Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

In my day, never was longer.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

They want us to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Focus. Resist. Oppose.

Their shamelessness is their super power.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

Beware of advice from anyone for whom Democrats are “they” and not “we.”

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

We can show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

You cannot love your country only when you win.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Just because you believe it, that does not make it true.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

You are here: Home / Civil Rights / Racial Justice / This Week In Blackness / Joni Mitchell Knows What It’s Like To Be A Black Man

Joni Mitchell Knows What It’s Like To Be A Black Man

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It can be very disheartening when an artist who people revere opens her mouth and ignorance comes out. The latest victim is Joni Mitchell, who had these choice words on the experience of being a black man:

“When I see black men sitting, I have a tendency to go — like I nod like I’m a brother,” she said. “I really feel an affinity because I have experienced being a black guy on several occasions.” … “Well, did you ever see the cover of Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter?” she replies. “That’s me. The black guy in the front.”… This, a picture of her in blackface, is her treasured experience of “being a black guy”.

I totally know what she means. I dressed up once as a cowgirl for Halloween, and I’m pretty sure that makes me an expert on the old west.

Team Blackness also discussed racially diverse emojis (finally), a black family’s house that was firebombed, and two San Diego Latino residents that were beaten by cops for entering their own store.

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35Comments

  2. 2.

    opiejeanne

    Joni has always been a very silly person. I don’t know why we revere her beyond her talents as a singer.

  4. 4.

    another Holocene human

    @balconesfault: And they lived that in the extremist leftist cells, Black members for about in their need by law enforcement, whites evaded law enforcement, prosecution, or, gee, return to the scene of the crime after having their babies to do their prison time on their schedule.

  6. 6.

    JGabriel

    opiejeanne:

    I don’t know why we revere her beyond her talents as a singer.

    Silly, loopy, yeah, no argument from me. But Mitchell was also a great songwriter – that’s where the reverence comes from, I think.

  7. 7.

    Mandalay

    She circles around man-made ecological disaster: “We continue to be kicked out of Eden, you know? It’s the continuing expulsion from Eden.”

    Says the woman with a seven million dollar mansion in Bel Air.

    I ask her what she is going to do next, but she won’t tell me. For now, she’s hoping that people buy her boxed set, with her self-portrait on the cover. To that end, she gives me a Joni Mitchell tote bag with one of her paintings on it to carry my things home in.

    Why expect any wisdom on being black from someone living in a Bel Air mansion who is pushing her boxed set, and giving away Joni Mitchell tote bags?

    It makes no more sense than expecting her to be good at rebuilding an engine or playing tennis or explaining what’s going on in Ukraine.

  8. 8.

    JGabriel

    @aimai:

    Holy shit. That’s just unforgiveable.

    Artists say stupid shit sometimes, c.f. Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Prince, Keith Richards, and so on – comes with the territory of pushing boundaries.

    Edited to Add: And yeah, her comments were really stupid. I’m not defending them. But it’s disappointing, not unforgivable – if she asks for it. Of course, if she goes and defends it, and adds in some dumb racist shit, then yeah, we might be getting into unforgivable territory at that point.

  10. 10.

    opiejeanne

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Loopy works too.

    I bought a collection of her greatest hits in the 90s so that my kids would know her music. They listened to Candles in the Rain and asked us yet again if we were sure we never did drugs.

  14. 14.

    Buddy H

    Isn’t she also suffering from Morgellons Syndrome, which has been called a non-existent ailment? (those are the worst)

    I love her songs and her voice, but I don’t look to her (or any other entertainers) for wisdom in interviews.

  15. 15.

    cmorenc

    For a few years every Halloween, I dressed up as my own ad hoc version of “blue man”, long before the Blue Man Group ever came independently came up with the concept. I know what it’s like to be blue.

  16. 16.

    burnspbesq

    It can be very disheartening when an artist who people revere opens her mouth and ignorance comes out.

    Didn’t we have this same conversation three days ago about a different artist?

  17. 17.

    Patricia Kayden

    I don’t think Mitchell realizes how awkward she sounds. Oh well. I suppose this is not the worst thing a celebrity has said about race.

  18. 18.

    Lavocat

    But, does she know what it’s like to engage in serial multiple-posting?

    But, does she know what it’s like to engage in serial multiple-posting?

    … ad infinitum …

  19. 19.

    Bob In Portland

    Joni Mitchell wrote some wonderful songs and really explored alternate guitar tunings.

    Was she drunk when she said the above or is she just going senile?

  21. 21.

    srv

    “I wish I had every blood,” she said. “Then I could tell everybody off and not be a bigot.”

    Wait, could we monetize this? Offer transfusions from black people? Just think of Erick or someone writing about their experience being black.

  22. 22.

    SatanicPanic

    @srv: Oh god. being a minority really is nothing more than a license to tell racist jokes for some people. Seriously Joni, you can tell anyone off and not be a bigot, you just have to not be a bigot first.

  23. 23.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    I once dressed up like Joni Mitchell for Halloween, so I guess that means I’ve experienced being Joni Mitchell, and by extension, a black man.

  24. 24.

    JustRuss

    I’ve dressed up in drag once or twice. Gather round, boys, and let me tell you what life is really like for the wimmin-folk….

  25. 25.

    Gin & Tonic

    I think the only good thing I can say bout Join is that hearing her version of “Twisted”, back in college IIRC, led me to discover the original Annie Ross version, and by extension the whole LH&R oeuvre.

  28. 28.

    Applejinx

    We don’t really love her for being wise, she really isn’t. We love her for being unguarded. There are consequences to this. Just shrug it off, it’s not like her music is exactly political.

    Besides, anyone who tried to put Burundi drums on a pop record in 1975 and did an album about Mingus giving no fucks about whether it would sell, deserves to be cut some slack for talking silly in 2015.

  29. 29.

    Tim (The Other One)

    My hand is still sore from lifting the needle past that Burundi track. I think that’s when my carpal tunnel started.

  32. 32.

    Jamey

    @JGabriel: Really, not even that. I never “got” her “brilliance.” She was the Julia Roberts of folk (before there ever was a Julia Roberts): She looked the part; people gave her the benefit of the doubt.

  34. 34.

    jimbo57

    I watched all the episodes of Shogun on my teevee machine, which gave me imperishable insights into Japanese culture. Since I shared this information with the guys down at the all-you-can-eat sushi joint, they have a new nickname for me: derruksu bakka. I`ve been told it`s Japanese for `Mr. Cool Dude“.

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