Usher calls Janet & Justin's "Boobgate," RACIST

The Herald Sun ^ | 29-04-04 | Cameron Adams

[ruffbuffy]

This was taken from the Herald Sun published today (Thursday, 29th april) and Australian Newspaper.

[i] "It Was Justin['s] Poor Taste."

Usher plays down roumous of a fued between [he] and Justin Timberlake who some say stole Usher's moves and adopted a "blaccent." But he does have a problem with Justin's role in the Janet Jackson superbowl boob flash.

Of course he's biased: Janet's boyfriend is Usher's main producer.

"Justin kind of skated from the responsiblity of it," Usher says.

"They're going to ridicule a person who'e black much more than a person who's not of colour. I thnk they were possibly lenient on Justin.

[.....].

It's been that way for years. Black performers used to have to enter venues via the kitchen. It's not been easy for black performers from the beginning."

[ruffbuffy]

Okay, now let me say that I think Justin Timberlake is way too arrogant for his own good (and is equally as repsonible as Janet), but to blame this whole "boobgate" afair on race is nothing but ignorant!

I mean, he's saying that if Janet were white, this wouldn't have happened? ...Does anyone remember the Maddonna/Britney kiss? Wasn't that blown out of proportion? And aren't they both white? So how does Usher's logic work? People are very quick to blame problems on race, and absolve themsleves of any responsiblity.

What hurdles are faced today with black musicians? Doesn't the US top ten consist of only Black musicians? Hasn't Usher had hit after hit? So why does he feel the need to play the race card?

I take offense at people using the race factor to remove any blame from themselves.

Oh, in the article, he also criticised the maddona/Britney kiss as "giveing girls the wrong message that bisexuality is okay."

Treading on thin plitical-ice.

[randog]

Who is 'Usher' and why should I give a rat's @ss who he is and what he thinks about diddly?

[dfwgator]

On the other hand, look at how Outkast was criticized for their Indian garb during the Grammys. If it was a white person doing the same thing, they would have been criticized even worse than Outkast was.

[South40]

Who is 'Usher'

My thoughts exactly.

Who he is I don't know, but this is what he looks like.

[ruffbuffy]

Are you saying that outkast should have been criticised more than they were? It's true that if a white person had dressed up as Native Americans there would have beena a political backlash. And what ever became of that? NOTHING! They were called racist by native American groups, and then that was it -- nothing ever came of it. There seems to be a racist double standard. Where many people are absolved of responsiblity.

Oh, Usher is a musician, and obvioulsy likes to discuss politics.

[randog]

He's Spock's cousin?

[dfwgator]

I actually enjoyed Outkast at the Grammys, I thought any criticism was not warranted, but again, the criticism they did get was minimal compared to what it would have been if a white band had done it. Then again noone seemed to criticize the Village People for that, so then again, I could be wrong.

[Hank Rearden]

Don't ushers carry flashlights and wear those funny little suits?

[South40]

Actually, they own a brewery.

[SedVictaCatoni]

He's just mad because his house fell.

[jagrmeister]

I actually agree with Usher in some respect. If the action was blameworthy, Timberlake should have shared in it. I don't know if it was due to race, gender, or the fact that it was Janet's routine...but it did seem unfair.

[ruffbuffy]

oh, of course Justin's to blame. But to blame everything on race is just ignorant. Why can't people's actions be judged as just that? Why are people always willing to blame some other factor, for their own faults?

[hellinahandcart]

Your link doesn't go to this story, or anything remotely like it except for the mention of one Usher.

So I don't know who to blame for "roumous" and "fued".

[ruffbuffy]

The excerpt isn't published online (though I copied the text from a site that had a transcript), it was published in an Australian Newspaper (the Herald Sun, Thursday, 29th April). But if you seem to be suspiciously overly concerned with type-os. Hmmmmm.