I was surprised at the time that Immigration NZ decided to ban Odd Future from performing in NZ. I’m no fan of their lyrics…
Chillin’ in class with a bag full of grass
Lookin’ for a white chick to smoke up and choke up
I even got that white sniff come over here and take a whiff
Now you ready to get raped and ate by Mr. Haley
Litter Life is the gang, it’s that shit that we bang
Let’s play an Odd game, it’s called bitch you better run
When those Odd Wolves come out
And chew you up bitch like bubble gum
Jasper’s off climbin’ trees with that nazist you see
Never met a nigga like me because I’m an Oddsby
Opposite of them Cosby kids
Got that Virginia Tech swag, shoot up your school and laugh, bitch
…but I’m less of a fan of State censorship. It was curious because the reason Immigration NZ gave at the time of denying Odd Future entry was because they were determined to be a ‘threat to public order’.
Well, now we know that wasn’t strictly true. We now know that Immigration NZ decided to ban them from entry for publicity purposes…
Why Odd Future was barred from NZ
A senior Immigration NZ (INZ) official thought banning Los Angeles rap collective Odd Future from New Zealand in February could be spun into a good news story for the government agency.However, within INZ there were concerns the decision would place the agency in a difficult position when visas were sought by similar performers in future.
Documents relating to the decision have been released under the Official Information Act. They show Immigration NZ border operations manager Karen Unwin expected “some media interest” in refusing entry to six members of the collective just two days before they were due to perform. The collective members had been given initial permission to visit.
Unwin noted the group’s intended appearance in support of performer Eminem at the Rapture event in Western Springs on February 15 “already has the lobby groups up in arms”.
“However, I think we have the opportunity to spin this into a good news story for INZ,” she said in an email sent out late on the morning of February 13.
“There is also the strong possibility that the group will make some very public (and offensive) protestations but in my view this will only serve to reinforce the appropriateness of our decisions.”
An email sent shortly after Unwin’s said: “Thanks, Karen. Fun times. I think you’re right, this is a good story for INZ.”
…hold up. This was a publicity stunt by Immigration NZ? An attempt to make INZ relevant in the wake of the roast buster scandal using a trumped up claim of threat to public order? Why on earth are bureaucrats making decisions on which artists can performa and which one can’t perform in NZ based on their own weird evaluations of how much publicity they will gain from it?
Isn’t this deeply concerning?
The lyrics are very bad. Socially unacceptable in my opinion.
However, why do INZ need to advertise anything in the first place.
It is a bad move by INZ for advertising puposes, but it is a good move to say no to people who ‘sing’ about grass in class, and shooting up the school and laughing.
The person who came up with the lyrics isn’t thinking right, and shouldn’t be encouraged to go spouting off this kind of sociopathic behaviour.
But Eminem is OK?
Also, they should stop about 10% of the films being shown in NZ cinemas because they have bad things in them.
It didn’t end up being a good news story though. From memory INZ took the role of bad cop to the PM’s good cop. John Key “told them off” for making the decision too late thereby aligning himself with frustrated fans and at the same time holding the decision at arm’s length from himself. What started as a marketing exercise finished as a marketing exercise.
The lyrics are not my cup of tea neither, but are they worse than Xbox, mainstream cinema, or war? All of which seem popular and acceptable.
Just because something is popular, doesn’t mean it’s right.
It’s popular to kill other mothers sons as an act of war – this doesn’t make it right.
The thing about these words being used in ‘perceived’ music, is the bad thing – in my opinion.
That’s probably because I believe that music (your own personal selection) is supposed to make you happy, and to make you sing along.
But if you are singing these words, then if they make you happy, there is something very wrong with your heart, and your head.
And if they don’t make you happy, then why sing or listen to it in the first place.
Call me old fashioned, or call me mature.
Jeez…every time I turn the tv on unless it’s a cooking show there’s a body.
Video games feature carjackings, murders, zombies, gratuitous violence, prostitutes getting killed, blown to bits for laughs. Go online and randomly google a name you’ll most likely get porn at the top of the page. Watch C4 channel on Freeview: 50% of the ‘music’ videos feature near nudity, sexual objectification of girls, virtually undisguised incitement to self harm, dystopia, guns, drugs, booze, butts etc, all government funded.
Odd Future’s lyrics, self confessedly mocking sarcasm, so feted when used by industry employees, however, they have their own label, Odd Future Records, so were not welcome here. Pathetic.
Immigration NZ did the right thing for the wrong reason. Unfortunately they are not allowed to ban people simply because they are arrogant foul-mouthed rascist dickheads like Odd Future.
I can never understand why people get so bothered by this stuff. It’s just fantasy, escapism, isn’t it? Are these people who complain and seek to make rules all the time simply in denial of the dark side of their own natures? Of course I do not agree with rape, or whatever, but unless it is an actual direct incitement, aka hate speech laws, then live and let live I say.
From the released information, it looks like the discussion about how the decision would play out in the media came after the decision to ban.
https://fyi.org.nz/request/1460-advice-on-banning-odd-future
The initial headline “Why Odd Future was banned” (it’s now “The story behind the Odd Future ban”) and the first paragraph focusing on the “good news story” aspect did give a different impression.
Comments are closed.