Azealia Banks: "I hate fat white Americans"

[Daxclamation 7]

Or some people just don't like some people, there doesn't have to be a motive. 

[Bebe 16,782]

What some people don't understand is that a lot of Azealia's anger towards white america is reactionary. She talks quite frankly and honestly about her experiences as a black woman. How her history books taught her the white man gave her everything and how blacks where just slaves and poor people.

She talks about how blacks are being shut out of even basic entry level jobs, how even at school they where treated differently by white teachers, how her cultures religion and language was erased and replaced with the religion and language of her oppressors, how unarmed black kids are being shot in broad daylight by cops and she talks about how many white people have gotten land/houses/jewellery handed down to them for generations while black people have never had any form of reparations for the generations of slavery.

She also talks about how nobody would even give a **** about her struggles if she couldn't rap/sing. 

Here is a woman who is understandable like "**** white america!" They are the group that has oppressed her and her community for hundreds of years. Of course she is angry.

I just think it's odd that instead of being like "Oh wow, the black community is still being oppressed, how can I help?" people are like "UMMM BUT THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE ME AS A WHITE PERSON? PLEASE STOP OPPRESSING ME BY CALLING MY ENTIRE PEOPLE FAT & RACIST!"

Yeah, maybe she is speaking very generally, but look at things from her perspective. Her whole life she has been discriminated against, treated differently and oppressed by white america.
Think about her comments about white america the same way you think about a feminists comments on the "patriarchy" or LGBT allies comments on "heteronormativity" .

Look past the "Yes! I hate everything about this country. Like, I hate fat white Americans" part of the paragraph and move on to the real point she is making

"All the people who are crunched into the middle of America, the real fat and meat of America, are these racist conservative white people who live on their farms. Those little teenage girls who work at Kmart and have a racist grandma—that’s really America."

  

[Ray of Light 8,134]

She hates the men taking away my right to get married; the ones who once didn't even wan their own wives to vote. I know things have changed, but these men still refuse to grant my hard-working immigrant family any form of significance in this country. 

This is being said; Azealia could've worded this better. I'm not excusing her in any means, just bringing perspective other than the bias against her. The girl has got to take some sort of public relations mediation class; her talent is too great to be wasted off by her nasty mouth. But It's obvious she doesn't give damn though. 

 

 

[Cher 15]

Thank god Im australian

[cookiemonster 7]

​But what about the skinny white Americans? The fat black Americans?

Acting like only fat, white people can be racist, homophobic, or ageist. 

I like skinny white Americans  and I love all and any African Americans ;)

[samuelx 1,288]

I can't believe some of the things people are saying in here, reverse racism isn't a thing y'all. I'm sorry, but I agree with Azealia. 

[Jenniferella 2,774]

Let her fade away already ffs

[Kayla 7,595]

What some people don't understand is that a lot of Azealia's anger towards white america is reactionary. She talks quite frankly and honestly about her experiences as a black woman. How her history books taught her the white man gave her everything and how blacks where just slaves and poor people.

She talks about how blacks are being shut out of even basic entry level jobs, how even at school they where treated differently by white teachers, how her cultures religion and language was erased and replaced with the religion and language of her oppressors, how unarmed black kids are being shot in broad daylight by cops and she talks about how many white people have gotten land/houses/jewellery handed down to them for generations while black people have never had any form of reparations for the generations of slavery.

She also talks about how nobody would even give a **** about her struggles if she couldn't rap/sing. 

Here is a woman who is understandable like "**** white america!" They are the group that has oppressed her and her community for hundreds of years. Of course she is angry.

I just think it's odd that instead of being like "Oh wow, the black community is still being oppressed, how can I help?" people are like "UMMM BUT THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE ME AS A WHITE PERSON? PLEASE STOP OPPRESSING ME BY CALLING MY ENTIRE PEOPLE FAT & RACIST!"

Yeah, maybe she is speaking very generally, but look at things from her perspective. Her whole life she has been discriminated against, treated differently and oppressed by white america.
Think about her comments about white america the same way you think about a feminists comments on the "patriarchy" or LGBT allies comments on "heteronormativity" .

Look past the "Yes! I hate everything about this country. Like, I hate fat white Americans" part of the paragraph and move on to the real point she is making

"All the people who are crunched into the middle of America, the real fat and meat of America, are these racist conservative white people who live on their farms. Those little teenage girls who work at Kmart and have a racist grandma—that’s really America."

  

​Exactly. I've said before that her statements aren't offensive, they're defensive. She's lashing out after being, as she feels, backed into a corner socially. As @VenusBitch pointed out, microaggressions are very real and statistics confirm issues based on race and socioeconomics (which also work to influence each other). 

I think if Azealia's comments went from being reactionary/defensive to constructive she could say really great things in a way that truly makes a difference. She can keep the anger and rage, she doesn't have to cater to white people, but she could weave her words in a much better way. She's got the passion, the experience, and the facts. She just needs the tact. 

[Bebe 16,782]

​Exactly. I've said before that her statements aren't offensive, they're defensive. She's lashing out after being, as she feels, backed into a corner socially. As @VenusBitch pointed out, microaggressions are very real and statistics confirm issues based on race and socioeconomics (which also work to influence each other). 

I think if Azealia's comments went from being reactionary/defensive to constructive she could say really great things in a way that truly makes a difference. She can keep the anger and rage, she doesn't have to cater to white people, but she could weave her words in a much better way. She's got the passion, the experience, and the facts. She just needs the tact. 

​100% agree. Hopefully that comes with maturity. She has a great platform to be able to talk about such issues too.

Also she doesn't need to cater to white people, but persuading them that race issues are real issues will help progress the issues she cares about.

AB mentions that history books portray race history as “The white man gave you the vote." which is frustrating, and certainly problematic, because in reality black americans had to rise up and demand rights and suffer and protest to even gain an inch.

It's the same for all minority or marginalized groups. Feminists fought and fought (and continue to fight) for women's rights and against the oppressive patriarchy. They needed to persuade not only women, but men to their cause because men had to vote for women to vote. Men didn't give women such voting rights, women fought and suffered and protested hard to gain such basic rights.

Same for LGBT rights. We need our straight allies because we need to change opinions and attitudes of straight people in order to live in a less prejudiced world and in order to gain the majority support for issues such as gay marriage. 

AB needs to realise it's the same for her cause. She is very passionate which is great, but she needs to be strategic and persuasive about it. She needs to be aware of what the media and collective oppressive groups can use against her. 

The other quote related to this that caught my eye was this.

"The race thing always comes up, but I want to get there being very black and proud and boisterous about it. You get what I mean? A lot of times when you’re a black woman and you’re proud, that’s why people don’t like you. In American society, the game is to be a nonthreatening black person. That’s why you have Pharrell or Kendrick Lamar saying, “How can we expect people to respect us if we don’t respect ourselves?” He’s playing that nonthreatening black man ****, and that gets all the white soccer moms going, “We love him.” Even Kanye West plays a little bit of that game—“Please accept me, white world.”

I mean, she can keep being loud, boisterous and keep expressing her anger but it would be great if she got those soccer moms thinking "well she has got a point".

[Whispering 18,865]

​Exactly. I've said before that her statements aren't offensive, they're defensive. She's lashing out after being, as she feels, backed into a corner socially. As @VenusBitch pointed out, microaggressions are very real and statistics confirm issues based on race and socioeconomics (which also work to influence each other). 

I think if Azealia's comments went from being reactionary/defensive to constructive she could say really great things in a way that truly makes a difference. She can keep the anger and rage, she doesn't have to cater to white people, but she could weave her words in a much better way. She's got the passion, the experience, and the facts. She just needs the tact. 

Racist comments are offensive and that is exactly what AB has done in the past and is doing in this interview. 

Does a gay male now have the right to call her a N***er repeatedly because she calls him a F****t? How would that go over? Would that even be allowed here, at GGD? 

She's defensive, yes...but she is also racist and a bigot. Being defensive doesn't give you the right to turn around and stereotype and use slurs towards others. 

Nothing about what she is doing is productive or is advancing her argument. What exactly is she doing FOR the cause, besides running her mouth and putting others down? Is she marching in the streets? Volunteering? Mentoring? Contributing anything with her time or "millions of dollars that she has"? Talk is easy and cheap and that's all she's done. There is nothing admirable about constantly complaining, without any action (especially when you are in the position to do so), and running others down in the process...no matter how defensive you are. 

[Prometheus 1,494]

I don't think the video proves her specific statement but it show that it does happen and shouldn't be brushed off as her just talking crazy. 

​She has points. However, it's like my preaching against homophobia as a gay man and then calling women stupid b---hes, saying straight people are good for nothing breeders who should be chained up, etc. She may have a point, but her own hypocritical ideology and comments eclipse it.

 

[Prometheus 1,494]

I like skinny white Americans  and I love all and any African Americans

​This fat, white American accepts your universal love. How Born This Way of you.

[Kayla 7,595]

Racist comments are offensive and that is exactly what AB has done in the past and is doing in this interview. 

Does a gay male now have the right to call her a N***er repeatedly because she calls him a F****t? How would that go over? Would that even be allowed here, at GGD? 

She's defensive, yes...but she is also racist and a bigot. Being defensive doesn't give you the right to turn around and stereotype and use slurs towards others. 

Nothing about what she is doing is productive or is advancing her argument. What exactly is she doing FOR the cause, besides running her mouth and putting others down? Is she marching in the streets? Volunteering? Mentoring? Contributing anything with her time or "millions of dollars that she has"? Talk is easy and cheap and that's all she's done. There is nothing admirable about constantly complaining, without any action (especially when you are in the position to do so), and running others down in the process...no matter how defensive you are. 

​I agree with what you're saying here. In my own post I said:

"I think if Azealia's comments went from being reactionary/defensive to constructive she could say really great things in a way that truly makes a difference. She can keep the anger and rage, she doesn't have to cater to white people, but she could weave her words in a much better way. She's got the passion, the experience, and the facts. She just needs the tact."

People need to realize the point of what Azealia is saying is very real, very legitimate, but how she's saying it is not constructive. Targeting an entire race and using racist slurs against them is not constructive, but her reasons for anger are justified. Constantly being loud and boisterous about why you're upset doesn't fix the problem, but she has the right to speak out. Fixing the problem requires people to work together. Martin Luther King Jr. made an impact because he stood up, was outspoken, and inspired people. Very few people who've made a difference did so by alienating others. Azealia should take note.  

 

[MANiCURE1295 8,673]

Is she still talking?

[LoveandMagic 1,731]

There are so many excellent points being made from all sides. I love threads like these! Wish I had more "likes" to give!

I agree it would be great if she used her outrage in a constructive manner, instead of going straight into attack mode and trying to isolate herself from potential allies. 

Racist comments are offensive and that is exactly what AB has done in the past and is doing in this interview. 

Does a gay male now have the right to call her a N***er repeatedly because she calls him a F****t? How would that go over? Would that even be allowed here, at GGD? 

She's defensive, yes...but she is also racist and a bigot. Being defensive doesn't give you the right to turn around and stereotype and use slurs towards others. 

Nothing about what she is doing is productive or is advancing her argument. What exactly is she doing FOR the cause, besides running her mouth and putting others down? Is she marching in the streets? Volunteering? Mentoring? Contributing anything with her time or "millions of dollars that she has"? Talk is easy and cheap and that's all she's done. There is nothing admirable about constantly complaining, without any action (especially when you are in the position to do so), and running others down in the process...no matter how defensive you are. 

​I agree with what you're saying here. In my own post I said:

"I think if Azealia's comments went from being reactionary/defensive to constructive she could say really great things in a way that truly makes a difference. She can keep the anger and rage, she doesn't have to cater to white people, but she could weave her words in a much better way. She's got the passion, the experience, and the facts. She just needs the tact."

People need to realize the point of what Azealia is saying is very real, very legitimate, but how she's saying it is not constructive. Targeting an entire race and using racist slurs against them is not constructive, but her reasons for anger are justified. Constantly being loud and boisterous about why you're upset doesn't fix the problem, but she has the right to speak out. Fixing the problem requires people to work together. Martin Luther King Jr. made an impact because he stood up, was outspoken, and inspired people. Very few people who've made a difference did so by alienating others. Azealia should take note.  

 

Kayla, rarigoes, and Prometheus, I love your posts!