xenigo

Wrote this letter last night to this lady who I think is a right-wing extremist. Got an interesting response.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/160244_tv12.html


-----Original Message-----
From: Noah
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2004 9:23 PM

Melanie,

I understand the point of your article, but you unfortunately are fanning the flames of unhealthy conservatism to the extreme. You need to realize that television is entertainment. This isn't the 1950's anymore, and we can all be mature about what we see on television without throwing a fit. Keep in mind that EVERYTHING can potentially be "offensive" to anyone. Where do you draw the line as to what's appropriate to show on TV? Should we just not air anything at all? I mean, I find George W's speeches to be extremely offensive when he's talking about bombing the hell out of innocent 3rd world countries. Should we take the president off the air? The answer to that is no, I can ( and do ) turn the TV off when there's something I don't want to watch. Nobody is holding a gun to your head forcing you to watch this "offensive" programming. And we're not 10 years old either, I can make my OWN decisions what I want to watch. I don't need some conservative right-winger such as yourself lobbying to restrict everything that rocks the boat on TV. I don't need that, and this nation doesn't need anymore censorship.

Outkast should be free to wear whatever they want, whenever they want, however they want. I don't care if they dance around naked, either. I don't care if you perform in a clown suit. Why should I care? It's a thing called freedom of expression, and it goes along with living in a democratic society where we can make our own decisions about the life we live. Sounds like you'd like to take away our freedoms as well, because people just might get offended...

Living in America means accepting that people won't always agree with the way you feel. That's why we have the freedom that we have. That's what makes this country special. Please respect that, as I don't think you'd appreciate your freedom of speech being taken away.

-Noah

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Here's her reply:

Hi Noah,

Thanks for your e-mail. I'm used to being called a left wing nut. But today, thanks to you, I am now "a conservative right-winger." Huzzah! I expect my income to quintuple by the end of the day.

But seriously, I too understand what you're getting at. This is a freedom of expression issue. This is also a matter of taste and respect, more the latter than the former. You are right, everything has the potential to offend anyone. And you're also right, it's not the '50s anymore. However, the flipside of that is, since it's no longer the '50s, CBS executives should know is it not OK to lampoon an entire race of people on national TV. CBS respects other ethnic groups enough to keep that from happening but not Native Americans. Why? Because they don't have to worry about public, or political pressure forcing them to do so. To us, and you, what Dre and his dancers wore were fun and funky costumes. However, they're fun and funky costumes based on a stereotype -- something they probably didn't know. Plenty of other people around them should have, including CBS executives, and steered them clear of doing it. But nobody did because -- like I said, no worries about pressure.

Let's use another example. Freedom of Expression means that it's possible for "The KKK Variety Hour" to air on national television. Right? Of course it is. First Amendment. God bless it. But do you know why that doesn't happen? Because CBS knows that enough people of all races and creeds, not just blacks, Catholics and Jews, would be outraged. Sponsors would pull out. Without sponsors, you have no money. And without money, you have no broadcast. Thus, there is no "KKK Variety Hour." There's no redo of "Amos N' Andy," or no "The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer." Kid Rock will never come on live TV dressed as Al Jolson. It's just not going to happen, because black folks don't just have money now, they have political and social mainstream clout. So do Asian Americans, Hispanics, you name it. Native Americans, in case you haven't noticed, don't have that. So, while you don't see those old Mammy or coon cartoons on Cartoon Network, you still see stereotypical dumb Indian cartoons running. Is removing these stereotypes from the air censorship? Maybe. Is it respectful? Yes.

We do indeed have the luxury of turning away from certain TV shows. By all means, change the channel when Bush is on. We have the luxury of choice, and we'll soon have the luxury of voting for him or for someone else. Turn from shows you find offensive; the more people who do that, the more likely it is a show will be canceled. But racism is not something you can simply turn off. This was not "Tough Crowd" on Comedy Central, where the goal is to be as anti-PC as possible. This was the Grammys, a broadcast that was supposed to unite everyone through music. As a member of the press, not to mention a minority, it's also my duty to call out corporations when insensitive gaffes like this happen on national TV. Comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable is in my job description. So turn the channel. Ignore this stuff. But when you ignore racial and social inequity, on or off TV, it doesn't go away. It keeps on being perpetuated.

So, does that make me a right-wing conservative? Or does that just make me open-minded, but not so open-minded that my brain falls out?

Have a nice evening,

Melanie McFarland

integrated

someones got too much time on their hands

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BrentD

This fucking c*nt has too much time on her hands, I am part Cherokee Indian and it didn't bother me a bit, who the fuck is the bitch to speak out for all Indian's? Tell this BIATCH I said to get off american red nuts and get a fucking life!!!!

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Doctor Dre

Outkast are just trying to be inventive . I don't like their shit at all so I won't comment. But I give them one thing . It's ORIGINAL and NEW . Fuck the haters .

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integrated

half cast

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xenigo

Yeah, I think I told her that more or less. I think her point is totally bogus, and "entertainment" by nature comes at the expense of offending people here and there. It happens. Get over it.

pornkitten

I still like that song hey ya and mrs.jackson
you can paint a pretty picnic but u cant predict the weather.. sorry I am for real

Sarah_Jayne

well she is well written, I will give her that.

sickkittens

Do the Cleveland Indians and KC Chiefs bother her too?

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Doctor Dre

Bombs over bagdad and Mrs Jackson weren't bad . Their whole new shit is total crap.

I'm thinking they are boosing their CD sales because its IMPOSSIBLE they are selling more cds than 50 cent

. 1st they suck
2nd they don't have no buzz
3rd I never hear any1 say they are fucking hot
4th they aren't everyhwere
5th Again they suck.

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Sarah_Jayne

most likely, I remember that being an issue a while back. Having been an activist myself, I see her points. Her job is to kick up a fuss as many times as possible in the hopes that one of those times someone will listen.

However, it is a thin line you walk when you do that beccause there is just as much risk that someone will pick up on one of the more far-fetched (less worthy?) cries and use it against you. Then you end up being the boy who cried wolf and push back all the good work you have done for your cause.

Jace

you really need to get out more...there is not one club or bar that doesn't play one of their songs at least once a night. I don't know one person that does not have the new cd.

I know plenty that have no clue that 50 cent even had a new cd....

outkast has hit over 4 different genre's with their new cd(s)

50 cent hit ONE genre.

xenigo

You may think the new album is crap, but you're in the minority apparently according to this article.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._mu/grammys_38

HeadPimp

I am tired of this noise... Can I start shooting people now..??? Just about everyone is offensive and obscene to me, so why shouldn't I??

liquidmoe

Cant we all just make room for Kanye West ?

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nojob

nice.. thats a way to get off the topic at hand. I like their music and think that they produce hot beats.