Technigga - My Official Statement
I’ve been watching the conversation around the TechNigga video. A year late, but how wonderful nonetheless. It pleases me as a satirist and an artist. The web is my canvas, social media my brush, and audience members of all colors are on my palette. Welcome.
I am an artist exploring the tools of social media. Over the course of 1,000 videos I’ve strived to entertain, raise issues, and make people think. Anyone claiming that 1938 Media is a “racist blog” (as several news organizations erroneously reported) might benefit from perusing my full back catalog.
As many have pointed out, the tone of my work is similar to South Park, Ali G, SNL and many other artists including Oscar© Winner Robert Downey Jr. who will portray a character in this summer’s Ben Stiller epic “Tropic Thunder” in blackface, or adorable pixie Sarah Silverman who performed in a show in blackface recently. While I don’t enjoy everything these folks do either, I do think they’re at their best when they’re pushing the envelope and taking risks.
The web is about freedom. Freedom of ideas, freedom of code, freedom to make a choice, freedom of not being afraid to tell a joke, freedom to fail. Freedom to look at the reflection that we cast as a group.
You might think that sometimes I’m too mean or not funny. Ok. Am I so different than you?
TechNigga was part of a weeklong project that reflected on numerous issues in our culture. Across the series I make fun of jews, psychologists, scientologists, celebrity rehab, nerds, nazis, tech culture, 70s movies and, yes, black people.
Below is an extension of a post I made a year ago explaining the work.
Kinda sucks when you have to explain a joke, not once but twice, but I’ll make an exception since so many new people are coming to this site with absolutely no context on the history or backstory.
“TechNigga” an original work.
Air Dates - July 31 / August 3-6, 2007
Written, Directed, and Edited by Loren Feldman
Graphics and Support by Gravlax
Co-Starring Michelle Oshen
Prologue
Do You Pay Attention? - A video about Hitler and jews, to see if anyone cared.
Act 1
The Fall From Grace - Technigga: a ridiculous portrayal of a gangsta tech blogger to bring attention to the fact that there are not many well known black bloggers
Admission - Mocking the fact that I’ve been mean and might have caused controversy. Also satirizing “celebrity” statements
Recovery - Mocking the rehab process while also demonstrating the negative imagery of black men that is portrayed in the media
Forgiveness - After recovery I ask for “forgiveness”
Denouement - Reflecting on rehab and my lessons
Climax - The new 1938 Media and Loren are cleaned up and cured. Ready for corporate America!
So there you have it. Kinda sucks how you have to explain a joke, that’s how I feel. If you think it’s funny and clever great, if you didn’t like it that’s ok as well. That’s showbiz I guess.
Posted in 1938 Media, Art, Comedy, Ourselves, Race Relations, Satire, Social Media
