Welcome to the latest TGJ Roundtable!
Over the years, That Grape Juice has established a distinguished voice that – whether loved or loathed – sparks discussion, debate, and, on occasion, drama!
Though comprised of seasoned writers who share a similar outlook on Urban Pop culture, the idiosyncrasies of the TGJ team members often lend for quite heated debates “behind the scenes” about the hottest topics.
Now, we give you a front row seat to the show. In a format similar to ‘The View’ or ‘The Real,‘ TGJ editors – Sam, David, Rashad, and Joe – get candid like never before.
Today’s roundtable topic asks each anchor his thoughts on the…
DOJA CAT RACISM SCANDAL
Has your opinion of Doja Cat changed since the videos surfaced?
Sam: This is a hard one to decipher. Because – with Doja being a super new act – I can’t say I had a solidified stance on her in the first place. Both artistically and as a person. I was, however, aware of certain peculiarities she had and I guess these new events make me raise an eyebrow at them the more.
It goes without saying, the accusations and the apparent evidence are extremely concerning.
David: Yes. The videos and the behaviour in them were pretty disturbing and may speak to some unsettling issues she may have had with herself when they were recorded. ‘Say So’ is a great track, so I was disappointed.
Rashad: To be honest, no. Doja has always been problematic. Her views on Blacks and LGBT may have just become public knowledge in light of the recently exposed videos, but there’s nothing in them that she hasn’t said for years. Plus, I’ve never really been a fan. ‘Say So’ was cute, but not so much that I became interested in following her career.
Joe: I can’t say my opinion of Doja Cat has changed. To me, she’s always been on the “edgy” side of things – for lack of a better word. In the past, she has angered PETA, vegans, and the Bardi gang to name only but a few communities.
Should she have addressed the hoopla with an official statement or just let it blow over?
Sam: Definitely right to address it. The storm was too intense and the accusations too urgent for her to even have the option to sit out a response. It was a must.
And controversial as this may sound, whether there was truth to the situation or not, it would always be in her best interest to (attempt to) control the narrative herself rather than let it be spun by the masses.
David: A short and concise statement would have been enough to clear things up.
The video she released afterward, however, to further explain her weird behaviour backfired on a PR tip because her excuses were watery, unconvincing, and failed to explain why she used language and engaged in behaviour designed to denigrate black people.
Rashad: I’m torn, but lean more on the side of “not yet.” Issuing a statement only brought more eyes to a story that seemed to be confined to Twitter and among people who had a strong love or hate relationship with her story. Besides, it’s hard to accept an apology for something that was not only performed openly (i.e. on a chat forum), but done as recently as last week. What exactly are you sorry for? If she hadn’t gotten caught up, she’d still be doing it.
Joe: Her statement tick-boxed everything that needed to be said and I found it appropriate that she would further explain herself on her Instagram later on – talking about that issue as well as other questionable remarks (see: “Beyonkey”).
Will her career survive?
Sam: Honestly, I think so. Maybe not to the degree of promise she had before this, but I can’t see her being banished into the abyss. Not because her actions don’t deserve it, but because I feel people are beginning to get “cancel culture” fatigue.
There’s a certain desensitization attached to the weekly lashings of “someone” for “something” they did “some time” ago.
Additionally, there appears to be a growing appetite to evolve cancel culture into accountability culture. Essentially continuing to rightfully call people out for their BS, while also giving them to scope to respond and grow from it. You know, much like non-celebrities are allowed to in… real life.
Not capping for Doja (in any way), but more so reflecting on cancel culture at large.
David: No. I’m no psychologist, but I sense that some deep-rooted underlying issues with race motivated Doja to socialise with alleged racists and denigrate her own people for a laugh. Now that the world knows about these issues it’ll be hard for her to keep the support of the audience responsible for taking ‘Say So’ to the top of the Hot 100.
Rashad: I could only hope not. Banish her to the same realm of obscurity as the Kreayshawn‘s and Iggy Azalea‘s (whom I actually like). The latter not only did less problematic shit, but she is also a much more consistent performer (sonically) and better packaged (as it relates to music videos). Doja doesn’t feel like someone the industry would miss anyway. Add to this, she will likely find it hard to promote her own material without being quizzed about the scandal in interviews. Similarly, her collaborators will be asked about it too. Nobody wants that kind of attention as association could imply endorsement.
Joe: If she plays her cards right, there is absolutely no reason she won’t survive this. Now, whether that’s a good or bad thing…
For better of for worse, people’s attention span aren’t what they used to be. Also, I’m not sure the lion-share of the casual public – the group that has the actual power to make a song #1 – has caught wind of this scandal.
*****
You guys all shared valid points without any biases 💯 It’s true Doja has been problematic in one matter to another. It was only a matter of time til someone would dig deep and place a nail on her coffin ending her career. It’s like damn Doja “ We we’re rooting for you !” – Tyra Banks voice. Wasted potential all because of ignorance and disdain.
she will survive this. if Tekashi 69 survived after being e P*** and snitching , Nicki marrying a s** offender and having tantrums over Cardi B overshadowing her, Camila Cabello being exposed as a racist, Dabady punching a WOMAN and caught on video, Kevin Hart dropping out of hosting because he didn’t wanna apologize to the LGBTQ then Doja Cat will be fine.
All those people already established themselves though. And tbh, even though they haven’t disappeared completely because of those things you named, their careers have NEVER been the same. Doja hasn’t even kept her momentum for a single yet.
I agree tbh this is her only single that has popped off
Lmao, lord what actually happened to artist development? 😭 She really ruined her own career just when it was starting to take off. I’ve known about Doja for a while now, and she has ALWAYS been this way. What’s so bad is that she’s not problematic because she’s trying to be different, controversial, etc. She’s problematic because she’s naive and ignorant, to the point of laziness. She’s literally been educated on the internet, by a bunch of random, strange men. (This is also a reminder to please monitor what your kids are doing on the internet, even as teenagers.)
And because of this, I don’t think she’s ever been mentally equipped enough to involve herself in anything concerning the many communities she’s done nothing for but offend. You say/do something enough times, eventually you won’t see anything wrong with it anymore, and it will fly out of your mouth without a second thought. And that’s why she doesn’t even know why she did it and why her “apology”/explanation was trash. She probably doesn’t even know why it’s wrong. Sis was just on there the other day. Completely irresponsible and immature. And people like that don’t belong in the public eye. She needs to grow up.
Doja will survive. She going to lose a lot of fans but she wiill survive. She should enjoy the success of ‘Say So’ caise I doubt she will get another chart topper anytime soon
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Doja is a rapper…
Hip Hop artist who bash the black community usually don’t survive. Look at what happened to I-G-G-BYE and Azealia Banks. Her career will never be the same.
This question is absurd in and of itself! If people are okay with Nicki Minaj supporting an abuser and with Tekashi 69 being an actual abuser AND a gangsta-turned-snitch, then they can “get over” Doja being a weirdo. As far as her song, it’s clear that everybody mad over it hasn’t even read the lyrics since she’s obviously flipping the meaning of the term. And if we can flip the N-word we can flip that.
It’s almost like people are just bored on quarantine and coming up with a new celebrity to cancel on Twitter every other day. This ish is exhausting tbh. Haters can stay pressed!
Hell no. She’ll be working at pink taco shortly
“ Doja doesn’t feel like someone the industry would miss anyway.” I’m dead 💀
Her career is dead and it’s right beside iggy and kreyshawn as mentioned above. Bye girl! And that’s girrrrrrl….with a HARD R, b*tch!
Who gives a f*** read isis papers by dr frances. Nobody cares if this race soldier loses her career black folks got bigger things to worry about.
Cardi b didn’t get canceled nor did Takashi so I think Ms Doja will be okay.
Chris Brown literally beat Rhianna nearly to death and left her on the side of road. He’s doing just fine. If Dr. Luke crafts new songs for her that people like, they will not care if she is/was racist or homophobic.
You spent a whole article discussing this b****- questioning her viability to survive?! Balanced article!
Riddle me this TGJ, Camilla, WITHOUT QUESTION does some really racist-ish, and should be cancelled, yet YOU continue to promote her music. Not even staying neutral in the matter by NOT promoting her. You instead ACTIVELY promote the B**** – like nothing happened and supporting her survival.
She’s a CULTURE VULTURE, and no different from the racist white artists of 60’s and 70’s who STOLE black culture thinking it’s cute and in the name of creativity renamed it rock and roll. We see you, I see you – clearly.
To this end, Doja and Camilla can both lick the salt from my sweaty crack – F*** these h**’s. I am done. They both cut from the same cloth.
Yet despite the protests I suspect – you will continue to actively support the likes of 69, Camilla and now doja. So why question her survival, when the likelihood is you’ll continue to support the likes of her REGARDLESS! Clearly money talks, morales, supporting the actual culture dont. Sigh.