Comments on: HBO’s cliched attempt at making pimping cool http://femsacrossthepond.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/pimping-ray/ Five women, two in the US and three in the UK, blogging from a feminist perspective. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:50:12 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: jke4 http://femsacrossthepond.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/pimping-ray/#comment-202 jke4 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:57:38 +0000 http://femsacrossthepond.wordpress.com/?p=940#comment-202 Good point, 4everuppity. I guess as a trend it sort of falls under the umbrella 'Discrepancy TV', since in every instance we're supposed to be bowled over by the difference between our expectations and the characters presented to us. (Come to think of it, the whole SuBo insanity fell under that umbrella too: 'Someone who doesn't look like Mariah Carey can still sing!! Who knew?') And as you point out, the idea of pimping is supposed to be oh-so-amusing, and to have nothing to do with the reality of things like trafficking. Lately I've been feeling like things I'm NOT supposed to be offended by is getting longer by the day--Bruno, anyone?--and more than rivals any supposed PC list that ever existed. Maybe we need a phrase for this particular cultural straightjacket--the one that says that if you have to abandon your principles anytime someone tries to make you laugh, and if you don't, you're some kind of humorless loser. Compulsory hipness? Amusement enforcement? Good point, 4everuppity. I guess as a trend it sort of falls under the umbrella ‘Discrepancy TV’, since in every instance we’re supposed to be bowled over by the difference between our expectations and the characters presented to us. (Come to think of it, the whole SuBo insanity fell under that umbrella too: ‘Someone who doesn’t look like Mariah Carey can still sing!! Who knew?’) And as you point out, the idea of pimping is supposed to be oh-so-amusing, and to have nothing to do with the reality of things like trafficking.

Lately I’ve been feeling like things I’m NOT supposed to be offended by is getting longer by the day–Bruno, anyone?–and more than rivals any supposed PC list that ever existed. Maybe we need a phrase for this particular cultural straightjacket–the one that says that if you have to abandon your principles anytime someone tries to make you laugh, and if you don’t, you’re some kind of humorless loser. Compulsory hipness? Amusement enforcement?

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