Ever since this new Xbox Experience or dashboard has been launched I have been pretty vocal about how its interface is more centered around marketing than it is centered around functionality for the consumers. Now Xbox has taken it to the next level in the worst possible way.
I cut on my Xbox 360 a few days ago and was greeted by a barrage of ads on the dashboard. Under normal circumstances this is par for the course but the spin on one particular ad I found particularly alarming. It was the ad pictured above. The fact that they would use Black History Month in conjunction a convicted felon arrested on possession of narcotics, misconduct involving weapons, dangerous drugs, and drug paraphernalia as a ploy to sell products is despicable.
Now don’t get me wrong, if it had been strictly about buying music and featured Lil Wayne I would not have a problem with it. We all know that an alarming amount of rappers have criminal records. The problem with this is that it shows how insensitive the folks at Xbox and Microsoft are to cultural matters involving African Americans. The fact that they would use Black history month not as a public service opportunity but as a blatant cash-in attempt is horrible and they should be held accountable.
Could they not have had an informative Black history month feature to balance or supplement this?
Yes, this is marketing but at what cost? Does this not diminish and disrespect all of the civil rights leaders, inventors and other true African American luminaries that should be celebrated this month? It does. This is exploitation and downright disrespectful to everything Black history month is supposed to be all about.
For shame Microsoft. For shame.
LIL DRU
In all fairness though, Lil Wayne is the only rapper that created a word that is in Websters Dictionary. He created the word Bling Bling at 13 years old. The word is recognized as a real word and not just slang now. Not saying he’s worthy of being honored during black history month, but I think you are reading too much into it.
Slim Brotha
While I agree its silly to go to LiL Wayne for black history remembrance, I also think you are blowing this WAY out of proportion. Im black and I am far from offended by this, Sony has done far more racially insensitive things over the years, and we got not a peep from guys like you. Heck at least MS is remembering the occasion at all, Im sure they meant no disrespect. I certainly have never seen Sony Apple or HTC mention black history month.
Why is it that everything MS does is on par with child rape to you people, give me a break. Your just looking for another way to get hits by ripping on the old whipping horse that is Microsoft. You’re as bad as you’re accusing them of being.
UnbeWeavable
some of you are not looking at this deep enough. Microsofts low standards with this is representative about how they feel and market to us as black people. Its sad that in this day and age they would do something this insulting.
Ekmez
#2 – C’mon mann, #3 – I feel you.
If you break down the caption “Celebrate Black History Month, Listen to Hip Hop with Zune Pass”, underline Hip Hop and Zune Pass. This is a shameful attempt at making Black History Month marketable, or does Hip-Hop define black culture? Then in that sense Lil Wayne defines black history right? Reading too far into it? Nahh brother you just haven’t opened the book yet. Too many times I’ve met ignorant kids of other races who assume all blacks are epitomized by the image portrayed in hip-hop; and it’s things like this that allow that to happen. Don’t get me wrong, I listen to Lil Wayne, but what he says and what he does in 98% of his songs has nothing to do with Black History Month.
And especially in this medium where blacks are under/misrepresented I feel that this is just another missed opportunity to portray African American history in a better light. Or wait, we could just listen to Lil’ Wayne, I mean do these lyrics define your culture to you? –
Man fuck these niggas
I’ma spare everything but these niggas
I flip the gun and gun butt these niggas
Take the knife off this AK and cut these niggas
Yeaah, and fuck these bitches, I swear I care about everything but these bitches, I don’t care, I “so what” these bitches and I put young mula baby way above these bitches,
If it ain’t broke don’t break it and if he ain’t shook, i’m gon shake em, I hope I don’t look weak cause when a wolf cry wolf, you still see that wolf teeth muthafuckaa.
Futuristic handgun, if you act foul you get 2 shots and one, I’m at your face like lancome, hehe, you niggas softer than Rosanne son. hey, you cannot reach me on my samsung, I’m busy fucking the World and giving the Universe my damn tongue, crazy muthafucker I am one, but the crazy thing is, I began one, all white bricks, I’m straight like it’s jumpin back to 36 nicka! big house, long hallways, got 10 bathrooms I can shit all day nigga
And we don’t want no problems, ok your a goon, what’s a goon to a goblin, yeah, n Kane on the beat, I fuck around and leave a niggas brains on the street, (ooooh) now pop dat pussy, I bring her to my bedroom to pop dat pussy, uh huh and we be steady mobbin, oh kimosabi, big ballin is my hobby.
SpaceBarZ
The real irony of this whole thing for me is the fact that right next to this ridiculous Lil Wayne stunt is a promotion for 8 Bob Marley songs being added to Rock Band 3! I would much rather receive a “Black History Month” promotion around Bob Marley than I would Lil Wayne. Bob actually had a positive historical effect on the world. Microsoft with their lack of sensitivity and research missed a real opportunity to have a true Black history promotion.