# Is Wild Cherry - Play that Funky Music Racist?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 17, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380 "2018-05-17T23:56:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/1 "2018-05-17T23:56:47Z")
Racist? Yes or No? What if the lyric was black boy?
either way, it’s one awesome song. 😉 I love dancing to this groove.
Yeah, they were dancin’ and singin’ and movin’ to the groovin’
And just when it hit me somebody turned around and shouted
Play that funky music white boy
Play that funky music right
Play that funky music white boy
Lay down that boogie and play that funky music till you die
Till you die… (Yeah)
oh, till you die
---
### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/2 "2018-05-18T00:03:56Z")
No.
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### Author:  [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/3 "2018-05-18T00:05:51Z")
No.
Is _Money for Nothing_ homophobic?
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### Author:  [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/4 "2018-05-18T00:06:08Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> Racist? Yes or No? What if the lyric was black boy?
Not racist. If you want to reverse the lyrics, the song would have to be about a black band playing country/western or something.
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### Author:  [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/5 "2018-05-18T00:23:55Z")
No.
Although some radio stations came up with an edited version without “white boy.”
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### Author:  [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/6 "2018-05-18T00:43:50Z")
No, but it sucks anyway.
---
### Author:  [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/7 "2018-05-18T01:26:47Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> Racist? Yes or No? What if the lyric was black boy?
>
> either way, it’s one awesome song. 😉 I love dancing to this groove.
>
> Yeah, they were dancin’ and singin’ and movin’ to the groovin’
> And just when it hit me somebody turned around and shouted
> Play that funky music white boy
> Play that funky music right
> Play that funky music white boy
> Lay down that boogie and play that funky music till you die
> Till you die… (Yeah)
> oh, till you die
Of course it’s racist. Why else would the singer/songwriter chose to identify the funky music player by the color of their skin? Is it imperative to the story line that the singer/songwriter/shouter identify the funky music player by the color of their funky music playing skin? Why else point out the skin color of the person playing the funky music?
Is it to be assumed that white boy can’t, or shouldn’t, be expected to play funky music? And if not, why not? It’s just music. Assuming they have funky talent, anyone should be able to play funky music.
Why did the singer/songwriter chose to identify the funky music player as white?
---
### Author:  [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/8 "2018-05-18T01:54:16Z")
Also a hate crime, wishing death on the white boy.
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### Author:  [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/9 "2018-05-18T02:06:49Z")
The lyrics are based on an actual thing. Wild Cherry was originally a rock band, but then with disco and funk becoming more popular, a fan at one of their concerts shouted to them, “Are you white boys going to play some funky music?”, and that inspired the song?
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### Author:  [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/10 "2018-05-18T11:32:35Z")
Video: [Play that funky music.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFiv9M577a4)
Jesus, that’s cringey. It’s a caricature. I’m half-surprised the lead singer isn’t in blackface.
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/11 "2018-05-18T12:20:16Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#):
>
> Video: [Play that funky music.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFiv9M577a4)
>
> Jesus, that’s cringey. It’s a caricature. I’m half-surprised the lead singer isn’t in blackface.
No no no. The singer should be played by **Will Farrell**.
---
### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/12 "2018-05-18T13:11:30Z")
No. It’s a cool song.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/13 "2018-05-18T13:27:14Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#):
>
> Video: [Play that funky music.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFiv9M577a4)
>
> Jesus, that’s cringey. It’s a caricature. I’m half-surprised the lead singer isn’t in blackface.
Indeed. All these years, having never seen the band or the video, I’ve assumed that the lead singer was a black man.
---
### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/14 "2018-05-18T16:00:27Z")
> [@kunilou](#):
>
> No.
>
> Although some radio stations came up with an edited version without “white boy.”
> [@Ashtura](#):
>
> No.
>
> Is _Money for Nothing_ homophobic?
I’ll skip past the question, but I’ve heard the song on the radio with the ‘faggot’ verse edited out.
When that happens, I find it disappointing, because Weird Al’s take on the Beverly Hillbillies theme is to the tune of “Money for Nothing,” and I like singing his version along with that verse:
_That little Clampett’s got his own cement pond,
that little Clampett is a millionaire._
---
### Author:  [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/15 "2018-05-18T16:03:35Z")
I’m going against the grain and say “a bit”. It’s as racist as the implied putdown of the tellee in the joke “what do you call a black guy flying the plane?” The song assumes there is something “off” with white boys playing funk. On other days, do they shout “play [it] black boys?” Why not?
Do I get upset? Not a bit. How about the movie “White Men Can’t Jump”? That ones bugs me a bit, but mostly because I can’t jump. 🙂
Is Money For Nothing homophobic? Sort of. Just because it is a character using “faggot” as a putdown of someone who he has no way of knowing about, real person Knopfler wrote the song. He could have used a different word, or not used it three times. The character, at any rate, is clearly homophobic.
---
### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/16 "2018-05-18T16:12:10Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#):
>
> Is Money For Nothing homophobic? Sort of. Just because it is a character using “faggot” as a putdown of someone who he has no way of knowing about, real person Knopfler wrote the song. He could have used a different word, or not used it three times. The character, at any rate, is clearly homophobic.
I always assumed the person he wrote the song about( who was real )was quoted directly.
Now does [_this song_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q94GylwS--w) make anyone wince?
---
### Author:  [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/17 "2018-05-18T16:15:06Z")
> [@doorhinge](#):
>
> Of course it’s racist. Why else would the singer/songwriter chose to identify the funky music player by the color of their skin? Is it imperative to the story line that the singer/songwriter/shouter identify the funky music player by the color of their funky music playing skin? Why else point out the skin color of the person playing the funky music?
>
> Is it to be assumed that white boy can’t, or shouldn’t, be expected to play funky music? And if not, why not? It’s just music. Assuming they have funky talent, anyone should be able to play funky music.
>
> Why did the singer/songwriter chose to identify the funky music player as white?
Only on the Dope have I seen so many people so often confusing \*any mention of race \*with racism.
It’s a terrible song, but not racist.
---
### Author:  [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/18 "2018-05-18T16:54:34Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Indeed. All these years, having never seen the band or the video, I’ve assumed that the lead singer was a black man.
Which seems a bit odd to me, given that the whole chorus is about the singer being addressed as “white boy” while being requested to play that funky music.
---
### Author:  [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/19 "2018-05-18T16:54:47Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#):
>
> . . . Now does [_this song_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q94GylwS--w) make anyone wince?
There is some confusement in this thread between songs that are offensive because they’re racist, and songs that are offensive because they suck.
---
### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2018, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-wild-cherry-play-that-funky-music-racist/814380/20 "2018-05-18T17:06:46Z")
> [@jaycat](#):
>
> There is some confusement in this thread between songs that are offensive because they’re racist, and songs that are offensive because they suck.
Not a Violent Femmes fan, eh :D?
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