Whiteness

♪♪ Welcome to ALL ARTS' presentation of the 2023 Artist In Residence program.

I'm James King.

Reflecting the silliness, anxieties, and severities of skin color, Paul Pinto and Kameron Neal's "Whiteness" is a whirling set of music videos, stories, songs and poems on the madness of racial identity.

In this film, written and performed by Paul Pinto, a mixed-race American, we bear witness to Paul's funny inner dialogue on self-identification.

Kameron Neal's engaging animation of a chorus of floating heads draws us into this visual cantata.

Moving, oftentimes hilarious, "Whiteness" is a diatribe on privilege, appropriation, and the history of whiteness.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Indiscernible cacophony ] ♪♪ [ Cacophony crescendoes and stops abruptly ] [jingling bells] ♪ Hi ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I'm glad ♪ ♪ O, I'm glad ♪ ♪ O ♪ ♪ I'm glad you're here ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Glad you decided to stay ♪ ♪♪ ♪ It's warmer now ♪ ♪ Now that you're back ♪ ♪ And with all the [bleep] ♪ ♪ Happening in the world ♪ ♪ O, I dreamed about you ♪ ♪ And I'm glad I did ♪ ♪ Get comfortable ♪ ♪ Because you make this place comfort ♪ ♪ For me ♪ ♪ You make this place safe ♪ ♪ For me ♪ ♪ You make it worth staying around ♪ ♪ So.. ♪ ♪ I'm glad ♪ FACTS!

[ Autotune warbling ] ♪♪ FACTS!

Fact: In 1870, the United States Census Bureau was predominantly staffed and operated by white Americans.

[ Echoing ] That's a fact.

FACTS!

Facts: Also in 1870, the passage of the 15th Amendment, the first openly Black member of the U.S. Congress, the invention of the firepole, Georgia rejoins the Union, the Pope declares papal infallibility, and Rome is sacked by an army of running trumpet players.

That's just for context.

-FACTS!

-Facts.

Give me those sweet little facts.

The U.S. Census of 1870 categorized its population into five races: white, Black, mulatto, Chinese, and Indian.

It was the first U.S. census to exclude the categorization of "slave" versus "free."

FACTS!

Women still couldn't vote though.

Fact: But rebels could!

FACTS!

The first Brazilian census, still a slave state in the 1870s, categorized with colors instead of races: white, black, brown, copper.

According to the Brazilian soap opera "Nos Tempos do Imperador"... Ooh, gotta get those facts.

The smooth-talking, mustachioed emperor Pedro the Magnanimous has the idea to create a national census while slow dancing with his woman.

-Esa e uma optima idea.

-Facts.

-Ooh, girl... -Fact.

-When you grind on me... -Slow dancing is, like, it makes me think of statistics.

...a matter of opinion.

-FACTS!

-Fact.

Magnanimous could do whatever he wanted, census-wise and other-wise, without the approval of King Luis of Portugal, because Brazilians had freedom.

-FACTS!

-Fact.

Except slaves -- Brazil still had slaves.

FACTS!

Fact: The white playwright William Shakespeare wrote "Hamlet" between many, many toilet breaks.

Gotta have those facts.

Facts: The Brazilian soap opera "Nos Tempos de Imperador" was not written by William Shakespeare.

FACTS!

♪♪ -FACTS!

-King Luis translated "Hamlet" into Portuguese.

He used the toilet more often than any other Portuguese monarch of the 1870s.

-FACTS!

-Fact: White Danes use the bathroom more than any other ethnic group in Denmark.

Fact.

-FACTS!

The [bleep] corporation was created in the midst of European fascism to be a capitalist vehicle for white Danes to spread plastic into poor farming communities.

It later grew into a tool which could sow discontent among non-voting youth regarding possession, manufacturing hierarchy, skin color, and cultural awareness of short Latin phrases in a post-Vatican II society.

Facts!

Fact: No-flush toilets save a ton of water.

That's just a fact, baby.

-FACTS!

-The character of Hamlet derives from the 12th century chronicler Saxo Grammaticus, who scribed volumes of pseudo-histories designed to, quote, "glorify the fatherland," unquote.

-FACTS!

-Facts.

Fact: From now on, "going to toilet" will be known as "glorifying the fatherland" FACTS!

Shakespeare never "glorified the fatherland" with a flush toilet, since it was invented in the late 16th Century.

C'mon!

♪ Okay ♪ ♪ I'm almost forty ♪ ♪ I'm ♪ ♪ Almost forty ♪ ♪ And I think ♪ ♪ I'm ♪ ♪ Just now.. ♪ ♪ Like ♪ ♪ Today ♪ ♪ Just starting to understand the idea ♪ ♪ That America -- ♪ -America!

♪ Might be a white space ♪ ♪ That ♪ ♪ The catch-all ♪ ♪ Of European Settler Colonialism ♪ ♪ of the rum-rum-rum-rum century ♪ ♪ Is the most notable ♪ ♪ Coloration ♪ ♪ Of the continent ♪ ♪ And ♪ ♪ The most notable ♪ ♪ Cause for myself ♪ ♪ And my brothers ♪ ♪ To rage ♪ ♪ To rage, to rage ♪ ♪ Upon the blank canvas ♪ ♪ On which ♪ ♪ On which ♪ ♪ We paint ourselves ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ Some people ♪ ♪ Believe America is a white space ♪ ♪ As if ♪ ♪ America ♪ ♪ Was a blank canvas ♪ ♪ Upon which to paint ourselves ♪ ♪ As if ♪ ♪ Whiteness was a blank canvas ♪ ♪ Upon which to paint ourselves, and I'm like ♪ [ Indiscernible cacophony ] ♪ I'm not ♪ ♪ 100% sure ♪ ♪ What a white space ♪ ♪ Is ♪ ♪ Because ♪ ♪ I'm not ♪ ♪ 100% sure ♪ ♪ What whiteness is ♪ ♪ It feels easier ♪ ♪ To define ♪ ♪ What it is ♪ ♪ To be non-white ♪ ♪ Than what it means ♪ ♪ To be white ♪ ♪♪ ♪ To be non-white ♪ ♪ Is ♪ ♪ To share common enemies ♪ ♪ Such as: Puritanism ♪ ♪ Saviorism ♪ ♪ European Settler Colonialism ♪ ♪ Of the rum-rum-rum-rum century ♪ ♪ Taxes, landlords ♪ ♪ ICE, Coca-Cola ♪ ♪ The MoMA ♪ ♪ The Church ♪ ♪ Procter & Gamble ♪ ♪ Her Majesty ♪ ♪ The TSA ♪ ♪ Nixon ♪ ♪ Measles ♪ ♪ The open ocean ♪ ♪ Plain-clothes officers ♪ ♪ Bed Bath & Beyond ♪ ♪ Tarot Cards, mayonnaise ♪ ♪ Death metal, all sports except soccer ♪ ♪ Death Cab for Cutie, the state of Florida ♪ ♪ Outer space, Mickey Mouse ♪ ♪ Wendy's, NASA "Magic the Gathering" ♪ ♪ The TSA, Mormons Taco Bell ♪ ♪ "Legends of the Fall," Tom Clancy novels ♪ ♪ The House of Lords, the designated hitter rule ♪ ♪ White space ♪ Those spaces... ♪ White race ♪ Are so sapped of hue... ♪ White washing ♪ ♪ That they move ♪ ♪ From the realm of shade ♪ ♪ White face ♪ ♪ To translucence, to transparency ♪ ♪ With White water ♪ ♪ To outright absence ♪ ♪ The White way ♪ ♪ Of what?

♪ ♪ Of color?

♪ ♪ White flight ♪ ♪ Of what?

♪ ♪ White might ♪ ♪ Of culture?

♪ ♪ White money ♪ ♪ Of shared history?

♪ ♪ White means ♪ ♪ Well... ♪ ♪ White wants ♪ ♪ That's godhood, baby ♪ ♪ What white wants ♪ ♪ Is that what we make of this deity?

♪ ♪ When white wears ♪ So unnervingly... ♪ ♪ White jeans ♪ ♪ Unseen ♪ See, even with global warming, I'm an optimist.

♪ What 'bout my narrative?

♪ ♪ What is my narrative?

♪ ♪ I want a narrative ♪ ♪ That makes a diff'rence from the other narratives ♪ ♪ I want a story to tell, I want an angle to sell ♪ ♪ I want stick to the story ♪ ♪ That I've been the only Brown one in the room ♪ ♪ But not in Brazil, no, I didn't ♪ ♪ Feel this way in Brazil, no ♪ ♪ No one looked at me strange in Brazil, no ♪ ♪ 'Cause I've never been to Brazil ♪ ♪ Whoa ♪ ♪ I want a narrative t'use when I must ♪ ♪ Wanna whip it out at parties n' such ♪ ♪ Wanna whip it out in front of a judge ♪ ♪ Wanna whip it out if I'm ever in custody ♪ ♪ Primed for a fight since 11 years old ♪ ♪ Can't wait to serve on a jury to show ♪ ♪ Judgy McJurist that I'm on a roll ♪ ♪ Reading the times in the morning and quo- ♪ ♪ -ting the newspaper of note with a story ♪ ♪ I'm told I've been told and been told ♪ ♪ Who are my countrymen?

♪ ♪ Where has my country been?

♪ ♪ What 'bout my country when the mass ain't ♪ ♪ The mass ain't the mass ain't the masses ♪ ♪ If change is coming, then, who are my countrymen?

♪ ♪ Who are my countrymen?

What has my country been ♪ ♪ Tellin' the colors who come to my country and ♪ ♪ Then if my country is lying to us ♪ ♪ When, if my country is still in the past is it ♪ ♪ Ready to shake itself up and to wake itself up and to add ♪ ♪ To the transience, adding the transients in transit ♪ ♪ Adding more Brown to the palette ♪ ♪ Adding a verse to the national anthem, and ♪ ♪ Sing of the nature to nurture the needy, and ♪ ♪ Needlessly nice while flashing a badge and a gun ♪ ♪ Greeting my people who trod ♪ ♪ Through the desert and buried ♪ ♪ Their dead in the sun ♪ -♪ Oh, yeah ♪ ♪ When I'm in traffic I roll through the roleplay ♪ ♪ In case there's a badge and a gun ♪ ♪ Woo!

He pulls me over ♪ ♪ One, two ♪ ♪ I put my hands on my Hyundai Accent ♪ ♪ See him approach in my rear-view ♪ ♪ I'm sweating like a pregnant farm animal ♪ ♪ Tap on the glass -- yeah?

♪ ♪ Lower the glass ♪ ♪ Yeah, g'day, officer ♪ ♪ Look at his badge ♪ ♪ "Rodriguez" ♪ ♪ Switching my narrative ♪ ♪ G'day officer ♪ ♪ It's a fine day for Miranda rights, isn't it?

♪ ♪ He says to show him my license ♪ ♪ I say I'm getting my license ♪ ♪ Just gonna reach for my phone ♪ ♪ So we can each feel better this is documented properly ♪ ♪ He says his body cam's on ♪ ♪ So I start quoting this story I read in the Times ♪ ♪ Look at my phone, close app ♪ ♪ Close app, close app ♪ ♪ Close app, [bleep] ♪ ♪ I'm out of storage ♪ ♪ Now all I'm thinking is backup ♪ ♪ Does he have backup?

♪ ♪ Do I have a backup plan if the friendly ♪ ♪ Thing doesn't work ♪ ♪ Officer, officer, officer ♪ ♪ You seem a real nice fella ♪ ♪ I don't mean to mean you should take this the wrong way ♪ ♪ But I'm torn because Millennials make me ♪ ♪ Feel I should hate you ♪ ♪ And I don't hate you, how could ♪ ♪ I hate you, I respect you as a Brown man ♪ ♪ I don't wanna hate you, I just wanna ♪ ♪ "Shut the[bleep] up," he says, "Time to grow up," he says ♪ ♪ This is a nation of rules ♪ ♪ Your registration and license ♪ ♪ And don't act a fool, be cool ♪ ♪ Be cool, be cool ♪ ♪ I'm just gonna reach very slowly ♪ ♪ For the glove compartment ♪ ♪ "Don't have illusions of grandeur ♪ ♪ Cuz you ain't a threat!"

♪ ♪ Now I'm upset cuz why ain't I a threat ♪ ♪ I could swear that I'm sweating my Brown off ♪ ♪ Am I not Brown 'nough?

♪ ♪ Maybe I'm a brown of a diff'rent hue ♪ ♪ Don't want to wash into whiteness ♪ ♪ Don't want to measure my words ♪ ♪ Don't want to measure my body ♪ ♪ Don't count myself as ♪ ♪ Oppressed but I'm worried oppression occurs ♪ ♪ Officer, officer, officer, ♪ ♪ I read a Stanford report that Hispanics and Blacks ♪ ♪ Are pulled over more often than whites, right?

♪ ♪ Tail lights in Stanford go out as often ♪ ♪ Just let me off with a warning ♪ ♪ Promise I'll make my way to Pep Boys soon as I can ♪ ♪ Maybe since I'm going there ♪ ♪ I'll upgrade to LEDs that never go out ♪ ♪ Maybe that's it ♪ ♪ Maybe we upgrade to LEDs that never go out ♪ ♪ So lights don't get Blacks and Hispanics in prison cuz ♪ ♪ They left their baggies of ganj on the floorboard ♪ ♪ Sir!

What?

♪ ♪ Please step out of the car!

Why?

♪ ♪ I'm checking your floorboards for ganj ♪ ♪ Come on!

First of all, officer ♪ ♪ I'm really good at hiding things ♪ ♪ Second off, officer ♪ ♪ That's escalation ♪ ♪ "No," he says, "this is escalation" ♪ ♪ He throws a baggie of weed in my baby seat ♪ ♪ That's not my baby seat, ain't got no baby ♪ ♪ Sometimes I just take my two year old niece ♪ ♪ To the county fair often to Delaware ♪ ♪ Sometimes I summer there ♪ ♪ Plus I use Tupperware and I ♪ ♪ Always buy in bulk like I'm at Costco ♪ ♪ But not like Costco, have you been to Costco?

♪ ♪ It's a madhouse there on the weekends ♪ ♪ Mom used to work there, tells me people ♪ ♪ Fight over toilet paper like the cartels ♪ ♪ Get on the ground!

♪ ♪ Why?

♪ ♪ You just brought organized crime to the game ♪ ♪ Send SWAT!

Send SWAT?

♪ ♪ Send ICE!

Send ICE?

♪ ♪ Send for the border guards ♪ ♪ Border guards?

I'm from Elmhurst ♪ ♪ That's so white it's Dutch ♪ ♪ Don't want to wash into whiteness ♪ ♪ But thank you it's an honor to be asked ♪ ♪ Don't want to wash into whiteness ♪ ♪ Thank you, but I think I'll have to pass ♪ ♪ Don't want to wash into whiteness ♪ ♪ Thank you, it's an honor to be asked ♪ ♪ Don't want to wash into whiteness ♪ ♪ Thank you, but I think I'll have to pass ♪ ♪ Don't want to wash into whiteness ♪ ♪ But thank you it's an honor to be asked ♪ ♪ Don't want to wash into whiteness ♪ ♪ Thank you, but I think I'll have to pass ♪ ♪ Don't want to wash into whiteness ♪ ♪ But thank you, it's an honor to be asked ♪ ♪ Don't want to wash into whiteness ♪ ♪ But thank you, but I think I'll have to pass ♪ [ Man singing a capella ] ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ Yer gonna leave me ♪ [ Chorus ] ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ Don't e'er deceive me ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ Yer going away ♪ ♪ Acrost the ocean ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ You'll e'er a-be ♪ ♪ My heart's devotion ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ [ Vocalizing ] ♪ So, fare thee well ♪ ♪ My Julianne ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ For I loves ♪ ♪ To gaze upon thee ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ O come 'n get ♪ ♪ My clothes in order ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ I'm going 'crost ♪ ♪ That northern border ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ I'm bound away ♪ ♪ For Ol' Saint Georgie ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow brown ♪ ♪ I'm bound away ♪ ♪ For Ol' Virgini' ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ And tho' our babies ♪ ♪ They do grieve me ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ And it breaks my heart ♪ ♪ To leave ye ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ I'm bound away ♪ ♪ For New York City ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ I'll send ye all ♪ ♪ My Yankee money ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪♪ ♪ O déjame ♪ ♪ 'N'embarcadero ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ Nunca seré ♪ ♪ Un pasajero ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ Trabajador ♪ ♪ En 'extranjero ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ T'enviaré ♪ ♪ Todo mi dinero ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ Yer gonna leave me ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪ Don't e'er deceive me ♪ ♪ Shallow ♪ ♪ Shallow Brown ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪