Petition to Hold J Timberlake Accountable for Theft of Black Culture?

[Guest marla_mulder]

Yes. This is actually a thing. Heard it on the radio this afternoon and had to go look it up... figured it'd be from the onion or something--but this petition actually exists. Granted, it doesn't have many signatures, but the fact that there are 49 people brain dead enough to sign this thing is amazing to me. 

Here's the link to the petition: Click

Here is the description of the petition, for those who don't want to click the link:

Quote

Justin Timberlake has made a career out of culturally appropriating his music, looks, and just about everything else from the black community. This should be a crime and it needs to stop. It's okay for white artists to appreciate black music, but they shouldn't do black music. This is racism and white privilege out of control. 

A few comments from "supporters":

Quote

It's unfair that Justin is a success while so many Black artists fail.

Quote

I like Justin's music, but he owes black people money.

Quote

Cultural appropriation gets worse every year and we need to call white artists out for it.

 

Edited May 23, 2016 by marla_mulder

[Guest]

What? Rofl

[Psychic Gibbon]

On one hand, people like this annoy me to no end. On the other hand, I know most of them are drowning in debt after getting worthless degrees.

[Serge]

Kinda feel like documenting incredulity towards non starter petitions waving social justice language around the way Tommy Wiseau wields the language of cinema only serves only to push the least constructive fringes of a larger discussion to the forefront.

[falconstwopercentsized]

first the pyramids now this? When will the whytes stop

[lostone]

3 minutes ago, FalconsInstitutionalSize said:

first the pyramids now this? When will the whytes stop

Well they do get portrayed as Egyptians in movies...

[falconstwopercentsized]

11 minutes ago, lostone said:

Well they do get portrayed as Egyptians in movies...

I'm indifferent on the subject I've seen paintings where some Egyptians had blonde hair. Sure it was just as mixed as modern day America, just find it funny that they claim Egypt was all Nubian.

[toadfishtom]

playing the race card 

[mookie3127]

[Serge]

44 minutes ago, marla_mulder said:

So we can't point out ridiculousness when we see it just for the sake of laughing at idiots because everything in life must be taken super seriously and we should  only have these "larger discussions" that are oh so constructive?

M'kay 

It's how the internet becomes an echo chamber. A few nobodies say something as self-important as it is profoundly inconsequential, folks latch onto it because it's a ridiculous caricature of a larger topic and it's easy to see that it's ridiculous, and everyone that comments on it can agree on its ridiculousness. It's like taking down the Westboro Baptist Church or some pop star's laughable gender politics.

[pzummo]

 

[Serge]

4 minutes ago, marla_mulder said:

I think that's part of the problem though. People take themselves, and others,  far too seriously.  Sure, some topics deserve serious discussion.  There are those in society that look at every story, every incident as some kind of injustice or opportunity to be a victim.  In this case,  some of these people take "cultural appropriation" so seriously that they have convinced themselves that a white guy can't even sing "black music." 

To me, it's similar to the subject of bullying.  Most of us have had to face bullying or adversity at some point in our lives, but kids today can't handle it and are committing suicide instead of dealing with it. It's terribly sad.  Yes, we need to address bullying and put a stop to it as much as we can...but we also need to teach our kids how to handle adversity without taking their own lives.

Similarly,  there are a lot of millennials (of which I am one) who need to learn that it's not a crime or an injustice to be exposed to differing opinions. You don't have to be offended by everything. Sometimes life just sucks, and it's not necessarily because someone else did something to you...it's just life sometimes.

I realize some things are serious and need to be looked at seriously, but I think there'd be a whole lot more happy people if everyone could learn to lighten up and enjoy life a little. It's not necessary to walk through life with a secret decoder ring to find out what every person and every statement "really " means.

Just my philosophy tho.

FTR, most of the people in the comments are obviously either playing around or are offended by the petition rather than what it addresses, and the petition itself doesn't actually say anything beyond the quote you posted. Plus, for whatever reason, it's addressed specifically to Obama, Loretta Lynch and Al Sharpton. It's most likely either a joke petition or something a lazy student wrote for a social studies or sociology 101 class assignment to say that they "raised awareness" for a topical issue. 

[Vogelgryff]

... My d1ck... in a *big* box...

Edited May 24, 2016 by Vogelgryff

[WOR]

Lmao. Justin is one of the whitest guys there is. Dresses black? What? Have they looked at JT? 

Bieber on the other hand....their argument would at least have merit....

[Tribal Chief]

Now this is funny

[Sponge]

Everyone knows Chuck Norris ripped off Karate from the Japanese. Where's that petition?

[JDaveG]

Someone should start a counter-petition to hold Alfonso Ribeiro responsible for theft of white culture.

But it won't be me.

[Mr. Hoopah!]

I've still never understood why everyone got pissed off at Janet Jackson. Justin was the one that grabbed her boob and ripped that thing off. 

[JDaveG]

31 minutes ago, mdrake34 said:

I've still never understood why everyone got pissed off at Janet Jackson. Justin was the one that grabbed her boob and ripped that thing off. 

Everyone blames the woman.  I saw something the other day that, even as a Christian, struck me as hilarious.  It was a meme that said "my favorite part of the Bible is the part where Jesus told men to pluck out their eyes instead of blaming the women for how they were dressed."

[biloxifalcon]

Pure ridiculousness. This is just some people out there on the fringe who need to take their medicine.

[toadfishtom]

So........is this a new thing ? What about Elvis ? Artists copy each other constantly big frick'n deal

[Statick]

Why even give this the attention? It's silly and an obvious means to get the ire of certain people. 

This is right up there with people attempting to sue an entire foreign country because they lost a loved one in a terrorist attack that happened in the country they were visiting. It's pointless to attempt.

Not that I'm comparing Timberlake to a terrorist attack. (although mainstream radio playing Cry Me A River ten times a day would rate up there as one.)

[Billy Ocean]

"Cry Me a River" is the second best diss record of the 21st century.

[Serge]

My mom loves him. I don't think she owns any of his albums or watches him online, but she loves seeing him on tv. Billy Joel's her favorite.

[Billy Ocean]

I like everything JT's done with Timbaland and I also enjoy '80s doo-wop Billy Joel.