{"id":25021,"date":"2021-06-26T06:25:39","date_gmt":"2021-06-26T06:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rbsitsoftwaresolution.com\/blog\/on-tiktok-black-creators-dance-strike-calls-out-creative-exploitation.html"},"modified":"2021-06-26T06:25:39","modified_gmt":"2021-06-26T06:25:39","slug":"on-tiktok-black-creators-dance-strike-calls-out-creative-exploitation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rbsitsoftwaresolution.in\/blog\/on-tiktok-black-creators-dance-strike-calls-out-creative-exploitation.html","title":{"rendered":"On TikTok, Black creators\u2019 dance strike calls out creative exploitation"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a new Megan Thee Stallion music video<\/a> out in time for triple digit temperatures. But instead of launching a fresh viral TikTok dance for summer, the single inspired an informal protest among Black creators tired of thanklessly launching trends into the social media stratosphere.<\/p>\n

With the release of the video for \u201cThot Shit,\u201d some Black TikTok creators began calling attention to that exploitation this week<\/a>, inspiring others to refuse to choreograph a dance<\/a> to the hit song. The idea behind the movement is that Black artists on the platform create a disproportionate amount of content and culture \u2014 much of which is re-packaged and monetized by popular white creators<\/a> and culture at large.<\/p>\n

The song choice probably isn\u2019t a coincidence. The Megan Thee Stallion video is both a playful but important paean to essential workers \u2014 twerking grocery, food service and sanitation workers, in this case \u2014 and a biting commentary on the wealthy white establishment that exploits their labor without thinking twice.<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/t.co\/hfBdd4xbzo<\/a> THOT SHIT OUT NOW EVERYWHERE \u203c\ufe0f\u203c\ufe0f\u203c\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/y096FWJJNL<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 TINA SNOW (@theestallion) June 11, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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The \u201cstrike\u201d doesn\u2019t have creators leaving the platform or even staying off of the app. Instead, Black creators who might normally contribute dances for the hot new song are sitting back and pointing to what happens when they\u2019re not around<\/a>. (Predictably: not a lot.)<\/p>\n

On the sound\u2019s page<\/a>, some videos tease choreography but pivot into a statement about how Black creators don\u2019t get their due on the app<\/a>. In other videos, Black creators watch on in horror at awkward dance attempts failing to fill the void or laugh about how the song\u2019s lyrics are instructional but non-Black TikTok still can\u2019t figure it out<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The eminently danceable \u201cThot Shit\u201d could build into Megan Thee Stallion\u2019s biggest hit yet, but just looking on TikTok you wouldn\u2019t know it.<\/p>\n

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TikTok launches Jump, a third-party integration tool<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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When reached for comment on the phenomenon, TikTok praised Black creators as a \u201ccritical and vibrant\u201d part of the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe care deeply about the experience of Black creators on our platform and we continue to work every day to create a supportive environment for our community while also instilling a culture where honoring and crediting creators for their creative contributions is the norm,\u201d a TikTok spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

Many TikTok accounts participating in the strike cite a recent explosion of white TikTokkers lip-syncing obliviously<\/a> to a clip of Nicki Minaj\u2019s 2016 song \u201cBlack Barbies\u201d that specifically praises Black bodies<\/a> (\u201cI\u2019m a fucking Black Barbie\/Pretty face, perfect body\u2026\u201d). White TikTok inexplicably flocked to the sound, boosting its popularity and crowding out Black creators.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just one incident in a long history of Black creators feeling exploited and appropriated on social networks. Black TikTok dancers have long been left in the cold: Their original dance moves explode in popularity and get picked up by non-Black creators, who also pick up the credit along the way.<\/p>\n

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The TikTok strike truly is amazing b\/c it shows not only how US pop culture is built on stealing from Black people, but how the music industry depends on this cycle of theft white washing in order to monetize the music.<\/p>\n

\u2014 DEFUND ABOLISH POLICE, REFUND OUR COMMUNITIES (@BreeNewsome) June 24, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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The recent strike is the latest beat in the ongoing conversation over who gets to cash in on the wellspring of creativity that pours out of a platform like TikTok. More broadly, some creators believe that TikTok\u2019s economics are stacked against them<\/a>, even compared to other major platforms like YouTube. Across social media sites, creators, particularly creators of color<\/a>, are turning to collective action and even unionizing to assert their power<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For Black creators tired of seeing their work appropriated, collectively refusing to gift the world a hot new TikTok dance is certainly one way to show just how vital they are to the online ecosystem \u2014 something even a quick glance at the desolate \u201cThot Shit\u201d sound makes abundantly clear.<\/p>\n

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How Fortnite\u2019s dance moves sparked new lawsuits against Epic Games<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Black Innovation Alliance aims to increase Black ownership and shrink the racial wealth gap<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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\u00a0<\/p>\n

Article source: http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/~r\/techcrunch\/social\/~3\/MIbq1qlv8ng\/<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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