Well, I could not let this opportunity go by and not say anything, now could I? First of all let’s get the formalities out of the way: I love this video. Period. I know that there are many who will disagree for a myriad of reasons and that’s cool. That’s what should happen, we should discuss the who, what when, where and how we arrive at an opinion. That’s what’s missing in our dialogue these days, instead of talking to one another we’re talking at one another with talking points. There’s a pundit at every dinner table in America these days.
Why do I love it? Well, it’s that sort of warm fuzzy feeling I get when I’m presented with great art. Yes I used the a word: Art. This is art cut from the same cloth as when I heard gifted orators like Richard Pryor or Chuck D. used words that your mama used to try and cover your ears when you were a kid. In the mouths of Pryor and Chuck it is art other people are just cussin’. Yes I said cussin’. The difference? Layers and layers of content, context and commentary gleaned through contemplation. This is the place where this video takes me.
From the opening frame with the soundbite and that white Lincoln I knew we were in for a ride. Quite honestly the “nudity” is of little consequence to me. Yes, I believe it had to be done for the shock and awe of it all but this here is something altogether different…just like in the above example Erykah Badu is nude while others just get naked. Naked and nude live on very different streets.
Sure maybe I’m a little too artsy, hippie dippie or whatever adjective you want to attach to my worldview but Badu’s comment on Groupthink is revolutionary and timely. There is no I in we…sometimes that can be a good thing.
Please share thoughts, comments, concerns, rants, raves or whatever with us. We would love to hear from you!
Ivan Orr is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, and writer. A native of Charlottesville, Virginia Ivan was involved with the forming and nascent days of The Music Resource Center as its first Program Director. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Music, Ivan currently resides in Richmond, VA where he maintains an active performance and production schedule while serving as the Music Editor for Grown Folks Music, a position he has held since 2010.
