Back to Square One. (Not Important but If You Want to Read Anyway...)

WARNING: TEMPER TANTRUM/RANT

*sigh* I absolutely hate being childish and pointing a finger, but hey-I'm still a child anyway right? So I'm going on a mini-rant.

If you click on the post about Lord Toph (The post, in fact below this one) and read the comments you'll see what I'm talking about. First of all-this blog-the very one you are observing now is MINE. My own. My own to rant about race in the metal scene or my own to rant about non important junk that no one really cares about-its still mine.
I decided to post on the Internet to see if kindred souls would identify or not identify and give me their honest opinion on the subject and I had thought that I had gotten my reasoning behind the blog and its subject very clear in nearly all my posts. So a comment such as this:

"I guess this is what we can expect from a 17 yr old girl with no vision, somebody who only sees in black or white"

Or this:

"Agrees with Anonymous why does it have to do with race .. why does everything come down to the race card..."

This gets me thinking if people really even think about what they are reading in this blog at all and why I feel the need to identify the blog as 'The Black Girl Into Heavy Metal'. I feel like I'm being redundant but I'll rehash this again so the obvious newcomers to the blog don't get me misinterpreted. In my normal everyday life-I could care less about race-I have friends and family of other races. It's OTHER PEOPLE that seem to care so much for reasons beyond my knowledge. I wish I could say we live in a bubble gum world where we sing peace and love songs and don't notice race and stereotypes within the race but we do. I personally feel as though these comments are very naive and dangerous. I was going to do a different post about this but-what the hell- I'll just include it in the rant. In my opinion-bash me if you want, this is my blog and I can say whatever the hell I wish-I feel that humans aren't necessarily inherently racist but inherently prejudice. We are programmed from a young age to see in shades and are constantly barraged with false representations of a culture/race that we slowly are poisoned to believe. What do I mean? When people see black folks like Lord Toph, Grace Jones, Jada Pinkett, hell even Dennis Rodman they are either glorified for being 'different' and unique' aka 'not like the other ones' or are hated and are wretched for the very same reasons by somebody and usually it has to do with race. Example of this would be YouTube. Click on a video with a black person or an Asian, or a Latino doing something 'out of the ordinary' and read the comments. I also want to make it clear that its not white folks that are just doing it but EVERYONE is prejudging and berating each other.
And I'm being persecuted because I'm honest? Racism and prejudice exist-especially so with black artists in alternative forms of music. This blog is just me putting a light to it because we really don't have many voices in the community to attest to it.
It comes down to the race card because it usually does-if you don't believe me then look at the controversy surrounding the President.
I'm not saying black folks should receive a shiny medal or a pat on the back. I just want awareness-that's all and I enjoy the thoughts and opinions of others who think above a 5th grade level. So please, from now on lets all be a little more honest with ourselves when it comes to racial identity in music and within our own communities. I guess I just felt those post put me right back to square one and the point I was trying to make in the first place.

I realize this is the Internet and you as well can/will say anything you want in turn and I respect your opinion...just not your unfounded attacks.

That's all folks'!

Comments

RainaHavock said…
There is nothing wrong with you are doing. I had some dumbass on my own blog talking shit about how i'm a hypocrite since I'm a goth should I be involving myself with issues that have to deal with...you guest it black people! I'm like this is my blog and I say whatever the hell I want. Then it turns out he's a racist dumbass as well. What a bunch of fucking morons. Sorry I had to vent a bit myself.
No, rant on Raina. I completly agree. I don't understand how people can be so rude and no nothing about you! OR only know what they do by a few blog posts. You do and post whatever the hell you want because it's your SPACE to fill with your thoughts-so I get ya. Thanks for your opinion.
RainaHavock said…
Thank you. I agree with you as well. It's just amazing how people are! Then it's funny because a lot of time they won't say this stuff to your face offline. What I say on my blog I'll say in the real world.
Dare Devil said…
I hope that you didn’t think that *my* comment was rude. The song is simply not my thing, but it is not as if I disrespected Lord Toph as an artist, leave alone as a human being!

Be that as it may, there is also the ‘race’ issue. Being white myself I’m actually glad to see black artists in Heavy Metal or other alternative forms of music. Most (white) Metal fans I know may not be racist, but I can imagine that black people do indeed not feel comfortable about the thought of joining a scene that is obviously extremely dominated by white people. I can also imagine that this is keeping a lot of black people who might turn into excellent Heavy Metal musicians away from the Metal scene. I don’t like this thought. I don’t like it at all!
Dare Devil said…
Heck, I suppose I should not post when I am still tired. But then, maybe the fact that I did not see anything disrespectful in your comment only added to my lack of understanding.

So yeah, if you don't like his music (neither do I actually) then so be it. You gave him kudos for doing his thing and you voiced your anger about some of the offensive comments he got. This should be it!
Fri said…
Then be part of the solution, seems you are only carrying out what you hate.
You talk about what everybody else is doing, sounds like you don't agree with it, so therefore you feel it necessary to carry out what you have been prgrammed to do, just the same? Hmmmm. Seems you contribute to the problems of society, instead of really making a difference.
I personally am a fan of the music of Lord Toph, he inspires me and my open mind. Race doesn't play a role in it.
@Daredevil-No, I thought your comment was perfectly appropriate. I just never knew how many Lord Toph fans apparantly check out my blog or maybe typed his name into google and became enraged at my critic.
And thats what I think as well! There shouldn't be an issue about rac but there is on both sides and I'm happy that you acknowledge that there is atleat some barrier there and thats what I'm trying to bring to awareness.
@Fri-I will say this and it will be the end of the LT discussion. I apologize if what I said about him offended you but I'm not taking back what I feel in my heart to be...not my cup of tea in goth music.
I'm not carrying out what I hate-I'm trying to make people see the point of view that ALOT if not most people notice when they hear/see black alternative artist.
I realize you probably don't understand my perspective but can you atleast try to see why I was angered by the unfounded comments?
Anyways-I hope we can put our disagreements aside can have calmer conversations in the future.
Esque said…
I think the people in the previous comments who talk about seeing beyond race and question why you are focusing on race don't appreciate the importance of this issue.

There was a poster that said, "we all breath the same air and bleed red so get with the times." And to me this is a prime example of such ignorance. This opinion is not with the times, it is a rose colored tunnel vision of what a lot of people, black, white, yellow, etc. would like to see. The actual times are a world where race is a big deal still. And in addition to that, denouncing someone's race (things like, "oh, I don't think of you as black/white/asian, etc." can be just as insulting. Some people do want to be seen as black or Korean because they value their culture and heritage and want it recognized. It isn't a matter of being color blind or saying that "we're all human," people, it is a matter of realizing our differences and accepting them as they are without discrimination.
Esque said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Esque said…
As for the comments of, "if you don't like it, why don't YOU make some music?" I do find those childish. People have a right to like an artist or song just as much as they have a right to not like it. AND they can discuss it as well. If I don't like Britney Spears, am I not allowed to critique her? Am I supposed to go out and make pop music that I like? I shouldn't have to, no. I should be able to just give my opinion and then move on to bands and artists that I do like, which is what the post was going to do.

I could understand the frustration if the blog was post after post, after exhausting post on Lord Toph, attacking him and his work. That would be disrespectful and unreasonable. But it was one post with one interpretation in a sea of people who have every right to say they don't like a song or artist's works.
@Grotesque- You deserve an internet hug *hug* because you said just in those two last post explained what I've been trying to get across in most of my blog posts. (Esp. this bit: It isn't a matter of being color blind or saying that "we're all human," people, it is a matter of realizing our differences and accepting them as they are without discrimination)

It's so ideal to think we do live in a 'tunnel vision' type of world but it would indeed by very ignorant to ignore whats happening behind the scenes and that is what I've been trying to say.
And I appreciate you not for agreeing with my point of view but from seeing the arguement from all perspectives which I hope future posters will try to observe.

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