if he's going for the grown n sexy atmosphere, you have to respect that. flat out. especially if he's emphasized this to you before.
...and that's the point. Not all DJ gigs are the same, and not all club owners are the same. It's your job to know the score and not waste your time in the process. Sure: once in a blue moon, some owners/booking agents will hire you on contacts/Your Good Name alone and will let you pick your shit out regardless of genre/taste/Club Atmosphere. I'm guessing that this was NOT your situation. As a strictly DJ-for-hire, it's not your job to improve the personal taste of the owner. It's not your job to "improve his business" over his head. Try to think about it from his perspective; the owner hired you to set a mood. That's IT. If you're an owner, trying to establish a "grown 'n' sexy night" and some fool kid you hired drops "Hypnotize," you'd can his ass, too.
Here's what I'm seeing: the man hires you to play a Sound. You knew full well what his Sound was, and you transgressed nonetheless. Why? Certainly not to "improve his business." You wanted to play what you wanted to play. That's not, you know,
Professional.
Owners DO know each other, you know. Folks talk.
even beyond that, its not indisputable that a dj is "improving" an owner's business because he gets people to dance and drink for a night. this is not a club. kingman is innit for the long run, so you could look at his choice to ban rap music as a business choice. he's going for the "i'm a mature person on a date vibe." maybe he is cultivating that certain atmosphere in hopes that it will be just like that in 10 more years. so i could see how he wants to keep a certain consistency. and why he wouldn't want to play rap or another type of music that would diverge from there.
Try to think about it from his perspective; the owner hired you to set a mood. That's IT. If you're an owner, trying to establish a "grown 'n' sexy night" and some fool kid you hired drops "Hypnotize," you'd can his ass, too...You knew full well what his Sound was, and you transgressed nonetheless. Why? Certainly not to "improve his business." You wanted to play what you wanted to play when that strictly wasn't your business agreement. That's not, you know,
NO ONE KNOWS WHO ORIGINALLY TITLED (could be an Asian lady, could be a Black man etc.) only takes away from bigger issues of race. And don't you find it kind of funny that the Black man who posted it in the first place didn't find it offensive?
I'm not gonna drag this on for much longer. Just wanna say that my point is that it doesn't matter who titled it. Believe it or not, it is possible for a black person to say or do "racist" things about black folks.
And, yes, I do find it "funny" that both Phill and Stacks co-signed the humor of the video without commenting on the "racist" nature of it. I commented on that in my original post in that thread. However, that doesn't somehow "prove" that it is or isn't offensive. I was offended by it. Haven't we all seen "The Office"? Black people aren't the only people that can be offended by "racism."
NO ONE KNOWS WHO ORIGINALLY TITLED (could be an Asian lady, could be a Black man etc.) only takes away from bigger issues of race. And don't you find it kind of funny that the Black man who posted it in the first place didn't find it offensive?
I'm not gonna drag this on for much longer. Just wanna say that my point is that it doesn't matter who titled it. Believe it or not, it is possible for a black person to say or do "racist" things about black folks.
And, yes, I do find it "funny" that both Phill and Stacks co-signed the humor of the video without commenting on the "racist" nature of it. I commented on that in my original post in that thread. However, that doesn't somehow "prove" that it is or isn't offensive. I was offended by it. Haven't we all seen "The Office"? Black people aren't the only people that can be offended by "racism."
-e
You're Black, right?
No siree, I am not black and if I ever mislead anyone to believe that I was, I apologize.
The point of my second post wasn't to stick up for my hasty accusation, but only to point out that anybody who thinks that "racism" is something you can be de-sensitized to is either (a) an idiot or (b) a racist. That is a point I still feel strongly about. It's become clear to me that I should've apologized for my hastiness in that second post because it made it look like my first post that briefly accused dude of being "racist" was still something I agreed with. So, I wilfully apologize for my hastiness and my subsequent failure to apologize for my hastiness immediately. I still feel strongly about Guzzo's ridiculous "don't cry wolf" analogy.
Good God man, so I am still a racist idiot according to your twisted beliefs. Well I can't discuss things like this with someone who cannot reason but let me go ahead and say that if you truly believe this theory you should go on and practice out and about in the world. Be sure to open your mouth at anything you find to be slightly "racist" and let everyone who disagrees with you know that they are simply either a racist themselves or an idiot. You'll do wonders for the cause of civil rights.
Fact is, "Racism" is bad and if people talking about "racism" frequently is going to somehow make it suddenly seem like less of a bad thing, you probably don't think it's too bad in the first place.
So, again, excuse me for my hastiness but if my hastiness desensitizes you to "racism" on some "Don't cry wolf" schitt, that's on YOU, not me.
youre right we will address your criticisms on racist practices be it on the actions of the government during Hurrican Katrina or the quick clip of a black guy punching a man in a moment of shock & reaction as equal counts of racism. Seeing a variance of seriousness on these issues as you cry out how fucked up they both are would be immaterial because they are both that serious.
You cannot beleive that constantly accusing people of racism no matter how serious or miniscule is going to leave us all with the same idea. Soon you'll lose steam and credibility. I hate to say so but I think its already happened, not everything involving a black person or hip-hop is race-based. I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but there are other factors in the world beyond racism that affect situations. I am not denying the seriousness of racism, hell I've had to deal with pretty major bouts of hate due to my ethnicity in the recent past (and most likely in the future) but I will not be ready to call anything dealing with me or any other semites anti-semetic simply cause it involves them. That would just be narrow-minded
To clarify my position on "racism" and "racists," I certainly don't have any automatic beef with white people like you might like to believe. I do have automatic beef with white folks who are completely unwilling to look at their privileges with a critical and skeptical eye. It seems that too many of us simply accept our privileged position as a "natural" one instead of a fabricated and, more importantly, oppressive one.
this is where most of my debates on soulstrut seem to reach their head. Although many on here have felt the benefit of white priveledge I can't say that I have. Growing up on welfare and dealing with the bullshit I dealt with financially and in turn socially did not make me feel too priviledged, nor did it make my parents, the Mexican family that lived next door, or the black family across the way. In turn we all went through similar financial tribulations.
I am not denying the existence of white priveledge out there, I am just saying that not every "white" person in America gets a piece of that pie and in turn not every white person should feel privileged and full of guilt when it comes to dealing with people of other races. You'd be hard pressed to find a white family in the poorest section of the Appalachin mountains who feels like they owe a debt to the minorities of America for their fortunate position in life.
My insistence to constantly bring up "race" in so many threads on this board isn't an attempt to chastise anyone, but simply an attempt to bring to light the many ways that racism continues to function and perpetuate itself, even in those amongst us who clearly aren't "racist." I wouldn't classify anyone on here as a full-on "racist" or anything, but that doesn't mean non-"racist" folks still can't perform utterly "racist" actions and say reprehensibly "racist" things. I don't think any of you folks hate black people or anything (quite the opposite, in fact), but your intentions don't absolve you and ignorance is no defense.
this is really self righteous of you to say, not to mention incredibly politically correct and chasitising of those that don't hold the same racial views as you. earlier in this thread you said that those that don't see things the same way you do are either racist or an idiot. What kind of bullshit is that? Now you seem to be back-tracking and saying that some of us are not "full-on racists we just carry some racist tendencies. GET OVER YOUR SELF-RIGHTEOUS SELF! I could say plenty about those who accuse others of being lesser for not falling in line with how they thought or acted but why bother? It does nothing but spread hate. I may be racist, ignorant, and an idiot in your eyes but if becoming an apologist for anything remotely dealing with race is your idea of the correct way to live I'd rather live "wrong"
Unfortunately, it seems like a lot of folks on this board are of the fairly conservative view that "racism" isn't that serious of a problem or isn't worth talking about that much.
are you serious? This board and its members deal with race issues in a liberal tone more than anyone else I know. I have never seen anyone on here agree with racist views (I'm not counting anti-semetic & homophobic comments in this).
This board is made up many a educated liberal mind. I'd love to see some examples of people on here giving a "conservative view that "racism" isn't that serious of a problem or isn't worth talking about that much"
Take for example the thread about that "Don't mess with a brother" video. I am deeply saddened by the response to that thread, as if the fact that it was genuinely funny video excuses the other fact that the title of the video was indeed "racist."
once again, this is your own view. Acknowledging skin tone is not exactly a racist action, not to mention that this in comparrison with, lets say, race based police brutality is simply an insignifigant issue to harp on.
to sum it all up:
-Racism exists, we all acknowledge it
-Not every action dealing with Hip-hop music or black people is a serious racial issue
-calling these issues racist to the same degree as major issues (such as Katrina, hate crimes, etc.) lessens the seriousness of the word and its meaning.
-You cannot impose your values on others and get all pissy when they choose to disagree and call them racists and idiots.
PS You said yourself that you are white, isn't it pretty racist for a white guy to think he has the right to tell black people what they should find offensive?
Dude, what were doing playing a four hour gig at Lucky Lounge? I can't remember if Slow Gin is still going on there but I subbed for those dudes on occassion and it was like the gig of slow death, especially for the measly money you make doing it. Provided, I'm not all that patient but while I don't rocking a good club for hours, doing a lounge gig for that long is like being a glorified iPod.
But yeah, shit was wack. Good you stepped.
I disagree that the Lounge was inherently wack as a space...I never saw a dress code when I used to roll through there three summers ago and on a hot Oakland night, it's not a bad place to just drift through at chill at.
...Our conversations inevtiably end in virtual beef between folks, especially when calling someone racist. That always ends badly...I just kinda wish folks would have a little bit more of an even hand when discussing this shit and realize that there are REAL hands of flesh and blood typing the words that we're reading...
doing a lounge gig for that long is like being a glorified iPod.
fucking quote of the day right here...yeah I know...4 hours!...
to deviate from the race issue, I am still a newbie DJ, building my skills and library...getting paid to do it ain't a bad thing...I'm doing shit like this strictly to practice and supplement my record buying habit...
youre right we will address your criticisms on racist practices be it on the actions of the government during Hurrican Katrina or the quick clip of a black guy punching a man in a moment of shock & reaction as equal counts of racism. Seeing a variance of seriousness on these issues as you cry out how fucked up they both are would be immaterial because they are both that serious.
Your reading comprehension is non-existent. I clearly say that these aren't even close to comprable many, many times. My only point in calling attention to more minor things like the video is to illustrate how "racism" functions a lot differently these days than it did in the pre-Civil Rights Era. "Racism" today is a much more subtle beast that is perpetuated and promoted through a series of it functions in much more subtle ways.
Not everything involving a black person or hip-hop is race-based.
This is simply not true. Only someone in a position of privilege is capable of denying that. I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but to talk about hip-hop is necessarily to talk about race.
I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but there are other factors in the world beyond racism that affect situations.
Of course there are.
this is where most of my debates on soulstrut seem to reach their head. Although many on here have felt the benefit of white priveledge I can't say that I have. Growing up on welfare and dealing with the bullshit I dealt with financially and in turn socially did not make me feel too priviledged, nor did it make my parents, the Mexican family that lived next door, or the black family across the way. In turn we all went through similar financial tribulations.
I am not denying the existence of white priveledge out there, I am just saying that not every "white" person in America gets a piece of that pie and in turn not every white person should feel privileged and full of guilt when it comes to dealing with people of other races. You'd be hard pressed to find a white family in the poorest section of the Appalachin mountains who feels like they owe a debt to the minorities of America for their fortunate position in life.
I would never argue that white privelege is laid out equally amongst all white folks and I would never argue that you haven't lived a difficult life full of many of your own trials and tribulations just because you are or aren't white. But, you have to understand that your own personal experience doesn't discount the primary reality of the situation of race in this country. Most white folks experience varying degrees of privilege that are unavailable to most black folks for a variety of different reasons and from a variety of different institutions. "White privilege" is an un-quantifiable thing. I am not arguing that white people should feel "guilty" about their privilege nor am I arguing that they should feel like they "owe a debt to the minorities of America," but they should realize that the color of their skin has inevitably given them some oppurtunities that black folks were cut-out of. Whether we're talking about the color of band-aids or school zoning policies, white privilege is everywhere, and I simply feel that it's important for white folks to understand how the system benefits them and hurts others so we can help fix it. Anyone who doesn't have any desire to "fix it," is a piece of schitt as far as I'm concerned.
My insistence to constantly bring up "race" in so many threads on this board isn't an attempt to chastise anyone, but simply an attempt to bring to light the many ways that racism continues to function and perpetuate itself, even in those amongst us who clearly aren't "racist." I wouldn't classify anyone on here as a full-on "racist" or anything, but that doesn't mean non-"racist" folks still can't perform utterly "racist" actions and say reprehensibly "racist" things. I don't think any of you folks hate black people or anything (quite the opposite, in fact), but your intentions don't absolve you and ignorance is no defense.
this is really self righteous of you to say, not to mention incredibly politically correct and chasitising of those that don't hold the same racial views as you. earlier in this thread you said that those that don't see things the same way you do are either racist or an idiot. What kind of bullshit is that? Now you seem to be back-tracking and saying that some of us are not "full-on racists we just carry some racist tendencies." GET OVER YOUR SELF-RIGHTEOUS SELF! I could say plenty about those who accuse others of being lesser for not falling in line with how they thought or acted but why bother? It does nothing but spread hate. I may be racist, ignorant, and an idiot in your eyes but if becoming an apologist for anything remotely dealing with race is your idea of the correct way to live I'd rather live "wrong"
I certainly wouldn't say I'm back-tracking, because I still do belive that if talking about "racism" de-sensitizes you to it, you're not that sensitive to it in the first place.
By the way, is the only alternative to "becoming an apologist for anything remotely dealing with race" is becoming someone that never thinks race is a relevant topic? What is "racism" to you? Only when people say the "n" word and lynch black folks? Can't you understand that it's completely possible for absolutely "non-racist" people to do absolutely "racist" things? If a white public school's funding is 5 times as much as the neighboring black public school's funding, is this "non-racist" because the mostly-white legislators that decided which school gets what funding aren't "racist"? Of course not.
It's completely possible for actions to be "racist" without people being KKK members and white supremacists. That's not how "racism" works anymore. We can think the Civil Rights movement for that.
I'd love to see some examples of people on here giving a "conservative view that "racism" isn't that serious of a problem or isn't worth talking about that much"
Schitt. Every time it's brought up, people bring out the "oh don't play the race card" argument. Is that not reason enough?
once again, this is your own view. Acknowledging skin tone is not exactly a racist action, not to mention that this in comparrison with, lets say, race based police brutality is simply an insignifigant issue to harp on.
That video wasn't just a matter of aknowledging skin tone. The title of that video directly linked the guy's blackness with the violent action, directly exoticizing the black male. "Don't mess with a brother" = "Don't mess with a black person because black people are violent." If you can't see how this exocitization of "blackness" is directly linked to something like race-based police brutality, than I don't know what else to tell you. It's videos like this that subtly convince folks that "blackness" is linked with "violence" and thus when police are violent with "black folks," it's justified because, hey "black folks are violent." These things are not innocuous.
-Not every action dealing with Hip-hop music or black people is a serious racial issue
Perhpas it's not a "serious" "racial" issue, but it IS a "racial" issue.
-calling these issues racist to the same degree as major issues (such as Katrina, hate crimes, etc.) lessens the seriousness of the word and its meaning.
Claiming that anyone has said that these issues are on the same degree as the "major issues" is ridiculous because it's not something anyone has done on this board.
-You cannot impose your values on others and get all pissy when they choose to disagree and call them racists and idiots.
If the reason they choose to
disagree is "racist" and/or "idiotic," I certainly can.
PS You said yourself that you are white, isn't it pretty racist for a white guy to think he has the right to tell black people what they should find offensive?
I never "told" anyone what they should or shouldn't find offensive. I was explaining why I was offended by something and asking why other people weren't. Just so you know, I've gotten more than a couple PMs from real life black folks who have said things like "great post" and "thanks for caring" so there are real life black folks out there who find this stuff offensive too.
For the record, my skin tone is a bit debatable. I have to check "white" on forms because I'm half-lebanese and half-ukranian. Middle easterners are technically still considered "caucasian." Of course, that doesn't mean that me or my dad have an easy time getting jobs with our clearly Middle eastern names, nor does it mean dudes don't get drunk and start calling me Osama (which is mildly funny since I look nothing like him).
For the record, my skin tone is a bit debatable. I have to check "white" on forms because I'm half-lebanese and half-ukranian. Middle easterners are technically still considered "caucasian." Of course, that doesn't mean that me or my dad have an easy time getting jobs with our clearly Middle eastern names, nor does it mean dudes don't get drunk and start calling me Osama (which is mildly funny since I look nothing like him).
Comments
even beyond that, its not indisputable that a dj is "improving" an owner's business because he gets people to dance and drink for a night. this is not a club. kingman is innit for the long run, so you could look at his choice to ban rap music as a business choice. he's going for the "i'm a mature person on a date vibe." maybe he is cultivating that certain atmosphere in hopes that it will be just like that in 10 more years. so i could see how he wants to keep a certain consistency. and why he wouldn't want to play rap or another type of music that would diverge from there.
I just thought twice...damn it!
No siree, I am not black and if I ever mislead anyone to believe that I was, I apologize.
On forms and apps and such, I check "caucasian."
-e
I'm confused:
(I make joke!)
Good God man, so I am still a racist idiot according to your twisted beliefs. Well I can't discuss things like this with someone who cannot reason but let me go ahead and say that if you truly believe this theory you should go on and practice out and about in the world. Be sure to open your mouth at anything you find to be slightly "racist" and let everyone who disagrees with you know that they are simply either a racist themselves or an idiot. You'll do wonders for the cause of civil rights.
youre right we will address your criticisms on racist practices be it on the actions of the government during Hurrican Katrina or the quick clip of a black guy punching a man in a moment of shock & reaction as equal counts of racism. Seeing a variance of seriousness on these issues as you cry out how fucked up they both are would be immaterial because they are both that serious.
You cannot beleive that constantly accusing people of racism no matter how serious or miniscule is going to leave us all with the same idea. Soon you'll lose steam and credibility. I hate to say so but I think its already happened, not everything involving a black person or hip-hop is race-based. I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but there are other factors in the world beyond racism that affect situations. I am not denying the seriousness of racism, hell I've had to deal with pretty major bouts of hate due to my ethnicity in the recent past (and most likely in the future) but I will not be ready to call anything dealing with me or any other semites anti-semetic simply cause it involves them. That would just be narrow-minded
this is where most of my debates on soulstrut seem to reach their head. Although many on here have felt the benefit of white priveledge I can't say that I have. Growing up on welfare and dealing with the bullshit I dealt with financially and in turn socially did not make me feel too priviledged, nor did it make my parents, the Mexican family that lived next door, or the black family across the way. In turn we all went through similar financial tribulations.
I am not denying the existence of white priveledge out there, I am just saying that not every "white" person in America gets a piece of that pie and in turn not every white person should feel privileged and full of guilt when it comes to dealing with people of other races. You'd be hard pressed to find a white family in the poorest section of the Appalachin mountains who feels like they owe a debt to the minorities of America for their fortunate position in life.
this is really self righteous of you to say, not to mention incredibly politically correct and chasitising of those that don't hold the same racial views as you. earlier in this thread you said that those that don't see things the same way you do are either racist or an idiot. What kind of bullshit is that? Now you seem to be back-tracking and saying that some of us are not "full-on racists we just carry some racist tendencies. GET OVER YOUR SELF-RIGHTEOUS SELF! I could say plenty about those who accuse others of being lesser for not falling in line with how they thought or acted but why bother? It does nothing but spread hate. I may be racist, ignorant, and an idiot in your eyes but if becoming an apologist for anything remotely dealing with race is your idea of the correct way to live I'd rather live "wrong"
are you serious? This board and its members deal with race issues in a liberal tone more than anyone else I know. I have never seen anyone on here agree with racist views (I'm not counting anti-semetic & homophobic comments in this).
This board is made up many a educated liberal mind. I'd love to see some examples of people on here giving a "conservative view that "racism" isn't that serious of a problem or isn't worth talking about that much"
once again, this is your own view. Acknowledging skin tone is not exactly a racist action, not to mention that this in comparrison with, lets say, race based police brutality is simply an insignifigant issue to harp on.
to sum it all up:
-Racism exists, we all acknowledge it
-Not every action dealing with Hip-hop music or black people is a serious racial issue
-calling these issues racist to the same degree as major issues (such as Katrina, hate crimes, etc.) lessens the seriousness of the word and its meaning.
-You cannot impose your values on others and get all pissy when they choose to disagree and call them racists and idiots.
PS You said yourself that you are white, isn't it pretty racist for a white guy to think he has the right to tell black people what they should find offensive?
Dude, what were doing playing a four hour gig at Lucky Lounge? I can't remember if Slow Gin is still going on there but I subbed for those dudes on occassion and it was like the gig of slow death, especially for the measly money you make doing it. Provided, I'm not all that patient but while I don't rocking a good club for hours, doing a lounge gig for that long is like being a glorified iPod.
But yeah, shit was wack. Good you stepped.
I disagree that the Lounge was inherently wack as a space...I never saw a dress code when I used to roll through there three summers ago and on a hot Oakland night, it's not a bad place to just drift through at chill at.
saying...
to deviate from the race issue, I am still a newbie DJ, building my skills and library...getting paid to do it ain't a bad thing...I'm doing shit like this strictly to practice and supplement my record buying habit...
Your reading comprehension is non-existent. I clearly say that these aren't even close to comprable many, many times. My only point in calling attention to more minor things like the video is to illustrate how "racism" functions a lot differently these days than it did in the pre-Civil Rights Era. "Racism" today is a much more subtle beast that is perpetuated and promoted through a series of it functions in much more subtle ways.
This is simply not true. Only someone in a position of privilege is capable of denying that. I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but to talk about hip-hop is necessarily to talk about race.
Of course there are.
I would never argue that white privelege is laid out equally amongst all white folks and I would never argue that you haven't lived a difficult life full of many of your own trials and tribulations just because you are or aren't white. But, you have to understand that your own personal experience doesn't discount the primary reality of the situation of race in this country. Most white folks experience varying degrees of privilege that are unavailable to most black folks for a variety of different reasons and from a variety of different institutions. "White privilege" is an un-quantifiable thing. I am not arguing that white people should feel "guilty" about their privilege nor am I arguing that they should feel like they "owe a debt to the minorities of America," but they should realize that the color of their skin has inevitably given them some oppurtunities that black folks were cut-out of. Whether we're talking about the color of band-aids or school zoning policies, white privilege is everywhere, and I simply feel that it's important for white folks to understand how the system benefits them and hurts others so we can help fix it. Anyone who doesn't have any desire to "fix it," is a piece of schitt as far as I'm concerned.
I certainly wouldn't say I'm back-tracking, because I still do belive that if talking about "racism" de-sensitizes you to it, you're not that sensitive to it in the first place.
By the way, is the only alternative to "becoming an apologist for anything remotely dealing with race" is becoming someone that never thinks race is a relevant topic? What is "racism" to you? Only when people say the "n" word and lynch black folks? Can't you understand that it's completely possible for absolutely "non-racist" people to do absolutely "racist" things? If a white public school's funding is 5 times as much as the neighboring black public school's funding, is this "non-racist" because the mostly-white legislators that decided which school gets what funding aren't "racist"? Of course not.
It's completely possible for actions to be "racist" without people being KKK members and white supremacists. That's not how "racism" works anymore. We can think the Civil Rights movement for that.
Schitt. Every time it's brought up, people bring out the "oh don't play the race card" argument. Is that not reason enough?
That video wasn't just a matter of aknowledging skin tone. The title of that video directly linked the guy's blackness with the violent action, directly exoticizing the black male. "Don't mess with a brother" = "Don't mess with a black person because black people are violent." If you can't see how this exocitization of "blackness" is directly linked to something like race-based police brutality, than I don't know what else to tell you. It's videos like this that subtly convince folks that "blackness" is linked with "violence" and thus when police are violent with "black folks," it's justified because, hey "black folks are violent." These things are not innocuous.
Perhpas it's not a "serious" "racial" issue, but it IS a "racial" issue.
Claiming that anyone has said that these issues are on the same degree as the "major issues" is ridiculous because it's not something anyone has done on this board.
If the reason they choose to disagree is "racist" and/or "idiotic," I certainly can.
I never "told" anyone what they should or shouldn't find offensive. I was explaining why I was offended by something and asking why other people weren't. Just so you know, I've gotten more than a couple PMs from real life black folks who have said things like "great post" and "thanks for caring" so there are real life black folks out there who find this stuff offensive too.
For the record, my skin tone is a bit debatable. I have to check "white" on forms because I'm half-lebanese and half-ukranian. Middle easterners are technically still considered "caucasian." Of course, that doesn't mean that me or my dad have an easy time getting jobs with our clearly Middle eastern names, nor does it mean dudes don't get drunk and start calling me Osama (which is mildly funny since I look nothing like him).
-e
i would not consider you white.