MOWO awards anyone?

[Loosehead]

The poll on the sky news web site today asks if the MOBO awards are still relevant, well this got me thinking about racism, I mean there's no MOWO awards and the Loony Lib PC brigade would be up in arms if there where so why is it ok to have a MOBO movement without a MOWO movement but not the other way round?

[kags]

I think the sort of music the awards are aimed is was originally made by black artists, hence the "black origin". It doesn't mean the music has to be performed by black artists, it's just a way of describing the type of music included. Eminem certainly has a MOBO, and I'm sure plenty of other white artists  have too. As far as I know, nobody is excluded on the basis of their colour.

[kags]

My first sentence doesn't make sense, should be "aimed at, was originally made by........"

[january_bug]

I found it hilarious when at one point there was the "Urban" Music Awards, because apparently it seemed people were scared to say black!

They have the Classical Brit awards... that's pretty much white origin music. 

Perhaps a MOWO could be started... for cheesy pop and heavy rock.  I'd be pleased to see MOWOs in some form or other. 

Most chart music seems to have black origin these days anyway... it seems ridiculous that such a big deal has to be made about it. 

The only problem is, would we then have to have MOAOs (for Asian origin) and MOMOs for Music of Mixed Origin!?

Could all get a bit silly, but no more silly than not having MOWOs.

Loosehead - yes, you read it correctly, I wholeheartedly agree with you and feel that if MOBOs are allowed, then MOWOs certainly should be.  *passes Loosehead a stiff drink, for the shock*

[Loosehead]

Well it does happen January! I remember you agreed with me once before as well, may have been your previous id though!

[WaldoMcFroog]

The point about the MOBOs is that music that originated from black culture (rap, R&B etc)  is hugely successful in the UK, yet the BRITS disproportionately awarded their acolades to artists from the pop and rock fields; these tend to be white. Therefore, the BRITS already are a defacto MOWO.

Kags is perfectly correct - MOBO nominations are not made on the basis of an artist's ethnicity.

The only valid arguement that arises from the existence of the MOBOs is whether its existence therefore allows the BRITS to continue to ignore the huge contribution of music originating from black culture (and yes, that is an extremely ungainly phrase!).

[january_bug]

Plenty of non-white acts nominated last year...

 Brits

And many awards are voted for by the public, so if there's "racism" in the results there, it's the public's own fault.   

[WaldoMcFroog]

But were the MOBOs started last year..? No.

[bazwillrun]

I agree there should be a MOWO.

MOBO is a Politically Correct motivated event, end of

[WaldoMcFroog]

Most of the categories are shortlisted and voted for by the record industry itself, not the public.

[january_bug]

You can explore the site yourself to see nominations from the previous years.  2005 was not the first year with black artists nominated. 

If the music industry doesn't recognise black artists, that's not mine, nor Loosehead's fault. 

I'm not saying that black artists don't deserve recognition, I just feel that it would be more appropriate if this were done by cleaning up/sorting out the Brits (if that needs doing, it appears that is the case) rather than by ignoring the problem at the Brits and creating a "special" new awards system.  Separating black artists and white ones will not improve understanding.  And given how much young people are influenced by music and awards, addressing the root of the problem at the Brits would seem a more sensible approach. 

[andy hughes]

Surely all  'popular' music is of black origin?

[WaldoMcFroog]

"You can explore the site yourself to see nominations from the previous years.  2005 was not the first year with black artists nominated." 

Sure; no one's saying that was the case. It is however true that the BRITS were percieved as ignoring the contribution of black music/music of black origin/ whatever other tortuous phrase one wishes to use (takes breath) to the British music industry. If you look at the ethnicity of successful British recording artists, it's perfectly clear that black artists make up a greater percentage of them  than black people do as a percentage of total population as a whole (and no, no one's suggesting awards should be quota'd according to the ethnic breakdown of the UK! This is starting to sound like stats now...) but yet did not seem to achieve the recognition of the industry body in the same measure as their counterparts selling music less directly 'of black origin'.

"If the music industry doesn't recognise black artists, that's not mine, nor Loosehead's fault." 

Did anyone say it was? ;-)

I must confess, I don't see why anyone's getting so het up about this. There was a percieved problem of inequality, problem was addressed. Sure, you can argue - as you do (and indeed I did in my first response) - that the way it was addressed was not the best way of doing it, but to try and percieve some anti-white agenda is both hillarious and daft.

[january_bug]

Who percieved an anit-white agenda?

[january_bug]

Or even an anti-white one... depending on your typing! :-p

[jimmer]

My god, and to think i used to believe in evolution. 

Perhaps, loosehead, the answer may be simply that the MOBO's are not awards for black artists. They are awards for recordings in Rap, R 'n' B, Urban, etc. I think the organisers decided early on that the RRABUM awards was not a catchy acronym. 

 

jim

[january_bug]

Jimmer - I take your point, although only indirectly a jibe at me.  I am all for equality and equal treatment, and I disagree with Loosehead on many of his views on race (or at least it's seemed that way in the past).  I see that the anacronym is important, but I strongly feel that music is a strong influence on teenagers today, and that therefore music awards should be dealt with sensitively.  Allowing the BRITs to be pretty much only won by white artists, and the MOBOs to be dominated by black artists, just leads to greater segregation and lesser understanding between cultures. 

Surely my call that the problem be solved at the roots rather than elastoplasted (new verb!) at the deep and wide cracks, is not neanderthol?  I thought it was a sensible suggetion that instead of being exclusive and excluding, music could be one of the few things that actually unites this country.  After all, there's not much that does. 

[jimmer]

Do you think that the Fif-pro awards the other night should have included a few awards for Cricket, just to balance things up a bit?



the only problem I could see with an awards show for music of white origin is that it would be wholly anachronistic.



jim

[january_bug]

Assuming you mean the Fifa-Pro awards... including cricket, would be like including classical music at the normal Brits... it's a rationally different category.  I don't see how discriminating on the ground of race can ever be logical.  My simple reason for saying that if we have MOBO, we should have MOWO, us that it's so ridiculous that if you're going to be THAT illogical, at least follow it to its logical conclusion. 

[bernardo]

As a Loony Liberal (and proud of it), I would not be "up in arms" if there were a MOWO.  You seem to be talking about it as if someone has somehow stopped or prevented a MOWO from coming into existence.  Maybe there just isn't any significant demand for one?

[cherrybomb]

Now forget about race and think about the music hmmmm!!!

I say - Keep the MOBO awards because it's the only way to ensure that I can watch the Brit's without the likes of: P.Diddy, R.Kelly, TuPac, and Snoop doggy dogg from appearing and taking over the whole event. And I would also have a poll to vote in others who deserve a MOBO like: Mariah Carey, Jamiriquai, Blazing squad (who!) and Lee Ryan (oh no!)