Wednesday, October 3, KZ3
Daily Ncbrcskcn
Peg o 13
Cards and Letters
Rock 'n' roll or racism?
Redb: your thres-psrt series on MTV, a close
and Intellectual scrutiny cant help but to reveal the
pervasive presence of an evil that lies at the core of
MTV end rock radio, end threatens to strike at the
very heart end soul of rockrV roll racism. There is
little doubt that, 111:3 her next-of-kin album-oriented,
or more appropriately, apartheid-oriented" radio,
MTV is nothing mora than the music industry advo
cate of cultural white supremacy and racial separa
tion. MTVs racist bent first was widely publicized when
singer Eick James video was refused air-time by the
station's program directors. James protestations
made news (including NEC nightly news) when he
brought up the race issue. MTV denied that James'
race was a factor in refusal of the video, and simply
stated that, its format was limited to "rock and roll,"
and James' music was not included in its definition
of rock music. However, it hardly was ironic that no
other black performers' videos had been accepted,
either.
A "breakthrough" of sorts occurred when Walter
Yetnikoff, president of CBS Records, threatened to
pull MTVs video clips of Eddie Money, Pink Floyd,
and Journey if MTV maintained its refusal to play
Michael Jackson's videos. The little headway made
by this, however, was evidenced in the July Billboard
review of the MTV Adds and Rotation: Number of
black artists with new videos added: zero; black
artists in Heavy Rotation: two; Medium Rotation:
one; Lfeht Rotation: one (that old category-stomper,
Donna Summer); number of black performers with
MTV concerts or specials in the history of the sta
tion: zero.
Further evidence of antipathy toward blacks was
seen at a recent anniversary party for Musician
magazine in New York, attended by MTV. The Police,
whose tour was being sponsored by MTV, were to
attend and party-goers were treated to a perfor
mance by bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma and his
band, Cosmetic. The MTV camera crew spent its
time shuttling members of the B-52's, the Psyche
delic Furs, Musician, and other white celebrities
before its cameras. Despite the fact that Tacuma's
group was appearing at the request of Police guita
rist' Andy Summers; MTY spsci-saTy refuasd an
interview with Tacuma, who is black. It would be
very interesting to hear whether there is any justifi
cation other than race for that situation. .
The issue of race has been raised by some promi
nent people in music itsell During a January inter
view David Bowie tongue-tied VJ Mark Goodman
when he asked him on the air why they cMnt play
more black music Abo, in the September issue of
Record, the director of a Michael Jackson video
labelled the MTV people as outright "racist bastards."
Throughout this period, MTV maintained and
continues to that its decisions are based solely on
one criteria: is it rock and roll? They noted that
when blacks make videos with heavy rock and roll
guitar, such o Jackr sn's Test It," they get played on
MTV. But where h the "heavy guitar" in the muds of.
Duran Dursn, Bevy's Midnight Runners or Thomas
Dolby?
iF "
Fly From OrnsJia? -
L - Jj- 11
v j r " 2 """"v ""
L U
. r 1 r- r-P.
)
24 hours : : '
)
ADsy
473-CS73 Li.-.cc!nv
x " ' "
4
7
S
1
3
7
3 t,n. ...
:C3
3 p.m.
15 p.m.
15 p.rs,
C3 p.ia.
vr.zi r.
C'S
4:45
7:15
5:i3
2:C5
S:3
crir rT t"t ,
t.Jf 3J
5:59 5:55
S:D 10:30 11:45
11:C3 12:25 1:25
3:15 4:C3 5:23
4:53 6:C3 7:15
:.:: 8:45 10:C0
10:15 15:13 11:45
-h are KCN-Crrsiivt on
' v fjrt. 15. JS..:-
.ft. 11 i ESTHER DlKSCTICH
. f ft
7:C3
12:C3
1:45
5:45
7:13
10:15
12:C3
c: : j t..LY ACcarraD
Long day . . V
At the end, there b a
twiit Harold thinks he
hf i d!?covrrfd r.ho is
after him and why, and
he believes he has solved
the problem. Even
though the deal of hb life
has fallen through be
cause of what an Ameri
can calls a "mess Harold
feels proud and confi
dent, in the Dunkirk
tradition, when, he's
pushed into a car and
onto the roulette wheel
once more. He seems
almost to smile. -
Eat, DAls i
e Scairy!
ncubcns Halloween Celebration
Join us for a ho-ow-ling cood tirns Saturday,
October 29! Halloween festivities include:
U Anyone in costume Qtts their first drink free.
t Entertainment by Tony Brehm both Fri.
i Sat. ni-.hts
C) FCEE drawing, with prizes from Electronics Center
r Best of all, receive a Reuben's gift certificate if you
have the best costume!
For thrills, chi'.!s, znd who-oo knows what else!
1 J
H7
E X P E R I. E r N C E
C ' - - v . t ir TvW -A
I 4't '
November 4 Friday 8 p.m. & November 6, Sunday 2 p.m. In English at AkSarBen
20 Student Discount FORAN EXPERIENCE YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!
a
Individual tickets for the following events
on sale only to UNL Students beginning
October 17. On sale to others beginning October 24.
Mm Eorly 'tfuclc Group
With tha support of the
Nebraska Arts Council "
Four instrumentalists, a soprano and tenor
will give audience members a taste of music from
the Italian Renaissance and the Early Baroque
with lutes, guitars, flutss, and viols.
Ruth K. Ssacrest Memorial Concert
icia cD'Lcrrocno,. picno
With the support of the Nebraska Arts Council :
The quesn of pianists, daLarrochaisv - .' :
especially accslimsd for her performance "
of music by Spanish composers. Hr program
will include the music of Ossthoven
and Granados, one cf Spain's great composers.
4 m m -f
, w4 ; ...... ' ' '
A f:;d-Arr;oric3 Arts K'.lznoa Prosrem
A cress t:.:zn tha Jeffrey and Fe!d Cz"zl ,
companies. 3 compeny has a uniquely refined
' styta cf its own. Led by Csrman chorecgrsprir
Heinz Pc',1
r,'.::f, t:;v 11 cl Crn , .
f:;rJr', Lei 12 tt
C :-.'7,:::t3f.t:;ni
(C"-rrn v.;;i ts r J-.:r.;d ta tht Cuniry'
pe-rforfr.cr.C3 o U.-X Lt-:r,t d:eeour.:;J price)
-i"...
: ; - ;
-; - -
S "ry " '
i A ' w f .
V i. r .-. I I
r '
.... .;'.'.. II
CLAUD.D r'GrrrEvEnDis
Thursday, October 27 at 8 pm
SGturttey, October 29 st 8 pm ' . .
C'jnday, October 2D 2t 3 pm
Roman Ernpsrior Nero's lova for the
beautiful yet trceehcrous Poppca erupts .
in web of jealousy and intrigue.
f !er.inecnt bercq3 cpera-
rrfipif n
U a U h k ....
p TA.fj f inn
iti f
r f " i if '
x 1--.;'-
... 11 1. i -.