It perpetrates an attitude of orientalism, where anything not of the west or more specifically WASPy, is wrong and should be anglicized to make it better. In isolation it [the Steve thing] is not necessarily a terrible thing, but it is the prism through which so much of this institutional racism is generated.
3 Likes
Speaking as a Welsh lad what we are talking about here is typically English I’m sorry to say. We see it all the time out here in the wild west. Just look at what’s happened / happening to Welsh place names as a starter for 10.
2 Likes
Karl May novels and films (Winnetou). There’s a little bit of that ‘noble savage’ thinking in there too.
And in the GDR Native Americans were seen as anti-imperialistic freedom fighters by the government = good.
1 Like
I bet there will be some sections that will try to use this to discredit his claims against Yorkshire CCC, look at his response - absolute class. Held his hands up admitted he had fucked up and took responsibility for it not bury his head in the sand or try to pass the blame like YCCC
4 Likes
As Barney Ronay just pointed out on twitter - Rafiq himself sending those messages doesn’t exonerate Yorkshire CC - it adds to the list of racism incidents. It’s a further indictment.
Although no doubt many will take the opportunity to write off the racism he experienced and therefore declare there to be no issue.
6 Likes
He’s fucked it. He had them on the ropes and now the whole point’s muddied with a giant antisemitic turd floating in it.
1 Like
Not really. He’s apologized for those posts. A victim of racism can be a perpetrator for racism himself in other cases. As far as Rafiq is concerned, Anti Semitism pretty much goes with institutional racism anyway(Especially when it comes to Muslims). As long as he understands his mistake and he regrets posting it, It should be clear. And that was 2011 and this is 2021.
Dave Chappelle nominated for a Grammy.
Cancel culture.
And Kevin Hart. And Louis.
2 Likes
It’s a simple question.
Did someone or a group of people attempt to have Dave Chappelle cancelled - and in so doing attempt to impact his immediate and future earning potential and status.
There are two possible answers - Yes or Hell Yes.
Meanwhile, as I have said before - the vicious, racist and violent person that orchestrated this whole campaign against Chapelle at Netflix goes (at least on these pages) unacknowledged and without criticism. Had it not been for that vile person this whole witch hunt against him would possibly never have happened.
I hope he gets the Grammy - that would be a big two fingers up to those that groundlessly sought to have him and his latest show canceled.
What now happens if Chappelle’s nomination gets blocked or withdrawn due to pressure?
I guess that is up to the people that run the Grammys.
Two wrongs do not make a right.
I agree
And I do not want to cover old ground again, Netflix, Chapelle, and the general public - who have gone to see his recent sell-out live tours and watched his special - do not agree that any “wrong” was committed by him. His accusers, however, used social media to voice vile racist remarks and intentions of violence against, in particular, the Asian community. Of the “wrongs” committed, his accusers far far outweigh any remarks Chapelle said in a comedic performance.
On October 8, 2021 Netflix co-CEO [Ted Sarandos] defended the special’s release in a memo sent to employees saying that "[w]e don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe The Closer crosses that line.
To be perfectly honest, I am not following the whole issue too closely. All I’m taking issue with is your claim that just because (one of, possibly) the original complainant isn’t an angel therefore the issue is a storm in a teacup.
My own personal view is that anyone who has the platform with which they can complain about being “cancelled” is just a precious little snowflake because being cancelled means you don’t have any such platform at all. More often than not, they tend to be people punching down on those who are in worse situations than them, often unable to defend their positions or their views at all. It’s a massive moral panic over an issue that isn’t really a problem in the most part.
I will say this though, the “general public” is not a good barometer of what is right and what is wrong.
4 Likes
I find this very worrying indeed.
No
Netflix (his employers) do not see that his material was offensive in any way.
The public in general do not see that his material was offensive in any way.
Portraying his accusers as “no angels” grossly diminishes the vile and violent comments that they made.
I have faith that the General Public can mostly recognise bullshit when they see it.
Are you sure?
The election of or keeping in place most politicians, highlighted so elegantly by Boris, Putin, Trump, Modi Northern Kim and Xi, the waning response to covid restrictions, the obsession with personal gratification with no thought to others - the general public is not building a strong case for recognising bovine faeces when it sees it but rather for calling it out if if the facts don’t fit their world view… . This case is neither here nor there for me, and I don’t follow it to any detail but my confidence in the general public is (much) less than yours. I believe that generally people are all the same and good but their ability to make rational decisions in a timely manner is not great.
2 Likes
People arent focusing on her because its a complete fabrication that the criticism of his comments are centered around her. It’s actually weird you keep bringing her up. The criticism of Dave’s comments cannot be centered around a single person anymore they can be rubbished by the criticism of any of his critics. Fuck, the entire bit in that most recent special existed precisely because of ongoing criticism he had faced as a result of previous comments. So in that context what “cancellation” means is being able to base your next Netflix special around a controversy you created.
Even when people focus on the internal strife within netflix in the aftermath, that wasnt even about cancelling Dave, but about changing the culture in the company to create more space for marginalized voices so attitudes towards this thing would not be so myopic in the future.
The frustrating part of these discussions is there is probably a significant middle ground to be found. I think most can agree that internet pile ons happen way too often, are unproductive and often problematic. Where the discussion falls down is in presenting this as the domain of the illiberal left. It isnt the left who are trying limit what history is taught in schools and impose penalties for those who g outside of approved bounds. It isnt the left who are still trying to ban books. It isnt the left who cancelled the Dixie Chicks and it isnt the left who tried to end the career, or (depending on how seriously you take the threats) the life of Zoe Quinn (Gamergate). The people who use words like Woke as a pejorative want to present it that way because they have little of actual value to sell other than their fabricated persecutions complex who need to advance the idea that right wing voices are being silenced without debate. Yet some of the most vocal people in this corner are those who routinely dominate the facebook link rankings day after day.
3 Likes