I keep away from doing topical stuff in these posts for a few causes. First, topical humor is extraordinarily laborious. Second, nearly every thing one can do this’s “topical” or “present” today is extraordinarily polarizing and emotionally charged to a ridiculous diploma. In case you haven’t seen, a part of the rationale I do these dumb joke posts is to ship y’all dwelling with amusing on the finish of the week. People who learn SJ are inclined to have a fairly gallows-level humorousness, so I’m glad I get a chance to make you smile earlier than you’re in your option to the weekend.
There are occasions, nevertheless, when an enormous ol’ bear simply rears its head in view of your humble humorist. Generally, like at this time, these bears want a superb poking.
Hand me a sharp stick and let’s get began.
Apparently nation music is racist today. Properly, extra so than typical. I imply we’re not speaking about George Jones, David Allen Coe, The Cowboys from Hell or Hank III on this case. No, the offenders of which I communicate are far newer and insidious within the nature of their racisms.
I’m talking of Jason Aldean and Oliver Anthony.
Jason Aldean made some headlines final month when the video for his track “Attempt That In A Small City” was launched after which pulled so quick from CMT it in all probability made some heads spin. In line with the terminally woke, Aldean’s track, and the accompanying video, are Racist with a capital, laborious R.
What’s troublesome in regards to the track? I don’t know. At face worth, it’s a track glorifying the beliefs and mentality of small city America. It warns the listener that in the event that they attempt to do issues like punch an outdated woman, spit in cop’s face, or riot in a small city, it gained’t fly prefer it’s seemingly turning into accepted in huge cities.
A fast search of Twitter—or is it X now? I don’t know—reveals a number of problematic areas with Aldean’s ballad. Some folks discover fault with the lyrics, claiming that the phrases are casting unfavourable aspersions on Black Lives Matter protesters. Black Lives Matter isn’t talked about as soon as within the track. Others will inform you the track’s chorus of “strive that in a small city” is a silent dogwhistle to the racism that’s allegedly prevalent in small city life.
To these folks I say “Projecting, are we? Do higher.”
The largest grievance I’ve heard in regards to the video is that the backdrop is a courthouse in Tennessee the place a lynching occurred. I’ve two points with this.
First, it’s Jason Fucking Aldean. He’s not precisely a historian, and if you happen to requested him what historical past was he’d in all probability say “A silly topic for nerds.” I’d be keen to wager he noticed the courthouse and thought it was a cool place to shoot a music video. It’s much more probably that Aldean had a location scout who discovered the courthouse and beneficial to the nation crooner he use that for the placement of alternative.
Second, and I hate to dig on my dwelling state like this, nevertheless it’s Tennessee within the Civil Struggle period we’re speaking about. One of many extra uncomfortable truths us Vols need to reckon with is lynchings occurred on this state through the Civil Struggle on the common. I imply this was the state the place the KKK was born. For some cause I’ve but to grasp, we’ve nonetheless obtained a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest within the state Capital constructing.
However don’t take my phrase for it. See the video your self.
On the finish of the day, my fault isn’t with the video or Aldean. It’s with the actual fact the track is similar recycled, generic, Bro Christian Southern Rock with a twang that turns me off of contemporary nation music to start with. There’s no soul to it, simply the manufactured crap each different trendy nation artist churns out.
Now the following man I wish to discuss? He’s obtained some soul to him. Oliver Anthony within the final couple of weeks has gone from an obscure manufacturing facility employee in Virginia who data movies of him taking part in music on his cellphone to some of the talked about artists within the nation based mostly off a video of him singing within the woods subsequent to a tree stand together with his two canine, a microphone, and a resonator guitar. Test it out.
A few observations right here. First, this cat can SING. He’s obtained the “vibe,” as the youngsters say, of nation music I like—that type of primal howl in opposition to all that’s unsuitable on the earth. He additionally has a lot emotion in his lyrics that may’t be described apart from the sound of a person who’s obtained one reality he desires to inform the world earlier than he croaks.
That is genuine. It’s uncooked, actual, and really a lot from the center. I don’t understand how anybody might get offended over this. However sadly, they did.
The fault I’ve heard lodged most with “Wealthy Males North of Richmond” is a lyric within the second verse the place Anthony says “We obtained people within the streets ain’t obtained nothing to eat whereas the overweight are milking welfare. God if you happen to’re 5 foot three and 300 kilos taxes ought to not pay in your luggage of fudge rounds.”
In line with the scolds, that is “fatphobic” and “denigrates poor folks.”
One downside right here. When you’ve ever lived in a small southern city there’s a superb probability you already know two or three fats people who find themselves most assuredly on welfare and “drawing a test” as a result of they’ve had family members who handed down a practice of mooching off the federal government to get cash. There’s so many individuals within the South who do that it’s truthfully wonderful anybody who is aware of something about small city Southern life even finds this line in Oliver Anthony’s track remotely controversial.
Truthfully, to shut this out, persons are beginning to discover taking offense at each perceived slight so attractive it’s turn out to be manner too commonplace. Artwork, even when it’s unhealthy artwork, can’t exist in a world the place it may be destroyed by one individual shouting “I’m Offended” into the wind on social media. Sadly for us, that one individual discovering fault with every thing has primarily turn out to be the caveman “artwork critic” from Mel Brooks’ “Historical past of the World Half One.” It’s that one asshole pissing throughout every thing the remainder of us discover stunning.
And on the finish of the day, if you’re pissing on one thing stunning, it has the impact of creating every thing round you scent like urine.
Okay. I feel that bear’s poked sufficient. I’m positive there shall be a number of individuals who can’t wait to inform me how unsuitable I’m about all of this. Simply know you’re in all probability smelling like rank asparagus piss if you do it.
Blissful Friday, everybody! Let’s have a fantastic weekend and possibly, simply possibly, I gained’t poke any extra bears subsequent week!
Oh and if you happen to’re a kind of people who thinks these songs are “racist”—muffin, do us all a favor and by no means hearken to something by David Allen Coe and the Cowboys From Hell.
You may blow a gasket within the course of.
