Ciara's "Rooted" music video is BLM summed up in 4 minutes!

[bitbitboi]

1 hour ago, PuertoRicosFinest said:

Standing in southern fields with tall grass behind you in your church clothes, singing about your love of nappy hair and brown skin, with clips of dancers in wakanda t-shirts.  Now where have I seen this before?

This is Formation Lite.  Which is to say, taking everything superficial about being black, so you can fashion yourself after the lowest denominator of Maya Angelu while Democratic Party slogans flash across the screen alongside a showcase of Afro-centric hairstyles in a display of disingenuous corporate wokeness.   It’s a cheap Disney-fied marketing of BLM.  

Anyone who thinks this video or song is groundbreaking is just virtue signaling to other whites, competing for good girl points.

.....  .....

So what do you think would be a valid way of discussing (and showing) the topic? In a pop environment, that is.

[PuertoRicosFinest]

6 hours ago, bitbitboi said:

.....  .....

So what do you think would be a valid way of discussing (and showing) the topic? In a pop environment, that is.

Something that has universal appeal that isn’t just cookie cutter paint by numbers opportunism trying to ride the wave of thinly veiled racial division for political purposes.

[bitbitboi]

1 hour ago, PuertoRicosFinest said:

Something that has universal appeal that isn’t just cookie cutter paint by numbers opportunism trying to ride the wave of thinly veiled racial division for political purposes.

But the point of BLM is the opposite, to highlight BLACK culture. And every cultural act is political.

[PuertoRicosFinest]

5 hours ago, bitbitboi said:

But the point of BLM is the opposite, to highlight BLACK culture. And every cultural act is political.

Culture SHOULD elevate and lead politics.  But It’s getting to the point that politics are defining the culture instead of the culture defining the politics. That’s the downfall of any culture, because politics are corrupt and will render the culture of a people a mere tool for corrupt political agendas, rotting the culture from the inside out.  And you see it with the black community being gaslighted and divided from the rest of America while liberal policies destroy black communities in democratic run cities like Chicago and Baltimore.  

If Ciara’s song was called “UP-rooted” And talked about how democrats were hijacking black culture to break down the black family unit in America to create division and breed fear and distrust, ostracizing them from the melting pot experience, and using them as puppets to push their agenda, then I would call that revolutionary art.  But it wouldn’t be played, it would be suppressed by the liberal owned tech monopolies, and she’d be cast out as a pariah by white liberals everywhere for daring to walk off the democratic plantation and contradict the accepted narrative. 

[bitbitboi]

15 hours ago, PuertoRicosFinest said:

Culture SHOULD elevate and lead politics.  But It’s getting to the point that politics are defining the culture instead of the culture defining the politics. That’s the downfall of any culture, because politics are corrupt and will render the culture of a people a mere tool for corrupt political agendas, rotting the culture from the inside out.  And you see it with the black community being gaslighted and divided from the rest of America while liberal policies destroy black communities in democratic run cities like Chicago and Baltimore.  

If Ciara’s song was called “UP-rooted” And talked about how democrats were hijacking black culture to break down the black family unit in America to create division and breed fear and distrust, ostracizing them from the melting pot experience, and using them as puppets to push their agenda, then I would call that revolutionary art.  But it wouldn’t be played, it would be suppressed by the liberal owned tech monopolies, and she’d be cast out as a pariah by white liberals everywhere for daring to walk off the democratic plantation and contradict the accepted narrative. 

You talk about the democratic political agenda behind the latest cultural products... But what is the REPUBLICAN view on the matter then? Or what does the republican media promote in relation to this, and how is that any better?
I'm mentioning both parties because you talked about democrats, and republicans are obviously the other big piece of the cake. There's no room (none of them allow it, actually) for any dissenting views besides those two dominating ones in the US media right now (and there hasn't been for a long time), so if you're expecting Ciara to carry on her shoulders a different perspective on life and politics, then you're asking too much of her and you should demand the same for all the other artists because most of them support one or the other (they are clearly mostly democrats...which takes me back to the first question)
And what are you doing in a pop forum with such revolutionary points of view anyway, or what do you ACTUALLY enjoy from all of this?? Honest question... 

[PuertoRicosFinest]

26 minutes ago, bitbitboi said:

You talk about the democratic political agenda behind the latest cultural products... But what is the REPUBLICAN view on the matter then? Or what does the republican media promote in relation to this, and how is that any better?
I'm mentioning both parties because you talked about democrats, and republicans are obviously the other big piece of the cake. There's no room (none of them allow it, actually) for any dissenting views besides those two dominating ones in the US media right now (and there hasn't been for a long time), so if you're expecting Ciara to carry on her shoulders a different perspective on life and politics, then you're asking too much of her and you should demand the same for all the other artists because most of them support one or the other (they are clearly mostly democrats...which takes me back to the first question)
And what are you doing in a pop forum with such revolutionary points of view anyway, or what do you ACTUALLY enjoy from all of this?? Honest question... 

Pop music is for thinkers too.  I grew up listening to intellectual pop artists like Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos, Radiohead, Fiona Apple.  While also enjoying the spectacle of the spice girls, no doubt, and Britney dominating the VMA’s.  Just because you enjoy pop culture doesn’t mean you have to put your brain on a shelf.  There’s room for both the superficial and the substantive in music.  However, you now have know-nothing Superficial artists masquerading  as thoughtful cerebral revolutionaries, mimicking garbage tier liberal talking points to subvert society through their collective fan bases.

Asking Ciara to go against the corrupt Hollywood/music industry narrative written for her IS asking a lot.  I wouldn’t expect her to set the world on fire with her groundbreaking message.  But I can still comment on how basic and mediocre her music is when every democrat trained to clap at this tripe like monkeys starts absolutely gushing over it to virtue signal to each other. 
 

And what message do conservatives have for black people?  Jobs, family and self-accountability.  Bringing all races into the fold of being an American no matter your color.  Not division.  A united country of free people who can feel self-respect in making an honest living in the best country on earth.  That’s why democrats had this conservative billboard removed.

 

and thank you for engaging me in respectful discourse even if we disagree. 
 

[bitbitboi]

On 8/24/2020 at 7:54 PM, PuertoRicosFinest said:

Pop music is for thinkers too.  I grew up listening to intellectual pop artists like Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos, Radiohead, Fiona Apple.  While also enjoying the spectacle of the spice girls, no doubt, and Britney dominating the VMA’s.  Just because you enjoy pop culture doesn’t mean you have to put your brain on a shelf.  There’s room for both the superficial and the substantive in music.  However, you now have know-nothing Superficial artists masquerading  as thoughtful cerebral revolutionaries, mimicking garbage tier liberal talking points to subvert society through their collective fan bases.

Asking Ciara to go against the corrupt Hollywood/music industry narrative written for her IS asking a lot.  I wouldn’t expect her to set the world on fire with her groundbreaking message.  But I can still comment on how basic and mediocre her music is when every democrat trained to clap at this tripe like monkeys starts absolutely gushing over it to virtue signal to each other. 
 

And what message do conservatives have for black people?  Jobs, family and self-accountability.  Bringing all races into the fold of being an American no matter your color.  Not division.  A united country of free people who can feel self-respect in making an honest living in the best country on earth.  That’s why democrats had this conservative billboard removed.

 

and thank you for engaging me in respectful discourse even if we disagree. 
 

I enjoyed this conversation so much, thanks for answering my honest questions.

BUT some comments in your last post made me distance myself a bit from this discussion because I think it got to a point which is much more complex than the original topic. I'm talking about the US being "the best country on earth" (it isn't; and if it is, it's because it dominates and bullies and takes from other nations... The "American life" as you know it is not real, it's a construct, and you can barely keep up with it at the expense of the rest of the world) and "jobs, family and self-accountability" (it sounds great on paper but this gives me "Kylie Jenner is a self-made billionaire" teas, or that "work hard and you'll get there" mantra, when in reality there IS social and economic inequality, and that impacts each person's life and decisions).

And this brings me back to my original post, or why I said that I liked Ciara's video: she's basically saying that black people are special, worth it. We all are. BUT right now black people do not have the same opportunities as white people. That's why the slogan is "BLACK lives matter", and not "ALL lives matter". The fact that all lives matter is obvious, but not a reality in everyday life in every country, especially in the US. That's the main point. Now how she portrays that, that's a detail to me. At least she's not lying saying black people are kings and queens (plus the misconception that being one is a good thing).

I'm not here to defend anyone, I can barely defend myself and my decisions sometimes, I'm just trying to be empathetic and help whoever needs and actually wants to be helped.

[Deyonce]

On 8/16/2020 at 1:42 PM, bitbitboi said:

This is why I love Ciara, she's so powerful and GENUINE! Unlike Beyoncé, who whatever she does is staged from beginning to end... (That has always exhausted me about her). So it's refreshing to see another talented artist who can tackle important subjects without being pretentious or be constantly working for her own brand.

This, on the other hand, gets the message across without making it feel like it's all about her... And all in 4 minutes, honestly. AND it looks beautiful and full of energy, just like Ciara.

I'm white as paper, so it's weird that I'm so attracted to this, but I feel like I can understand the sentiment.

The song is great, I love that bass and her vocals!

LYRICS:

  Reveal hidden contents

[Intro: Ester Dean]
Better than rooted now
Mi seeds we did now
Mi rooted in the melanin

[Chorus: Ciara]
Young girl stay rooted
I done plant my seeds now I'm rooted
Brown skin poppin', I'm rooted
ATL bred, I'm rooted
Rooted, nappy head rooted

[Verse 1: Ciara]
All my songs come with melanin
Got the heart, got the soul like Harriet
A queen since she born, that was evident
That's evidence, of black excellence
I can tell a good dog when I'm pettin' 'em
Know that if I have his tribe, he protectin' 'em
Mother of a child and God I invest in 'em
Nutritionin', brown milkin' em (Brown milkin' 'em)

[Pre-Chorus: Ciara]
Young Rosa, young Luther keep marchin' (Yeah, yeah)
Flood gates comin' open don't stop 'em
I know that life it ain't easy (Oh-oh, oh)
Your life it matters, believe me (Oh-oh, oh)
Rule out the fakes and the frauds
They hide it behind a facade

[Chorus: Ciara]
Young girl stay rooted
I done plant my seeds now I'm rooted
Brown skin poppin', I'm rooted
Can't pull the hood out me, I'm rooted
Rooted, nappy head rooted
I done plant my seeds now I'm rooted
Brown skin poppin', I'm rooted
ATL bred, I'm rooted
Rooted, nappy head rooted

[Verse 2: Ciara]
All my rules stay embedded in
Hard work, let 'em know, ain't no trainin' in
Poppin' off the charts, that's a better win
Then poppin' off in the streets, ain't no checkin' it
I can tell a good dog when I'm pettin' 'em
Know that if I have his tribe, he protectin' 'em
Mother of a child and God I invest in 'em
Nutritionin', brown milkin' em (Brown milkin' 'em)

[Pre-Chorus: Ciara]
Young Rosa, young Luther keep marchin' (Yeah, yeah)
Flood gates comin' open but no it don't stop 'em
I know that life it ain't easy (Oh-oh, oh)
Your life it matters, believe me (Oh-oh, oh)
Rule out the fakes and the frauds
They hide it behind a facade

[Chorus: Ciara & Ester Dean]
Young girl stay rooted
I done plant my seeds now I'm rooted
Brown skin poppin', I'm rooted
Can't pull the hood out me, I'm rooted
Rooted, nappy head rooted
I done plant my seeds now I'm rooted
Brown skin poppin', I'm rooted
ATL bred, I'm rooted
Rooted, nappy head rooted

[Bridge: Ciara & Ester Dean]
Watch out boy
You think you can pull up out of my stems
Nah, mi rooted in the soil
Mi rooted in the melanin

[Chorus: Ciara & Ester Dean]
Young girl stay rooted
I done plant my seeds now I'm rooted
Brown skin poppin', I'm rooted
Can't pull the hood out me, I'm rooted
Rooted, nappy head rooted
I done plant my seeds now I'm rooted
Brown skin poppin', I'm rooted
ATL bred, I'm rooted
Rooted, nappy head rooted

SOURCE

 

Enjoy!

I think it's highly disrespectful for you as a white person to judge who in my community who is "genuine" and who is "pretentious" when you have no actual stake in the issues you attempted to praise Ciara for tackling. If you truly cared about BLM you wouldn't be trying to put two successful black women, who are both attempting to make change, against each other. Your post is disrespectful not only to Beyoncé but to the Movement for Black Lives as you have co opted our rhetoric and used it to attempt to bring down a black woman.

[bitbitboi]

15 minutes ago, Deyonce said:

I think it's highly disrespectful for you as a white person to judge who in my community who is "genuine" and who is "pretentious" when you have no actual stake in the issues you attempted to praise Ciara for tackling. If you truly cared about BLM you wouldn't be trying to put two successful black women, who are both attempting to make change, against each other. Your post is disrespectful not only to Beyoncé but to the Movement for Black Lives as you have co opted our rhetoric and used it to attempt to bring down a black woman.

That's bullsh it. My comments against Beyoncé have nothing to do with her being black. And if you have something positive to say about Beyoncé, then say it. Ultimately, each person decides. But I do have a voice and I'll use it.

[Ehju0901]

After following Ciara’s career from the beginning, I do think she has always used her music to discuss things going on in her personal life.  (Releasing “I Bet” after splitting from Future is an example of this).

Ultimately, with her releasing songs like “Melanin” and “Rooted” I think it is just one of the ways she is trying to give back to her community.  She has ALWAYS referenced ATL in her music and it’s no secret she loves to give back.  I think this is her genuine attempt to release music that if a black male or female listens to it, that they feel beautiful and and not less than.  And in classic Ciara fashion, I’m sure she wants them to DANCE as that has always been important to her.

[Deyonce]

11 hours ago, bitbitboi said:

That's bullsh it. My comments against Beyoncé have nothing to do with her being black. And if you have something positive to say about Beyoncé, then say it. Ultimately, each person decides. But I do have a voice and I'll use it.

You didn't read what I said and you're clearly letting your white fragility get in the way of actually learning what I said. And if you're supposed to be an ally to black people your first response to criticism from a black person on something to do with the topic of race isn't calling it bs; it's getting clarification.

[bitbitboi]

3 hours ago, Deyonce said:

You didn't read what I said and you're clearly letting your white fragility get in the way of actually learning what I said. And if you're supposed to be an ally to black people your first response to criticism from a black person on something to do with the topic of race isn't calling it bs; it's getting clarification.

No, don't try to act superior or entitled just because you're black and this is a black-related issue. You're still target of (constructive) criticism as a human being. And don't assume anything about me. And stop being passive-aggressive with that "white fragility" (again) bullsh it. If YOU had read everything I had to say in this thread, you could clearly see that I can hold a conversation with someone even if we don't agree on everything. And I'm obviously open to learning, otherwise I wouldn't be watching and promoting things like this. I never claimed to be perfect either. But it's people like you, talking to others all entitled and sh it what does not allow for a mature conversation. And you still haven't talked about why Beyoncé's vision is so good, so I can actually learn something about her and the movement, and not about your personal opinions on me as an individual, which are out of place and you do not know a thing about except that I'm white (because I said it), and as if that defined me almost entirely. My gawd go find someone else to fight.

[bitbitboi]

6 hours ago, Ehju0901 said:

After following Ciara’s career from the beginning, I do think she has always used her music to discuss things going on in her personal life.  (Releasing “I Bet” after splitting from Future is an example of this).

Ultimately, with her releasing songs like “Melanin” and “Rooted” I think it is just one of the ways she is trying to give back to her community.  She has ALWAYS referenced ATL in her music and it’s no secret she loves to give back.  I think this is her genuine attempt to release music that if a black male or female listens to it, that they feel beautiful and and not less than.  And in classic Ciara fashion, I’m sure she wants them to DANCE as that has always been important to her.

wow what a great way to sum it all up! And you're definitely a Ciara fan because that's exactly her vibe in everything she does <3 The ever-present dance element is my favorite!! And that shines in the "Rooted" video 
Bu what's "ATL"? I feel like it must something obvious but I can't figure it out...

PS: Now that you mentioned it, I have to share this, it's a masterpiece:

 

[Ehju0901]

18 minutes ago, bitbitboi said:

wow what a great way to sum it all up! And you're definitely a Ciara fan because that's exactly her vibe in everything she does <3 The ever-present dance element is my favorite!! And that shines in the "Rooted" video 
Bu what's "ATL"? I feel like it must something obvious but I can't figure it out...

PS: Now that you mentioned it, I have to share this, it's a masterpiece:

 

ATL is Atlanta.  She references it in so many of her songs and videos.  “Dose (Pep Rally Video),” “Ride” lyrics, “Gimme Dat” lyrics, etc.

[Jamie Lynn Forever]

This feels like propaganda to me, politics are tiring, i wish popstars and mainstream singers would stop incorporating politics into their music videos, we're already being bombarded by a wave of anxiety-provoking informations everywhere we look, whether it's on social medias or on TV, music should be an escape, a way to distract us from all that psychological chaos.  

[Deyonce]

7 hours ago, bitbitboi said:

No, don't try to act superior or entitled just because you're black and this is a black-related issue. You're still target of (constructive) criticism as a human being. And don't assume anything about me. And stop being passive-aggressive with that "white fragility" (again) bullsh it. If YOU had read everything I had to say in this thread, you could clearly see that I can hold a conversation with someone even if we don't agree on everything. And I'm obviously open to learning, otherwise I wouldn't be watching and promoting things like this. I never claimed to be perfect either. But it's people like you, talking to others all entitled and sh it what does not allow for a mature conversation. And you still haven't talked about why Beyoncé's vision is so good, so I can actually learn something about her and the movement, and not about your personal opinions on me as an individual, which are out of place and you do not know a thing about except that I'm white (because I said it), and as if that defined me almost entirely. My gawd go find someone else to fight.

white fragility

noun

discomfort and defensiveness on the part of a white person when confronted by information about racial inequality and injustice.

I never said Beyoncé's vision is perfect or the best. I'm saying that Beyoncé and Ciara both have visions that uplift black people and bring awareness to black issues. Also, I'm saying that dragging one vision in attempt to uplift another is divisive and counterproductive. Also, you saying that Beyoncé's vision is disingenuous is disrespectful because you are essentially saying that a black woman has to be pro black in a certain way for them to be believed which is highly problematic considering you aren't a black woman. 

[bitbitboi]

8 minutes ago, Deyonce said:

white fragility

noun

discomfort and defensiveness on the part of a white person when confronted by information about racial inequality and injustice.

I never said Beyoncé's vision is perfect or the best. I'm saying that Beyoncé and Ciara both have visions that uplift black people and bring awareness to black issues. Also, I'm saying that dragging one vision in attempt to uplift another is divisive and counterproductive. Also, you saying that Beyoncé's vision is disingenuous is disrespectful because you are essentially saying that a black woman has to be pro black in a certain way for them to be believed which is highly problematic considering you aren't a black woman. 

I'm the one who brought the subject of racial inequality and injustice in this thread by sharing this video so no.

I asked you to give your opinion on why Beyoncé's vision is "good", not perfect, and I still haven't heard it.

If you had read my post with attention, you would have realised that I'm dragging Beyoncé's vision because everyone in the US is fascinated by her while there's this other artist who's bringing a valuable and REAL point of view on the subject but doesn't get attention from people (and that's why I shared it)

And there IS a problem with Beyoncé's vision because, like I already said, in order to get the BLM point across, she's creating and promoting this delusional idea that black people come from kings and queens. Something was bothering me about this but I wasn't sure what it was until I read a text from A BLACK WOMAN pointing why that's problematic. And that actually happens to be Beyoncé's BRAND as an artist! She sees herself as this untouchable queen, and it's constantly giving out messages of unrealistic and unachievable perfection, and that's what I don't like about her because it's unhealthy. Even to the BLM movement. And that's why I dragged her. For the second and last time, it has nothing to do with her being black. But I guess you come from the Twitter universe or something where you're programmed to jump on people on the tiniest occasion by fast reading and scanning words like "white". Chill.

[bitbitboi]

4 hours ago, NotLouTaylor said:

This feels like propaganda to me, politics are tiring, i wish popstars and mainstream singers would stop incorporating politics into their music videos, we're already being bombarded by a wave of anxiety-provoking informations everywhere we look, whether it's on social medias or on TV, music should be an escape, a way to distract us from all that psychological chaos.  

Yeah I agree with that... But like Ehju0901 said, this is so Ciara, so refreshing, full of energy... I enjoyed it so much.

[Deyonce]

12 minutes ago, bitbitboi said:

I'm the one who brought the subject of racial inequality and injustice in this thread by sharing this video so no.

I asked you to give your opinion on why Beyoncé's vision is "good", not perfect, and I still haven't heard it.

If you had read my post with attention, you would have realised that I'm dragging Beyoncé's vision because everyone in the US is fascinated by her while there's this other artist who's bringing a valuable and REAL point of view on the subject but doesn't get attention from people (and that's why I shared it)

And there IS a problem with Beyoncé's vision because, like I already said, in order to get the BLM point across, she's creating and promoting this delusional idea that black people come from kings and queens. Something was bothering me about this but I wasn't sure what it was until I read a text from A BLACK WOMAN pointing why that's problematic. And that actually happens to be Beyoncé's BRAND as an artist! She sees herself as this untouchable queen, and it's constantly giving out messages of unrealistic and unachievable perfection, and that's what I don't like about her because it's unhealthy. Even to the BLM movement. And that's why I dragged her. For the second and last time, it has nothing to do with her being black. But I guess you come from the Twitter universe or something where you're programmed to jump on people on the tiniest occasion by fast reading and scanning words like "white". Chill.

Beyoncé's message is "good" because it promotes black excellence and is a counter narrative to the consistent portrayals of black people as slaves and criminals. But I'd like to ask you why is it my responsibility to explain to you why her message is "good" when it isn't specifically nor will you be able to ever fully understand it. And Beyoncé promoted Black Lives Matter without the use of royalty imagery with Lemonade. She chose to use that imagery with BLACK IS KING though and there's nothing wrong with that because there SHOULD be multiple narratives on black excellence and the royalty perspective is just as valid as any other. There isn't one way to empower black people. And (some) black people do come from kings and queens so it isn't "delusional". Because of slavery I will never know if my ancestors were princes or paupers but I'm not delusional for imagining they were the former. The issue isn't black people saying they're descendants of royalty but the fact that we've been robbed of the opportunity to know either way. Also, in BLACK IS KING it is explicitly stated that being a "King" is a mentality that comes from taking care of the people you love and yourself rather than an inherited status.And why is it an issue for Beyoncé to brand herself as perfect when that has been a standard of all pop divas until this decade. And contrary to popular belief Beyoncé has only tried to tell people that she ISN'T perfect (that was one of the primary themes of her self titled album). Anyone who's actually MET Beyoncé has said she's extremely humble. The general public just has a habit confuse a star's persona with their personality. "Perfection is the disease of a nation"- Beyoncé. And also, who are YOU to say what is and what isn't good for the Black Lives Matter Movement? And I don't use Twitter; I use encyclopedias, research, and my own black experience to form my views. And the sheer fact that you branded my calm criticism of your statements as me jumping on someone is an example of white fragility itself. I have only explained why your view point is wrong and partially offensive. You have responded to me with profanity and accused me of acting "superior" because I'm black (essentially accusing me of reverse racism which isn't a thing). So tell me know, who really jumped on who?

[Deyonce]

5 hours ago, NotLouTaylor said:

This feels like propaganda to me, politics are tiring, i wish popstars and mainstream singers would stop incorporating politics into their music videos, we're already being bombarded by a wave of anxiety-provoking informations everywhere we look, whether it's on social medias or on TV, music should be an escape, a way to distract us from all that psychological chaos.  

Art is supposed to reflect the times. If you want to have an "escape" you still have that option through other songs and Artists. But don't you think it's slightly problematic for you to want artists (in this case black artists) to stay silent on issues that effect them and their people?