ICYMI: Ice cream truck music is racist

2,958 Views | 20 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by Tootie4Pack
Steve Williams
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Staff
Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA is putting the "good" in Good Humor, partnering with the sweets vendor to create a new ice cream truck jingle as a free alternative to the well-known and problematic tune "Turkey in the Straw."

The rapper-producer unveiled the catchy new song Thursday morning in a video acknowledging the racist history of "Turkey in the Straw," which has long been associated with minstrel shows and racist imagery.

"Remember that ice cream jingle?" RZA says in a promo video introducing his tune. "Of course we all know it. I'm not gonna play it right now, though, because we come to find out that it has racist roots.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-08-13/wu-tang-clan-rza-ice-cream-truck-song

FlossyDFlynt
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wilmwolf
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The roots of the song are in fact not racist.

"Turkey in the Straw" was initially a popular tune for fiddle players as early as 1820. In the late 1870s until the 1930s, "Turkey in the Straw" was performed in minstrel shows by blackface actors and musicians.

So while the song was later used in a racist connotation via minstrel show performances, and there are later rewritings of the song that contain racist lyrics, the root of the song is not racist. But, if it bothers people, none of whom where alive when the song was written, or later performed in minstrel shows, and hasn't been used in a racist way in almost a hundred years, then change it. I doubt anyone will notice or care. One day we will get to a point where we have renamed every building and street, taken down every statue, rewritten every song, and will have nothing left to blame but our own actions.
Just a guy on the sunshine squad.
barnburner
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The ice cream truck in my hood plays Christmas music....really
acslater1344
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lol is this really worth a staff post? are we supposed to be upset that black people are stealing white people's ice cream truck music or something?
IseWolf22
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Good Article calling out the absurdity of a few different calls to change words that are going on right now.

https://reason.com/2020/08/12/is-your-master-bedroom-racist/

Specifically on this topic:
"There is also the question of whether to discontinue a word because of historical origins previously known to few. Here, the actual purpose beyond virtue signaling is unclear. An example is the tune "Turkey in the Straw," which is played by some ice cream trucks. It emerged almost 200 years ago, sung by white minstrels made up as black people, with different lyrics referring to dancing. One call has suggested that we always reflect on the tune's unsavory origins, and in today's climate there is a short step from that to it being piously discontinued in public usage.

However, at this point, almost no living person has seen a minstrel show. More to the point, while minstrel shows existed, pretty much all popular music OF THE ERA was played in them. How much music will we let go on the basis of being connected with a phenomenon so antique that it is directly recalled by essentially no one, and is largely known through a few photos and some animated cartoon sequences themselves now long censored for public consumption? "
wilmwolf
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acslater1344 said:

lol is this really worth a staff post? are we supposed to be upset that black people are stealing white people's ice cream truck music or something?
So Steve can't start a water cooler thread because he's a green guy?
Just a guy on the sunshine squad.
GuerrillaPack
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acslater1344 said:

lol is this really worth a staff post? are we supposed to be upset that black people are stealing white people's ice cream truck music or something?
Staff aren't allowed to have opinions on things non-sports related?

Or is it only "acceptable" if they have opinions of a certain political persuasion?

Look at who got upset TO BEGIN WITH. Why are people upset over ice cream truck music? Do you think that being upset over ice cream truck music supposedly being "Rrrrayyciss" is a good use of time?

We're not upset. We generally find this hilarious -- that precious "woke" Lefty snowflakes are once again upset, and now have their panties in a bunch over something as harmless as ice cream truck music.
"Ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." - John 15:19
Wolfer79
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my first thought was Eddie Murphy 'Ice Cream Man' routine
statefan91
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mrcpack17
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Packchem91
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^, ^^
Ha, I debated opening this thread cause frankly I don't want to engage in another historical black/white references debate.....

but man am I glad I did, as those two images have reminded me it is Friday, a day to be celebrated, and that sometimes, we need to just laugh. And if you can't laugh at those two images......
Tootie4Pack
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" Let's see how fast I can make these little mother f$%#* ers run !" Ah-Hah-Hah-Hah!!
Bell Tower Grey
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They should just play the music from the Uncle Paul Show opening and call it a day.

And for the record, I love ice cream. A bowl nearly every night before going to bed.
TheStorm
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I've never had an ice cream truck in any of my neighborhoods as either a child or an adult that ever played "Turkey in the straw"... and yes, I know the tune from the song from when I was a kid.
SupplyChainPack
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The point of all of this is simple:. To demand that people walk on this tippy toe today, and that tippy toe tomorrow. And if you don't, you will be "disrespecting me", and then there's going to be trouble.
.
To be able to utter a few words and watch people scramble around to comply to your every demand has got to have incredible entertainment value for those who are able to get away with it.
Even CEOs of fortune 500 companies shake at their knees and quickly comply with ever more absurd demands.

Talk about a power trip.
Pacfanweb
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Bell Tower Grey said:

They should just play the music from the Uncle Paul Show opening and call it a day.

And for the record, I love ice cream. A bowl nearly every night before going to bed.
Kgar2121
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Back in the day, I DROVE an ice cream truck one summer... but we didn't have any music. Had to ring a bell tied to a grouping of ice cream wooden spoons when we hit the prime selling spots. Those were the days...
Wolfer79
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Kgar2121 said:

Back in the day, I DROVE an ice cream truck one summer... but we didn't have any music. Had to ring a bell tied to a grouping of ice cream wooden spoons when we hit the prime selling spots. Those were the days...


did you go on to play professional baseball with Astros in 2017?
Kgar2121
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Wolfer79 said:

Kgar2121 said:

Back in the day, I DROVE an ice cream truck one summer... but we didn't have any music. Had to ring a bell tied to a grouping of ice cream wooden spoons when we hit the prime selling spots. Those were the days...


did you go on to play professional baseball with Astros in 2017?
Ha!!! no sir!!
Wolfer79
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statefan91 said:




Tootie4Pack
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Wolfer79 said:

statefan91 said:








I got some ice cream, I got some ice cream.

Want a lick ? Psyche !!

Me and my friends wore that Eddie Murphy cassette , then CD, out while driving around.
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