Lily Allen - This summers biggest racist?

Why would it not? All discussion of gaze involves hypothetical viewers. And check out YouTube - they're not hypothetical.

i just figure that a woman's reclamation of something occurs on her own terms, not how i imagine some guy might interpret the gesture

^ ...not in relation to how i imagine some guy...

"cuz i've got a brain" is traditionally a phrase only used by relatively stupid/insecure people, so little wonder it turns out she's out of her depth.

the rap verse from electrik red's "muah" (presented w/o comment. legitimately!)

Now tell me what you really gonna do with that
Never seen a girl with an ass so fat
I'm not a stripper but I dance like that
I'm not a stripper but where the money at
I'm not a freak, I'm not a nasty hoe
Well I'm lyin but I'm classy though
I'm like you don't wanna get get get it?
To the bed room hit hit hit it
I'm not a ditz, I got a brain
You saw my titties before you see my face
It's all good nigga don't be ashamed
I would feel the same, cause I know you know

I'm the shit with this shit

etc

<3333333

i loved watching this just now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOVDnDz2eYI

i'm kind of shocked a singer like Timberlake or somebody hasn't tried to repurpose that phrase in a sex jam yet (i.e. "girl, i wanna get problematic with you!" or "the way you dress be problematic for me, baby")

― da croupier, Thursday, November 14, 2013 2:27 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

LOL

just want to add re: lily allen's "no one wants to see my cellulite" is particularly bullshit since a main visual motif is the slow motion rippling tide of the dancer's asses

White Feminist ‏@WhiteFeminist

Hard Out Here to replace Same Love as my #PoliticsJam 4 the term! Lily Allen delivers w a scathing critique of #UrbanMusic & objectification

<3

perfect

that account is always perfect

i was WAITING FOR IT

lollllll @ that j-law rap sheet

• In an interview with Zach Galifianakis, she asked, “Isn’t [the hunger games] your life story?” to allude to the fact that he is fat. (This was scripted by Galifianakis himself)

i'm kind of shocked a singer like Timberlake or somebody hasn't tried to repurpose that phrase in a sex jam yet (i.e. "girl, i wanna get problematic with you!" or "the way you dress be problematic for me, baby")

― da croupier, Thursday, November 14, 2013 2:27 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

LOL

― flopson, Thursday, November 14, 2013 10:44 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Girl, I'm gonna problematize you.

lmao the first thing i did after seeing the video was to check the whitefeminist twitter

btw i really don't think this is a case of "well the imagery is highly questionable BUT THE LYRICS ARE GOOD SO I'M OKAY WITH IT"... i mean you don't even have to go three couplets in before you're encountering lyrics that are horrifying on their own. of course the way the words and images interact is especially vile.

yeah, the bar for "good lyrics" is apparently set at "you'll find me in the studio instead of the kitchen." it's like... a combination of "how biting -- in 1963" and "oh, ok, my apologies for cooking myself dinner instead of having the foresight and/or brains to be a platinum-selling recording artist."

"You'll find me in the studio instead of the kitchen."

You could tell me Ed Sheeran wrote that and I'd believe you -> therefore, it's not good.

the massive hypocrisy in mocking how black people boast about their wealth in verse one, then in verse two blithely presenting "there's money to make" as a feminist sentiment, as well

it's not ostentatious if you spend it on "nice things"

This has me thinking about this thread:

C or D - 70s era artists (usually white dudes) with gospel-style backup singers (usually black women)

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/daisy-lindlar/lily-allen-hard-out-here_b_4276840.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

This week, the music video for Lily Allen's first new single since 2009, Hard Out Here, was released. The video, a satire on the objectification of women, has been viewed on YouTube over two million times in two days, and the hype surrounding it shows no sign of slowing down. Feminist issues have been put in the media spotlight recently, particularly within the music industry; who can forget the recent criticism of Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines, and the backlash over Miley Cyrus' fondness for twerking?

Despite the empowering message of the song, the video for Hard Out Here has received a lot of criticism, particularly for it's supposedly racist undertones. However, I completely support Allen in what she is trying to achieve, and I wish that others - particularly women - would do the same.

In the video, the message Allen is trying to send is clear. We are worth more than our appearance and our bodies, we should be proud of who we are, and we shouldn't be letting anyone tell us otherwise. This is a message that goes unnoticed all too often in the media, where a woman is a lot more likely to be celebrated for her figure than her talents (often through no fault of her own), and any woman who is trying to go against this should be celebrated.

It's a sad fact that we live in a society where women can never win. If we wear revealing clothes, we are criticised. If we stay covered up, we are criticised. If we talk openly about our sex lives, we are criticised. If we prefer to keep it private, yet again, we are criticised. That is why I am a firm believer that we, as women, should support each other. After all, the idea of the sisterhood is at the core of feminism, and if we don't support and respect one another, how can we expect anyone else to?

It's true, Allen's video is not everyone's idea of feminist perfection. Yes, she is fully clothed whilst the dancers are not. Yes, the majority of the dancers are from ethnic minorities. However, if she were just wearing a bikini in the video, she would have been criticised for using her body to sell records. And if she had only used white dancers, the video would still have been labelled 'racist'. In reality, nothing is perfect, and this does extend to feminist media, and feminists themselves. For example, I am slightly ashamed to admit that I probably wouldn't leave the house without make up on. Does this make me any less of a feminist? Or make what I have to say on feminism any less relevant? Not at all.

What we should be doing is celebrating the fact that Lily Allen is making an effort to change the message that women are fed by the media every day. Rather than point out what she has done wrong, we should be recognising what she has done right. And the fact is that, in terms of empowering women, she has done a lot more than many other musicians have. So let's stop pointing out all the flaws, and give her the credit she deserves.

It's hard out here for a bitch. Let's not make it any harder.

Follow Daisy Lindlar on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DaisyLindlar

Let's not make it any harder.

lmao

I trust no writer who uses "whilst"

However, I completely support Allen in what she is trying to achieve, and I wish that others - particularly women - would do the same

aka "Fall in line, women of color who've had the audacity to not praise this video."

I trust no writer who uses "whilst"

― the objections to Drake from non-REAL HIPHOP people (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, November 15, 2013 11:51 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

not to mention one who errs w/r/t the "it's" and "its" distinction

And if she had only used white dancers, the video would still have been labelled 'racist'.

This feels like it might not be true.

lol nobody's perfect

(Mods - is the title of this thread wise?)

there's a question mark

About 10,200 results for "Lily Allen racist". If this thread title is seen as worthy of any legal action she's going to have some pretty busy libel lawyers.

don't think anybody's successfully sued to prove they're not racist?

Frankie Boyle did.

so he did. ho-hum.

That was a national newspaper and they a made a (pretty dumb) blanket statement. We are engaging in a debate as to whether or not Lily Allen is being racist. Thread title entirety justified (except maybe the words 'summer' and 'biggest').

supposedly racist undertones

And if she had only used white dancers, the video would still have been labelled 'racist'.

So let's stop pointing out all the flaws, and give her the credit she deserves.

This is exactly what you'd get if you took everything from #solidarityisforwhitewomen and wrote it into one article. Except this article is painfully unaware of those arguments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxeFrmCyDOQ

lex, your piece on this song/video was the best one i read. ty for it.

Worst Black Sky Thinking ever, I thought.

thx roxy

also heartening that blatant racism apologists like "everything" weren't into it

meanwhile, i'm sure this will end well: http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/83526377.html

(gotta love allen's sense of female solidarity once again!)

Yeah it must be deeply satisfying for you to have your work dismissed as click-bait hack work by all the racist-apologizing readers of the Quietus.

lmao @ you speaking for all the quietus' readers

would lmao but i cant for smdh-ing

I was referring to the long thread of disparaging comments you scored. As you say, heartening for you.

Say something that makes sense or fuck off before the sun rises and turns you to stone.

Charming.

I'm busy blacking up my dick right now. See you in a bit.

I'm really impressed by the endless list of feminist articles for the Quietus, also impressed by the sausagefest that is their end of year poll full of avant manmetal.

I was referring to the long thread of disparaging comments you scored. As you say, heartening for you.

"never go btl" applies as much on the quietus as on the guardian, fact, pretty much every official outlet. in terms of +ve feedback from people who's opinions i respect, yes, the response to that was extremely heartening

i do wonder about your own stake in defending lily allen though

My go:

I've not seen the vid, which means I am well-placed to say:

The song sounds alright, we heard it on the chart rundown yesterday.

As far as the video goes, it sounds like it's a take-off of a previous hit video by someone else, which means it has a lot in common with what the two ronnies did many years ago, so is not a good idea.