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True, but I would argue that it's as much a result of poor planning for the event. As grindin stated earlier, poor planning lead to widespread chaos in the city. This would happen for any other major event as well. Idiots and parasites will definitely prey upon others in chaotic, poorly secured environments.
In the end I believe that you could still have this event if you had cooperation between the event planners and local government and plan accordingly. You can establish designated, secured areas for revelers while maintaining order in the rest of the city.
Let's try not to kid ourselves here--Atlanta has always been known as a destination for partying and entertainment, which in part attracts major conventions and conferences from across the world. I truly believe that we have shot ourselves in the foot over the last ten years by clamping down on nightlife in Buckhead, rolling back the bar time, and shutting down after-hours establishments. We gotta be that city again that we were in the 80s and 90s--capable of holding lage events (Olympics...hello?) and showing guests a good time. In doing so, we don't have to accept chaos and anarchy that typified Freaknik towards the mid-90s, but rather elected officials, administrators, stakeholders, and event planners should work together and try to find ways to mitigate any of the negative aspects that may come with it.
I went to spring Break was in Florida... The debauchery that went on there was beyond Crazy. I attended a predominately white college at Georgia Southern and we had wet T-Shirt contests, beer bust (at 18 that was fun, what I could remember), public drunkeness, nudity, sex (yes I said sex), DUI’s, concerts, clubbing, spending, eating, hotels, rental cars, drinking, drugs, gridlock, cruising, looking at the girls, girls looking at the guys, generally fun with some danger....
We were 18-21 year olds, enjoying one another and pushing the envelope because we were young, transitioning from kids to adults and attending college.
That is no different than the kids of today, except that in Atlanta, the minority is viewed as problematic, criminal minded, incapable of accepted (and those rules are on a sliding scale) behavior. A city that is comprised of very educated and successful Black Americans, and home to a few of the most recognized HBCUs in the country. Yet, we cannot underwrite and support this clear expression of youth. We would rather demonize its existence in this city thereby running away much needed revenue, showcasing the city to the brightest minds and encouraging them to move here and add to our base, showing off the city to the world which could lead to more companies and JOBS to the area for its openess and acceptance. Incredible that something that works for a town, considerably smaller than Atlanta, has the desire to host an all out party for college aged students (note the term), than a city the size of Atlanta to host a smaller version of that party to students, who are called thugs and gangsters, and enforces police crackdowns at the mere sight of them.
I say let Freaknic return. Embrace it. Mayor Reed you NEED revenue in this town. Those who oppose it, stay out of the town for those 3 days if it so upsets you. Most who oppose this don’t even live in the city proper anyway. Get over the hate folks.
True, but I would argue that it's as much a result of poor planning for the event. As grindin stated earlier, poor planning lead to widespread chaos in the city. This would happen for any other major event as well. Idiots and parasites will definitely prey upon others in chaotic, poorly secured environments.
In the end I believe that you could still have this event if you had cooperation between the event planners and local government and plan accordingly. You can establish designated, secured areas for revelers while maintaining order in the rest of the city.
Fine. Taken what you said into consideration, can you post any data that shows:
1. Freaknic profited the city.
2. That there minimal arrests.
3. Successful enough (on many levels) to warrant another one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by theATLien
Exactly if we can host the All-star game, Superbowl, multiple conventions, and the freakin olympics... we can figure out how to work out a mere spring break bash...
Again, let's look at the crowds these events bring:
The people who come to the events in bold, pay to travel from point A to come to Atlanta to rent a hotel room, go to restaurants, go to local hotspots, touristic events, etc. It only makes sense to have these types of venues here. They're profitable, and don't create issues, like Freaknic.
Look at the money the Black hairshow brings to Atlanta. Why haven't they been kicked out?
Because:
1. It's a very profitable event for the hotels, restaurants, night clubs, parking lots, shopping malls. Locals and out of towners both spend money to have a good time around that time.
2. It doesn't bring the thug element to the city in droves, either.
It's not the same as the young kids who pack up in the Monte Carlo, or the Donks these days , with hardly any money to spend. (cramming into one hotel room, eating local fast food, and not putting money into the economy). Prove otherwise, and I'll keep an open mind.
They won't spend the money the other groups spend for the other events do. Again, let's bring on the facts to prove otherwise. Bring on the data.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chiatldal
“thug Life” the only rapper to even used the phrase “thug Life” is Tupac, and even Tupac who coin the phrase defined it metaphoric for something else tupac was a militant political rapper. Like I said you probably can‘t even name ten rappers but I can easily name 10 non gangster rappers. Lupe fiasco, Mof Def, Common, Wale, Chamillionaire, André 3000, big boi, Kayne west, lil mama, and Drake all non gangsters rapper just a few names do you want me to name more artist? Your only stereotyping and generalizing stating things that you have no clue about “hip-hopper”? Again for your standard on non violence I hope you don’t watch violent film Action-Horror or read violent books.
Again, I agree with most of the list. You're right, none of these are violence promoting artists. There are plenty more (You forgot Talib Kweli, Little Brother, NBS, Murz, J-Live, Panacea etc).
Want me to name some more?
I love all sorts of music, hip hop being one of them. But again, these are the few that don't spew ignorance. There are more idiots in mainstream hip hop that get to be heard on the radio than talented ones.
But the crowd doesn't listen to the talented ones, as much as they do Gucci Mane and other clown rappers.
These days, it's more about materialism than violence, but it still does the youth a great disfavor. Not much intellectual or informative topics. It's a joke at best. You and I know it.
I was at the Mos Def concert, last August at the Tabernacle. It was great. The crowd these types of rappers bring is not the thug element. By looks alone, I'd say it was an even crowd, of Blacks, Whites, trailed by a few Asians.
If you want, I can DM you some pics. No fights, just mature people having fun. But try having a Gucci Mane concert, and it may be a different story. Nothing but thug elements, and birds. You know it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chiatldal
And those even't aren't really organize either, you missing my point and being Pessimist, My whole idea, is "that there was a side to Freaknik that definitely wasn't the original intent and purpose of what Freaknik was supposed to be. "
You are right, and I said before. The intended crowd was not who ended up makin the event the disaster it was. But you have to admit. You put anything with women shaking their tails, ghetto hip hop, money, drugs, and you'll get the same results everywhere. Refute that, you cant.
Quote:
I never said anything about race and everything I said was base on who attends and not everyone who attends probably 95% of the people who attend Hiphop events aren't thugs. So the "thug element" is the straw man the nay sayers needed. Posters went way away from criminal and then into generalization people which isn’t justify no matter how you try. In there mind hiphop = thug which is irrational and keep generalization with circular reasoning.
I don't know if I want to agree that 95% aren't thugs. I will say that it depends on who the performers are, and what type of crowd attends.
Again, I told you about the Mos Def concert in Atlanta, last August. There were plenty of whites, blacks, (and mixed people, yours truly ) having fun without incident. There were no cameramen from the local news talking about shootouts, or groping of women. Again, we agree on certain points.
Quote:
Isn't that most of TV? OMG there Literally! Literally! Literally! a genre of film call horror. Where millions of people go to theaters to see gore and then sun morning show up in church. As far uncut videos that is meant for adult anyway! As for mainstream videos literally show model standing nothing you can't see in sports illustrated.
Right, but you don't have millions of teens acting like Jason and Freddy, once they live the Cinema. They know it's a horror movie, and leave it alone.
Now for the hip hop crowd, you have teens, and grown men acting as if they were gangsters themselves. Let's not get started on the women who promote it as well . Many live and/or glorify that ignorance. Big difference. better yet, huge difference.
Quote:
Drugs let me tell you a story when I stayed out in a suburb of Dallas I knew a kid who stole science equipments from the school to weigh his drugs. This bugs me cause I don't do drugs But that the teen culture out there they listen country and rock music, some skate board, alot got high this had nothing to with hiphop or urban culture. They use to come to me with these skate board Magazines showing these name brand skate board clothing, shoes and $200 skate boards. If urban culture is like "House Party" suburban culture is like "American Pie".
No one denied one group doing drugs, while another didn't. I don't think this is part of the topic. House Party pales in comparison to what "southern urban" culture is these days. Trust me, most people wish young "urban culture" was like House Party.
Now it's thug-o-rama. (shaking my head). Sorry to sound like but, I hate what mainstream hip hop is like these days.
(Again, some are going to get mad at me, but Southern, ghetto hip hop culture set back young black culture, that's right I said it . Ignorance has not been promoted in the past, like it is being done now).
Quote:
Again with cars I know there a import scene, Hot rod and muscle car scence, Urban car scene, I don’t care for expensive cars I’m more into old school slab or dunks if don’t know what this is sorry. But as far as expensive and materialism goes. Rappers wasn’t the only celebrities on MTV cribs, E!, VHI and a lot the media is dedicated to making the middle class jealous. All the things you state doesn’t begin or end with hiphop and urban culture.
I'm a car guy myself. Not into Donks. Can't stand those, but it's still car culture. I respect it for what it is, although I find them beyond ugly.
And you're right. All the media is doing (MTV, VH1, BET, which is owned by the same group), is cashing in on the youth's ignorance and semi-innocence.
i honestly think atlanta has outgrown freaknik. it's time for the city to move onto higher heights than hosting parties that throw the whole city out of whack. spaceships don't come equipped with rearview mirrors
y'all are seriously willing to put up with ridiculous havoc for a bunch of college brats? if i was an intown resident, that would be out of the question. and people can say all they want, but those of us who are older know good and well that 18-21 year olds in large numbers spells TROUBLE. no matter what color they are
i honestly think atlanta has outgrown freaknik. it's time for the city to move onto higher heights than hosting parties that throw the whole city out of whack. spaceships don't come equipped with rearview mirrors
y'all are seriously willing to put up with ridiculous havoc for a bunch of college brats? if i was an intown resident, that would be out of the question. and people can say all they want, but those of us who are older know good and well that 18-21 year olds in large numbers spells TROUBLE. no matter what color they are
I have to agree with this statement. I would also like to add that most of the people that attended this event back in the day have completely out grown this type of event.
It didnt affect the economy before and it probably wont affect it in the future... And we still can be a full time buisness city with excetional night life and big fun events we do it all the time with when we host other big venues. freaknic, mardi gra, Carnival etc , I would want our city to have things like that just as fast as we can get a all star weekend, super bowl ,olympics..
I hope they bring it back, but in a more safe manner for the city. We could use something like this and the city does need the revenue. Atlanta is not a hot spot tourist destination like it used to be and its fast growing a reputation as a boring city.
I went to spring Break was in Florida... The debauchery that went on there was beyond Crazy. I attended a predominately white college at Georgia Southern and we had wet T-Shirt contests, beer bust (at 18 that was fun, what I could remember), public drunkeness, nudity, sex (yes I said sex), DUI’s, concerts, clubbing, spending, eating, hotels, rental cars, drinking, drugs, gridlock, cruising, looking at the girls, girls looking at the guys, generally fun with some danger....
We were 18-21 year olds, enjoying one another and pushing the envelope because we were young, transitioning from kids to adults and attending college.
That is no different than the kids of today, except that in Atlanta, the minority is viewed as problematic, criminal minded, incapable of accepted (and those rules are on a sliding scale) behavior. A city that is comprised of very educated and successful Black Americans, and home to a few of the most recognized HBCUs in the country. Yet, we cannot underwrite and support this clear expression of youth. We would rather demonize its existence in this city thereby running away much needed revenue, showcasing the city to the brightest minds and encouraging them to move here and add to our base, showing off the city to the world which could lead to more companies and JOBS to the area for its openess and acceptance. Incredible that something that works for a town, considerably smaller than Atlanta, has the desire to host an all out party for college aged students (note the term), than a city the size of Atlanta to host a smaller version of that party to students, who are called thugs and gangsters, and enforces police crackdowns at the mere sight of them.
I say let Freaknic return. Embrace it. Mayor Reed you NEED revenue in this town. Those who oppose it, stay out of the town for those 3 days if it so upsets you. Most who oppose this don’t even live in the city proper anyway. Get over the hate folks.
I disagree with much of your post. The fact that you'd suggest people leave the city for three days is complete BS and enough of a reason to never have this sad event come back here. If Freaknik was relegated to one area of the city then it would not bother me, but it was a roving roadblock that could pop up anywhere at anytime. Frankly, I don't give a crap what color the people are who cause traffic nightmares. They suck.
The way you describe Florida Spring Break was what I was expecting after two different years at Ft. Lauderdale in the mid-80's, but I didn't see much more than people getting drunk and some traffic jams near the beach. I'm pretty sure people who lived a couple of mile aways from the beach didn't have to deal with the same traffic mess Atlanta experienced. And didn't some of these Florida vacation spots try and scale back the partying?
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