Free Speech And Cardi B
For the sake of all that is good and pure in this world, can we go back to discussing pineapple on pizza? I miss the comfort of arguing the logic for something as simple as sweet fruit on a savoury pie, knowing that only my taste buds will be questioned by those who must have had a deprived childhood – and not my entire character.
Unfortunately, this debate is not a true reflection of the issues currently plaguing society. For the most part, my social media is inundated with far-right tweets of outlandish ideology which hide behind the right to free speech, while the far-left reiterates how tolerant it is of said-tweets, despite already starting a movement to have them cancelled. And I am so happy to snug up behind my screen, glass of cab sav in hand, scrolling through the comments section. A few weeks ago my best friend texted me asking if I had seen the feud between Candace Owens and Cardi B. Hold up. Question: what universe did we switch to where the circles of these two polar-opposite divas intersect? Answer: the same universe in which Joe Biden and Cardi sit down for an interview together.
I’m not a die-hard Cardi fan, but its nearly 2 a.m. and I have 16 straight hours of studying behind me, ‘Bodak Yellow’ slaps. Something about her gritty rags-to-riches rendition is incredibly inspiring. I don’t see enough of her outside her music and music videos to give her a full character analysis but from her fiery hooks and provocative choruses, Cardi B demands attention. Her reclaiming of the female narrative as it has been historically stereotyped throughout hip-hop is clever and ambitious and demonstrates how multi-faceted (and talented) she is.
However I feel like WAP took it too far. The latest song child between Cardi and Megan Thee Stallion is arguably the continuation of Cardi’s proverbial middle finger to misogynistic objectification of feminine sexuality. But as far as feminism goes, here she just doesn’t do it for me. Feeding off the female body trope purely because she’s Cardi and she can, in this instance, is a classless and insulting move to the past and future of feminism. But obviously Joe Biden was not interested in any of this.
The two discussed politics, voting, and Cardi ‘okurrrd’ the disaster that is Trump. Literally. After the interview, Candace Owens – a conservative political activist and founder of Blexit – stated on The Ben Shapiro Show that the presidential candidate was pandering to a black majority by interviewing an ‘illiterate rapper’. Owens believed that the democratic tactic to win the black majority vote by appearing to be endorsed by icons of popular culture was demeaning and patronising to the black community. Of course Cardi did not take too kindly to this; she’s just looking out for her kid, how dare Candace call her out for speaking the true desires of all our hearts: to have everything for nothing. And so the onslaught of back-and-forth IG videos began. Candace fired every shot she could. Cardi continues to make millions. 10 out of 10 would recommend. But it is so easy to get sucked into the vacuum that surrounds these online spats.
Contemporary discussions are less about listening to what others have to say, and more about stifling dissenting thoughts; we have curated a toolbox of methods to impose online censorship. Cancel culture has stripped us of our courage to learn from each other for fear of being publicly shamed for exploring other perspectives, and as a consequence has shut down many spaces for progressive conversation. We don’t speak in earnest, we text in caps lock anger. And this sadly, tends to lead to offline violence. We’ve seen that with #RhodesMustFall, with Black Lives Matter and with the Hong Kong protests. Do we need to be extreme in order to have our thoughts heard and understood?
I spent my university years in a country renowned for its racist history; in 2019 South Africa experienced a national shutdown in protest against gender-based violence. On top of that, it is a country ravaged with political corruption, electricity shortages, droughts, and now covid-19. Having the space to debate thoughts on race, gender or any socio-political issue is an incredibly privileged space to be in, when policy amendments that directly affect livelihoods of the indigent and vulnerable are issues that are not as frequently filling our feed.
I understand that often the opinions and beliefs of others are formed through personal and traumatic experiences. No opinion that can invalidate those experiences, and the extent to which we exercise maturity in translating our emotions into logic is always a taxing task. But that maturity is what encourages further dialogue for those who want to be a part of the conversation, who want to understand.
In each of us, I believe there is a Cardi B. Sometimes she makes an appearance early in the a.ms when no one is watching, sometimes she’s blowing up our phone with vicious road-ragey tweets, sometimes, with the best intentions, she’s doing her utmost to take life seriously, until she’s caught with lipstick on her teeth. But she remains undeterred. The freedom to speak our unadulterated minds is a freedom we should exercise liberally. However, the part that wants to listen to opinions that differ from our own should also be used with as much vigour. I don’t believe in good or bad opinions – yes, there are definitely ignorant and aggravating opinions – but this binary of good and bad alludes to the idea that thought itself is fixed and unchangeable.
We are always growing and learning in this life. Maybe if we believe in the power of patience and compassion for engaging with issues that are shaping the future of society, we would see a change in many perspectives for the a progressive, united and equal future.
Written by Dan Champ
In March, I moved to London with the intention of kicking off a career in journalism; however Covid happened. Now I am an Online English teacher who travels vicariously through my students.