This is like saying Pamela Anderson uses her body as a marketing asset !!

This is reducing Prince to a mere colour-of-skin stereotype which is a bit sad and pathetic really.

It sounds like you are judging people, ie Prince, by the colour of their skin. Shame on you.

OskarKristio said:

Really , Did people really see it that way , Wow I always thought music was for everyone I didnt know it worked that way

Does that mean Carlos Santana can only be appreciated by Mexican People,

I dont understand Your attitude man, Ofcourse Prince is black, thats Great and why would anyone say otherwise , But why must music always be looked at Politically I believe music should be for everybody, Prince is a fantastic African American Songwriter,Muscician,Dancer, etc etc but why should he be any ones boy, Prince is Prince.[/quote]
I agree totally,why should race be a factor of how much of an affinity anyone has to Prince and his music.Every single individual interprets this in their own unique way,regardless of their colour.I always felt that his music was a unifying thing bringing us all together and transcending boundaries.Let's remember the one thing we all have in common,including Prince-our humanity.

PurpleCharm said:

Great debating skills!

bellanoche said:

Exactly. Darker skinned women are invisible generally in this world. Prince is making a definitive affirmative action statement by making Tamar his protege and Celestina the muse in Black Sweat video.

Methinks those who don't like Prince's current stance likely are neither darker skinned or female.

skipper said:

This idealistic vision is all very well when you aren't part of the group who feel neglected.

SpecialEd said:

These fools don't know what they are missing. The blacker the berry baby.

I'm just wondering... How do Vanity and Nona, for example, fit in to this theory?
Cat might not be dark chocolate, but she always looked black to me (to the extent that I gave it much thought - it's not a big issue in Australia or Israel, but I understand why it is, and should be, in the US.)

I mean, if you're bitchin' that they weren't sporting 'fros, I think u'd b hard-pressed 2 find anyone prominent with a big do between 1981 and 1991 (give or take)! Not that that's a good thing, IMO, but the eighties were bad that way (altho they were a simmering in-between period that paved the way for Spike, Denzel, Chuck D etc)

SpecialEd said:

Do you actually listen to Prince's music because you sound mainly preoccupied with the type of female dancers he has.

I do relate to what you are saying. I don't think they're are enough black or female role models in society. But look at Alesha Keys. She's black, female and succesful and she talks about how Prince was a great inspiration to her THROUGH his music.

Or look at the Brit Awards where he has very sexy scantily clad dancers who are practically half his age??? What's that about?

And then people are saying how he's now "embracing" his blackness. Hmm....?

Dark skinned women are invisible generally in this world. Prince is making a definitive affirmative action statement by making Tamar his protege and Celestina the muse in Black Sweat video.

Methinks those who don't like Prince's current stance likely are neither darker skinned or female.[/quote]


Im neither of the above and I dont have a problem with Prince current stance...whatever that is, Man to be honest it dont matter to me if Prince was
Norwegian, Bangladeshi or Eskimo I got onto the bandwagon cuz i dug the vibe and the sound and everythang right from the start. I prefer some albums more than others but thats true for just about any band I like. If you look at Hendrix perhaps some of the same sentiments could be said bout him, he kinda got into the hippy trippy thing and played with honky muscicians but why would anyone say he's not black of course he was, all Im saying is regardless of color why cant artists just do what they wanna do, like does every white, mexican or african american artist have to artistically conform to some kind stereotype to be considered sufficiently white, mexican or african american, if they happen to fit those stereotypes thats fine but if they dont always fit them then whats the big deal it doesnt change there heritage.
[Edited 3/3/06 1:42am]

wasitgood4u said:[quote]it's not a big issue in Australia or Israel, but I understand why it is, and should be, in the US.)

Wasitgood4u, you're kidding right? Australia has historically been one of the most racist countries in the world. You cannot possibly be an Aborigine. The Aborigines in Australia have been treated as less than human by the white Australian majority and government for decades. I cannot speak on Israel, but given the treatment of Palestinians in that country, I would not imagine it as a place were people are treated equally.

It is always curious to me when people from other countries try to minimize or ignore the amount of racial and ethnic strife in their own countries. Racism, skin color prejudice and xenophobia are not specific to the United States.

GAT DAYUM, can you muthas learn how to quote??? It's easy - you hit "quote" & you type your shit UNDERNEATH... you don't have to delete or modify any of the text that appears in the response window, m'kay???

I'm trying to read this shit, not decipher a fucking code

I am sure i will get comments on this, and i said it before, Prince isnt (solely) black.

His mother was halve italian, halve black.
His father was halve phillipan, halve black.

Just check out the more reliable biographies about Prince. I mean, i have to believe something, and they all state this.

To me Prince seemed always a bit uncomfy with the 'black consciousness' thing. At some moments he did put the emphasize on ethnic diversity (dirty mind, controversy), at others he seemed to put the emphathis more on his 'blackness' (the rainbow children, exodus).

To me this latter examples always did sound forced, and somehow stupid, i mean, at first, Prince isnt black, but just a mixture of races, and second, it didnt sound sincere to me, but very forced, a pose.

To be clear, i loved the Prince who was saying / preaching there are no boundaries when it comes to ethnicity, the mixture of musicstyles, the fact that we are all human, because that connects with how i think about people. I dont like people putting emphasis on how 'black' or 'white' they are, because its a 'powertool' not a sign of integrity and knowing what life is about.

Riverpoet31 said:

you still believe that decades-old bullshit?

bellanoche said:[quote]

wasitgood4u said:

I agreed. Racism is everywhere not just USA. It happens in Canada, Europe, Latin America, Australia, etc. Go ask around and get people's opinions about racism in your country before concluded so-called colorblind fantasy. People who think otherwise are just denial as hell.

I also read bad treatment about the Aborigines and it still happens today.
[Edited 3/3/06 8:59am]

Racism is everywhere, its a result of peoples (sometimes wrong), but probably inherited tendency to think in terms of 'I - You, Us - Them'. This tendency is also showing in peoples' reactions on eachother

The main thing is: how do you deal with that tendency?

This has to do with questions like:
- Is the subject important to you?
- do you use it to gain power?
- do you use it to preach love?
- do you feel easily offended by people from other cultures? or not?
- do you follow your prejudices, your fears, your soul when judging other people?

Everyone deals different with those, and i am not sure what is the right answer, i guess / hope we gain some growing insights about that during our lives.

Riverpoet31 said:

racism is definitely not something that you inherit. it's something people learn from others. there's a HUGE difference between inheriting something and learning something.

sorry, i think you misunderstand me, i dont say racism is inherited, but i think the behaviour of thinking in terms of you-me, us-them is inherited. And in some cases that can lead to racism.

Especially when people feel insecure about themselves, their lives, their possibilites, their future, racism seems to pop up, wether its 'white' or 'black' racism (or yellow, or purple, or younger, or older, or richer or poorer....)

Riverpoet31 said:

and that's what i meant. that kinna shit is not inherited.

It is (on a scientific level), that doesnt mean your view is wrong

Riverpoet31 said:

credible sources, please.

that makes me think about certain questions:
- Is there a white consciousness? what is it? (i mean, when theres a black consciousness, theres probably also a white consciousness?)
- How about the yellow (asian), red (indian) and black (aboriginal) consciousness?
- Isnt consciousness a word used by people as a powertool? what does it imply? whats the use of it? why even use it?

Just curious...

IS there a black consciousness even? or are there people who make it up?

Riverpoet31 said:

mere consciousness should be an overall thing for everybody as it is. you don't make that shit up.

thats right, i dont care for political correct bullshit, everyone has a consciounce, and everyone should follow it, but when peeps start to say there is a black consciouness, a white one, a yellow one whatever, they are spreading politics, it has nothing do with reality

Wow, some white people feel excluded. How do you think we felt when he said he was everything but Black? How do you think it's feels to still be excluded because of the color of your skin? As much as Prince wanted to deny it, at the end of the day, he was seen as another black male. I think something happened in his career that showed him this and he came into his own understanding.

I mean, my skin is white, but maybe i inherited some 'black' blood in the past...should i use that to make a point? does that give me a ground to moan?

Another example: imagine i am a black person, grown up in some ghetto, saying 'i dont have opportunities, because white men treated my forefathers like a slave', its nonsense, abuse of powerterms

What if a white man or woman with some disorder would say: i cant work, because black men kicked my mother in the belly when she was pregnant of me.

I mean, when youre human the past is something to learn about, but dont automatically judge 'white' people who live nowadays for slavery or whatsoever. It doesnt help them, it doesnt help you. In the end constructivism and love work way better then acting like a victim or projecting hatred.

Romera said:

yup.

btw, riverpoet, i'm still waiting on them "scientific" facts you were talking about a few posts up. you ain't proved that stuff yet.

Riverpoet31 said:

bad example, because that ain't an "abuse of powerterms". that's just outright stupidity.

VelvetJ said:

How about - a talented musical artist working with a majority of talented people?