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more *******ing about 'tech house' and 'grand theft culture' (pg. 7)
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| SYSTEM-J |
Perhaps not but I find it slightly unsettling that if you take a Middle Eastern guy and shoot him in shadow with some ty Photoshop effects he's suddenly trying to be black. You know, I hate to keep bringing this up, but Shlomi Aber is pretty dark skinned already. I don't like the idea that if there'd been no Chicago/Detroit reference and some wanky techno designer had done a moody low-light photoshoot on him, nefardec would still have read it as "white guy trying to be black".
And above all I just find it ludicrous that anyone would try and use Photoshop to fool people into thinking someone's black. Especially someone whose background is not remotely ambiguous. Everyone knows what Shlomi Aber looks like and where he's from, it's not like this album cover is going to rip up his bio and change his racial image.
I think the cases where white Germans make up American pseudonyms and pose behind cartoon black avatars are way more convincing, and upsetting, than something like this. |
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| nefardec |
| quote: | Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
Perhaps not but I find it slightly unsettling that if you take a Middle Eastern guy and shoot him in shadow with some ty Photoshop effects he's suddenly trying to be black. You know, I hate to keep bringing this up, but Shlomi Aber is pretty dark skinned already. I don't like the idea that if there'd been no Chicago/Detroit reference and some wanky techno designer had done a moody low-light photoshoot on him, nefardec would still have read it as "white guy trying to be black". |
To be honest, I think that may be part of why he identifies with the black experience of detroit and chicago.
Please quote where I ever mentioned anything about being white. He's obviously a darker skinned Israeli. But he's not black.
Wanting to be black isn't limited to caucasian people lol.
| quote: | Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
And above all I just find it ludicrous that anyone would try and use Photoshop to fool people into thinking someone's black. Especially someone whose background is not remotely ambiguous. Everyone knows what Shlomi Aber looks like and where he's from, it's not like this album cover is going to rip up his bio and change his racial image.
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Yes, that's why I called it blackface... |
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| Goebbel Goebbel |
i'm guilty of this too:p |
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| bas |
| quote: | Originally posted by nefardec
i would say it looks like blackface, but at least he's not trying to exploit anyone directly. |
You're nuts :p |
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| nefardec |
| quote: | Originally posted by bas
You're nuts :p |
hardly.
when i see something ty i will call it out. there's something ty in general going on here scene-wide, and this album makes it easy to 'put a face' on it.
i just believe in giving credit, where credit is due. (and giving where it is due too) |
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| Chimney |
| Is it all new tech-house music or just this guy that dared using "Detroit" & "Chicago" as the title, nefardec? |
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| SYSTEM-J |
| quote: | Originally posted by nefardec
To be honest, I think that may be part of why he identifies with the black experience of detroit and chicago.
Please quote where I ever mentioned anything about being white. He's obviously a darker skinned Israeli. But he's not black.
Wanting to be black isn't limited to caucasian people lol. |
The quote from Theo Parrish in particular. Because this is a meta-narrative, isn't it? The story of white people stealing and profiting from black culture. It's also a post-colonial narrative. Your argument is that this is an example of a long-running trend. But Aber doesn't really fit the meta-narrative. Israel is not a colonial power, it was in fact controlled by the British until halfway through the 20th Century. If you're saying Aber is searching for a cultural/racial identity, it's somewhat different to the white man appropriating black culture for profit. There's a totally different history.
But more that, it's a practical issue. If a white guy, or indeed a black guy, was shot in a pretentious moody style, this wouldn't be an issue. The point I'm getting at is Aber's skin colour is not much darker in this picture.
| quote: | | Yes, that's why I called it blackface... |
If they're not trying to fool people, they must be being straight about it, and nobody is going to openly use blackface, are they? That would leave them open to massive criticisms of blatant racism. I just do not find this thought process remotely convincing.
"Right Shlomi, because of the whole Detroit/Chicago thing we want to make you look black on the cover to add to your cred."
"But nobody's going to think I'm black, are they? I'm a famous figurehead of the Israeli house scene. That's how I made my name."
"We don't actually want to fool people into thinking you're black. We just want to do it in blackface."
"Wouldn't that leave us and the record label liable for obvious racism, and enrage the people I'm supposed to be paying tribute to?"
"Damn, you're right. Uh... I guess we can sort of make you all scratched and muddy and put you in shadow, so it sort-of makes you look black even though nobody will buy that, and it's sort-of blackface but we can deny it if anyone actually brings that up."
"Right... so what is the point, again?"
"To give you credibility through ambiguously suggestive blackface that we can totally deny."
"Who the is going to give me cred for standing in shadow with all over my face, sort-of maybe looking like I'm black?"
"Trust me on this, Shlomi, trust me." |
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| nefardec |
| quote: | Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
The quote from Theo Parrish in particular. Because this is a meta-narrative, isn't it? The story of white people stealing and profiting from black culture. |
key words - theo parrish.
also he said 'mostly white people'. and he's right. |
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| dj_alfi |
| is it because he is jewish?:conf: |
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| nefardec |
| quote: | Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
If they're not trying to fool people, they must be being straight about it, and nobody is going to openly use blackface, are they? That would leave them open to massive criticisms of blatant racism. I just do not find this thought process remotely convincing. |
Yes, mine is one of these criticisms of blatant racism.
Also:
As far as the postcolonial stuff goes - this is 2010. We live in a different world, and like many american trends, this kind of post colonial thought has gone global. American media has made this sort of thing acceptable and globally profitable. Though there is also a european history of it as well.
Is Shlomi Aber white? No. Is he black? Nope. Is he ripping off black artists from detroit or chicago and claiming their roots as his own? Absolutely.
Again, I never, ever singled out 'white people' in this discussion. Given that they are a majority in the industry, I think Theo Parrish is justified, but as for my own thoughts, I don't think it's so limited to white people in positions of power - I think it's become so globally pervasive an insidious that most people think its OK.
| quote: | Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
"Right Shlomi, because of the whole Detroit/Chicago thing we want to make you look black on the cover to add to your cred."
"But nobody's going to think I'm black, are they? I'm a famous figurehead of the Israeli house scene. That's how I made my name."
"We don't actually want to fool people into thinking you're black. We just want to do it in blackface."
"Wouldn't that leave us and the record label liable for obvious racism, and enrage the people I'm supposed to be paying tribute to?"
"Damn, you're right. Uh... I guess we can sort of make you all scratched and muddy and put you in shadow, so it sort-of makes you look black even though nobody will buy that, and it's sort-of blackface but we can deny it if anyone actually brings that up."
"Right... so what is the point, again?"
"To give you credibility through ambiguously suggestive blackface that we can totally deny."
"Who the is going to give me cred for standing in shadow with all over my face, sort-of maybe looking like I'm black?"
"Trust me on this, Shlomi, trust me." |
As I said, this is not conspiracy. It comes down to bad taste, which has become rather systemic. I know you are a writer and like to have your fun when you can, but the truth is it was probably more naive than this drivel. Naivete is not an excuse for racism, though.
At this point your argument has been reduced to 'it can't be racism because shlomi aber isn't white'.
:rolleyes: |
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| nefardec |
| quote: | Originally posted by dj_alfi
is it because he is jewish?:conf: |
Lol, I was wondering when someone would say that. |
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| nefardec |
Also, just to get this thread back on topic - this is about the wholesale theft of the unique production of a culture and tradition of musicians from detroit and chicago for instant credibility and to some (related) extent cashing in on a trend.
I do think there is something else going on with regard to the photograph of the artist on the cover. I understand many of you are uncomfortable with that thought. Let's agree to disagree.
I am seriously considering some kind of journalistic venture to find out about it, though. |
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