN HAIR. I don't see the cultural appropriation in this, seems like the black community takes offensive to almost everything these days playing the race card just because you can. I get it, weaves are a "protective style", what are dreads? A style of hair. Who are you to tell someone they can or cannot wear their hair how they want? Everything is racist if it's a white person doing it but I hope you do know white people live in, and come from, Africa too. If it's truly an issue how about telling people in your own community to stop doing the exact thing you all seem to find so offensive.
nialangl 31 August 2015
While I don't care care for weaves, here's the kicker: Long, straight, flowing hair has never been characterized as ugly. In fact, many people find blacks more attractive when they adopt those hairstyles. Meanwhile, dreads, braids, bantu knots, etc. – hairstyles that aren't just done for style but for maintenance – have been characterized as ugly, ghetto, and crazy when they're on blacks. But when whites adopt black hairstyles, they're looked at as edgy, chic, or hippy.
The problem with cultural appropriation isn't with individual acts of borrowing from other cultures. I've seen whites with dreads and think they look fine, so I'm not saying they can/not do it. The problem is when people see two cultures do the same thing and judge them differently.
I don't know howwwwww you brought Africa into this, but okay. Please don't take this post as anti-white. I have white in my blood after all.
Thanks very much for your comment. Good day! 🙂
juan 31 August 2015
I AGREE NIA! BAN ALL WHITE PEOPLE FROM WEARING DREADS! ITS OFFENSIVE! BLACK PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BUT NOT WHITES! YAY FOR REVERSE RACISM AND AN EXTREMELY HYPOCRITICAL ARTICLE!
Anonymous 1 September 2015
Please, all of you, watch this fucking video and consider how ridiculous these ideas of cultural appropriation are. https://youtu.be/eGgj9S8XO7k https://youtu.be/eGgj9S8XO7k https://youtu.be/eGgj9S8XO7k
HRH CNA 1 September 2015
Stop pushing your video.
Sam Schloss 1 September 2015
TO BE HONEST: Whit people typically look bad in dreads with an exception of very few. yay Miley pulled it off. I think it is racist for you to think that one Hairstyle belongs to a race. THAT IS COMPLELTY RACIST AND STEREOTYICAL! white people are killed everyday. black people loose their lives everyday. white people get pulled over. black people get pulled over. white people adopt black and white kids. black people adopt white and black kids. people of both race suffer from things life cancer, learning debilities, puberty, and old age. WE ARE ALL HUMAN! we are all on this earth together. Why is a hair cut or a life matter more than the other. WE are the same. I feel like the opposite thing is happening we are beginning to see in black and white rather than color. Can we please stop and realize WE CAN ALL DO WHATEVER WE WANT AND IT DOES NOT MATTER EXCLUSIVELY TO WHAT COLOR WE ARE. thank you.
Kristeen 2 September 2015
Okay so can I please point something out: She NEVER said that white people couldn't or shouldn't wear dreads. She also NEVER said that dreads belonged to one race. And while I'm at it, she NEVER she was offended. I respect everyone's opinion but what I've noticed is that people are taking what she says and turning it into something else. Please make sure you THOROUGHLY read her comments and replies before responding to them. It's getting pretty ridiculous at this point.
Anonymous 2 September 2015
It's because society has drilled the notion of wearing your own natural hair if you're African American as unacceptable. Up until very recently you wouldn't have been able to find such a large community not only sporting their natural hair but looking fabulous doing so. For the longest time black people with natural hair were seen as unprofessional. I remember one of my friends being asked to wear a scarf or wig when she can to work because her afro was unacceptable and that wasn't how she interviewed for the job and that was December of 2014. I hope that's a good explanation for you.
Daisy_Smaisy 2 September 2015
I loved this piece very much Nia. And I also appreciate you trying to educate people on the actual issue but it is probably falling on deaf ears. Do not try to reason with those who do not want to listen.
Anonymous 2 September 2015
About the weaves, assimilation is not the same as appropriation. Long, straight hair is more readily accepted as the norm in the United States. No one has every been removed from a professional environment or other institution for having straight hair, while women and girls with kinky curly hair have been asked to leave work and school for having distracting hair. Black women have had to assimilate to the straight hair standard.
By the way, there is no "race card" and if there were, I'm almost certain white people would benefit most from it. What exists, however, is a system of oppression that disproportionately affects people of color (this is not a point of debate: this is a fact that has been verified by statistical [and cultural] analysis). If the most that white people have to complain about is Black people pointing out racism while we have to deal with actual racism, you, my friend, are playing the race card.
The Black community has been offended by very much of this system that was built for us since we were stolen and brought here; our voices had been silenced and our truths were seen as lies until recently (social media makes it hard to deny police brutality).
Anonymous 2 September 2015
Malaysians, Brazilians, and Indians all descend from AFRICANS not Europeans sooooo NO that is not cultural appropriation, but thanks for revealing your ignorance while attempting to sound like you actually have a point lmao
Trevon Champagne 31 August 2015
So I'm the only one who found the white squad commercial funny?
nialangl 31 August 2015
After I learned what the commercial was, I found it to be a great satire.
Anonymous 1 September 2015
How could anyone not immediately recognize that as satire???
Tralicia Williams 1 September 2015
They can't beat you so they try to anger you lol…I admire your article and class…you rock!!!👑
Tralicia Williams 1 September 2015
They can't beat you so they try to anger you lol….I admire your article and class…YOU ROCK!!!👑
Khryss 31 August 2015
I love how you took the time to carefully lay out facts and when you gave an opinion, you followed with another possible view. I think it's interesting that while your post has a air of frustration, yet openness, the responses are aggressive and closed-minded. Funny how people get mad at you for being biased (whether you are or not) when this is your personal blog. You're a great writer, keep speaking up:)
nialangl 31 August 2015
Thank you so much for reading! I'm glad you saw that I was trying to be open-minded.
Anonymous 31 August 2015
GREAT Article. Everything you said I said to all my family and friends while watching it. White ppl always say that we're too sensitive and we always pull the race card. blah blah blah blah. We'll the moment we bring up something about whites, i.e their past and current racist tendencies they get just as equally sensitive and defensive. I've learned that talking to white ppl about black problems is a waste of time. They'll NEVER understand what we went and currently are going through. Any-who, GREAT ARTICLE Keep them coming! Did you notice how none of the black girls from girl code were on the red carpet interviewing? How this was played on BET and like 9 other channels but I don't recall the BET awards being played on MTV in June. How Miley exposed her bob accidentally on TV and its not causing a media commotion but when Janet did she got called out and had to apologize. Im just saying.
Ali 1 September 2015
Talking to white people about black problems is not a waste of time, imo. I'm sorry that has been your experience. Sometimes it is easier to ignore mistakes of our race than to face them. It's not right, but I think for many, ignorance is bliss. You might open some eyes, even if the person you are talking too doesn't show it right away. These issues are heavy and the truth can take time to set in.
Anonymous 1 September 2015
Everyone has seen Miley naked. She's part of the Free the Nipple movement… That's why people weren't surprised. It has absolutely nothing to do with race. None of this has anything to do with race.
Anonymous 2 September 2015
First I want to say thank you to Nia for your article and your vigilance in responding to comments. However you anonymous person that I am responding to seem frankly like an ignorant person. Our nation, or even the world for that matter, is made up not just of black or white. In order to effect true change in a community you must attempt to get everyone on the same page or at least close to it. If you have the attitude that talking to white people about these issues is a waste time how can you expect to move forward as a united community. No, I may never be able to empathize with the black struggle but I can sympathize immensely (btw I am white). While I may not agree with or understand every issue raised by the black community in recent times it doesn't mean that taking the time to have a discussion is a waste of time. I hope you adjust your attitude.
Ashanti Matthews 31 August 2015
Great article, Nia. Perfectly said.
Anonymous 31 August 2015
This entire article is based on your bias interpretation. Instead of nitpicking every scenario to be racist towards black people why don't you write about the things that are and have been killing the black community. Things like fatherless homes, having children out of wedlock; the entertainment industry glamorizing black men as thugs, the movie "Straight Outta Compton" and countless rap songs is an example of that. Also how the entertainment industry promotes women as trash. One reason why you don't like trump is because he is disrespectful towards women? Why don't you focus on how the women of entertainment like Miley Cyrus, Nikki Minaj, and Kim Kardashian are single handedly ruining the image of women. You should also include the issue of black on black crime in inner city communities. How a little black girl was shot and killed while doing her homework because of a drive by due to black on black crime. That’s just one small example. You really need to take time to think about the things that are destroying the black race because I promise you, it's not white people or the police.
FATIMA HILL 31 August 2015
Its not about being racist but things that blacks get frowned upon doing being OK in the media when other races do it. Nobody brought up race you did. Get over your high and mighty attitude and understand the point that was laid out in front of you.
Anonymous 1 September 2015
All of you should reconsider your stubborn standpoints, that are rather ignorant and dull, by watching this video https://youtu.be/eGgj9S8XO7k
Educate yourselves on ALL sides of the argument.
Kira Rose 1 September 2015
I think it's funny to say Miley wearing dreads is weird and then call Iggy out on her "blaccent". Confused… They're not dark enough? Yet racism is the theme here. #done
nialangl 1 September 2015
To the original commenter:
I'm not nitpicking every scenario to be racist against black people. I'm simply reporting on what I witnessed during the VMAs. Since my VMA report was not a report on other things killing the black community, I obviously didn't write on those things. But you brought it up now, so…
1. Broken families are killing the black community, but guess what? Broken families in the black community started during slavery when families were broken up for better sales. The psychological effects of that are deep.
2. The entertainment industry often does depict black men as thugs and degrade women, but guess what color the incredibly large amount of people making the important decisions in the entertain industry are? White.
3. I'm not excusing rap culture for glamorizing the thug life or degrading women and each other. I absolutely hate it, which is why I don't listen to much of today's rap.
4. I dislike Trump for far more reasons that his misogyny. I also mentioned his racism, bigotry, and xenophobia.
5. I'm not a fan of Cyrus, Minaj, or Kardashian West, so I don't follow them much. I would need specific reasons for your assertion that they're singlehandedly ruining the image of women. Though I'm not a fan of oversexualization,I don't think that destroys the image of women. In some ways, you could argue they're evening the playing field with men. But I digress.
5. Black on black crime is very serious. But the discussion around it is often used as something to invalidate the talk of white on black crime. We hardly hear the white on white argument to invalidate black on white discussion.
6. I'm not saying that white people/police are the only ones destroying the black community. But many (not all) of them are not helping it.
nialangl 1 September 2015
Kira, I didn't say Miley wearing the dreads were weird. I cited it as an example of cultural appropriation. If Iggy's blatant was the way she really talks, I wouldn't call her out for it. It would just sound annoying. But if you hear how she speaks normally, one has to at least wonder why she raps the way she does.
Anonymous 1 September 2015
I find it idiotic that you are so concerned about "cultural appropriation" because honestly so what if she wore dreads?? What is the huge deal? Everything has an origin and that fact that one shouldn't be able to wear a certain hairstyle without being attacked is ridiculous…As a culture you don't just claim "this is mine" because once it is put out in the world everyone has the right show admiration for a cultures customs. Should we all look up the origins of everything we wear and do and see who it may offend?? Next you will start harassing people that eat foods from different cultures…we are all part of a melting pot and there are many cultures that could make the same complaints yet you don't see them going so far do you? All of this is just really annoying. I'm tired of the whole "victim" act that has been happening lately.
juleine smith 1 September 2015
Y'all missing the point she isn't saying she can't wear it. She is saying that why is it ok/cool when whhite culture does it but when black culture does it they are frowned upon
Anonymous 1 September 2015
^^^ All of this is just really annoying. I'm tired of the whole "black people getting killed by the police" act that has been happening lately.
Is that what you meant? Wish it was just an act.
Anonymous 1 September 2015
"fatherless homes," — happens regularly in the white community, not "killing the [white] community"
"having children out of wedlock," — happens regularly in the white community, not "killing the [white] community"
"the entertainment industry glamorizing black men as thugs," — happens regularly in the white community, not "killing the [white] community" (i.e. Eminem is not seen as a dangerous influence on white culture)
"black on black crime in inner city communities" — white people kill other white people all the time too, but not systematically.
"it's not white people or the police." — ah wait! Here's the difference!
QueenJohnetta 1 September 2015
Don't come for the elasticity of Nia's cultural awareness. Contrary to popular belief, Black people can walk and chew gum at the same time. That means that while she's writing about mainstream instances of cultural appropriation, I can be writing about police brutality; And while I'm writing about my experiences as the only Bllack girl in all my classrooms, she can be writing about systematic oppression in underserved neighborhoods. If you disagree with something, then by all means, disagree. Don't undermine the author's subject choice. That's Petty Murphy. Thanks.
Anonymous 31 August 2015
Haha "whites with dreads are often looked at as cool".. maybe in some (drum) circles..
Kathleen Salisbury 31 August 2015
Glad I didn't see it either. MTV should be ashamed. No excuses.
Anonymous 31 August 2015
Excellent article. Anyone who can't see the truth in your words is ignorant.
Black&beautiful 31 August 2015
Nia this was such a great post. Thank you for sharing. I agree with each issue you described. And it's a shame when we as black women express our opinion and disagree with the cultural bias and American's standard of beauty we are immediately thrown in a class of angry black woman… I say continue to be a strong out-spoken black queen.
nialangl 1 September 2015
Thank you so much!
Anonymous 1 September 2015
I believe that MTV and the artists alike should be ashamed of the language that was used and the content thats displayed. I could not sit through 10 minutes of the show. All I thought about was the vast number of young minds watching and absorbing and possibly mimicking those behaviors. As a nation we all should do better about modeling ourselves to those who are learning how to be.
Be free and speak your mind. People are so ready to debate racism, prejudice, discrimination and personal experiences of others; but those same people would not lift their finger, or in the case, use their voice to help put an end to the problem by showing love and compassion towards others.
Miu Jo 1 September 2015
Isn't this an opinion piece…..I thought this was about the writers interpretation. I feel more attacked for agreeing with just some of the points than the author does for writing it. L
Bailey Shea 1 September 2015
Miley also appears to have stolen/appropriated directly from Instagrammer, blogger, activist, and co-creator of the Art Hoe movement @sensitiveblackperson, a young woman by the name of Mars.
First, Miley gets long bleach blonde dreads just a few days after Mars posted pics of her showing off beautiful long bleach blonde braids. This may have been coincidence, but then…
Combine this with Miley's rainbow outfit, where she appeared to blend in with a rainbow square. Now look at Mars' iconic Instagram posts of her in a rainbow sweater photoshopped into a background of the same sweater, so that she is almost part of the square background. These posts were hugely popular amongst her followers about three months ago. (https://instagram.com/p/4DJp06shpA/ and https://instagram.com/p/5fM4bbshl9/)
Miley could have worn any sort of crazily shaped rainbow outfit. The fact that hers was a square in which the outfit was a part of the square background makes it hard to deny appropriation — why else would she choose this design, over any other possible configuration of rainbow costuming?
Individually, maybe these two looks could have been coincidental, but together… it's not hard to imagine Miley scrolling through Instagram checking out one of the most popular emerging black culture icons and getting "inspired" to use the look herself. A month or two later, scrolling through the same account.. ooh! hairspiration!
I didn't even mention the artistic and political significance of Mars' work, including the rainbow post, but like you said, "I'm saved, so I'm not even going into this one."
(Mars posted on Instagram Sunday night about Miley appropriating her looks, but has since deleted the post.)
Loretta S. 1 September 2015
Nia, great observations. I gave up on MTV a long time ago 🙂 A word of advice from an old lady (not really). You are clearly an intelligent, well-read young lady who is an independent thinker. Please don't feel the need to defend or explain EVERY comment, especially what you have already clearly stated. People will skim your article and then go on the attack. Say what you gotta say and keep it movin' WELL DONE. AND, in some cases we do have the right to be angry black women. Go get 'em girl!!
nialangl 1 September 2015
Thank you so much, Loretta! I so appreciate it. And I'm about to take your advice because trying to make everyone understand have proven to be draining.
Anonymous 1 September 2015
Loretta S Yes thats great advice, you took words right out mouth. Nia Speaks continued to write Great articles and state the truth, your style very unique unbiased. Love it just don't get overwhelmed by these responses.
Anonymous 1 September 2015
Well written, well I don't agree 100% with everything you said, I find the article as a whole to be a great showing of what was totally over the line with the VMA's
Troy 1 September 2015
Great post Nia. All points were well written. You do not need to argue your point to mindless walls that would rather hide behind Anonymous. You had the courage to posted what you seen and how it made you feel. That's more impressive then a coward trying to put you down with rude and wrong comments. Keep up the great work.
oomph. 1 September 2015
wow…this is what i missed?? lol. guess i didn't miss much at all 🙂
Anonymous 1 September 2015
This was a great article! I didn't watch it and I'm glad that I didn't. I understand what you are saying and I feel like you shouldn't have re-explain what you said because people are posting extremely ignorant comments. Keep up the good work!
Anonymous 1 September 2015
Just want to say that your perspective on this and the way you are handling the comments is top notch. The grace with which you reply to peoples often hostile comments is commendable. Keep it up, and Jesus Bless Your Heart.
racism is REAL 1 September 2015
I wholeheartedly agree
Anonymous 1 September 2015
It's shocking that you're able to move about with that enormous chip on your shoulder. You should knock it off there because it is massively distorting your view of reality and probably your enjoyment of life.
Single Suzee 1 September 2015
They aired this on BET and CENTRIC…. Don't wanted to miss further brainwashing
Katelyn 1 September 2015
Thank you for sharing, I had no idea. I'm glad I didn't spend my time watching.
Anonymous 1 September 2015
There are some valid criticisms here, but I think the internet needs to get one thing straight: Miley did NOT call Snoop her Mammy. Watch the skit again. The old lady baking brownies with them is Miley Cyrus's real grandma, whom she apparently calls Mammy. So, her remark after the skit was referring to three people: "… my real mammy, Snoop Dogg, and the P-I double G!" That is, give it up for my grandma, Snoop Dogg, and my pet pig.
nialangl 1 September 2015
Thank you for pointing that out to me! I re-watched and you're right, so I have since fixed it in the post.
Emily Williams 1 September 2015
When it comes to dreads, if I see a white person with dreads, my biases say they're a weed-smoking hippy (as well as earthy). I can understand cultural appropriation and why it can be really annoying/hurtful for people. But I see people all the time going overboard with the cultural appropriation card, and just creating more hate out of hate. This dreads example, to me, is just that.
The mammy thing might be a little far fetched, but everything else I thought was spot on. The police joke was atrocious and unbelievably ignorant.
Anonymous 1 September 2015
Yea, especially when they made the comment black lives matter.. and what, every other colors lives dont?!
nialangl 1 September 2015
Black lives matter BECAUSE all lives matter. Saying black lives matter doesn't at all mean that other lives don't. Just like someone saying, "Cure breast cancer" doesn't mean "Screw all other forms of cancer."
D Ayisha J 2 September 2015
Ha! Exactly
racism is REAL 1 September 2015
Great job Nia! I'm glad someone spoke up about the bafoonery that is MTV. Also, I hate how people are trying turn this article into an anti white agenda or racial guideline. Whenever a black person speaks out about race all of a sudden they're complaining and need to just get over it. As if talking about it makes it real. What's real are the examples you've stated. Some of these people aren't even reading the article, but complaining about YOUR opinion on YOUR blog.
Furthermore, the whole dreads issue is ridiculous to me! All you're saying is when people of color show their heritage SOMETIMES they're looked down upon but when it's white it's right. The same can be said for full lips and curvy bodies. No one is saying white people can't do things from other cultures. You've reiterated this how many times??
Some of these readers were really just missing the point. They're trying dissect too much into some issues, causing conflict and perceiving opinions you never actually stated. Please keep doing what you're doing. Your statements (opinions) have been rational and backed by reason which is more than what can be said about half of the comments. I applaud you young lady.
nialangl 1 September 2015
Thanks so much! Everything you said is sooooo on point. I appreciate it.
mz tee 1 September 2015
Nicely written!! There is definitely a blatant level of comfort.
Anonymous 1 September 2015
I think it's a shame that the "cultural appropriation of dreads" EXAMPLE was/is so hard for people to understand. Reading this article (without watching) I think you did great. Your responses to the comments were very calm and expressed awareness of your reader's POV which demonstrates your open mind. While I do feel that many things were done for the fun of it at the VMAs, I find that many things you point out is not the black community's hypersensitivity to certain topics, but an illustration of the insensitivity (some) whites have to black American issues and (I think) that's what the bigger picture is in this article. The black community alongside many activists of all races have been a force behind a movement to spread awareness and pursue equality. While I think the WhiteSquad commercial had a great point spreading awareness of white priviledge, it didn't really make up for the insensitive joke Wilson made, or the fact that Miley Cyrus can get away with dreads but Zendaya can't. And as black women living in American society, we don't need statistics to tell us that when we wear certain hairstyles we're looked down upon in comparison to when a white woman wears her hair the same way. We've experienced the judgement ourselves. And the hairstyle/dread thing is JUST AN EXAMPLE. Miley can wear those dreads, but it sucks that I read a review calling them "urban chic" but a black girl looks like she "smells like weed." Anyways…nice article.
nialangl 1 September 2015
EXACTLY! Thank you so much.
D Ayisha J 1 September 2015
Come on now…
This is her blog featuring her opinions. She can write whatever she wants whether you agree with it or not… Once you realized you hated everything she was writing, why didn't you just stop reading. Whether you agree with what she wrote or not, it was still well written. How could you possible come to her talking about she just wanted something to complain about? Lol!! You are reading HER blog complaining about what she wrote like this was some required reading assignment… So MAYBE you all are just trying to find something to complain about.
I didn't watch the award show. Most of them are…pointless to me. And Miley…yeah, I don't really want to watch anything she is apart of. For this stuff to be entertainment…it's not quite entertaining.
QueenJohnetta 1 September 2015
Girl you're saved?! Me too! I was wondering why I sensed a little something different while reading. Lol. 🙂
nialangl 1 September 2015
Haha! Amen! 🙂
Erin Rinker 1 September 2015
Don't forget about what Miley said during her interview earlier in the week that Nicki Minaj called her out on. Miley shouldn't have even been talking about the racial hardships in the music industry. One, she is white and has no clue what it means to be a person of color and two, she had her foot in the door at a young age. I mean her dad is Billy Ray Cyrus. There has been discussion whether or not it was a skit, but judging by the fact that Miley is one of the worst actresses on this planet and seeing her face, I'm guessing it wasn't a skit. Nevertheless, that issue between Nicki and Miley shouldn't have been approached on a national TV, but in a much mature manner.
jay 2 September 2015
So basically you, a white person, as far as I can tell from your photo, is condemning Miley, a white person, for telling Nicki ,a Black person, how to react to the situation with Swift. Your argument being a White person with no experience of racial hardship shouldnt comment.
Then you very same white person concludes that same paragraph by telling Nicki, a Back person, how to react to the situation with Miley. Tell us more about your experience of racial hardship that then qualifies you to comment.
Seriously, how are you even alive with that level of cognitive dissonance?
Sam Schloss 1 September 2015
WOW! way to take this way out of control. Stop taking everything out of control. Can we just remember it is not just Black Lives that matter? Are they really the only ones to have lost their lives? I think not. I really think you need to stop taking everything so offensive. I really do not know how to express my feelings about how wrong your article is. I agree your opinion matters and I really do believe that you voiced your opinion. I applaud you for that I just want you to realize that not everything is to attack black people. You blew a lot of things out of proportion and i ask you to realize that not everyone is out to get you.
Regards,
Sam
nialangl 1 September 2015
Black lives matter BECAUSE all lives matter. Saying black lives matter doesn't at all mean that other lives don't. Just like someone saying, "Cure breast cancer" doesn't mean "Screw all other forms of cancer."
I know not everyone/everything is out to attack black people. I know. And you're free to think I blew things out of proportion.
Thanks for your comment!
jay 2 September 2015
Honestly, I think you are reaching. As a Black personn, I find myself sometimes getting paranoid about certain things and I can understand your fears. But you are reading too much into too little.
For a list of seven items there are no actual valid points, most being about
1.You misunderstanding the joke (the Rebel Wilson skit was specifically meant as satire on police brutality against Blacks and how American society plays it down)
2. You not liking the joke (you don't honestly believe that Miley actually meant she would vote for either Kanye or Trump, do you?)
3. You blaming someone for racial discrimination due to your lack of comprehensiom about what someone said (claiming Miley was calling Snoop "Mammy" when the she referring to her actual "Mammy)
4. You completely misunderstanding what White Squad is about (this is the worst, because this show is all about satirising exactly the racial discrimination you claim it represents. And before you claim you were ignorant of what it is, you should not have been to quick to judge, which is pretty much the root of racism. Judging books by their covers. And honestly if you missed the satire in the advert for White Squad, you have no business writing analysis of TV shows. Even if you claim ignorance, a quick Google search would suffice.
5. I found Miley Cyrus sleepover tasteless but no possible connotations of racism. While it is easy to jump to conclusions, I think one should be careful with judgement lest inr ends up thinking every single white person is a racist. There are many enough real racists to be worried about as it is.
6. Regarding cultural appropriation, Blackface was undoubtedly that. Miley Cyrus weaeung dreads? Nah. And to be honest, mainstream white society has never found dreads or cornrows on white people cool, acceptable or what have you. They see it as edgy on celebrities, but see it as trash on normal white people and they don't accept it. Compare that to the widespread mainstream acceptance of Blackface and you might see where the line lies. Even Rap, which has come as far mainstream as anything, is still not exactly mainstream among white people. That is why rap and cornrows and dreads are things teenagers and those "hipsters" do to piss off mainstream society. How can a culture appropriate something it actuall doesnt like. Another comparision, see Black music influence on rock and roll. That is also appropriation.
7. Iggy Azalea is a shitty rapper (personal opinion) who appropriates Black music and culture. I will give you that. But even in her case… read about how rap is not exactly mainstream.
I guess what I am saying is, dont be to quick to judge. And seriously, never ever use your own ignorance to say, hey I jumped to conclusions because I didnt know. It demeans any other judgments you make, valid or not.
Charles 2 September 2015
That you Vester?
Anonymous 2 September 2015
This was great, I noticed some of these things too. But I don't think the Donal Trump remark was racist, culture appropriating or insensitive. I mean yeah Trump is an insensitive fucko but I'm sure even Miley wouldn't vote for him and the remark she made was clearly meant to be about Kanye and not Trump. I think she just tried to make a joke on the spot. I'm not saying what she said was funny, it just shouldn't be on this list. But everything else was spot on! I also learned a lot so thank you 🙂
Anonymous 2 September 2015
Why do you respond to the trolls? It is obvious when a white person on your page is just trolling because the use the word "yall" and then begin to bash black people in general with the typical stereotypical insults. Stop giving your time and energy to the trolls and continue to stand behind your piece. If the white right wingers can flood the internet with their opinions, you can to sweetheart. MTV and BET are jokes and most other stations on TV, btw. *just my two cents*
s t a r r 2 September 2015
Nia, great article! You left out Taylor Swift's colonial-fantasy music video. How the hell do you film an entire film in Africa without showing any Africans? Disgusting. Uhurusolidarity.org
Bob Alba 2 September 2015
I agree. This was a well-written analysis. My only constructive criticism would be that you don't need to respond to every troll out there. Respond when you think is necessary, but don't waste your creative energy just responding to trolls.
7courtney.white@gmail.com 3 September 2015
::) he truth of this whole matter li Ree s in the eyes of the beholder. Your individual responses to this young woman's article reflect uour own cultural upbringing and beliefs. What you have personally been exposed to in your own life has major influnces to how you view this article. Please understand that white is white and black is black and when you mix them together you make grey areas of understanding…
acalderj 5 September 2015
Great article. There's also Taylor Swift's latest music video, which suspiciously depicts an Africa without Africans and has been accused of neocolonialism and classism. See: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sidney-chase/everything-wrong-with-tay_b_8086582.html.
Randy Marlow 18 September 2021
GET PROFESSIONALLY VIDEOS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES
We offer professionally produced videos at affordable prices.
Our videos have the look and feel of a high quality television commercial, complete with professional spokesperson, background, text,
images, logos, music and of course, most importantly, your company’s contact information for your nialangley.com.
If you’re ready to reach more clients today, let us get to work on producing your company’s exclusive video.
MORE INFO=> http://qejn39630.bloggerbags.com/8235136/get-videos-at-affordable-prices