Protests over Verizon deal with 1938media

by Mathew on July 7, 2008 · 74 comments

Update:

Verizon has apparently dropped 1938media’s content from its Vcast service and the distribution deal is off. Some people are happy with the decision while others think it is hypocritical. What do I think? Obviously, Verizon is a private company that gets to do whatever it wants, and this kind of controversy isn’t good for business. But those who argue that this isn’t a free speech issue are making a mistake, I think. It’s easy to stand up and defend speech when we agree with it — harder to do so, but just as important, when we don’t.

Original post:

A video that controversial video-blogger Loren Feldman of 1938media did almost a year ago has come back to haunt him, it seems. Several civil-rights groups and media watchdogs are protesting a decision by telecom giant Verizon to add 1938media’s video clips to its mobile Vcast service, saying Loren’s “TechNigga” clip is demeaning to black people. Project Islamic Hope, for example, has issued a statement demanding that Verizon drop its distribution arrangement with 1938media, which was just announced about a week ago, and other groups including the National Action Network and LA Humanity Foundation are also apparently calling for people to email Verizon and protest.

The video that has Islamic Hope and other groups so upset is one called “TechNigga,” which Loren put together last August. After wondering aloud why there are no black tech bloggers, Loren reappears with a skullcap and some gaudy jewelry, and claims to be the host of a show called TechNigga. He then swigs from a bottle of booze, does a lot of tongue-kissing and face-licking with his girlfriend Michelle Oshen, and then introduces a new Web app called “Ho-Trackr,” which is a mashup with Google Maps that allows prospective johns to locate prostitutes. In a statement, Islamic Hope says that the video “sends a horrible message that Verizon seeks to partner with racists.”

The TechNigga routine (which was actually a series of videos) apparently led to Loren’s distribution deal with Podtech being dissolved, and also caused problems with The Huffington Post — which 1938media was also working with — after founder Arianna Huffington was quoted as saying she was offended by the clip. Loren also said recently that a proposed deal to make videos and write columns for CNET was on hiatus, although it wasn’t clear exactly why. Was the company concerned about possible offensive content, given the TechNigga incident and the series of videos taking shots at social-media guru Shel Israel? Possibly.

On some level, I can understand the protests against Loren. Some of his content is in pretty poor taste. That said, however, a lot of it is also pretty funny. Does it cross a line sometimes, or at least come right up to the line and stick its tongue out, or give the line the finger? Yes. Lots of good comedy does. There are plenty of people who don’t think TechNigga was funny, and for the record, I am one of them. I get the point that Loren was trying to make (or at least I think I do), but to me it just didn’t work. Loren’s friend Prince Campbell — who is black, and considers Loren a friend (as I do) — has said much the same thing.

But does that mean his content shouldn’t be allowed on Verizon’s mobile service? No. I think when it comes to comedy and critical commentary of all kinds — satire or otherwise — we have to offer a lot wider latitude than we might otherwise. Freedom of speech shouldn’t be just a flag that we wave from time to time whenever it suits us. It’s an important principle. Loren should be free to make and distribute his content, and others are free not to watch it. Somehow I doubt that a mega-corporation like Verizon is going to see it that way, however.

Tagged as: 1938media, black, feldman

http://www.peapod.ca Alistair

Written like a typical TechHonkey !
http://www.peapod.ca Alistair

Written like a typical TechHonkey !
http://www.mathewingram.com/work mathewi

Alistair, I prefer the term TechWhitey :-)
http://www.mathewingram.com/work mathewi

Alistair, I prefer the term TechWhitey :-)
http://www.metzmash.com Adam Metz

M-Dog, the more I hear about this guy, the more I like him.
http://www.metzmash.com Adam Metz

M-Dog, the more I hear about this guy, the more I like him.
http://www.drumsnwhistles.com/ Karoli

I don't really think his videos should be excluded from a deal because he did some really horrible ones earlier.

However, I thought the technigga videos were not only in bad taste, I didn't think they were even slightly funny, which is why I stopped watching his videos long before he started playing with puppets.

I guess I'm not much of a genius, because I just don't see a lot of what Loren does as funny, even though others think he's hysterical. Steve Gillmor considers him a comedic genius. I think he's inconsistent, and resorts to the easy slam to make the joke.

But that's me. I'm not a fan of humor at others' expense unless the 'other' is a willing participant.

Beyond that, I will not pay the kind of rates the cell companies want to watch video content that they decide is suitable to cross their network. The big companies are getting greedy with these 'extra charges', and I think it will come back to bite them and their content providers in the days to come.
BocaJuniors

File under: inevitable.

And if this news ever goes mainstream I think that everyone outside Web 2.0 and the racial grievance industry will be wondering: Who is Loren Feldman and what is Project Islamic Hope?!?!
http://www.mathewingram.com/work mathewi

Fair enough, Karoli. Humour is pretty hard to define, no question
about it. As for your point about mobile video, I couldn't agree more
– that isn't funny at all.
http://www.sheysmith.com Shey

You know what, you're right — Loren has the right to say whatever the heck he wasn't about whomever he wants. But he also owns the right to accept the consequences of his actions. Some may argue the punishment doesn't fit the crime, but that's the risk you take when you act before you think.

Karma.
http://www.mathewingram.com/work mathewi

That's a fair point, Shey. Thanks for the comment.
BocaJuniors

Exactly.

This isn't a discussion of freedom of speech but corporate responsibility and “political correctness.”

Freedom of speech protects Loren (and all of us) from the government telling us what we can and can't say. Verizon, on the other hand, has every right to censor Loren. They aren't limiting Loren's freedom of speech if they decide not to pay him for his content.
http://eckenrodehouse.net n8k99

i think it is great that loren has a deal with verizon and that he will reach a wider audience- because then more people can determine for themselves whether or not they consider him funny or not- and if they don't then there can be a greater force that will squash him down to size.
i personally do not find him funny, nor do i think howard stern is entertaining, but there is a large segment of the population that does – so maybe there is a chance for loren to be appreciated by the same sort of people who like howard, in fact, the technigga video seems like it should be on howard's show, it fit s that whole unenlightened buffoonery perfectly..
http://www.benlucier.ca Ben Lucier

Matt, I'm a huge fan of Loren and I hadn't seen the TechNigga video until today. I can see where Loren was trying to go with it, but he really, really, REALLY missed his mark. I also don't by the “social media experiment” bit either, but I digress.

Does it make him a horrible person? No, I don't think so. An err in judgment perhaps. What the Internet viewing public must understand is that history lives FOREVER on the Internet and just because the content exists and is still viewable by the public doesn't mean that we should judge the content creators each time it surfaces.

At some time or another, many of us have produced “unfortunate content”. I use the term “content” loosely here. Imagine having half naked drunk cottage pics out there that your “friends” have uploaded, viewable by a prospective employer.

Maybe the Internet needs a statute of limitations…?
http://nathanrein.com Nathan

That's exactly right. I care about free speech a lot, but this is anything but a free speech issue. It's not a free speech issue when a sit-com gets canceled because people think it's unfunny or offensive, or because something better comes along. The first amendment applies to the government's actions, not Verizon's. I mean, theoretically I guess, I could make a webcam video tonight in my living room and send it to Verizon, and then blog about the violation of my right to “free speech” when they didn't put it on VCAST. But who would care?
http://www.russellholliman.com treocast

Okay, I'll bite. Where's it written that just because he has a right to say it, Verizon should distribute it?
http://www.mathewingram.com/work mathewi

I think you're wrong, Nathan — in my view it is a free speech issue, and so is the cancellation of a TV show, or the removal of a CD from sale in a store, or a magazine etc. Just because it didn't involve the government doesn't mean it isn't a freedom of speech issue — free speech gets chipped away at in all sorts of ways.
http://www.mathewingram.com/work mathewi

Verizon already agreed to distribute it, but they may change their minds because of the lobbying described in the post. I just think it would be nice if there were some voices on the other side, that's all.
http://nathanrein.com Nathan

Okay, you got me, in two ways.

First, let me revise my claim — it's not a freedom-of-speech issue in the same way as it is when your right to express an opinion is legally impaired. It seems to me that there's an enormous difference between placing restrictions on the expression of certain ideas tout court, on the one hand, and the restriction of the venues in which those ideas can be distributed and promulgated, on the other. In this case, Feldman is of course free to continue making all the vile, racist videos he wants, with or without a distribution deal with Verizon, so there's no impairment to his “freedom” in any absolute sense. But you're right, of course, that whenever someone clamps down on the free flow of ideas because of the potential for giving offense, then there is a different sort of free speech issue involved, and we lurch a bit in the direction of greater self-censorship as a society. Point taken. It's a trade-off. Personally, if I were an executive at Verizon, and I were looking at the situation in the wake of these protests, I'd check out the TechNigga videos, and I'd probably say, “This is not a guy we want our company associated with.” Looked at from that perspective, I have a hard time shedding a lot of tears for Feldman. But of course it's all about the bottom line in the end. You can't really expect Verizon, or any other for-profit company, to go to bat for some vlogger's right to express himself at the cost of losing business.

The other point you make, though, is the comparison to removing CDs from stores. That got me thinking about the differences between different kinds of distribution channels. When I walk into a big record store (yes, that's still what I call them, and yes, I still do frequent them), I have a reasonable expectation that I'll be able to find a representative selection of the music that's “out there.” If one CD among thousands is removed, that smells like censorship to me, and it leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. On the other hand, I have no expectation that a TV network is going to make available to me a representative selection of all the video out there — I don't expect to see, for example, foreign-language TV shows, or two-hour-long documentaries. I expect a careful selection of the best stuff that fits the market they're trying to serve. Given that, the absence of one show doesn't seem quite as obnoxious.

Anyhow, that's just a personal reaction to your comments. Sorry to have gone on so long, but I'm fairly new to this kind of thing.
http://sheenonline.biz Rahsheen

This guy should have the right to distribute his crap…uh…content wherever he wants. This is America, for God's sake. He can post it any place he pleases. The point is, nobody else has to.

I don't understand how it would be a big deal if Verizon sends him along his merry way. It's not like they are preventing him from distributing his racist…uh…radical ideas elsewhere.

They have not pulled his books of the shelves or removed his CD from the record stores. If there is a huge protest against Verizon carrying his content, why would they want it anyway?

If you're music is crap and there is no demand for it, are they forced to carry it in a record store? Does a movie theater absolutely have to play your bad movie that nobody really wants to see?
http://www.mathewingram.com/work mathewi

Rahsheen, if there was a huge and widespread public protest against
something, then I would have no problem with someone not carrying it
in their store or on their service. But I don't like the idea of
companies like Verizon removing content from someone after protests by
a couple of lobby groups, based on a single video from someone like
Loren — a video that was designed to be satirical (whether you think
it succeeded or not).
http://allied.blogspot.com jeneane sessum

It didn't.
http://eckenrodehouse.net n8k99

well there were obviously some voices on the other side in order for him to get the deal in the first place hwever the lobby effort is a market force which is responding,; whether or not it will be effective is another matter, “The Last Temptation of Christ” was still aired in theatres.
http://www.russellholliman.com treocast

What does that mean? You want people to protest Verizon in favor of carrying the content? Or be outraged because Verizon has reconsidered carrying content from someone that would produce and defend “TechNigga?”

Seriously, I'm curious. I really don't see where the controversy is here.
It's not a freedom of speech issue. He is still free to produce whatever content he wants.
Pingback: I Requested That Verizon Drop Their Deal With 1938media | SheGeeks
oldengrey

http://video.knbc.com/player/?id=273355
http://www.stealthmode.com hardaway

Wow. This is a big issue. I think Loren is funny. I even thought TechNigga was funny. But as a veteran of the Lenny Bruce days, I know that this is not fare for large networks. It's a niche product, and I am amazed Verizon would have even considered it. Companies like Verizon MUST go to the least common denominator. Has nothing to do with free speech. Of course Loren can do this, but he should be signing with The Onion.
http://nathanrein.com Nathan

I think Feldman is more Andrew “Dice” Clay than Lenny Bruce, but, hey, de gustibus non disputandum, right? — Sorry, couldn't resist… I realize the discussion isn't really about him…
http://sheenonline.biz Rahsheen

I actually feel what you are saying, but it could be my ignorance about the particulars of Verizon and exactly what their “deal” was with 1939 Media that still makes me disagree.

I have never had Verizon, so I have never experienced the beauty that is VCast. My point is that Verizon is a business, which means it's about money. Part of the fact that people give them money is their reputation. If they become associated with some guy that a large number of people feel is an ass…well, that's not good for business.

This was all over the radio this morning. Everybody and their grandma was calling in saying they would cancel their accounts. We're talking about businesses cancelling, not just individuals. It's unfortunate that this video is old, but somebody dug it up and now this dude's moment of stupidity on the internet could cast a shadow on an entire corporation.
SG

Issue over.

“We regularly review and refresh content on our service, V Cast. Clips from 1938 Media were removed from our service this morning.” — Jan Morris, Verizon spokesperson.

Personally I don't see it as a free speech issue, either. I wouldn't expect that any yahoo can just shoot some video and expect Verizon to carry it.

So the Cnet deal's in the dumper, Verizon throws him overboard, and the clock's reading 14:59…
http://allied.blogspot.com jeneane sessum

Blackface isn't hard to define. Not really. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface#.22Darky…
http://www.agoracom.com AGORACOM

Live by the sword, die by the sword. Immature and tasteless behavior might be popular with cocooned techies that climb over themselves to stroke Feldman in hopes of becoming part of the Feldman/Arrington/Calcanis trifecta – but he sacrificed the mass market.

I wonder how amusing he would have found “Tech Kyka”…not very considering his reaction to Guy Kawasaki for stating he learned to sell from his Jewish friends in the jewelry industry – which is actually a hat tip if you ask me. If a guy told me he learned the best restaurant management techniques from his Greek friends, I'd be fine with that. It's commerce, it's a good thing.

The good news, according to him, is that he doesn't care what anybody thinks as long as clients supposedly keep paying him to provide consulting work.

I personally doubt that. The guy thrives on attention and clearly has aspirations of grandeur that won't be fulfilled outside of the comedy circuit. The only place that might accept his brand of whatever he does.

Yes, I do agree that his content should be accessible from anywhere, at anytime. Just don't expect corporate America to help push distribution for him on their dime.

Live by the sword, die by the sword.
Pingback: 1938 Media Loses Verizon Deal Over Racism Charges
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http://www.krishworld.com/blog/ krishnan

I agree with the freedom of speech argument. But, with that freedom, comes a huge responsibility. If people fail in that responsibility, they should face the consequences. Freedom to hold gun doesn't mean freedom to shoot others. Similarly, freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom to insult others. I am disappointed with your line of argument.
Panamajack

Couldn't have happened to a nicer fellow. Loren likes to publicly spread his hate on everyone: sometimes it's mildy funny (ALWAYS at someone else's expense), more often than not it's highly obnoxious.

One moment he's on Shel Israel like a pitball, Andrew Baron of Rocketboom the next second. What an exhausting waste of time it is to gain a rare chuckle or two.
Pingback: Verizon Reportedly Drops Loren Feldman over TechNigga
Paul Short

You wrote… “Loren should be free to make and distribute his content, and others are free not to watch it. Somehow I doubt that a mega-corporation like Verizon is going to see it that way, however.”

Verizon exercised their right not to be associated with Loren's idea of free speech. Just like “others are free not to watch it,” Verizon is free not to associate themselves with it and the activists are free to protest what they felt was offensive.

As far as I can see here, everyone has exercised their rights quite effectively.
http://www.drewolanoff.com drewolanoff

Verizon didnt do their homework first.

Who would want to deal with them after this? Not me.
http://www.venturebeat.com Eric Eldon

look, i'm at least as hardcore as you are on free speech, mathew. i just don't think it's a free speech issue — as nathan describes in detail, below.

loren felt like making the videos in the first place, verizon no longer feels like distributing them. i mean, what's the alternative? forcing verizon to pay loren to distribute the vidoes?

“free speech gets chipped away in all sorts of ways” is just a slippery slope fallacy away from the government rounding all of us free speech advocates up and shipping us off for interrogation in guantanamo.
Paris

I read on Loren's blog somewhere something about “Michael Arrington was taking on old media publishing, Jason Calacanis was taking on video and Loran was taking on TV”… well Loran I guess TV won but at least you might get a chance to be an intern at TechCrunch.. I hear McDonalds are hiring as well.

There is no place for racism in the world… pretending that its comedy is like putting lip stick on a pig.. its still a pig and its still raciest.

There is no place for racism and there is no place for you. Please go away and do something good and stop existing on demeaning other people.
http://realtech.burningbird.net Shelley

I doubt Feldman was dropped based on a one day protest by small groups yesterday. I imagine that Verizon is finding that outside of the small sphere of webloggers, Feldman really doesn’t have much of a following. Certainly not enough to justify keeping his material when seeing the racist video he created.

As for freedom of speech, Feldman still has the same forum the rest of us have. If Verizon does not carry my text, does that mean my freedom of speech has been abrogated? No, and neither has Feldman’s. Frankly, I’m amazed that anyone watches any of his stuff, he really isn’t very good.

But he has gotten some publicity from this event. So have others. Again.
http://realtech.burningbird.net Shelley

I doubt Feldman was dropped based on a one day protest by small groups yesterday. I imagine that Verizon is finding that outside of the small sphere of webloggers, Feldman really doesn’t have much of a following. Certainly not enough to justify keeping his material when seeing the racist video he created.

As for freedom of speech, Feldman still has the same forum the rest of us have. If Verizon does not carry my text, does that mean my freedom of speech has been abrogated? No, and neither has Feldman’s. Frankly, I’m amazed that anyone watches any of his stuff, he really isn’t very good.

But he has gotten some publicity from this event. So have others. Again.
http://realtech.burningbird.net Shelley

Please don’t compare what happened with Feldman to Lenny Bruce. There is a difference between losing a corporate contract, and being arrested every time you appear on stage.
http://realtech.burningbird.net Shelley

Please don’t compare what happened with Feldman to Lenny Bruce. There is a difference between losing a corporate contract, and being arrested every time you appear on stage.
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http://www.agoracom.com AGORACOM

Krishnan, freedom of speech absolutely gives each one of us the right to insult others. We just have to live with the consequences.

In this case (and this video) I think Loren was foolish and out of line – but I fully support his right to do so.

Regards,
George
http://mikeontv.com MikeonTV

I think you are mistaking Howard Stern for Don Imus. When Howard uses comedy to exploit current issues he does so not to offend but to pinpoint the errors of a person or group. It is also often quite humorous and intelligent.

Anyone can put on a wig and gold teeth and act out a stereotype. But can you do it an not be offensive? Thats Imus' problem and that was Feldmans problem.

That said I think people are overreacting to the video. Poor taste does not mean poor talent. I enjoy the provocative videos, especially in this web world full of awkward geeks.
http://eckenrodehouse.net n8k99

nope i was not confusing Stern for Imus. Imus is just plain terrible, Stern is not funny and is sleazy- that was the reaction i had to techn**** at the time and still. the puppets have been just as sleazy. i dislike “comedy” which is mean spirited and makes fun of other people. that's just negative hating designed to pull someone else down, rather than lifting up the audience. if there's anything our culture needs less of, that is negativity.