Amanda Palmer says Macklemore Grammys criticism is a 'race-fueled pile on'

Musician decides to wade in race row

Gaby Whitehill
09:23 29th January 2014

Never one to shy away from a good old-fashioned debate, outspoken musician Amanda Palmer has shared her opinions on the Macklemore/Kendrick Lamar Grammy controversy yesterday (January 28).

Palmer described the criticism aimed at Macklemore, following his wins for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, as a "race-fueled pile up", seemingly defending the rapper.

She also stated the "priveleged (whites/straight/menfolk)" should be able to "fight for change" as well as the "oppressed". Palmer's comments come after Macklemore, along with his production partner Ryan Lewis, swept the board at the January 26 Grammys. The duo's win in almost every rap category caused a stir - with particular anger expressed at their win over Kendrick Lamar in the Best Rap Album category.

saw "12 years a slave" last night (wept. a lot.) thought about recent macklemore/grammys drama. and felt really, deeply sad for america.
— Amanda Palmer (@amandapalmer) January 28, 2014

there was a race-fueled pile-on because people thought he was unqualified to beat out black artists. it just... RT @punkypeggy Macklemore?
— Amanda Palmer (@amandapalmer) January 28, 2014

..more fuel on the fire of a deep-seated, generally unaddressed race problem in america that is simmering loudly getting worse by the second
— Amanda Palmer (@amandapalmer) January 28, 2014

as with feminism -> "[we] have a long way to go, & criticizing allies for 'not getting it perfect' is not going to get us there any faster"
— Amanda Palmer (@amandapalmer) January 28, 2014

12 Years a Slave drove the point home. the privileged (whites/straights/menfolk) MUST be allowed to fight for change. not just the oppressed
— Amanda Palmer (@amandapalmer) January 28, 2014

Below: Amanda Palmer's best quotes - from Miley Cyrus to the Daily Mail:

In an open letter to Sinead O'Connor, on the Miley Cyrus debacle - "I want to live in a world where Miley (or any female musician) can twerk wildly at 20, wear a full-cover floral hippie mumu at 37, show up at 47 in see-through latex, and pose semi-naked, like Keith & co, on the cover of Rolling Stone at 57 and be APPLAUDED for being so comfortable with her body."
An ill-advised poem about Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: "You don't know how it felt to be in the womb but it must have been at least a little warmer than this… You don't know how to stop picking at your fingers… You don't know how precious your iPhone battery time was until you're hiding in the bottom of the boat. You don't know how to get away from your fucking parents."
On the Kickstarter furor, in which she attracted criticism for raising $1.2 million to record a solo album then recruited fans to play for free for her: "I have never in my career embarked on a journey towards controversy. I have never deliberately set a flame. I have never rubbed my hands together and thought, 'This is really going to piss people off.' That is the opposite of what I set out to do."
Mocking the Daily Mail after they published an article about accidentally exposing herself during her Glastonbury performance: "Dear Daily Mail, it's so sad what you tabloids are doing, your focus on debasing womens' appearances devolves our species of humans."
On the break up of the Dresden Dolls, her punk-cabaret project with drummer Brian Viglione: "There are a lot of ways in which Brian and I have nothing in common. I remember saying to Brian - it broke his heart but it was true - this is the one-year point where if you were my boyfriend I would break up with you, but this is a band."
On how she would describe her job title - "A spiritual impresario."
On her relationship with social media - "I love the people on the internet. But I sort of hate the internet itself. I worry that it's killing our souls."