Does anyone think the M.O.B.O awards are racist .

pantsonfire321@aol.com · Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:10 am

Does anyone have an opinion .

Adam Zapple · Post by **Adam Zapple** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:22 am

Yes, because they are not classifying it by musical style or by genre, but rather by the color of the artists' skin.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:32 am

No!

Why is it any more racist than say awards for traditional folk music or country and western music, opera, mozart, classical musoc awards or music festivals celebrating certain types of music such as celtic connections, world music festivals. Why shouldn't people celebrate their culture?

On the other hand you don't see many african bands at it do you? You get bands from malawi, botswana and other strange places at celtic connections. Can't understand a word but then I don't understand gaelic either.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/radioscot ... onnections

I would recommend petbog faeries. They're not african but teuchters but then who cares if the music is good?

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:41 am

pantsonfire321@aol.com wrote: COLOR="Red"]Does anyone have an opinion. /COLOR]

At first sight, not "racist", although the term perhaps leaves a good deal to be

desired in terms of accuracy and scope. In terms of who *gets* the awards?

I don't know. I had to look up "MOBP" to see what it is, since I've never heard

of it (apparently it stands for "Music of Black Origin").

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:44 am

Diuretic wrote: Define your term - by "racism" what do you mean? If you mean that only blacks are allowed to be given the awards, so what?

That would certainly be "ist".

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:45 am

Adam Zapple wrote: Yes, because they are not classifying it by musical style or by genre, but rather by the color of the artists' skin.

I can't see that it says that anywhere. Have I missed something?

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:53 am

Diuretic wrote:

Define your term - by "racism" what do you mean? If you mean that only blacks are allowed to be given the awards, so what?

Originally Posted by Bill Sikes

That would certainly be "ist".

Diuretic wrote: Why?

Because "only blacks are allowed to be given the awards".

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 10:25 am

It's like the NAACP and Miss Black America and BET and all of the other "black" organizations. There was this big fight over segregation, and now they choose to segregate themselves. It's a viscious cycle.

i say if you don't like it, don't watch.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 10:43 am

CheshireCat wrote: FONT=Century Gothic]SIZE=3]COLOR=blue]It's like the NAACP and Miss Black America and BET and all of the other "black" organizations.

I'm not at all sure that it is, as Mr. ArnoldLayne mentions (although I'm not

sure what the NAACP or BET are (and is there a "Miss White America"?, as

a matter of interest?)).

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 11:13 am

Bill Sikes wrote: I'm not at all sure that it is, as Mr. ArnoldLayne mentions (although I'm not

sure what the NAACP or BET are (and is there a "Miss White America"?, as

a matter of interest?)).

NAACP- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, BET- Black Entertainment Television, there is no Miss White America

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:10 pm

Clancy wrote: Good Question.

I think this, and other music awards have to be done this way. If nothing else it puts particular music into categories. Jazz, Rock, Blues, Rap, Classical, Country, etc, etc,

It's interesting to note, that many years ago, (60's) black music radio stations wouldn't play, Jimi Hendrix, yet it was standing room only at his concerts.....and the audience was predominantly white.

I'm not sure because I'm not familiar with black music stations in the U.S......but I'd hazard a guess, that they don't play, Lenny Kravitz, much, simply because he's from the Rock world , as opposed to, Rap, R&B, etc,.

.

Unfortunately one company (Clear Channel) has bought up any and all radio stations from coast to coast. (Almost anyway) Anything even resembling innovative or "not mainstream" music is almost a thing of the past because those stations wont get anyone rich. There are a few but not many. Its a crying shame that you can drive from New York to California and hear the same songs over and over and over and over. Clear Channel has a tried and true format to reach their target audience. And unfortunately that includes Britney Spears. :-5 :-5 :-5 :-5

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:03 pm

Nomad wrote: Unfortunately one company (Clear Channel) has bought up any and all radio stations from coast to coast. (Almost anyway) Anything even resembling innovative or "not mainstream" music is almost a thing of the past because those stations wont get anyone rich. There are a few but not many. Its a crying shame that you can drive from New York to California and hear the same songs over and over and over and over. Clear Channel has a tried and true format to reach their target audience. And unfortunately that includes Britney Spears. :-5 :-5 :-5
I never listen to comercial radio, I live close enough to Nashville and to Memphis that I get a lot of excellent music through word of mouth, or just listen to independent radio. Of course there is enough local talent music around here, what else could you want. But there are diamonds like Ray LaMontantagne, and there is always Colin Hay and my favorite Glenn Phillips. There is always good, new music, it's just not always an the radio. (Actually, it's rarely on the radio) :-6

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 11:25 pm

Look on the bright side. At least you can trawl the internet for radio from all around the world and listen while in the garden.

Adam Zapple · Post by **Adam Zapple** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 11:53 pm

This is why I said it was racist. From Wikipedia:

"The MOBO (an acronym for Music Of Black Origin) Awards are held annually in the UK to recognise leading black musicians."

I'm not offended by that. I could care less. But when you qualify anything based on race, isn't it therefore racist? That's all I meant by saying it is racist. But by the same token, this award can't be compared to Country, Gospel, R&B, Jazz, etc. Those awards are based on a musical style. That most country singers are white and most r&b singers are black is, as Diuretic said, happenstance. Those awards aren't based on race. Would you consider a white I football MVP award as racist? Would the mobo people consider the White Grammy's as racist? I'm just askin'.

Post by **spot** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 11:57 pm

The most exciting reggae writer/performer at the moment is Gentleman, and he's a run-of-the-mill German who started by joining in on holiday in Jamaica. Osibisa, on the other hand, have qualified as an English Folk band since the sixties... well, sort of. Like people would think of Rod Stewart as an English light-rocker, perhaps.

My point, I think, is that Gentleman would surely be well qualified for a MOBO award, and if I ever get rapping on stage (an ambition I've had for some while now) I'll drop them a line.

afterthought: Kiki Dee should get a lifetime achievement award from them for her Motown output, surely.

Adam Zapple · Post by **Adam Zapple** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:08 am

You would think so, spot. But if wikipedia is right, and I concede it could be entirely wrong, one must not only sing "black origin" music, one must have "black origins".

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:04 am

Adam Zapple wrote: This is why I said it was racist. From Wikipedia:

"The MOBO (an acronym for Music Of Black Origin) Awards are held annually in the UK to recognise leading black musicians."

Hm. I wonder whether that is true - it's not the meaning I'd associate with the

words that "M.O.B.O." stand for.

[QUOTE=Adam Zapple]I'm not offended by that. I could care less. But when you qualify anything based on race, isn't it therefore racist? That's all I meant by saying it is racist. But by the same token, this award can't be compared to Country, Gospel, R&B, Jazz, etc. Those awards are based on a musical style. That most country singers are white and most r&b singers are black is, as Diuretic said, happenstance. Those awards aren't based on race. Would you consider a white I football MVP award as racist? Would the mobo people consider the White Grammy's as racist? I'm just askin'.

If this is true, then I am slightly offended by it, because of the reaction that there

would undoubtably be to your latter suggestions (sucks in breath, studies

fingernails).

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:05 am

Diuretic wrote: I didn't think anyone remembered Osibisa

IRTA "Obesia"

Post by **spot** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:23 am

Adam Zapple wrote: You would think so, spot. But if wikipedia is right, and I concede it could be entirely wrong, one must not only sing "black origin" music, one must have "black origins".Way to go, Justin Timberlake? I've been looking at the award list, it's got more than just him on it that's possibly-Aryan (I hate guessing someone's racial background from photos, I often get it wrong - I had no idea Ella Fitzgerald was Irish, for example). What are we to make of Steve 'Smooth' Sutherland or Tim Westwood? Where do Mis-Teeq originate? Did Chaka Khan's ancestors not arrive with William the Conqueror? I have no idea of the ancestry of Santana... umm, "Carlos"? OK, let's forget Santana...

to quote the Scotsman:But behind the smiles and the polite applause, the usual controversy that has come to mark the MOBOs - established in 1996 to recognise artists of any race or nationality performing music of black origin - was raging. In the build-up to this year's awards, their founder, Kanya King, lashed out at critics who had argued that the MOBOs should not include artists such as singer-songwriter Joss Stone or Space Cowboy Jamiroquai because they do not make "real" black music.

"We have never said it's about artists of black origin, it's always been about music of black origin," she said. "We are an inclusive awards ceremony, not an exclusive one. That's why we don't have a best male and a best female category. Why can't we just celebrate the music?"

Adam Zapple · Post by **Adam Zapple** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:29 am

Then Wikipedia was wrong and I revise my remarks.:-6

Post by **spot** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:36 am

Adam Zapple wrote: Then Wikipedia was wrong and I revise my remarks.:-6I've changed it.