#i say potentially because the man is black and his grandparents probably were slaves | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

patricia-von-arundel · 2 years ago

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Dear Scott Adams,

First of all, you, sir, are an absolute dickhead, and another unneeded example of why straight, white, rich, conservative men who mistake success and/or self-described "expertise" in one area as indication that their inherent great wisdom and insight is just what the rest of the world needs (see also: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, etc etc etc etc etc) are really fucking irritating and should honestly all be locked up together and filmed in a Battle Royale-style slap-fight to the death. (I'd watch it.)

That said, you seem to have gotten your racist, sexist, not-half-as-funny-as-other-white-conservative-men-think-you-are self shitcanned, finally (something anyone who is not one of your cohort of fellow straight, white, rich, conservative men has been waiting for for 20+ years). And you did so by oh-so-wisely calling Black people a "hate group" and saying white people should move away from them, because for some completely strange, obscure reason, Black people are a bit put out by white people being absolute buffoons about their own history, their families' potential involvement in upholding not-so-distant past atrocities, and their regular whining about reparations, affirmative action, cops murdering POC, rap music, Black women's hair, Colin Kaepernick, Barack Obama being a secret Kenyan Muslim KGB-plant Alpha Centaurian lizard-person, and having to say they're sorry for all the young Black men they, their parents, their grandparents, their great-grandparents, great-great - you get the idea - killed and continued to kill for daring to exist and be Black and male.

Huh. Why in the world would these things bother anyone??? Weird.

ANYWAY -

Mr. Adams, you list your location on Twitter as Pleasanton, CA. As of the 2020 census, Pleasanton had just under 80,000 people (and was, coincidentally,the wealthiest city of its size in the US) . It is about 67% white, and less than 2% Black or African-American.

That means, Mr. Adams, you are one of roughly 47,000 white people in Pleasanton. Compare that to less than 2,000 Black or African-American people. Even if we also looked at mixed-race inhabitants (without even considering that it is possible to be mixed race without being Black), we add in another 5% of the population, or roughly 3,300 more people. Okay - so about 5,300 people who are either Black or mixed-race. Compared to, again, 47,000 white people.

Now - I am white, too. As far as we've been able to determine, we probably had one Black man or woman in my family, likely sometime in the late 1700s or early 1800s, but as far as I'm aware, nobody has actually been able to pinpoint who or where, just assume based on some family lore and ancient photographs from the mid-1800s. This would have been through Harmon Chavis, my great-great-great-grandfather (I think?), who died in 1869. And clearly the single possibly-Black person in the family did nothing to improve the family as a whole, because both Chavis and his son-in-law (Anderson West) were from slave-owning families. (People in my family don't seem to learn - one of the first to arrive from England in the 1600s, a William West, got his stupid colonizing ass slaughtered by Native Americans. Good riddance, you asshole.)

(And to give a shred of credit to the women in the family, there's a picture where someone quite deliberately cut out ol' Anderson. I'm not crying over it...

And yes, I know, this is probably enough information to figure out exactly who I am, but I also have the "fuck around and find out" gene, and it's very strong.

And hey, the general racist and colonizing idiocy has improved somewhat. When my aunt found out Chavis was likely half or a quarter African, she was fine with that! The real shocker was that we had a Zinn in the family, and thus might have Jewish ancestry! The pure horror! 🙄

His name was Hieronymous Zinn, which is the most awesome name ever, and if given a choice, I'd take him over my aunt.)

ANYWAY -

My point, Mr. Adams, is this: my family is 99.9999999% WHITE AS FUCKING SNOW (or as white as a Welsh-Swedish-French family is likely to be!), but where I live, the population in the metro area is roughly 600,000 people. Of that, about 53% is white, roughly 318,000 people, and 45% is Black/African-American, or roughly 270,000 people.

Mr. Adams, I have lived here (in either this metro area, or elsewhere in the state) for all but approximately five years of my life. (Though god knows I'm hoping to get out soon, because heat and I do not get along...) I am not some great expert on racial history, politics, psychology, or reconcilation. I've taken some courses on sociology and cross-cultural psychology, and have worked on studies looking at racial demographics and health outcomes, but that doesn't make me particularly knowledgeable.

But see, Mr. Adams, this is where I differ from straight, white, rich, conservative men: I know and recognize the limits of my knowledge.

However, if we consider just base knowledge based on something as simplistic as where each of us currently lives - I'm much more familiar with living alongside the Black community than you are, Mr. Adams. I have had far, far more negative experiences from your type (especially the straight, white, male parts) than from anyone who is Black. I have had no problems going to school with, teaching, working with, or living alongside the Black community. I've been harassed, stalked, physically attacked, and sexually assaulted by... straight, white men.

Do you believe I should say, then, Mr. Adams, that it is best that I live apart from straight, white men? Would that seem a fair statement to make, based solely on my own experiences, rather than considering broader historical, cultural, societal, and economic factors?

I suspect you'd say "no." I suspect you'd argue that such a viewpoint would be short-sighted, ignorant, and unfair.

And yet, apparently, your experience as a wealthy, straight, white, conservative man living in a very well-off California community with a population that is less than 2% Black/African-American makes you an expert on all Black people, so much that you can call them a "hate group" (for what, contaminating drinking fountains because now you have to share???) and recommending white people should live apart?

I don't know, Mr. Adams. In my own experience, which has involved significantly more daily interaction with Black people through the 34 years I have lived in this state, I think my conclusion is based on a more solid foundation, family history, understanding of cultural factors and psychology, and, of course, my personal experiences. And it is thus:

Eat shit, you fucking bag of broken dildos.

(Also, your comic sucks, and has always sucked. May you face Charles Schulz at the pearly gates, and be found wanting.)

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newyorkisartsyfartsy · 6 years ago

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Arts & Culture Final

By: Courtney Tapper

Taylor Swift is Stuck in the Past

Taylor Swift’s repetitious song themes and outdated female perspectives render her unfavorable.

First it was “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me”. Then it was “Forever & Always” and “Fifteen”. Then, “Mine” and “The Story Of Us”. Song after song. Boy after boy. Relationship after relationship. For her first few songs, the music of Taylor Swift was catchy and it felt relatable as an average girly middle school-aged teen. Now, I think it’s outdated. While there will always be songs about relationships and break ups and heart ache, I just think there is more to not only music but life, than just how sad a boy made you feel.

Starting her music career as a country artist, Taylor Swift immediately did not appeal to me. As one who thinks country music is generally very redundant in terms of instrumental usage, song topics, and the voices of various country artists, Swift did not stand out to me.

Then, as she started to gain success in the pop genre, I began to hear her more often whether it was on the radio, shopping in stores, or my friends’ 16thbirthday parties. But the constant, “woe is me” attitude that permeates a majority of her music simply could not resonate with me as enjoyable or influential.

In “This Love”, Swift sings about a love that she has never felt before and how this bond is the strongest she has ever known. That alone, can create a great piece of music. It’s real, has passion, and it’s something people can relate to. But lyrics like “Lanterns burning, flickered in the mind only you/But you were still gone, gone, gone/Been losing grip, on sinking ships/You showed up, just in time” imply that she was completely consumed by this one person and him “showing up just in time” is what saved her from a potential life of misery. While love can definitely be all consuming and life can seem miserable without the person you love, I don’t exactly feel that the message she is trying to portray is admirable.

The idea that you were about to crumble before the man finally stepped in and swooped you off your feet just shows that her happiness relied heavily on the reciprocated love of her partner. Which I don’t think is healthy in any sort of relationship. Particularly, in a world where women are still being treated as less than to men (in numerous ways) and are constantly having to prove that they are equal, a song like this just really sets back the work women are doing to become independent and powerful beings. Many of her songs share similar storylines to this one where the man holds the power, which frankly just do not work in favor of the progression of women.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuNIsY6JdUw&list=PL1CbxROoA2JiVzg9zu_AkVHZR9S8mHhzh

Question #2:

Influence Beyond Music

Bob Marley’s popularity in the reggae community enables him to show his strengths in other areas

Growing up in a Jamaican family, it’s pretty much impossible to listen to music in the house without hearing Bob Marley at some point. As one of main artists who brought reggae into mainstream popularity, Bob Marley truly has made a name for himself in the music community. Creating the Wailers (a music group comprised of Marley and his friends) he was able to become one of the most beloved artists of the reggae genre.

Marley’s childhood friend, nicknamed “Bunny” inspired Marley to learn how to play the guitar, as they both shared a love for music. The two ended up living together some time later in Kingston, Jamaica. Arriving in Kingston in the late 1950s, Marley lived in Trench Town, one of the city's poorest neighborhoods. He struggled in poverty, but he found inspiration in the music around him. Trench Town had a number of successful local performers and was considered the “Motown of Jamaica”. Marley liked, and found influence from, such artists as Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, and the Drifters.

The first time I heard Bob Marley I was at my grandparents’ house. I always recognized his voice since it was his music that was played the most out of the reggae artists they would listen to. But the first song that caught my attention was one of his more popular songs, “Three Little Birds”. The song brought such peace and joy to my family because of its positive lyricism. Lyrics like “Don’t worry about a thing/Cause every little thing is gonna be alright” reminded us that no matter what struggled we were going through, worrying is not a solution and everything in fact will be alright. Between the relaxed vibes that reggae often gives off already, with such a carefree and easygoing message, this song would bring peace all around.

One of my favorite songs as a kid “Buffalo Soldier”, while it has the same catchy and relaxed essence of his other songs. The meaning behind this song brings light to a major issue. When I was younger, I had no idea what a buffalo soldier. As I grew older and decided to do research, I learned that these were a segregated regiment of black cavalry fighters during the American campaign to rid the West of "Indians" so that colonizers could take the lands from Native Americans. Ironically, many of the soldiers were slaves taken from Africa.

While Bob Marley unfortunately passed away in 1981 from cancer that quickly spread throughout his body, his legacy lives on. While Bob Marley’s musical strides have influenced my taste in music, I also have been impacted by his actions of peace. His organization, the Bob Marley Foundation, is a great example of his devotion to helping others, especially those from developing nations. In June of 1978, he was awarded Peace Medal of the Third World from the United Nations. Also, in February of 1981, he was awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit. His philosophies as a man of peace and equality are characteristics that I not only admired, but that I strive to exude today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMUQMSXLlHM

Fun But Serious #1

Music with a Message

During the music unit of the semester, we spoke about what makes good music, what makes it successful, and what makes certain music appeal to certain people. Personally, I have always loved music that makes me feel something. If the music itself doesn’t make me feel a certain way but the lyrics do, I’ll probably like it. If the lyrics don’t really make me feel a certain way but the music does, I’ll probably like it. If the music and the lyrics both make me feel something, then I’ll probably love it.

That’s exactly what “We the People…” by A Tribe Called Quest, does for me. It has both. From a musical standpoint the rap song has a consistent drum beat in the background, creating a sort of style and momentum that makes me enjoy it right off the bat. The song also takes time to completely syncopate the tempo in which catches you by surprise and then throws you right back into the same rhythm that you became comfortable with. The sound of what one can presume to be police sirens during the song, also creates an atmosphere of context and setting as to where this type of music is taking place – which for me created a musical experience that is much more wholesome.

As for lyricism, the song is very political. As a commentary on society and the numerous inequalities that can be found just about anywhere, the creative boundaries of this song are definitely pushed in the best way. With lines like, “All you Black folks, you must go/All you Mexicans, you must go/And all you poor folks, you must go/Muslims and gays/Boy, we hate your ways/So all you bad folks, you must go,” many different marginalized groups are recognized in this song. It leaves you thinking, “can they say that?” or “was that too far?” Song like this, that is so brutally truthful they can make people, is the epitome of art to me. With an ironic title like “We the People”, the group starts by mocking the very the document that our society is based on and proceeds to explain how the ideas of it are not being followed and how times have drastically changed.

Fun But Serious #1

Growth in Knowledge of Reporting on Arts & Culture

At the start of the semester, I was very much under the impression that I did not know much about the arts and culture world. In terms of reporting, I was very unfamiliar as to how to go about that sort of reporting style, but I was much more familiar with the arts than I believed. In terms of music, I have a pretty interesting view of what makes good music where I’m not completely stuck on one group, artist or genre. I think my variety in music taste worked to my benefit in that unit.

As for film and television my knowledge was definitely lacking, as I truly have not seen many recent films of television programs. When I consume visual media, it is often through YouTube, Netflix, or it is an older film that I had seen before. Being able to be introduced to films in class that are more recent, I was able to see the growth in the film industry and was convinced that there are some movies I would love to see.

As for theater, I have always had a love of theater and other performing arts. Having a class where I was required to see a show was not only fun but also very educational. I was able to enjoy a production that I wanted to see, but then was able to look at it in a different way with the tools that I had learned and analyze it from a more educated lens.

Overall, I think arts and culture reporting was a medium that I always enjoyed reading but never thought I would write about. But during this semester, I’ve been able to learn a lot more about what it takes to write in that specific medium and that it is something I might be interested in writing about for the future. The semester has made writing about arts and culture more tangible and less of a sort of unrealistic stretch.

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