If you've heard the song "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist"... what do you think of it?

[NurseJackie]

If you've heard the song "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist"… what do you think of it? (It's from the Broadway play "Avenue Q".) The show has won many awards. In 2004 it won the Tony Award for Best Musical AND Best Book of a Musical AND Best Original Score.

I have mixed feelings about the song. Is it racist? Is it justifying racism? Is it meant to ridicule racism and racists? Is it meant to make people think differently about racism? Is it mean to make people self-evaluate and understand implicit bias? Is it making an "excuse" for racism?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

1. It's an outdated approach to difficult issue.

[ChazII]

2. Good questions and food for thought.

I am bookmarking this thread and will be doing research later. Thank you.

[JT45242]

3. Funny -- but uses the wrong terminology

Let me start by saying that Avenue Q is absolutely hilarious and I love it.

This song is very funny but it is sloppy in its use of terminology.

RACISM = the use of systemic power by the dominant group to maintain and grow power and wealth.

So -- by definition, not everyone can be racist.

PREJUDICE = judging someone based solely on stereotypical membership of a group (like the line "I always in a taxi with a driver who no shower&quot
So, everyone can be prejudiced even if you are a member of a disenfranchised group.

But "everyone is a little bit PREJUDICED" doesn't ring the same way and is much harder to work into a lyric.

[BGBD]

18. Racism is defined as two things

1: a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

2: : the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another

So looking at 1, everyone can be racist regardless of race. Nick Cannon's rant, for example, is a clear case of racism.

“And I’m going to say this carefully,” he begins - to allege that people who lack sufficient melanin are “a little less.”

He claimed that Jews were "savages"
He claimed that Jews were "savages"Credit: Youtube/Cannon's Class
Those without dark skin have a “deficiency” that historically forced them to act out of fear and commit acts of violence to survive, he said.

“They had to be savages,” Nick said, adding that he was referring to “Jewish people, white people, Europeans,” among others.

[Towlie]

28. If people who don't fit your definition aren't racists then racism isn't as widespread as I thought.

 
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[marble falls]

4. I think it's about admitting and accepting that truth than it is about embracing racism and ...

... projecting it.

The B'way presentation kinda dulls the point, but it's a conversation we should be having.

[George II]

5. It cleverly points out the truth. Who among us isn't "a little bit racist"?

[NurseJackie]

6. Your thoughts mirror mine. Apparently, just talking about it here at DU is upsetting and offensive...

... and that's all I have to say about that (for obvious reasons). But, I was hoping that this would result in a productive and positive discussion. I guess it remains to be seen if that end up being the result.

Looks like the "Avenue Q" Broadway play covers a lot of topics. Here's one that Youtube just "recommended" to me.

[Demsrule86]

8. Your post is fine by the way...I think it is an interesting post too.

[NurseJackie]

10. Thanks.

[Solomon]

24. Yeah but some people's racism is greater than others'. That's one of the problems with it.

It diminishes the power of white supremacy.

[Demsrule86]

7. I don't believe everyone is a little bit racist...I have had that said to me on this forum...how of

course I am racist...just unaware. I find it insulting and just plain wrong.

[hunter]

13. Why are you insulted?

After more than thirty years of marriage my wife still occasionally calls me out for shit I absorbed growing up in a 99% white U.S.A. community.

[Ron Obvious]

9. Tribalism is in our DNA

It's really not controversial in biology.

[NurseJackie]

11. Interesting observation.

[cinematicdiversions]

12. Avenue Q Swings has a rotation on my Spotify playlists.

[NurseJackie]

17. Thanks! I'll check it out. I have Spotify too.

[Budi]

14. K & R for a little truth.

[murielm99]

15. K&R

[betsuni]

16. I agree that everyone is affected by their culture and its racism, but I don't like that song.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

19. I keep hoping that Avenue Q will come to Houston

I would love to see this play

[George II]

20. Here's a fun song for you:

[StarfishSaver]

21. I don't think there's anything racist about the song. And there's truth in it

While "racist" is a strong term, I do think that everyone has prejudices. We all prejudge people based on race, gender, ethnicity, gender identification, etc. But I find the only people who think they don't (the "I don't have a racist bone in my body" crowd) are the ones who are the most prejudiced and often quite racist, but are so blind to what prejudice, bigotry and racism are they think they're above it.

People who actually understand these concepts and how they exist and play out in America understand that we all harbor some form of prejudice. The point is not to pretend we don't but to be aware of it, learn to recognize it, be willing to honestly assess our own thoughts and behaviors, and to always try to do better - instead of thinking and saying, "I'm not a racist and I don't have any room for improvement and how dare you suggest I do! That makes YOU a racist!!!"

[NurseJackie]

23. Thank you SO much for this thoughtful response...

... you're great at finding the words that mirror how I think about things, when I'm unable to describe them myself.

[StarfishSaver]

25. Thanks, Jackie

I would add that I think this is part of the reason for the huge pushback on "wokeness" in some quarters. People who are sensitive to racism, systemic discrimination and the toxic effects thereof all around us and who insist on talking about it and pressing for everyone to do better - those who are described as "woke" (although they never call themselves that) - make other people really uncomfortable. So, instead of listening to and learning from them or, God forbid, being thoughtful and introspective about their own blindspots, they lash out, try to demean and shut them up. The don't want to hear it and claim they don't need to hear it because they aren't racist and all this discussion about it is just "divisive" and will drive them away.

I think some of the anger about this song is part of that.

[SunSeeker]

22. K & R

[Towlie]

26. It's "Everybody's..." not Everyone's..." Here are the lyrics.

 
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https://www.google.com/search?&q=lyrics+everybody%27s+a+little+bit+racist

[NurseJackie]

27. Ah... I see you've tried to your own question. My title is correct...

... the person who posted the video that they captured from "The View" entered the wrong title by using the word "Everybody" instead of "Everyone".

Towlie (4,656 posts)
26. It's "Everybody's..." not Everyone's..." Here are the lyrics.

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https://www.google.com/search?&q=lyrics+everybody%27s+a+little+bit+racist

The link you provided also shows that the title and the lyrics use the word "Everyone's" rather than "Everybody's" But your own subject line seems to be a bit backward with regard to the body of your message.

Oh well. I guess it doesn't really matter, does it?

[pressbox69]

29. Never saw the entire play but

from what I've heard of the cast album, I think it's about tolerance. Now if I could just figure out how AQ beat out Wicked for the best musical Tony Award.