Don't Fall into Hot 97's Tsunami Song Marketing Trap

I agree that the "Tsunami Song" that Miss Jones played on the Hot 97 Morning Show is tasteless, not funny, and racist. But I hesitate to publically denounce them and take up a crusade because I feel I'll be falling right into Hot 97's marketing trap. It seems abvious they are trying to overshdow Star and Buc's return to NY radio.

See, after 2004's parade of (insert word here)-gates, I'm wary of taking part in another "Apologevent".

So what happens after we all link to the song, send emails, and complain to the advertisers? Hot 97 will get a ratings spike, and many people will get an extra check who don't deserve one. Miss Jones may get suspended, but all to keep the Apologevent going.

So how do we let put down this type of thing with promoting it? I don't know. But shame on Miss Info (who's Asian American) who only argued on air with Miss Jones about it. True story, if you were making racist jokes about my people right in front of me, then forget arguing- I'd rather eat your food.

On second thought, it's not right to blame Miss Info for not reating stronger. That only takes heat away from the real issue.

Comments

[Steven Samuel]

"But shame on Miss Info (who's Asian American) who only argued on air with Miss Jones about it."

I don't get this line.

From what I understood Miss Info was not in the song and was chewed out really bad my Miss Jones for not participating in the skit.

I'm shocked that Miss Jones would do something like this. It's funny how people can find humor in a situation like this. I think this effected me more than 911. This was something that could not be prevented even with warning. The most that could have happened was an evacuation.

Man vs. Nature. Nature always wins.

[mc]

Don't knock Miss Info, she wanted no part of it. Listen to the whole clip:

http://www.thesilent1.com/longer_hot97_tsunami.mp3

[Hashim]

I've heard the whole clip. I'm still surprised Info would only argue when the songs says things like "chink" and "Chinaman" in it. I wouldn't allow people to call me "nigger" at work.

[cyc]

Yes the thought had crossed my mind too that it might have just been a marketing gimmick, however even if it wasn't, Miss Info could have just sat there and listened to the song rather than stand up for herself. Why SHOULDN'T she have to argue on air if that's the very moment it's happening?? Let the friggin world know how she felt .. sure maybe not the professional time nor place, however to allow Miss Jones to go on and on re-airing this tasteless song is pretty unprofessional in itself, don't you think?

[yatta]

Nah, Hashim, although I agree with so much else you've ever written in your blog, there ain't no thing such as a moral "high road" when it comes to racist attacks. In this case -- as in every case like it -- the racism supercedes the commercialism.

You don't take a stand by ignoring it. But, like you said, you ain't doing nothing if you bring more people to the apologevent either. So instead, I'm just gonna stop listening to Hot 97. And I'm asking my friends, family, and co-workers to do the same. I'm giving them a list of all of the alternative sources for hip hop radio in New York City (and I'm not talking Power 105) and I'm asking them to listen to those instead.

If they do it, good. I think they'll understand where I'm coming from. But most of all they'll know what's real.

Because just being able to spot the clever marketing ploy... that ain't it.

[donna]

if this is a marketing ploy, then this needs some serious investigation. the people responsible for exploiting this horrific tragedy needs to be punished and held accountable.

[asian_ahoy]

I wonder if Miss Jones would think it was funny if I pointed out to her that the tsunami killed niggers all the way in africa.

[Vince]

Man what is Hashim talking bout? "You wouldn't let this, wouldn't let That".

What the F*!K would you have done? HUH. Got up and popped her in the eye. Are you a tough guy. If you are, where the hell in world would you get if you popped every MFer in the eye that you disagreed with. Your logic is not well thought out.

And you say you dont agree with the skit, but "shame" on Miss Info. Please!!! Y dont you mention "Shame" for the racist comment that Miss Jones and her fools make. I dont see it in the comments above.

HIP HOP UNITY MY ASS!!! ("MY PEOPLE") IF IT LOOKS LIKE SHIT AND SMELLS LIKE SHIT, THEN IT IS _______ (fill in the blanks)

[lolony]

You said: "But I hesitate to publically denounce them and take up a crusade because I feel I'll be falling right into Hot 97's marketing trap."
No way! If it's a marketing trap then they went out of their way to offend people! That's even more offensive! Whether it's a marketing trap or not, their audience should not keep quiet about how they're offended by tbe show! They took the liberty to express ourselves and so should we. It is our duty to exercise our responsibility to speak up, esp. in a case like this. Being silent only encourages them to continue doing what they're doing now--which is to take advantage of their huge captive audience to promote ignorance and hatred, whether it's intentional or not. It's really too bad because they possess so much power to influence their audience of young people in NYC and all they fill their heads with is silly (and often misogynistic/homophobic/racist) gossip and humor. Can you imagine if the DJs were to discuss REAL issues affecting the community? I suppose it's a far-fetched idea with all of their coporate sponsors eager to rip off their audience. They hope we'll never smarten up to the economic and racial injustice that'll keep the rich and poor in their places.
Ms. Jones bagging on Ms. Info's sensitivity was really the last straw. If another host can't say that she was offended then it shows that Ms. Jones doesn't give a f-ck about ANYONE's opinions.

[JT]

Hashim, your argument would be sound if it didn't involve blatant racist remarks and total disregard for life. Note that the song doesn't use the the N* word, it uses the word African. Why? Also note that the ch* word refers to Chinese people. China was NOT directly impacted with the Tsunami. Not EVERY Asian is from China. Your theory on rating boost is also ignorant. You have to understand the basics of advertising. How do stations make money, from advertising. Why would any company/sponsor want to be affiliated with a station that promotes racism? The answer is they wouldn't. Look what happened to Sprint, they were forced to publicly denounce their affiliation to Hot97 once people complained. Take a minute and really think about what would have happened if a country music station made a song about black people in Africa dying of AIDS. Would the black community stand still and ignore this to avoid giving the station a boost in ratings? The hip hop community, along with MANY other communities would be outraged and publically voice their opinions of disgust. Racism should not be tolerated, no matter what. Because of Miss Jones' program, we're all forced to take a step back in the progress of respecting and learning other cultures. That song has undone what many civil rights leaders have lost their lives fighting for. We recently celebrated MLK Jr. Day, he would NOT be supportive of the song and the ignorant people involved. This is truly a sad moment. Miss Jones represents Hot97, Hot97 represents Hip Hop, Hip Hop represents the combined force of many ethnic groups. She has misrepresented all of these groups including the black community.

[Joe Grossberg]

Also, there are over 2.5 billion people in Asia.

Just because Miss Info is Asian-American doesn't mean that the folks around the Indian Ocean are "her people".

China, Japan and the Koreas were nowhere near the tsunami.

[Oscar]

Man, I'm really disappointed in this post.

[Alan Bates]

Miss Info was in on what (including the argument) was plainly a contrived marketing gimmick designed to provoke maximum controversy.

The way to hit these people hard is to:

1. CALL their parent company Emmis Communications on 317.266.0100

2. CALL all their advertizers

Hit them where it hurts - in the pocketbooks

[moi]

EVERYONE was affected by this. Not only Asians.

[A N N A]

i'm glad you backed away from your "miss info"-diss. like you, i might have wanted to get violent but let's be pragmatic-- she was at work. you don't assault people physically, no matter what they say, it's illegal and it will get you fired. what would we/she have accomplished then?

she stood up to some real nastiness and i give her credit for keeping her composure. at least she said something back. monday-morning quarterbacking is fine and fun, but how many of us would've had the patience to try and reason with an idiot?

[Allen]

The Tsunami song is stupid and racist. I wish the racist Eminem song about Black women generated this kind of reaction. Everybody just kinda overlooked it.

[asn_sna]

Imagine, God forbid, if asians start playing parody of 9/11 and American soldiers getting killed in Iraq, on their radios.

Such RJs should be ostracized, and strictly dealt with.

[Jason]

We should write up a song about the crackers in iraq. If this is the way they wanna play it we will play it like that. Look out for that song.

[il wil]

I asked a Korean college student studying in China what she thought of black people in general. She stated we don’t deny they are human but we think they are different then us. I said so you don’t think white people are different from you guys. She then ignorantly stated well yes but they seem to be more educated and nice. At that moment I practically had steam coming from my ears when I heard that word nice. Blacks are not the ones who killed off a nation of indigenous people. Blacks are not the ones who raped a continent of its natural resources and enslaved, raped and murdered the inhabitants; but whites are nice. This photo to the left is showing whites in all their educated niceness.

I was inspired to create this site after reading about Asian Americans becoming irate over some black disk jockeys making racist comments about the tsunami victims in south east Asia. Well though I think this was in bad taste and childish will I cry a river over this no. A Korean woman shot a black teen in the face with a nine millimeter pistol over a bottle of orange juice because the teen punched her, where was the Asian American outrage then. The average Asian is truly something special. They talk about how blacks are racist, ugly, and uneducated, tell me why then do Asians flock by the boat loads to America where there are over 35 millions blacks when they can stay in there own splendid countries and be lucky to see one black person.

I will take a stab at my own question since I have traveled extensively across Asia, Korea the Philippines, Taiwan etc.... what I noticed about these countries Korea in particular is that pollution, prostitution and corruption is rampant. That alone pretty much eradicates the fallacy that Asians are born intelligent articulate and nice. I learned how middle class Koreans prey on Filipinos using them to line there pockets because of the low economic status in the Philippines. They virtually enslave them to work in their sweat shops for little pay the same why they come to America and exploit blacks economic position I even know of personal stories of Koreans lying to young filipinas giving them hopes and dreams of jobs with good pay only to get them to Korea and force them into sexual slavery. But wait this is not the behavior of the supposed intelligent articulate friendly Asian.

One last point about the tsunami, where was the all powerful Asian brain why was the outcry of help from western nations so great when all the Asian countries are located right there in that region. Millions are starving to death and dying from war and AIDS in Africa and a wave kills some 200,000 people who were brainless to live and vacation at a oceanic beach front knowing the risk they were taking and the whole world cries a river. I am not some brainless nitwit I know this behavior does not reflect all Asians just as those morons at hot 97 do not reflect all blacks but when Asians start their condescending rhetoric I am always there to knock them down a few pegs.

[Victor Sartoris]

Miss Jones is about as low as a human being can get,but I guess there will always be people like her,its up to the good in us,needed to make up for her ignorance & help the children.

[YeE]

hey il wil, you ever wonder where that korean girl get her opinions of black ppl from? maybe from "cough" white ppl?
its all part of their strategy to divide and conquer... Heh just stirring the pot.. dont mind me =P

[Tyher]

il wil, you say things which do not connect each other. #1 - you don't like how Asians think blacks are uneducated. And then you say they cry to the Western nations....you know that Western nations are white nations right?

"who were brainless to live and vacation at a oceanic beach front knowing the risk they were taking and the whole world cries a river."

Oh my god....well I guess all the people who live near water are brainless. I guess all the celebrities who buy beach front houses are brainless...

....wait a minute, aren't some of those celebrities BLACK? You're really stupid. "The risk they take". Oh yeah, tsunamis come and go every few days, don't they.

Most of those by the water are fisherman, getting money the only way they can. Do they like living by the water? Some yes, some no. For some its fun, for some they might live in flood areas. It doesn't matter. Anyways you're calling them brainless for trying to raise their children?? Sure, you can say that, safe and snuggle in your momma's apartment, waiting for her to come home with some new pizza for you to eat. You really have no idea, do you?

[haha]

dont listen to that guy ill will hes on other blogs also copying and pasting comments he heard trying to act smart when hes really not...hes jes a racist bastard that only thinks about himself and only cares about his race and what happenes to them... u kno things dont only happen to black people it happens to everybody black people are racist also they hav no exception..they

[hahah]

^ they dont own this world

[Mary]

It's official Todd Lynn and Rick Delgado are fired. Now all they need to do is get rid of the rest of the morning crew (excluding Miss Info) And if this is a marketing ploy than it obviously isn't working out for them.

[rod steward]

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