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interesting exchange on Celebrity Apprentice re: race

Embarrassed yes, I am watching it, AND I LIKE IT!!!1111!

So Aubrey (Playboy / popstar) has an idea for a jingle which involves her teaching Arsenio Hall to tapdance.  He replies, "No fecking way" and indicates it has an insulting racial history attached.  Aubrey is floored and brings up Gregory Hines as an example, and Arsenio says he does not know how to make her understand its connotation.

I admit that I did not even know this.  Similar discussions here I have known about (finger-pointing, the word "uppity," etc.).  Not this one, though.

Can someone explain? 

 

 

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Re: interesting exchange on Celebrity Apprentice re: race

  • I'm glad you posted this, because I caught it too and wondered..
    image
    You know how we do
  • I think if you look back at vaudeville and the mockery in black face etc... I think that's where the history is pretty ugly. It was a comedic mockery for a long time and I completely understand why he'd have an issue with it.
    image Josephine is 4.
  • imagelanie30:
    I think if you look back at vaudeville and the mockery in black face etc... I think that's where the history is pretty ugly. It was a comedic mockery for a long time and I completely understand why he'd have an issue with it.

    but is that what they were doing?  *i didn't see the show*

    if it's just tap dancing, i.e., no mockery going on, then i don't see the big deal.

    hello gregory hines and savion glover.  a black person + tap dancing is not inherently racist.

  • I understand his position completely, and I'm pretty white.  Maybe I'm a Blacker.

    Of course not all such dancing rings in this nature.  Take Sammy here for example:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjSg2tGh4Sw

    Looks fun, actually. 

  • imagelanie30:
    I think if you look back at vaudeville and the mockery in black face etc... I think that's where the history is pretty ugly. It was a comedic mockery for a long time and I completely understand why he'd have an issue with it.
    That's what I thought, but I didn't want to ASSume. @Moxie, I think it might feel like a mockery and not authentic dancing just because he would be learning it quickly, and Aubrey would be hamming up the dance, etc.

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  • imageHeather R:
    imagelanie30:
    I think if you look back at vaudeville and the mockery in black face etc... I think that's where the history is pretty ugly. It was a comedic mockery for a long time and I completely understand why he'd have an issue with it.
    That's what I thought, but I didn't want to ASSume. @Moxie, I think it might feel like a mockery and not authentic dancing just because he would be learning it quickly, and Aubrey would be hamming up the dance, etc.

    oh okay.

  • IDK, I think Arsenio comes off looking stupid here. If you search tapping, you'll find that the biggest names belong to black foks and I don't mean the blackface era either. I've seen amazing tappers on So You Think You Can Dance and other places. And as others mentioned, Savion Glover and Gregory Hines FTmuthafuukingwin.

    I think the only reason Arsenio is reading race into it is because a white girl asked him.



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  • imagehindsight's_a_biotch:

    IDK, I think Arsenio comes off looking stupid here. If you search tapping, you'll find that the biggest names belong to black foks and I don't mean the blackface era either. I've seen amazing tappers on So You Think You Can Dance and other places. And as others mentioned, Savion Glover and Gregory Hines FTmuthafuukingwin.

    I think the only reason Arsenio is reading race into it is because a white girl asked him.

    and the white girl in question is someone who's just bossed him around / generally been condescending.

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  • imagehindsight's_a_biotch:

    IDK, I think Arsenio comes off looking stupid here. If you search tapping, you'll find that the biggest names belong to black foks and I don't mean the blackface era either. I've seen amazing tappers on So You Think You Can Dance and other places. And as others mentioned, Savion Glover and Gregory Hines FTmuthafuukingwin.

    I think the only reason Arsenio is reading race into it is because a white girl asked him.

    I watched the show and his reason seemed to have more to do with the fact that she just assumed he could pick up tap quickly, when he said he couldn't tap.  Paraphrasing, but he said he had all the respect in the world for Gregory Hines - and Gregory Hines didn't learn to tap in 30 minutes...

    I got that there was the emotional element of tap's association with a more racist image and time, despite him knowing intellectually that it was a valid art, kwim?  Just not valid or comfortable for him. 

  • Is this Aubrey one of p diddy' s girls?
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  • imageHeather R:
    imagehindsight's_a_biotch:

    IDK, I think Arsenio comes off looking stupid here. If you search tapping, you'll find that the biggest names belong to black foks and I don't mean the blackface era either. I've seen amazing tappers on So You Think You Can Dance and other places. And as others mentioned, Savion Glover and Gregory Hines FTmuthafuukingwin.

    I think the only reason Arsenio is reading race into it is because a white girl asked him.

    and the white girl in question is someone who's just bossed him around / generally been condescending.

    I think that was part of the issue! Just because it may not make everyone uncomfortable(i.e. Gregory Hines and other dancers), doesn't mean his feelings aren't valid. When he said no, and gave his reason, she should have just let it go. I cannot stand Aubrey!

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  • When a White person tells or directs a Black person to dance, there is going to be a problem, particularly tapdancing or something from back in the day.    I'm sure someone will be able to find a wiki article or youtube link or something on the the history of this because I can't think of it off the top of my head, I just know it feels wrong to me.  For some reason as soon as I read this, I heard "Dance, n***er!" in my head, but I don't know where that came from and I know she didn't mean it that way.   Embarrassed
  • imagerobinsokj:
    Is this Aubrey one of p diddy' s girls?

    Yup. The one that got bitchy and quit because she was too good for the Diddy.

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  • Are we missing that Arsenio can't tap dance? Mentioning Glover and Hines in this conversation is a mute point. Yes, there are excellent black tap dancers but the assumption that A.H should tap for applause is a throwback to minstrel shows. I get the offense.
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  • imagecee-jay:
    When a White person tells or directs a Black person to dance, there is going to be a problem, particularly tapdancing or something from back in the day.    I'm sure someone will be able to find a wiki article or youtube link or something on the the history of this because I can't think of it off the top of my head, I just know it feels wrong to me.  For some reason as soon as I read this, I heard "Dance, n***er!" in my head, but I don't know where that came from and I know she didn't mean it that way.   Embarrassed

    What? Why shouldn't Arsenio Shuck and Jive for that girl?! 

     

    image "There's a very simple test to see if something is racist. Just go to a heavily populated black area, and do the thing that you think isn't racist, and see if you live through it." ~ Reeve on the Clearly Racist Re-Nig Bumper Sticker and its Creator.
  • lol. mute! 
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  • When Aubrey asked Arsenio to tap dance, he most likely pictured this instead of Savion and Gregory:

    image

  • imageshadowboxerkd:
    lol. mute! 

    I also chuckled.

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  • imageIAmMalcolmX:

    When Aubrey asked Arsenio to tap dance, he most likely pictured this instead of Savion and Gregory:

    image

    /ded at the coonery here.

  • To be fair, we're talking about Aubrey O'Day. Homegirl was raised in Diddy's home for wayward hobags. Her entire life story is built on the premise that anyone can be a dancer after a week with a shitty choreographer.


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  • imagehindsight's_a_biotch:
    To be fair, we're talking about Aubrey O'Day. Homegirl was raised in Diddy's home for wayward hobags. Her entire life story is built on the premise that anyone can be a dancer after a week with a shitty choreographer.

    Boom KAT!

    Go babies Caden!
  • I would *totally* have watched the show if it was actually called Diddy's Home for Wayward Hobags. It would've been great between Flavor of Love and Rock of Love.
    Team Basement Cat imageKnitting&Kitties
  • imagelyssbobiss:

    imagehindsight's_a_biotch:
    To be fair, we're talking about Aubrey O'Day. Homegirl was raised in Diddy's home for wayward hobags. Her entire life story is built on the premise that anyone can be a dancer after a week with a shitty choreographer.

    Boom KAT!

    OMG!! Remember when Diddy fired her?

  • imageIAmMalcolmX:

    When Aubrey asked Arsenio to tap dance, he most likely pictured this instead of Savion and Gregory:

    image

    MERE *falls out on the floor laughing*

  • I didn't see it, but why did Arsenio have to tap dance? Nobody else in that group could possibly have been the one learning how to tap dance in 30 mins or less? And hells yeah to Mere's gif. F*ck that noise yo.
  • imageSou Desafinado:
    I didn't see it, but why did Arsenio have to tap dance? Nobody else in that group could possibly have been the one learning how to tap dance in 30 mins or less? And hells yeah to Mere's gif. F*ck that noise yo.

    i just came into this post to see mer's amazing gif. 

    as for the show, they were doing a dance to a jingle.  the only ones left in the group are aubrey, arsenio and teresa gudice.  i can't figure out how teresa is still even on the show to begin with.  she has no talent at all, much less dance ability.

    proof that i make babies. jack, grace, and ben, in no particular order
    imageimageimage
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