Reel Pop

Truly scintilating background here about a wisecracking, possibly racist vlogger who's gotten the entire blogosphere riled.

After watching the video -- "Where are all the black tech bloggers?" -- and after reading blip.tv's post about why they've chosen to host the vid, you can break down your response to the drama by asking the following two questions:

1. Is the video racist?
2. Should the video thus be removed from whatever service hosts it?

Answers at the ready, you can now choose from a total of three logically defensible positions (the fourth illogical but hilarious option being, simply, to punch Feldman in the dick):

1. The video is racist and should be removed
2. The video is racist and shouldn't be removed
3. The video isn't racist and shouldn't be removed

[1.] If you think his video is racist and should be removed from blip.tv, congratulations: You're sensitive to others' feelings, but you're also censoring others feelings. Boo.

[2.] If you think the movie is racist and shouldn't be removed, you're either not sensitive enough, too much of a cultural relativist, or on the 1st Amendment's nuts. Whatever's clever.

[3.] If you think the movie isn't racist and shouldn't be removed, you're probably Carlos Mencia. Or Dave Chappelle. Or hell, any number of comedians (Lenny Bruce? Dice Clay?) who've performed this same shtick. Seriously. Not to put him on a professional comedian's level, but it's not as if Loren's comments are transgressive.

Ah, but they are, at least in a forum where a super-majority is white. And that's what's most interesting about this mess: It's not whether Feldman's a racist. It's the white blogosphere's self-agonized, self-conscious reaction. You're not scared of being racist, you're scared of being perceived as racist. Because the truth is, Techmeme-a-paloozers, most of you are white. And wealthy. And can't dance. And I know that last part is true, 'cause I saw you try at the Googleplex.

So FWIW, the video is hilarious. And racist. And still hilarious. And if you haven't figured out by now that those two adjectives aren't always contradictory, then you're guilty of too much guilt.

Finally, whether you agree with my reasoning or not, perhaps we can agree that it's a good thing that blip.tv decided to continue hosting Feldman's videos. Kudos.