Ellington

(Reprinted here in its entirety with permission: http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur26236.cfm )

"Your momma's so lazy, the last time she had a job, the minimum wage was slavery." -- White winner insulting black loser on MTV

In the climactic showdown in the movie 8 Mile, the character Rabbit humiliates his hapless black opponent in a rap contest staged right in the 'hood in which they take turns ridiculing each other. Of course, since Eminem was the star of this supposedly autobiographical vehicle, everybody expected the white guy to get the better of the brother.

Recently, MTV debuted a new reality series entitled "Yo Momma" ostensibly inspired by the sort of braggadocio found not only in 8 Mile, but in the average hip-hop music video. Picture an unplugged version of gangsta rap, trash talk sans samples and beats, where all you hear is the loudmouth shouting.

The basic format has the host visiting a couple of different L.A. neighborhoods to find the most gifted trash talker on the block between the ages of 18-22. Then he has the two best square-off in a no-holds-barred finale where they mercilessly denigrate each other's mothers on national television in order to walk away with a measly grand prize of $1000.

Though only on the air for a few weeks, the show has already shot up the charts, and presently enjoys the third highest rating among all cable programs in the coveted teen demographic. Given its sudden popularity, I decided to check out an episode and was frankly quite shocked at the offensive repartee, which struck me as almost deliberately designed to antagonize and inflame along ethnic lines, especially the insensitive barbs aimed at blacks by white participants.

"You're mother is like an SUV, big, black with room for six construction workers inside," went a winning quip leveled by a great white hope named Harp at a dumbstruck black kid who couldn't think of a clever comeback. So the fast and furious abuser only escalated the attack with, "You're mother gave birth to a black Shrek. That's why you look like a [expletive]-ing ogre" and "You're mother's so old and fat, it wasn't the Underground Railroad till she sat on it."

I know that "playing the dozens" is an age-old oral tradition, but excuse me for asking exactly when did it become socially-acceptable, let alone cool, for a Caucasian to pervert African-American culture by resorting to every hurtful stereotype about slavery and skin color and in the most mean-spirited fashion he can think of? Worse, why, at the end of the day, is he proclaimed "King of the Hill" as if a modern-day Tarzan or kimosabe capable of conquering the slums?

Tragically, in one generation, the defining anthem of African-American youth has gone from asserting, "I'm black and I'm proud," to being exogenously defined as the good-natured butt of racist jokes in demeaning tirades with punchlines like "You're mother's so black, they use her bath water to dye bowling balls."

If you're a responsible parent, you might want to monitor closely what your child is watching on television, because if we've learned nothing else from all the misogyny, self-hatred, self-destruction, conspicuous consumption, celebration of black-on-black street violence, and general jive superficiality running rampant in the rapidly vanishing Hip-Hop Generation, it's that it doesn't take very long for an impressionable young mind to become what it beholds.

And a mind is a terrible thing to lose.

Lloyd Williams is an attorney and a member of the bar in NJ, NY, CT, PA, MA & US Supreme Court bars.

Previous Comments

ID

106020

Comment

Lloyd's overly sensitive and way too quick to cry racism. Not only are there racial insults against whites by blacks on the show, more commonly there are recial insults against blacks by fellow blacks. The show is all in good fun. None of the jokes Harp told were actually racist, just playing on history and stereotypes, which is what all the contestants try to do (the good ones).

Author

juggo

Date

2006-05-21T17:12:02-06:00

ID

106021

Comment

juggo, I'm a little mixed on this one. i understand that it is supposed to be all in fun, but we all know that some take entertainment too far---- and with violent consequences at times. I think Attorney Williams' point is that it doesn't hurt to know where some of the garbage our youth spew originates from, and recognize steps we can do to combat it.

Author

c a webb

Date

2006-05-21T20:21:38-06:00

ID

106022

Comment

I also have to add that for me the show does exactly what I try to avoid: the ole eye for an eye mentality. If someone says something offensive or abusive in "real life", is it really the "grown-up" thing to do to try and outwit them in words? Wouldn't you show yourself a bigger man or woman by just walking away?

Author

c a webb

Date

2006-05-21T20:23:23-06:00

ID

106023

Comment

I can agree with you and Mr.Williams completely when it comes to (1) the mentality of the youth in this country, even more particularly urban youth which this show is geared towards and (2) the need for parents to oversee what their children are watching and realize how damaging programs like this can be to them if they haven't yet reached maturity. My only objection was his apparent demonization of the white contestant making those (what he believe to be offensive) jokes, acting as if Harp (the name of the 'contestant') has any less right to make a joke about someone being black as a black contestant has a right to make a joke about him being white. I realize the stereotypes and statements are hurtful, they're supposed to be. One of the supposed criteria for the judging on the show is "sting." It's supposed to not only be a funny insult, but hurt the person's feelings as well if possible. Clearly the show is very immature and not to be taken seriously. I happen to enjoy it in doses, but I'm a college student in my early 20's and can separate attempts at humor from truly offensive hate-speech. What the white contestant said here I don't believe comes close to qualifying and I'd be interested to see if Mr.Williams has similar objections when it comes to blacks making negative racial remarks about/against whites on the show or in black culture in general. Just didn't think it was fair to cry foul with those particular 'white on black' jokes being the center of the criticism. If that's the case, I could write articles on behalf of white people, hispanic people, overweight people, skinny people, poor people, short people, ugly people, etc., all demographics which have had jokes targeted at them. Just make your criticism about the show and society in general, don't single out a particular joke because it affected you more. That was my only point.

Author

juggo

Date

2006-05-25T01:20:20-06:00

ID

106024

Comment

Juggo, I have to agree with you on the race issue. Black people are their own worst enemy when it comes to double standards. On this issue I have serious problems, because some blacks feel like they can say what they want to but run home crying and pouting when the same medicine is given to them. That is just as irresponsible as I find the "Yo Momma" show. People need to wake up to the fact that just because blacks have been targeted in the past that it makes it okay for them to do what they want to and not be called on it. You did say one thing that I think bears repeating, Juggo. It was that what the contestants say is "supposed to not only be a funny insult, but hurt the person's feelings as well if possible." That, to me, is the whole issue. Why would you put a show on the air that is set up to purposely be offensive? It's is no better to South Park. Of course the creators of that show would say that their cartoon which would appeal to impressionable children is NOT FOR CHILDREN. Go figure.

Author

c a webb

Date

2006-05-25T06:11:32-06:00

ID

106025

Comment

That's the funniest hit show on television, right now. and if the contestants stay creative it will be a hit for a while. I just hate BET wasn't creative enough to capitalize on the old black tradition. probably could've helped it stay black owned.

Author

JSU

Date

2006-05-25T09:18:54-06:00

ID

106026

Comment

This has been done several times before, there was a show called "Snaps" a few years ago that was similar, but not with the rapping style. I don't watch MTV much these days so I'm probably not going to watch this show, but it doesn't surprise me to see white rappers able to make such jokes. Rappers like Eminem (who I really like) and Bubba Sparxx are given a lot of street cred in spite of being wiggas (can I say that here?) because of their talent and genuine appreciation for hip hop and the hip-hop culture. They understand the genre and black people, and they are given much more leeway with the trash talk against other rappers because they are considered part of the culture. But hey, ever since we adopted the n-word as part of our venacular, we willingly jumped on the slippery slope of hypocrisy regarding racial insults, stereotypes, etc.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2006-05-25T09:26:30-06:00

ID

106027

Comment

ejeff1970, Snaps was corny, nobody liked it, therefore is crashed. I remember that show. yo momma is how it should be, stripped down to the bare bones off the head cracks on...who else..yo momma. that's the tradition. Messing with that tradition is like adding salt to sweet potato pie. and It always upsets me when blacks cry hypocrisy but are some of the biggest hypocrits themselves. We can't re-write history and the events/words/attitudes that came from it. We can only learn from it, grow and live with the results. And the results are in and the majority of people in america agree to LIVE AND LET LIVE.

Author

JSU

Date

2006-05-25T11:00:23-06:00

ID

106028

Comment

ejeff1970, Snaps was corny, nobody liked it, therefore is crashed. I remember that show. yo momma is how it should be, stripped down to the bare bones off the head cracks on...who else..yo momma. that's the tradition. Messing with that tradition is like adding salt to sweet potato pie. and It always upsets me when blacks cry hypocrisy but are some of the biggest hypocrits themselves. We can't re-write history and the events/words/attitudes that came from it. We can only learn from it, grow and live with the results. And the results are in and the majority of people in america agree to LIVE AND LET LIVE. - JSU To be honest, I was never good at "the dozens" or "yo mama" jokes, usually I could spit a couple of good lines before I got blown away. As a result, these shows all sound the same to me, but I'll take your word for it. Personally, I don't get offended by this stuff, but the author of this article seemed to suggest that its wrong for whites, regardless of being wangstas or wiggas, to be able to get away with making what in past generations would have been considered racists jokes as all in good fun. Hey, as long as the contestants see it as fair humor and no violence results from it, I'm not going to lose sleep about it. I'd love to see a day when we can make jokes about each other, white and black, without worrying about the racial overtones/undertones from past history. But we aren't there yet, and this stuff is offensive to some people.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2006-05-25T11:27:45-06:00

ID

106029

Comment

I guess the difference is if any of the jokes are delivered in a mean spirited kind of way. There are racist jokes that are meant to be hurtful and insulting using stereotypes and ignorance, and I hope that kind of stuff isn't tolerated. But it doesn't sound like that is what is going on on this show. But I haven't seen it, so I can't say one way or the other.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2006-05-25T11:32:03-06:00

ID

106030

Comment

You did say one thing that I think bears repeating, Juggo. It was that what the contestants say is "supposed to not only be a funny insult, but hurt the person's feelings as well if possible." That, to me, is the whole issue. Why would you put a show on the air that is set up to purposely be offensive? It's is no better to South Park. A lot of shows are guilty of that, radio and television. Can't say I agree that 'Yo Momma' aims to be offensive though. I think there's a difference between a contestant trying to hurt the feelings of his opponent and trying to offend the masses watching on television. I've never found any of it to be offensive. And since I'm more of a libertarian when it comes to social issues, can't say I'd be in favor of censoring programs like this either. As hard as it may be, the onus is still on the parents to monitor what their kids watch.

Author

juggo

Date

2006-05-25T18:31:34-06:00

ID

106031

Comment

I'd like to point out that the second joke Mr. Williams attributes to the "tarzan" Harp was actually told by a different white contestant on that episode (named Justin). Though I guess all white people look the same to Mr. Williams.

Author

michael smith

Date

2006-05-31T01:30:13-06:00