Posted by Deltron at gso26-136-204.triad.rr.com on December 10, 2003 at 01:15:07:
In Reply to: You watch too much Spike Lee.... posted by GTJDorris on December 10, 2003 at 00:32:25:
The only Spike Lee movie I liked was Bamboozled. But you probably figured I dug that one.
: You're way way off base. First off, to say Ebonics started in 1995? Perhaps the term "ebonics" was coined in or around that date, but slang (and in this case slang primarily used/associated by/with a particular racial demographic) has been around since the dawn of time. Comedy Centrals' running a tribute to Richard Pryor on and off right now, and check it out. And tell me that in 1977 Richard didn't use what can be called "ebonics.":
You're right. It's a vocal pattern and a manner of speech that's been around for a long, long while. But I assumed it was mid-90's when some pissant university decided to offer a language class in "Ebonics" and made it the nation's way to label black speech.
: Secondly, no I don't see it as "tap dancing for massah" as you put it. If anything they're some of the best salesmen I've seen. They've taken something seemingly silly and in some cases "socially unacceptable" and have made millions off of selling it, NOT JUST TO TWEENS as you say, to America and more. "Minuzzle" is an extension of using the "iz" sound as the second letter grouping in a word used early early in this century by jazz and beatnik musicians.:
It sells it all short. Do you think Snoop Dogg called up AOL and said "Hey I love AOL can I come and do a cameo in your commercial?" No. Do you think some 50 year-old ad executive saw how his kids responded to the "izzle" thing, called up AOL and said "get this guy to say that izzle shit on your commercial."
Alright, he didn't say that exactly, but you get the idea. The idea wasn't Snoop Dogg helping to sell AOL. The idea was AOL using Snoop to sell it's product. I find it wrong in any instance (I really hate company spokespersons), so I guess my hatred could be directed for AOL and for Mr. Stiller's benefit as well.
: But don't you think if this culture has so pervasively crept into white suburbia, isn't it also white culture? If its something that "all kids go through" then its not just "black" now is it?:
All kids don't sit down and realize what black culture is all about. They don't hear the rap music, listen to the rock n roll, the blues, the jazz, read the poetry, the novels, plays, the history. They just go through a phase and disregard it as that. A phase.
:I see it as an open, if not defiant, representation of themselves instead of "tap dancing for massah." Wouldn't "massah" had to have demanded Snoop perform on AOL commercials instead of gnashing his teeth at it like you did, for it to be a performance by a black person for his "massah"?:
Well, what does white America expect a black man to do? Gnash his teeth. They gave America the Snoop America wants: a smartass who says weird shit.