Tapsearch Com EditorCall (only) a ho a ho
April 12th 2007 00:28
It's taken a few days, but the conservative media has gotten around to (A) piling and Don Imus, but then (B) quickly pointing out that rappers say things that bad all the time. See Kathleen Parker and Michelle Malkin. The latter even got away with using the N-word in her title.
But the comparison is wrong-headed. To see why, consider the source, then consider the target.
First of all, rappers are entertainers for teenage males. They're supposed to be disgusting, and they're supposed to push offensiveness to its limits. Also, they're typically black themselves, and for whatever reason, people are given a pass on disparaging their own race. Don Imus is something of a shock-jock, but he has respected guests and a reputation for bringing news. And he's white.
But more importantly, look at the "hos" rappers talk about. Like all rebellious musicians of the last many decades, rap stars essentially lead dangerous, sex-filled lives and report back to their audience. Is it demeaning to portray black women as Ludacris does? Sure. But it's demeaning to portray white women the way Motley Crue and Led Zeppelin did in their songs, videos and behaviors.
More importantly, these portrayals are honest, not about women in general, but about the "groupie" class of women musicians write about. However horrible rappers are, when they refer to "hos," they're talking about sexually loose women (who may not charge money as the literal translation, "whore," would have it). Don Imus was talking about accomplished basketball players.
It's great that conservatives want to lessen the depravity of a popular art form. But there's no real double standard between Jay-Z and Don Imus.
By Robert VerBruggen
But the comparison is wrong-headed. To see why, consider the source, then consider the target.
First of all, rappers are entertainers for teenage males. They're supposed to be disgusting, and they're supposed to push offensiveness to its limits. Also, they're typically black themselves, and for whatever reason, people are given a pass on disparaging their own race. Don Imus is something of a shock-jock, but he has respected guests and a reputation for bringing news. And he's white.
But more importantly, look at the "hos" rappers talk about. Like all rebellious musicians of the last many decades, rap stars essentially lead dangerous, sex-filled lives and report back to their audience. Is it demeaning to portray black women as Ludacris does? Sure. But it's demeaning to portray white women the way Motley Crue and Led Zeppelin did in their songs, videos and behaviors.
More importantly, these portrayals are honest, not about women in general, but about the "groupie" class of women musicians write about. However horrible rappers are, when they refer to "hos," they're talking about sexually loose women (who may not charge money as the literal translation, "whore," would have it). Don Imus was talking about accomplished basketball players.
It's great that conservatives want to lessen the depravity of a popular art form. But there's no real double standard between Jay-Z and Don Imus.
By Robert VerBruggen
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