Michael Jackson’s Family Upset About His Daughter’s Boyfriend Having “Racist” Pantera Tattoo
The Confederate flag has become a painfully controversial issue in the past couple of years, in no small part due to how many unarmed African American men have been gunned down in states where the flag flies prominently. This has made the symbolism of the flag come into question, and has caused several supporters of the rebel flag to loudly speak their mind, some of whom are total idiots supporting a movement that wanted to overtake their home state.
One band who has been at the center of this controversy is Pantera, an act synonymous with Southern metal and known for displaying the flag on their merch. Some former members of Pantera don’t see the use of the flag as problematic, while others do.
What, you may ask, does this have to do with Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris Jackson? Well, apparently Paris’ boyfriend, drummer Michael Snoddy, is a big Pantera fan, and has a ‘Cowboys From Hell’ tattoo with the Confederate flag behind it.
Here’s a picture of the tattoo from Snoddy’s Instagram:
And here’s Jackson with Snoddy on her own Instagram:
best birthday ever ???? [????:: my baby @nikiberger]
A photo posted by Paris-Michael K. Jackson (@parisjackson) on
According to TMZ, members of the Jackson family are pretty pissed about Snoddy’s tattoo. Snoddy himself has responded with the following:
“I wouldn’t be dating a black girl if I were a racist.”
First off, that’s not true. Just because you’re attracted to someone, or even love them, doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t harbor views against people who share their ethnicity. Saying ‘If this, then this’ doesn’t change the issue at hand, and anyway, you could’ve gotten ‘CFH’ over a cow skull or weed leaf instead. Sorry, Snoddy.
Second, I think the broader problem here is that Michael Jackson was a huge role model for black people, and remains so to this day. So I can understand why his daughter dating a dude with a symbol that connotes, or can connote, the subjugation of African Americans is troubling to the Jackson family. In my opinion, the whole ‘I’m not racist, I just like the symbol and the South’ argument is bullshit, because that symbol was the battle flag of soldiers actively fighting to protect slavery. Even if it’s ironic, you need to own what that flag stands for, and why it would upset people.
Anyway, obviously Paris Jackson is her own woman and can date whoever she wants, even if her father’s family doesn’t like it. I’d welcome her to a world of shit over her boyfriend’s tattoo, but being Michael Jackson’s daughter, I can’t help but imagine she’s navigated this kind of thing her entire life.
[via]
