The 7/15/05 Idiot of the Day

[Deathstroke]

Gee I can't imagine why this guy got fired.

Story Link! (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050715/ap_en_mu/music_terror_rapper)

[Donald M.]

I liked this bit:

"Controversy sells," Khalaf said. "It brings a lot of attention. Everybody wants to label all Arabics terrorists just because a couple of people messed up."

Messed up?

Considering it was their goal to fly planes into the World Trade Center, I'd say they were fairly successful.

[Night]

Let's see
He had a job as security of an airline
He vocalized wishes to crash a plane

ability and intent.... there's a word for that... it's called assault
He's lucky he only got fired.

Look at it another way.... if he worked for CocaCola and started avertisements for Pepsi he should be fired. Just another misuse of the race card, and lesses the impact when there is a problem.

[Sheldon]

He sound's like a guy trying out to the token arabic bad guy at Wrestlemania....

[DarlingNikki]

damn him! he's making us colored people look bad!

[Michael P]

damn him! he's making us colored people look bad!
Girl, a burlap bag couldn't make you look bad.

[Huh?]

So, this guys plan was to become a mega rap star in the United States by being "that arabic rapper that talks about flying planes into buildings?" There is no PR agent that could spin that.

[DarlingNikki]

Girl, a burlap bag couldn't make you look bad.

your charm is peeling the clothes right off of me.

[macul]

Wow. Doesn't he just look "hard?" With his arms folded, hat backwards, and wearing a basketball jersey. Seriously, though, if they guy wanted people to emphasize (sp) with him that wasn't the picture he should have used.

[Dreadstar]

Wow. Doesn't he just look "hard?" With his arms folded, hat backwards, and wearing a basketball jersey. Seriously, though, if they guy wanted people to emphasize (sp) with him that wasn't the picture he should have used.


Image (tm) is everything.

[Michael P]

your charm is peeling the clothes right off of me.
Damn, I wish that worked in real life.

[Rabid Trekkie]

Wow. Doesn't he just look "hard?" With his arms folded, hat backwards, and wearing a basketball jersey. Seriously, though, if they guy wanted people to emphasize (sp) with him that wasn't the picture he should have used.

That isn't even a recent jersey. The Rockets haven't warn that thing for a couple of years. So he's broke as well as offensive and stupid.

[Michael P]

That isn't even a recent jersey. The Rockets haven't warn that thing for a couple of years. So he's broke as well as offensive and stupid.
Well, the bit about baggage-handling being the best-paying job he's had pretty much says it all.

[Rabid Trekkie]

Well, the bit about baggage-handling being the best-paying job he's had pretty much says it all.

My best job is mowing my grandma's lawn (waiting till I get a schedule for college before I get a job) and I can afford a new one. You can get some of them for $15.

[dougputhoff]

That isn't even a recent jersey. The Rockets haven't warn that thing for a couple of years. So he's broke as well as offensive and stupid.

I think they still wear it from time to time as a "throwback" uniform.

[Winslow]

I dunno the guy seems pretty smart - he's getting a lot of free publicity for his CD.

[west3man]

I didn't notice any links to his websites (understandably so), but that's the missing piece for me.

See, people like Eminem and this guy say that music is just another entertainment medium*, just like movies. They're acting. Arnold Schwarzenegger has tried to "kill all humans" (and was pretty successful at it), but now he's the Governor of (one of?) the largest state(s) in the Union... because people were able and willing to separate his fictional life from his real one.

I don't expect most folks to feel much sympathy for him, but this guy's apparent point seems like a fairly valid one.

The website could take it to another level, but even then... I dunno.



* - That doesn't feel like the right word.

[Michael P]

* - That doesn't feel like the right word.
It is, though. We're so used to applying the word to soda cups and T-shirts that we forget about the other meaning, medium as a means of transfer. Art is communication of a message, and the type of art, be it film, prose, or music, is the means by which the message is transferred from the artist to the audience. It's the closest we've come so far to telepathy.

[Donald M.]

I didn't notice any links to his websites (understandably so), but that's the missing piece for me.


Eh, there's not much there actually, just a message board with a bunch of people making fun of him and a downloadable MP3 of one of his songs, which is not half bad by rap standards, but also extremely derivative. It's called "F*** the Industry" and as you can probably guess from the name, it's about how much the rap industry sucks because he doesn't have a record deal. You gotta give him some credit though, he actually doesn't have a record deal. When I hear Eminem rapping about how his songs can't get on the radio on the radion I just have to shake my head.

Anyway, the only "terrorist" thing I heard in the song was some vague allusions to "blowing shit up".

[Dreadstar]

Anyway, the only "terrorist" thing I heard in the song was some vague allusions to "blowing shit up".

Perhaps it wasn't that particular song?

[Donald M.]

Perhaps it wasn't that particular song?

Yeah, I'd think that was obvious. If you wanna hear him rap about blowing up buildings and cutting the heads off hostages you gotta buy the cd I guess.

[Dr. Hfuhruhurr]

Damn. And I was so hoping that I was going to win today. Ah well, there's always tomorrow.

[macul]

Damn. And I was so hoping that I was going to win today. Ah well, there's always tomorrow.

I'm hoping to lock up tomorrow's spot. You'll have to shoot for the day after.

[Typo Lad]

I dunno, I think this woman (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/H/HITCHING_A_RIDE?SITE=1010WINS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT) is a strong contender.

I can't get over people who seem to think "So what if I'm wanted? How will THIS cop know?"