The Language Problem....

Right now, after the whole Imus outcry, people are spoiling for the fight with rap music. The question is how can Imus be fired for saying "Ho" when rappers say worse all the time?

The short answer is Economics stupid. If Rap music that was "negative" did not make any money it would not be made anymore, if Imus did not lose his sponsorships he would be on the air today. It's that simple...

But the difficult question comes in when people want to know why there has not been the outcry against rappers like there was against Imus... There are a few reasons.

1. We all know hoes, and golddiggers, and bitches, and etc... It's true, we all do, and therefore it is not the same as the Rutger's girls basketball team who were people with faces, and struggles that could be identified, with, its fucked up but true. Usually there is just blanket disrespect except for the case of song like "Wouldn't get Far" by the Game, which has generally been given a pass because most people think the video "vixens" are "video hoes."

2. No one wants to deal with the deeper issue. That issue being that Imus used the term "hoe" without any true intention of insulting the sexual promiscuity of those young women. Unfortunately when most rappers and people in the "urban" culture use the term, they actually mean that you are a "hoe" and they treat you accordingly. That right there is the issue much more than the language. There is a problem with disrespect as it comes in the form of words, but there is a larger problem, particularly with the breakdown of the Black American family where men and women just do not have enough proper respect for one another. the word "hoe" could be erased from everyone's memories tomorrow and that would not change the fact that most people these days see the opposite sex as something to be used as opposed to someone to be loved. Until we discuss that, I just ain't ready to start protesting Snoop Dogg.

3. The common belief, no matter how much people try to argue it, is that rappers differentiate. It's like the Chris Rock joke about women dancing to disgusting shit. The basic idea is "he ain't talking 'bout me!" Now in general this is true, though I choose not to speculate what side of the line each individual falls on. As they say, one man's dream girl is another man's bust down... (Or I guess you could say trash and treasure, but I hate mixing metaphors.)

4. Life ain't fair. How bout this? I for one am sick to damn hell of people acting like Life is supposed to be fair. It's not, Black people get fucked over all the time. So what if you believe that in the grand scheme of things he should not have lost his job for the joke. Shit, Arsenio should have lost his job for rolling with the Minister. Kate Moss shouldn't have lost her contracts for doing cocaine. Hell, you can argue all I want about me calling myself a nigga, but hell, just cause I may scratch my ass doesn't mean I would let you do it. Be easy homey...

Not in anyway is the list dispositive, all that I am saying is the situations are different and its why this "movement" to clean up rap isn't likely to work. Hell all the people protesting this shit still don't actually want to have to talk to any real kids so fuck them anyway...