Macklemore Releases "White Privilege II"

[Dad]

 

I would post this in Music but I'm not sure if the discussion of "white privilege" is appropriate there.  Maybe a second thread?  Anywho, let's talk YCM.

[Halubaris Maphotika]

Might as well delve into his lyrics.

 

I disagree with his emphasis on usual SJW ideas like cultural appropriation and other such things. I am sure he would think me a disgusting cretin since I am against the BlackLivesMatter movement and his lyrics pretty much identify that. I disagreed when he said we should police our words so gay people can feel better in "Same Love" and I disagree with the idea that our entire country's identity is based on White privilege. Anybody who knows anything about our history can attest to that.

 

To say that White Privilege is this country's identity shirks off the legacy Martin Luther King Jr. fought so hard to build. It makes all of the accomplishments African Americans have made in the past 200 years meaningless. Macklemore got his sh*t right because he had a mainstream appeal that attracted a wide audience and the grammies were known for favoring mainstream acts. Him acting like his race had anything to do with it is folly, simply because there have been numerous acts to receive such accolades as well. In fact Kanye West was accused of getting grammies only because of his mainstream appeal at the time of Late Registration as well. Macklemore's just pulling at straws because he doesn't want to believe his music is a mainstream commodity. He spent so much time ranting about the commercialized industry in "Wings" that he refuses to believe he himself is a commercial entity. Now he is trying so hard to prove that's not it he is bringing his race into it which seems downright ridiculous.

 

Feel free to call me racist, bigoted, evil whatever. I understand if you dislike my opinion on the matter.

[Dad]

I half agree with you.  While I don't think America was founded on white privilege, I do think white privilege occurs.  To be fair, there are many privileged people, but people choose the term white privilege--so I believe--to identify with things like general discrimination.  That is to say whites appear to be less discriminated against (kinda comes with the territory of being the majority) and that comes across as a privilege.

 

Mostly speculation, but yeah.

[ENMaker]

If not being discriminated against is being viewed as being a privilege there's surely more problem with that than anything else.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Everyone faces their own form of discrimination, even if not about skin color. But even that every ethnicity has its issues.

Of course it's unbalanced which is terrible, and it's certainly true whites have some more privileges. I just don't like discounting everything as privileged.

Seeing as I've been told that certain accomplishes of mine were just cause I was white and not cause of talent, not cool.

 

Please don't accuse me of saying my problems are bigger than others, or point out where others have it worse. I'm not arguing that at all.

[Tentacruel]

White privilege exists for sure.  I do have a problem with the phrase white supremacy being used to describe the very nature of our country.  It's simply not the case.

 

There's this culture developing that teaches that white privilege is something that is innate in our society and humanity, not a problem that can get better. 

 

The problem with this mindset is that no matter what we do and how much we improve, people will still cling to the idea that white people on our planet are inherently more fortunate.

 

 

About the song itself, Macklemore is a bit preachy for my taste, but the song has some good lyrics. 

[Dad]

Let me be more clear.  White privilege in terms of discrimination is more along the lines of:

 

MTV used to decline playing black music or black artists.

 

BET is created.

 

BET honors all hip-hop artists, but is more catered to African Americans.

 

BET is called racist.

 

In the sense that BET was created because there was no "black music" or "black artists" being played on television.  That's about the only actual incidence of "white privilege" I can find.  

 

 

If not being discriminated against is being viewed as being a privilege there's surely more problem with that than anything else.

 

Therein lies the problem.  Who is it that is being discriminated against?  Surely, everyone.  But on average, more non-whites.  This however does not imply accurately "white privilege".  Cleared it up with a better example above.

[Halubaris Maphotika]

Let me be more clear.  White privilege in terms of discrimination is more along the lines of:

 

MTV used to decline playing black music or black artists.

 

BET is created.

 

BET honors all hip-hop artists, but is more catered to African Americans.

 

BET is called racist.

 

In the sense that BET was created because there was no "black music" or "black artists" being played on television.  That's about the only actual incidence of "white privilege" I can find.  

 

 

 

Therein lies the problem.  Who is it that is being discriminated against?  Surely, everyone.  But on average, more non-whites.  This however does not imply accurately "white privilege".  Cleared it up with a better example above.

My opposition to BET is based of Aaron McGruder's distaste and history with them. (He's the creator of The Boondocks), he got screwed over by them pretty hard.