“PLAYBOY: If you didn’t know you, would you think you’re a douche bag?
MAYER: It depends on what I picked up. My two biggest hits are “Your Body Is a Wonderland” and “Daughters.” If you think those songs are pandering, then you’ll think I’m a douche bag. It’s like I come on very strong. I am a very…I’m just very. V-E-R-Y. And if you can’t handle very, then I’m a douche bag. But I think the world needs a little very. That’s why black people love me.
PLAYBOY: Because you’re very?
MAYER: Someone asked me the other day, “What does it feel like now to have a hood pass?” And by the way, it’s sort of a contradiction in terms, because if you really had a hood pass, you could call it a nigger pass. Why are you pulling a punch and calling it a hood pass if you really have a hood pass? But I said, “I can’t really have a hood pass. I’ve never walked into a restaurant, asked for a table and been told, ‘We’re full.’"
PLAYBOY: It is true; a lot of rappers love you. You recorded with Common and Kanye West, played live with Jay-Z.
MAYER: What is being black? It’s making the most of your life, not taking a single moment for granted. Taking something that’s seen as a struggle and making it work for you, or you’ll die inside. Not to say that my struggle is like the collective struggle of black America. But maybe my struggle is similar to one black dude’s.
PLAYBOY: Do black women throw themselves at you?
MAYER: I don’t think I open myself to it. My dick is sort of like a white supremacist. I’ve got a Benetton heart and a fuckin’ David Duke cock. I’m going to start dating separately from my dick.
PLAYBOY: Let’s put some names out there. Let’s get specific.
MAYER: I always thought Holly Robinson Peete was gorgeous. Every white dude loved Hilary from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And Kerry Washington. She’s superhot, and she’s also white-girl crazy. Kerry Washington would break your heart like a white girl. Just all of a sudden she’d be like, “Yeah, I sucked his dick. Whatever.” And you’d be like, “What? We weren’t talking about that.” That’s what “Heartbreak Warfare” is all about, when a girl uses jealousy as a tactic.”
What killed me is not the “white supremacist” comment- I’ll get to that in a second. Rather, his first mention of black people was completely arbitrary and came from nowhere. The interviewer had to clarify where black people even came into the mix. He could have given that interview without mentioning black people at all and it would have been typical John Mayer antics. But once his foot was already in his mouth, the interviewer just kept feeding him questions to set the rest up. I thought he cleaned up the N-word quite nicely. It was inappropriate but I understood where he was going.
As for the “white supremacist” it is clear he has a preference for “All-American” white girls. Jennifer Anniston is as blue blooded as they come. Most of us have a preference and there’s nothing wrong with that. The word choice was just so poor. Some things just should not be said, not even in jest. The “Benetton Heart” clean up attempt failed miserably. Why he couldn’t just say I have a Benetton Heart but prefer white women or have never dated a black woman is beyond me. Undoubtedly, he has crossed the line, but then again, the cleverness in his wordplay is what makes him so appealing as an artist.
I read the entire article (and encourage you to do the same before you make a judgment) and found this little tidbit at the end an accurate summary, and frankly, understandable:
“PLAYBOY: You said you were just exiting the phase of your life when relationships make you feel guilty. What’s the next phase?
MAYER: People are lining up around the block right now to watch me play music tonight. If some kid called me a douche bag on his terrible blog, I don’t really care. I’m letting myself out of my own prison. I’m not going to be a prisoner to a warden I can’t see. From now on I’m just going to pretend that people really dig the shit out of me. I’ve been so afraid of rocking the boat that I’m not sailing anywhere. I’ve been trying to prove to people I’m not a douche bag by not dating, by keeping my name out of Us Weekly. That’s fucked up, man. I’m not dating. I’m not even fucking. So now I’m going to experiment with “fuck you.” In 2010 my goal is to get more mentions in Us Weekly than ever.”
The whole article just led me to believe his self assessment in “Rolling Stone” was correct. He's slightly crazy, and likes the sound of his own voice. People like him don’t think before they speak and end up saying really ignorant things and alienating a lot of people. So unfortunate.
Shortly after my post, John Mayer posted this on twitter:
Re: using the 'N word' in an interview: I am sorry that I used the word. And it's such a shame that I did because the point I was trying
to make was in the exact opposite spirit of the word itself. It was arrogant of me to think I could intellectualize using it
because I realize that there's no intellectualizing a word that is so emotionally charged.
And while I'm using today for looking at myself under harsh light, I think it's time to stop trying to be so raw in interviews...
It started as an attempt to not let the waves of criticism get to me, but it's gotten out of hand and I've created somewhat of a monster.
And a singer. And a songwriter. Not a shock jock. I don't have the stomach for it.
I wanted to be a blues guitar player. And a singer. And a songwriter. Not a shock jock. I don't have the stomach for it
Any thoughts?
