what this means
Because sleaze asked, and in case anybody cares...
This blog used to be called The New Hip Hop, Political Correctness Trend, which was a bastardised version of a phrase that appeared in a letter that was published in an issue of the comic X-Statix. Formerly known as X-Force, and for a long time concerned with muscled, mulleted people gritting their teeth and wearing costumes that featured lots of pockets (and guns! and shoulder pads!), the title was completely revamped when writer Peter Milligan and artist Mike Allred took over. An entire new cast was introduced, and the book became essentially a satire of celebrity culture and politics. Suffice to say, this angered some existing readers/fans, and it probably didn't help that Milligan also chose not only to include queer and non-white characters within the book, but also to focus on issues of sexuality and colour in the context of pop culture and America in general. Decrying this, one of many letters of complaint described the inclusion of these characters and issues of being part of "the new hip hop, political correctness, latest fashion buzz".
That phrase stuck in my head because it seemed like the perfect dilution of the way different, even contradictory threats to straight-white-well-off-male lalaland are perceived as some kind of unified, sinister threat. I'm a great believer in taking derogatory terms and twisting them into badges of pride, and I would love to believe that The New Hip Hop, Political Correctness Trend exists. More over, while it was the title of my blog, I liked to believe in my more deluded moments that it was a banner which I was helping to carry... And I also liked to think that by looking at that title, one could immediately tell what this blog was about (in other words: right-wingers and rockists step off). Although the most useful thing about that title was the number of random Googlers it attracted...
Shortly after the US election result came through, I was having a bit of a rant in response to what I perceived as the misguided sentiment that what the 'left' (yeah, I know, like it was 'the left' that got shot up by Kerry losing, I know) needed to do in order to avoid a repeat of the same result (yeah, like waiting another four years for a chance to change things is anything less than crazy, I know) was to be more sympathetic to the opinions of the people who voted for Bush, to engage more with the right-wing, to "listen" more... While there are versions of those ideas that I think are workable and necessary, it all seemed a little too close to saying "let's move even nearer to the 'centre' (ie, the right)", and I wasn't trying to hear that. So I was spitting flame and whatever, when somebody asked me "well, what is the solution?", and the only answer I could think of was in the form of two words: better propaganda.
Better Propaganda is needed. We as a people (oh, I'm aware I'm deluding myself to believe in that kind of unity again) need to stop kidding ourselves that what we do to get our message across is anything other than propaganda, and we need to stop being ashamed about that. We need to make the best, most effective, most sexy propaganda we can. And so far I don't think I'm really contributing to that yet, but I'm going to try.
Boiled down: The New Hip Hop, Political Trend = too close to dilletantism. The time for dilletantism has passed.
Because sleaze asked, and in case anybody cares...
This blog used to be called The New Hip Hop, Political Correctness Trend, which was a bastardised version of a phrase that appeared in a letter that was published in an issue of the comic X-Statix. Formerly known as X-Force, and for a long time concerned with muscled, mulleted people gritting their teeth and wearing costumes that featured lots of pockets (and guns! and shoulder pads!), the title was completely revamped when writer Peter Milligan and artist Mike Allred took over. An entire new cast was introduced, and the book became essentially a satire of celebrity culture and politics. Suffice to say, this angered some existing readers/fans, and it probably didn't help that Milligan also chose not only to include queer and non-white characters within the book, but also to focus on issues of sexuality and colour in the context of pop culture and America in general. Decrying this, one of many letters of complaint described the inclusion of these characters and issues of being part of "the new hip hop, political correctness, latest fashion buzz".
That phrase stuck in my head because it seemed like the perfect dilution of the way different, even contradictory threats to straight-white-well-off-male lalaland are perceived as some kind of unified, sinister threat. I'm a great believer in taking derogatory terms and twisting them into badges of pride, and I would love to believe that The New Hip Hop, Political Correctness Trend exists. More over, while it was the title of my blog, I liked to believe in my more deluded moments that it was a banner which I was helping to carry... And I also liked to think that by looking at that title, one could immediately tell what this blog was about (in other words: right-wingers and rockists step off). Although the most useful thing about that title was the number of random Googlers it attracted...
Shortly after the US election result came through, I was having a bit of a rant in response to what I perceived as the misguided sentiment that what the 'left' (yeah, I know, like it was 'the left' that got shot up by Kerry losing, I know) needed to do in order to avoid a repeat of the same result (yeah, like waiting another four years for a chance to change things is anything less than crazy, I know) was to be more sympathetic to the opinions of the people who voted for Bush, to engage more with the right-wing, to "listen" more... While there are versions of those ideas that I think are workable and necessary, it all seemed a little too close to saying "let's move even nearer to the 'centre' (ie, the right)", and I wasn't trying to hear that. So I was spitting flame and whatever, when somebody asked me "well, what is the solution?", and the only answer I could think of was in the form of two words: better propaganda.
Better Propaganda is needed. We as a people (oh, I'm aware I'm deluding myself to believe in that kind of unity again) need to stop kidding ourselves that what we do to get our message across is anything other than propaganda, and we need to stop being ashamed about that. We need to make the best, most effective, most sexy propaganda we can. And so far I don't think I'm really contributing to that yet, but I'm going to try.
Boiled down: The New Hip Hop, Political Trend = too close to dilletantism. The time for dilletantism has passed.
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