Laughter at Viral videos = Racism?

mikepegg44

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/201 ... video.html

What do you guys think?

from the article:
difficult to watch these videos and not sense that their popularity has something to do with a persistent, if unconscious, desire to see black people perform. Even before the genuinely heroic Ramsey came along, some viewers had expressed concern that the laughter directed at people like Sweet Brown plays into the most basic stereotyping of blacks as simple-minded ramblers living in the “ghetto,” socially out of step with the rest of educated America. Black or white, seeing Clark and Dodson merely as funny instances of random poor people talking nonsense is disrespectful at best. And shushing away the question of race seems like wishful thinking.


Granted, the buzzworthy tactic of reporters interviewing the most loquacious witnesses to a crime or other event is nothing new, and YouTube has countless examples of people of all ethnicities saying ridiculous things.

Seems to me the two statements above are contradictory in nature. Is it just AA that get laughed at on youtube for their antics? clearly not. So why then are these examples of a racist public? They are not the only popular youtube videos. Could it be that they are just entertaining as hell?
It seems to me that the author is putting a lot of how she views the world onto other people.

Sad that it has to be about race...couldn't it just be that they are awesome if not amazingly jovial and excited people that are amazingly fun in the wake of something that is newsworthy, usually because of something negative?

unsung

I have no idea what you're talking about, ain't nobody got time for that.

mikepegg44

unsung wrote:

I have no idea what you're talking about, ain't nobody got time for that.

even flow - question mark

It wouldn't matter the race when I watch some videos of people riding the wagon, asking, "who gonna pay for my children?".

Hell we laughed about the guy who saved those girls in Cleveland......" ....i eating my mcdonalds......" could have been anybody, but man that was some funny stuff.

The fact that the "stereotype" comes to mind....oh well.......do something about that stereotype.

I laugh at Chris Rock, Russell Peters, George Carlin. Must be racist.......oh wait.........maybe I can relate to all the races and that is the problem.

BinauralJam

Damn Unsung

mikepegg44

even flow - question mark wrote:

It wouldn't matter the race when I watch some videos of people riding the wagon, asking, "who gonna pay for my children?".

Hell we laughed about the guy who saved those girls in Cleveland......" ....i eating my mcdonalds......" could have been anybody, but man that was some funny stuff.

The fact that the "stereotype" comes to mind....oh well.......do something about that stereotype.

I laugh at Chris Rock, Russell Peters, George Carlin. Must be racist.......oh wait.........maybe I can relate to all the races and that is the problem.

that is how I feel for sure.

To not like the jovial personality of anyone, and to be able to have that attitude in the wake of this massive story is pretty cool in my opinion. The funny thing is, that author talks about the 'poor' ...that didn't even cross my mind...I am sure there are some that are laughing at this because he is black, but to put that out there as though it is in everyone's mind is a little stupid.

Go Beavers

For some there's probably racist elements that factor into their amusement, but for others, it seems like we like 'characters', and knowing they're like that all the time. Take Kai the (Caucasian) homeless surfer crime fighter who used an axe on one criminal for example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbFWg54ezko

JTH

Look hard enough and you can find evidence of racism in just about anything. Just ask Eddie Murphy.
http://youtu.be/sujM0lTIigE?t=3m1s

Anyway, what color was the "double rainbow" guy? I don't think he ever showed himself on camera in that clip but that shit was hilarious.

mydogmookieblaylock

funny is funny
tweeker or crackhead .... doesn't matter

Jeanwah

Edit

Bentleyspop

I heard the writer of that article today on Talk Of The Nation on NPR

her and another writer who is also black admitted to thinking they were funny at first but then having concerns about how they came across to other people

they made good points

Godfather.

just out of curiousity if the guy was white , missing teeth and spoke with a hillbilly-oki slang would the question of racism still come up ?

Godfather.

Cosmo

mydogmookieblaylock wrote:

funny is funny
tweeker or crackhead .... doesn't matter

...
Exactly... funny is funny. Even when it's some white skater dude taking one in the gooch and crying like a little baby. It's funny.

PJ_Soul

I think thinking it's racist seems kind of racist. What, black people can't be quirky or funny now? We can't think that a black person is ridiculous when they're being ridiculous? Or hilarious when they're being hilarious? :roll:
There are plenty of viral vids with white people in them that we laugh with, at, or make fun of, and no one seems to think us laughing at those people is racist. So what the fuck? Did someone think that the racial tension in America was getting a little too relaxed? They thought they had to tighten it up again? :fp:

Empty Glass

mydogmookieblaylock wrote:

funny is funny
tweeker or crackhead .... doesn't matter

gotta say,

I agree 100%

Godfather.

PJ_Soul wrote:

I think thinking it's racist seems kind of racist. What, black people can't be quirky or funny now? We can't think that a black person is ridiculous when they're being ridiculous? Or hilarious when they're being hilarious? :roll:
There are plenty of viral vids with white people in them that we laugh with, at, or make fun of, and no one seems to think us laughing at those people is racist. So what the fuck? Did someone think that the racial tension in America was getting a little too relaxed? They thought they had to tighten it up again? :fp:

Godfather.

Cosmo

PJ_Soul wrote:

I think thinking it's racist seems kind of racist. What, black people can't be quirky or funny now? We can't think that a black person is ridiculous when they're being ridiculous? Or hilarious when they're being hilarious? :roll:
There are plenty of viral vids with white people in them that we laugh with, at, or make fun of, and no one seems to think us laughing at those people is racist. So what the fuck? Did someone think that the racial tension in America was getting a little too relaxed? They thought they had to tighten it up again? :fp:

...
Exactly.
Trying to create racism where racism does not exist... in my opinion... does a great disservice to people who truely are victims of racism. The guy that doesn't get the job because of his race or the guy that gets his ass kicked for being the wrong race... that is racism. Not funny little clips posted to YouTube.
instead of getting offended by YouTube videos, maybe the author should try to expose true racism and acutally help the victims of it.

hedonist

Godfather. wrote:

PJ_Soul wrote:

I think thinking it's racist seems kind of racist. What, black people can't be quirky or funny now? We can't think that a black person is ridiculous when they're being ridiculous? Or hilarious when they're being hilarious? :roll:
There are plenty of viral vids with white people in them that we laugh with, at, or make fun of, and no one seems to think us laughing at those people is racist. So what the fuck? Did someone think that the racial tension in America was getting a little too relaxed? They thought they had to tighten it up again? :fp:

Godfather.

Double-clap!

g under p

Godfather. wrote:

just out of curiousity if the guy was white , missing teeth and spoke with a hillbilly-oki slang would the question of racism still come up ?

Godfather.

No it should not and the same in the Ramsey interview. I first heard the interview of the lady and the fire "I ain't got time for that" and I thought it was funny. To me it's funny in the delivery of what they had to say, just like how I so love the delivery in these lines of thick southern accent.

http://youtu.be/1fuDDqU6n4o

Peace