Posted on 05/08/2015 2:42:31 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Nice try.
Tyler, the Creator's career has been fraught with controversy over his problematic lyrics. He's been accused of negligently tossing around rape jokes, casually using homophobic slurs, and, as one writer summed it up, "inciting hatred." In the past, Tyler has defended his use of the other F-word, telling NME in 2011, "I’m not homophobic. I just think '******' hits and hurts people. It hits. And 'gay' just means you’re stupid. I don't know, we don’t think about it, we're just kids." Tyler's 24 now, and he's finding more creative ways to respond to critics. For the spring/summer collection of his merchandise, Tyler has taken a firm stance on homophobia with a T-shirt that appropriates a logo used by the White Nationalist Community group Stormfront (considered to be a neo-Nazi subset and founded by a former Ku Klux Klan member), bearing their slogan, "White Pride World Wide." Only Tyler's shirt replaces "White Pride" with "Golf Pride" (a nod to his own "golf wang" slogan) and portrays the Celtic cross in rainbow colors meant to evoke gay pride:
Of the warped symbolism, Tyler explained in a lengthy Tumblr post:
"What if a black guy wore this logo on a shirt? Would he be promoting self hate? Would he be taking the power out of a shape? What if a gay guy wore this on a shirt? Would he [be] promoting Homophobia? Then BAM! I Had it. Throw a little rainbow in the logo ... and take a photo with a white guy in it and we have an amazing photo. The thing that tops it off is the homo erotic tone of the hand holding, which to some degree HAS to piss off the guys who takes this logo serious. This made the photo even more important to me, because it was me playing with the idea of taking the power out of something so stupid." It's not the first time Tyler or his group Odd Future have appropriated Nazi iconography. They've previously used swastikas in their promotions and famously referred to themselves as "black Nazis" in Tyler's "Seven." It it is, however, the first time Tyler seems to have put any thought into why he employs the disturbing propaganda. And while it's still mostly for shock value, Tyler says there's a larger point:
"Ever since my career started, i've been labeled as a homophobe, simply because of my use of the word ******. Again, trying to take the power out of something, I WAS NEVER REFERRING TO SOMEONES SEXUAL PREFERENCE WHEN USING THAT WORD. I mean, i’m legit one of the least homophobic guys to walk this earth but, most people just read the surface."
In other words, these T-shirts are Tyler's way of showing support for those he may have offended — without ever actually apologizing for his grievances. But the problem with this new merch isn't the message, it's the translation: Using the language (in this case, imagery) of an oppressor to stand in unison with an oppressed community he's shown zero regard for — while still defending a right to "take the power out" of a word that his straight cis privilege has never allowed him to feel powerless — misses the mark. And it reeks of self-righteousness.
Never heard of this creep before and don’t want to learn more.
What?
Stupid like this doesn’t occur in nature. It has to be created. This is the result of a protected minority understanding that he’s a protected minority and using that power to leverage the hate he decries for personal profit. Understanding full well he’s protected from the backlash anyone else would get.
Maybe he’s not so stupid after all.
Good observation. This could be viewed as a kind of satire, aimed at the people who would violently attack him if he weren't part of a "protected" group. On the other hand, he's part of a protected group because the same people believe he's too stupid or weak to be held to the standards of real people. So maybe it's satire back on him.
Or maybe he's really, dictionary-definition stupid.
I had better words than creep but like being on FR
I’d go with genuinely stupid if pressed. He just doesn’t seem smart enough to wipe consistently much less carry out a subversive psyops campaign.
Yeah. I think “Tyler, the Creator” is a clue as to his mental capabilities. People with two brains cells to rub together can get along with their regular name.
Thomas Sowell doesn’t have to call himself anything but “Thomas Sowell.”
That’s not Jimmie Walker, is it?
I’ve learned to deal with “Norman” but it wasn’t easy when I was younger. So I looked up the meaning. My whole name translates to “Man of the North with the heart of a Lion”. So I’m now good with it ;)
Kidding aside, When you are a nobody and lack the talent to ‘do’ you have do things lie give yourself ‘catchy names’ and logos for attention. Marketing 101 basically. I have yet to see anything this guy has done that could be in the same room with the word ‘talent’ without clashing.
That...is “TYLER, The Creator” the guy mentioned in the article
Maybe he could create a hole somewhere and say in it. Head first.
I have seen primates at the zoo with more intelligent looks on their faces than either of these specimens.
The Twelfth Imam In Reverse .... Yes that works!!
And you get the same looks whether right side up or upside down as a bonus ;)
Hopefully an Imam will take offense and declare a Fatwa on me. I need the practice.
In my old Off-road.com days I used to go to Baja a lot. Got to be great friends with one of the local racers whose day job was Interpol. I used to ask him about Mexico and the economics etc. His answer as to why so many illegals come across the border was simple. “Most gringos are stupid enough to let them.”
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