Aliso Niguel High School in Orange County found itself in a bit of a tailspin when administrators inexplicably rejected $10,000 and a visit from pop sensation Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
There are a dozen reasons to turn down a visit from Macklemore (whose place in rap seems as scripted as a Steven Spielberg flick), but the reasons administrators gave were not simply a matter of taste but rather an example of how far removed and ignorant people can be when it comes to rap culture.
Principal Deni Christensen was quoted in the Orange Country Register as saying, “some parents said that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis support alcohol and drug use and misogyny in their music.” Even those with half a foot in the door know that of all rappers Macklemore is the least of anyone’s concerns. He’s the Angela Lansbury of rap, the musical equivalent to a warm glass of milk. A safe-bet lyricist all the way through.
The school won the award after students met a goal for textbook sales and rentals. Students quickly circulated a petition and accrued thousands of signatures and predictably the administration folded, saying that students are allowed to attend the scheduled concert so long as they bring a permission slip signed by mommy or daddy. You know just in case things get wild.
If the world were just there would be a large enough hand to slap everyone in the face, and the money would be given to a school who is actually in need versus one who can afford to turn down $10,000 and not bat an eye.
