You don’t actually need to *watch* the weather video. (At then end is an annoying ad anyway.) Just marvel that it’s not a joke. (via dlisted)
Then, I feel obligated to show you the Die Antwoord video below, mostly because it’s making the blogrounds. It’s sex-driven, homoerotic *and* homophobic (lucky us), so you are warned that it’s that familiar confusing mix of male self-erotophobia. It’s also visually creepy, timed well for Halloween. (Are the Dutch generally homophobic? I didn’t see that when I was there last, but then again I was looking *for* queer spaces to hang out in…)
Update: I sit corrected in that Die Antwoord are South African and not Dutch, and the seemingly anti-gay lyrics in question are debated and resolved — read the comments to see why this video is confusing unless we have an understanding of each cultures’ perceptions around circumcision and unfamiliar cultural practices and perceptions around male genital mutilation (and cross-cultural male rites of passage). Thanks to everyone who chimed in and helped us understand this. Big ups to Die Antwoord for being so complex and challenging.
The videos seem to be removed from Youtube and Vimeo, respectively. Sad.
Oh and what I commented about before I would say explains the lyrics (I added brackets to explain): “I won’t have the dangerous tribal circumcision (of the Xhosa). Your argument, that this makes my penis ‘dirty,’ and me a homosexual, holds no water. You, another man, are the one who wants to take me into the bushes (The Xhosa call their circumsision ceremony “going to the bush”) and touch my penis to perform this operation. Does this not call your own sexual orientation into question?”
It is a song that needs to be understood within the unique south african context
Hey!
I was born and raised in South Africa. Die Antwoord is Afrikaans for “the answer”.
It is not dutch.
this music video is also in another South african Language: Xhosa.
It is; as far as I can see; about a typical cultural problem here in South Africa.
It is common in the Xhosa Culture for boys to be circumsized while in their teens to symbolise that they have become men (That is what the Xhosa part of the song is about). The Xhosa believe that being cut is a sign of 1) being clean and 2) being a ‘real’ man.
It is completely uncommon for White South Africans to be circumsized and this causes cultural problems because the white men are seen as “gay” or “little” boys and that they are not grown men in the eyes of some of the Xhosa/Zulu/isiSotho or other SA traditional people.
The song is about that cultural clash
It is a problem because an uncircumsized male has to adress a circumsized male in very specific ways here. A cut male is a MAN. and uncut male is a BOY. According to culture here your grammer even changes depending on whether the male is cut or not. Because you address men differently it is hard to hide whether you are cut or not
I’m from the city of the dick video, awesome. I come to your site at least four times a week. I love it.
Regarding the weather, I think I recall there are other examples of that where some clever graphics dude has slipped something onto the air. I have my doubts that it wasn’t intentional.
As for the rap vid, I couldn’t manage to watch more than about a minute of it so their message was lost of the likes of me. Nevertheless it seemed at the time to be as Violet first described it (and I found myself feeling revulsion), until I read everyone’s comments above and the update.
Culture, eh?
Regards,
etc.
Yep, Die Antwoord are indeed from South Africa (I’m South African). And no, Die Antwoord are not homophobes, the song is in protest to the tribal circumsion (several young men die every year due to infection) that is supposed to make men of these youngsters. Very risque video though! We won’t be seeing that on South African television.
Yes, I agree: _bunny_ got it. I’m glad to not be the only one to say something about the lyrics — it was a question we needed to ask, and discuss and get answers to. On the face, they’re really troubling, so I hope people don’t take it at (American-flavored) face value, as it is so easy to do. I like them too, even if I can’t get their country of origin correct :(
Thx bunny, that makes it clear!
I think _bunny_ nails it.
I winced at the lyrics in question too. Here’s the cross-cultural translation, as I understand it: “I won’t have the dangerous tribal circumcision. Your argument, that this makes my penis ‘dirty,’ and me a homosexual, holds no water. You, another man, are the one who wants to take me into the bushes and touch my penis to perform this operation. Does this not call your own sexual orientation into question?”
Is that about accurate? It’s convoluted, but I’m glad I don’t have to write Die Antwoord, who I love, off as homophobes.
They are South African. And no, the Dutch are generally not homophobic. The Netherlands was one of the first countries to legalise gay marriage, adoption by gay couples, it has a number of prominent gay celebrities who have a broad mass-market audience. Having lived in Amsterdam (as opposed to the rest of the country) may have skewed my perception a little bit but I would say it’s not a homophobic country at all.
Interesting video.
Just a note, I think they are a South African group, earlier you referred to them as Dutch.
Worth noting that Die Antwoord are South African, not Dutch… and also that they are careful and studious satirists going well back before the formation and fame of their current incarnation. I won’t try to comment on what this video is saying, except to say that its message is likely to be complex and layered.
They come from Republic of South Africa so all the symbolism and references are authentic and driven from where they live. they are part of the zef rap rave or smth. :)
dear, please read this interview with the singer of this south african zef duo.
http://motherjones.com/riff/2010/10/die-antwoord-interview-evil-boy-video
there he explains the word “gay” is used according to south park. its a joke, commeting tribal circumcision and resulting deaths.
btw, a dutch person wouldnt probably understand afrikaans.
“Die Antwoord” isn’t Dutch, it’s Afrikaans, one of the major languages in South Africa.
Of course Afrikaans sounds a lot like Dutch…
Interesting to see a District 9 visual reference in there.
Just a small remark, Die Antwoord is actually South-African, not Dutch.
And, as far as I know, the group is not from the Netherlands anyway, but from South Africa, which is a whole different story and explains the genital mutilation theme of the video. I don’t know whether the Dutch are homophobic in general, at least not the ones I’ve met so far. :) I guess you cannot generalise a whole country and its inhabitants on their political or whatsoever opinions.
And it’s interesting to read about the whole circumsising thing in the US, because in Europe it’s the opposite.
dre, thank you. Perhaps something gets lost in translation? Some people are seeing the ‘not gay’ line followed by ‘my dick is clean’ line to read as anti-gay sentiment, as in, we hear them saying “gay dicks are not clean dicks.” Also, we should note the cut/uncut culture gap over here: most US males (and females) think the whole world is circumcised (and tend to equate cut cock with manliness/straightness), when it’s actually the opposite. Maybe this adds to the interpretation here?
It’s actually a really interesting conversation, for all cultures in this.
(FYI, I’m not anti-uncut, like many Americans.)
Read that this vid was in direct response to genetic mutilation. The main guy did not want to undergo the ritual and therefore was considered a less masculate male. He did this in reponse to his own decree that not being cut doesnt make him gay. To me – that shouldnt render persecution.