My Official Statement
- Posted on: Jul. 10, 2008
- 65 Comments
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
Well said, Loren.
ReplyYou are a brave and crazy artist of a man and I salute the size of your balls. Well done.
ReplyWell said.
It’s absurd that you had to go through such lengths to explain the humour, but apparently some people are just too thick-headed to get the joke. There is not a thing racist with “Technigga”, it’s clearly a reflection of black hip-hop culture with a social media bent for the purpose of humour.
Some people see a white person doing an impression of a non-white culture and their knee-jerk reaction is “racist”, without understanding that it’s the context that determines whether it’s racism or not. Next time someone calls you a racist, just point them to an online dictionary and have them explain what is racist about it.
ReplyThanks for the official statement, continue to create videos and I hope everyone from this situation has learned something and does not stop the future of sponsorship from other national outlets with the online video blogging community. I’m looking forward to your next project.
Wayne
Replyman, the video about hitler made me cried. you’re a true artist.
Replyloren, the right place for you is not verizon, it’s comedy central.
ReplyLoren,
You’re doing great, important work. Always remember that. Keep doing what you’re doing.
slippy
ReplyThere’s a comcast truck outside my window man. It’s been there for 3 months now.
Is obama really black?
Replyfuck FAT COMPANY (spelling error intended)
ReplyI’m generally not one to leave comments on the message boards of people I don’t know, as I prefer to mind my own business, but this is just bizarre to me. I follow you on Twitter because I find your ideas interesting, and the majority of your work admirable. Being of a minority race myself, I have no interest in racist people. That being said, I watched the videos (as well as several others, including one you made in New Orleans) and I’ve got to tell you…I don’t find it racist at all. Not in the least. What I saw was a satire of the way some people choose to portray themselves. Big deal…there are many. If the Wayans Brothers did that exact same sketch, no one would mention it (remember “Homeboy Shopping Network?”). I can recall similar sketches on several popular TV shows (In Living Color, SNL, etc). Because I think it’s wrong that you’re being judged on different standards, I wanted to offer my support, in whatever way possible. So I discontinued my personal and business Verizon lines in favor AT&T. No doubt a completely insignificant gesture, but at least I can sleep better knowing I’m not supporting the hypocrisies that have taken place here. Loren, I look forward to seeing more of your work.
ReplyCheers
Well done Loren. Anyone who comments on this without watching all 7 videos in the series is an uninformed idiot.
Now if you would just be nice to Lynne (I know you wont) you guys could really accomplish something.
I hate it when two people I like are fighting (.
Replyguys this means one thing, you gotta make fun of all races, religions and creeds so cards cannot be used against you. By viewing your vids anyone with half a brain should be able to tell you are entertaining and providing shock value. I really hope this doesn’t change your game.
ReplyWTF is this Shit?? Barrack better not pull this on me, Especially on Our Anniversary.. If he does..
ReplySo you are a satirist and an artist. Good for you. But what is your point? Verizon is a commercial company, not an Art sponsor. Most commercial companies need yes man not controversial artists.
Replystop f’ing apologizing dude and get on with the show
ReplyHear hear. Political correctness is so 2007 - when will they learn! Keep up the good work Loren. Looking forward to the new stuff.
ReplyVery well done. Material was taken out of context, and you cleared that up very well here. There will still be some who want to ignore the facts and make up some of their own — they will not be swayed. The rest of us can see this in its totality. Nice work…and proper explantion.
ReplyGet over it, nothing to see here, go fly a kite!
I can be “Frank” but if that upsets anyone I’ll be “Surley” but please do not call me Paddy, Northsider or a Thick Irish Cu*t! as I might have to resort to a slagging match.
You might call me shortie and I’ll call you baldie somethings we just cant change and then we’ll get into it.
We will get the joke “others” may not, we might offend but you and I will know its all in jest. They can grow thick skin while we continue to laugh over a beer.
We did beers, we laughed and you’re game ball.
I watched it, I was entertained, but dude you’re accent needs some work
Now I’m off to watch the others.
Looking forward to you ripping the piss out of us Irish, you know we’ll all laugh with you, or worse case laughing at your Irish accent.
Keep it up mate. Remember he who laughs last thinks slowest!
ReplyPlease die off with your brand of “artistry” already.
ReplyI feel that my people have been sorely overlooked. One might even say snubbed. Do you have something against Sicilians that we don’t factor into the equation?
ReplyEnough already.
Not you, Loren, but all the crap that is being thrown around.
This actually has a bigger context, and as always Loren has exposed it. That IS true artistry.
Art doesn’t have to be pretty or amusing, it should be provacative, however.
Here is the bigger context I spoke about.
We always hear the term ROCKSTAR, we here about the damn CONVERSATION, The this, the that. Social nets being the future, Twitter, Friend Feed, all of it. The open exchange of ideas. The A listers.
It is all bullshit. There is very little real conversation. There is very little exchanging of true ideas. There are tons of people claiming to be experts and rockstars though, Doing a lot of talking about being experts at talking about conversing. Not a lot of actual creating though.
Thing is, when someone actually pushes an envelope, all hell breaks lose. It is a system of don’t mess with the status quo disguised as an online utopia of ideas.
It is getting to the point where all the true internet “celebs” are saying the same thing over and over without a whole lot of forward momentum. Blog after audio after video, just comenting on what everyone else is saying about blogging, audio, video and networking. Kumbaya!
It is not just Loren that goes against this flow. Danny Goldman comes to mind. He was kicked off of the Podcast Pickle for offending a few of the Pickle elite. A few people got uncomfortable with his views and had him removed. He was pushing buttons, and it was fun, until it wasn’t. It was sad.
Noah David Simon and his fun with Twitter and Myspace also rings a bell.
Lately, a few A listers have started to come around, but not many.
Keep it up Loren. Keep them guessing and on there toes. Stifling things that scare them is usually the sign of the battle ending. If they can’t compete, they try to destroy.
Best of Luck! Now get back to what you do best.
ReplyI love Kumbaya. I’ve always loved it.
Replyfuck em if they can’t take a joke.
ReplyAn artist! satire! Ok, so is your threatening people art? are we supposed to take your threats against Lynne as ‘artistic statements’? You can fool some of the people some of the time, but I see you for what you are: a freaking psycho. You actually threatened Lynne over this, what on earth is WRONG with you?!
Forget this absurd video, 90% of the rest of your ‘work’ is nothing but you attacking other people. The fact that you get so much ‘artistic’ joy out of cursing other people, calling folks out of their names, personally attacking people, shows the lowness of your soul. You are a bully, plain and simple. Pure mean-spirited and cruel. You get over because so many people enjoy base mess like this and also others are afraid to say anything to your face about it lest you attack them next. Just like you haven’t grown out of bullying, some people have yet to get over the fear of being bullied. You wanna blame Lynne and a few others for your problems, but truth be told a lot of folks are talking big mess about you behind your back. I’m not a back talker, so I’m saying it to your face.
ReplyYou are such an ass. Trula nailed it; You have been exposed for the hack you are. You are furiously backpedaling now that the shit has hit the fan. Remember how you screwed a certain someone over? I call this your “social media experiment” coming back to bite you in the ass.
ReplyLoren,
Have a Glass of the Finest Scotch, Light Up a Cuban~ and Call iT a Day.
1938Media Rocks Kevin Rose Said So!!!
ReplyYou have a royal mess on your hands. What I don’t understand is why you would play around with such risky content if corporate sponsorship was something 1938 Media was interested in at some point. And if your “artistry” is what this is all about then why would you want to get sponsorship from a bunch of suits like CNET & Verizon? It seems you were trying to have it both ways thus resulting in all of it blowing up in your face.
ReplyWriting from a former Communist country — this whole fucking PC shit taking place on the other side of the Pond is making me hurl. It makes me want to take my whole childhood and teenage years in the States and piss on it all to hell.
You tech-Fascists out there need to come on over here for a while and get into a time warp…just wait until your right to express yourself is REALLY taken away.
Loren, I will stand by you at the barricades and stomp on any testicle sac that dares to mess with your craft.
Keep hammering. Hard and always.
The memory of September 1938 and Munich lives on forever here in the former Czechoslovakia.
Viva Tomas Garrigue Masaryk. Viva democracy. Viva the democracy theft ongoing on the other side of the Pond.
Viva Loren. Amen.
–ADM in FREE DEMOCRATIC Prague, Czech Republic, where we can satire the universe and not get lambasted nor grilled by the likes of you.
ReplyAdam,
You’ve made my whole pathetic career worthwhile with this comment.
Long live the Czech Republic, long live freedom of speech. Everywhere.
Loren
ReplyYep, and we’re just as free to say your speech is inept and lame, and that we’ll take our business elsewhere. All the un-PC people I mentioned above have or had plenty of work. You won’t. Consumer choice ftw! 2008 is the end of the social media douchebag. May many follow your demise.
ReplyLoren - was this good for your career or bad? The verdict is very much still out - I’d say the former! It amazes me the confusion whirling in people’s heads over this - the random connections between being booted by a sponsor and some freedom of speech horse shit. The fact is your both right.
You need to come out with a new video already - I know there’s something to building up tension but there’s also the consideration of coming off as a little beat down by this, a little gun shy. The more time goes by at this point, the worse, both in terms of coming off as gun shy and in terms of building up too high of an expectation of “wow, he’s REALLY gonna get un PC now” or whatever. Come out with a video of you laughing your ass off for like 12 seconds, collect yourself, look into the camera “Now…back to work” and cut with a tight 1938 Media caption: done!
ReplyLoren is the Puppet Master Pulling All the Strings..
Now a Word From Our Sponsor
ReplyYou have got to be one of the biggest assholes I’ve seen in a long time. No wonder your stuck blogging on the internet–you possess NO TALENT and your have to be one of the most IGNORANT people I’ve come across in a long time. Such a waste of space and time you are with your CRACKER ASS SELF!!!!!! Clean up your nasty ass crib before you make videos!
ReplyI recently bought a large collection of old 78s and found among them a handful of recordings of minstrel shows from the 1920s. The people who produced them thought they were being hilarious, I’m sure. Many of the people who listened were no doubt amused, too. From the perspective of 2008, these recordings are insanely racist. The stereotypes are hurtful and damaging and likely to promote discrimination or worse, I think even Feldman would agree, although who knows. I think history will judge the likes Feldman’s brand of humor the same way — not funny. Racist. Horribly damaging to black people and race relations. A handful of truly gifted satirists can handle this type of material. Feldman isn’t one of them.
ReplyLoren Feldman = PWNED
1938Media = FAIL.
The end.
ReplyI find it ironic that most of the negative comments have no link back to who’s leaving them. Loren, please post your log files on this thread; I’d love to see where they’re coming from. Transparency, bitches.
Clearly people here are divided on whether or not Loren is funny or not. Love him or hate him, one of Guy Kawasaki’s rules of creating a great brand is to “polarize people”. You might not like the taste of Starbucks, using Apple Computers or shopping at Wal-Mart… but that’s why we support capitalism — because you have choices. People who choose to write boycott letters need to choose to get a life, especially when they’re undeserved.
Loren, someone will come along and not be afraid of what happened because you weren’t being racist. Your stuff is funny and, while some allege are personal attacks on people, pokes severe holes (and fun) at the Web 2.0 elite. I applaud people who have the balls to make fun of what the rest of the world deems as “pop culture” - George Carlin, Dave Chappelle, etc - and you, sir, are no different.
Folks, like his brand of humor or not, you have a choice. A choice to NOT watch. There are a lot of us who do, and I will quote Howard Stern’s “Private Parts”: “want to see what he’ll do next”.
Reply@david
When Loren attacks people, he isn’t just poking fun. He goes after their sponsors and employers and tries to cost them their livelihood. He attacks them with vicious language on Friend Feed and Twitter that clearly isn’t intended to be funny — he’s just spewing hate.
Great satirists signal that beyond the stereotypes they are playing with, there is awareness of the pain these stereotypes inflict. Their parodies are ironic and self-aware. Feldman’s mean-spirited modus operandi is anything but ironic. He means it when he attacks. Which is why lots of people cut his Sambo humor no slack.
ReplyWhy on God’s Green Earth would I give my personal e-mail and website details to a bunch of people who apologise for a mediocre racist?
And satire, by nature, targets the ruling elite. No, Scoble is not ruling nor elite.
ReplySatire, by definition, targets contemporary issues, not the ruling elite.
Noneya, I can understand your hesitation to reveal your data, but, at the end of the day, if a person can’t stand behind their own commentary, what do they have?
ReplyThe heart of satire is indeed an attack on ruling elites via humour.
I have plenty that I need not have interrupted by Loren’s racist little fanboyz and girlz. My completely self-indulgent shcadenfreude here is commentary I am happy to throw away. After a year of waiting, after a year of watching this waste of space insult people who are doing good work, the revenge is very, very sweet.
ReplyLoren, I fall into your critic category. I’m Greek and love to laugh as much, if not more than, the next guy.
If I may, here’s a non-over the top critique as to why I believe so many people don’t
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (a funny movie playing on Greeks) was an example of cultural humor that was funny and yet non-offensive because it went after the annoying but non-sensitive part of our culture. For example:
* The father was a male chauvinist;
* Greek kids live with their parents until they get married;
* Greeks are really loud;
* Old-generation Greeks want their kids to only marry other Greeks;
* Young Greek girls with big hair and asses
* Working in restaurants
* Etc.
The movie literally made fun of Greeks and we all loved it. It highlighted our silly traits but didn’t get “real”.
I understand this line of humor might be too sanitized for you … but you rip the envelope to shreds to get your giggles.
Case in point, your Hitler video. I know you’re Jewish so you have a little more leeway than most but “Big Ovens”? Where is the humor in that but on the dark fringes? That is nothing but pure pain.
I’m not being PC. I’ve got 3 tight Jewish buddies from way back. We make fun of each others cultures all the time. We push the envelope about our mothers for god’s sake. Sacred ground!
But none of us would find any humor in “Big Ovens”. Nor would we find humor in any refeence to the fact Turks roasted Greeks on a spit while we were enslaved by the Ottoman Empire.
CONCLUSION
You’re talented, edgy and you know how to use tech to spread your brand. You have the potential to be the web version of Johnny Carson one day.
But as black Americans like to say, you failed to “check yourself before you wrecked yourself”.
It’s not too late but if you have aspirations of a truly massive and loyal fan base, you need to stop apologizing, conclude that you simply blew it. There is a time to stand and fight on principal. There is a time to realize you fudged up. You fudged up.
Then, immediately come out with a fresh line of videos that show you can make people laugh by pushing the envelope - but without making them feel shitty about themselves.
No more ovens, no more niggas. Start with the Greeks. Everyone loves the Greeks.
My 2 cents, FWIW.
George…yeah, I know.
ReplySorry, second sentence was incomplete. Should read:
“If I may, here’s a non-over the top critique as to why I believe so many people don’t see your point of view”.
Reply“The heart of satire is indeed an attack on ruling elites via humour.”
Noneya, I don’t know what dictionary you use, but Dictionary.com and Wikipedia don’t have any stipulations about satire having to be an attack on ruling elites. You don’t like Loren, that’s fine, but don’t make up definitions to justify your complaint.
ReplyAll of you who have come here to continue throwing Loren under the bus:
You are sorely outnumbered. Whether they liked the video or not, most people understand what was happening and are not calling for Loren’s head.
BTW, most of you are, are chickenshit. How ’bout a name on your posts so we can click through and see if you’ve ever created anything someone might find objectionable. Tell me guys, how’s the view from the cheap seats?
Loren:
This was an incredibly thorough statement. You win. Time to let this go because an impasse has been reached. There is no way to push back barricades of ignorance that people build to defend their own self-righteousness.
ReplyA door closes and a very big window will open!
Replyseriously Loren, you MUST check out this guy:
Replyhttp://youtube.com/watch?v=ctXMylCEbyM
you weren’t that far… lol
Hey fuckers!
My name’s Nathan, I’m a proud nigga tech vlogger, and Loren’s work has always been an inspiration to me. Bullshit, his video ain’t racist at all!
Loren’s just makin fun of our attitudes and slang, which is cool with me, as long as he allows me to make fun of jews.
Now, if you really wanna know what racism is really all about today in America, watch my newest video here: http://moppixmovies.com/
Loren, I love you man. Go on with your shit.
PS: i dont need white bloggers to defend me or stand for me, i can kick any true racist’s ass in no time. so go mind your own business.
ReplyHoly shit dude those were some amazing videos.
ReplyThere is ” Too Much White Space Here”!!!
ReplyI think this entire thing is so ridiculous. That video is so old and you still have to apologize for it? Is there no sense of humor left on the web? I am just sorry that Verizon pulled the plug, what a bunch of idiots they must have been. Just keep doing what you do best, which is putting your own, humorous spin on otherwise boring subject matter.
Replysportsgirl we still on for dinner tonight?
ReplyFunny to see a similar racial issue is hitting Comedy Central figure venrtiloquist Jeff Dunham, with his new video “Ahmed, the dead terrorist”. Check it out, and tell us what you think: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ouDRDzqTu0M
I think it’s very similar to your case. Dunham is not making fun of all muslims, but only of a ’social’ group within a given ethnicity. TechNigga does the same.
Reply@Nathan
Michael Richards stepped outside the boundaries of comedy structure when he lost control and allowed himself to respond to the hecklers in the crowd with personal and targeted insults that were clearly racist in nature.
The Mencia and Chappelle types get away with their humor because the taunts are generalized and recognized as generally accepted stereotypes. If either comedian got down into the faces of certain audience members and singled them out for this “abuse” neither would have a career worth spit.
I don’t believe that Jeff Dunham’s creation is a racial assault as much as it is a caricature of a very common fear. Of course, I never understood removing Speedy Gonzales from the Warner Bros. line-up either. Jeff is simply taking a very real fear and making it easier to face through humor…one of humor many incredible treasures.
Chaplin did it with Hitler, the Three Stooges did it with Mussolini, M*A*S*H did it for a generation swamped by the media and politically manufactures quagmire of Viet Nam.
This country needs to throw off the political correctness choke collar and get a hold of reality before we force ourselves into a corner we’ll never get out of.
America’s greatest generations were the product of “in your face” strength and certainty against our enemies and protagonists…not of boot kissing , apologetic leaf munchers begging for international forgiveness. Enough is enough!
Back to Jeff…Average Joe Public is a pretty good barometer of acceptable and unacceptable. Michael Richards - completely unacceptable. Jeff Dunham - a very popular performer and character. Whatever happened to majority rule?
ReplyLoren,
Great work, great videos and great humor. Everyone who can’t understand that, well, too bad for them. They must make pretty sad people.
I would see the hype that is STILL going on around this as free publicity for you. Enjoy it as it gets visitors to your site and around your name.
Keep up the good work.
Nick
Replylol, the videos are okay, not that big of a deal really. funny to some, not funny to others. pretty much like every other piece of comedy ever created.
what’s humorous though is when our kid feldman decides to get political on us and tries to make this a first amendment/free speech issue. now that’s real comedy! because the 1st amendment is violated every day in this country, but we won’t hear about that on 1938media, our alleged bastion of liberty.
you’re a talented guy, feldman, but try not to hide behind the first amendment when we all know you don’t have the courage to actually stand up for it. that’s an insult to those of us who take it seriously.
ReplyI actually thought you were making fun of what a typical white person would expect a black tech vlogger to be. That they would really expect it to be that ludicrous and stereotypical.
in fact
i’m angry that you made fun of white people!
how dare you?!?
i’m sorry so many are kicking you
esp anyone who dares enter into your home with vile comments
i look forward to meeting you someday
Replyand eating some of that weird bread you people bake on friday, challugh or something like that. I really liked that fiddler on the roof movie too. so we have a lot in common!
Krakro is behind you Loren!
The ones who say these not pretty things about you are STUPID!
I’m French and your readers/viewers know that you make A LOT of fun of Frenches. I’m the first to laugh at it!
Even when Frenches were not allowed to enter your site…
But, what you gonna do. Some love your humor, some don’t get it.
But to say it’s racist, it’s just stupid!!!
Amicalement,
Ton Français préféré
ReplyThis just goes to show that not everyone should have an Internet connection… and I mean the idiots who don’t get the joke.
ReplyInteresting context but you didn’t have to explain, honest.
ReplyPlease teabag me.
ReplyIf as you say… “The web is my canvas, social media my brush”, then I say… your sense of humor is a festering pile of fly swarmed shit on dirt trail. And your creativity is a dried, fetid, crusted used tampon in a McDonald’s bathroom garbage bin.
Controversy = traffic = revenue, so you got what you wanted. Nonetheless, you, your supporters and your haters are all douche-bags.
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