Opinion

Die Antwoord is Not for American Millennials

Author: Ben Goldberg

(693/600 words)

Die Antwoord (pronounced “di ˈantvʊərt”) is a South African rap-rave group consisting of core members Ninja and Yolandi Visser. Through and through, they’re one of the least conventional rap groups today in both the mainstream and underground. Ninja, whose real name is Watkin Tudor Jones, stands at six foot two, and rarely wears clothing so as to expose his plethora of tattoos. Visser, being a mere fraction of Jones’ height, has ghostly pale skin and a haircut that can best be described as some coconut-ponytail-undercut hybrid. Their striking visuals paired with their equally sui generis sound have propelled them into the mainstream, but not without controversy. The group is white and their fanbase seems to consist largely of white, left-leaning, artistic millennials. However this does not stop Die Antwoord from appropriating black culture to the point of gratuitously using of the n-word and blackface being a rare occurrence in their music videos; additionally, their lyrics that glorify prison rape and murder do not help their case. While the group claims to be socially progressive, their music should not be marketed towards an American audience, nor should it be consumed by people who claim to be “woke.”

Versace Tamagotchi

Die Antwoord first gained notoriety in 2010, after releasing an n-word laden song. To put things in perspective, 2010 also marked the start of the duo’s musical career, so their recorded use of racial slurs is as old as the group itself. Die Antwoord’s main justification for using the word is that it is acceptable for white people to do so in South Africa. “It comes across to us that some people in America are heavy sensitive about the use of certain words. But what you need to understand is we’re not from America...we’re from South Africa,” Jones stated in a video made specifically to address their use of particular obscenities. However this statement further proves that, even if this behavior is acceptable in South Africa, (which it isn’t) their music is not appropriate for American audiences.

Use of the n-word aside, Die Antwoord’s image as a whole is based off of archaic stereotypes used to depict black Africans. From their clothing choices to their music itself, almost everything they do borrows heavily from black culture. The next logical step would be to at least vocally respect the foreign culture which they benefit off of, but Die Antwoord travels in the opposite direction and revives practices rooted in hate. In their 2012 music video for the single “Fatty Boom Boom”, both members don blackface from head to toe. If not for the sake of irony, it begs the question if Die Antwoord and their fanbase truly understand the historical connotations of their actions. Aaron Easterling, an adversary of the group claimed that “white liberals do black things because it sounds cool; they’ll do it if other people like them do it. They clearly don’t care about [racist aspects of Die Antwoord’s music] because if they did, they wouldn’t listen to them.” When asked about the apartheid affecting the context, he stated,  “white people aren’t native to South Africa but bands like Die Antwoord try to portray otherwise.”

Make no mistake, Die Antwoord have plenty of admirable qualities as well. Their music truly is unique and it’s easy to appreciate the art that goes into their videos. But the progressive message that they claim to provide isn’t enough to balance out some of their beyond problematic lyrics. The ways in which they express their views are ultimately harmful to members of the communities they say they support (i.e. black people, lgbtq, rape victims). Young white Americans, who label themselves as progressive and are fans of the group, must think about their place in society as well as the historical meanings of Die Antwoord’s actions. Perhaps the group wouldn’t push the envelope as aggressively in a less politically correct environment, such as South Africa, but their music and image simply do not belong in America. “It doesn’t really make sense,” said another skeptic of Die Antwoord. “What they say they’re doing and what they actually do don’t really go together. 

Columbia High School’s Art Department

Author: Duncan Renshaw
(605/600 words)

Many students at Columbia High School are invested in art, and as a result, are invested in the status and quality of the art department at the school. Many of these students may currently have concerns about the direction of the department, as well as how it’s currently operating and are hoping for some changes. Many students believe that art classes aren’t taken as seriously as they should be. While some may think that some other areas of education should get some of the budget put into the art department.

Rachel Mondelus is a senior at Columbia High School, and has been interested in art for a long time. “One thing that I've enjoyed about the arts department in Columbia is how resourceful and open some of the art teachers have been.” Says Rachel, “For example, when I needed to borrow something simple, they would let me borrow most things.” Rachel says that these are consistent qualities she’s liked about the department for the four years she’s been at the school and she hopes they continue. However, she does have one major concern; budget. “Sometimes teachers have to spend their own money on getting something in their class, or they can't even get what they want because of how small the budget might be.”Rachel is one of many others who are concerned abouthe department’s budget.

A picture of art in the gallery from somsd.k12.nj.us

Catriona Gilio is a Junior at Columbia High School and she plans on going to college for animation. “My most major concern,” She says “is that there will be a cut to the department, and teachers will get fired and classes taken away.” This is a common worry because the school has had to make cuts in the past in other departments, so this isn’t unlikely to happen. Catriona is also hoping for more AP opportunities. “My hope is for more AP art opportunities to arise, as currently there are 2 AP art classes to my recollection, one is history, and the other is extremely selective” And much like Rachel, Catriona also worries about the budget. “I also hope that expansions in the budget will give the animation classes a chance to work with more complex and modern techniques and programs, along with the original techniques.” She says.

While many students do think arts deserve more recognition and budget, some students may think of it a little bit differently. Another junior at the high school, who prefers to remain anonymous, says “To me it seems like it may be favored more than most other class by the district and therefore receives more funding.” This student is less experienced with arts and studies more towards academics. “The arts includes many valid career paths but I wish other classes would get a little more love.” The student say he wishes to remain anonymous because he believes he may be a little “uninformed” on the subject, however this opinion does reflect others at the school.

It’s clear that many of the students attending Columbia High School, Many of which are interested in pursuing art related careers, care a lot about the operation and well being of the art department at the school, believe that it should get more funding, and think that art classes should be treated as just as important as the more academic classes available. However, there are still those who continue to believe that funding for art classes may somewhat take away from the funding for other subjects that contain just as viable career paths.