Barack Obama criticizes pop culture for promoting the wrong values to young men
By James Hohmann
February 20 at 10:06 AM
THE BIG IDEA: Barack Obama pleaded with a crowd of teenagers on Tuesday night to defy stereotypes about what it means to be a man of color.
“We live in a culture where our worth is measured by how much money we have and how famous we are,” the former president lamented in Oakland, Calif. “I will tell you, at the end of the day, the thing that will give you confidence is not that. I know a lot of rich people that are all messed up!”
Joined onstage by Golden State Warriors basketball star Steph Curry, Obama decried bullying and selfishness while imploring young people who are involved in his My Brother’s Keeper initiative to pursue causes greater than themselves. He explained the concept of self-worth and touted the virtues of being sensitive to other people’s feelings. He criticized materialism and encouraged monogamy.
“If you are really confident about your financial situation, you probably are not going to be wearing an eight-pound chain around your neck because you know, ‘I got bank. I don’t have to show you how much I’ve got because I feel good,’” Obama said. “If you are very confident about your sexuality, you don't have to have eight women around you twerking … because [you know], ‘I’ve got one woman, who I am very happy with. And she’s a strong woman.’”
Obama blamed pop culture for amplifying toxic messages about modern masculinity. “Let’s face it: A lot of hip-hop and rap music is built around me showing how I got more money than you, I can disrespect you and you can’t do nothing about it, I’m going to talk about you and punk you,’” he said. “Ironically, that actually shows the vulnerability that you feel!
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