Friday, March 5, 2010
Offbeat Magazine: Off-color is more like it
Posted by Missy Wilkinson on Fri, Mar 5, 2010 at 12:59 AM
Sometimes you come across situations* that are so vile you almost don't want to feed their energy by paying attention to them. But the March 2010 cover of Offbeat Magazine makes a reference too appalling to ignore.
There's no excuse for the editors of a music magazine to be ignorant of the lyrics to Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit."
Southern trees bear strange fruit,Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black body swinging in the Southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.
Contact Offbeat Magazine at offbeat@offbeat.com or 944-4300. Let the editors know their publication's allusion to hate crime is shameful and disgusting.
*Thanks to writer Jamey Hatley for bringing this to my attention.
Comments (36)
Showing 1-25 of 36
like
dislike
Oh goodness, I am so glad someone else caught how messed up and unbelievably offensive this is.
I could not believe that cover. I live in Brooklyn, and look forward to my Offbeat every month.I felt sick to my stomach when I saw that cover! How many people must have seen that before it went to print, SOMEBODY should have said, hey, wait a minute here.....
Let the editors know their publication’s allusion to hate crime is shameful and disgusting. Sure, but keep in mind that they probably never *intended* any reference to hate crimes. They definitely should have known better (being a music magazine) but the truth is that they were probably just ignorant. In fact, it wouldn't make much sense if they were actually trying to be "shameful and disgusting" by using the "strange fruit" reference in conjunction with some indie band -- it doesn't have racial content and isn't offensive by itself. It's more productive to take it as it is -- a boneheaded mistake.
Why Owen? This is our moment to thrash a competitor. I believe the feds should investigate this hate crime! No justice, no peace!
Does anyone know if this was an intentional refrence to a hate crime, or is it just a manifestation of the cultural and historical illiteracy that infects our popular culture? . Because my reaction to this cover story will hinge upon the answer to that question. . Just because I know about that lyric and the awful history of race hatred in this country, I don't automatically expect everyone else - even editors of a music magazine - to know the things I know. . I had to go out of my way to learn about the real history of this country, and not everyone wants to dedicate the time to do so. This isn't something they automatically teach you in high school or even college.
Done! Those shameless fakirs. And for anyone who didn't grow up around a southern dinner table, here is my comment to the offBeatoff in case they pull it: I have never been so ashamed of one of my Favorite New Orleans Magazines as now in the fetid glare of offBeats OFFing Race Card. The sun has truly fallen into someone there's asshole. Who made the call on this month's Used Paper. You know what I'm talkin'bout, hear? Used, Paper, like you find in the bottom of any outhouse on my daddy's farm back in year they drove Emmet Till around Bolivar County, Mississippi --before they chained him to a gin fan and tossed him alive into the Tallahachi River. That is what I am talking about here. Ya'hear? Who made the Call? Know this: I will not, cannot, post ANYTHING from offBeat in my own Blog until somebody here takes responsibility for hanging a bunch a white boys up on a Jungle Jim so you can laugh at the Lynched Niggers. Yeah, I said it because That Is What This Means to Honkies. That is why they threw Billy Holliday nickels and dimes without ever realizing that she was Singing About Them. Listen to the SONG for Goddess sakes! Learn why artist Really do music, or become the Fork Off Beat. Jeez Louie! Editilla~New Orleans Ladder Thank you Gambit for landing on this like a Hammer on'da Chain
I dunno. It wasn't a thoughtful choice, but I think y'all are overreacting. It's common practice to use a famous song title as the headline for a music article. It was a poor choice of song title, but they're just sloppily referring to "famous jazz song" not "black lynching". Come on.
Also, Editilla, you are nuts and they should erase all your posts, if not for their nonsensical and overblown nature, then for that illiterate corny fake "N'awlins" accent you try to type in (which is way more racially offensive than the cover of OffBeat). Ugh.
OffBeat's comments on the cover: http://www.offbeat.com/2010/03/05/our-apologies/
Wow, seriously? Since when does the Gambit pull stunts like this? What's happened here seems to be an ignorant mistake. offbeat's apology: http://www.offbeat.com/2010/03/05/our-apologies/ What's disappointing is the lack of professionalism displayed by you, Missy Wilkinson, in this unnecessarily critical and inappropriate post. I'm glad to know that one of New Orleans' more successful and popular alternative publications would stoop to YELLOW JOURNALISM.
It was a pretty stupid mistake, no doubt. It only makes matters worse that MNIJM are hanging from monkey bars. How every editor missed any possible connection there is beyond me. But I don't think it was intentionally malicious. Just really, really stupid.
Missy was well within her right and scope as a reporter to highlight this offensive cover. When i saw it in the coffee shop, I felt gut punched. As a Black Jewish woman, it was akin to seeing White boys cartwheel around a swastika or fake rape a blow up sex doll. I don't believe it wasn't done with intention to harm - but it was harmful, done unwittingly by people who should have a sensibility towards this issue as their profession would dictate. Still, I'll give OffBeat the benefit of the doubt and accept their apology. I know them to be a positive contributor to our city and the music community. Chase, since you agree with this being an "ignorant mistake" why are you bashing the reporter for calling it out. Its called 'doing her job'. It was necessary and appropriate for her to challenge Offbeat's poor lack of judgment - especially since I don't see anyone else in nola's mainstream media taking it on. clearly your own internalized race stuff is getting triggered. You might wanna get that checked out.
I do not object to this being brought to people's attention by Gambit, but the gal who wrote it needs to read a book about journalism, and pick up the phone and CALL OFFBEAT. Running something like this without even trying to get a quote/defense does indeed make Gambit look bad.
From the apology: . "We believed that in 2010, the phrase “strange fruit” could be used without automatically evoking the Billie Holiday song and its subject matter." . I thought they just didn't know better. But they say they knew, and didn't think it would matter. Wow. . More ironic? The article's actual title is "What's in a name." What, indeed? . Hope this is one of those lessons you only got to learn once.
Thank you Cousin Pat. Did any one else get an email from Jan? In mine they tried to fall back behind Wiki and the Fallacy of Equivalency that "Strange Fruit" can be used these days and times for just about anything. They also, like michael patrick welch, tried to call Me a Racist. Jesus, fork me wit'a Atom Bomb. michael patrick welch, why do you insist on using the 3 Name handle usually reserved for Serial Killers and Mass Murderers? You ran away to Austin with your tail in your ass because you said New Orleans Music just wasn't MTV/SXSW HIP ENOUGH FOR YOU, and because, I suspect, self aggrandizing faux journalism simply doesn't walk in this city. Can you whine any louder than [Also, Editilla, you are nuts and they should erase all your posts, if not for their nonsensical and overblown nature, then for that illiterate corny fake “N’awlins” accent you try to type in (which is way more racially offensive than the cover of OffBeat)]. MPW, you are either too young to have learned about logical fallacy or too heavily medicated to follow your own train of thought. Personal attacks will get you no where on this forum. But again, whine: [I do not object to this being brought to people’s attention by Gambit, but the gal who wrote it needs to read a book about journalism] Dude, if you were any more passive-aggressive I'd think you were standing behind me. You of all people would deign to critique Anyone on their journalistic dexterity. I'd throw up if I wasn't laughing so hard. You know, I hate people who would call me a Racist even more than I hate Racist. Neo'Libral Faux Compassion did not put Brian de le Beckwith in Jail finally. Facing the Hard Reality got that killer. Go wipe your runny nose with someone else's Doctrine. Stop borrowing your philosophy from Starbucks. Unfortunately I first met your ass'wipe articles right here on Gambit --and it just about did it for me and Gambit, which I've read for over 30 years. To a young stupid spoiled punk like you spending such a length of time with Gambit just wouldn't register as meaningful. I mean, come on, you sound like the Racist calling the mettle Black. I'm with Cousin Pat, to wit: while I can certainly appreciate offBeats prompt apology, it sure reads like a slider, if not a spit ball. If we were talking about a Pipe-Fitters Trade Mag, or one of Sarah Palin's Tea-Bagger Newsletter screeds then I wouldn't have even bothered to comment. But who is offBeat? 23 years? If they would proffer themselves as The Music Magazine of New Orleans then they really need to learn What It Means to drag Strange Fruit across an open field. Does offBeat really know what it means? Prove it by not sending around email rants and trying to insult Gambit who called this Spade a Feckless Spade. That is weak. If you want to stay in Business then suck it up and do the right thing. Apology accepted, such as it is. Some of you might try to maintain that "it couldn't happen again", as offBeat tries to do in their "apology", referring to the idiom as a "contemporary", perhaps colloquial concept. Please, tell that to the families of the men shot on Danzinger Bridge during the flood. You have no idea just how quickly it can happen here. Furthermore, try running that one by any Holocaust Survivor, anyone from Darfur, Congo, Uganda (if you're gay), Tanzania or Klan Rally. It can happen here because people forget...obviously the get a little offBeat. Still, I remain dumbfounded that offBeat could NOT KNOW ABOUT THE BILLY HOLLIDAY SONG "STRANGE FRUIT". That really blows my mind most miserably. Do they really think that someone like that was just a Parlor Fixture? Cute to be forgotten? Have they ever heard an interview with Nina Simon about why she never moved back to the States? Why has offBeat got lightweights like MPW defending them? Is the whole world going to Mall in a Handbasket? Jeez Louie!
