'Accidental Racist', accidentally racist.

[kingofnull]

“Video removed by user” doesn’t bode well for Brad Paisley and LL Cool J’s new song, ‘Accidental Racist.’ The tune has been received pretty (and when we say pretty, we mean really) badly by pretty much everyone.

Not surprising, especially considering Paisley wears a shirt bearing the Confederate flag and claiming that he is "caught between Southern pride and Southern blame." And then there are the lyrics. "I’m just a white man comin’ to you from the Southland / Tryin’ to understand what it’s like not to be / I’m proud of where I’m from but not everything we’ve done / And it ain’t like you and me can rewrite history," Paisley sings. "Our generation didn’t start this nation / We’re still pickin’ up the pieces, walkin’ on eggshells, fightin’ over yesterday."

Of course, Paisley is claiming that he’s not racist in this song, and considers his heart to be in the right place. "This isn't a stunt. This isn't something that I just came up with just to be sort of shocking or anything like that," he told Entertainment Weekly today. "I knew it would be, but I'm sort of doing it in spite of that, really."

We’d love for you to be able to view/listen to the song right here, but the removal makes that difficult. But here’s LL Cool J’s part for your delectation. "Dear Mr. White Man, I wish you understood / What the world is really like when you’re livin’ in the hood / Just because my pants are saggin’ doesn’t mean I’m up to no good / You should try to get to know me, I really wish you would / Now my chains are gold but I’m still misunderstood." Somehow, ‘Accidental Racist,” which is supposed to be ‘not racist,’ is in fact, ‘a little bit racist’.

Full lyrics, you be the judge:

To the man that waited on me at the Starbucks down on Main, I hope you understand
When I put on that t-shirt, the only thing I meant to say is I’m a Skynyrd fan
The red flag on my chest somehow is like the elephant in the corner of the south
And I just walked him right in the room
Just a proud rebel son with an ‘ol can of worms
Lookin’ like I got a lot to learn but from my point of view

I’m just a white man comin’ to you from the southland
Tryin’ to understand what it’s like not to be
I’m proud of where I’m from but not everything we’ve done
And it ain’t like you and me can re-write history
Our generation didn’t start this nation
We’re still pickin’ up the pieces, walkin’ on eggshells, fightin’ over yesterday
And caught between southern pride and southern blame

They called it Reconstruction, fixed the buildings, dried some tears
We’re still siftin’ through the rubble after a hundred-fifty years
I try to put myself in your shoes and that’s a good place to begin
But it ain’t like I can walk a mile in someone else’s skin

‘Cause I’m a white man livin’ in the southland
Just like you I’m more than what you see
I’m proud of where I’m from but not everything we’ve done
And it ain’t like you and me can re-write history
Our generation didn’t start this nation
And we’re still paying for mistakes
That a bunch of folks made long before we came
And caught between southern pride and southern blame

Dear Mr. White Man, I wish you understood
What the world is really like when you’re livin’ in the hood
Just because my pants are saggin’ doesn’t mean I’m up to no good
You should try to get to know me, I really wish you would
Now my chains are gold but I’m still misunderstood
I wasn’t there when Sherman’s March turned the south into firewood
I want you to get paid but be a slave I never could
Feel like a new fangled Django, dodgin’ invisible white hoods
So when I see that white cowboy hat, I’m thinkin’ it’s not all good
I guess we’re both guilty of judgin’ the cover not the book
I’d love to buy you a beer, conversate and clear the air
But I see that red flag and I think you wish I wasn’t here

I’m just a white man
(If you don’t judge my do-rag)
Comin’ to you from the southland
(I won’t judge your red flag)
Tryin’ to understand what it’s like not to be

I’m proud of where I’m from
(If you don’t judge my gold chains)
But not everything we’ve done
(I’ll forget the iron chains)
it ain’t like you and me can re-write history
(Can’t re-write history baby)

Oh, Dixieland
(The relationship between the Mason-Dixon needs some fixin’)
I hope you understand what this is all about
(Quite frankly I’m a black Yankee but I’ve been thinkin’ about this lately)
I’m a son of the new south
(The past is the past, you feel me)
And I just want to make things right
(Let bygones be bygones)
Where all that’s left is southern pride
(RIP Robert E. Lee but I’ve gotta thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me, know what I mean)
It’s real, it’s real
It’s truth

 

[Vicki]

Wow, that's screwed up. I need to show this to my husband. I'm sure he will be as disappointed as I am. Smh...

 

[mvapes]

It's ignorance - purely. I'm a Jew, my family migrated here prior to WW2 for obvious reasons as they fled Russia, Poland, and Europe. I for one don't go around picking battles with or singing about Germans!

The past is the past for a reason.

Ive also, while living in NC for 8 years saw a bumper sticker that showed the confederate flag and stated "Surviving Northern Aggression since the 1800's"

 

[lwien]

It's ignorance - purely. I'm a Jew, my family migrated here prior to WW2 for obvious reasons as they fled Russia, Poland, and Europe.

Ah, a member of the tribe.

But yeah, the lyrics in that song assume that racism doesn't exist and that it's just a figment of our imagination, which couldn't be further from the truth.

 

[mvapes]

Unfortunately there will always be racism. People fear what they cant explain or don't understand. If someone is a different color, or has different beliefs than it's usually assumed that their no good. I spend alot of time teaching my kids to have an open mind, show tolerance, and be accepting to what may be foreign for you. We are all equal and everyone deserves respect as we have to share this planet.

 

[clouded vision]

I disagree the song is not racist nor is it claiming that racism no longer exists. Brad is saying that he should be able to be period of his southern roots without being labeled a racist while ll cool j is saying he should be able to wear baggy jeans and gold chains without being labeled a criminal. that song is actually a call to end racism. It is drawing light to a very common problem in society, people are prejudice in that they pre-judge others who don't look and dress like them.

 

[Buildozer]

Unfortunately there will always be racism. People fear what they cant explain or don't understand. If someone is a different color, or has different beliefs than it's usually assumed that their no good. I spend alot of time teaching my kids to have an open mind, show tolerance, and be accepting to what may be foreign for you. We are all equal and everyone deserves respect as we have to share this planet.

that's how i was raised.. and i'm also not just one race.. i'm quite a blend haha.. i never identified w/ any one nationality.. so i don't get offended easily by race talk.. i myself like to have fun w/ it.. i was raised as a person not a race, so i never had much attachment to race... american is my culture hah, i personally don't know the meaning of racial pride.. but it's not like we have a choice over our race hah.. we're all people here... i think. still, it's a bummer to see any one effected so badly by racism.

IMHO i don't think that song was a big deal.. they shouldn't have been so black and white about it.. i think song mostly focus's on how things are, and why things are the way they are out there.. but part of end talks about putting that behind and uniting.. some thing about the new south. i can see how the song would get received badly.. they could have said things in a less racist way i guess, but i'm imagining those words were used because they're common in the south?? i'm not sure though, i'm from a different 'south'

 

[crawdad]

there are so many other icons of the south to depict appreciation thereof such as cornbread and sweet tea (YUM)....seems it would bust few less balls to hinge your viewpoint on something that isn't so culturally sensitive. to debate why its sensitive is not a bad idea i suppose as many have angst about it but a top40 it wont be, and thats no accident its called sensational association. i get where the lyrics are going, could of been packaged better imho so as to not create yet further division. placing blame is hardly a step forward.

that said, i think reacting to it (such as removed from internet) shows just how poised we are to react to such things...not that we have to be blind to what exists but to imagine things being better or just hoping it could be (even if utopia-like) is not exactly what i would consider ignorance, perhaps slightly arrogant optimism at the least. people with a chip on their shoulder sure are easy to spot.

i think its so important that we all view each other as being just as individual and important as we know our inner self to be, we all have very similar thoughts just in different directions of perception. first there is open mind, then tolerance, then understanding...which is a start.

 

[lwien]

I disagree the song is not racist nor is it claiming that racism no longer exists. Brad is saying that he should be able to be period of his southern roots without being labeled a racist while ll cool j is saying he should be able to wear baggy jeans and gold chains without being labeled a criminal. that song is actually a call to end racism. It is drawing light to a very common problem in society, people are prejudice in that they pre-judge others who don't look and dress like them.

See, here's my take on this.

We all have choices that we can make. And so..........my questions are the following:

If you KNOW that dressing a certain way "could" imply that you are a criminal, and if you abhor anyone calling you a criminal, why then choose to dress like you "could" be one.

Same thing for flying the Confederate flag. If you KNOW that the majority of folks that don't live in the south, look upon that flag as a symbol of slavery and racism, and if you really don't want to be labeled as such, why in the fuck would you want to fly it?

Of course, you can make the choice to fly that flag or dress that way anyway, but in so doing, know, with your eyes WIDE OPEN, that the stereotypical labels WILL come flying your way. THAT is a fact, but it is also your choice.

If you want to be proud of your Southern roots, than embrace diversity while at the same time, denying separatism.

If you don't want to be labeled a criminal, than don't act and look like one. There is a large segment of our population that has embraced the "Gangsta" lifestyle, be it through fashion and/or music. If you're going to embrace that image, than how in the hell can you rebel against those that label you for being successful at portraying that image?

 

[kelper]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...lies-manhattan-jersey-shore-article-1.1101883

Is this racist, or is it a legitimate attempt to rehabilitate an ancient positive symbol? It is hard to give the Raelians the benefit of the doubt, and superimposing a swastika over a Star of David seems to be an attempt to really mess with people's minds.

But the Hindus and Tibetans really do want their swastika back (they don't help their own cause by treating Hitler like a harmless cartoon character, however).

It's probably too soon as there are still too many open wounds ... and too many people easily hypnotized by symbols and wanting to jump on any hate bandwagon (intentional or not).

That goes for the Confederate Flag also, but it too is not all bad though it has some major negative associations to overcome as well. As for baggy pants, I don't give a shit about that.

 

[CentiZen]

I don't want to be labelled or act like a criminal, but I consume an illegal drug every day of my life. I know that there are people out there who will abhor me for that, but I disregard them because I know that opinion is morally wrong and will argue them vehemently on that point.

The point isn't that he is personally faulting people for calling him a criminal, he is challenging the whole perception of gangster lifestyle. It's not as simple as baggy pants = suspicious individual. People hold this beleif because the "gangster" look evolved out of real poverty and the realities of living in the predominately black neighborhoods of gang infested metropolis. People then associated that look with criminality, because all poor people are criminals, right?

I mean, sure, there are a lot of people who choose to don this fashion statement and parade it around. LL Cool J certainly isn't a perfect example of someone living in the hood. But I think it is missing the point to simple say that if you don't want to be labelled a criminal, then don't dress like one. Not many people get to choose what they wear every day in the hoods.

 

[Vicki]

Unfortunately there will always be racism. People fear what they cant explain or don't understand. If someone is a different color, or has different beliefs than it's usually assumed that their no good. I spend alot of time teaching my kids to have an open mind, show tolerance, and be accepting to what may be foreign for you. We are all equal and everyone deserves respect as we have to share this planet.

We do the same with our daughter. I wish more people did.

 

[CentiZen]

Anyone who's parent teaches them to suspend their confirmation bias as much as possible (and by extension, remove the fear of the unknown) will be giving them a ridiculous advantage in life over the people who simply rely on impulse. I feel it is borderline child abuse to abstain from teaching them how to think for themselves.

 

[lwien]

People then associated that look with criminality, because all poor people are criminals, right?

Wrong. All poor people do not dress like gangsters. Dressing like one is a choice and when you make that choice to do that, there are consequences, much like any choice that is made.

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong in dressing like a gangster, but if you do, than calling out those that look at you and say, "Hey, he's a gangster", is a bit ironic, eh?

 

[Buildozer]

Anyone who's parent teaches them to suspend their confirmation bias as much as possible (and by extension, remove the fear of the unknown) will be giving them a ridiculous advantage in life over the people who simply rely on impulse. I feel it is borderline child abuse to abstain from teaching them how to think for themselves.

i was thinking the same thing.. being hung up on things like race and differences, can be really limiting to an individual.

 

[lwien]

I feel it is borderline child abuse to abstain from teaching them how to think for themselves.

Well said.......

 

[Ripbongs420]

The song isn't really racist, but it is just full of stereotypes. I think that is what set people off.

 

[lwien]

The song isn't really racist, but it is just full of stereotypes. I think that is what set people off.

Yeah, I agree. The song isn't racist. Has anyone actually heard it? I did and while it's not racist, it's just a badly written song with extremely insensitive lyrics:

"If you don’t judge my gold chains
I’ll forget the iron chains"

Ummm, excuse me? That would be like me saying:

"If you don't judge me by my spend-thrift ways
I'll forget the holocaust."

There are some things that should NEVER be forgotten.
Forgiving the innocent post generation that had nothing to do with it? Yes.
Forgotten?..........Never.

There are certain atrocities that are forever etched in history that should be used as life lessons for the future. Slavery is but one.

 

[RUDE BOY]

Ebony and Ivory side by side .................

 

[CentiZen]

For a little while I thought that these guys were just trying for a reverse Streisand with this whole "controversy" stuff, but WOW this is really stirring up a big pot o shit around the internet. People are really mad about this and the label is probably shitting bricks right now. Yikes.

 

[lwien]

Yeah, it's just a badly written song, both lyrically and musically.

Neil Young's Southern Man, while being the antithesis of this song, was at least written well. Actually, better than just "well". Even if you took issue on the lyrics, the accompanying music supported the angst of those lyrics, which is what music is supposed to do, eh?

The music in this song could have just as easily been about teen-age love.

Totally dumbfounded why no one at the label or in the studio recognized this.

 

[mvapes]

Anyone who's parent teaches them to suspend their confirmation bias as much as possible (and by extension, remove the fear of the unknown) will be giving them a ridiculous advantage in life over the people who simply rely on impulse. I feel it is borderline child abuse to abstain from teaching them how to think for themselves.

It's OK to be afraid of things but it's important to teach why they should be scared - let them develop their own fears for reasons with validity based on their experiences rather than fear because of the unknown. Obviously things come along in life that they won't understand but teaching them to research and over come their fear affords them an opportunity to try things that most kids today won't. When I was a kid I was never home, constantly active, playing stick-ball and wiffle ball in the street, manhunt in the park and ventured out to try new things all the time. Today kids barely leave the house, my son plays video games and most of the friends he has he's never met outside from playing online with them. As much as I think it's cool to play with kids from around the world as I believe it offers some kind of introduction to other cultures I insist that we limit his time playing this way. Sometimes it's like pulling teeth to get him to go out and play - I tell my wife all the time that this sheltering from interaction outside is going to have a negative effect on these kids at some point.

I also am very picky about what I let them watch, half the stuff on TV today is awful. What ever happened the shit we watched? I'm so happy that when I was kid my father raised on things like the Marx Brothers, Abbott and Costello, WC Fields, the raunchiest we got was Mel Brooks! You know what? I realized very young that half the shit we watch today, all these comedians amongst writers took all their shit from these guys. So many things have to be taken into consideration with kids - and on top of all this being a vaporyst can prove difficult as well. I hide alot from my kids but should I teach them that POT is bad? I wish this parenthood shit came with a fucking manual.


Holy shit! I just realized, i've turned into my father!~

 

[lwien]

Holy shit! I just realized, i've turned into my father!~

I remember when that shit used to happen to me when I was raising my kids. I'd be mid-sentence, saying something to them when all of sudden, I realized that what I was saying sounded awfully familiar, and I'd stop mid-sentence with this surprised look on my face, and they'd stare back at me with a look of, "What the fuck Dad. You looked like you just saw a ghost!" lol

 

[mvapes]

I remember when that shit used to happen to me when I was raising my kids. I'd be mid-sentence, saying something to them when all of sudden, I realized that what I was saying sounded awfully familiar, and I'd stop mid-sentence with this surprised look on my face, and they'd stare back at me with a look of, "What the fuck Dad. You looked like you just saw a ghost!" lol....................

20 years ago I would dney that I would ever become my Dad - today it makes me proud.

 

[lwien]

And that's how both the good AND the bad gets passed down from generation to generation.