White People, Who Are Not Anti-Racists, Need to Shut Up About Racism.

 Particularly the blogger I call the Owl.

Old White Lady.

Anyway.  Instead of doing her frequent shit stirring kind of post.  Where she throws up links and or quotes, but doesn't comment.  She dove in on the non-traversey about the new Asian music category for the Grammys.   Her remarks:   

Here's how I'd frame the question: Why don't the Grammys have a category called White Pop Music?

There are 2 directions to go with that question. You could say it's white supremacy or you could say it's anti-racism. It's part of white supremacy if there's an assumption that what white people do is the main thing and what other people do is subordinate — a genre or subgenre. But to have a category labeled "white" would feel — would be —  racist. 

My remarks to that.  I object to that bizarre, binary framing.  It clearly could be argued more ways than that.  Nuanced ways.  In fairness to her,  that is not her only remarks.  Let me look at that again before I say more.  Ok.  She says a little more, and quotes form her source article.  This is the more useful quote:

 "Pop music in America is an extension of whiteness and works just like it — it has no defined borders; it expands and contracts to maintain its dominion; it tells us that nothing too ethnic can have universal appeal."

Time for terminology  boys and girls.  

Hegemony refers to the dominance of one group over another, supported by legitimating norms and ideas.

Here in the USA  in the year 2026, white people still dominate the culture.  Despite how much other ethnic groups have influenced the culture.  The market is still greatly white folk.  And the businesses tend to be run by white folk.  It's not as full a hegemony as it was 125 years ago.  But white folk is still is the main market and management.

The dominant strains of the Entertainment world do not exceed the population. Entertainment is an industry.  People are trying to make bank!

I want to segue to that racist piece of shit Rep. Brandon Gill.  Who was lionized by other GOP racists for the shit he pulled at a hearing within the past couple weeks.  Trying to tee up a white supremacy culture war gotcha.  He asked some witness from the other side whether or not Mickey Mouse is racist?

I could go long.  I have that degree in Theatre and my first career was in media/entertainment.  And I know my American history.  So If it were me in the witness seat, I could have answered:  

"Well.  The original Mickey Mouse animated short, "Steamboat Willie,"  was released in the late 1920s. An extremely racist time in America.  And to be blunt.  All of American popular entertainment, back then, was tainted by racism.  And Mr. Congressman.  I could give a one hour lecture, or more,  about all that right now.  But that would go much farther than your time."

Yes.  And as a sidebar.  Current or former litigators are or at least can be demonic on the witness stand.  We know the goal is to knock the cross examiner off their stride.  You don't have to defeat them.  It's more effective to avoid arguing with them than get combative.  Just deprive them of their flow.

Anyway, entertainment follows the culture.  However.  And I did not look at the original article yet.  But I know a little something about the music biz.  There is ample history of artists "charting" in multiple categories for the same song/record/album.  And I think some have even won Grammys like that too.  Missing from the Owl's remarks if not also the article she quotes, is the idea of being a "crossover artist."

So maybe some people who don't know shit about issues of race in society should not fucking talk about that.  Likewise, if you don't know shit how the music biz works.

Lemme do a quick search.

So the internet tells me it has happened.  At least one song won in both Pop and R&B the same year.  Shit I am overthinking it.   Bad Bunny won in two categories for the same album this past round.  The top honor for "Album of the Year," and "Best Musica Urbana."  So yeah.  Despite the history of flat out racism in entertainment.  Things are much different now than 100 or more years ago.  If someone has their mind set to be a dick about it.  And doesn't know dick about the context, and or fails to do the basic research you might think Grammy categories are exclusive.  That is simple minded thinking.

As a whole.  the system is more like a potential of Venn Diagrams.  I won't get into how to get specific nominations for specific categories.  But hey.  It's possible to crossover.  You can win in a meta category and a niche.  Go for it!