Macklemore's "Same Love" : Ally or Exploitation?

[The_Lady_Snow]

Originally Posted by Medusa

I'm guessing that a fair amount of the users here have either seen the Grammy performance from Sunday night where Macklemore, Queen Latifah, Mary Lambert, Madonna, and 33 couples did a live marriage ceremony while Macklemore performed "Same Love" or you've heard about it.

I've seen several folks comment about Macklemore winning in several categories for Rap music but I'd like that to be a different discussion if at all possible while acknowledging that there are intersections between that discussion and this one.

One particular article I read is located here: http://www.guerrillafem.com/2014/01/...wn-macklemore/

This particular article has some commentary and juxtaposes Beyonce's "Flawless" against "Same Love" and basically calls out all of the ways in which the author feels that Macklemore's "anthem" is bullshit. The author also mentions that Macklemore's call-out of rap music's homophobia is racist and oppressive.
sidebar: The author's name is Kelly Fox and this is her bio: "Kelly is a seriously opinionated sassy femme dyke known for her tagline, ‘Where will you hide when the revolution comes?!’ When she's not terrorizing misogynists, you can find her ingesting large quantities of raw snack nuts, thrifting for floral-printed mini-dresses, and writing ferocious feminist manifestas. She has a Master's degree in Gender & Women’s Studies."
You can see a photo of her on this page: http://www.guerrillafem.com/about/team/

I have a couple of thoughts but I think this is a large, valid discussion to have on multiple levels.

What did you think of the "Same Love" performance?

I gave up long ago that Hollyweird is ever going to take up the cause for any oppressed groups, be they gay, POC or anything else than white male, so when I watched the Grammy's I was excited as a 44 year old dyke watching gay folk get married on live TV. It's all about the numbers, revenue, who's gonna win the rating for that night. It was just that, a performance that was something I thought I'd never see I was all warm for a bit, but then other stuff starts to bother me and I begin to pick it apart so I don't, I push it aside and I went ahead and kept the rose colored glasses and basked in the glow.

Do you consider Macklemore an ally?

I think he thinks he's a great ally, could he do more? Yes, if he was an ally I believe he could give Mary Lambert more credit, she deserves more credit for that collaboration, so when I do not see that it makes me go hmm. ally or opportunist? Other than this song, I hadn't seen him standing up for our rights, which leads me to go hmmm

Do you think Macklemore is exploiting the Gay community?

I think ALL artists exploit the Gay Community, it's trendy to be a friend to the gays..

Do you feel that the song "Same Love" should or should not be considered an "anthem" for Gay rights?

No. It's not my anthem.


Do you think Macklemore is right to call out the Rap music community for homophobia?

I think he should stick to calling out his own music genre out, it's not like rap music is the only music full of ism's or homophobia, this is where for me I get a little mad and upset with Macklemore. He's what I like to refer to as a fence straddler, one foot in hip hop the other in main stream. It's like he's literally rising up on the backs of two oppressed groups.

Do you think there is rampant homophobia in other music communities?

Yes

How so?

The country group Big & Rich is known for songs like Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy. They are also known for writing a song supporting John McCain in the 2008 election, and for lead singer, John Rich's outspoken homophobia.


---------------------------------------


Another country singer, 2008 Grammy nominee, Brad Paisley, has a popular song called, I'm Still a Guy. In it he sings:

Well love makes a man do some things he ain't proud of / And in a weak moment I might walk your sissy dog, hold your purse at the mall / But remember, I'm still a guy /.../ These days there's dudes getting facials / Manicured, waxed and botoxed / With deep spray-on tans and creamy lotiony hands / You can't grip a tacklebox / With all of these men lining up to get neutered / It's hip now to be feminized / I don't highlight my hair / I've still got a pair / Yeah honey, I'm still a guy

-----------------------------------------------------

Ricky Martin, Elton John, Morrisey, Freddie Mercury, legends but weren't free to be out until late in life, their careers would be different.




I'd like to respectfully ask that folks peruse the article I linked above so that we can be on the same page with this discussion. It's not long a long article and I think that some of the juxtaposition with Beyonce and her music and Macklemore's heralding is not only super interesting but worthy of dissection.
I'll caveat this entire thing by saying that this article is NOT indicative of a single woman's ideas. I have seen this line of thought multiple times and multiple ways during the popularity of the song and my intent is to discuss the larger picture and not to focus on this single article.

With that being said, I'll craft another post with my own thoughts but wanted to kick off the discussion with this. Thanks for reading this far!

I have other bigger issues with the whole Macklemore beating out Kendrick Lamar, it bothers me A LOT probably more than it does that he is the new gay ally. I had an issue with it when Macklemore cleaned up at the MTV awards, but he's been known to admit his privileges I posted about it back in August here:

>linkyloo<


Look to me, he's no different than any other artist who joins the *cause* of the week that gets them more cash flow. What do we expect, we buy into it, watch it, enable it, and rarely speak against it.

I don't connect with Beyonce like the woman in the article.

[The_Lady_Snow]

P.S.

I want to clarify I am not a hater of Macklemore, I don't see him as a bad person, I am being honest about how things are broken down in my head when it comes to everyday issues that have an effect on me as a person in the LGBTQI world.

[Medusa]

Originally Posted by The_Lady_Snow

P.S.

I want to clarify I am not a hater of Macklemore, I don't see him as a bad person, I am being honest about how things are broken down in my head when it comes to everyday issues that have an effect on me as a person in the LGBTQI world.

Same for me, Snowy. I don't hate Macklemore or even the shitty parts of what is happening with "Same Love" and all of its/his fame. I feel like some of the shitty parts are necessity.

[ProfPacker]

I just hope that there continues to be a dialogue. I do agree about how shifty it was that Mary Lambert is not getting the recognition as one of the main creators of the song. It is the privileged white male who needs to abdicate his glory and elevate her. If she does that I will have more respect for the process.

That being said, I think when LBGTQ folks spend the next day thanking the establishment from throwing them a bone the dialogue becomes diluted. Those that question become angry, pulling things apart, non-appreciative. That is how oppression works. The oppressed group tries to figure out how to take a stand because the oppressed are always aware that their rights that they are denied will only be given to them by the privileged group.

I hope that this can be a forum where we can look at the effects of oppressioncand marginalization on our own identity development.