Navy Ads on thesource.com – Am I the only one bothered by Military Ads on a Hip Hop CULTURE magazine?
Nov, 18, 2008
Posted byWhen I was searching the web for lyrics of Tupac’s “Changes” for my last post, I stumbled upon on a discussion on the topic “Is Tupac Overrated” on thesource.com (web site of the famous magazine on Hip Hop culture). Since I wanted to pay tribute to Tupac for addressing social issues in some of his songs, such as “Changes”, I left a comment. The main reason for posting it though, I admit, was a Navy ad located in the upper part of the source’s first page.
- Screenshot of Navy Ad on thesource.com
It bothered me to such an extent to see a banner advertising a military institution on a cultural magazine that I decided to express my critique on that behalf. In my opinion a magazine, which represents hip hop culture – which in turn has its roots in the black urban community emerging out of the youth’s desire to manifest their opinion, their needs, their dissent and which underlines the people’s positive will to create – should not advertise destruction, war and death ( with the slogan “accelerate your life”). Moreover it should not advertise military services because of their racist treatment (in the past) of black people.
Here’s what I wrote:
Definitely NOT overrated. When he had reached a certain level he started to addressed many American social issues e.g in his track “Changes” (http://changedirection.wordpress.com).
Apropos Changes, let’s stop worshipping violence and war. Why does The Source have to have a Navy Ad on its front page. Is money needed that desperately?”
And here is a reply of someone, who doesn’t share my opinion:
u got somethin against the military bitch
I tried to react in a simple manner to this reply mentioning black activists who (verbally) attacked the U.S miltary services:
nice talk fb916! Still haven’t learned anything? Check US History and see how the American military services treated Black people. If that should be too demanding take a look at what Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, The Black Panther Party said regarding the military services.
And here’s his reply:
oh god here we go with some self pity black oppression bull shit again….whinin bout shit from waaaay back…..stop feelin sorry for urself and blamin the white man or whatever for all ur problems get off ur lazy ass and go get some
At this point I tried to explain myself better:
“Ignorance is laughing at me
Waiting on my down fall,
But he can’t stop the prophet”Alright, Ignorance, try to follow my words in order to get the point: In my first post I was wondering why thesource.com, being “the leading international voice for the ever-evolving world of Hip-Hop [culture]” put a Navy Ad on the front page of its website. My surprise derived from the fact that since hip-hop culture has its roots in the black community, the source as a well-known hip hop culture magazine with all the power and influence it has on its readers should not promote the navy as an “accelerator of life”, but on the contrary should clear up what it stood for, that is how black people were treated in the military services, and what can happen to all the people joining it now. It’s not about fast money, it’s about war. The Source is about Culture, Hip-Hop culture and should therefore promote other serious, pacific, cultural institutions. The message to its readers should be read, learn,grow, create and not conquer, destroy and kill.
And don’t get me wrong, I am not criticizing the young people that joined the army, because most of them join it as they are not able to find another way to get out of the difficult situation they grew up in. I am criticizing the institution, understand? The institution and the system it represents. A system in which most poor people have no choice but to join the armed forces in order to get out of misery.
But the only reaction I received was:
what u tryna sound all smart n shit for anyways ur just some fuckin liberal hippie who hates the military….a.k.a. the people who serve and fight to give ur spoiled ass the right to do whatever u want….such as go on website message boards and bash them….eat shit
I might be too naive to be astonished about such a “point of view” expressed on a web site of a hip hop culture magazine. Notwithstanding, I want to share this “conversation” for I cannot accept that such an opinion will not have the publicity it deserves.
