Ray Stevens Goes Over the Top: Offends Many Americans
June 1st, 2010
Come to the USA
Supposedly this video is burning up the internet. Politically incorrect? Racist? Ethnocentric? Erroneous? UnAmerican? Just plain old offensive? I almost hestitate to put this up as an example of what not to do.
This is pretty much the way most Americans see it. I’m glad this is being dispersed, and that Americans are starting to see that they have a choice.
This probably offends less Americans than having to press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish does.
I have never seen why people get pissed off over having to say they want English. That is just the free market at work.
I think the video is horribly offensive. He has many offensive videos out. Ahab the Arab is one of the more polite ones.
It’s the free market at work, after and only after the people who run this country colluded to not enforce laws and not to protect American wages.
Ray is right on. Problem is we have so many foreigners in this free country their voice is bound to be heard. True Americans will understand what he is saying. His views are much like Glen Becks, and if you watch Beck you will understand why the American people should be upset with our government. He shows by example and videos what the people in power are doing to this country. Wake up, America. Ray Stevens is a patriot. And Beckis a courageous hero.
Certainly not Cat Stevens.
This is offensive?
This isn’t offensive. The videos that promote Reconquista are offensive. The pro-jihad ones are offensive. The Stormfront ones that promote white supremacy are offensive.
This? This is mild satire that steps on political correctness and actually is quite accurate in may ways. The fact that many of the lyrics ARE accurate is what’s offensive.
Are you saying that all stereotypes must be banned, even in comedy or satire? Who is this actually insulting? Think about it……the Americans. We are the ones being satirized the most, and accurately at that. Funny hats are insulting? How else are you supposed to tell the differences between the Ray Stevens characters?
Seriously, you find the Ahab the Arab offensive? A song about, basically, Ahab stealing away with his rival’s lady and are, really, just cartoon characters, at most?
Heck, if you think that’s offensive, I guess you feel that all of his funny songs, even about Americans, are offensive.
Oh, well. Not everyone has the same sense of humor. I think he’s a classic.
I don’t want it banned. I think it is offensive however. I also think the three stooges are offensive. I think it makes fun of people. It stereotypes.
Ahab the Arab…just saying A-rab is offensive. It produces an ignorance like the one we saw during the 2008 presidential campaign. shudder.
As for free market, now there’s an interesting question. Rick, don’t you think things would have been fixed a long time ago if the ‘business community’ wasn’t reaping some profit off of the status quo? That sounds fairly free market to me.
Herb, I am a real American and I am offended. I think you are disgracing the word of Patriot. He is an entertainer. If a patriot is one who loves his or her country, one doesn’t make money off of such an ugly image of America.
@Moon-howler
Herb, I am a real American and I am offended.
Define it.
I can see where bleeding-heart liberals would be offended. I guess that fact makes it worth watching!
Wow, that was great! Dinner and a movie. I think I just found a new source of entertainment. Will he be performing at, and I hate the name, Jiffy Lube?
People other than bleeding heart liberals are also offended.
How about all the inaccuracies that make your country look utterly stupid?
What makes the country look stupid is the problem the song is describing, not the song itself.
“Rick, don’t you think things would have been fixed a long time ago if the ‘business community’ wasn’t reaping some profit off of the status quo? That sounds fairly free market to me.”
IMO the business community’s happiness over lowering wages in this country explains the Bush Administration’s deliberate hostility to our laws, and their abrogation of responsibility.
Now, we’re supposed to have an effective two-party system. When one party undertakes a path that degrades American wages, by failing to enforce law, the other should take up an opposite position. this didn’t happen, and we’ve been collectively abandones, because of racial identity politics and each party chasing the Latino vote.
“Ahab the Arab” doesn’t seem highly offensive to me, though the fake Arab “singing” has to be described as stupid and intolerant.
I just can’t imagine who would want to listen to it. The lyrics aren’t amusing or pointed, and the music is ungodly bad, with that stupid galloping beat with thge slightest hint of eastern music on top. I understand it’s supposed to sound like a 50′s novelty record, but avery boring/mediocre one.
He’s found a better niche with the political commentary.
Not offensive at all…unless the truth offends you? And did someone say the Three Stooges were offensive? Dear God….lets not be so up tight please. Humor is the best medicine…dont take like too seriously Moonhowler, you will never get out of it alive…
I actually think the “OATNUT” device that he frames this with is funny.
This isn’t exactly Johnny Rebel – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vNzz2VMWac
It’s just a long-time has-been/never-was trying to make a buck pandering to the stupid. It’s the American Way, by golly.
What a bunch of stupid stereotypes. I agree the lyrics make the US look bad, but I guess he’s not really a fan of his own country.
regarding Ahab the A-rab…..Actually I think it is 60′s. I can remember when it came out. It was stupid then. I think males listened to it. I can’t think of one girl I knew who liked it.
Just looked it up. 1962. Classified as a novelty song.
Ray Stevens is a never was.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahab_the_Arab
Many of the ‘problems’ he described don’t exist. The stereotypes are offensive to many people. 3 Stooges type music.
Ah, wow. 1962. Well then I’ll change this to a complement – the recording’s well-engineered enough that I thought it was recorded recently.
It was probably a remake. I remember it from when I was a kid. Ray Stevens was sort of a loser then, like now.
Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs were a lot more fun when thinking of that type of song.
Ha ha – I was surprised Ray Stevens was still alive. I remember his crappy music from the Sixties. My car could only pick up two radio stations at night in the hick town where I lived. One played Country and Western and a top ten that most teenagers wouldn’t recognize, including Ray Stevens. The other station played up to date rock and roll and R&B. On a clear night we might get WLS from Chicago and we considered ourselves lucky. When Ray Stevens came on, we fidgetted with the tuner and hoped for something better.
Censored, what was that station out of Buffalo NY that everyone loved?
If you have enjoyed listening to music while driving, you would have liked riding with me when I was “young”. My radio didn’t fit in my dash so I installed it behind the backseat by the rear window so my passengers were responsible for the music we listened to. As for Ray Stevens , I don’t believe “the streak” had any political or social significance but I enjoyed it anyway.
M-h, I don’t know. We were stuck in the foothills of the mountains and didn’t get very good reception. WLS was our occasional gem.