February 15, 2010

PC squared: Phil Collins and the evolution of politcal correctness

Occasionally - usually while I'm supposed to be doing something productive - I wonder whether we're all way, way, way more politically correct than we were when I was a kid or it's that I've just been listening to Bill Maher too much.

This afternoon, I think I answered my own question, thanks to, of all people, Phil Collins. (Well, Phil Collins and the other guys who were in Genesis after Peter Gabriel left.)


Mike, Phil and Tony in matching sombreros.

And I'm pretty sure my answer is, that, Yes, PC has reached levels we couldn't have imagined in 1983, which is the year Genesis released a song called Illegal Alien. Because today, it's equally impossible to imagine a Top 40 music act recording a song and appearing in a video, complete with sombreros and tequila and vaguely Mexican facial hair, like this one. Or, if they did those things, not getting absolutely slammed for it.

A slightly related thought: I wonder if California could find a way to use this song as a PSA.

4 comments:

DGB said...

Good point. I guess "Turning Japanese" wouldn't fly these days either.

bugs said...

Is it PC to say how DESPERATELY I need there to be school tomorrow, as 1 1/2 weeks of being stuck in the house with my 2 children, no car, no place to go because of the 5 feet of snow that fell, and (almost) no more liquor in the house PLUS having a leak in the kitchen now because of the snow melting and having nowhere to go other than INSIDE THE HOUSE...is making me a lunatic mother?!
okay - thanks for the opportunity to be un-PC.

Your escalator operator said...

DGB - That's a good call, and from right around the same timeframe. Probably also lots from the 50s and 60s that would sound ridiculous now.

B - Other than that, sounds like an awesome week. My fingers are crossed for school to resume.

Anonymous said...

Do you have copy writer for so good articles? If so please give me contacts, because this really rocks! :)