Sometimes you
find inspiration in unlikely sources. Take “Citizen: American Lyric” by Claudia
Rankine, winner of the 2014 National Book Critics Circle award for poetry.
Rankine’s poetry sheds light on the great racial divide in America and is
justly rewarded for her work by this country’s literary elites, who on a daily
basis shudder with shame as yet another atrocity inflames this space and
deepens the divide.
I say unlikely
sources, not because I disagree with Rankine’s politics. Quite the contrary, in
fact. Rather it is the lesson I learned about running for public life in
YouTube America from those who feel persecuted by a society perversely
conditioned to these atrocities that did come as a surprise to me.
I’m referring to
the following passage, in “Citizen,” page 23:
Hennessy Youngman aka Jayson Musson, whose
Art Thoughtz take the form of tutorials on YouTube,
educates viewers on contemporary art issues. In one of his many videos, he
addresses how to become a successful black artist, wryly suggesting black
people’s anger is marketable. He advises black artists to cultivate “an angry N
exterior” by watching, among other things, the Rodney King video while working.
With respect
Jayson, I’ve got a wry suggestion for both blacks and whites looking to be
successful politicians. (I haven’t yet posted my videos on this …) Cultivate a simple, nonliterate exterior. For example,
say you are running in a neighborhood with high dog ownership combined with a
high percentage of porn consumers (when it comes to the latter, every ZIP in
the country). Cultivate a simple, nonliterate exterior. Change your name to
Dogget. Don’t campaign, don’t write anything down that could even remotely be
defined as a position. Simply leaflet your district with the simple, nonliterate message. Do
It Dogget Style. Vote Dogget.
Next: Running for Your Life: Yankee Haters
Dream Team
