Yo! Wassup Wit' My Bitches?

[Bobby Hull]

I would merely like to call attention to IK's current marketing campaign for the Studio Bundle. Is it harmless and playful vernacular or is it evocative of a culture and life-style where women are subordinated to the status of chattel and subjected to exploitation and violence? [edit: reference forum rules pls] All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. IK products are good enough to be marketed on the basis of merit rather than some misogynistic schtick.

[keyman_sam]

Dem booty got me lookin for da T-Racks if you know what im sayin'

[Bobby Hull]

Yo dawg, why you trippin' on me?

[Kim Lajoie]

You're welcome to your boycot, but I don't think it's a good idea to advertise it here. This is the official Sonic Reality/eSoundz forum, and we're strategic partners with IK. Take it easy around here.

-Kim.

[frequency_algorithm]

Wow an attempted boycott, how insane. Reactionary conservatism? How far does one go just to voice an OPINION, not a fact. lol

[aMUSEd]

I would merely like to call attention to IK's current marketing campaign for the Studio Bundle. Is it harmless and playful vernacular or is it evocative of a culture and life-style where women are subordinated to the status of chattel and subjected to exploitation and violence? All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. IK products are good enough to be marketed on the basis of merit rather than some misogynistic schtick.

I protested about their use of the term "Pimp" myself. There seems to be some inexplicable but to me horrifying campaign to rehabilitate "pimpin'" as some sort of quaint but harmless lifestyle rather than the abhorrent and violent form of parasitism on vulnerable women that it really is. There is nothing nice about pimping and it should not be used except as a term of abuse to describe scumbags.

[Rabban]

Let's hope Bobby never saw the promo ad for AmpliTube 2 with the scantily clad chick with the guitar -- probably too exploitative for his tastes . If he did see that ad, then he would have demanded the systematic end of all life at IK Multimedia.

[frequency_algorithm]

I would merely like to call attention to IK's current marketing campaign for the Studio Bundle. Is it harmless and playful vernacular or is it evocative of a culture and life-style where women are subordinated to the status of chattel and subjected to exploitation and violence? All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. IK products are good enough to be marketed on the basis of merit rather than some misogynistic schtick.

I protested about their use of the term "Pimp" myself. There seems to be some inexplicable but to me horrifying campaign to rehabilitate "pimpin'" as some sort of quaint but harmless lifestyle rather than the abhorrent and violent form of parasitism on vulnerable women that it really is. There is nothing nice about pimping and it should not be used except as a term of abuse to describe scumbags.

I totally agree. All those rock ads with those scantily dressed women are misogynous too and should be taken down. The rolling stones and aerosmith should be sued as well for their public exploit of women too. In fact all the hollywood and music ads selling sex should be banned and they should all be thrown in a huge volcano in hawaii and melted and all their money should be taken and donated into a bank account to buy chipwhich ice cream sandwiches for every good nerd out there who hasn't thought a single indecent thought about another girl in their life. Does it make sense?

[frequency_algorithm]

Is there any device we can use to monitor people's indecent thoughts, then that way we could use this device on every guy out there thinking indecent things about females and arrest them.

[aMUSEd]

I would merely like to call attention to IK's current marketing campaign for the Studio Bundle. Is it harmless and playful vernacular or is it evocative of a culture and life-style where women are subordinated to the status of chattel and subjected to exploitation and violence? All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. IK products are good enough to be marketed on the basis of merit rather than some misogynistic schtick.

I protested about their use of the term "Pimp" myself. There seems to be some inexplicable but to me horrifying campaign to rehabilitate "pimpin'" as some sort of quaint but harmless lifestyle rather than the abhorrent and violent form of parasitism on vulnerable women that it really is. There is nothing nice about pimping and it should not be used except as a term of abuse to describe scumbags.

I totally agree. All those rock ads with those scantily dressed women are misogynous too and should be taken down. The rolling stones and aerosmith should be sued as well for their public exploit of women too. In fact all the hollywood and music ads selling sex should be banned and they should all be thrown in a huge volcano in hawaii and melted and all their money should be taken and donated into a bank account to buy chipwhich ice cream sandwiches for every good nerd out there who hasn't thought a single indecent thought about another girl in their life. Does it make sense?

Strawman - none of this is relevant to my point

[Bobby Hull]

Me conservative?!?!! That's a good one. aMUSEd re-iterated my position far more eloquently than I. My concern isn't about scantily clad women used in advertising. The ads for AT2 were cheesy but no big deal. You'll never accuse me of not being able to celebrate the female form but the evocation of "pimping" to sell products that are tools of musical creativity are also a racial slur against black people. Why wasn't a Chinese model used in the promo? My rant isn't about the need for Orwellian (or Bill O'Reillian) thought police. It's about, as aMUSEd stated, the sanitization of one of the most vilest of human activities. Don't tell me that Rabban and frequency_algorithm are still upset that OJ's book was pulled from release. What's to stop IK from using images of Mark David Chapman to sell a plug-in designed to "kill" certain rogue frequencies on Walls And Bridges? Come on IK, use a little common sense. Obama for president!!

[beergeek]

Maybe not conservative but certainly reactionary. First off, "Pimp your studio" in the current hip-hop culture would mean simply to "trick out" or make your studio "ghetto-fab" or something of that nature. Don't ask me, I'm a 50 year old tragically unhip white dude with nerdy glasses

But I do know that the way the term was used is certainly something I've heard many young people of all ethnic orgins use to mean make something very cool.

Now, if they had visually done something cartoonish that inferred some other meaning, I'd be all over this with you. It just seems to me that that they're trying to have their advertising appeal to a crowd younger (and hipper) than me.

Don't take this the wrong way but personally, the title you chose for the thread is more way more offensive than their advertising. I know you did it to call attention to what you saw as an injustice but I think your point might be taken more seriously if you didn't play the same game you are criticizing.

BTW, I hope we can talk Barack into running!

[Rabban]

I can understand some reservations about word usage but, in the case of "pimping", it has entered the current slang and the meaning has changed in this new social context to represent something "cool" or to "make something better."

I know where aMUSEd is coming from. To him, the word pimp is and should remain a derogatory term. By re-appropriating the term in a new "cool" context it somehow signifies that pimping, as it relates to prostitution, also is "cool." I can see that point (whether or not I actually agree with this link is another matter, but inconsequential).

We all have to get over the fact that the English language is fluid and ever-changing. A word may mean something bad in one context, but in a totally different context, the same word can mean something good. Some may argue that this is a bad thing but that's the way things are. Boo-hoo.

Pimp is derogatory when it comes to its link to prostitution. It can also mean flashy or cool when it comes to fashion or upgrading things like a car, or in IK's case, a studio. Even in the medical field, the term pimping has been used for many decades to represent when a physician asks an intern difficult questions.

"Pimp" is now a versatile word -- ranging from derogatory to socially-acceptable -- depending on context. That is the same for many other words in our language.

But demanding a boycott of all IK's products is over-the-top and absurd. Get over yourself.

So, have any of you guys who are upset over the word "pimp", written to MTV and demand that they change the name of the show "Pimp my Ride." Bobby, have you boycotted MTV?

[Edit: Damn. beergeek beat me to a response while I was typing this. Bastard.

[aMUSEd]

But I do know that the way the term was used is certainly something I've heard many young people of all ethnic orgins use to mean make something very cool.

That is exactly the problem. Pimping is not and should never be seen as "cool". What next - shall we rehabilitate Drug Pushing or Rapists? Let's have "Push" my studio perhaps?

Reactionary my ass! - what is reactionary is the way women are being disrespected, to quote Ded Prez who saw this tendency occuring in HipHop culture many years ago and warned about it. The acceptability of "Pimping" has been a pretty powerful means to diverting HipHop and Rap from it's once socially conscious message into the celebration of sexism and affluence at the expence of others.

[aMUSEd]

I can understand some reservations about word usage but, in the case of "pimping", it has entered the current slang and the meaning has changed in this new social context to represent something "cool" or to "make something better."

I know where aMUSEd is coming from. To him, the word pimp is and should remain a derogatory term. By re-appropriating the term in a new "cool" context it somehow signifies that pimping, as it relates to prostitution, also is "cool." I can see that point (whether or not I actually agree with this link is another matter, but inconsequential).

No it's not the meaning of the word that has changed that much. It is the acceptability of the activity. That is the problem I have with this. Most people using this term know full well what a Pimp is but it's being portrayed as a cool thing that cool guys do - they drive around in flashy cars and have lots of "Ho's" in their tow. Funny that it's never the Prostitute that gets seen as socially acceptable now is it? I wonder why? Instead, of course, the flip side is that being the "Ho" is something that is extended not just to Prostitutes but to all women - all of whom become the Pimps possessions.

btw - I agree about the boycotting thing - I'm not a believer in boycotts full stop. But I did see where the OP was coming from and echo his disgust. Boo to Ik for encouraging this reactionary agenda.