Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The Second Day of Christmas at SBPDL: "Do They Know It's Christmas?"


Christmas in the United States is a magical time of shopping, wrapping gifts, putting up a Christmas tree and decorating the house with lights in a duel with your neighbors to create the most festive and maddening display of yule tide expression.

It is a holiday that's increasingly secular, with an emphasis on asserting the validity behind the legend of Santa Clause and perpetuating this important myth to teach children the power of imagination and belief in a legend steeped in the greatness of altruism:
"Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or simply "Santa", is a legendary figure who, in many Western cultures, brings gifts to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of Christmas Eve, December 24 or on his Feast Day, December 6 (Saint Nicholas Day)."
Sadly, not everyone gets to celebrate Christmas and enjoy the fruits of Santa's elves labor on the 25th. For there exists a continent so unspeakably brutal and nightmarish that the birthday of the son of God himself can't bring peace, harmony and joy to it: Africa.

Or so one is inclined to believe when they listen to the hauntingly incontinent song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?", a song that brings together the top mid-1980s British rockers to croon in harmony about the endless insanity of life in Africa and the importance of the West to do something about it:

"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The original version was produced by Midge Ure and released by Band Aid on 29 November 1984.

In late 1984, a BBC report by Michael Buerk was aired highlighting the famine that had hit the people of Ethiopia. Irish singer Bob Geldof saw the report and wanted to raise money. He called Midge Ure from Ultravox and together they quickly co-wrote the song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

The world's media were in attendance as artists began arriving from 9am. Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Paul Young, Culture Club (without Boy George, initially), George Michael of Wham!, Kool and the Gang, Sting, Bono and Adam Clayton of U2, Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17 (whom Ure personally ordered down) and his bandmate Martyn Ware, Phil Collins, Paul Weller of the Style Council, Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt of Status Quo, Jody Watley of Shalamar, Bananarama, Marilyn (who was not invited but arrived anyway) and some of Geldof's bandmates from the Boomtown Rats all arrived.

Only one of Ure's Ultravox colleagues, Chris Cross, attended. Geldof, noticing Boy George's non-attendance (despite ringing him up in New York the day before demanding he sing on the record), went back to the phone to get the Culture Club frontman out of bed and on to Concorde."
Sting, Bono and Boy George (when he wasn't cruising London bathrooms for conjugal visits), George Michael and the rest of England's only remaining export (pop music) gathered in one venue to extol the virtues of altruism and bringing light to the dark continent in the form of a whimsical rock song are the primary ingredients for a hit song:
"The 1984 original became the biggest selling single in UK singles chart history, selling a million copies in the first week alone. It stayed at Number 1 for five weeks and ultimately sold more than 3.5 million copies domestically.

It remained the largest selling single in UK chart history until 1997, when Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" was released in tribute to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, which sold almost 5 million copies in Britain."
"Do They Know It's Christmas?", is the ultimate Disingenuous White Liberal Christmas song and bespeaks an attitude of smug apathy to a world that most white people would gladly send a check to help as long as they never have to view the unpleasant mess that Darwin would have difficulty explaining.

Let's take a look at the lyrics of this Christmas classic:

Paul Young
It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid
At christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade

Boy George
And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy!
Throw your arms around the world at christmas time

(Phil Collins on the drums)

George Micheal
But say a prayer - pray for the other ones
At christmas time

Simon Le Bon
it's hard, but when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window

Sting and Simon Le Bon
And it's a world of dreaded fear
Where the only water flowing is a bitter sting of tears
And the christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom

Bono
Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you

And there won't be snow in Africa this christmas time
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life

Where nothing ever grows
No rain or rivers flow

Do they know it's christmas time at all?

Here's to you
Raise your glass for everyone
Here's to them
Underneath that burning sun

Do they know it's christmas time at all?

Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
Let them know it's christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's christmas time
I hope you like this song even though its not christmas!
Saving Black people is the cause célèbre of all enlightened white people across the world, and if only this song were taken to heart by all the melanin-slighted individuals in the West, Africa would no longer be the land where the "only water flowing, is a bitter sting of tears."

Black people in the West listen to this Christmas song and gag, for only disingenuous white liberals would dare put pen to paper and create a song of this nature, then enlist the help of vapid celebrities to sing about Africa, a land "where nothing ever grows, no rain or rivers flow."

Haven't these people heard of Africa by Toto?

Is Africa that backward that the only person capable of saving the continent and it's ever growing population is Bono and his band of pop-rock singers?:

JUST WHEN IT SEEMED that Western images of Africa could not get any weirder, the July 2007 special Africa issue of Vanity Fair was published, complete with a feature article on "Madonna's Malawi." At the same time, the memoirs of an African child soldier are on sale at your local Starbucks, and celebrity activist Bob Geldof is touring Africa yet again, followed by TV cameras, to document that "War, Famine, Plague & Death are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and these days they're riding hard through the back roads of Africa."

It's a dark and scary picture of a helpless, backward continent that's being offered up to TV watchers and coffee drinkers. But in fact, the real Africa is quite a bit different. And the problem with all this Western stereotyping is that it manages to snatch defeat from the jaws of some current victories, fueling support for patronizing Western policies designed to rescue the allegedly helpless African people while often discouraging those policies that might actually help.

The real Africa needs increased trade from the West more than it needs more aid handouts. A respected Ugandan journalist, Andrew Mwenda, made this point at a recent African conference despite the fact that the world's most famous celebrity activist — Bono — was attempting to shout him down. Mwenda was suffering from too much reality for Bono's taste: "What man or nation has ever become rich by holding out a begging bowl?" asked Mwenda.
Do they know it's Christmas time at all? What a perplexing question to be asked by pompous white pop-rock talent, for the world as we know it originated in Africa! More important, Black people in America listen to this song and cringe, for Black people instinctively believe anytime white people speak of Africa they automatically are speaking in a dichotomous derogatory/enlightened sense.

The cover of the single speaks volumes as to how white people view Blacks, for it features white, well-dressed families enjoying Christmas, while two sickly Black people appear in the middle sans clothes, parents and hope.

Stuff Black People Don't Like includes "Do They Know It's Christmas?", a song that eloquently describes how Disingenuous White Liberals view the world. Beautifully harmonized by pop-rocks top talent, Black people have the honor of being serenaded by white people bent on "throwing their arms around the world at Christmas time."


17 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's funny. Here in the Dark continent of Detroit, even the suburban malls only play black Christmas music. But wait, I tell a lie, apparently the Madonna whore's 'Like a Virgin' and 'Celibrate', are considered Christmas songs. There is nothing like hearing James Brown or some rapper wail Merry Cristmas baby, I love ya. Which is another subject I would suggest. All the credit we throw at blacks for being such great vocalist, are they? Most of what passes for singing is more wailing or yoddeling than anything? As one German tourist once said, Americans are the nicest stupid people on the face of this earth.

Anonymous said...

Its all a sham. Nothing but tax deductible PR crap. Make the people love you. Take their money. Convince them that you're making the world a better place. Take more of their money. Be nothing but a greedy sell-out hypocrite pig with a fake commercial personality and a fake cause to pose for. Concentrate even more of the world's wealth and resources and lead the ignorant masses to believe that you're doing the opposite. I can't stop them and I can't punish them but I can tell you that their bogus promises to make the world a better place will not be kept. Any 'humanitarian' progress made in one area will always be lost in another with a net loss for the majority. There will be more poverty. More starvation. More conflict. Meanwhile the rich will keep getting richer and richer and richer. They will always dumb us down and divert our attention from one area to another. Just like they have been for at least 25 years. Ethipoia (still bad), Darfur (even worse), Malawi (still bad). As they concentrate more and more of the world's wealth and resources, they will cause more inflation, more poverty, more starvation, and more conflict on a global scale. In order to divert our attention, they will adopt another cause to pose for. and another. and another. and another. Each time, putting their fake humanitarian stamp on it and jet-setting the world in the name of 'humanity'. Actually charging their private jet rides and 5 star hotel accomodations to their own bogus 'foundations'. Pleading with us to buy more of their products and support more of their 'good will'. Taking more of our money and throwing a few crumbs back to the poor along the way. With another photo-op and worldwide publicity for each and every crumb. Like I said, its all a sham. Nothing but a giant marketing gimmick and a cheap excuse to keep getting richer and richer and richer. These people are actually causing the same problems they pretend to care about. It is the greatest scam of all time. I will not forgive them for it. I will expose as many as possible for the hypocrite pigs that they are. Thats my cause. Its the ugly truth. Someone has to tell it.

Anonymous said...

Were we not trying to feed Africa when the savages shot down the helicopter as in Blackhawk down, burned the bodies of the American soldiers, dragged the corpse through the street and hung the bodies for all to see. I guess we just didn't give enough

Anonymous said...

anon 12/16 8:13pm,

Are you serious? "Black Christmas songs" being played in a suburban mall. When you take away the word black, aren't they just Christmas songs? The funny thing is I'm not tortured by so-called "white Christmas songs", but I'm not insane or stupid. I went to a mall in a predominately black neighborhood and that mall was playing a Christmas song by Frank Sinatra. Go figure, and no riots, protests, or crying.

It's Christmas so can we pull the pole out of our rectums and just enjoy it. Do white people rant and rave about blacks and Jews(aren't most of them white people?) during the holidays? If so that's just plain sad and pathetic.

When did Detroit become a continent? Just curious.

-Black guy

Steve said...

Black Guy, I often enjoy your tirades of feigned intellectual equality . Ive made the mistake of going to the "urban" mall and yes indeed every rappers version of Christmas songs was played through out the nearly dead mall. Needless to say I left quickly.
(Not having a particular need for weaves or magic shave). The old Radio Shack that used to be there is black hair care store.
Your comments are humorous and I suspect you are more a disingenuous white liberal than anything else.
Im enjoying Christmas just fine in whitetopia.

Anonymous said...

In my suburban shopping mall, I was treated to hearing Run DMC's Christmas classic "Christmas In Hollis", which spoke of eating collard greens and mac and cheese. So foreign to me, who grew up on Christmas dinners of turkeys and fresh hams.

--TheGheyOracle

Anonymous said...

What about his intellect is "feigned"? Maybe you're absolutely right about the equality part. I don't think you are as intelligent as he is. What kind of person can even concede that someone is intelligent? Oh, I know. A racist. Would you feel much more comfortable if he spoke to you like "fuck da white man. he be keepen us niggaz down"?
I mean honestly. You can't imagine an intelligent Black person so you attribute it to a "white liberal"?


Black Guy, my friends and I often laugh at your retorts to this insane blog and it's obsession with the Negro race. I am Indian and I think you are quite intelligent from what I've seen. It's so obvious that to state otherwise would perhaps display my own lack of "feigned" intelligence.

Oh, and my Black friend here says she loved Christmas Story and the vulgar lamp the dad won was the best. She also said you forgot Miracle on 34th Street, which she personally loves. But and I quote verbatim, "what do I know as a Black person. I need a white person to tell me what I don't like because I'm obviously too stupid to even know what doesn't agree with me. Thank goodness this white person is here to tell me and my friends that we DIDN'T like that movie when we THOUGHT we did. Whew. Close one!"

XD


Well that's my first and last post. I prefer to lurk and observe people acting like asses from afar and not too much into the fray.

Anonymous said...

Steve,

I know you're lying, because the only malls I go to are "urban". Is that white code for black? I have never heard rap Christmas songs being played. You're just one of a slew of white people that believe that they have to make up these strange lies about exposure to blacks or what they percieve to be" black culture".

I've only heard rap Christmas songs on "urban themed" radio stations. These stations are ironically popular with suburban white youths. Black owned radio stations mainly play Blues and R&B, not rap.

I'm not a lying, phony hypocrite. So, I'm far from being a white liberal.

-Black guy

Porter said...

Well XD I, for one, am glad you enjoy black guy's meandering ruminations. Reading his correspondence is fascinating to me as well. It's almost like verbal Sudoku. He makes a series of random unrelated statements and the reader's challenge is to mentally add or subtract words in a manner that results in a coherent idea. I assume that this is the pleasure you derive from him as well.

And as for your own lurking, please do comment more. Because as you know it's far better to remain silent and have others assume you are a fool than to speak and erase all doubt.

Anonymous said...

"Because as you know it's far better to remain silent and have others asssume you are a fool than to speak and erase all doubt"

Like you do? :)

Thanks but no thanks, I prefer not to cast my pearls to swine.

Anonymous said...

And I don't understand how staying on topic and speaking about the matter at hand is "meandering".

To meander means to veer. He stayed on track. He was direct. Talked about someone having "feigned" intelligence.

Or must we be subject to more of your unfounded diatribes and tirades against the mans intelligence?

Porter said...

Interesting points XD (I presume).

And ones made quite a bit after your "first and last post." And more still, there go your precious pearls that you swore not to cast before we white "racist" swine. What next? Will you stop accepting our handouts and racial preferences? That would just break my heart.

As for myself, I've hardly remained silent on this site and thus was in no fear of others reserving their opinion of me-- unlike you :)

How's this for L'Roi's staying on track and speaking about the matter at hand...

Black Guy: According to statistics, white men are far more likely to shoot themselves or someone else with a gun.

Mr. White: That's false. In fact the opposite is true. Blacks are statistically far more likely than whites to do so.

Black Guy: I never much cared for statistics.

And oddly enough, neither your boy nor myself uttered a peep about "feigned intelligence." You yourself could at least try to feign it going forward.

And finally, which of my diatribes centered on L'Roi's intelligence? Did I feign that comment?

Anonymous said...

Strawman shenanigans. We're not speaking of other threads. We are speaking of this one. This is the one I commented on and observed his comments, thus this is the thread of subject. Not some fantasy Strawman thread that doesn't have to do with the price of tea in China.
Umm..and I don't know who this L'Roi character is that you keep referencing. I have only seen him sign off as "Black Guy" and that is how I know him. Perhaps you are privy to personal information about him and that is his name, however, I think it is just an infantile attempt to goad.
Do you know personally what has been handed out to me or do you make "ass"umptions? My family is second generation Jamaican. No one handed us anything. I appreciate you trying to narrate ,in fiction, my life's experience.

You seem to like to throw around quotes. How about I toss this one your way;
"A truly wise person knows that the only thing they truly know is nothing."

You set the world up around your limited expectations and it is bound to come crashing about your ears.
Black people having "feigned" intelligence. Perhaps you can explain to me how someone can "feign" intelligence? Not a con artist who can "feign" having an education ala Frank Abagnale (you might know him, he's one of yours) but someone who can truly "feign" intelligence. Intelligence seems to be one of those decisive things where you have it or you don't. It may be moderate, above average or extreme brilliance but how can it be "feigned". Please explain.

Porter said...

XD( I presume)

Isn't it odd how items that refute your premise turn out to be "strawmen" so often? I did not limit my observations of black guy's correspondence to this thread only. That you did was your prerogative. That you assumed all others must also was your mistake. And now three posts beyond your "first and last comment" we continue our chat. Very well...

Second generation Jamaican you say? And Indian in addition. Interesting. Well, since you claim that "no one handed us anything" I'll be happy to rectify that misstatement on your part. Presuming you reside in a majority white nation, someone handed your alien parents admission in--or do you think entry was their "right?" Had they not been handed entry, you would be living in the filth, violence, and squalor that is endemic to all black majority nations. Since white nations don't produce these pathologies in sufficient volume organically, we must import them in the form of your parents.

Then upon entry, your family qualified for a raft of racial preferences and social services subsidized almost exclusively by whites. But I'm sure your family, like most Jamaican Indians, was too proud to accept any of these handouts and set-asides.

Or maybe your Jamaican immigrant parents came here to establish a subsidiary laboratory of the nanotechnology firm they founded in Kingston...who knows.

Finally, I'll grant that you're not feigning your unintelligence, but do you expect me to believe that you can't even read names? It was Steve who made the feigning intelligence comment that you have blathered on about interminably, not me. I even helpfully pointed this fact out to you in my last comment. But then, I had "ass"umptions you could read English and not just patois.

Anonymous said...

Hmm..I asked for an explanation. Perhaps I should have asked for a good/coherent one.

Anonymous said...

can i ask you one question why are people still starving when all of hollywood can support them themselves we pay a couple dollars to see their music their movies their games and yet they have enough money to fill the whole world up with food many times over they just wont do it baseball players (a-rod) 272 million i could think of 272 million people well that would feed the world for a few days now wouldnt it that would help out. geez where does our money go to to allow them to live like that!!!!!! and all we can argue about is how bad band-aid and others are. just exactly whens the last time you gave money to feed the children.

Anonymous said...

Ethiopia went from around 40 million in 1983 to 82 million today.