Big Ten Conference "Rap" Commercial

[King Crimson]

King Crimson:

How do you distinguish "gangster culture" from black youth culture?

because not all black kids are in gangs? not anywhere near the majority.

[Cicero]

I wonder if Heaven has a Ghetto?

[PSUFAN]

A great deal of effort is made to distinguish black youth culture from "gangster culture". I guess those efforts are largely successful, because most black kids grow up without joining them. It's funny how when a kid is successful, he/she is largely invisible.

There are deplorable images being pushed at youngsters by popular media. The "baby mama" stuff is surely a destructive cultural image to portray as somehow acceptable. Yet, just because it is portrayed, we shouldn't assume that it's automatically accepted by all youngsters.

Marilyn Manson was kind of a disturbing cultural image, and most kids were familiar with his "work". However, I don't think all too many kids accepted the lifestyle he portrayed as their own.

[Terry in Crapchester]

But don't you think it would be a good idea for someone who is promoting the college experience to have experienced it?

Absolutely. And in this particular case, if someone is promoting the merits of institutions that belong to the Big Ten, that someone should be an alumnus of one or more of those institutions, although, of course, that would not apply if one were merely advertising the benefits of a college education in general.

[indyfrisco]

They should have had John Mellancamp do the commercial.

[poptart]

The outrage here is comical.

The spot is clearly selling the conference to black athletes, who the conference needs to keep the $$$ rolling in.

This bothers you...?

Don't act like you (supporting fan of DI football and roundball) aren't a WILLING participant in the filth that IS big-time college sports.

Get off your high horse.

[PSUFAN]

They should have had John Mellancamp do the commercial.

Bad ticker, I guess. I guess his young wife wore him out.

what a way to go...

[WolverineSteve]

PSU,
Why are you speaking of Mellencamp in the past tense? He's still kicking, isn't he?

[poptart]

I'm completely on-board with your wish that college athletics be played by real students (who, btw, are also not being paid).

College athletics jumped the shark a LONG time ago, and it won't be coming back.
This commercial IS disgraceful, yes, but it is a look at reality.

I suspect that THE OSU still gets your financial support....?


Do you think there ought to be a thing called an 'athletic' major available...?

What's your major, son?
Football.
Ok.

Wouldn't solve the problem of players being paid, but it would stop much of the charade of kids putting in 30 hrs a week in a big-time sport posing as university students.

[PSUFAN]

Do you think there ought to be a thing called an 'athletic' major available...?

What's your major, son?
Football.
Ok.

Wouldn't solve the problem of players being paid, but it would stop much of the charade of kids putting in 30 hrs a week in a big-time sport posing as university students.

I'm on board with that, actually. I would prefer that to what is presently in place. The "Football" major would feature things like basic financial management, basic sociology, basic public speaking, etc.

As it stands, many kids are waved through, and that needs to change. The results are clear to see.

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

88,
I understand what you're saying about the perception of hip-hop culture in general, but you're kind of throwing out the baby with the bath water. If anything, the Big 10 should be appauded for taking the trouble to seek out a socially conscious rapper from the underground/indie/backpack hip-hop scene who takes pains to separate himself from the popular misconceptions about rap music being all about gang-banging, pimping, and drug dealing. I'm sure it would've been a lot easier for the Big 10 to just throw some money at the Black Eyed Peas or some other, more recognizable flavor-of-the-month type act.

I just don't think hip-hop's image is as set in stone as you think. In the early and mid 80s, hip-hop had a fairly squeaky clean image as simple party music. Then, in the late 80s, NWA started the whole gangsta rap genre. I think that gangsta rap was necessary at that point in history, because it shed light on issues that most of us small town white kids had no idea even existed.

Unfortunately, as a result of NWA's success, a lot of rappers cashed in on the whole gangsta rap image, constantly attempting to "out-thug" each other. Right now, idiots like 50 Cent sell millions of records bragging about how many times they've been shot and how gangsta they are. But there is also a swelling underground rap scene that eschews all the gangsta bravado and actually creates meaningful, artistic music in an attempt to change hip-hop's image. Talib Kweli is part of that underground, along with Mos Def, Blackalicious, and The Roots, just to name a few.

I really don't consider gangsta culture and black youth culture to be interchangeable, although there is obviously some overlap. I mean, if you go out & run some errands in your Ohio St. jersey, are you promoting gang culture just because a lot of gangstas wear jerseys? Just because gangs are associated with a certain type of rap music does not mean all rap music has that image. Your average gang-banger in Compton has probably never even heard of Talib Kweli. They're not in his target audience.

BTW, if you want a funny example of the backlash against gangsta rap, download the song (well, it's not really a song per se) "Thuggity Skit" by the group Lifesavas. It pretty much sums up the stupidity of the genre in about a minute. On the CD, it's the intro to the song "Skeletons." Not sure if you can find it separately. Regardless, it's pretty hilarious.

[Shine]

It praises violence and discourages education and hard work. Find me some lyrics that tell kids to work hard in school, attend college and make something out of themselves. Naw, rap is about baby mama drama etc.

Huh. Here I thought all Republicans were pro life, but reading this abortion of a take I stand corrected.


88- You shouldn't speak on subjects you clearly know nothing about except what you've seen on TV. You prolly wouldn't like it if I put forth a legal arguement based on watching Night Court.

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

Rock solid take, Mike. I don't disagree with anything you said. But I still don't see why rap musicians, even the squeaky clean goodie two shoes ones, should be promoting the Big Ten Conference. I would feel exactly the same way if it was a heavy metal rocker, a pop artist or whatever. It is not the right message or messenger, and it damages the reputation of the schools. Thats my point. I get yours, and agree with it, but its on a different issue.

Well that's just Advertising 101. I mean, if you want to go that route, what does rap have to do with promoting hamburgers or cell phones? What do two wise-cracking lizards have to do with promoting beer?

They're trying to appeal to a certain target audience -- college-bound high school kids. Hip-hop is pretty popular with high school kids. And more specifically, underground hip-hop is pretty popular with smart high school kids. I don't really see how it damages the schools' reputations, at least among the audience they're trying to reach. The people who might be bothered by Talib Kweli promoting the Big 10 aren't likely to be prospective students.

Now if it was Fiddy or Ludacris or Kanye West, you might have cause for alarm...

[Terry in Crapchester]

They're trying to appeal to a certain target audience -- college-bound high school kids. Hip-hop is pretty popular with high school kids. And more specifically, underground hip-hop is pretty popular with smart high school kids. I don't really see how it damages the schools' reputations, at least among the audience they're trying to reach. The people who might be bothered by Talib Kweli promoting the Big 10 aren't likely to be prospective students.

No, but they might be substantial donors to the member institutions, upon whom those institutions rely heavily.

[poptart]

Big Ten Conference football and bouncy-ball programs are not about higher education.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Big Ten Conference football and bouncy-ball programs are not about higher education.

Of course, the vast majority of the people exposed to that commercial aren't capable of playing football or basketball at that level.

Haven't seen the ad, but from its placement I'd have to say it was aimed at run-of-the-mill prospective students, not just prospective jocks.

[Sky]

Big Ten Conference football and bouncy-ball programs are not about higher education.

Oh yeah, great take, thanks for joining the conversation.

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

Haven't seen the ad, but from its placement I'd have to say it was aimed at run-of-the-mill prospective students, not just prospective jocks.

I finally saw it the other day on my sister's computer (she has a PC) and I'm not really sure what all this fuss is about. The commercial is more of a promotion of Big Ten basketball than an attempt to lure prospective students. The message seems to be "Watch Big 10 basketball. It's awesome!" as opposed to "Please consider enrolling at one of our fine institutions of higher learning." Talib Kweli drops a short little rap about how funky fresh in effect Big 10 hoops are and it's over with. He's wearing an orange shirt, a brown vest, and a brown tam o'shanter hat. His jeans are loose fitting, but they're no baggier than some of the ones in my closet (FWIW, I'm 32, white, and currently unaffiliated with any street gangs).

It seems to me that if there should be a 3 page thread on this, it should be on some indie rap message board debating whether or not Kweli "sold out" by doing this commercial.

As far as offending donors goes, maybe I just have a really naive worldview, but I can't imagine too many Big 10 alumni so old, crotchety, and white that they'd actually stop donating to their alma mater because of some 30 second TV commercial featuring a (gasp) jive-talking negro who dresses like a hoodlum.

[poptart]

My takes normally hit the mark, Sky.
You're welcome.

I don't see what the fuss is either, Mike.
It's a simple promotion for Big Ten Pro Hoops.

Take a look at the video, Terry.
88 posted a link to it early in this thread.

Haven't seen the ad, but from its placement I'd have to say it was aimed at run-of-the-mill prospective students, not just prospective jocks.

Yeah, you're probably right.

Jocks need a LOT more than a spot like that to think about a Big Ten (Big Stage....boom boom, knockin' it down, battleground whenever we comin' 'round), Academic Institution.

Like a suitcase full of Benjamins.


Heard Vince Young on the radio the other day.
Said that when he was being recruited out of HS it came down to UT or UMiami.

Texas outbid Miami.


Sincerely,

Common Sense

[King Crimson]

My takes normally hit the mark, Sky.
You're welcome.

I don't see what the fuss is either, Mike.
It's a simple promotion for Big Ten Pro Hoops.

Take a look at the video, Terry.
88 posted a link to it early in this thread.

Haven't seen the ad, but from its placement I'd have to say it was aimed at run-of-the-mill prospective students, not just prospective jocks.

Yeah, you're probably right.

Jocks need a LOT more than a spot like that to think about a Big Ten (Big Stage....boom boom, knockin' it down, battleground whenever we comin' 'round), Academic Institution.

Like a suitcase full of Benjamins.


Heard Vince Young on the radio the other day.
Said that when he was being recruited out of HS it came down to UT or UMiami.

Texas outbid Miami.


Sincerely,

Common Sense

is this one of those vaunted, "mark-hitting takes"? I'm just curious.

[poptart]

If it didn't touch your soul then you're a few fries short of a happy meal, son.