get up stand up

was anybody watching pbs last night? the program with chuck d? about music and protest? politicized music? anyone? no?

if you didn't, i really don't blame you. does anybody out there watch pbs as regularly as i do? i usually watch pbs for the cooking shows (now that foodtv is a corporate prostitute, metaphorically speaking)

but last night, pbs had a special (and one-time for all i know) 2-hour documentary called "get up, stand up: the story of pop and protest" about pop music and protest. so if you did see it, then lucky you.

although much of it was watered down versions of several different political songs and the eras that defined them, it was still pretty interesting. most definitely gave me some things to think about. it's too late to explore them all now, but hopefully i'll get back to this:

- i bought the only bob marley shirt i have once i read the first couple chapters of "can't stop, won't stop" although i had never really heard most of the political songs that he had written during the 70s.

- chuck d made a point that black music of the late 60s and the 70s, james brown - i'm black and i'm proud, and the above mentioned bob marley had empowered black people, especially black youth, and immediately, i thought of soulja boy... haha. that was a low blow. i know i've already labored on the point of soulja boy but seriously, who's fault is it that this shit got so popular? is it soulja boy's fault? how about the urban youth that (super)soak up that shit like a sponge? or corporate-controlled radio stations?

- funniest thing ever: being at the bear's lair and hearing hella white girls scream when crank dat came on. and then same white girls not even knowing the damn dance. YOOOUUUUU

- speaking of public enemy. does anybody else see the irony of where flava flav is now? from fight the power, one of the most politically influential and rebellious songs ever, to flavor of love, which is seriously white america making fun of black people.

- speaking of vh1 and mtv and irony, i find it really ironic that pbs is the network that showed this documentary, rather than mtv or vh1. i mean, it's not surprising, it's just ironic. can people stop watching that shit?!?!?! please?? i'm seriously begging people to not watch mtv anymore unless you can seriously prove that that shit isn't making you literally go dumb.

- we cannot change everything in this world by throwing money at it. benefit concerts and charity donations can only go so far.

we are the ones we've been waiting for (june jordan)