Login HereI will never be able to imagine the daily excruciations of being black in America. Still less will I ever be able to understand what it's like to be the first black presidential nominee of a major political party. And I'll certainly never be able to understand what it's like to have the contents of your iPod picked apart by the white media if you're the first black presidential nominee of a major political party.
The forthcoming Rolling Stone lists Obama's iPod selections, and the Guardian has the highlights. Just back up for a second: there's no way that Obama can possibly win here. The subtext of everything here is racial -- watch the media dissect, sotto voce, whether Obama is Too Black (Ludacris! Jay-Z!) and Not Black Enough (Bruce Springsteen? Sheryl Crow?), all at the same time. Get ready for Unreal Talk.
Look, people: Obama has the musical taste of a typical man in early middle age in the late 00s. You know what his iPod selections are? They're like destined for the Spring 2010 editions of the CDs that they sell in Starbucks. And for any TV producer/Politico writer already preparing a piece on whether Obama is "pandering" to white America with his tastes: You'll never be able to prove your case, and you look both stupid and racist. News flash: black people in their 40s also like rock and roll.
If I was Obama, I'd sneak behind my campaign offices for a smoke after the first wave of Rolling Stone fallout coverage hits. But I'd probably just be ambushed by a white reporter who wants to know if that's a Newport or a Camel.
Update: More from Moe n Megan. Rock the 'Bels.
Spotlight
Support this site!
Keep
up with news
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About ATTACKERMAN
Advanced search
RSS/XML Feed
Welcome to FDL, Spencer! If it’s an election year, then the news media simply have to seek out the most asinine topic possible. It’s required by their code of ‘ethics.’ On the other hand, I’m somewhat more willing to accept Harry Reid’s spinelessness since I learned that Tom Waits is on his iPod. Any Tom Waits fan has redeeming social value in my book.
Whoa…but remember how, when you first got your iPod and you realized that you could–given the relatively private nature of the thing–load even songs that you could never admit that you liked? What, now if you run for president, everybody knows all your dirty little music secrets? No way, man. That tears it. Now I’m definitely not running in 2012.
“Obama said that, growing up, he listened to Elton John and Earth, Wind & Fire”
Who would make that up.
Don’t hate on “Tiny Dancer” or “Honky Cat.” I learned the value of Elton John drunk in a cab on my 21st birthday when my friend Tanya slurred NAHHHH DUDE ELTON FUGGINRULESSSSS
Bullseye.
Oh, shit. Harry Reid has an iPod?!
Damn.
But now I’m worried.
I’m a white, suburban ‘mom’.
One of my kids fills my iPod, cause he still resents all the U2, opera, and Sting he had to listen to on his preschool drives. (Yeah, Very Bad Parenting on my part, but too late now…)
Anyway, this is the kid who took me to: http://www.about-a-boy.com/
Where I heard Ludicris.
And Badly Drawn Boy.
And… lotsa other stuff the kid later put on my iPod.
So speaking from the ‘Hillary Demographic’, does listening to Ludicris qualify me to vote for Obama….? Or is it that listening to ‘Earth, Wind, & Fire’ qualifies him to be my Preznit? All this Political MixUpMashUp stuff is just getting wayyyyy too confusing for me.
I know approximately one thing.
If I don’t vote for Obama, my kids are gonna never, ever let me hear the end of it.
No Metallica from the Cliff Burton days. Not impressed.