Raye Racist

[AnonymousUser6]

Having never heard of Raye before her BAFTA success last night I decided to listen to some of her music. Was somewhat enjoying it until her lyrics “All the white men CEOs, fuck your privilege
Get your pink chubby hands off my mouth, fuck you think this is?”
I personally feel these are racist lyrics and they are unacceptable.

The thread is full of explanations about why reverse racism does not exist.

I work in music.

its still overwhelmingly white and middle class.

You should feel very uncomfortable about using Black in the same context. Did you watch my video about 'reverse racism'?

Context is everything. The male, white record company executive and the female, mixed-heritage artist are both aware that if she reported the abuse:

His boss is probably a white man
The majority of the investigating police if she reports are probably white men, and their bosses are too
The politicians who make the laws about abuse are mostly white ema
The judge in any court case is probably a white man
The culture around abuse is made, policed and enforced by white men
Everyone in the above example, even if they are black or female, is erasing in a racist and sexist environment.

Before you say it <yawn> some of these individual people may be female or Black. But the SYSTEM is white and male.

Full of why some people think reverse racism does not exist, but it does.

The colour of anyone's skin shouldn't ever come in a list of derogatory, sneery descriptions. That is racism. I'm really surprised that it needs saying.

Once more with feeling...

And just over 18% of senior management positions held by Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities in 2022, so fractionally higher than the general population.

Thank goodness the law recognises that racism can apply to everyone, not just certain skin colours.

And just over 18% of senior management positions held by Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities in 2022, so fractionally higher than the general population.

But less than the employee proportion and falling. Devil is in the details.

Agreed, but no different to many industries, for both women and ethnic minorities.

You are thinking of discrimination. Anyone can discriminate.
racism is built on power.

The law doesn’t agree with you.

Does this “power” approach mean it’s perfectly acceptable to be racist to a rich white man but not a poor white working class boy from Rochdale? Or is it the case that white skin automatically equals “power”?

Btw, I hope people aren’t offended by this but it’s the sort of conversation you never get to have IRL so personally I find it very interesting.

It undermines the point she’s trying to make, drags her down to the level of those she’s trying to rise above. It’s like a race to the bottom sometimes (and I say this as a black woman - I think there comes a time when we have to do better and be better)

Would Michelle Obama to a poor white neighbourhood and lecture about t-shirt privelge. No.

It is a gross stereotype to perceive all white people as having power and privilege as well as being incorrect.

The lyrics are lazy and racist to use colour when describing those in power as it is unecessary. Different lyrics could have been chosen.

It feels like the lyrics have been written to appear cool and urban with a disregard to the included racism that as many pp have pointed out would be absolutely unacceptable if the ethnicities are reversed.

I really do despair about those who claim white people can't experience racism as this leads to offensive tropes like 'Jews do not suffer racism' that was the downfall of Diane Abbott . Russian racism towards Ukrainians is also self evident currently.

Agree with you, it also implies that people of colour can never be powerful.

It is a gross stereotype to perceive all white people as having power and privilege as well as being incorrect.

That’s not what white privilege means. Educate yourself.

YANBU op.

I have never experienced racism or prejudice, although my DH has.

People have patronised him, looked down on him, dismissed him as stupid and uncultured although he very much isn't. The people that do this are middle class white leftie liberals. My DH shaves his head and is white. I am not.

He is immediately dismissed as a gammon hooligan or whatever by the very people that scream liberalism and equality and BLM and get offended on black peoples behalf.

Says it all about our society atm really, imo.

Quite! Agreed. Blows my mind how some people can't grasp this simple concept. Yet pontificate as if they know what they are talking about.

What's blowing my mind is the number of posters who identify with the rich, powerful sexual predator in the song because they have pink hands too.🤯

I don’t think anyone on this thread identifies with an abusive male, whatever colour his hands may happen to be.

@OneNightWasShitWhereWasTheTwist That's not racism, it's classism.

I disagree @Teddleshon. Here's a quote from upthread: Attacking the characteristic of a person is hateful and unacceptable regardless of the situation. All it stands to do is divide. I have pink hands too.

In the UK, where the ruling establishment is overwhelmingly white, a white British person is always going to be more privileged than their non-white equivalent. In the case of a "poor white working class boy from Rochdale", they almost certainly face classism. But they don't face racism. If someone makes a racially prejudiced remark at their expense, it's not going to have a lasting or dramatic effect on their life. Their race won't impact the quality of healthcare they receive, or impact their job opportunities, or the education they and their children are provided. Their class most likely will – as they will encounter classism – but their race won't.

Only one form of racism is built on power, but that isn't the only form of racism.

Yes, but we are in the UK, and structural racism very much applies.

People get their knickers in a twist over privilege and think it means they are meant to HAVE something when in reality it means that they do not LOSE anything.