Accusations of racism prompted a country music channel to pull the video, which is set at the site of an infamous lynching and race riot. But Republicans are embracing Aldean.

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  • SlothMama@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I haven’t heard the song, but I just read the lyrics and I’m honestly not interpreting it as a racist song. I did grow up in the southeast US so I may have some biases, but the wording and phrases all read safe to me, at least in regards to racism.

    The lyrics convey to me a small town mentality of ‘you mess with them you’ve messed with me’ which is a prevalent southern attitude, but the only thing he references are criminals, not a marginalized group.

    I do lean left with most of my views, I’m anti capitalist, pro free speech, pro tax funded healthcare, pro trans rights and anti racism, so I feel like I should be exactly the demographic that would be sensitive to overt and even potentially subtle racism.

    That said, I do think that vigilante justice is super problematic, and so even though I don’t agree this song is racist, I do counter propose the song encourages mob justice mentality, which is a different kind of problem that also matters.

    If I’m missing critical details or context, please let me know. I have only read the lyrics, so insofar as that conveys, that’s my read.

    • lingh0e@lemmy.filmEnglish
      5·
      1 year ago

      Did you read the article?

      Accusations of racism prompted a country music channel to pull the video, which is set at the site of an infamous lynching and race riot.

      Also, the lyrics are tone deaf. He’s saying that him and his friends will kick the ass of anyone who disrespects police and/or the American flag… completely ignoring the reasons WHY people might feel compelled to disrespect police and/or the American flag.

      But Bo Burnham said it best, he’s pandering

      • SlothMama@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        Even though I’m left leaning I don’t agree with ACAB takes because it literally isn’t all police, so I don’t agree with the institution of law enforcement being bad, and recognize that it adds value to society. The flag, idk, flags are just cloth to me, I could care less about allegiance to a country, especially when I disagree a lot with what my country does, or where its politics are heading.

        I watched the Bo Burnham clip, lots of funny, it’s pretty on the nose.