c/d: revenge of lone white guy

It's not racist, per se, but it is racial - just like there's a racial subtext often found when mall-punks or metalheads or Skynrd fans talk shit about hip-hop (if that still happens today).

Of course, your argument still doesn't hold in AAF's case. "Smooth Criminal" was a pop hit, with little racial connection, and they're a more straight-ahead metal band elsewhere (from what I understand).

What do the BET Awards represent?

Why, it couldn't be the MUSIC played on BET, could it.

ie Good-old whitebread metal-punk taking on that dastardly hip-hop/R&B, showing them black folks how to have a good time "with real instruments."

Is it racist? No, but then, you're the only person arguing "racist."

Right, convincing the black people of the error of their hip-hop/R&B ways, showing them the light of metal (which is predominantly white in musicians, fanbase, and cultural assumption).

"Black music can't be as good/fun/cool as white music!"

If it was just "stop listening to that chart-rap/chart-R&B and listen to us!" - the logical target would be TRL or the VMAs, right? Why the BET awards?

xpost!! yes rap metal acts do have deep connections to rap culture, all the guest verses and riff borrowing and remix comps etc etc, would you be suprised at all if ANYONE from the bet music awards guested on an alien ant farm song?
You've got no argument from me that some, if not many, do. But not all. There's absolutely no reason that a rap-metal band has to have any kind of connection to hip-hop culture (outside of the sounds).

I'd almost guarantee that there's some racist label in the world putting out white supremacist rap-metal. Limp Skrewdriver.

i mean vs tom petty or whatever, fight the real enemy man
I dunno, a lot of classic rockers work with black artists. John Mellencamp had a single with Meshell N'dgocello (I know I just butchered that, but I'm half-asleep), Eric Clapton's album with BB King (and Clapton was known for some racist views/comments at one time, wasn't he?)

2) however

3) the storyboard for this video as it's been presented (NB I haven't seen it) IS full of some interesting racial politics: it may be a commentary on the sanctimony of the orig. U2 rooftop video (pls. no "Let It Be" mentions thanx), but whether it is or not, the band-on-the-rooftop presents itself as outsiders, people not welcome at the party. That the party-goers groove to the band-on-the-rooftop's stuff is an indictment of the party's host, to belabor a dying analogy. Demographically speaking, Alien Ant Farm is Music For White Kids (nb trife, preemptively: yes! I'm sure they have some black fans!), which, from the sounds of it, is being offered up in the scenario described above as "music the BET audience would love...IF BET [and by extension, the culture that supports BET] WOULD LET THEM HEAR IT!!!"

In other words, this is pretty much just rockism in some fancy new clothes, let's hear it for rock & roll everybody

Also, Alien Ant Farm is really, really bad.

And I which this was a thread about the actual lone white guy in hip-hop videos so I could mention the Iconz' "Get Crunked Up".

The bottom line, really.

In terms of the vid, which I too have still yet to see, I don't think it's all that calculated. I think they probably just figured it was an absurd gesture and went with it. I doubt their was any intent to appear disrespectful or confrontational.

(haha this wd explain why alex hates it!!)