I'm very happy to be predictable in this case. As for Justin Kownacki's point, apart from your assumptions about culture (right or wrong), the video doesn't seem to have that higher motive, so why try to invent them to hypothesize scenarios in which we are wrong? the point is, even in the (impossible, i think) case that he had that higher motive, the way he chose to execute it was offensive and harmful than the possible benefit caused by 'starting the conversation'. There were a million better ways he could have gone about it.
On 6 Aug 2007, at 03:21, Eric Rice wrote: I actually had a tinfoil moment earlier about 'what if the whole thing was planned', and everyone's name is assigned a number on a board someplace, as a wager on expected responses. We think we're individuals and thinkers, but hypothetically not. I have been fascinated with the predictability of everything, people's responses, memes, and the like. It's a theory I am working through in fiction. That the human (especially the data publishing ones like us) are so able to be manipulated because we can mine all of our content for data. Make a chart of vloggers with (include the laws of differences (read: those that would be offended/those that wouldn't)). Then, make a couple test charts, one for vloggers in yahoo, one for youtubers, one for general populace. Engineer poorly done racial/controversial content. Write down the responses. Naturally, I doubt this is the case. But hey, it's why I'm gravitating to fiction now, because I can take the most nuanced thing and make it big. After all, we do publish so much online willingly, that we have become Big Brother, more stalkable, and easier to wage psychological warfare on. Look at how much personal opinions people have just published in just this thread alone. That's a lot to work with, eh? Also, I have no opinions or thoughts about your post, but I had to get my tinfoil out there. Far-fetched, sure. Not unthinkable. ER --- In [email protected], "stbdpittsburgh" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Okay, so I did something I should have done earlier in this encyclic > conversation: I finally watched the damn video. > > Now, here's what I think (beyond the fact that Feldman's comic timing > is far from sharp): > > I think it's possible that we're all missing the point. (Or, since > there's no context provided for the video, "a" point.) And that point is: > > What if Loren Feldman is right? > > I don't mean right about what we've widely suspected is his routinely > negative POV about African-American culture as a whole -- which would > be the extremist suspicion about the motives behind making this video. > > I mean, what if what Loren Feldman is saying is: Why is the > African-American culture so far removed from the technological > discussion? Or, for that matter, the pop culture discussion? > > Or: why is everything ABOUT African-Americans in pop culture so damn > negative in the FIRST place, and what do we do about it? > > By and large, the (negative) white estimation of black culture is that > black culture purposefully celebrates anti-social, misogynistic, > separatist ideals that conspire to create a detrimental sub-culture, > which then defines African-Americans as self-imposed outcasts united > as perpetual underdogs against the existing (read: oppressive, > white-controlled) system. (Doubt it? Listened to the radio lately?) > > If THAT'S the source of the concept for "Technigga" -- and I'm not > saying it IS, but it COULD be -- then what if the question that's > REALLY being asked is: "What's it going to take for African-American > pop culture (in general -- not just via technology) to step up and > become a force for positive change, rather than reveling in all that's > "controversial" and otherwise abrasive to a multicultural forward > movement?" > > Caveat: I'm aware that the picture I painted doesn't represent ALL > black culture. That's no more logical than saying all white culture > stems from John Wayne's ideals, or that African-Americans don't > contribute to the holistic multicultural experience every day; they > obviously do. But you wouldn't know it if your entire media > consumption was derived from MTV, Paramount and The Source... > > Caveat 2: It's rewarding to believe that all of this goes without > saying, and that I might be pilloried for bringing up the obvious -- > that everyone on this thread already KNOWS that black culture is far > more multifaceted than pop culture would have us believe. But let's > hop off our high horses of indignance for a moment and look at the > bigger picture -- if WE know it, why doesn't everyone else? > > Can of worms, thou hast been opened. > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
