LL Cool J and Brad Paisley's song is a product. It is not an act of charity. In the age of the Internet, "Accidental Racist" will be downloaded for free. But, LL Cool J and Brad Paisley are still hoping that some folks will pay for their post racial anthem, or alternatively will be moved to buy their concert tickets when they inevitably end up touring together.
Thus, an obvious question, and one that has not been asked enough: who is the audience for the product, the example of mass culture, that is "Accidental Racist?"
I would suggest the following possibilities.
Fans of either artist who are made to feel relevant again may buy the song. Those drunken on the possibilities of "post racial" America, but upset by how "elites" have derailed it may buy the song.
"Misunderstood" white folks who identify with the white victimology offered up by the Tea Party GOP may buy the song. Good 'ol buys in the South and elsewhere who do not necessarily like "the blacks," but who feel that good white folks have gotten an unfair deal, because of course the Civil War "was not really about" slavery, may buy the song.
And Fox News viewers, as well as liberal racists, the hipster set especially, may come to an ironic alliance and take on LL Cool J and Brad Paisley's song as an anthem.
Will the neo-Confederates who want to secede, and those others who identify with them, embrace "Accidental Racist" or will they reject it as liberal apologizing for something, i.e. slavery, that 1) ought not to have been ended and 2) was actually a boon for (white) civilization and (white) democracy?
More broadly, who is the audience for this creative failure of pop music?
8 comments:
I don't believe they actually thought it through. I think Paisley called LL (that one black friend) and complained about being called racist and LLUncleTom assuaged his "justified victimization" and fervently wished that he could do some thing to help his friend feel better because "they don't know you like I do." They decide on some Ebony and Ivory type song for the present, hoping it would be as notorious. Fail. Paisley's audience, of course, will buy it. But not much else.
Ebony and Ivory for the Age of Obama. Sick.
Ebony and Ivory for the Age of Obama. Appropriate. Reminds me of the beer summit.
All of the above. You can check the audience by looking at the "comments" on YouTube. Search 'accidental racist lyrics' and the one fan copy of the song with lyrics will come up about six down on the page. Neo-Confederates, Tea Party lookalikes, a few aggrieved about alleged racism against white guys, etc.
Wait wait don't tell me had a funny bit on the piece today.
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