Prejudice is perpetuated by the comedy of behaviour;
political correctness serves as no saviour.
Racial and cultural stereotypes just fuel the fire
and pigeon holing or labeling just serves to inspire
secondary deviance, re-enforcing the stereotype
and repetition of this further re-enforces the hype.
Let me give you an example of the process I'm referring to;
little Eric lives in a council estate where there's nothing to do.
His family are poor and he hangs out with others like him too,
wearing high street label clothes, unifying him with his crew.
And immediately, we give this kid the label of 'chav'
essentially because of the different life styles we have.
Eric and his friends are aware of this label, though
and it suddenly becomes an incentive to achieve an ASBO.
So now not only are chavs distinguishable by dress,
but their antisocial behaviour and confinement from an address.
This recognisable label serves to unite them as a collective,
where as initially not all of the group shared this perspective.
The group labeling's turned them socially defective,
outlining social prejudicial segregation as in-corrective.
It's easier to walk away from, than to fix, a situation.
It feels better to know your part of the more respectable population.
Which is where the comedic aspect filters into this equation;
all comedians reference the 'them and us' separation.
Which just reaffirms and perpetuates this entire loop,
making their lives feel darker and perpetuating their stoop,
lower and deeper into an antisocial downward spiral,
yet it's preventable in theory; it's not like it's viral.
It gives blondes an excuse and a reason to say,
"I'm blonde, thus dappy; I was born this way,
what can I say?"
Well, for a start, you can reason and apply some logic;
someone started that rumour and you've found it hypnotic.
And like Eric you've chosen to reaffirm the stereotype,
like ghetto lost souls who still turn to the pipe
regardless of the negativity in the media and rap.
It's the self fulfilling prophecy that ties poverty with crack.
But don't get me wrong, I find the irony funny,
that labeling a person negatively can encourage them to be scummy.
Give a person a criminal record and tell them to get a job
but don't be alarmed if they can't
'n continue to rob.
Because, not only may they need money to survive,
but their situations depressing and they'll need excitement to thrive.
And thus not only have we created a necessity for crime,
but a potentially thrilling fulfilling past time.
And perhaps one can hide from the stigma through escapism,
but then now they're a druggy, thief, poor and in prison.
Leeching off society more than ever before;
fed, watered and housed behind a steel taxpayer's door.
And they say that in prison drugs are cheaper 'n there are more
and that offenders gain an education in how to break the law.
After beatings, rape and solitude they come out sore
but with wisdom, prowess and anger; an attitude that's raw.
Some have learnt their lessons; rehabilitated at core;
others grab a gun and head down to the nearest store,
because society is harsh and unforgiving of crimes
and in prison they have structure and are rewarded at times.
But then rewarding a criminal under prison control
with a personal TV and their own games console
is again just perpetuating this long list of irony;
they're supposed to be punished, not be rewarded with money.
"Behave yourself and we'll provide you with a 360,"
and suddenly prison becomes kind of nifty.
On the outside, government provides 50 pound a week,
on the inside each prisoner spends more in their sleep.
Soon they'll be even more people in prisons
than out on the streets 'cos of all the government provisions;
health n' dental, education and mental care,
for free, with attention paid to dangerous temperaments there.
Whilst families struggle to eat and get by outside,
with parents working hard to provide and pride
themselves as hard working honourable knights,
whilst the recession’s not affected those screaming 'human rights',
rinsing economic resources, reaping comfort from sins;
angels can do nothing whilst the devil sits and grins.
It's comically ironic and we can do nothing but laugh
at the way we pump money into resources and staff
for things that are counterproductive from the very start;
labeling and punishing is thus a failing art.
Copyright. 2009-2010 James Francis
