Oprah "under attack" about hip hop - Page 2

AKA2D '91 · #16 06-16-2006, 01:44 PM

Just by looking at the title of the thread, Oprah could "buy" hip-hop! LOL

Suggestion: How about Sean Carter, Chris Bridges, or O'shea Jackson come up with a talk show of their own?

If you've been very derogatory towards females in your rap, why should a woman embrace you with open arms? Ummmmmmm, maybe it's because your stage names are just characters and you are really nothing like your character at all. Maybe, you should be who you IS!

Live_Wire17 · #17 06-16-2006, 06:46 PM

Quote[ I don't blame Oprah for not having "hip-hop artists" on her show because as a whole, it does not reflect the audience that she serves and/or seeks to serve.

Trust me...all of those "beautiful white people" in her audience have children who listen to hip-hop. Those people in her audience are the parents of the kids that are shooting up our schools and murdering their friends. She might want to try to reach them too.

I have been to the Oprah show on many occasions...being from Chicago...what you see on TV is very different from the way she acts to the audience when the camaras aren't rolling (speaking from a personal experience that I had).

SummerChild · #18 06-19-2006, 02:50 PM

Anticipatience, what perceptions are going to be cleared up by Oprah having foul-mouthed, women-denigrating rappers on her show? I understand freedom of speech and all that (I'm an atty.) but really, Oprah's show seems to me to be more about upliftment so what can really be gained by featuring Ludacris and 50 Cent? What is the mainstream (or other AAs for that matter) going to suddenly understand about the lyrics of rappers such as Ludacris and 50 Cent that is going to show them in a positive light?

SC

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anticipatience

Social responsibility has gone out the window. Having the good, bad and the ugly should be a concern of hers in my mind. EXPLAINING the bad and the ugly (and giving them the chance to explain themselves) is what is necessary because no matter how many shows she does with Denzel Washington, Chris Rock, Shamar Moore, Nelson Mandela, Maya Angelou and other "seemingly safe" African-Americans, people around the world will still primarily think about 50 Cent when it comes to Black Americans (I did a study while I was there about Perceptions of Black Americans among Black South Africans. Results were startling.) Don't let me get my own show...

Marie · #19 06-19-2006, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FeeFee

I'm sorry, but the only one that I can kinda feel for is Ice Cube. He has 14 years of acting, producing, and directing experience under his belt. Imma need Luda and 50 Cent to be cast in a lot more movies before they can beef @ Oprah.

As everyone has said, she has no obligations when it comes to inviting folks on her show.

Right! Plus, Luda wasn't even that big of a character. I mean he was important, but there were other important characters (I believe Thandie Newton and Loretta Devine) that were not on the show that day. Luda is just feeling more important than he really is, and is mad that no one else feels the same way.

As for her having rappers on...its her show...she can do whatever she wants with it. Oprah has been working on and developing her show for 20 years. She goes through phases and has different themes/goals that she wants to get across each year. If understanding hip hop, social responsibility, rap and its impact on the AA community is not one of those themes, then there is no reason that she should be ridiculed for that. Maybe shes just plain thinking about the outcome of a show like that. I realize that lots of young white kids are listening to rap, but are there parents really going to understand hip hop culture any better or think any better of Blacks by watching a bunch of rappers explain why using bitch, nigger, half-naked women, etc is alright?

Anticipatience · #20 06-19-2006, 03:59 PM

I was asked, "Anticipatience, what perceptions are going to be cleared up by Oprah having foul-mouthed, women-denigrating rappers on her show?"

If Oprah can have a white racist man from the deep south screaming the "n-word" all over her show and then have him back to say why he no longer uses it, she can stand to have a couple of rappers on. By the way, I highly doubt that they would disrespect her show with profanity. They might defend their use of it (and maybe illuminate their reasons for degrading women the way they do as well) but I doubt they would use it. Also, despite how they sound in songs and during some interviews, most mainstream rappers are highly articulate and can express themselves very well (50 Cent and Jay-Z, especially). I wouldn't put them all in the same category...

Anticipatience · #21 06-19-2006, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marie

I realize that lots of young white kids are listening to rap, but are there parents really going to understand hip hop culture any better or think any better of Blacks by watching a bunch of rappers explain why using bitch, nigger, half-naked women, etc is alright?

I don't think white parents need to understand that these things are "alright" but ENTERTAINMENT and that's it...

laylo · #22 06-19-2006, 04:42 PM

^The same could have been said about minstrel shows. Or Birth of a Nation. The words and images put out there over and over and over again are never just entertainment. And I don't see how defending their use would change the image of Black people. On the show we're talking about, Ludacris did not say "I talk about women that way just for entertainment", he said "I talk about women that way because that's how they act." All that did was reinforce the minsconception.

Anticipatience · #23 06-19-2006, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laylo

On the show we're talking about, Ludacris did not say "I talk about women that way just for entertainment", he said "I talk about women that way because that's how they act." All that did was reinforce the minsconception.

Luda defenitely said more than that and most of it was edited out. This further fuels my argument that Oprah should have him back on the show to elaborate on what he said because if given this opportunity (although I know I can't accurately assume what he would say), he might take back that statement and replace it with one about "SOME women acting like that" just as other rappers who've been asked to justify their usage of misogynistic words have done. All I'm saying is...why not give them (rappers) the chance/benefit of the doubt? I mean, she doesn't have to cuz it is her show and all but why call someone out and then not give them a chance to respond? "For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required." -- Luke 12:48 I expect (and God requires that) Oprah to be more responsible with her show and let others speak for themselves.

Kimmie1913 · #24 06-19-2006, 05:35 PM

I do not see why Oprah should have any hip hop artist on her show. There are plenty of genre's of music, "white" and "black" that she has never had on her show. Frankly, I think any show that she had on hip hop would make all these crtics even more mad. The only show on hip hop that would be at all interesting to me would be one about how it has gone so very wrong. How it was once a thoughtful and articulate expression about the struggle of a people and has disintergrated into nothing more than a battle about how many naked chicks I can get in my video, how many I can lie about sleeping with, how much weight I can allege to have slang and how many people I can allege to have killed or how many creative ways I can describe killing you. Any show she does will have them feeling attacked and on the defensive way more than Luda ever felt during the Crash interview. I have no desire to see any fool dare to DEFEN some of the things said about women in their songs. To me, their is no defense so that would be a waste of breath. All they will do is gurantee those white parents go out of their way to stop thier kids form buying thier music. Wait....that may not be such a bad idea.

Oprah is very aware of her audience. As a 50 year old woman, I do not expect her to do shows on certain topics. This is one of them. She had Kanye on and for her that really is plenty. They are all just looking for some media attention so now they have it.

Kimmie1913 · #25 06-19-2006, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anticipatience

Luda defenitely said more than that and most of it was edited out. This further fuels my argument that Oprah should have him back on the show to elaborate on what he said because if given this opportunity (although I know I can't accurately assume what he would say), he might take back that statement and replace it with one about "SOME women acting like that" just as other rappers who've been asked to justify their usage of misogynistic words have done. All I'm saying is...why not give them (rappers) the chance/benefit of the doubt? I mean, she doesn't have to cuz it is her show and all but why call someone out and then not give them a chance to respond? "For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required." -- Luke 12:48 I expect (and God requires that) Oprah to be more responsible with her show and let others speak for themselves.

Please tell me you do not think that back peddling to say "I call women bitches and whores for profit and for the world to see because some women act like that" is an acceptable justification? That's like saying it is okay to call Black people niggers cause some Black people act that way. Ridiculous.

Anticipatience · #26 06-19-2006, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kimmie1913

That's like saying it is okay to call Black people niggers cause some Black people act that way. Ridiculous.

I don't know if it's a justification so much as a sad reality: whites and blacks call people niggers because of the faults of some people. That's been going on for centuries.

laylo · #27 06-19-2006, 07:02 PM

WOW

DSTCHAOS · #28 06-19-2006, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anticipatience

wouldn't it be helpful for her to host a show on which she features rap artists?

No.

Black/African American isn't synonymous with hip hop and no black person is required to think highly of hip hop or hip hop artists.

As I always say, I'm an ol skool hip hop head. I don't consider this new, mostly mysogynistic, crap to be hip hop. However, I can see why people have a poor perception of hip hop based on the rap music and images that the world has begun to identify with hip hop.

laylo · #29 06-19-2006, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anticipatience

=All I'm saying is...why not give them (rappers) the chance/benefit of the doubt? I mean, she doesn't have to cuz it is her show and all but why call someone out and then not give them a chance to respond? "For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required." -- Luke 12:48 I expect (and God requires that) Oprah to be more responsible with her show and let others speak for themselves.

These people are artists who use their words. They have nothing but the "chance" to speak. If they want to get on TV and talk about what they think, they have endless opportunities to do that. That verse applies to them also.

Honeykiss1974 · #30 06-21-2006, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laylo

These people are artists who use their words. They have nothing but the "chance" to speak. If they want to get on TV and talk about what they think, they have endless opportunities to do that. That verse applies to them also.

Great point. And the debate really should end here because you're right, they have an opportunity to "speak". Not going on Oprah won't hinder that at all.

I think it's all a media stunt and it's quite shameful really.