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The Black Culture Thread |OT7| Luigi took our stare
- Thread starter Silky
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Vermillion
Banned
All of the arguments are flimsy, particularly if you cross-check them with the lyrics.
The "blurred lines" more than likely refer to the fact that the girl in question is in a relationship. All of the lyrics point to a more sexually muted previous relationship with a guy "now he was close, tried to domesticate you" and "Nothing like your last guy, he too square for you." But she's "an animal," and the way that she grabs him suggests sexual intent on her part.
From rapgenius:
The song is about how a girl really wants crazy wild sex but doesnt say itpositing that age-old problem where men think no means yes into a catchy, hummable song.
For all the criticism the song got about Thicke portraying a rapist, this line actually shows a more consensual side to this pick-up. With Go ahead, get at me hes encouraging the girl to make the first move.
But somehow people got rape and sexual assault from it. If you take the lines out of context and extrapolate (e.g., you're a good girl - I know you want it), then you can get that out of it. But that's being completely unfair.
Boombloxer
Member
This common sense can fuck off. You're supposed to just go with it.
You and your fancy words...
In all seriousness, a lot of the flak for some of these songs is just fake outrage.
I guess. These issues aren't exactly black and white which is why is controversial in the first place. Agree to disagree
Vermillion
Banned
One article I read actually did say something about how it "depends on how you interpret the song," which I think is still really unfair. A Jezebel article juxtaposed lines from the song with quotes from actual rapists (something you can honestly do with any song about sex or even love) making the most tenuous possible connections.
That said, we can agree to disagree.
With regards to the bolded, <insert obvious joke here>
Jest Chillin
Member
Actually, the meanings of song lyrics are typically black and white unless the writer specifically says that they're ambiguous. Someone acting as they know the meaning of the lyrics more than the person who wrote the song, is extremely presumptuous and very annoying.
If someone wants to say they don't like the lyrics because they get negative imagery from it, that's fine. But to state that the song is about a subject that the writer explicitly says the song isn't about is beyond silly.
Angelus Errare
Banned
More minority representation in videogames? Tell them to make their own
More character with mental illnesses? Yea man they totes should, definitely under represented!
More character with mental illnesses? Yea man they totes should, definitely under represented!
Black Republican
Member
i wish there was a King Obama, maybe we'd get our reparations!
GungHo
Single-handedly caused Exxon-Mobil to sue FOX, start World War 3
Maybe it's all by a bunch of British lit teachers.
One article I read actually did say something about how it "depends on how you interpret the song," which I think is still really unfair. A Jezebel article juxtaposed lines from the song with quotes from actual rapists (something you can honestly do with any song about sex or even love) making the most tenuous possible connections.
That said, we can agree to disagree.
With regards to the bolded, <insert obvious joke here>
It's a complicated issue because the issues of misogyny and rape culture specifically are inherently complicated. Not to mention rape culture being an entirely recent concept for a lot of us that we are all still trying to understand no matter where we stand on this particular debate. And unlike the Rick Ross lyric we don't have clear cut answer here which makes this song a lot more insidious to some people and dismissible to others. Is Robin Thicke the poster boy for misogyny? No. Do I think this song has a few lyrics that perpetuate rape culture? Yeah, I kinda do. But personally I'm pretty exhausted with this song and the debate surrounding it so I kinda want it and Robin Thicke to go away lol. Not the mountain I wanna die on so to speak.
But this is the very nature of art and criticism. The artist creates something and we the audience consume it and take in what we think it means to us. Not to mention intentions is never the same as impact. Robin Thicke may have never intended to write a song being misogynistic but that is certainly the impact the song left on more than a few people. Also Thicke's own defense in a couple of interviews was "ironic misogyny". So I don't know
Vermillion
Banned
I'd argue that many video game characters have mental illnesses already. Samus in Other M (PTSD), that one game everyone was raving about because it questions the idea of you being in control of your actions in violent videogames, Kratos has something for sure... etc.
I understand the concept of rape culture. But if you want to fight that battle, I think that you'd need to find another battleground.
I'm in agreement. That's what I mean by "not the mountain I wan to die on" I didn't mean to say that you have no understanding of rape culture so if you took it that way my bad. I can however say it is a relatively recent concept to me so I'm personally reading more books, articles, and studies on it because I don't know as much as I think I should on it.
On the topic of video games characters with mental illnesses we sorta already have them. More than a few game characters suffer from PTSD and I'm all for expanding the palette and openly addressing what these illnesses are in the dialogue and possibly mechanics of the games. But Angelus has a good point about people saying they want characters with mental illnesses and people who say "well, more minorities should be making games if they want minority characters." I think it highlights a lack of empathy. Like those people who are saying that probably suffer from mental illnesses or know someone who does but they can't "suffer" from being a minority.
bobbychalkers
Member
*is no longer apart of this world
Young Magus
Junior Member
That shit looks evil
JustAnotherMike
Member
I see KFC has made some kind of fried origami napkin appetizer.
Oldschoolgamer
The physical form of blasphemy
Esco, get your boys.
EscoBlades
Ubisoft Marketing
I got nothing.
n00bsauce87
Member
Serena Williams Disoriented During A Doubles Match
Probably top 5 hardest things to watch in Sports that didn't involve physical injury
Probably top 5 hardest things to watch in Sports that didn't involve physical injury
Post this in the Korra thread:
She looks a bit darker to me which is interesting. People in the Korra fandom on tumblr were mentioning how it seemed that Korra has gotten lighter from season 1 to season 2 and I know the creators of korra follows the fandom so maybe they took that to heart. Interesting none the less.
She looks a bit darker to me which is interesting. People in the Korra fandom on tumblr were mentioning how it seemed that Korra has gotten lighter from season 1 to season 2 and I know the creators of korra follows the fandom so maybe they took that to heart. Interesting none the less.
She didn't get less stupider.
I only saw the first two episodes, she hasn't done anything annoyingly dumb for me yet.
lazybones18
Banned
yeah, first time I'm hearing about this and it was pretty painful to watch
She dumped the city's problem and just left.
the city dumped her but that seemed like a contrived and overly elaborate way to explain Korra leaving republic city
I think fans of the show keep forgetting korra was neither born nor raised a monk. She's a hard headed survivalist from the South Pole who grew up in harsh weather conditions. Being the avatar is completely out of her comfort zone. People who get angry at korra after 2 seasons of the same shit are just trying to piss themselves off.
It does when the city wants nothing to do with her. She made a call as the avatar and the city responded by shunning her. Would you continue to go back and try to fix the problems of one city when they condemn you for trying to bring balance to an unbalanced world? There's bigger problems, like the advent of air benders currently happening. Republic city made their choice.
I actually liked that they went with a hothead for the avatar this time around. Especially after how ALTA ended by taking a "peace" route
One of the worst deus ex machina I have ever seen
she tried to fix it. the city said we don't want your help anymore. she bounced. i'm fine w/ that.
same. i couldn't stand Aang.
Me too. Aang was a pansy. He was only portrayed as wise because he wasn't impulsive but there were many episodes where you could see he was just an scared little kid. Korra ain't perfect but aang was far from it too.
TheKaeptain
Banned
The city kicked her out. There is nothing she can do about it.
the issue i had was that Korra' development from season1 to the beginning of season 2 too vanished.
JustAnotherMike
Member
I stopped watching season 2 I think about an episode after the Wan 2-parter. I knew she had to fight some spirit boss or something, but what did she do?
I chuckled when she got up in the mayor's face.
Come through the Korra OT, ya'll. Join the party. The relief in there after the three episode premier is palpable.
A huge Kaiju fight.
A huge Kaiju fight.
Yeah that was actually bad. I mean her being a hot head is never going to change but season 2 korra pretty much acted like season 1 never existed lol.
Lin is the head of the police for though so she can't leave.
How do you figure? We've seen 5 minutes worth of footage for them tops.
PhoenixDark
Banned
That mindset is so pathetic to me. I hate the idea that non-blacks doing "black" music are frauds stealing black "culture." I'm not a fan of Thicke but he's clearly not some dude trying to make a quick buck off black music. He has been involved in the genre for decades, can write, etc.
People who talk about "cultural appropriation" tend to sound insecure to me.
They have the one dude on their planet that figured out pressure and rock creates lava. And they have a Hydrowoman. It is like they are only people that took a second to practice with heir powers.
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