May 26, 2016 10:00 PM
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/43...ropriation
White "copycat" entertainers historically reduced employment opportunities for African-American musicians / artists and cut into sales of their works. Groups of the latter intermittently experimented with mannerisms and techniques in hopes that such might feature enough cultural confidentiality to confuse or ward off even young, non-black performing wannabes in a "garlic & crosses" fashion.
But those attempts fail, of which the contemporary bevy of whites pretentiously adopting characteristics of hip-hop on both stage and in everyday interactions (down to the very speech intonations) is an example. Now Al Sharpton and affiliates are publicly declaring it a crime for non-whites to rob / imitate black creativity (whites can appreciate / buy it, but not perform it). With Justin Timberlake as the first celebrity target.
While most probably dismiss this as just another wild stunt to add to Sharpton's collection of antics over the decades (the petition only had 52 signatures a few days ago), those disparaging evaluations fail to take into account that law practice gradually seizes upon and incubates new opportunistic territories which rear their heads at a media-worthy level.
We live in a litigarchy, in which lawsuit movements (originally motivated by profit for firms), and the ensuing prosecution phobias they engender, have become a key impetus for bringing about social engineering changes (those both justified / pioneering and insane). Also provoking mountains of expanding red tape in the micro-management responses of communities, businesses, and other organizations. In essence, the craft of lawyers circumvents the democratic vote for deciding changes and intimidates / sculpts public conscience long before the turn officially becomes the "norm", and continues to lend teeth to such items if / once they formally become universal law.
White "copycat" entertainers historically reduced employment opportunities for African-American musicians / artists and cut into sales of their works. Groups of the latter intermittently experimented with mannerisms and techniques in hopes that such might feature enough cultural confidentiality to confuse or ward off even young, non-black performing wannabes in a "garlic & crosses" fashion.
But those attempts fail, of which the contemporary bevy of whites pretentiously adopting characteristics of hip-hop on both stage and in everyday interactions (down to the very speech intonations) is an example. Now Al Sharpton and affiliates are publicly declaring it a crime for non-whites to rob / imitate black creativity (whites can appreciate / buy it, but not perform it). With Justin Timberlake as the first celebrity target.
While most probably dismiss this as just another wild stunt to add to Sharpton's collection of antics over the decades (the petition only had 52 signatures a few days ago), those disparaging evaluations fail to take into account that law practice gradually seizes upon and incubates new opportunistic territories which rear their heads at a media-worthy level.
We live in a litigarchy, in which lawsuit movements (originally motivated by profit for firms), and the ensuing prosecution phobias they engender, have become a key impetus for bringing about social engineering changes (those both justified / pioneering and insane). Also provoking mountains of expanding red tape in the micro-management responses of communities, businesses, and other organizations. In essence, the craft of lawyers circumvents the democratic vote for deciding changes and intimidates / sculpts public conscience long before the turn officially becomes the "norm", and continues to lend teeth to such items if / once they formally become universal law.
