Tesco Vee, right-wing visionary?

Tesco Vee, for those of you not familiar with him, used to sing for an uber-offensive band called the Meatmen. They are one of those bands that are offensive but dropdead funny, so, with my musical tastes that also include GG Allin and Anal Cunt, I must listen to them.

I popped a couple of Meatmen songs into Winamp and forgot about them. Just now, one came on, with Tesco's trademark voice blaring: "There is one thing that burns me up more then bull dykes: all the goddamn diaper-headed foreigners let into our country! Ungrateful, food-stamping Mohammeds makes me wanna make'em dance to the tune of automatic weapon fire! Here it is, the final installment in the suck trilogy, Camel Jockeys Suck!"

I've never met Tesco, so I honestly don't know if his commentary is serious. Coming from a man who once spoke out against Tipper Gore for not outing his band with her PMRC so he could reap millions in the fame and notoriety, I tend to think he's more shock than bite. One thing Tesco is good at, though it playing off common stereotypes purposely to be insulting. That's what makes his music funny - or makes your blood boil.

The song I quoted was recorded in the early 90's, and it was part of a "Suck" trilogy. The two other installmetns were the world famous "Crippled Children Suck" (it's OK to snicker.. I think) and, "French People Suck". ("They still stick the Eiffel Tower straight up their butts!"

Listening to these songs for the first time in years got me thinking, seeing that the same prejudices Tesco joked about are stronger today then at any other time in recent history. Prejudices against foreigns have existed for a while, and I have always found it ironic that people from ethic groups formerly derided has mics, wasps, and wops now spread bigotry to "spics" and "towelheads". And, for some reason, there has always been an undercurrent of French bigotry for as long as I can remember. Living in a state where you can proudly proclaim your Italian heritage but have to face ridicule if you dare to be proud of a French background, I kind of feel like I'm constantly in hiding. But, this French bigotry has always been treated has a joke.

That was until the war in Iraq, then it become serious. And arab bigotry exploded after 9/11, continuing to this day.

It's weird to think that Meanmen songs like, "Camel Jockeys Suck," and "French People Suck," which caused nervous laughter amongst fans and the rest of the country probably would have considered the songs to be childish and sophmoric (which they are), I shudder to think that these songs would now be considered downright patriotic. This, in a nutshell, is what I think about our current attitude as a nation. Don't think, don't question, doing so is tantamount to being unpatriotic. Believe your president and his simple-minded, black and white views: this is a battle between good and evil, they hate our freedoms, etc. Don't worry about all the innocent, tax paying, hard working immigrants we're deporting; they're arab anyways, so that makes them bad. Hate anybody who opposes or questions the American agenda.

What happens whn this attitude takes over? Suddenly, little punk songs like "French People Suck" and "Camel Jockeys Suck" seem less like a joke and more prophetic.