Coonie Tunes

Such a terrible name I know, but it amused me. The L.A. Times, in response to a controversy over a BET commercial, I think, or a PSA, had a slide-show chronicling the history of racist banned or otherwise controversial cartoons. The BET cartoon that started the discussion and led to the subsequent article, and it all is called Read A Book, a "crunk" style rap song with exhortations, it seems, to the black community to escape the trappings of subjugation, to stop glorifying ignorance and material possesions and break the self imposed chains that keep them locked down. At least that's what I got from it.(here's what the creator has to say.) But apparently some people think that it is reinstituting or reinforcing certain stereotypes about black people, even though all of these same critiques and instructions mentioned in the song I'm sure have been around in one way or another since W.E.B. Du bois and The Talented Tenth or Booker T. Sometimes only through the eyes of offense, or through a mirror being held up can one see one's own faults. In about a month it's been viewed over 650000 times, so it has sparked some debate and interest, though I would think some of that interest is prurient. But watch it here for yourself. I really like the music.

I personally don't find it racist at all because I agree with everything that is being preached.
This however is racist. At first when I sa this and the first image was of a dumb picaninny type guy with blackface skin I was shocked. But then I thought maybe Bugs was just being an equal opportunist; Elmer Fudd isn't the smartest one either. But then near the end when Bugs broke out the dice...straight up racist. Though I did like the log and cliff bit.

I think I may make this a weekly feature; I need something on Fridays and everyone loves racism!

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