1938 Media‘s distribution deal with Verizon, announced just a week ago, is officially history.
As DX reported earlier this week [clickto read] a group of civil rights activists protested the deal and threatened to boycott Verizon over a controversial video 1938‘s Loren Feldman created called “TechNigga: Where are the Black Tech Bloggers?” which was ridden with blatantly negative stereotypes of Black people just shy of a minstrel show. In this video, after explaining his question (“I mean black guys love technology. Car stereos, cell phones…”), the white male dressed and acted as a do-rag-wearing, 40oz drinking, over-sexualized, ebonics speaking, weed-smoking, Black gangster hosting a site called “TechNigga.”
Feldman has confirmed that since the public and media have spoken out about the nature of the “TechNigga” video, all 1938 Media videos were removed by Verizon yesterday and that they terminated the relationship today.
1983Media.com released this statement on their website this morning regarding Verizon‘s decision and pressures from civil rights activists:
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“Verizon Wireless has chosen to opt out of the distribution agreement with 1938 Media that was announced last week. They were wonderful to work with, and we respect their decision. We would like to thank them and our partners on the channel. We hope that Verizon Wireless might find a way to continue to work with them. They are great shows and great people
Jay Grandin
ze Frank
Mahalo Daily
Revision 3
1938 Media has produced close to 1000 videos on the web. We will continue to produce cutting edge, thought provoking videos and social media art until at least 2038. We will not be intimidated by a radical Islamic religious group, or any group for that matter.
We would like to thank all of our friends who support, free thought, free speech, and the arts.
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We will be back to our regularly scheduled programming shortly. I have a pretty good idea you will like it.*wink*”
Feldman himself has also offered a seemingly backhanded apology for the video, which has been online for about a year:
“I sincerely, sincerely want to apologize to all the black tech bloggers.” he said via statement.“It could have been any ethnic group. It could have been gay guys, could have been Jews, could have been micks, guineas, chinks, any of them…It was just your guys’ bad luck that it went down that way…I’m a fucking idiot comedian and I did this.”
