I think his tone is joyous. It brings me joy.
― how did I get here? why am I in the whiskey aisle? this is all so (Laurel), Tuesday, 10 July 2012 16:09 (eleven years ago) link
john terry
― deems irreverent (darraghmac), Tuesday, 10 July 2012 16:18 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.morganspier.com/events-details.php?day=1343620800
Is this racist? Its this great new spot that opened up in Philly with great DJs and a great chef doing the food, etc, and they have a night called Jamaican Soul where they play roots, reggae, and Jamaican soul, and they also just started doing nightly food specials and that night it was $10 for really quality jerk chicken, fries, and fried plantains (and also a craft beer, whoo Philly)
Got into an argument with my boyf who says the name Jamaican Soul is racist, and that the whole thing fetishistic, and the idea of having a food special that correlates culturally w a DJ night is way problematic and wrong. I disagreed bcz from my (somewhat limited) understanding of Jamaican food/music, it seemed fairly authentic and not caricaturey (e.g. like tropical cocktails and Bob Marley and paper Jamaican flags everywhere and fake dreads) and they weren't billing it as like !!JAMAICA NIGHT!!, and it seems equally problematic to say "you cannot play music and serve food w the same cultural influence w/o it being racist"
― alan is more upset (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:27 (eleven years ago) link
it's only racist if they play "Dreadlock Holiday"
― sorry i'm tumblr white (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:29 (eleven years ago) link
is the name supposed to be a play on "piers morgan," cuz if so, that's definitely racist
― funny-skrillex-bee_132455836669.gif (s1ocki), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:32 (eleven years ago) link
No it's not, it's just a dumb name. They do tons of different things (Todd Terry, Alan Braxe, The Juan Maclean, etc)
― alan is more upset (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:39 (eleven years ago) link
true story, my dad (among other ventures) opened a nightclub in the late 90s, there was a weekly r&b / hip-hop night and he actually thought it was a good idea to sell fried chicken and cornbread on that night. which was definitely racist (sorry, dad).
BUT re: your question, I don't think attempted authenticity is prophylactic against racism, i can see how it might play as a kind of ethnic tourism. i don't think the food / music pairing is not necessarily offensive but maybe promoting it as an 'authentic' 'Jamaican Soul' experience is maybe pandering to a sense of exoticism that's a little icky -- especially if there are no jamaicans involved (are there?)
― real men have been preparing manly dishes for centuries (elmo argonaut), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:42 (eleven years ago) link
Playing Julian / Damian Marley: Not racistZiggy / Stephen Marley: BorderlineAnyone w/out a career outside the Melody Makers: GTFO
― Andrew Farrell, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:44 (eleven years ago) link
Not sure why calling a night of reggae Jamaican Soul is racist. Jamaican Soul is a musical reference, no? At worst, the food special is maybe a bit tacky.
― Get wolves (DL), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:46 (eleven years ago) link
uhh this all depends how it's done
― funny-skrillex-bee_132455836669.gif (s1ocki), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:48 (eleven years ago) link
tbh I am more interested in learning more about DJs Bloodfaceman and Browner Jeff
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:50 (eleven years ago) link
This!
― Temporarily Famous In The Czech Republic (ShariVari), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:51 (eleven years ago) link
^ elmo's post all otm, & the rnb/friend chicken analogy is troubling, but fwiw/for me, i would find it frustrating if the worth of the night was eclipsed by some of the baggage that any kind of venture like that is going to have. like i think a well-meaning thing that gives some kind of presence to jamaican culture, whether or not it's compromised in terms of authenticity or articulacy, is really valuable, partly as an amenity for the town & partly as at least some however imperfect representation of the wider world. you know? like yeah there are gonna be degrees of how to do it right and yeah it's gonna have to confront & hopefully avoid issues of stereotyping, but i hope there's some ground between the extremes of 'not engaging for fear of trespassing' & 'trashy cultural-tourism/theme nights'. i don't think the concept of pairing food & music is inherently troubling to me, but then i guess i could be proved wrong depending on what the pairing is, again cf cornbread or w/e (vague memories of ten thousand GOP CONGRESSMAN HOSTS THEMED BARBECUE- stories surfacing in my head as i type)
― blossom smulch (schlump), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:52 (eleven years ago) link
xp Oh yeah, totally, but there's too little info on the website to be able to judge either way in advance. If it promised an "authentic" Jamaican experience and had a picture of Bob Marley smoking a spliff and a tagline in patois then that would be different. Maybe Stevie D's boyf had a tip-off that it's going to be full of white frat boys saying "yah mon".
― Get wolves (DL), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:53 (eleven years ago) link
like, if you show me a picture of them and they look like Diplo and Switch, I may be agreeing with your b/f
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:54 (eleven years ago) link
Facebook stalking suggests Browner Jeff isn't a white guy, fwiw.
― Temporarily Famous In The Czech Republic (ShariVari), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:55 (eleven years ago) link
haha I didn't think he would be, I was just saying
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:56 (eleven years ago) link
"ladies and gentlemen, please welcome: DJ BROWNER JEFF!"
http://www.ring-rap.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Jeff-Hardy1.jpg
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:58 (eleven years ago) link
Local reggae DJ Whiter Jeff is getting _no_ work since that guy turned up :(
― Andrew Farrell, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:01 (eleven years ago) link
but anyway, to make this thread less like a scene from Airplane! I think you can't just call the mere existence of this night racist; it's entirely dependent on how it's done, as others have said
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:02 (eleven years ago) link
Looking forward to the electronica and brautwurst night featuring Brauner Jeff.
― pplains, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:05 (eleven years ago) link
You know there are white jamaicans, Indian Jamaicans, Chinese Jamaicans, right?
Also, paramount to me is that the chicken is good, the plantain not too soggy and the whole event not just be some Red Stripe promotion thing.
― Love Max Ophüls of us all (Michael White), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:05 (eleven years ago) link
originally thought you wrote "I think you can't just call the mere existence of the night racist" and i was trying to figure out what you meant by defending the nighttime from charges of racism xxp
― Mordy, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:06 (eleven years ago) link
so by this logic, there wouldn't be anything weird/off about a white Jamaican calling himself Browner Jeff because he's Jamaican?
― I see you, Pineapple Teef (DJP), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:08 (eleven years ago) link
Wd be great & smart to have someone who is actually Jamaican consulting on this? Ime people who love and collect Jamaican music will have made friends w people from Jamaica, will have collaborated on things w them, will have been to Jamaica in search of records/history--generally are respectful of this thing that they love and benefit from but aren't the inheritors of.
Also if Jamaicans are involved then it can have the angle of being "the sounds and tastes of home" for ex-pats instead of straight tourism for outsiders.
― how did I get here? why am I in the whiskey aisle? this is all so (Laurel), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:10 (eleven years ago) link
i am reminded suddenly of this hilarious old thread: Generic Rap Song
― straight up now tell me will I be a fucking lump forever? (some dude), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:12 (eleven years ago) link
I'm not sure the involvement of Jamaicans made a lot of the stuff surrounding Major Lazer less offensive but, in general, having some level of understanding of the culture beyond the cliches is definitely pretty important in getting a night like this right.
― Temporarily Famous In The Czech Republic (ShariVari), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:13 (eleven years ago) link
The chicken was amazing, the plantains were really thin and crisp on the outside but still a bit chewy, and it was in no way promoted as some sort of "authentic Jamaican experience". TBH you wouldn't have even known there was a food special if you hasn't sat down at a table to order food (it's a venue w a bar and dance floor too)
― alan is more upset (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:00 (eleven years ago) link
I am cool with Browner Jeff being called such if there's another dude named Jeff who is lighter
I approve of this night only because I like the idea of being able to go somewhere and eat plantains
― hot sauce delivery device (mh), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:00 (eleven years ago) link
It wasn't like reheated frozen patties or some shit. Also I think I heard Sister Nancy at some point
― alan is more upset (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:03 (eleven years ago) link
but still a bit chewy
I've only had them a few times but isn't that, well, basically plantains?
― Love Max Ophüls of us all (Michael White), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:06 (eleven years ago) link
Is it Ok for white people to call 50 Cent "Fiddy"
― calum-y maybe (Whiney G. Weingarten), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:08 (eleven years ago) link
ok folx i have one i'm genuinely on the fence about
there's a queer-friendly event/club night that happens here occasionally called "Grown and Sexy". it's mostly a DJ thing but i guess there's other stuff like queer burlesque and maybe bands, idk
http://www.citypages.com/2011-12-28/calendar/grown-and-sexy-new-year-s-eve/http://www.citypages.com/slideshow/grown-and-sexy-37131923/
anyway, i've always understood that term to be in reference to black-oriented events pitched at an older audience. dress codes, no rap, that kind of thing.
so... appropriation? or not? Is This Racist?
― du. duplass. duplass mich. (goole), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:21 (eleven years ago) link
/but still a bit chewy/I've only had them a few times but isn't that, well, basically plantains?
Well I mean they were sliced super-thin and could have been fried til crispy but they weren't, idk all the plantains I've had have been large plantain chunks like tostones and not house-made plantain chips.
― alan is more upset (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:27 (eleven years ago) link
a browner shade of jeff
i don't think usage of "grown and sexy" is racist
― This clam, stranded on someone’s floor, is trying to dig itself (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 18:32 (eleven years ago) link
yeah
― straight up now tell me will I be a fucking lump forever? (some dude), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 18:34 (eleven years ago) link
idk it just seemed... rude to me.
like if some indie bicycle bacon bring-your-dog event was called "off the chain" or something. yes, haha.
― du. duplass. duplass mich. (goole), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 18:35 (eleven years ago) link
brown n sexy
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 18:35 (eleven years ago) link
I haven't shaved for a long time and someone called me chocolate jesus (I have v long hair), it made me p uncomfortable for whatever reason, but I was able to say "more like, chocolate lazy"
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 18:37 (eleven years ago) link
i assume chocolate jesus would be hollow inside
― This clam, stranded on someone’s floor, is trying to dig itself (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 18:50 (eleven years ago) link
props to SD's abdul ref btw
― This clam, stranded on someone’s floor, is trying to dig itself (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 18:51 (eleven years ago) link
reach out and eat me.
― pplains, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 18:58 (eleven years ago) link
cool thx 4 that
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 19:02 (eleven years ago) link
it'll be playing in my fuckin head all day now
this doesn't scan as racist to me
besides isn't like half of reggae african cultural tourism anyway?
― the late great, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 19:07 (eleven years ago) link
wait, me? What?
― alan is more upset (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 20:00 (eleven years ago) link
he means my display name
― straight up now tell me will I be a fucking lump forever? (some dude), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 20:01 (eleven years ago) link
like if some indie bicycle bacon bring-your-dog event was called "off the chain" or something
this doesn't raise any alarms for me, tbh. dumb, but not something i'd consider having concerned words over.
― contenderizer, Thursday, 12 July 2012 00:12 (eleven years ago) link
yeah goole you might be overthinking that one a bit, unless it was packaged in like gothic script and "urban" stylings. basic ppl say 'off the chain' now, calling an imaginary (but v v possible esp in mpls) event maybe racist is a little hand-wringy.
if anything such an event would be ageist because no one my age thinks anything is off anything else unless it's a hook
― catbus otm (gbx), Thursday, 12 July 2012 00:59 (eleven years ago) link
off tm
― how did I get here? why am I in the whiskey aisle? this is all so (Laurel), Thursday, 12 July 2012 02:26 (eleven years ago) link