Thread: Politically Incorrect Music

I've seen a lot of comedians using words which could be deemed offensive which, in context, are perfectly fine (often they're talking about important issues in a funny and clever way) but I've still seen audience members who either weren't listening or have a knee-jerk reaction to anything that sounds even vaguely racist kick off because they decided that the comedian was being racist.

Not everyone is intelligent enough to see the difference between racism and something which happens to touch on race issues.

I'd say, the fact that you're not using the song because of the racial content means you're giving yourself a potential point of conflict with audience members for no real reason other than it's a good song -- I guess you have to work out whether it's worth having the song if there's a chance people could get offended by it (if they can -- and you perform it often enough -- someone's bound to eventually) and then you have to work out whether it's worth having to justify your use of it to an audience member.

Whether it's justifiable or not is not really the issue here I don't think, but what audience members will think.

When I first started I had a French woman in London shouting at me for singing a song about frogs because she thought I was being racist. It was just a silly song about frogs.

That's my tuppence worth. I'd say wait until 2012 and get rid of the bits which might cause a problem.

Dusty,
I'm still doing my blackface piece, but I don't post images/video of it on the web for obvious reasons. The website is old and in the process of a revamp. As always, I'm up for discussion of race/parody and spectacle.

xoxo,
Tangerine

Originally Posted by Viva La Belvoir

Happily it will be out of copyright in 2012. In the meantime I'm still fascinated by the idea of subverting 'Grand Opera'. So I guess it's back to Wagner. Which of course brings a whole new set of baggage. Watch this space, and thank you for some fascinating posts.

Viva x

I see your dilemma and you've articulated it very clearly. It sounds like a fascinating piece of music. I wonder if you can tinker with it enough to remove the offensive element? I'd look into copyright issues around parody and fair usage, and also keep in mind, the likelihood of anyone actually bothering (assuming you're doing live performances and not posting them all over the place or trying to sell copies of a doctored version) is pretty slim. I constantly rewrite songs for performance to make satirical points. Have had no problems yet.

In terms of performance rights the piece would be covered by the PRS for live performance anyway. Perhaps there is a way of saving the musical joke and making good use of it?

And I think Wagner is absolutely perfect for burlesquing - a lot of German cabarets regularly took the piss out of his music and staging. I once plotted a cabaret version of the Ring set in a laundrette in which Wotan was a one-eyed tramp and Alberich worked the change machine. It was called the Rinse Cycle. Have yet to stage it

And Ms T Jones, how very marvellous to see you here and hear that you're still doing that act. It was one of the highlights of my last New York visit.

xxx

dL

Originally Posted by DustyLimits

And I think Wagner is absolutely perfect for burlesquing - a lot of German cabarets regularly took the piss out of his music and staging. I once plotted a cabaret version of the Ring set in a laundrette in which Wotan was a one-eyed tramp and Alberich worked the change machine. It was called the Rinse Cycle. Have yet to stage it

dL

I've already found exactly what I need - check out Thomas Hoffman and his Brass Band Berlin. And if you ever have a go at the Rinse Cycle let me know - I'm well up for making the frocks!

The copyright issue isn't something I would normally get hung up about, but in this case I know the Berlin estate are particularly sensitive : friends got pretty far down the road of staging a 1915 show of his called 'Watch Your Step', but had similar problems with some lyrics, and in fact wanted to cut a whole number; the estate categorically refused, and the show couldn't go ahead. Still, I guess the chances of anyone actually seeing an act are pretty minimal.
xxx

Originally Posted by Mat Ricardo

I disagree.

The lyrics contain words offensive to a large section of people, that means the audience would have a right to be offended at you, as it was your choice to play them the song.

It's acceptable to reprise this stuff if in your performance you're making a satirical comment about it, but it doesn't sound like you are, so therefore it's not a case of the audience not "getting it" as there's really nothing to get.

The music being perfect for the act is, for me, not a good enough reason to run the risk of upsetting people you don't know and have been paid to entertain.

Having read everyone's contributions to this point I think my first post was perhaps a little naive. I suppose I was assuming that it would be understood that there was no intention to offend, but that's not really a safe assumption now, is it?

I agree with the point made by several others that highlighting the "offensive" lyrics in a satirycal manner can be appropriate, but simply ignoring them or making light of them may be as bad as agreeing with them! I'm now determined to see Joe Black's minstrel routine! I think that's actually a very brave performance and I'd wager Mr Black was terrified before the first recital!

I stand by my previous statement about reprising older works and the value of tracking changing attitudes through the ages. Clearly, though, I underestimated the degree of sensitivity with which this subject should be approached - not least to avoid offending others, but also to avoid misrepresenting one's own views and appearing to be racist (or any other -ist). Handle it wrongly and you could actually defeat the purpose of considering these changes to attitudes.

And all this over a song! Heavens!

B.B.B. xx

I know I'm awfully late to the party responding to this and people have already said their piece and come to a decision. Still, I wanted to weigh in and didn't have the time until this weekend.

In response to Viva's question about the lyrics:

I think if you're doing a show that's trying to be historically accurate, you're going to run into this. I think it's important to educate yourself, consider context and then, if you decide to use it, own what the possible repercussions are and be prepared to have that dialogue. If your intent isn't to be politically subversive,spark dialogue or maintain Berlin's artistic integrity, then why are you doing it?

Echoing a bit of what Miss B. Poppin, Dusty and Mat have said, (and a high five to you all),please understand it is a privilege to be able to be cavalier or dismissive of words that carry such weight and meaning for other people. I think it's important NOT to whitewash history and remove all the things that make us uncomfortable, but I also think it's important to explore these things in a way that evokes positive change and creates dialogue around our true history. It should be understood that there's a legacy of racism and erroneous recording of history that erases the authentic voice of people of color and reinforces the idea of white supremacy in both subtle and overt ways.

Every time you step out to a stage, whether to educate or entertain, you are contributing to the shaping of our collective iconography and reinforcing what has already been laid down by our predecessors. This song was written at a time when performers of color were rarely allowed to perform and when they were, they were often required to perform a representation of their culture as interpreted by whites. A representation that presented them as stupid, bumbling, generally less than and something to be mocked or fetishized. A representation that still lingers today and often stands as the authentic voice when it's not. Now, you can do whatever you want as an artist, but understand that we no longer live in a time where people of color have to remain silent when something offends or misrepresents them. Be prepared to have your choices analyzed,critiqued or confronted when selecting this kind of material. I'm all for genuine satire and commentary in performance, but,oftimes, the things I've seen are not researched, thought out or adding anything of value to the larger discussion. As others have said, I think it's problematic to dredge through the stickiness of this material blithely or without the input or consideration of the people it affects.


As a performer of color, I am cognizant of the fact that, every time I step on stage, I am aligned with a representation of black women that I did not create. That tends to inform some of my choices as a performer and has shaped the trajectory of my work in burlesque. I don't have the luxury of separating my ethnicity from my performance because the lens in which I am viewed is colored by racism. It becomes racialized even when that wasn't my intention. Additionally, when it comes to burlesque/vaudeville history, there is the myth that there were only a token few performers of color or that minstrelsy was the largest part of their legacy.

[q]This is such a sensitive issue these days, and actually one where as performers we can - rightly or wrongly - set the tone for the rest of the population. I grew up in an era where white classical actors could 'black up' to play Othello : something that I think would never happen now, although happily black actors can play Romeo, Hamlet, etc. And yet non-Jews can still play Shylock. What is the difference? And actually, why have I seen non-white actors playing in Shakespeare or Stoppard , but never in Wilde, or Sheridan?[/q]

ooh, I could go on about this for days. This response is already a bit of a novel, so I'll weigh in my thoughts on this at some point on my blog instead of continuing a thread that's already ended for the most part.

Originally Posted by Viva La Belvoir

I've already found exactly what I need - check out Thomas Hoffman and his Brass Band Berlin. And if you ever have a go at the Rinse Cycle let me know - I'm well up for making the frocks!

The copyright issue isn't something I would normally get hung up about, but in this case I know the Berlin estate are particularly sensitive : friends got pretty far down the road of staging a 1915 show of his called 'Watch Your Step', but had similar problems with some lyrics, and in fact wanted to cut a whole number; the estate categorically refused, and the show couldn't go ahead. Still, I guess the chances of anyone actually seeing an act are pretty minimal.
xxx

Yes, I know the Brel estate are just as bad, but that doesn't stop me doing my own translations in cabaret. However, were I to plan a full-length commercial show, I'd probably run aground. And I guess that's fair enough.

I never got around to thinking about the frocks for the Rinse Cycle. But it's still something I'd love to do. I've just always wondered about the likely audience. You need a fair knowledge of Wagner to find that sort of thing funny.