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Burnett's Urban Etiquette

Monday, September 10, 2007

One more thing on the VMAs

Washed up rocker Tommy Lee and rocker/country singer/rapper Kid Rock girl slapped each other at the MTV Video Music Awards last night in Las Vegas in an apparent spat over who was less of a loser when marrying/dating/marrying/dating actress Pam Anderson.

Observers called it a fight. I don't even know if it deserves that designation. I've seen corpses hit harder. Still, chairs were tossed. Momentary mayhem ensued. And security had to restrain Lee and escort both men out of the venue.

If Lee and Rock had been rappers, it is a pretty safe bet that some talking head on some alphabet soup cable news outlet would rip into the genre and issue an "indictment" in prime time this evening, using a broad generalization about rap music's "vile" and "dangerous" nature. Again, chairs were tossed. Burly security guards were required to get the situation in check. I recall that happening at another music awards show a couple of years ago - this one rap-themed - and critics called for the show to be canceled after that.

So my rhetorical question of the day: Will the talking heads blast these two slap-fighting rockers, condemn rock music, and cite these two "representatives" as evidence of its imminent downfall in prime time this evening?

Let us hold our breath and see.

BTW, if this is your first time reading this blog, welcome. But don't try to call me out for allegedly trying to make this about race, for giving an undeserved defense to rap music, or for comparing apples to oranges. Check the archives. There is no bigger reasonable, logical critic of rap out there than me. And this post is just about bluster and double standards. Nothing more, nothing less.

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11 Comments:

  • We agree, the talking heads got this one wrong, and about every other issue wrong. They are pandering to their perception of the American public's beliefs, and they are way behind the times. Please, keep telling them.

    Monty

    By Blogger The CEO, at 1:12 PM  

  • I'm sorry, but were you surprised about this? Because all I can say is ...duh. And yes, it is about race in a marginal way, but it is more about fear. Pushing the panic button is a great way for news organizations to get $ratings$ and the country in general isn't as scared of 2nd rate rockers as rappers. So again, duh... (good article though:)

    By Blogger Unknown, at 1:43 PM  

  • No way - I didn't even hear about this. I think that they won't do anything and just say, "those crazy rock stars!!"

    By Blogger Erica Ann Putis, at 2:14 PM  

  • Thanks for the laugh--sheesh--I don't know which was more lethargic and pathetic--the "girl" fight or Brit walk through.

    Ah hypocrisy and double standards--don'tcha just love them?

    By Blogger Liz Hill, at 5:04 PM  

  • James, you accidentally included "girl scouts" as a label for this post.

    By Blogger The Sarcasticynic, at 9:27 PM  

  • I hear what you're saying, James, but personally, I don't care WHAT kind of music they play or the color of their skins. People fight. 'Course some use guns instead of fists which I think is very pussy.

    By Blogger Christina_the_wench, at 7:37 AM  

  • Yeah, didn't hear about that one.

    By Blogger M@, at 10:34 AM  

  • Yeah, that white-on-white violence is a danger to law abiding citizens everywhere.

    I wonder, too, how different it would have been had they been rappers. And whether the family whose hotel room was invaded by Rock would have been bought off as handily with an autograph from Diddy.

    By Blogger heartinsanfrancisco, at 3:00 PM  

  • Sounds like a couple of pissy teenagers; and arguing over Pamela Anderson? That's not worth slapping anyone over...

    By Blogger BobG, at 7:15 PM  

  • Excellent point. And I concur with bobg, lol.
    L

    By Blogger Lola Gets, at 12:29 PM  

  • Thanks for writing this

    By Anonymous India Journey, at 7:34 PM  

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