Ian Mackaye on Minor Threat t-shirts at Urban Outfitters (3 Viewers)

[oh shit]

I just think Ian was denying his white privilege

 

[oh shit]

white privilege being pejorative, not something to celebrate.

 

[Jerry Twig]

I just think Ian was denying his white privilege

I don't think so. I always thought he was saying that the behaviour of previous generations is not his fault, and he was sick of getting shit for being white in a predominantly black school.
I think that's a hell of a ballsy song to put out for a young lad, and very provocative. Punk rock and all that. Fair fucks to him.

PS - I like both bands, but Fugazi are far more interesting. Whoever said they've dated is well off the mark.

 

[oh shit]

he was saying that the behaviour of previous generations is not his fault, and he was sick of getting shit for being white in a predominantly black school.

but that's exactly what denying white privilege means. the implication that white americans experience racism in the same way as black americans is naive and sounds really immature at this remove. it also sounds very close to the racist strategy of 'inverted racism' which is increasingly prevalent in mainstream discourse (today on twitter I saw a group campaigning for an end to oppressive 'heterophobia' in the UK) - I know that was never his intention, but a lot of people took him up on it.

that said, he was a kid when he wrote it and just giving an honest expression of his feelings at the time, in the context of a music scene of about 50 other kids.

but I just don't like that song.

 

[Jerry Twig]

the implication that white americans experience racism in the same way as black americans is naive and sounds really immature at this remove.

But he never said that. Where's the implication? It's an expression of his own experience of taking shit for things he didn't do, end of story, and it sounds 'immature' to you because he's 19 years old.

 

[Space]

So how much are these Minor Threat t-shirts?

 

[sleepy]

$28 I think. Not in the Dublin shops yet

 

[oh shit]

But he never said that. Where's the implication? .

the implication is put across best in all the cover versions by white power bands, like slayer, but it's actually there in the very fact that he wrote the song. you have a hard time because you're white in school, ok, that's tough, but when you leave school you are back in the position of power in an extremely racist society, and complaining about that to your white mates in your white hardcore scene automatically implies that you have a right to complain (otherwise you wouldn't write the song), whereas, just in my opinion, you do not.

It's an expression of his own experience of taking shit for things he didn't do, end of story, and it sounds 'immature' to you because he's 19 years old

this is just rephrasing what I said in my last post, but thanks

 

[Jerry Twig]

the implication is put across best in all the cover versions by white power bands, like slayer, but it's actually there in the very fact that he wrote the song. you have a hard time because you're white in school, ok, that's tough, but when you leave school you are back in the position of power in an extremely racist society, and complaining about that to your white mates in your white hardcore scene automatically implies that you have a right to complain (otherwise you wouldn't write the song), whereas, just in my opinion, you do not.

Everyone has a right to complain, whether you agree with them or not. He wrote the song when we has in school. Nowhere does he equate his situation with racism against black people in America. Only you imposed that interpretation on him.
Hahah, Slayer are not a white power band. They are shit stirrers though, and I don't condone what they did with that song at all.

For the record, I don't relate to the song, cos it's not my experience at all (nor yours obviously) but I sure as hell wouldn't assume I know his experience, jump to conclusions about what's implied (which clearly isn't) and blame him for others misinterpretation. Straight Edge is a much more judgmental and annoying song in my opinion (but again, the rage of an 18 year old against the world) but I wouldn't hold him accountable for the hoards of idiots that took that as the fucking bible either.

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

"Interesting" music is not necessarily "good" music.
I'd actually find that pretty off putting,like if someone describes a band as "original" Guaranteed dissapointment.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

If it's uninteresting it's even less likely to be good

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

When I hear a band described as "Interesting" (or worse,"original") It just comes across as the person describing them having nothing else to say about them,which in turn comes across as the band actually being quite dull.

 

[oh shit]

so when a band is described as interesting, it usually means that they are not interesting, because if there was something actually interesting, that's what we'd be talking about. I agree.

 

[Jerry Twig]

This thread is now really interesting