Though I would like to suggest that you dont believe anything by choice. Beliefs just have higher or lower likelihoods depending on the circumstances. In this case, its likely that James Brown would be sexist given his historical positioning. A likelihood that, on some level, may seem higher in probability then the slam poet that I am referring to.

The slam poet seems ironic, silly and ridiculous given her historical context (or, perhaps more specifically, give her audience) while James Brown seems quite the opposite. He seems to be expressing some sort of chauvinistic zeitgeist and I find that powerful, however objectionable.

You can’t actually find bad James Brown performances, even the black and white recordings are astounding. Hell, he doesn’t even dance in this video.

Its interesting to think about the sexism of it. I recently attended a poetry festival where one poet, a ’slam’ poet, kept using the terms “boy” and “man” to blast an ex-lover. I found it totally sexist and ridiculous. This is a long the same lines. I think because James Brown is straight out of the seventies that I can let it go. The poet was producing contemporary art while this is a recording – a historical artifact.

Of course, I dont really feel anything here because it isnt me being marginalized (its hard to feel outraged, especially today if it isnt you being marginalized). I do however, see some sort of parallel. But it doesnt make it any less fantastic.