--- In [email protected], "Jeffrey Taylor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Charles, I respectfully disagree. Take a look at the links I posted, and > you'll see racist-themed parties at US College and University fraternities, > which are typically dominated by white straight bourgeois males. While there > are many stripes to the white straight bourgeois (and perhaps I should add > middle America) male, this sort of behavior in its purest form acts as a > verbal-visual confirmation that they are "one of us". Feldman, consciously > or unconsciously, was doing the same thing. > > As for your second paragraph, there's a big difference between racist humor > and humor about race. Perhaps that's what people are saying when the video > is "lame" and not funny. Feldman's video isn't about anything but > self-promotion, in my opinion, and his "lame" attempt at being funny using > hurtful racist stereotypes was his route. And this opinion comes from > someone who enjoys South Park, Dave Chapelle, etc., because their > questionable material at least tries to be about something more than the > individual creators. > > And to answer Bill: It wasn't the content itself that was thought-provoking, > it was the social context which this video validates, and not the content > itself, that was thought-provoking.
Yes. I agree. Wired used this image <http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/08/03/lfdlman.jpg> in their interview post, and if they had added "the black TechCrunch" as a caption, it would have had the exact same impact as Loren's 3-minute video. I've BEEN saying that the social reaction (and non-reaction) to this video is MUCH more interesting to me than the actual video. Anybody can say or do something offensive. There's no SKILL in offending people. :D > The fact that it has been out for a few > days now with only ONE on-the-record public "condemnation" from Ariana > Huffington and only when she was asked directly by WIRED is of more > interest to me than the undeniable fact that these sorts of conversations > happen under our noses all the time. uh huh. See, I found out about it because of twitter. UUUUUUUSUALLY, when somebody I'm following posts something to twitter, it JUST happened. When I went to see what was going on, the video had already been up for enough time to have A LOT OF COMMENTS on it. So then I wondered HOW a video like that passed under the radar. There was ZERO mention of it on this group..... when just a couple of weeks ago, there was a conversation about how Katharine Seelye of The New York Times couldn't tell Zennie Abraham from Zennie Abraham <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/videoblogging/message/62863>. That was AN ERROR and it got a conversation, and then Loren Feldman posts this premeditated video, complete with effects, costumes and props, and there's not a fuckin' PEEP! That's why I posted it here without context. I know people saw it before I found out about it on twitter. I wanted to see what would happen if I brought direct, unlabeled attention to it. > And while Deirdre says this trolldom that needs ignoring, I also disagree. > If we as a community of user-generated content providers let luminaries like > Feldman get away with things like this, we end up with the same traditional > media bullshit run by the same traditional media douchebags perpetuating the > same untrue and counterproductive nonsense all over again. Well, I don't know what she's talking about there. :) I'm the one that posted the link to Loren's video to this group. I didn't even post the link to his site... The link went directly to his video in his blip feed. -- billcammack http://reelsolid.tv > On 05/08/07, Charles Hope <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Bourgeois? This sort of humor is much, much more commonly enjoyed by > > lower class whites. In educated circles, such as this list, racist humor is > > universally denounced. As the past 30 emails monotonously indicate! > > > > In other cultures around the world, racist humor is typically acceptable, > > only liberal western societies having declared war upon it in the name of > > globalism. Instead of exhibiting white privledge, this episode exhibits > > white repression, being the unique culture where xenophobia is forbidden. > > > > --- original message --- > > From: "Jeffrey Taylor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]<thejeffreytaylor%40gmail.com> > > > > > Subject: Re: [videoblogging] For Dan McVicar (was Re: Loren Feldman = > > Technigga) > > Date: August 5, 2007 > > Time: 3:42:39 > > > > If the piece were thought-provoking and went beyond the tactics of > > neo-blackface tactics found amongst white American bourgeois males (see > > links below, and those are merely the ones I could find in a two minute > > span) to make his point, I would say Loren Feldman was an artist and not a > > self-indulgent, racist attention whore. > > > > What's sad is that even if Feldman had the best of intentions, he endorses > > and encourages the use of "satire" as a means of confirming one's > > privileged > > white straight bourgeois place in society by so clearly displaying and > > making fun of what one is not in front of their white straight bourgeois > > peers. > > > > Is it any coincidence that Feldman, a hungry and driven entrepreneur > > moving > > in circles dominated by white straight bourgeois males (several with money > > to part with), would feel no qualms in posting such a thing? > > > > http://youtube.com/watch?v=7H52mjVINt4 > > > > http://youtube.com/watch?v=XLh7AvyWk1Q > > > > http://radgeek.com/gt/2006/11/03/thanks_bro > > > > http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_17_20/ai_110263213 > > > > http://www.tolerance.org/news/article_tol.jsp?id=713 > > > > On 05/08/07, Bill Cammack <[EMAIL PROTECTED]<BillCammack%40alum.mit.edu>> > > wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected] <videoblogging%40yahoogroups.com><videoblogging%40yahoogroups.com>, > > > Rupert <rupert@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Hey Bill, > > > > > > > > Interesting post. I noticed straightaway that you posted here and on > > > > Twitter with no explanation or comment, and figured you were fishing > > > > for our reactions. > > > > > > > > I don't doubt that he's well-connected and clued-up. I agree with > > > > you that I'm sure he doesn't "believe that's the only way the black > > > > TechCrunch could possibly be". And as you say, I'm sure he doesn't > > > > think this stuff and that his view of black people isn't that limited. > > > > > > > > And I'm fine with him dissing people. I think attacking people > > > > personally and aggressively and making fun of them is a terrible way > > > > to make a living, but I don't have to watch. > > > > > > Yes. IMO, it's unfortunate. You hear stories of rock bands where the > > > members detest each other, but they have no other way of making good > > > money, so they stay together. Terrible way to make a living, but > > > better than minimum wage. There are lots of people with no niche at > > > all. Some of them wish they could be sarcastic and caustic... Others > > > are glad that that's not their lot in life. > > > > > > > I've thought this all along, and so I don't feel "Hornswoggled" > > > > > > :) > > > > > > > For me, the point is that whatever he believes, "starting a > > > > conversation" and "satire... to bring up a point" is not enough > > > > justification for this video. > > > > > > Good point. There are many BETTER ways to start the exact same > > > conversation without offending people. > > > > > > > Perhaps he thinks his role is to break the boundaries of what we > > > > consider acceptable and be a shit-stirrer. Fair play. But I say > > > > that there are some things that I'd rather people didn't mess about > > > > with like rebellious kids, and then claim they have some kind of > > > > moral diplomatic immunity because what they're doing is 'satire'. > > > > > > > > As in everything, there's a line you can cross where you start doing > > > > more harm than good. Where that line is, it's hard to tell - so if > > > > you care about not doing harm, you have to be careful. Unless you > > > > don't care about what harm you do because the controversy helps you > > > > get more viewers. > > > > > > Or, unless you don't care what harm you do to people, PERIOD. My goal > > > is not to defend the person or the methods, and certainly not the > > > EFFECT on people. > > > > > > > He says "Art is a subjective thing" which is a totally different > > > > argument, and used like this is as big a cop-out as a priest saying > > > > "God moves in mysterious ways" to explain a massive loss of life from > > > > a natural disaster. It's worse than lazy thinking, it's cowardice - > > > > as is him not commenting or responding to questions. If you don't > > > > have the intellectual chops or courage to back something like this > > > > up, don't do it in the first place. > > > > > > No doubt, Rupert. None whatsoever. That's why I was waiting before I > > > commented. I wanted to see what his participation was going to be in > > > the conversation that he started, but so far, it's been ZERO. > > > > > > > So whatever he really thinks, and whatever spin he puts on it, I > > > > reserve my right to call him a dickhead who's doing more harm than > > > > good with this video. Without me being accused of being > > > > 'hornswoggled' or 'not getting it'. > > > > > > Yes Sir. Absolutely. Same to Gena, who commented earlier. I'm not > > > trying to make excuses for him or the effect he's had on people. It's > > > cruel as well as unfortunate. > > > > > > > And I still think the main reason he went through with it was to get > > > > a bigger audience, not to 'start a conversation' with any real > > > > benefits for the community. Whatever. I'm done. > > > > > > It's possible. I said in my post that I could be completely wrong > > > about the motivations behind this bullshit. It could be merely shock > > > & awe, designed to get him more viewers that love to live vicariously > > > through others that feel they can disrespect people and get away with > > it. > > > > > > -- > > > billcammack > > > http://reelsolid.tv > > > > > > > > > > Rupert > > > > http://twittervlog.tv/ > > > > http://feeds.feedburner.com/twittervlog/ > > > > > > > > > > > > On 5 Aug 2007, at 02:21, Bill Cammack wrote: > > > > If you take Loren Feldman at face value, having never seen his antics > > > > before and having no idea who he "hangs around with" in cyberspace, > > > > "Technigga" appears to be an idiotic video created by an idiot. > > > > > > > > In reality, Loren _started_a_conversation_ by sucessfully emulating > > > > someone who believes that's the only way the black TechCrunch could > > > > possibly be. He also emulated someone short-sighted enough (Kramer, > > > > anyone? <http://billcammack.com/2006/11/21/kramer-flips-out-d/>) to > > > > feel like he could "pop that kind of shit" without it having any > > > > effect whatsoever on his career. Ultimately, there are tons of posts > > > > on Loren's site dissing people. This wasn't the first time, and it's > > > > not going to be the last time. It's his niche. > > > > > > > > ..... > > > > > > > > What was more interesting to me than the video itself was the > > > > responses & non-responses from the videoblogging group. Loren started > > > > the conversation, I linked to it without context and people either > > > > wrote how they felt about it or wrote nothing at all, leaving opinions > > > > about their opinions to one's imagination. > > > > > > > > Having said that, I don't know anything about Loren Feldman other than > > > > what I've observed that's freely available on the net... a lot of > > > > which, I've linked to in this post. It's possible that I'm completely > > > > wrong. It's possible that he really thinks this stuff and his view of > > > > black people is that limited. However... > > > > > > > > I think you've all been Hornswoggled! :D > > > > > > > > -- > > > > billcammack > > > > http://reelsolid.tv > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >
