[lbo-talk] Re: Black Music Makes History

Wojtek Sokolowski sokol at jhu.edu
Tue Oct 14 08:52:28 PDT 2003


DP:
> I've never defended those who blast boomboxes in people's faces. Of
course
> that obnoxious. But there is a difference between baiting people and
> enjoying loud hard music. Ideally, one should enjoy his or her music
without
> making those who hate it listen as well. Again, it comes down to
intention,
> and it seems that you feel some of these kids are out to get you
personally.
>

That is the main point I was trying to argue in this thread. I think I should have been a bit more careful in distinguishing music genres (such as hip hop or punk) from their use as assault weapons by the latter-days hooligans. In the same vein, it would make little sense to denounce Wagner because the Nazis appropriated his music for their own propaganda uses.

What I should say is that certain types of males engage in various acts of hooliganism aimed to intimidate and violate other people. Sometimes they do by ordinary assault, sometimes by a sexual act or a gang rape, sometimes by making obnoxious noise, and sometimes by acting or looking menacingly. They may be using various props or fetishes to this end, from guns and baseball bats, to boom boxes, motorcycles and SUVs, and for that reasons, people (including myself) tend to concentrate on those props and fetishes instead of the people who use them and their behavior.

With that in mind - I have nothing against any person of any age listening to, playing, writing reading or singing any thing they want, be it hip-hop, reciting the bible, country&western, or whatever. What I object to is that some of these productions are used as fetishes and assault weapons to make other people toe-in the line i.e. the bible and Christian values it represents being portrayed as the "foundation" of the US statehood, Hollywood-produced entertainment as the epitome of the American culture, or hip-hop as the ultimate expression of "black" experience.

I do not mind old ladies reciting Christian verses in the privacy of their home or the basement of their churches, but would strongly object to them doing it in my face in public places. In the same vain, I object to anyone else blasting their belief system or whatever in my face, from the vehicles traveling on public roads.

Wojtek



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