My friend just told me that what she wants to do on her birthday is watch sex and the city and get 'take out'.
I know I don't love America, but I know I live it. It's all rather confusing.
I know I don't love America, but I know I live it. It's all rather confusing.
Even the angst is anglo-american..why bother, I wonder?
ReplyDeleteWhat the heck's anti-cute? Willow Smith's song is a reaction to Chris Rock's movie 'hair'. The writer really didn't nail most of it. African Americans have had a ridiculous amount of angst regarding their hair, because it's kinky, which is why the afro became such a big 70s fashion statement. Africans have long wanted (or been made to desire cause it's clearly so desirable) caucasian, straight hair which is why the Little Richard 50s conk was such a big deal later, and he sort of fell from grace. Malcolm X talks about his shame about trying to straighten his hair and get a conk in his autobiography. There's centuries of guilt about trying to acclimate to a white, gentile culture. KRS-1 the rapper talks eloquently about it too.
To be honest, I don't feel bad that India tries to model it's trajectory on America's. Who doesn't? As I said before, the world is colonial and fucked up. The middle ages haven't really ended. It'd be foolish to try and reverse it. Black people are still confused, about whether succeeding in the whitey's world is basically becoming the 'whitey'. On the other hand, the issues in India are way more medieval than that. We still fetishize 'white'. Even educated folks do. Political correctness is literally a joke. Africans, chinese and other foreigners are regularly made fun of in Indian cities. where is our 'I'm black and I'm proud?' where's our james brown? where's our richard pryor? where's malcolm? and I'm absolutely cool with hijacking American cultural exports. Martin Luther hijacked Gandhi, for what that's worth. Also, I don't think India is ready for willow smith, and whatever anti-cute is. anti-cute sounds suspiciously anti-colored. who judges what's cute?
and where's the dark skinned bollywood hero? so lame.
as for me, i hate the political state of america (but I hate the political state of India too), their foreign policies suck a big one. but I can't deny that I'm overwhelmingly influenced by american pop culture. I love dominant american culture and I think that's cool too, there's always a hegemony. who would I rather, did it, the brits? the french? Or the dominant (north)'indian' culture? N-, please.
Ima tell all my black friends to go to India, and fuck people's shit up, if they're hassled.
I think that anti-cute basically is the opposite of cute-which is what everyone conventionally likes. I don't know how to explain it. but have you read The Mill on the Floss? Lucy Deane would be cute, and Maggie anti cute. If superman's cute then Batman's anti cute. I think.
ReplyDeleteAnd I honestly don't think anyone gives a shit about willow's inspiration or whatever the fuck for the song-it was basically to humor the readers.
What i got from what she's written is what I feel often. I have a list of things to do when i get to New York. I have an image of the man of my dreams- a cross between Brandon Boyd and Anthony Bourdain. And as we watch endless amounts of gossip girl and mad men and log in and out of face-book and drink copius amounts of coke somewhere we stop to say-wtf. cultural colonialism is everywhere. She wasn't taking a dig at the black community through Willow. we all love the smiths.
You know, most you sound amazingly American. I don't mean that in a bad way-so don't take it as. And I know my perspective is often one of someone who hasn't seen the world. but that's because i haven't.
Who needs a James Brown, man?He just wouldn't work here. We have Kishore Kumar, RD Burman, Shammi Kapoor, Shahrukh Khan.
ReplyDeleteHaha, I don't think you're getting my point..of course we don't need "James Brown" in his original avatar, and all those guys you named are awesome (except for Kishore Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan). But I was more talking about an Indian cultural icon who valorized dark skin/the idea of black or brown being beautiful through song, comedy and pop culture. It's a political statement that no one ever makes. We need that more than say, an indian "willow smith". Notice I left Jimi Hendrix out of the earlier configuration, cause he never said a word to advance the cause of the black community. He surrounded himself with blonde women. Which is fine, his prerogative entirely.
ReplyDeleteYou have that in Tamil movies to a certain extent, but it isn't explicit..and even in Tamil culture, they like their women light skinned. They're all about the velakkari ponnu. Tam brahms are brutally colonial. I realize the faux pas of saying this on a public forum, but whatev.
ReplyDeleteFinally, the last line of your first comment is really endearing.I understand. And even though it sounds otherwise sometimes, I am not judging you, trust.
ReplyDeleteKishore Kumar is the fucking best. I have nothing else to say.
ReplyDeleteI like Rafi. And I think KK was kind of a dick. It's a bengali thing.
ReplyDeleteSrsly, this is a who vs kinks argument, I am not even going to go there. One man's meat is another man's poison.
This is more in line with my views on the subject - http://www.theroot.com/buzz/clutch-magazine-natural-hair-new-light-skinned-rebuttal?obref=obinsite
ReplyDeletedon't care bout hair. i think it's time for me to make a music video. whatdyouthink v.
ReplyDelete