If Music Could Talk

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:45pm

in the same way Medicine Show does a similar job on the old West (with a heavy dash of modern consumerism).

"Medicine Show." however, is clearly riffing on an entirely made-up history—Hollywood's imagined view of the Old West. It has no basis whatsoever in any real people. That's the key distinction, I think. They're both playful songs, but "Medicine Show" is playing off a media creation.

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:45pm

Wolter wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:35pm

Silent Majority wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:32pm

I used the word xenophobic, I wouldn't call it racist.

Yeah, this isn’t a case of malicious intent. It’s just a case where the times have changed and it comes off as lazy stereotyping.

I can get the stereotype thing to an extent but the xenophobia thing just seems off the mark if we're using the dictionary definition. "A dislike or prejudice against people from other countries." Sorry, I just can't see it. It's a good natured yarn about the East in the same way Medicine Show does a similar job on the old West (with a heavy dash of modern consumerism).

An emphasis on prejudice rather than dislike. Cartoon versions of entire countries rest on broad stereotypes that have no actual thought in them.

Also, and I cannot stress this enough: the actual music for Sony SLAPS.

We've been through this before but Wiki has Joe down as being sampled on Sony and I am convinced it is not him. Just sounds like Don.

Silent Majority wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:54pm

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:45pm

Wolter wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:35pm

Silent Majority wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 2:32pm

I used the word xenophobic, I wouldn't call it racist.

Yeah, this isn’t a case of malicious intent. It’s just a case where the times have changed and it comes off as lazy stereotyping.

I can get the stereotype thing to an extent but the xenophobia thing just seems off the mark if we're using the dictionary definition. "A dislike or prejudice against people from other countries." Sorry, I just can't see it. It's a good natured yarn about the East in the same way Medicine Show does a similar job on the old West (with a heavy dash of modern consumerism).

An emphasis on prejudice rather than dislike. Cartoon versions of entire countries rest on broad stereotypes that have no actual thought in them.

There's an infamous episode of the Flintstones (I think it was pulled from syndication years ago) where the Fred and Barney wander on to a movie set of a Western but believe they're actually being targeted by Indians looking to scalp them, etc. The intent wasn't to promote contempt of indigenous people, but it relied on a long history of the myth of the savage.

Kind of hilarious that literal cavemen were considered less savage than indigenous peoples.

Wolter wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 3:56pm

Kind of hilarious that literal cavemen were considered less savage than indigenous peoples.

White cavemen, certainly.

Kory wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 3:58pm

Wolter wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 3:56pm

Kind of hilarious that literal cavemen were considered less savage than indigenous peoples.

White cavemen, certainly.

True.

The most civilized caveman of them all:

Flex wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 10:50am

I've been spinning this album nonstop for the last 5 or so days and Im enjoying it more and more. Some real gems.

I had this playing in the car and the audio panning on Medicine Show was GREAT. I gotta spin this with headphones on again.

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 3:49pm

We've been through this before but Wiki has Joe down as being sampled on Sony and I am convinced it is not him. Just sounds like Don.

I agree with you mate I've never heard it as Joe.

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:12pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 11:00am

Flex wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 10:50am

the music to sony is good, and I actually rather like the vocal delivery but man those lyrics have somehow aged worse than just about anything else associated with the band, and that's saying something.

I suspect if there were an extended version we'd hear the remaining 15% of known Japanese stereotypes that weren't used in the song.

Maybe there are a few stereotypes used but it is a song about Japanese culture, and is good-natured in its delivery. Nothing seems particularly offensive to me, and certainly nothing xenophobic as alluded to elsewhere.

I hate all this politically correct analysis. Every nation on earth has stereotypes. The song is tongue in cheek.

No one seemed too bothered about all the stereotypes in Safe European Home.

Marky Dread wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 7:35pm

Heston wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 1:12pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 11:00am

Flex wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 10:50am

the music to sony is good, and I actually rather like the vocal delivery but man those lyrics have somehow aged worse than just about anything else associated with the band, and that's saying something.

I suspect if there were an extended version we'd hear the remaining 15% of known Japanese stereotypes that weren't used in the song.

Maybe there are a few stereotypes used but it is a song about Japanese culture, and is good-natured in its delivery. Nothing seems particularly offensive to me, and certainly nothing xenophobic as alluded to elsewhere.

I hate all this politically correct analysis. Every nation on earth has stereotypes. The song is tongue in cheek.

No one seemed too bothered about all the stereotypes in Safe European Home.

Dreadlock Holiday gets plenty of radio airtime.

(I've always been a little uneasy about the stereotypes in Safe European Home, actually)

Probably comes from growing up in a place that is renowned for literally owning black people and fighting a war to keep it that way.


But, to take it further: SEH is about the Clash's reaction to Jamaica. It's not them pretending to be cod rastas.

Wolter wrote: ↑

15 May 2019, 9:52pm

(I've always been a little uneasy about the stereotypes in Safe European Home, actually)

Probably comes from growing up in a place that is renowned for literally owning black people and fighting a war to keep it that way.


But, to take it further: SEH is about the Clash's reaction to Jamaica. It's not them pretending to be cod rastas.

"Move ya botty outta the way you raasclatt" sings Mick on the coda. That's kinda just as bad as 10cc in my book.

They went to the right place where every white face was an invitation to robbery. Yep because all Jamaicans were robbers.

Who dat Martian on arrival at the airport - yep because in 1978 Jamaica no black man has ever seen a white man before.

Just pointing out the obvious is all peeps.