Running for Your Life: Nonracial Politics Power

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


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