YouTube Comments About How 1870 Mississippi Is Depicted In Culture Club's 1983 "Karma Chameleon" Video

Culture Club, Feb. 28, 2009 
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Statistics as of September 20, 2021 at 10:55 AM ET
Total views - 573,951,464
Total likes - 1.9M
Total dislikes - 100k
Total # of comments - 83,252

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases Culture Club's 1983 song "Karma Chameleon".

The official YouTube video of that song is featured in this post along with information about that song. This post also includes selected comments from the official YouTube video of "Karma Chameleon" with special attention to the video's depiction of 1870 Mississippi and the meaning of the "red, gold, and green" lyrics in that song.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Boy George and all of the other members of Culture Club. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.   

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INFORMATION ABOUT CULTURE CLUB'S SONG "KARMA CHAMELEON"

Excerpt #1
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma_Chameleon
" "Karma Chameleon" is a song by English band Culture Club, featured on the group's 1983 album Colour by Numbers. The single was released in the United Kingdom in September 1983[3] and became the second Culture Club single to reach the top of the UK Singles Chart, after "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me". The record stayed at number one for six weeks and became the UK's biggest-selling single of the year 1983, selling 955,000 copies (according to Official Charts Company sales data confirmed in March 2021 for the Channel 5 show Britain's Favourite 80s Songs).[4][5] To date, it is the 38th-biggest-selling single of all time in the UK,[6] selling over 1.52 million copies.[7

It also spent three weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1984, becoming the group's biggest hit and only US number-one single among their many top-10 hits. The single sold over 5 million copies globally.[8] In 2015, the song was voted by the British public as the nation's ninth favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV.[9]"...

Background

In an interview, Culture Club frontman Boy George explained: "The song is about the terrible fear of alienation that people have, the fear of standing up for one thing. It's about trying to suck up to everybody. Basically, if you aren't true, if you don't act like you feel, then you get Karma-justice, that's nature's way of paying you back."... In response to claims from singer-songwriter Jimmy Jones that the song plagiarizes his hit "Handy Man"*, George stated, "I might have heard it once, but it certainly wasn't something I sat down and said, 'Yeah, I want to copy this.'"[11] In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Boy George said that he wrote the song while he was on vacation in Egypt, and that the other members of Culture Club were initially hesitant to record it as they felt it sounded like a country and western song.[12]

The harmonica part was played by Judd Lander, who had been a member of Merseybeat group The Hideaways in the 1960s.

[...]

Music video

The music video, directed by Peter Sinclair,[18] was filmed at Desborough Island in Weybridge during the summer of 1983.

The video is set in Mississippi in 1870. It depicts a large multiracial group of people in 19th century dress, including some dressed in red, gold, and green (as referenced in the lyrics). Boy George is dressed in what would be known as his signature look: colourful costume, fingerless gloves, long braids, and a black bowler hat.

A pickpocket and jewelry thief is seen wandering through the crowd, stealing from unsuspecting victims. The band and everyone board a riverboat, The Chameleon, as Boy George continues to sing. While four men are playing poker, the thief is discovered cheating by giving himself the Royal Flush, and is forced to return all his ill-gotten gains and walk the plank at the points of ladies' parasols, falling into the river. As the video ends, day has turned to evening and the party continues on the boat as it cruises down the river.[19]."...
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Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKpbNvDg6zY&ab_channel=NRRArchives for a 1960 YouTube video of "Handy Man". That record by African American singer Jimmy Jones was first released Dec. 1959. 

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Excerpt #2
From https://www.smoothradio.com/features/the-story-of/culture-club-karma-chameleon-meaning-lyrics-facts/ The Story of... 'Karma Chameleon' by Culture Club

16 March 2020, 17:21 | Updated: 29 October 2020, by Tom Eames
..."The song ["Karma Chameleon" was written by Culture Club members Boy George, Jon Moss, Mikey Craig, Roy Hay and Phil Pickett.

It was recorded for the group's second album Colour by Numbers, released in 1983.

..."Boy George wrote most of the band's lyrics, and many of his words were inspired by his relationship with the group's drummer, Jon Moss.

Their difficult romantic/professional relationship was also the inspiration for the line: "You're my lover, not my rival" in 'Karma Chameleon'.

The relationship was hidden to the public, so it became an outlet for Boy George to communicate with him through their songs."...

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD OF THIS SONG OFFICIAL YOUTUBE VIDEO

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.  

[Full Disclosure: I couldn't resist adding three comments to this discussion thread.] 

2019

1. Triforce777, 2019
"Only in Boy George’s imagination could there be an interracial dance party led by a gay gypsy on a steamboat in 1870s Mississippi"
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Based on some of the replies, the name that Triforce777 used when he wrote this comment was "Noah Spears."

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2. Ayava Kyavata, 2019
"This is why I come to YouTube, to see comments like this..."

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3. Philip Pastore, 2019
"@Ayava Kyavata  What piques your interest in this song 36years later?  Then it spoke of unique ,daring,originality; nowadays...nobody notices what has become mainstream acceptance more or less.Kudos to BoyGeorge for  leading the way against the mainstream tide at that time.Now it's normal to be true to oneself without trying to be accepted by others in order to be LOVED by others outside of oneself  by being a fake; and not caring what people think."

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4. Ayava Kyavata, 2019
"@Philip Pastore  People chase acceptance much more now than then, and suffer more when they don't get it.

It's a nice, catchy song. In some ways it seemed more fun to like Boy George when he was taboo."

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5. Sir Joe the Flee Tow, 2019
"Actually, only in Boy George's imagination could set the Mississippi river in England at Weybridge :D"

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6. Devin Petersen, 2019
"Oh that boat would have sank real quick."

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7. Gaby Hk, 2019
"😍😀"

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8. Kim Smith, 2019
"Noah Spears Way ahead of his time. He still rules!!!"

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9. Donnielle Campbell, 2019
"This comment is GOLD! HahHah"

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10. Nonya Damnbusiness, 2019
"Not as far out as you think.  During reconstruction carpet-baggers ran everything and the army kept the peace"

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11. Triforce777, 2019
"Nonya Damnbusiness just because the military kept the peace doesn’t mean that people would come together and party together. In the 1870s we would be seeing the introduction of segregation laws and with the small size of that steam boat I would guess the company would have whites only and blacks only trips"

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12. Kittycandy Tori, 2019
"Oh yeah it probably did happen- guess you ve never been to new orleans"

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13. Julio Chaves, 2019
"This is definitely the best comment I ever read in YouTube."

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14. Nick Carlson, 2019
"or in 1983 Mississippi."

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15. Katie Brown, 2019
"Boy George really made it possible for the LBGT community to be accepted by many people. He is so talented and is comfortable with himself. I went as Boy George for Halloween one year."

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16. Free America2020, 2019
"The song is not about sexuality. It's about hiding in plain sight. What is a Transformer?"

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17. angel thomas, 2019
"There was interracial mingles all the time !!"

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18. Chris Atlee, 2019
"Pretty sure this comment wins the internet"

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19. Bryan Pedersen, 2019
"It's the 1870 that he wished we could have had"

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20. Félix José Rosario, 2019
"💓💕💙💓💓💕😍🤩😍🤩"

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21. justin hicks, 2020
"@Kittycandy Tori  geography yo. New Orleans is in Louisiana not Mississippi"

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22. Diegotra otra, 2020
"MISSISSIPI"

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23. Christian Fischer, 2020
"Fantasy makes life worth livin'. Thanx 2all artists,"

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24. Galaxy, 2020
"That's what makes him so awesome."

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25. Lori U'ren, 2020
"That's why they're called The Culture Club."

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26. MontagZoso, 2020
"I know and it is great!"

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27. Enrique Carlos Suarez Tatis, 2020
"But thats what makes this video so beautiful, everybody getting along, humans will never be able to do it, sadly..."

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28. KayJeeAy, 2020
"Lol i thought wait wouldnt those white people beat the black people up and push them into water :&"

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29. Eggman2324, 2020
"and trust me im saying this as a person that has lived in mississippi his whole life and his family having lived in mississippi for 3 or 4 at least  generations to say the least that would not happen in the slightest in 1870 lmao its a cute idea real cute but not possible"

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30. jthomasaustin, 2020
"Ha ha, I was just about to say that obviously George had no idea what the antebellum South was like..."

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31. reverant tangent, 2020
"And that is a tragedy"

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32. BlackDalhia7, 2020
"It's a liberals paradise."

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33. Alex Van Der Heever, 2020
"Lol yes"

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34. megagavinify, 2020
"This comment made me laugh so hard."

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35. TheSadsham, 2020
"same thought here. there is a serious lack of historical accuracy. they should have added, at the end of the video, a bunch of hillbillies chasing boy george with forks and gunshots."

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36. Georgina Toland, 2020
"An alt history I can get behind."

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37. Sominboy27, 2020
"@Nonya Damnbusiness  still incredibly racist as segergation was still ok but not as bad as jim crow and you were shot on sight by being gay but at least they were treated like people"

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38. Howard Steamwell, 2020
"it’s fantasy man, let it rock"

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39. Rand al'Thor, 2020
"A gay RASTA gypsy!! I was a kid when this hit & never thought much about the lyrics. Ffwd 20 yrs after bein Rastafari and i hear this song again; Red Gold & Green.. Red Gold & Green!

Mind blown."

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40. Emmanuel Sar-Shalom Israel, 2020
"Lol I was thinking very historically inaccurate Mississippi had slaves until 1930s"

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41. CJ VP, 2020
"Dog thats why they are called "CULTURE CLUB"
-snip-
In this context, "Dog" is an African American Vernacular English (neutral) referent meaning "Man"/"Dude".

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42. Michael Epps, 2020
"You got that right!!

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43. FriedPosumPeckr, 2020
"That is the funniest thing I've read in awhile, thank you 🤣"

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44. Onye Buenyi, 2020
"Noah Spears That is such a lovely and true statement."

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45. Ivan Dvorachuk, 2020
"That's the joke of this song, because everything in the video is a contradiction"

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46. Laura Cordes, 2020
"I want to hang out in that parallel Universe for a while."

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47. Raúl Antunez, 2020
"I hoped I lived back then, not for the racism and misogyny but it seemed like everything was simpler"

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48. MoonSista Ray, 2020
"It was a beautiful thing.  I miss Boy George.

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49. Steven Rainmaker, 2020
"Came back to this, and I’m just gonna say that you’ve earned those 11k likes."
-snip-
This comment is in reference to  Triforce777 (Noah Spears') comment. As of September 30, 2021 at 8:36 AM ET, that comment had 16K likes and 307 replies.

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50. Amilton Fogaça, 2020
"That's why I come to comments. To see something like this LOL."

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51. goose :3, 2020
"My favorite comment"

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52. Poy Uy, 2020
"Best comment ever brah!"

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53. The English Cafe Club, 2020
"My mum was walkinmg her dog beside the river in Weybridge Surrey when she heard music in the distance and this boat came past with George and co miming and dancing while they filmed it. She still remembers it at 96 years old."

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54. Anonymike, 2020
"I was curious where they filmed this, I thought I would never know. I knew it wasn't in America. The video itself is about the restoral of honesty and the joy that comes over you when even for an hour or a day you don't have to watch your back anymore."

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55. Dean Beith, 2020
"if you answer this question, in wich i hope were is Weybridge Surrey located? like i said not a genius or even that smart, but this could not be the missippi river, with that mamooth boat!"

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56.Squiggly Unicorn 777, 2021
"@Dean Beith  Surrey is in the southeast of England 🇬🇧"

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57. Squiggly Unicorn 777, 2021
"Jeez, that is exceptionally cool! Lucky her!"

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58. Marco Panichi, 2021
"She watched history being made. Not sure if Boy George was already famous when launched this one but definitely this song took him to stardom. It’s 2021 and people are still enjoying it...he definitely passed the test of time!"

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2021

59. cheriemonami, 2021
"We didn't know at the time that Boy George was literally singing his heart out.  He's an extraordinary songwriter and singer."

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60. george mira, 2021
"You can ALWAYS tell when someone is singing their heart out.

This piece of music is beyond gender differences because it is heartfelt - and this is what singers seek to do, make the truth felt.

Hearers attach music to their own lives, if that music has the capacity to be meaningful, whether it is garage band guitars, Culture Club, Chopin, Madrigal, saxaphone, vast orchestra, or harmonica.

This is the value of creativity, and for it to flower, one must express oneself completely."

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61. Squiggly Unicorn 777, 2021
"Yeah, this song is so awesome and so heartfelt! ❤"

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62. LaZainabou, 2021
"Especially now, knowing that he wrote these songs about his relationship with the drummer"

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63. detective andy23rdpct, 2021
"we all know back then that guy wouldn't walk the plank, he be drawn and quartered for thievery, after the severe beating"

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64. Zain Mudassir, 2021
"What the American South could have been had the Reconstruction succeeded. Good song"

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65. Marc Schneider, 2021
"Somehow, this doesn't seem an accurate representation of Mississippi in 1870."

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66. Mark Siefert, 2021
"Sadly this is a far more optimistic vision of the the Reconstructionist South than was reality."

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67. Jarindela, 2021
"Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dreams."

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68. Emperor Palpatine, 2021
"Red, gold and greeeeen"

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69. MCPunk55, 2021
""Red, gold and green". Those are, in order, the colors of the Portuguese flag. Dreaming of Portugal's not nice... I should know, it's where I live."

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70. Azizi Powell, 2021
"MCPunk55, check out https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-significance-of-the-colours-red-gold-and-green-in-the-song-Karma-Chameleon for answers to the question about the significance of red, gold, and green in Culture Club's song "Karma Chameleon. Here's one response from Tony Thompson, January 8, 2021

"Red, gold and green are associated with Africa (they are present in the flags of many African nations) and also with Rastafarianism, which was very significant in British urban culture at the time this song was released, especially for a multiracial band like Culture Club." "

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71. Azizi Powell, 2021
"@MCPunk55, here's part of another comment in that discussion thread about the meaning of "red, gold, and green in the song "Karma Chameleon"

Manisha Musing, December 17, 2020

"The song I believe reflects the pain and confusion Boy George felt and experienced because he was in love with a man who did not wish to be open about their relationship.Boy George was in a relationship with his drummer Jon, but Jon wanted to keep their relationship hidden"...[The commenter then gives their opinion about the meanings of red, gold, and green in many African flags.]  

 If you watch other Culture Club Music Videos (Boy George is the lead singer) they often have African/African Americans in them, so I believe that Boy George uses the struggle for equality of the African/African American people as a way of getting the message across about equality for everyone, especially about being able to be openly accepted as a gay male." " [end of Manisha Musing's comment]
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-history-significance-of-pan-african.html for the 2014 pancocojams post entitled "The History & Significance Of The Pan-African Red, Gold, And Green Flags".

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72. Lilah R, 2021
"In 1870 slaves were used mainly the black so if they were free like this the world would be great again"

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73. Lilah R, 2021
"But I love how he was not racist"

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74. Azizi Powell, 2021
"@Lilah, the American (United States) Civil War ended on April 9, 1865 so the Black people who had been enslaved in the USA were "free" in 1870. ( However, slavery in Brazil didn't end until May 13, 1888.)

That said, I believe that I get the spirit of what you wrote that the world would be a much better place if relationships between the Black people and White people were like what was depicted in this video.  I agree and I also love the fact that Boy George wasn't (and isn't) racist.

I agree and I also love the fact that Boy George wasn't (and isn't) racist."

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75. Shany Priya, 2021
"Kenyans let's gather here because we used to sing Kama chameleon 😂😂,kumbe it's karma weh 😂😂😂"

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76. THAT'S IT, 2021
"Red gold and green💯💯💯🔥🔥🔥"

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77. Audrey Layne, 2021
"Red, Gold & Green! Rasta! <3

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78. kulmainer, 2021
"Hey Boy George, we want you back, we want you back with your great songs. I know this is a Dream, but anyways thanks for giving us a Dream with your Great Songs in the 1980´s. I hope you are fine and enjoy Life! Best out of Oberpfalz, Bavaria, Germany!"

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