If misogyny is “art” when you sing it, is the Horst Wessel song “art” too?
/By Rubashov
There is an interesting debate going on in Sussex County's race for County Commissioner. It has to do with the definition of “art” and how acceptable the use of “misogynistic” or “bigoted” language can become when defined as “art”.
Everything seems to start with school boards these days and so does this story. It starts with a female school board member who took issue with the word “bitch” being used in a private conversation that she was part of. She took to social media to denounce the use of the word and to call for the person who used the word – like her, an elected official – to resign from office immediately.
A few days later, it was pointed out to this elected school board member that a candidate she was supporting – a Democrat candidate for Sussex County Commissioner – had used the word as well. The candidate styles himself a “rap artist” and a collection of videos was uncovered – all posted by the candidate – with a great many lyrics that some might find objectionable.
A different school board member posted some of these lyrics and called them objectionable. Here is just one example among many:
Listen up I told ya, I'm a killer I'm a soldier.
And the lady of your dreams,
I got her chilling on my sofa.
And she came so hard,
Now the bitch is in a coma.
Lately I been feelin' so high,
If I ever come down I'm soaring.
Fell asleep in some pussy last night,
I woke up in some pussy this morning.
And even though it happens all the time,
It don't never get boring.
“It's raining, it's pouring,
Her old man was boring.
So she came to bed,
And she gave me head,
And she did the same in the morning.
Itty bitty waste but that ass obese.
Bougie lil' thing got her ass hole bleached.
Seeing that look on a hating nigga face.
I swear it don't never get boring.
Seeing some fine ass thotty backstage.
I swear it don't never get boring.
I'll intent squad got these shows all retarded.
I swear it don't never get boring.
And knowing god damn this is only getting started.
This is just the fuckin' warning.
So, the question was posed to the elected school board member who started the whole thing: If a single word, shared amongst friends of longstanding, is a capital offense – an offense over which someone should lose a career – what should be the punishment for the use of multiple words in multiple instances?
The response from the candidate was a single, self-applied, word: “Art”.
And the elected school member seems to agree with this assessment. Use whatever language about women you wish… so long as you sing it (or, in this case, “rap” it – rap being closer to spoken word than to song). It also helps immensely if you are a member of the right political party.
For our part, we would like to ask the county commissioner candidate what led him to use the line Now the bitch is in a coma? We assume this is meant metaphorically and that no actual harm came to the “bitch” in question.
And are phrases like I'm a killer and This is just the fuckin' warning to be perceived as threats? Is there some violent intent lurking there?
Also, we would like to hear from this man (who hopes to be an elected official with the title “honorable” something or other) about the artistic value of such lines as these:
Is Itty bitty waste but that ass obese a reference to weight shaming?
What is Bougie lil' thing got her ass hole bleached meant to convey?
If this is “art” – as opposed to a jumble of words put to a tune – then what is the meaning behind it? We are happy to give the maestro the time he needs to explain and to educate us about such artistic phrases as she came so hard and she gave me head.
Just what is meant by all retarded and fine ass thotty? What is the artistic merit in the phrase, Seeing that look on a hating nigga face?
By the way, with all the allegations and accusations of racism going around, does the candidate really believe that using words like “nigga” is helpful? Or does he agree with those who argue that the use of such words, in lyrics meant to be repeated, perpetuates the use of such words and the sentiments they embody? We would like to know his mind on this. Perhaps the elected school board member who started this can provide her perspective too?
There are a great many words put to music that some – many – would hold are not “art”. Take the Horst Wessel song for example. It was the “anthem” of the National Socialist Party in Germany. It was very popular and repeated often. But was it “art” just because it was put to music? Again, we would be interested in the thoughts of our candidate and that elected school board member.
For our part, we look on all of this as protected speech. If someone wants to piss on women in his lyrics, that is his business. It tells us more about who he is and does no real harm to women. In fact, it could be considered a warning label and as such a helpful aid to those women contemplating his considerable charms. Of course, he might argue that women like being treated that way, but that is a debate for another day.
People like our elected school board member – the one who showed no regard for private protected speech and who wished to punish it with extremity – should understand that hypocrisy is a very ugly thing. And that her hypocrisy, so partisan and so punitive, is especially ugly.
We leave you with a parody of the Horst Wessel song – the work of the great Bertolt Brecht – translated into Italian by Gino Negri and performed by Milva as part of her Libertà album, released to mark the twentieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War. In our humble opinion, this just might be art. Enjoy.
“Hypocrisy is the vaseline of political intercourse.”
Billy Connolly
