Comments on: Drank Beverage Drink?! REALLY?!

By: darrell.holmes

darrell.holmes — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:22:48 +0000

Matterz – I can’t fully answer that question but i think part of the appeal to a relaxation drink is two-fold. First, I think we all want to “getaway”. The thought that a drink can help you escape your every day is appealing. Many people are unhappy with their lives or a current situation. That’s why alcohol, movies, music, Calgon, etc. are so popular. They can all act as a sanctuary from the pressures of every day. There’s nothing wrong with a quick “staycation” from your day. It becomes problematic when the vacation becomes the main stay in the form of marital problems and/or alcohol or drug dependence. My problem with Drank is they choose to make that personal weakness a selling point which is wrong.

Second, Drank has an appeal because it’s “bad” and wrong and their marketers wisely take advantage of that. It isn’t under FCC guidelines and is marketed in a cult/underground fashion. They want you to think that by drinking Drank you’re living on the edge.

If you choose to drink Drank let me know how you like it. I think I’m going to continue to stay away.

By: Matterz

Matterz — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:00:47 +0000

darrel, I love the depth of these debates and I am (for the most part) very much on your side. Why then do I still want to purchase this beverage???
is it because it might supply me with a euphoric getaway or is it because im black?

By: darrell.holmes

darrell.holmes — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 16:41:42 +0000

Beavis…I am totally a jerk. You should read some of the rest of the stuff I’ve written here.

By: darrell.holmes

darrell.holmes — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 16:40:12 +0000

Anon…
A few things:
1)I disagree with your comment about A-A’s not being minorities anymore. We can easily define minority as opposite of majority. A-A’s are even LESS the majority now than ever. In terms of international impact, we make a very small vibration outside of the performance industries. Even with an A-A POTUS we are less relevant now than ever. Numbers-wise the Catholic-based Hispanic community dwarfs us and have ever-growing cache and voice. They simply lack the years of institutional play that we’ve had longer b/c of history in America. When you look internationally, Brazil, Russia, India, & China(the BRICs) are the emerging “minorities” who will greatly impact the next 25 years of our world.
2)I chose to write an article denouncing what I view to be an attempt to capitalize on a drug culture in our community and re-package it as though it is acceptable when it is not. So often we overlook insensitive issues like this one as “just a drink” when the unconscious impact to our society is totally missed. We accept what should be unacceptable and say “everyone should calm down and get over it”. We lose our mores because some people are just too sensitive. We become afraid to stand up because that requires the ability to stand alone. At some point a line in the sand must be drawn. Kudos to Theo for the website and finding his line in the sand.
3) We can and should challenge the POTUS regardless of his race. Many of us stood on his side simply because of his race and that is stupid. I did listen to his policies and agreed with his political plan. I don’t agree with everything he does and too many people are too quick to, again, polarize those who do because he’s Black. I think he’s doing a very good job, not great, and I pray much of what he’s trying to institute and fight for is in place 10 years from now b/c I doubt he will be re-elected.

Thanks for the discussion everyone.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 04:56:23 +0000

I stumbled across this blog while playing around on the internet at work and I’m acctually shocked at how deep some of these responses have become for an energy or non-energy drink whatever its classified as at how something like a drink can send off a slew of racial debates. Yes I do know that the term “drank” when I first heard it came from an african american in a hip hop song but does that imply that it is a mockery of the entire race. This is what our country has come to. Hell even the recent election we had was a superficial one they even went so far as to compare MEDICAL HISTORIES of the two candidates which is a huge hippa or privacy violation for it scares me to think that a lot of people only voted for our current president because of his race because its an obsession of our country’s. Don’t get me wrong I’m all for a minority, well I wouldn’t say african americans are minoritys anymore but some people still classify anything other than white males as that, in office I don’t necessarily support some of obamas decisions but that’s a different debate as a female in a profession that is male dominant I’m all for it but race shouldn’t be a deciding factor. The extremes of racism have decreased dramatically however it seems that EVERYTHING no matter how minute or miniscule has to do with race. I don’t agree with some people who say racism is dead its still very prevalent in our society its just not only one race its all races. I’ve never understood the term reversed racism toward caucasians why is it reversed just because its towards whites racism is racism no matter what ethnicity is being attacked or even portrayed that seems to be offensive now a days just the portrayal of races. Our society is entirely too fixated on being offended when in all reality they need to step back and look at this drink something so tiny and realize that the company chose a market to target that is most prevalent. Hip hop is one of the most popular genres of music so its going to spread like wildfire if you target an ever growing industry its about money not mockery. I don’t think this drink is a safe thing anyways people are already exhausted from being overworked and I believe it will only be a risk because there are stupid people out there who will abuse it there’s already people here wanting to get high from it I mean come on now.

By: beavis

beavis — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:55:00 +0000

wow u guys are jerks, u are back on race on a drinks blog spot holy crap knock it off

By: darrell.holmes

darrell.holmes — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:05:06 +0000

Sean,

Thanks for your post and I hope you visit the site more in the future. I don’t know if I’d quote this site for any of your future papers. We’re just a buncha hacks that are gonna get you an “F” if we’re referenced!

By: Sean

Sean — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:50:15 +0000

Wow, odd that i’vefound this website and topic being i just finished a semi-related essay for english class. The topic of the essay was has Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream become a reality?
The short version of my answer was no, and looking a simple statistics on hate crimes which can be found on the FBI website as well as discrimination charges published by the EEOC it obvious that not only has the dream not come true, it mayhave gotten worse due to the homosexual fights going on. I tried to make a point that what has been forgotten about Dr. King’s speechs, writings, and teachings was he was preaching equality for ALL. Not just black or white, man or woman, gay or straight, everyone.

I also agree with your point that to many people pretend it doesnt exist and do more posturing about how open minded and progressive they are when the first time someone of the opposite race disparges them, they are screaming racial slurs. We as a people need to realize we cannot legislate tolerance for anyone. However i find it somewhat encouraging withthe rise in profile of inter-racial relationships as i feel this shows the ultimate expression Dr. King was trying to get to, love. When one doesnt notice a skin color and only the person underneath that is where the dream has come true.

I see im only helping in completely derail the topic from DRANK.

Well i found DRANK in a little store in Baton Rouge (i was looking for True Blood) and found it funny but also bought a can as i do have sleeping/relaxation problems and do not have health insurance or do any sort of drugs. I most certainly cant drink myself to sleep every night because that is really not healthy. Any way it tasted like purple ass and theres half a can of it making its way down my drain right now. Worst of all i am still awake aren’t I? I havent seen much of the marketing behind it aside from the can itself but i kind of agree with how its pandering to the lowest common denominator. Speaking of marketing have you noticed, for instance, the two different sets of AT&T commercials. One is a “regular” commercial with a mix of people populatingit. THe other has a low key hip-hop beat to it and stars nothing but black people. Its subtle but it aired within minutes of each other while i was flipping channels. Do you see this as part of the problem as I do? Its a bit extreme but its like we’ve gone from seperate water fountains to seperate marketing segments.

By: Darrell.holmes

Darrell.holmes — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:38:16 +0000

Jake, I can appreciate your comments but you don’t live in a world that is realistic. We’ve discussed almost to the point of nausea how pervasive “racism” is today and how it always has been in many ways. If you decide to support Drank then that is your prerogative. I find it racially insulting if not offensive and that’s my view. I will likely find it a way to live through that.

As far as racism itself, Theo hit the nail on the head. I can’t and likely won’t ever understand the frustration and issues you feel living your life as a “Irish-Scottish-German-American”. In the same way, you can’t tell me that I do not and have not dealt with real, hardcore, institutionalized RACISM in my childhood, youth, and adult lives. That’s because you don’t live in the same America I live in. I nor you can not change the impulse thoughts and feelings we all have through the experiences we all go through in our individual lives. When we act upon those prejudices and use them to deprive, limit, bias, demean, or deny opportunities of equal practice against people of color THAT is racism. When we do so in a government or corporate setting THAT is institutional racism.

Couple all those factors with the fact that peoples of color are more than just ethnic minorities but also suffer the “double punch” of having visual markers that accentuate their ethnicity. To the point you raised, our people continue to fight in a respect though that fight is not in the marches or on the street. My mother is only 59 and she’s lived through “separate but equal”, the March on Washington, the Voting Rights Act, etc. Even though those pictures and photos are black and white many of those events were only 40 to 50 years ago. Forty years isn’t long enough to wipe out over 500 years of a mindset of inferiority towards people of color.

If all this makes you feel uncomfortable, try having a truly open talk with some of your Black friends and ask them to be truly open to you or share in the discussion here.

By: theo.johnson

theo.johnson — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:19:11 +0000

“And to rephrase a previous comment, I do feel that the only reason racism is still discussed is because blacks constantly bring it up for no reason.”

I have to disagree with you on this one. While racism isn’t NEARLY what it used to be, it does still exist. It’s just not as open as it used to be. I try to be pretty strict when it comes to throwing the racism card because in most cases it’s just someone being insensitive or just plain dumb. Stereotypes can easily be construed as someone being racist (although I don’t see it that way). I do think this country has become too PC and that forces people to hold back their true feelings. If I weren’t black, I’d probably feel the same way as you in regards to race. But saying it doesn’t exist when I have no clue what it’s like to live as a black person doesn’t make for a strong arguement. The overwhelming majority of black people don’t care about payback and understand that hard work and determination breeds success. Race will always be an issue because we live in a world of stereotypes. People form opinions based on their previous interactions with the person they are encountering.

We’re going to read into this post differently because of our different life experiences. It wouldn’t be smart marketing to say it’s for a certain group of people. But if you look at the marketing around the product, most of it does seem to have a “hip-hop-like” theme. Words like drank, lean, syrup, purple stuff make me think hip-hop. And most of those words I’m pretty sure have some from the black side of H-Town. But that’s just my opinion (http://www.prohiphop.com/2009/01/drank-inventor.html).

Jake, thanks for commenting though. It definitely adds to the purpose of the blog.