Roderick Cook | Our faves are problematic

What's the T? | We need to think critically about the political implications of the media we consume

By Roderick Cook 09/30/14 10:55pm

A set o f complicated choices arises when we hear Iggy Azalea being played at a party.

By now, most of us have hopefully heard discussions and critiques of this Australian artist and some of her more problematic aspects. Her rapping style, which is a butchered attempt at mimicking AAVE (African American Vernacular English), has been called “vocal blackface” and her entire persona and performance have been critiqued as cultural appropriation.

For those who want to make an effort to combat oppression in all of its manifestations, there is still internal conflict and argument as to how to react when we come into contact with these individuals. What do we do when we hear Iggy Azalea’s music being played, or when we hear her being lauded for her “talents”?

Some may choose to ignore her background, taking the stance that musicians and other pop culture figures doing some questionable things isn’t worth focusing on in the grand scheme of social issues. Others may choose to extend their politics into these seemingly “minor” instances of racism or oppression, acknowledging that indulging in these cultural practices actually helps to uphold the systems of oppression that they play into. Then, you have people who uphold their approach as a perfect mix of these two approaches. They believe that one’s political and social spheres can easily be separated. This leaves room for being critical of that artist’s practices in certain contexts, but choosing to ignore this in situations where it doesn’t need to be brought up. One might agree with the assertion that Iggy Azalea is appropriating black culture through her music, but it’s not necessary to bring this up outside of political discussions, such as at a party.

I think that this mentality is dangerous because it doesn’t actually make room for systemic change. Culture and politics are deeply connected, and it’s important to take every opportunity possible to show disapproval of people’s violent actions. This may result in casual dismissals and eye-rolling from peers, but actively resisting oppressive things that are ingrained into our culture makes a powerful political statement. While I agree that we should not completely vilify individuals who are working through their understandings of these issues and who apologize and grow along the way, this is not often the case with artists who are perpetuating racism. Often, their entire careers are built upon appropriating culture and upholding racist stereotypes while benefitting from their own privilege.

While most of us acknowledge that we must critique these artists, we need to go a step further and actively think through these oppressive aspects every time we engage with the artist’s work. This may seem daunting, but it’s the only way to ensure that we don’t become complacent about the real issues that are reflected in the culture that we consume.

Furthermore, we need to be aware that when we uphold the value of artists such as Iggy Azalea, we allow them to take space from other artists — in this example, black artists — who are producing art that is both more authentic and less offensive.

It’s also important in a given situation to listen to and prioritize the voices of people who are directly affected by the violence that these individuals uphold. If someone is uncomfortable and has a critique of an artist based on their own identity and experiences, it’s likely that they have a deeper understanding of these issues than you do — especially if your experience with a piece of entertainment doesn’t have political ramifications on your own life and identity.

Not being offended by something isn’t some sign of “higher development” and maturity of not letting it get to you — it’s probably a fundamental misunderstanding of the systems of power and oppression that are being upheld by these offensive things.

At the end of the day, we can pretend that we are wise in our ability to “take the good with the bad,” but if we don’t recognize how much of an influence media has on politics, then we passively uphold systems of oppression.

Roderick Cook is a College junior from Nesquehoning, Pa., studying gender, sexuality, and women’s studies. Their email address is rodcookthedp@gmail.com. “What’s the T?” usually appears every other Thursday. 

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