Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part II of a two part* series on racist comments in YouTube Hip-Hop videos comment threads. Part II focuses on the "Not a single white person [in Hip Hop videos]. That's racism" comments that I found in the discussion threads of certain Hip Hop videos.
Selected comments from the following three videos are featured in this post: Soulja Boy Tell'em - "Crank That (Soulja Boy)", Roscoe Dash - "All The Way Turnt Up ft. Soulja Boy", and GS Boyz - "Stanky Legg".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/07/when-will-english-version-come-out.html for Part I of this series. Part I focuses on the internet meme "When will the English version come out?". This post includes information about that meme, my editorial comment, and recent examples of that meme from the discussion threads of three Hip-Hop (or Hip-Hop/Pop) videos: Soulja Boy - "Crank That Soulja Boy", Roscoe Dash - "All The Way Turnt Up ft. Soulja Boy", and Silentó - Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) (Official).
*I had initially planned to publish a third post in this series on Tube Hip-Hop video's comment thread about rappers wearing baggy clothes. However, I've decided to focus on the subject of baggy clothes in general without an emphasis on racist comments about that clothing style. A link to that projected pancocojams post will be included in a Related Links section on the posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric and cultural documentation.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
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EDITORIAL COMMENT
It should come as no surprise to people who read YouTube video comment threads that Black music video's discussion threads usually includes lots of racist comments. But, perhaps because I don't often watch Hip-Hop videos, and therefore don't read those discussion threads, it wasn't until three days ago that I became aware of the proliferation of "When does the English language version come out" and- to a lesser extent- the repeated number of "Not a single white person.[in Hip Hop videos] That's racism" comments in those videos.
Actually, the videos that I visited -and whose comment threads I read- are examples of Hip-Hop Pop music. That sub-set of Hip-Hop is also known as "club music" (with "club" meaning "nightclub"), "dance music", "party music", "crunk music", and the more recent category label "turn up" music. "Turn up" in this context mostly means "music that gets you hyped (pumped up, energized). "Turn up" music is music that you dance to. Note that the term "turn up" or "turnt up" has other (earlier?) meanings. Read visitor submitted enties for "turnt up" in http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Turnt+Up [Warning: Some of these entries include profanity.] Also, read this 2014 article about the term "turn up"/"turnt up": http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/what-turns-up-when-you-look-into-turn-up/
After reading all of the comments that were posted to date [July 9, 2015) on the three YouTube video discussion threads which I identified above, I've concluded that a considerable number of those comments are either covertly or overtly racist against Black people. I've also concluded that many of these racist comments are posted by trolls. A 2002 urban dictionary definition of "trolls" is "One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument" (by Alien Entity September 22, 2002). Trolls also post deliberately provocative comments "just for fun". The deep seated virulent racism that still exists in the United States and elsewhere are exemplified by these discussion threads direct (openly/ overtly) racist comments, and the discussion threads covertly racist comments that are couched in seemingly innocent, concerned language which sometimes comes across as "throwing shade"*. Just because something is written as a joke doesn't mean it is funny, and doesn't mean it's not racist.
These types of questions or statements on YouTube discussion threads are examples of microaggressions. Here's a definition of microaggression from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/microaggressions-in-everyday-life/201011/microaggressions-more-just-race
"Microaggressions are the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership. In many cases, these hidden messages may invalidate the group identity or experiential reality of target persons, demean them on a personal or group level, communicate they are lesser human beings, suggest they do not belong with the majority group, threaten and intimidate, or relegate them to inferior status and treatment."
-end of quote-
People who post such comments on Hip-Hop music discussion threads came to those social internet spaces where Black people and non-Black people who are interested in and fans of that music congregate to relax, enjoy that music, and discuss that music. That social experience is diminished by openly racist remarks or remarks that are couched in fake concern or questions.
Bloggers who re-post "When will the English version come out" or "Not a single white person.[in Hip Hop videos] That's racism." comments or versions of those comments aren't asking those questions or posting those comments comment to receive serious responses. At the very least, they may be unaware of the racism that fuels those questions or comments. However, that doesn't make those questions or comments less racist.
It's important to note that few of those commenters identify themselves by race, although I believe that people participating in those exchanges assumed that the bloggers who were writing (or copying) those memes were White. That said, it's important to note that as demonstrated below, some of the commenters who speak out against those types of comments/questions identify themselves as White. But, at the very least, repeatedly reading such questions and comments on YouTube discussion threads can be annoying and disgusting. Black participants and/or readers of these discussions and participants of other races could also feel disdainful, bitter, angry, and prejudiced towards those people writing such direct and indirect racist comments/ questions. Black people and others could also feel sadness that racism is quite strong, inspite of pronouncements that we are now are in a post-racial society.
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THE PURPOSE OF THIS POST AND THE WAY THESE EXAMPLES ARE ORGANIZED
The comments that are included in this post are examples of those memes. This is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all the examples in those discussion threads of those memes or that subject matter.
I'm publishing the selected examples of those comments and of some responses to those comments for cultural and folkloric documentation. In Part I and Part II of this series I've provided links to the videos from which these discussion threads come.
*My definition of "throwing shade" from http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-reading-someone-throwing-shade-no.html What "Reading Someone", "Throwing Shade", & "No Tea No Shade" Mean.
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THE PURPOSE OF THIS POST AND THE WAY THESE EXAMPLES ARE ORGANIZED
The comments that are included in this post are examples of those memes and that subject ("baggy clothes"). This is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all the examples in those discussion threads of those memes or that subject matter.
I'm publishing the selected examples of those comments and of some responses to those comments for cultural and folkloric documentation.
In Part I and Part II of this series I've provided links to the videos from which these discussion threads come. In Part III I've embedded the video from which these selected comments come. These comments are numbered for referencing purposes only and may not be in consecutive order within that particular discussion thread.
*My definition of "throwing shade" from http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-reading-someone-throwing-shade-no.html What "Reading Someone", "Throwing Shade", & "No Tea No Shade" Mean:
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COMMENTS FROM THREE YOUTUBE VIDEO DISCUSSION THREADS
WARNING: These discussion threads contain racist, homophobic, sexually explicit content, and profanity. Examples with that content aren't included below, with the exception of a limited number of comments that have the curse word/s deleted or not fully spelled out. Also, in this post what is commonly known as the n word is given in place of that fully spelled out racial referent.
I. Soulja Boy Tell'em - "Crank That (Soulja Boy)"
SouljaBoyTellemVEVO, Uploaded on Nov 22, 2009
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UFIYGkROII
1. Lylas Brother, 2014
"dosent it just figure that he is black and their r no white people their"
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2. Buttlumps, May 2014
"Not a single white person. THAT'S racism."
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3. Zuko FireLord, June 2015
"Goal:Find a white person"
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4. Una Valquiria, June 2015
"Any white person on this video, that's pretty racist."
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5. Lexi Shepard, June 2015
"Where the white people ?"
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6. R.R Gaming, June 2015
"Challenge:
Try to find a white person
I failed"
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7. Aлександар Поповић, June 2015
"I love how in hip hop songs everyone seems to be black lol"
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8. Tammy Nyathi, June 2015
"Is it just me or is there not one white person on this whole video 😂😂😂"
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9. Buttlumps, May 2014
"Not a single white person. THAT'S racism."
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10. Sixx Raynen, June 2014
"I'm not hating here, in fact, I like the song a lot, I am just pointing something out though. There were no white people in this video (I am not offended, just hear me out). If a white person were to have made this song (or any song) and ONLY had white people, you would never hear that end of it. So many comments would just say "Racist! There were only white people!"
I'm not saying that the video here is racist, I'm just pointing out some stuff.
Anyways, have a lovely day!"
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II. Roscoe Dash - "All The Way Turnt Up ft. Soulja Boy Tell'em"
Roscoe DashVevo, Uploaded on Feb 23, 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMwi8vFXUpo
1. DeathByToxic, 2014
"Like if anyone couldn't find any white people"
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Mylez A, 2014
"1 on the basketball team
take a look"
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Brian Gardner, 2014
"Also both guitar players."
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III. GS Boyz - "Stanky Legg"
GSBoyzVEVO, Uploaded on Nov 23, 2009
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewufRwrayTI
1. YOLOBROGAMING PRO, September 2014
"It is pretty racist actually I didnt see 1 white person the whole video"
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2. Mrs.Steal-Yo-Senpai, September 2014
"How?? Do u know how many music videos I've seen with no black people in it and only white. Stop it. I swear. Think before you comment."
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3. All In One-TheKnight, September 2014
"He is 420ing"
-snip-
Editor: From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=420&defid=1147130 “April 20 is National pot smoking day" posted by iz March 27, 2005
-snip-
Given that information, All In On-theKnight's comment probably means that YOLOBROGAMING PRO is high off of weed/pot [marijuana] and therefore talking nonsense.
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4. Catalin Nicu October 2014
"Wrong.. 2:13 guy in the left with censored T-Shirt :)"
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5. Corgan Townsend, October 2014
Cuz whites ain't got no rhythm LOL
JOKIN
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This concludes Part II of this series.
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