I've heard it said elsewhere that whenever someone references Hitler on a
mailing list, the
thread in question is *over*.
I agree with your views of creativity as an almost compulsive act for an
artist, and that as such
it requires no validation from the audience.. But these stereotypes of the
"ignorant American"..
The generalizations of a priviledged, all-white, culturally shallow overclass
locked in some
perpetual struggle of good vs. evil with a poor, all-black underclass who,
through their
disenfranchisement, are somehow the keepers of creative innovation and the
rightful owners of a
certain type of music or expression.. I can't agree with that. You refer to art
and expression as
a "gift" - which to me, at least, means it should be free of such conditions.
These kinds of
associations belittle the art, the artist, and the audience. Yes, racism is
still with us in the
21st Century - I happen to live in Cincinnati and have therefore lived under
martial law during
race riots, something I would have hoped never to experience in my lifetime.
I'm not suggesting we
sweep these problems under the rug in what author/poet Paul Beatty refers to as
"Eracism". I just
think that music and culture is made up of a wide range of *individual*
experiences, belonging to
all of us equally, and therefore should be exposing and shattering this
racist/classist sort of
thinking, not perpetuating it.
Just an opinion.. My apologies for taking this so far off topic, it's just
that I've noticed this
attitude as a sort of undercurrent on the list for quite a while now. It's
irritating to me and
this seemed like a good opportunity to point it out. That being said, I can
return my attention
to the music that brought me here in the first place, though I'd be happy to
continue this
discussion privately should anyone feel so inspired.
Your white devil,
-tjw
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