Your Offense Offends Me

This is an article about the new Die Antwoord video and the fact that, in it, Yo-Landi Vi$$er is painted black. I guess the Rolling Stones got her. ("I see a South African rapper chick and I want to paint it black...")
Okay, the following I say as someone who is not black, nor South African but I'm far more offended by the article telling me I should be offended by something than I am about some broad in minstrel show makeup.
If you have to write several paragraphs explaining why something is offensive, it's not all that offensive.
Or, to put it another way, offense is a natural thing, a gut reaction. A person is either offended by something or they're not. If something requires research in order to be offended by it, it's not offensive.
I don't know the state of race relations in South Africa. I do know that it's 2012 and blackface is impossible to take seriously anymore.
Did The Slate throw a tantrum when they did a blackface gag on Stella, too? I bet they didn't.
The Slate is offended by the new Die Antwoord video. I am offended by The Slate telling me to be offended by the new Die Antwoord video.
To be honest, while I am not necessarily offended, I do think the vicious interpretation of Lady Gaga is uncalled for.
It's fine that they think her music is shitty (I enjoy it, but I'm not everyone) and I really, really respect them for turning down her offer to tour with her. Bands shouldn't tour with people they don't like.
However, the fact that they didn't let it go and made a video that brutally mocks and kills her for committing the horrible crime of ... asking them to open for her (?), that's just unnecessary.
I also really, really, really hate it when music videos pause the song in the middle for dialogue scenes. Music videos are supposed to illustrate the song and you can't do that properly if the song isn't fucking playing.
I also learned that Die Antwoord is not just a Sally's One Hit Wonder; they have at least two songs I like. Fatty Boom Boom is catchy as fuck. Not as good as I Fink U Freeky,



but good enough that I went and downloaded the song (legally, all you governmenty anti piracy watchdogs).

Be seeing you.
-Sally