The Roots’ newest album is set to come out in two weeks. I’m pretty sure I’ll buy it, as I like all the songs I’ve heard – minus Birthday Girl, which (a) wasn’t as bad as everyone made it out to be, and (b) isn’t on the album anyhow. However, I have a bone to pick with this video.
What you are seeing is a perfect accompaniment to the gritty, muffled sound of Black Thought ripping the microphone up. However, I’m not sure if people are seeing the problem here. The group is murdering a white male. It’s undisclosed what he has done, and the reasoning behind this killing. It can almost be seen as a form of torture as they beat him and burn him. A group of all black males killing a white male.
Let’s look at that again. I respect The Roots – I think they have a positive effect on hip-hop and music as a whole, but they (Rik Cordero, director included) are wrong here.
Let’s flip the stage around a bit. Would you EVER see The Roots murdering a Latino man, or someone of Asian descent? No way. They seem to have to be attacking the white man. They wouldn’t murder a woman, because that would be seen as wrong or politically incorrect. Yet, somehow, it’s seen to be okay to portray this attack on the white man. For some reason, the reverse actions of one of the most unfortunate and wrong things in the history of the entire world, is seen as okay and acceptable. Am I, the white man, paying for my crimes? Get the fuck outta here. That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. The Jewish people and Japanese people during World War II were placed in internment camps, where many died. They are not sending a racist message. A video depicting such a thing would not be seen in the same light as this “75 Bars” is. Even worse, if a white band was portrayed in a video as ritualistically killing a black male…well, all hell would break loose. You don’t even need me to tell you that, it’s more or less common knowledge.
In this world of political correctness and this current fad of not offending people can sometimes really be taken over the top. For example, a petition had started to make them “people-holes” instead of manholes. However, if I see something like this, I feel like the cards are stacked against me as a white person. I know I cannot do the same thing and be able to escape away safely. Same thing goes with the controversial n-bomb. I do not use the word, and do not condone the use of it. A couple of my black friends don’t use it, because they don’t feel it’s fair for everyone. I don’t mean to be a whiny person here, but I want a level playing field when it comes to these types of things.
I know the theme of the album is the white man’s attitude towards blacks in the past, but we’re not in the past anymore. We’re in the present. And if racist attitudes are something that the world as a whole wants to get rid of, there’s no need to be putting out things like this.
That is all.
This post has been certified controversial. Make sure you catch the comment train. I know you’ve got an opinion, make it heard – especially if you disagree with me.
