Back for the severalith time is Ishmael from Angry Black Rant! Lots of listeners requested this interview and Ish was kind enough to oblige. We discuss cultural appropriation, the Bill Maher situation, and more race-related issues in today’s discourse. It’s always fun talking with Ishmael, but it’s also very real and revealing as well!
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I think Ishmael is right. Thomas is a little cowardly here. I get the feeling that he just wants black people to tell him what to think, and is afraid to Form his own opinion. Yes, you should take your privilege into account and consider black people’s unique perspective but it is still okay to have differing opinion. But I get that it is a little scary to do that… just look at the reaction Bill got for his joke.
Which is why BTW Thomas saying “I don’t mind being wrong because then I get to be right right away” is a little naive. Changing your opinion has concious and subconscious costs.
Anyway. Good episode
I don’t think of it so much as being cowardly, but that’s viewed through my own personal lense where I don’t think it’s my call. While I loved Orlando Jones’s response to the Bill Maher issue, this is just one of those areas where it doesn’t matter what I think as far as what happens to him. I’m white. I don’t get a say in whether or not it’s right to say that word as far as black people are concerned.
It’s not like I’m overly concerned over conceding that. I mean, the reason I can’t do that is the same reason it’s extremely unlikely I’ll be shot to death by a cop just for being near them. No one’s going to whine after Trump that THIS is why you can’t let a white person be president.
Ishmael was fun. First time he’s been on since I’ve been listening. I might just listen in on his show. I really liked his take on cultural appropriation. It’ll come in handy when weed is legalized and I start moving in hard on American Spirit cigarettes’ territory.
When it comes to issues in the black community, yes I’m looking to black people to tell me about their experience. I think possibly Ishmael misunderstood when he said I was being cowardly, because after I explained what I meant he seemed to agree. I just meant despite Ishmael wanting me to say the word “nigger” instead of “the n word” I’d probably still just avoid doing so to be safe. Not everyone agrees with Ishmael’s take on this, and it’s just not worth it to me to piss someone off, when the upside is what exactly? I get to say a horrible word? I don’t know. I just don’t care enough to want to do it.
I think there are huge conscious and subconscious costs, as you say, but we have control over those. I try to minimize those as much as I can so that I CAN change my mind. I think a lot of people actually end up maximizing those costs, if that makes sense.
Thanks for the comment.
it was more for me about taking a stance on the Bill Maher thing. and I have to take parts my comment back, I wrote when I felt that part of the conversation was over but you did come back to it in a satisfactory way.
I totally get avoiding “nigger” even when in some situations where I think that people would be stupid to get upset over it. I’d do it to because it is just not worth it, even though it is kind of cowardly I guess. But as I said that’s not what I was referring to initially with “cowardly”.
btw, I think it’s really cool that you take the time to reply to comments here.
If it helps, I always like the way the argument is framed by Dave Chappelle and Maya Angelou here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwTejVem4zc). I think Chappelle represents a position similar to Ishmael but to me, Angelou’s argument is much stronger for not using it and I think even Chappelle concedes to some degree.
I did like Ishmael’s argument about not allowing white people to paint over the word though, that’s an angle I hadn’t really heard before.
Also, great discussion overall! Although I do feel a little weird saying that as listening to Ishmael’s arguments on cultural appropriation seemed like he was covering all the points I made in my comment to your last post! I assume you recorded before I made that comment though so maybe I was copying him subconsciously.
Loved it. Ish is always good, a fan of his podcast, and you guys together was a blast. Agree with Ish, and loved the back and forth, excellent work lads. Cheers.