Wednesday 18 September 2013

[New Music] Anouk Tackles Race and Cultural Appropriation on single "Wigger"



As if none of you have figured, we have a MASSIVE Anouk fan on this website! I'm not sure I even need to point fingers because her love for the singer-songwriter is made known so often (particularly on our " Free-for-all Friday" posts) that you'd have to be a newbie not to have noticed (hello if you are!). So in honour of one of our most vocal members, here's Anouk's latest single, the controversially titled, Wigger.

Being the mother of mixed-race children , Anouk offers a very personal, and informed, take on the subject of race and identity. The guitar-led song is bound to stir-up controversy, as not only does it deal with a subject that make some uncomfortable, but Anouk isn't subtle with the lyric either, leaving little room to hide from its meaning. 

The Dutch Diva was obviously aware of how the song and the title may ruffle feathers, so decided it best to tackle the subject head-on in a Facebook post:


Goodmorning!A few weeks ago, I wrote a song Wigger. I played it back and thought, maybe a few people are gonna freak. But why really ? The word "Wigger", what does it mean. I have been hearing this word much more frequently than before. It gets people pissed. But I mean is it derogatory ?
If you search Wikipedia, then the definition in a nutshell is, "a white person who is inspired by black culture".  So Is that bad or weird? We do after all live in a world where we are inspired regardless of skin colour or gender!
We do after all live in a world where we are inspired regardless of skin colour or gender!
So I've come to the conclusion it's all bulls**t. I am what I am.
A true blond, proud wigger and honestly it suits me better then anyone else, doesn't it

Have a beautiful day!

source: Facebook

I applaud Anouk for the somewhat brazen attitude, and appreciate the message more so because it's mined from her own life experiences. Much like the Facebook post, the lyric to Wigger are a little on the nose*, but it was actually the right way for Anouk to have gone about writing them. After all, we don't need ambiguity or vagueness when trying to make a statement or convey a message- it'll only dilute and distract.

I'll be interested to hear what you guys think of Anouk's take on race and the dreaded "cultural appropriation". I for one welcome the discussion she's bringing to the table.


*I'm not implying she's incapable of subtlety.

Thoughts?

36 comments:

  1. Cheers DD!
    You forgot to mention it's also a damn good song. :-)
    Well, I think so anyway.


    Anouk btw doesn't do anything other than brazen and in your face.
    She also in an interview mentioned not just the stuff she has gotten thrown at her for liking black culture, marrying a "black" man etc etc but also said the song was inspired by the criticism thrown at Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus lately.


    Personally, on the subject, I think if your love and interest is genuine..go for it.



    Also I may be the most vocal fan but I am not the only here. ;-)

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  2. I enjoyed it "profusely"- as Mariah would say! :) http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvrpieYI6m1r0bn2lo1_400.gif

    And i totally agree with "Personally, on the subject, I think if your love and interest is genuine..go for it." Genuineness is key for me, but of course interpretation of whether someone is being so or not is totally subjective. However I'm more likely to take someone's word for it than not. I haven't got the time to be angry/annoyed about things I can't disprove. There are of course exceptions to this, especially when past conduct contradicts. But meh, lets all love each other.

    Speaking of Love, Luiz if you're reading this- I feel since I've mentioned Mariah I've invoked you (kind of like a Mariah Carey stan version of Candyman)- I'm currently editing all your flagged comments. They will be changed to be more loving. For instance, Words like "H*e" will be changed to something like "my lovely". I'd advise you to be nicer or my editing is going to get more creative.

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  3. True, it's hard to judge whether it is genuine but usually if it is, there are more indicators than just one or two outward displays.


    You seem to be in a very loving mood
    Sorry in that case, you having to deal with Luiz's language issues and my thanks all the more therefor. :-)

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  4. Lol. I really think he likes you. A LOT. I'm not just saying that. Reading his posts seems like he enjoys the banter with you- despite the crass wording.

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  5. LOL Unfortunately..the feeling is not really mutual. There are some discussions I enjoy but usually that is when they entail a little intelligence applied in the retorts.

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  6. I can't ever say this hoe won't last a minute, cuz she didn't even get to become someone. hhehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe

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  7. It doesn't matter. Everyone will still know what I meant. LOL! uhhhhhhhhhh ehehehehehehehe. hahahahahahahahahaha.

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  8. Man, I hate that hoe. U can trust me on that.

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  9. She's more than you'll ever amount to be... Now go apeshit on me like you generally do you oh so predictable pathetic ass monkey.

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  10. monkey? Are you playing the racist card, now? lol! U are a horrible human being. Tash.

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  11. I am quite horrible, aren't I :D ?

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  12. Very provocative message but I doubt this song will be something I play more than this time.

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  13. Great article indeed :) I actually love the song and admire the fact she is not afraid to tackle issues related to race so head on and do it so with class and a sense of realness!

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  14. In the mean time honey, she makes enough money from singing to live on and put her kids through the best schools. Get back to me in twenty years and we'll talk the factory you are unloading bananas every day. :-)

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  15. Oh my how your delusion run rampant. First off all...do you seriously think "everybody" is reading your comments???
    Second...anybody seeing them now sure will not. I think it's quite a brilliant response from DD.

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  16. Right there with you BlackRobin. :-)

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  17. DD this is why I love you! LOL

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  18. Bitch, please! U love me.

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  19. She's nothing - just like you.



    And what do you know about my life, hoe? U could be surprised! LOL! If you only knew!!! hahaha

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  20. I know you are trashy, foul mouthed and likely a virgin. I suspect you probably, outside of your internet bravery, are a good catholic boy and a giant hypocrite. I also know you are low on the IQ rating and lack imagination.
    I know that less people are going to hear of you and anything you will ever achieve than have heard of Anouk. :-)
    I know you are an absolute nobody other than a mouth breather in Brazil.

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  21. Told you before..no, I will not. :-)

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  22. Btw sounds to me DD, that's a banjo driving this song?

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  23. I'm really curious to if you actually have somewhat of a life outside of insulting other people for no good reason with unoriginal comments.

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  24. I'm really liking her and this song, really brunt and head on with the issue, it'll make some people uncomfortable, but I think it's a good way for people to talk about it, and to make people think. And I actually really agree with her on this topic.

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  25. And I care about your opinion about me.... cri-cri-cri

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  26. Babe, that's just your wish - something very far from the truth.

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  27. Avoiding the question. I see you.

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  28. Oh sweetie, I don't waste time wishing for anything connected to you. You really are not that important to me. :-)
    That was more like one of the several conclusions one could draw from your behavior.

    Being nice...I went with the conclusion you come off best in.

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  29. Video of live performance
    http://giel.vara.nl/media/242986

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  30. sorry but you lost all credibility when you used the term "pathetic monkey". i mean really? your best response was to pull out the old school racist terms?

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  31. Turns out..not a banjo. LOL

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  32. Are you fucking kidding me? No actually it wasn't my best response. It just went to show that I fly high and stoop low. If you got a problem with how I talk to people here take it to the grave because it ain't changing it...-_-.

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  33. Really? You see this Luis post what he posts and aren't inspired to utter an objection but a dude using the term monkey (which really goes to a human being behaving sub par for his species) and you call racism because the one it is thrown at is dark skinned? Never mind that his behavior is warranting such a term...it's the color of his skin which should prevent him being called for how he behaves?
    I wonder if you would have raised the same objection to the use of "monkey" if the picture of Luis was showing a white dude?
    Who exactly here is treating someone different based on his skin color? Who here is actually guilty of racial thinking?

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  34. Seriously? Somebody called it spam? Oh my..I was quite pleased with that one myself. Even Riri liked it.LOL
    Anyway it DID do the trick ...thanks very much! :-)

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  35. You might get a double comment to this- I posted one before but its since vanished. Anywho, nothing left in the pending folder. However I checked the spam folder and it had quite a few comments in there- including a few from you. Have "approved" them, so see if that did the trick.

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