Line Out - Comments on Re: Blackblack http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack Yesterday I heard back from Blackblack regarding the Deerhoof show discussed in my column. Here's their response (emphasis mine): We have played a show before with the same costume, and actually nobody perceived it as blackface and nobody was offended.... Copyright 2008 Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:00:45 -0800 Fri, 09 Feb 2007 17:54:05 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by MJ there were more than 2 people that had a problem with the 'shadows/blackface' costume but I know the two diva is refering to. I am sitting here with one of them and he says in no way did he talk to them and apologize in portland.

anyway, so am I reading this right: if I have a problem with this it is because I am racist? way to turn that one around and AGAIN not take responsibilty for your actions intentional or not.

]]> MJ http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c621592 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c621592 Shit Talk Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:59:53 -0800 Comment by skweetis I hate to side with these people because they come off as serious chodes, but I buy their story. I know other artists have played with this. I think Marylin Manson and Rammstein did it (I'm a huge fan of neither). I believe that an artist can play with the idea of light and dark without intending a racial connotation. And I also think that we can have gutteral reactions to art that aren't necessarily the intention of the artist, and that does say a lot about our individual bias (not that this specific bias is a bad thing - I much prefer people who see racism where it might not be to people who don't see it where it definitely is).

The example of this that really stewed my tomatoes was that painting of Mary with the elephant dung on it that Saint Rudy tried to shut down BAM over. If the artist wanted to just say "Fuck Mary" he or she could have easily depicted Mary doing a donkey show or covered in some Taco Bell-induced human doody. But it seemed to me that the use of elephant dung was trying to say something else, something more. Maybe it wasn't, but I'm at least willing to give the artist the benefit of the doubt.


Boy I typed a lot for something that's not that big a deal. Oh well.

]]> skweetis http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c621829 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c621829 Shit Talk Thu, 08 Feb 2007 17:51:58 -0800 Comment by R Well, Eric, it looks like you'll have to give up your "I found a racist" liberal merit badge. Good luck next try, though.

]]> R http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c621952 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c621952 Shit Talk Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:33:25 -0800 Comment by Eric Grandy Yeah, but I get to keep my "I found bad taste" music crit merit badge. See you at the jamboree.

]]> Eric Grandy http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c621973 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c621973 Shit Talk Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:38:08 -0800 Comment by skweetis How 'bout booking these guys for the jamboree main stage?

The Residents- Third Reich 'n' Roll

]]> skweetis http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c621997 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c621997 Shit Talk Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:49:39 -0800 Comment by Eric Grandy Sure, I'll just call the Residents' booking agent, no problem.

]]> Eric Grandy http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622127 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622127 Shit Talk Thu, 08 Feb 2007 19:24:23 -0800 Comment by skweetis I can't tell who's being ironic about what anymore, but in case you check in one more time, I got the new Residents record, Tweedles, a couple of weeks ago and actually was trying to figure out how to suggest that a Stranger music writer check it out. It's absolutely stunning.

]]> skweetis http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622199 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622199 Shit Talk Thu, 08 Feb 2007 20:20:37 -0800 Comment by Eric Grandy I absolutely will check it out. There's many a Residents fan lurking around Stranger HQ, maybe not surprisingly they tend to work in the art/design departments rather than in music/editorial.

]]> Eric Grandy http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622228 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622228 Shit Talk Thu, 08 Feb 2007 20:40:10 -0800 Comment by skweetis thanks!

]]> skweetis http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622294 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622294 Shit Talk Thu, 08 Feb 2007 21:05:38 -0800 Comment by Paula for goodness sake, they painted their faces black. and then white. and maybe even blue and then red and then pink and then polka dot. Seattle needs to chill outttt.

]]> Paula http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622397 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622397 Shit Talk Thu, 08 Feb 2007 22:12:51 -0800 Comment by Eastside Por Vida Seriously people in Seattle need to fucking chill. I remember when people were trying to figure out whether or not Chop Suey was racist. Ohhh controversy.

]]> Eastside Por Vida http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622503 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622503 Shit Talk Thu, 08 Feb 2007 22:48:32 -0800 Comment by blah! who gives a flying fuck what color the face paint was? how about the fact that they were totally awful? huh? yeah!

]]> blah! http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622972 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c622972 Shit Talk Fri, 09 Feb 2007 02:48:35 -0800 Comment by B.D. The Resident's Tweedles album is one beautiful, sick, and twisted piece of art. Definitely recommended. Like most of their material since the late 80s, it is best ingested in it's entirety several times over in order to enjoy both the story and the sounds. Once this is accomplished, then the listener can tear the songs apart, allowing them to exist with or without acknowledgment of their original context.

]]> B.D. http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c623180 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c623180 Shit Talk Fri, 09 Feb 2007 05:44:58 -0800 Comment by Mardy Bum Creating controverys sells more records and advertising. Both the artist and the paper benefit. Kudos.

]]> Mardy Bum http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c623697 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c623697 Shit Talk Fri, 09 Feb 2007 10:53:12 -0800 Comment by kerri harrop i'm staying out of this one.

although, i do have to ask this: am i the only person that remembers a well-known seattle punk band playing a show at the breakroom (now chop suey) in blackface?

actual blackface.

i don't recall any outcry in the stranger about it, even though a good portion of the sizable crowd walked out. in fact, it wasn't long afterward that the spits became a very popular band within the pages of the stranger.

]]> kerri harrop http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c624320 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c624320 Shit Talk Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:12:15 -0800 Comment by blackblack just had some corrections to make: you got my name wrong in the article, it's actually diva dompe'. and alex isn't a gap model. also the portland show was a rave, not white face, which i know was a quote, but just thought i'd add that anyway. thanks!

p.s. i don't ever remember Charlie Salas-Humaras being informed of our financial situation. I don't know where he got his information from, but it is also not very accurate.

]]> blackblack http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c624661 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c624661 Shit Talk Fri, 09 Feb 2007 17:54:00 -0800 Comment by blackblack just had some corrections to make: you got my name wrong in the article, it's actually diva dompe'. and alex isn't a gap model. also the portland show was a rave, not white face, which i know was a quote, but just thought i'd add that anyway. thanks!

p.s. i don't ever remember Charlie Salas-Humaras being informed of our financial situation. I don't know where he got his information from, but it is also not very accurate.

]]> blackblack http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c624664 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/02/re_blackblack#c624664 Shit Talk Fri, 09 Feb 2007 17:54:05 -0800