[kj] oliver read this

[B. Oliver Sheppard]

Well, I didn't say he did anything bad. It was just kind of awkward and 
weird (which is what I said). That it's awkward and weird to me is 
probably also because I grew up in the US south (and still live there) 
and trying really hard to show an individual African-American you're 
"down with them" is almost an inverse sort of racism - "please, I'm not 
like all the others, I'm down with ya!" Anyway, those are the kinds of 
social interactions our history of slavery and racism have skewed for 
awhile to come. There's always another dimension to folks of black and 
white backgrounds talking to one another, a dimension that isn't there 
when it's whites talking to other whites. That dimension is the horrible 
history that lurks in the shadowy background and subtly informs comments 
and how they're taken.

I also don't really believe John when he said the UK didn't have race 
problems like the US, etc. Well, maybe not *like the US*, but goddamn -- 
remember when Bernard Manning died, how some folks on this list went ape 
shit about how PC fascism had gotten out of control, because the guy was 
great, "oh come on it's just humor," etc. and the liberals had their way 
there'd basically be jackbooted thugs kicking down their doors to keep 
them from enjoying their favorite off color humor? (Yes, hyperbole.) 
That was ridiculous. I saw the dude's own YouTube page (since removed) 
and bits of his nightclub act he chose to put up there himself. If he 
was popular enough to have the liberal Guardian mourning him, and he was 
making jokes about immigrants and coloreds basically being like dogs, 
etc., it seemed to indicate a fair amount of racism in the society to me.

Actually, John can at least say he did the thing w/ Afrika Bambatta 
(Time Zone) and I know he's not racist the way most mainstream Americans 
are, etc. and probably isn't at all. I think he was just drunk as hell 
on Kimmel, which caused some weird moments, but he didn't do anything wrong.

-Oliver


melinda grant wrote:

> oliver,let me correct you,

>

> john was approached by a nature t.v.channel to do a report on " 

> gorilors in the wild" ( you know,gorilors as in apes,monkeys...ok you 

> understand)  this programme was shown on u.k t.v only,john whilst out 

> in africa,spent some time with 2 african tribes--what he ment on that 

> is,irrespective of colour,(johns white--those tribes people were black 

> africans)  they were brought together through music, and nothing else 

> figured-- neither to john or the tribes people--music he did with the 

> 2 tribes,he also brought them together-- whilst he was out there doing 

> the documentry ok.

>

> also,yes its true,john--being irish/english by roots was/is 

> correct,there is no way the level of race problems as there is in 

> u.s.a  in england,there are whole sections in various parts of u.s.a 

> that i /others would not go to,because of the race problems,backward 

> thinking and general attitude of some people out there--

>

> there is no where that i would avoid in the u.k down to race problems, 

> and infact anywhere else in the world really-(-as theres hardly any of 

> those attitudes)-- as in comparreson to  parts of u.s.a because of the 

> race problems!!! ( i know as ive been to most places in the world 

> already)

>

> also,john was getting the other guy who you thought he insulted but 

> your wrong(i guess a u.s.a. african) to lighten up and to see how 

> stupid this whole black/white segregation attitude is,which is a bit 

> rife in u.s.a,ive been to u.s.a,john lives there

>

> john was talking from his general exsperiences of what he was brought 

> up around and compairing--in relation to the u.s.a in parts,the other 

> guys exsperiences and how he was brought up to believe!!

>

> ok ;)) johns a good guy,you missunderstood through lack of facts!!

>

>

>> From: "B. Oliver Sheppard" <bigblackhair at sbcglobal.net>

>> Reply-To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the 

>> band!)"<gathering at misera.net>

>> To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)" 

>> <gathering at misera.net>

>> Subject: Re: [kj] hes still a punk ;-)

>> Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:17:55 -0500

>>

>> I saw that interview. He was also pretty damn drunk, and made some 

>> awkward comments to the African-American actor next to him (whose 

>> name I forget) about how in England they don't have race problems 

>> like us in the US and he's been to Africa to see gorillas, etc., etc. 

>> That part was kind of weird.

>>

>> -Oliver

>>

>