misc
feb 21
2008

My Last Zonday Link, Promise

Okay, just one more Tay Zonday link. When my pal Steve Marsh interviewed him, he asked if Tay understood what it means to sell out. Tay opened up a can of theoretical whoop ass on him: "The subtext of that is that this somehow relates to social justice. That's what's behind that. The implication is there is a social justice politic, and somehow a piece of art undermines the social justice politic. And I don't believe an image can cause social oppression. I don't think it can be the origin of social injustice." It goes even more crazy from there.

8 comments

It's probably hard not to sound crazy when you're being interviewed by someone with a fundamentally foreign world-view. Tay is living the dream and need make no excuses or defenses to anyone. Attempting to do so only opens him to jabs. "Crazy," isn't it?

posted by Brian at 3:28 PM on February 21, 2008

Tay Zonday is "living the dream." I suppose there's that perspective, sure.

posted by Rex at 3:33 PM on February 21, 2008

yes, he sounds nuts.

he obviously thinks it's super important to come up with a long-winded and pompous response to why he shills for dr. pepper. dude, just say you need money.

and, using race to make the claim that the movies are merely a reflection of society is just plain wrong, though. and sort of insulting. (see: allll the crappy movies marketed toward blacks)

posted by ... at 4:04 PM on February 21, 2008

We actually had a long talk about Tay just yesterday and I had to convince others not to make his most recent video our 'Epic Fail' for the day. It's not that's it isn't terrible (it is) but there's something genuinely encouraging that Tay can do what he does.

posted by Gavin at 5:55 PM on February 21, 2008

Well he *is* an American Studies graduate student.

posted by Lisa at 6:56 PM on February 21, 2008

Keep checking in on Tay's progress. I'm a Tay fan of only five weeks and I keep coming back for more. He's talented, unique and unpredictable. He refuses to be typecast. Eventually we all we accept that. I've been waiting for a Tay Zonday to come on the music scene.

posted by tayfan2 at 9:08 PM on February 21, 2008

Rex - Don't give up on Tay Zonday links. You know there was a Current TV piece on him right?

posted by Andrew at 9:18 PM on February 21, 2008

Terribly late to this, but re this " images can't cause social oppression" bit. Has this dude ever seen Nazi propaganda? Or an anorexic?

posted by Nav at 3:21 PM on February 23, 2008




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