Comments

1. t-hype wrote:

   Hmmm, that’s probably worth railing against:
   “what you hear on Top 40 radio does not represent all of hip hop.”
   Top 40 radio is 80% garbage and a lot of it IS insulting.

   Posted 23 Oct 2006 at 6:11 pm ¶

2. Lyonside wrote:

   Oprah needs to get some better listening music. I’m willing to forgive some curses and even the N-word, if they’re not overused and the person has something interesting to say. I totally agree that the problem is that the “bling” and “gangsta thug” crap dominates the genre the way “alcohol” and “girls girls girls” dominated 80s hair bands.

   I’ll take someone like Wyclef or Kanye and a band like Staind and put them on the same mix CD for a reason – they both have something to say, even if they sometimes use somewhat/occassionally offensive language to say it. And they both know how to use damn-good musical hooks.

   Posted 23 Oct 2006 at 7:45 pm ¶

3. MizuWari wrote:

   As much as I’m sorta feeling Oprah on the basic gist of her Bill Cosby move — the overused N-word and relentless misogyny in most (not all) hip-hop underscores a saddening lack of creativity — I do agree that she should’ve thought her stance out a little more deeper and broader before making generalizations that’ll probably close the very ears that needs to listen to her message.

   I recently picked up DJ Krush’s self-remixed 2-disc set of his past catalog. One disc is with the lyricists he’s worked with and it’s gorgeous…nary an N-word or “beeyotch” to be heard. Where would he be without hip-hop? Still being a yakuza, most likely. Oprah should try to expand her sight and listen to the REAL stuff that matters. And then push it. With her influence she can big up a can of tomato soup and have it be on everyone’s dinner table at night.

   Posted 23 Oct 2006 at 8:42 pm ¶

4. Adrianna wrote:

   I think it’s mainstream hip hop is garbage except for a few ( the roots, Kanye, Lupe). I stopped listening to mainstream a long time ago!

   Posted 24 Oct 2006 at 12:27 am ¶

5. eric daniels wrote:

   I am starting to tell every black person of the so-called Civil Rights to go ‘Fuck themeselves”. and to quote Huey Freeman “I am sick and tired of All older black folks taking credit for what a few of them did”. From Cosby and now Oprah, Rap Music is hate speech to a beat give me a break, Next year these same bougie negroes will be asking us to vote Democrat because ‘they care about us’. Like Todd Boyd said, the civil rights movement is dead.

   Posted 24 Oct 2006 at 12:36 am ¶

6. AskThisBlackWoman wrote:

   Oprah is a mammy. She makes her money by making middle-class, middle-American white women feel good about their miserable and pathetic lives.
   Hip-hop originated as a form of protest music and it was the voice of an impoverished and marginalized group a blacks in the South Bronx. The reason mainstream hip-hop has strayed so far from its movement roots is because of the commercialization of it. What sells is hate-filled rap music and black folks are at fault for buying it. But rappers want to make money and the record labels feed them a formula and that formula usually includes misogyny, homophobia, hyper-sexualized stereotypes, and self-hatred. Not only do black folks buy into this, so do those non-blacks who listen to mainstream rap.
   I think we should hold rappers and the music industry accountable for propagating destructive images of black people and we should be more supportive of indie hip-hop artists like Jean Grae, Bahamadia, Immortal Technique, etc.

   Posted 24 Oct 2006 at 1:56 am ¶

7. Meg wrote:

   Sorry if this is dumb but this last bit from the article: “But she (Oprah)wasn’t out of touch when she told the audience that their generation “didn’t know who they were.”
   – Did Oprah mean that the generation (i assume younger ppl) didn’t know who they (ie themselves) were
   - or that the younger ppl don’t know about the civil rights ppl?

   Besides that, at the risk of stepping into something i don’t know a lot about except that ppl get angry – it looks like there’s a big gap between ppl who see the use of “the n word” as a reclaim the insult type thing and (oprah style) just don’t ever say it and here’s why…..lynchings,etc. That being the case how could she ever get on board with hip hop (mainstream) which seems to use it every other word? I also think the article doesn’t even represent a truncated version of her speech – it’s an interpretation. So what did she really say before getting all bent out of shape over civil rights gen making hip hop gen feel bad (? – sorry i lack the social/historical context to get the depth of feeling on this). Also, cos i don’t know much about this i looked up the college where the speech was at and really if Oprah’s supporting that style of college (women, mostly black) it makes sense that she doesn’t have a lot positive to say about hip hop. When i say hip hop i mean the stuff you see mainstream everywhere, prob for mostly white middle class kids. I realise there’s hip hop scenes away from that (yes even here in Oz) but the mainstream is what has the most impact on how ppl (like me) see black americans – so the impressions are sports, music, tv. And i do mean impressions – it takes conscious effort not to let stereotypes run away without your brain.

   Finally, i think this is the 2nd time i’ve defended oprah on this site and i’m a little concerned, maybe dr phil will help me…..

   Posted 24 Oct 2006 at 2:09 am ¶

8. bertie wrote:

   I understand where Oprah’s coming from although I don’t agree with her completely. My mother (a 50ish year old non-bougie black women) would likely say the same thing, so it has nothing to do with her being a mammy. True there are other forms of rap besides the bs we’re getting as mainstream-but that seems kind of an irrelevant point. 50 cent sells multi-millions per album on a formula of violence, sexism, and glorification of “black gangsterism” and the Roots barely sell over 100k. By Comparison the latter seems irrelevant to the conversation. Especially since Oprah isn’t complaining that she can’t personally find rap she wants to listen to–she’s arguing that the rap that’s most popular and most accessible is detrimental to black youth. The fact that you can go to youtube and type black female and get pages worth of vidoes of black teen and pre-teen girls “shaking that monkey” –basically copycatting the latest rap videos-lends some credibility to her argument.

   Posted 24 Oct 2006 at 10:55 am ¶

9. eric daniels wrote:

   Meg,

   The problem with Oprah, Bill Cosby and others is that they are out of touch with modern black youth culture. I was born in 1966 according to Bakari Kitwana’s book, that makes me part of the Hip- Hop generation. I would disagree with him by about 5 years but Winfrey and many older blacks ignore the fact that there are many genres of Rap music and many MC’s do not use the n-word or disrespect women.

   I assume you are white Meg, but this is a battle of some Afro- Americans who want to legislate behavior and there is also a class war between upper , educated, and middle class folks towards poor black culture that in their view celebrates the worst sterotypes of Afro- American culture (it is ironic because lower class blacks created american music during the 20th century) making every type of music that we listen too. And there has always been criticism of Poor Blacks behavior dragging down the race and of racial genocide but we are still here in 2006.

   I think that the Civil Rights generation failed black youth who became the so-called Hip- Hop generation by using us as social geniua pigs via busing and other social diasters that have ruined more lives than has helped, There are black youth who have been miseducated , angry , and have no historical legacy but a class distinction of embracing their neighborhoods and the language of it which includes sexist, violent, and cultural embrace of the n-word. It is the failure of the talented tenth who took advantage of opprounties and now are angry about it.

   I frankly don’t care what other races think about Afro- Americans because if you are that stupid to think what you see in mass media is the reality of Afro- Americans than you are the bigot because commerical music is desinged to sell an image for profit and most whites unfortuantely and many others (even many blacks in different countries) believe what they see in movies like Soul Plane and music channels like BET and Emptvee. It is only one aspect of Afro- American life not the full beauty of our culture.

   Posted 24 Oct 2006 at 11:12 am ¶

10. Meg wrote:

    quoting Eric Daniels “I frankly don’t care what other races think about Afro- Americans because if you are that stupid to think what you see in mass media is the reality of Afro- Americans than you are the bigot because commerical music is desinged to sell an image for profit and most whites unfortuantely and many others (even many blacks in different countries) believe what they see in movies like Soul Plane and music channels like BET and Emptvee. It is only one aspect of Afro- American life not the full beauty of our culture. ”

    you’re 40 and oprah’s 50 and the gap’s so huge you can’t see any agreement between the 2? a lot must have happened in 10 yrs

    OK – i admitted my lack of knowledge but being called bigotted and stupid in one sentence is a bit much for me. that you’re assuming i’m white is interesting, though more fair to assume i’m not black based on what i asked/said.

    name calling aside i think i’m entitled to the opinion and i stand by my opinion that if ppl of oprah’s age want to have a go at hip hop why can’t she? she’s got an opinion on where she sees it taking the black community and voiced it. Could she be better educated – sure, that applies to a lot of ppl in a lot of circumstances. But hey, if she can stomach bill oreilly on her show at some point then surely make enough noise and maybe she will have a discussion on hip hop and include others besides the mainstream ones.

    but embracing sexism and violence as a way to distinguish yourself culturally or as a generation is not something i understand. I’m from an area (no where near a ‘ghetto’ situation i’m not claiming extreme poverty or anything) where you’re looked down on by upper /middle class/private school types who assume racism, stupidity, violence, alcohol/drug abuse comes from our area. But i don’t feel the need to embrace the steretoype to be able to define myself? I’m proud of where i’m from if others don’t like it tough. This is not as deeply felt as racial separations of ppl but hopefully you get my point that if the hip-hop generation (in particular low income) define themselves separately to civil rights era ok. I have nothing against expression of culture/identity as you see fit, and the “n-word” debate i think is wholly personal that you can’t resolve it unanimously. But if there’s someone who disagrees (oprah) then why does she suddenly give up the right to be recognised as a black woman? Would it be better if she got in one of 50’s videos (i know you’re picturing that)

    Posted 25 Oct 2006 at 1:41 am ¶

11. April wrote:

    I can understand why she says what she says. For the most part, I do not think a lot of people in our generation “know” who they are. Those of us that do, and know about the history of racism and are race conscious enough to stand up and fight it are a sad minority. After all, look at all the youth now who are continuously claiming to be “colorblind”. What a bunch of shit.

    Posted 25 Oct 2006 at 11:09 pm ¶

12. Adele wrote:

    What’s with this “older black” crap?? I was born in the eighties and I understand EXACTLY where Bill Cosby and Oprah Winfrey are coming from. All I have to say is where is the respect? These people who someone said could go “fuck themselves” are the same people who paved the way for the black youth of today. If it weren’t for the older folks, young blacks wouldn’t even have the opportunity to waste their life and piss their opportunities away through the materialism and violence of modern rap.

    Personally, I have to question the logic of ANY black person who defends the current wave of hip hop culture and language that is poisoning today’s black youth. And while I understand that blaming rap/hip hop is not a solution, it is important to note where some of these negative influences are coming from.

    As another poster has correctly mentioned, groups/artists like The Roots or Common were probably not the intended target of Oprah’s rant, but garbage artists such as 50 Cent, Ludacris, Nelly, Lil’ Jon, Trick Daddy, etc., and all the other bullshit idiots out there who are making a mockery of blacks in the music industry. Commercial rap/hip hop is what is more popular, void of any substance and what is being broadcasted out to the world. On one hand, blacks bitch and moan about having to deal with negative stereotypes in everyday life, but on the other hand, they have no problems perpetuating these same stereotypes. We’ve grown into a society that teaches black youth that they will not amount to anything. Instead of turning to their education as a way out of the cycle of poverty and crime, many choose to live their life out on the street, “hustling” (when they usually don’t need to) because that is what they have been taught is the only thing to do. It doesn’t help that their favourite rap artist glorifies the “hustling” lifestyle in their music, the same influential music that black youth seem so enamoured with. There is a sad epidemic in the black community, a cycle that seems to continue and it cannot be stopped unless blacks take responsibility for their actions and stop calling other blacks who are critical of their behaviour “sellouts” whenever they (famous or not) decide to call them out on their behaviour.

    Young black men have become a homogenous army of wannabe thugs and gangstas. It is rare to find a young black male nowadays who is not influenced by the materialistic and self-destructive behaviour of rappers. I think it’s about time that there is another influential black person in the media spotlight who has said their piece about the dangers of the new rap/hip hop culture. I only wish that black youth become as interested and attentitve with Bill Cosby and Oprah’s warning messages as they are with their rap music.

    Posted 26 Oct 2006 at 5:30 am ¶

13. mike wrote:

    Carmen isn’t it obvious that mainstream rap is what Oprah is talking about. Why try to make excuses for a genre that is having a profound negative impact on the black community. The commentary that you both make on black issues sometimes leads me to believe that you are both clueless or just don’t have any idea of what you are talking about. Every time someone criticizes something in black community that some legitimacy somebody has to try find some fine points. There are some things that deserve to be criticized (like the garbage that’s playing on the radio nowadays).

    Posted 26 Oct 2006 at 12:38 pm ¶

14. eric daniels wrote:

    Mike there is no such thing as a black community anymore, that shows me you are an uniformed white twit, and where are all these young black people acting a fool Adele? and can’t youth just be following popular culture without it having to become a capital offense. who determines what is black these days.As a Black Artist I fear this going into some sort of Black Facism where people like Cosby, Oprah, Juan Willimas determine what is proper Black art. I do not like Commerical Rap or R&B music post 1992 -present but people have options, the Internet places like..

    1. Okay Player
    2. Soul Patrol
    3. AfroPunk
    4. Black Rock Coalition

    Or if you are a parent “lock” the damn channels When I was kid in the 70’s the people in my neighborhood policed themselves and didn’t play ‘grown folks’ music in their cars or allowed their children to listen to..

    1. Blowfly
    2. Richard Pryor
    3. Redd Foxx
    4. Millie Jackson

    Or any ‘adults music’ and I still think the majority of Black Parents do just that, It is a vocal minority who have no shame that they could do as they pleased. Since there hasn’t been a ‘black community’ since the 70’s we have a severe class and generational war going on in Black America and until that gets settled we are going to be fighting each other on what is the concept of Blackness in America. I warn the rest of you that what happens amongst Afro- Americans will eventually spill over into the mainstream and it’s already starting with ..

    1. P.C.
    2. Religous evengelicals
    3. Widening Gap between have and have nots
    4. Miltias

    Sit back have some popcorn and enjoy the show.

    Posted 26 Oct 2006 at 5:49 pm ¶

15. Ann wrote:

    “I warn the rest of you that what happens amongst Afro-Americans will eventually spill over into the mainstream and it’s already starting…”

    It has already happened.

    Drugs flooded the black neighborhoods during the 1950s, 1960s. Not from black drug kingpins, but from Italian Mafia hoodlum types. Drugs: heroin, cocaine, marijuana, etc., were channeled into the black neighborhood to destroy the black community.

    But, a funny thing happened.

    The drugs did not stay contained in the black neighborhoods. They eventually spilled over into the white suburbs and into the rural areas. Now whites are just as much being destroyed by drugs as black people are.

    And whites are the LARGEST drug users in America.

    And the most vicious drug out there now is methamphetamine, a drug that tears you to pieces faster than the worst crack, lsd, heroin or cocaine.

    Rampant sexism in the black community affects not just the black women who live in the black community . As long as this sexism of black men against black women stayed contained and hidden in the black community, no one cared about its insidious effects on black women. But with the gangsta/thug persona of some of the misogynistic rap proliferating in the black community, saying that it is okay to mistreat, use and abuse black girls and women, some young black males began to take the lyrics of monsters like Snoopy, Fitty Cent, etc., to heart and began to practice what the thug-star hoodlums preached. Some are now abusing the white females who hang out with them.

    Make no mistake, white men are women abusers as well, but the abuse that some young black males are showing towards black females, as well as the spread of HIV/AIDS on black women by some black males will not only destroy the black community, but it too will spread into the white community. The black communities’s silence on the spread of HIV/AIDS is silently destroying the black community. And so is the sinister effects of rap music that glorifies the destruction of women, most notably, black women.

    Black America’s denial of homosexulity and the spread of HIV/AIDS will not only affect the black community, but will affect the rest of society as well. The black men infected with HIV/AIDS are simply using their penises as weapons in infecting black women with this deadly virus. And in killing black women, these black men are killing the black race.

    These are just a few of the things to come.

    Black people are the canaries in the coalmine.

    And as long as America keeps on turning her back on the deteriorization of the black community, she signs her own death warrant.

    You cannot let one community sink and fall and not expect for its demise not to eventually affect your own and everyone else’s.

    The chickens have come home to roost, only thing is, they have morphed into some very angry turkey vultures, and those vultures are pecking the eyes out of everyone.

    Posted 26 Oct 2006 at 8:46 pm ¶

16. eric daniels wrote:

    You mean to tell me that there are 18 million men of African descent running amuck spreading the AIDS virus and beating Black Women and enforcing patrichy via Rap lyrics that is laughable when it is the parents responsiblity for young people. And since the Airwaves are owned by the American People (not the corproations as one may assume) and they can be changed with building coalitions amongst people of different races, politcal parties etc..

    God If I was an alien looking from the planet Zot I would say the only is exterminating the 17 million Black Men because all we do is..

    1. Beat Black Women
    2. Are Sexist
    3. Wear baggy pants
    4. Spread sexually transmitted dieases
    5. And listen to too much violent rap music

    Sheesh why don’t you just say that Black men are worthless Ann god grief what did Black Men do to you.

    Posted 26 Oct 2006 at 10:38 pm ¶

17. mr guy wrote:

    Ok, methinks some people here( minus Meg and a few otheres) are going a little too far with this.

    Posted 27 Oct 2006 at 10:43 pm ¶

18. IkoIko wrote:

    Lost In translation: Oprah’s remarks were made at a fundraising event for one of the two (?) remaining historically black colleges and universities solely devoted for women’s higher learning and empowerment.

    Guests included Maya Angelou and Shirley Caesar who both live in North Carolina, the school’s retiring president Johnnetta Cole a noted and gifted motivational speaker, and Judge Mablean Ephriam (yup formerly of “Divorce Court”). Would’ve been interesting and useful to hear if they picked up on the culture and class divide at all, or stuck to motivational theme more– I suspect the latter was more at work.

    Also lost in music: The speech was delivered before the verdict came down in favor of Kim Osorio’s, former editor-in-chief of The Source magazine. Has Oprah or Tyra booked her yet?

    As for the other conspiracy theories, wow and geez…

    Posted 28 Oct 2006 at 7:58 am ¶

19. Marisa Carter wrote:

    Speaking as a single body of the Bennett College community I just want to first say, it was a great honor of having Oprah Winfrey here. In a “closed” discussion with Oprah that only consisted of the students, staff, and faculty of Bennett College for two hours, Oprah shared with us some life tips. After her spill was over, there was a question and answer period. Oprah brought up the topic of some hip hop artists being upset with her. Which evidently went into the topic of the words bitches and hoes. The following week on Oprah after the Show after a show about HIV/AIDS, there was a comment made from an audience member who said that “We need to stop putting it on other people to educate our kids about HIV/AIDS. Like in church, school, we need to talk at home first.” Oprah responded with a statement of saying that, “Yvette, it is not only on AIDS. I was speaking at a black women’s college last weekend and they were telling me it is normal to be called bitches and hoes and I don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m saying you don’t know what you are talking about, because you don’t know who you are.” Maybe I was in the wrong chapel but I don’t recall any of my fellow Bennett sisters saying it was okay to be called bitches and hoes. We were defending Hip Hop as a whole, something this generation does quite often.
    When Oprah was asked the question of if she knew any hip hop artists who did not use degrading words in their rhymes, she simply replied, “no.” She then asked if the belle she was speaking to knew of any and she responded with a short list of some. But after Common comes Mos Def, Dead Prez, The Roots, there are tons. But Oprah is out of touch. She knows what she wants to know and knows nothing more. And as I’ve said before, the generation that Oprah is apart of has a harder time adapting to change than my generation does. I believe the younger you are, the easier it is for you to adapt. But, I doubt Oprah will ever agree with that.
    After watching the clip of the statement made by Oprah about my beloved Bennett College, and reading all the comments from former and current Bennett Belles, I do not feel I was over reacting. There are two black female colleges in the United States of America. I understand she did not say Bennett College directly but it was quite obvious.
    Oprah was the headliner of a fund raiser for Bennett College. To my knowledge she did not donate anything out of her pocket which is fine. But, why did we place her on a pedestal of high archy? When former presidents William Clinton and Bob Dole came last year, there were no chairs made for them. When Maxine Waters came to Bennett all the way from California, was a chair made for her? Was the janitorial staff designated to clean up acorns when Maxine Waters, Alma Adams, Tonea Stewart, and a Bennett alumna were inducted into the Wise Women Ceremony? I doubt it.
    People went to the gala in part support of Bennett College and also to see THE OPRAH WINFREY. When stories have been found saying that at the $1,000 ticket level, the holders of these tickets were going to meet and greet Oprah but to their surprise, Oprah was a no show to their VIP Banquet. So this just reiterates that Oprah was bait to get funds for the college.
    Granted this was a once in a lifetime chance but if you are going to do something, do it the right way. Don’t lie to someone when it comes to money. Don’t expect for people to continue to do business with you if you lie. You loose credibility. You loose connections, you loose too much to try and completely gain back.
    We have been trying to get Oprah at this wonderful institution of Bennett College for years now. Prior to me coming, and prior to students that are already here. But to much avail, she refused. But when the big day came, it was so exciting. Oprah was given the most gorgeous piece art yet and a beautiful Bennetized gift basket that to my knowledge is still here on the campus. We put all of our eggs into one basket.
    The week after Oprah came, the Millenium Village Project Press Conference was held. There was a man there who donated $5,000 and to my knowledge there was no grand gala or banquet in his honor. The whole parlor in Barge Hall was redone thanks to a will assignment of a former belle’s however no HUGE thank you card was given to her family or no press conference in the Little Theatre was done in her honor. We here at Bennett College praise the wrong people.
    We seem to take people for granted. When we do have guest of the college, we ought to be at our best but the day Oprah came just seemed to be a little bit more extra. The red ropes, just a tad… overboard.
    And before Oprah came out, it was said that if the talk went okay then, it would be aired on Oprah’s Sirius Satellite radio station. Now if I’m not mistaken, radio involves no visuals what so ever. So may I ask why the video cameras were present? Maybe because Oprah has a documentary on Hip Hop coming up and bringing up a topic that the world knows young people feel strongly about to start some kind of discussion? Hmmm. So, when it airs will we at Bennett College see some familiar faces? Maybe, maybe not. But I’m just saying. We praise the wrong people. Oprah did give us an intangible gift of the Whispers. I truly will remember that forever however, it was like a slap in the face when we turn to her show and see what she said.
    But again this is just one body talking. And for the record, BENNETT BELLES DO NOT APPROVE OF ENTERTAINERS USING THE WORDS BITCHES AND HOES. IT IS NOT OKAY TO DO THAT.

    I appreciate everyone for making comments so please continue.

    Posted 08 Nov 2006 at 5:09 pm ¶

20. Jay from West Philly wrote:

    Come on yall keep it real. Hip hop as we once knew it is over!! Regressive lyrics with no point at all. I agree with Oprah and Bill. Our generation is the worse. No balls, no courage all we do is rap this bullshit about cars, diamonds, bitches, etc. I mean how many colors could you use to describe your car or your watch. People say the real hip hop aint radio top forty, well it aint mixtape either. Too me mixtapes are worse than radio. Until hip hop return to it’s roots, I wouldn’t let my son listen to this bullshit!! This is coming from a 20 year hip hop OG who believes the greatest rapper ever to pick up a mic was KRS ONE!!!!

    Like NAS said HIP HOP IS DEAD.
    Don’t get mad at oprah, keep it real, hip hop is hurting us more than it’s helping. Such a shame too cause i used to love it!! now all I got are ROOTS, TALIB, MOS, COMMON, CEELO, you know that rawkus crew.

    Posted 01 Jan 2007 at 9:02 pm ¶

21. Natalie wrote:

    I think that Hip-Hop has definantly changed since the first MCs. Most of the lyrics has not been benefitial to young children, or even adults. Using unnesessary language and usage of the “N” word. I think that some MCs do have good words and a good message to spread, but these new rappers talk more about money, cars, and women. I guess the type of genre’ you listen to is all up to you, but for your future children in America and across the world, think about how thats going to affect them. Oprah, is right about many things she supports in Hip-Hop today, I just don’t understand why you would take part in an art of music if you don’t put out a good image. Now days MCs think that they’re hard, with all their jewlery and cars and women, but their music is weak. And thats what they need to understand. Be like Kayne or Lupe’ or Tupac. Send out a message…Not lyrics to a dance.

    Posted 23 Apr 2007 at 12:35 pm ¶

22. drea wrote:

    Why are we giving hip-hop so much power!? Hip-hop does not speak for me and I’m a member of this supposed “hip-hop generation.” I grew up like many of these hip-hop and rap artists, and I haven’t found, nor am I looking for my voice in any of them. I think the more the black community attacks these artists, the more credence we give to the notion that hip-hop is synonomous with black culture. If we really are concerned with the minds behind the misogyny and materialism in some hip-hop, then we need to be making personal pleas and educating rather than making a blanketed attack on an entire genre of music.

    Posted 23 Apr 2007 at 2:52 pm ¶

23. Marc wrote:

    If Oprah is going by what she hears on MTV,BET and mainstream radio and television well i agree with her but you got to remember that nearly all of what you hear on the mainstream garbage. I guarantee she has never listened to KRS-One, Rakim, Public Enemy, De La Soul, ATCQ, The Roots and newer acts like Little Brother, Oddisee, Cesar Comanche.

    Posted 11 May 2007 at 4:53 am ¶

24. Donna Darko wrote:

    The problem is the images and stereotypes from MTV and Top 40 radio are extremely powerful and damaging. Kids in white suburbs only know about black people through these images of thugs, gangstas and hos on MTV. It can be confusing at best. Michael Eric Dyson and bell hooks don’t come on every hour on MTV News to break it down. When they watch TRL or whatever and see nonwhite women nodding their heads to these videos, there is no dissent and people don’t realize these images are unacceptable to many people not on the screen. An Asian American comparison would be if William Hung and Bai Ling were paid a million dollars a day to show up on MTV every day while they share the money with their friends. It’s more damaging to marginalized groups because they don’t own the mainstream media to promote alternate images.

    Posted 11 May 2007 at 12:01 pm ¶