Why the Backlash Over the Otis Video?

August 16th, 2011 - By nativenotes


Last Thursday night MTV premiered Jay-Z & Kanye West’s new visual to accompany their single “Otis” off their new album titled Watch the Throne. Rap Radar said it best when they said the video was the most expensive low budget video ever.

Simply put the video consists of Jay & Yeezy in a chopped up Maybach with no roof and no doors riding around doing donuts in a parking lot with a mural of the American flag as the backdrop. Pretty simple video, no deep concepts or creative imagery to analyze here. So why did the video cause such a firestorm on the internet?

I might have neglected that in this ball of fun that they were having there were four girls in the back of the car having a ball too. One of the girls might have been black, but it’s hard to say definitively. Some black women (not all) took to their timelines and blogs to vent their frustrations about the lack of melanin in the video. My only question; are you effing kidding me?

We’ve got to do better and find some better things to be up in arms about. One minute the same women are accusing hip-hop of being filled with misogyny (which it is) and saying that rap videos exploit black women (which some of them do). Now those same women are up in arms about not being exploited, please pick a side because the back and forth is confusing me.

I can think of one reason why there were no sisters in the video;

It looked dangerous. Maybe the sisters on the casting couch were like umm “I’m not trying to ride round in a car with no doors spewing fire like this is back to the future!”

If there were no black women doctors being hired at Harlem hospital, that would be a reason to rally the troops and get out there and put pressure on the administration of the hospital. If black women are being denied entrance to graduate programs at a particular institution because of the color of their skin, let’s raise some hell. When little black girls are getting shot in Detroit or abducted in Ohio, and the media ignores it, I’ll be right with you searching for justice. But a music video, as Ed lover would say ‘c’mon son gtfohwtbs.

What did you think about the Otis video? Were you offended that there were no black women in the video?

Email nativenotes or follow him on Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr and check out some his writings over at Notes of This Native Son

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  • MilkaWha?

    …i don't really support black males who date/marry/have kids with NW, nor any other black person who doesn't have as a black female consumer in mind…feels good to keep money in my pocket…

  • Resse

    You are obviously color blind. Jay isn't as light as his wife. And nobody wants Kanye who is rumered to be another dl brother.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=45002083 Dana Mincey

    I'm mad we're even talking about this. Let's talk about the fact that a chopped up Maybach was the best Spike Jonze could do!?

  • MamaYaya

    There was an ethnic/light skinned black woman in the car. But really, who cares unless your an agent that represents black models exclusively. Are either of these two dudes putting money in your pockets?? If you really are upset don't buy the album and don't support any of their future endeavors.

  • Louis

    Many black women have turned against black men, preferring to date and marry out. Even Oprah did a show supporting this. Why shouldn't black men do likewise?

    • MilkaWha?

      are you serious?

      black men have been throwing black women under the bus for becky a LOOOOOOONNNNG TIME AGO!

      way before sistas even considered dating out.

      keep it 100% and stop playing dumb…

  • DIVA

    REALLY ??? who cares ! Neither one of those fools are putting any money in my pocket at the end of the day.
    Lets see we have an ex drug deal turned legit, raised his stock by marrying a very talented, much younger woman who has droves of adoring fans that love to watch her twerk that thang…. he is still of a certain again and at times his antics do seem like pathethic grasps to stay young and relevant…. any day now i'm waiting for him to profess his love for acting– isn't that the usual route ? lol
    His partner in this particular endeavor—- an arrogant, cocky(no pun intended if anyone saw those pics– very nice I might add) very talented , metro sexual with questionable sexuality who pouts and throws tantrums when he doesnt get his way.

    ummmmmmmm I thnk we all have better things to worry about than their latest music video which lacks any sort of creativity… just my opinion

  • Slide

    You mother f*ckers don't have anythinge else better to do with your time then write stupid a$$ articles like this and complain about insignificant bullish*t (*with all things considered)…

    We gotta do better, SHAKING MY MOTHER F*CKING HEAD!!!!!!!

  • smith

    like everything concerning color and sex in america, it is complex. the female color issue is a deep psychological issue in our community and to deny it is foolish. humans are visual animals and in this media age visuals influence perceptions, that along with the historical anti black pathology in america equates to the degradation of the dark colored woman's image and and her position in society.
    dont be fooled , ALL art is either driven by or is driving a social / political/ cultural agenda.
    so what is point of all these black guys with white women in their videos?? THEY SUPPORT WHITE SUPREMACY!!!
    and that they are telling the whole world that they are sick in the head. Now, do you support them ??

  • Janay

    Exactly rap music is trash all it does is feed black men’s ego and trash their own women and community and sell psuedo dreams in the middle of a financial crisis. WHen women were more involved in rap, it was when it was a more dignified (in the 80s and 90s.) The whole world knows its trash except black guys. I think black women should distance themselves as much as possible from it. They will be better off. Don’t even buy bootlegs

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1837563284 Sabra Lee

    I love it….it just looks like they are having a ball….I dont look to artist to define anything about me or my culture….they are entertainment….pure and simple……the women in the backseat are irrelevant to me….just as they are to the artists they dont even pay them any mind….its just international women….who cares….

    • Jaad

      …to all of you that feel that this is just fun and we need to focus on more pressing issues, well you all need to spare a thought for our black children who are getting worped perception of life and a black womans worth in this day and age. How do we expect to raise children with a pride for them selves and their race if we feel the images projected to them is just. As adults we can chose to anaylse or not anaylse this, but just think about message these type of videaos send out to our young people, our future. Where has black pride and black unitiy gone?

  • Kim

    This.

  • Anna

    Does no one's browser use spell check?

  • lively09

    I notice that when watching the video, but that is common in most videos these days. Also Jay Z really only likes his women really light, or almost white, so no surprise. As far as Kanye no comment.

  • Brodie

    You gotta witness in me. The Marie Antoinette swagger really bugs me.

  • Creme

    I don't care. I have other things to do. I like the music and that is it.

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