Yo, President
February 19, 2009 9:15 PM   Subscribe

 
Parts of this sounded like an Onion clip. The fighting in the classroom didn't exactly bolster the cause.
posted by desjardins at 9:23 PM on February 19, 2009


Wow.

I feel ashamed that I bought into this for a moment, and only started having doubts once the "rapper" said, "It's tough out here, nothing rhymes with president," and when the student used the word "wack" like she was trying to do the best with a sub-par script. As soon as the all-too fortuitous fight broke out mid-interview in the classroom, I got it, but I'm still ashamed at my own gullibility for a while there.

What sucks is that, if this were for real, instead of a weird faux-NY1 clip, it would be kind of a cool side-effect of Obama's election. As it is, this just seems kind of offensive, like a white guy (and to be fair, I don't know who wrote or produced this skit, so I may be wrong) trying to be cute and clever by equating "President" with "nigger" and thinking that it somehow doesn't disparage Obama and in fact all blacks based on nothing but race.

But maybe I'm missing something.
posted by Navelgazer at 9:23 PM on February 19, 2009


See also: President Please.
posted by alms at 9:31 PM on February 19, 2009


Navelgazer, don't be such a President about the whole thing.
posted by Roman Graves at 9:31 PM on February 19, 2009


Navelgazer: funny, I had a similar reaction - including think it would be cool if it were true and only really catching on when the rapper said "nothing rhymes" - except that I didn't find it offensive. Actually, the punchline ("you should never say that word") had me laughing like an idiot. Embrace your gullibility...
posted by pascal at 9:31 PM on February 19, 2009


They had me there for a bit until I remembered there isn't any such thing as Channel 1 in the US.

This is lame.
posted by dunkadunc at 9:31 PM on February 19, 2009


Dudes got it hard, man. Nothing rhymes with president.
posted by lizbunny at 9:32 PM on February 19, 2009


Presidents With Attitudes...fail. A proper replacement is a good idea though, just to start.
posted by Flex1970 at 9:33 PM on February 19, 2009


dunkadunk - NY1 is a real local news station with that logo (or remarkably similar) in New York, which is where my gullibility came from. I'm not easily offended by any means, so it's hard to pinpoint why this grated on me, but I guess I just couldn't see what the joke was beyond "the president is black! Isn't that funny!?"

Incidentally, I hung out with a native Kenyan during the midst of the campaign, who told me that in Kenya they'd started referring to senators as Obamas. I thought that was pretty cool.

Take this all with a grain of salt - I'm white, don't have a dog in this fight, and am a little buzzed right now. I might just be missing some humor here.
posted by Navelgazer at 9:38 PM on February 19, 2009


NY 1 is a real station.
They copied the logo and interview style.

I was half believing it too, until the rapper.
posted by bhnyc at 9:42 PM on February 19, 2009 [1 favorite]


Zonks!
posted by nola at 9:42 PM on February 19, 2009


Now what will all the trolls on youtube call each other in the comments to videos?!

Oh wait, I see "nigger" in the comments to that video already. Carry on.
posted by Chan at 9:43 PM on February 19, 2009


fair enough. It's hard to put my finger on it, but somehow this video reminds me of all the "will we have to paint the White House black?" jokes that were going around before the election. I feel better if George Clinton says it, from other people it comes across as kind of weak.
posted by dunkadunc at 9:43 PM on February 19, 2009 [1 favorite]


Very impressed with the video - what good news for all people - we all need to respect one another.

Though I have noticed that in the majority-black neighborhood of Nashville where I live the local kids no longer refer to me as as a honkey, but as a Biden.

I'm not sure that's an improvement.
posted by jettloe at 9:52 PM on February 19, 2009 [4 favorites]


Honestly, though, the ease of rhyming things with the N word is a crutch to lots of lazy or sub-par rappers.
posted by paisley henosis at 9:59 PM on February 19, 2009


Also, this SLYT gets a E for Effort, and a T for Nice Try.
posted by paisley henosis at 9:59 PM on February 19, 2009 [3 favorites]


Resident.

Resident rhymes with president.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:02 PM on February 19, 2009 [1 favorite]


Navelgazer, don't be such a President about the whole thing.

I believe the correct terminology would be, "Navelgazer, don't be such a Hillary about this whole thing".
posted by smartyboots at 10:05 PM on February 19, 2009


But that's the only word it rhymes with- whereas the n-word rhymes with bigger, digger, rigor, vigor, and trigger.
posted by dunkadunc at 10:05 PM on February 19, 2009


OK, let's see you MeFiers come through in this thread: can we get a list of songs (rap or otherwise), with lyric quotes, that have instances of rhyming "nigger"? I'll start:

Bob Dylan's "Hurricane"

"...and to the black folks he was just a crazy nigger,
no one doubted that he pulled the trigger"
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:07 PM on February 19, 2009


Nationalization?

Also, pheasant rimes with president. Kinda
posted by delmoi at 10:07 PM on February 19, 2009


Saul Williams' "Tr(N)igger"

"...You know there's only one solution. So tell me what you're gonna do son?

The trigger is you! The nigger is you!
The trigger is you! The nigger is you!
So what you gonna do?"
posted by dunkadunc at 10:10 PM on February 19, 2009


Oh come on, you just have to rhyme the ent. Pay the rent, pepsodent, Clark Kent, pitch a tent, Harvey Dent, fish for lent, and so on.
posted by fleetmouse at 10:10 PM on February 19, 2009 [16 favorites]


Fleetmouse, I think you're on to something.
posted by alms at 10:13 PM on February 19, 2009


Resident rhymes with president.

Precedent?
posted by erikgrande at 10:13 PM on February 19, 2009 [1 favorite]


*sigh*
posted by Ron Thanagar at 10:13 PM on February 19, 2009


Resident rhymes with president.

Chuck D rhymed "Presidents" and "with some sense". There's no shortage of rhymes for "President". Dollars and cents? Imminence? Eloquence? Ignorance? Peps-o-dent?
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 10:14 PM on February 19, 2009 [1 favorite]


(this is a good moment for one of MeFi's poets laureate like Astro Zombie or robocop is bleeding to rhyme some fukking shit all up with that list, unowumseyn)
posted by fleetmouse at 10:15 PM on February 19, 2009 [1 favorite]


Pay the rent, pepsodent, Clark Kent, pitch a tent, Harvey Dent,

I really want to hear those in a rap song now.
posted by afu at 10:16 PM on February 19, 2009 [3 favorites]


Why are you so hesitant?
posted by YoBananaBoy at 10:25 PM on February 19, 2009 [2 favorites]


Now Mos Def will have to re-release his song as "Mr. President."
posted by alligatorman at 10:27 PM on February 19, 2009


Represent, yo!
posted by shoebox at 10:36 PM on February 19, 2009


I really want to hear those in a rap song now.

Obama is the president
Clark Kent pitched a tent
while Harvey Dent
paid the rent
and took some pepsodent.

I was walking down the street and someone said "Yo man, you a digger?"
I said "Eh, I dunno, I figger?"
Then I realized he's a chigger,
So I got bigger, pulled the trigger and killed that f'n tigger!

Woohoo, I'm a sub-par rapper now! That's going on my resume. I apologize for the loss of brain cells to anyone who took the time to read that.
posted by robtf3 at 10:39 PM on February 19, 2009 [1 favorite]


The hesitant President/
searched for some precedent/
people couldn't pay the rent/
couldn't even pay for their Pepsodent, but/

He believes in Harvey Dent/
he believes in dollars and sense/
everyone believes in his eloquence, and/
he believes in his own imminence, but/

the cars are running fumes all think and dense/
banking industry trying to recompense, and/
networks only promulgating ignorance, and/
pharmaceuticals only to pitch a tent/

It's hard out here to be a new president/
when you've got to be Super 'stead of just Clark Kent.

note: all of this fits in a meter if you imagine the Flobots singing it
posted by Navelgazer at 10:45 PM on February 19, 2009 [5 favorites]




I be that insane President from the psycho ward
I'm on the trigger, plus I got the Wu-Tang sword... nah

I ain't sayin' she's a gold digger
But she ain't messin' with no broke President... no, still no good

Straight outta Compton
Crazy motherfucker named Ice Cube
From the gang called Presidents With Attitudes... eh, maybe, but moving on:

Dumb ass hooker ain't nothin' but a dyke
Suddenly I see some Presidents that I don't like... no, not really.

West side when we ride come equipped with game
You claim to be a playa, but I fucked your wife
We bust on Bad Boy Presidents fucked for life...

I think the man has a point.
posted by DecemberBoy at 11:22 PM on February 19, 2009


This is how satire should be done. For those having trouble finding rhymes, here's your link.
posted by spiderskull at 11:40 PM on February 19, 2009


This really would have been perfect if the cut the clip at the end of the older man interview with "Where did you first hear this? ...From one of these presidents out here"

The second half was too fake, but man that first minute is pure gold, especially with that deadpan response.
posted by mathowie at 11:47 PM on February 19, 2009


I care nothing bout you, and that's evident
All I love's my dope and dead presidents


mintodent? (is that even a real thing)
posted by jcruelty at 11:50 PM on February 19, 2009


It should be noted that "presardly" and "president" are not etymologically related.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:27 AM on February 20, 2009 [15 favorites]


President(s)…
…resident, residents, residence
…evident, evidence
…overspent
…"get bent"
…"need to vent"
…"New York rent"
…Junior Mint
…Fidty Cent
…"make no sense"
…"kinda tense"
…"pounds and pence"
…"Gals and Gents"
…etc.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:41 AM on February 20, 2009


Warriorz! Come out and play President!
I'm callin' ya!
What you say President?
All of ya!
Lead the way President!
I'm warning ya!
Fuck it, todays the day President!
posted by snuffleupagus at 1:32 AM on February 20, 2009


Wet cement
heater vent
observing Lent

posted by zippy at 2:06 AM on February 20, 2009


That video had me totally McCained until about half-way through.
posted by jadayne at 2:19 AM on February 20, 2009


This thread makes me want to listen to Paragraph President.
posted by clockzero at 3:07 AM on February 20, 2009


This is going to be a tough adjustment for 4chan.
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 3:29 AM on February 20, 2009 [2 favorites]


Punic Wars FTW.
posted by exogenous at 5:38 AM on February 20, 2009


My imagination immediately produced Samuel L. Jackson saying, "You know man, I hate be the kind of President that does a President a favor and then bam! hit the President up for a favor in return, but I gots to be that kinda President."

Somehow, I can see the scene working if it were a behind-the-scenes TV movie about the election, with a tense discussion between Barack and Bill trying to figure out how Hillary is going to fit into the new administration if she stops campaigning.
posted by adipocere at 5:40 AM on February 20, 2009 [1 favorite]


Hillary rhymes with pillory.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:48 AM on February 20, 2009 [1 favorite]


In related news, new RNC chair Michael Steele is planning an "off the hook" hip-hop makeover for the Republican Party. No. Seriously.
posted by EarBucket at 6:17 AM on February 20, 2009


As far as I can tell they couldn't fit a rhyme in a track with "president" all over it, so the "rappers" probably have a point...
posted by jckll at 6:56 AM on February 20, 2009


EarBucket: what

"Republicans" and "off the hook" should not be in the same sentence. Unless you mean their phone is laying on the ground, emitting a dial tone.
posted by desjardins at 7:24 AM on February 20, 2009


The N word in my books is Narcissist.
posted by nickyskye at 7:31 AM on February 20, 2009


I guess that would explain your interest in averring the fact?
posted by clockzero at 8:00 AM on February 20, 2009


'Because the president never sent one damn dime to my residence, I'm goin' crazy like 1980. I need my ends--fuck you, pay me.'--Eazy-E
posted by box at 9:32 AM on February 20, 2009


@EarBucket: He clearly watches the same shows as the kids these days.

Seriously, it seems like what's a satirical joke today becomes future news more and more.
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:40 AM on February 20, 2009


It looks like youtube has taken this down due to a copyright claim by NY1.
posted by schyler523 at 1:11 PM on February 20, 2009


I think the world would be better off (or at least a friendlier place) if the replacement for the n-word was "neighbor."
posted by bugmuncher at 1:12 PM on February 20, 2009


It looks like you can still find it at presidentplease.com
posted by schyler523 at 1:16 PM on February 20, 2009


Baby was a black sheep. Baby was a whore.
You know she got big. Well, she's gonna get bigger.
Baby got a hand; got a finger on the trigger.
Baby, baby, baby is a rock-and-roll nigger.
posted by Sys Rq at 7:37 PM on February 20, 2009


The P word.
posted by YoBananaBoy at 10:23 PM on February 20, 2009


Woman is the president of the world.
posted by dogwelder at 11:33 AM on February 21, 2009


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