"What was it like to grow up in (name of small town)?
RantWoman needed that question the other day. It only came to her today, thanks partly to the social media storm about the recent release of Jason Aldean's video for a song called "Try that in a small town" played and analyzed in several clips below.
The song has evoked howls of racism. It has been pulled from CMT (Country Music Television) because of fears it could evoke violence. It has evoked yammers from conservatives about leftist silencing. RantWoman is in a Wait Just a Minute mood--IN SPITE of Aldean's history as an anti-vaxer, among other disagreeable advocacy.
RantWoman sadly concurs that elements of the video could absolutely be understood as inviting violence rather than using imagery to make a number of points. RantWoman is also really sorry that the overall national frenzy level is such that violence and outrage are the first places people head when art quite appropriately asks people to look at matters from many angles and to consider matters that involve ambiguity. In other words, RantWoman is sorry the video got pulled from CMT, BUT in the spirit of a versatile God who gets things done all kinds of ways, RantWoman is going to permit the thought that uproar sometimes actually helps people get where we need to be especially about big problems.
(RantWoman also notes that plenty of bad stuff happens in small towns. Cringe about around here we take care of our own. Really?)
RantWoman had to consume several commentary videos both to hear a range of reactions and because the videos included a number of images RantWoman had trouble digesting until others commented.
So watch as many of these clips as you like and then come to RantWoman "on the other side" of the videos.
Content warning: graphic description of images that appear in some videos. Black women talking about how explicit stuff sells but that does not represent all black women
Marky D is a white guy from TX. He talked Cheryl Crow, who he remembers for her position on toilet paper (watch the video). One time he and his family where in his apartment for some kind of riot. Not fun. Goes looking for racism and pro-lynching advocacy and does not find any.
Pastor who comments about lots of popular culture.
General thread about urban vs "flyover states," interesting comments about film in front of a courthouse; interesting comments about courthouse scene The courthouse is the site of a famous lynching and RantWoman cannot tell whether flames that come along are about destroying a symbol or destroying some warped conception of justice and two-tier justice.
Clips from Inside Edition, comments about filming in front of courthouse where a lynching heard, Youtube demonetization, gun inherited from grandfather
What's the Issue Here?
Comments on some musical aspects, simplistic song structure,
specifically calls out looting of small businesses
cowardice of violence
"cussing at a cop and spit in his face...burn the flag" RantWoman's first thought was January 6. Bad cop not the norm...
LOTS of tightknit communities in the south independent of race.
heritage of guns; "Good ole boys" Nothing to do with race??? Country bumpkin???
Criminals are opportunistic but I have seen people planted there.
Political song, humanistic, country is not really my thing.
A really interesting set of takes on many different elements of the video.
The courthouse.
The flag
falling into trap.
if "they
want to they can
want to they can
We defend ours
I want this to be a safe space. learn more about each other. Love. Accept people. Love them how they are.
What is wrong with this song?
"It's not the song. It's the imagery"
The imagery is reality.
The court house
mentioned rap rivalries
Aldean raised in Macon GA
sense of community when Aldean was growing up.
We need more people encouraging community
"If we got a problem with this we ain't gonna make it."
"We mad about this???"
There. Now RantWoman has presented a range of views from both creators of color and white voices.
RantWoman's first fast reactions:
--Listen to the "can we all please get along?" voices
--Who does or does not use the word racism and what other dynamics come up?
--Small town? PLENTY of BAD STUFF happens in small towns.
--Burning the flag? Never has been RantWoman's thing.
--Spitting on cops: also disagreeable with a bonus of "you talking about #J6, the biggest single day crime wave sine 9/11? No mention but what came to mind.
--The courthouse with clouds of smoke in front of it? Is this pro-lynching or just a call to acknowledge history?
--Riot scenes: WHERE in the US do police have white riot helmets? RantWoman has never seen this; that does not mean this does not exist. However, RantWoman's first reaction was "don't we have enough riot footage in the US without having to import some from abroad.
--We take care of our own?" WHO ARE our neighbors these days??
And finally, from the Twitterverse, a 100%unauthorized effort at humor.
 |
| NOT the official album cover: Jason Aldean. Try that in a ball gown |
For the record: RantWoman has two yankee friends, a longtime couple, who teach at a university in KY. They are contra dancers. When they first moved to KY, the husband caused great consternation by showing up to dances in a nice gauzy flowy skirt.
One time the wife was visiting Seattle, RantWoman asked whether she might like to visit a famous local kilt emporium. No, she said, (her husband) thinks kilts are for men who can't handle real skirts. The South has survived this.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment