Marty McConnell - Def Poetry

[gnquijada]

Please don't die.

[PoisonPeachPit]

Fanfuckingtastic.

[LuvLiWords]

Inutterably on IT

[pulpedpoetry]

So...I checked out these videos and, I'm impressed. Awesome.

Please check out mine too!

Poetry should be shared because it's a dying art. Love Jimmy the poet.

[briecheezit]

This is so, heartbreakingly true.

"Living in search of a cause worth dying for."

[KaneM141]

roses are red

violets are blue

some poems rhyme

this one dosent

[Empre55]

I love this shit i am cryin...

[LettuceB3]

you go

[binladinzmum]

damn....i felt that....

[naterc93]

Dayum! That was awesome.

[thenevereverboy]

"I might believe in this revolution if one person proved he knew what he was fighting for, and how." AMAZING!

[thecharredremain]

i should reword that to say, this is the first one I ever saw back in the day lol

[thecharredremain]

my first and still favorite def poetry video, I absolutely love this.

[bmccust358]

it makes me wonder where are all the songs that no one cares about

[rachael198]

Brilliant.

[Evilmonkey36]

Daaamn, that was some amazing shit.

[TheEmowithsunglasses]

Poetry IN ITS ENTIRETY

[MrJoshuaSchroeder]

I love this poem. I love this performance. So much truth in it.

[WarriorPoetARMA]

Speak it baby. I love your words.

[Anakoluti]

Breathtaking!

[Socialbutterfly3000]

i love her, i dont know what some people are talking abt

[socioavatar]

i love this !

[peebzzz]

she is awesome. And she is hot!

[yuricanz]

i dont know about this poem its kinda blah

[tighttweety]

omg i didn't know u could go to jail for bing gay if u lived in alabama i live there

[APOKOLYPES]

hot

[LSGHMoodyG]

She's so fuckin corny. People think she's deep cause she's white and her "poem" has words of shock value. Stop saying she's deep just because she was bold enough to wear leather pants in a hot ass room full of niggas.

[lezlee1akalezlo]

Do you know how ignorant you sound right now? Did you bother to listen to the words and the meaning behind them? Or were you too fixated on her outfit and a few words of "shock value"?

[LSGHMoodyG]

I wrote that comment 2 months ago. Stop hunting for online arguments.

[lezlee1akalezlo]

I was simply telling the truth. Not arguing, genius.

[LSGHMoodyG]

No you were simply speaking your opinion. Truth is synonymous with fact and you spoke neither, so get over yourself. I wrote a comment on a video that I didn't like, but people like you who obviously value mediocrity think that garbage was 'deep'. I'm not ignorant because you like lame shit and I don't. Poetry is meant to stimulate thought, but you somehow get pleasure from someone bitching on stage. If I'm ignorant, then what do you think you are?

[lezlee1akalezlo]

Ok i was speaking on opinion but so were you. But you are not using any more "facts" about this poem than I am.

Who are you to call this reading "lame shit"? Its all a matter of opinion. I know this. And i also know that if you put negativity out that is what you'll get back.

You seem to be quite negative in your thoughts

[LSGHMoodyG]

Oh God just shut the fuck up. I surround myself with intellectuals every day, and the only 'fact' that you provide is that you can't let shit go. I enjoy making fun of stupid people who try to sound smart.

1. I never stated anything in my comments as fact.

2. I'm very much a realist, so if you associate that with negativity, then so be it.

3. If you know that negativity breeds negativity, then what are you, considering the two month argument you can't seem to drop?

4. You ma'am are a loser.

[lezlee1akalezlo]

Well why don't YOU drop it and shut the fuck up since I'M the loser, sir?

I guess we're not too different afterall.

Good day.

[jumonsizzle]

its not dat serious yall, eazzzy.....we are all entitled to our opinions...it stimulated someone's mind, it didnt do any thing fir another...all well and good....doesnt mean anyone is dumber than the other....

[guitargeek1231]

lolz, flame wars.

[TheEmowithsunglasses]

Its very sad when someone like this one you fought with has to lie to themself. Truth really without the definition it is assigned is more perception because if truth were synonymous with fact then people with insanity wouldnt believe their own fiction and mediocrity was invented by hateful people who consider theres black and white in what is beautiful and not.

[kokolop]

nothing short of superb.

mm. Parliaments.

[xamaranto]

She's good. Kept my interest, I liked it.

[j815wilkinson]

She performed at my school awhile ago, and I got to meet her. She's cool. All of her poetry is great, but a lot different than this

[jessieanne307]

Everytime.... everytime i listen to this it pulls at my heart. She is an amazing person. These are amazing words.

[kingmomo010]

she gay

[pooya1312]

soooo????

[TimeSum21]

Marty McConnell attacks ones comfort zone with a machine gun loaded with poetic bullets of truth. No one ever lives until they have found something they would die for.

[murno83]

wow

[spunkytrombones]

i have watched this movie six times today. I tried googling Marty McConnell but found precious little. How can I learn more about her/potential upcoming tours?

[Grimlin1195]

Love it. She wants change. She wants truth. I understand it.

[drone81]

umm...she talks about plenty of things worth dying to stop, and then asks for something worth dying for? or is that supposed to be the point?

i love slam poetry, but this one either got lost in its own delivery or is too subtle for me to be sure about

[iversongirl6]

I think she was trying to say there are tons of causes and a lot "revolutions", but none are getting anywhere. She wants to die for a cause that has hope of inducing change.

[aleezabohm]

does anyone ever notice that the people that perform on def poetry jam wear the coolest/weirdest (in a good way) clothes?

anyway, loved this poem big time :]

[choppzilla74]

good stuff!

[Winedarkseas]

this is a very good piece of work and powerfully presented. as an aside, is it me or does she bear a slight resemblance (both vocally and physically) to the character of "Kira" from Star Trek Deep Space Nine?!

[AutumnBrooke]

I cannot stop watching this. Every time it's got something more.

[moongazer]

"i dont have enough rage for it all." yes. yes.

[xlxcarmencitaxlx]

"give me a god" nice... gj

[thepoetaniseed]

i love this... yeah, so much is absurd and obscene but your words are a gift... powerful

[MarvellousDark]

Immense, actually.

[souhoulou]

DIS GURL WUZ FUCKIN AMAZING!! i luv it wen ppl rage on wut dey say...cuz u can c dat dey rlly feel wut dey write nd dat dey believe it! big up!

[harly30]

FUCKING AWESOME

[jonxchin]

mother fuck, that was gooood.

[kathaiti]

I did not get the meaning of this poem...did u?

[djslay34982]

If you did not understand this poem you're an idiot.

[Mauveilous]

I agree and I'd also like to add that if you didn't understand this then you are not a true American.

[vanjaycity]

"i might believe in this so called revolution if one person proved they knew exactly what they were fighting for and how"

the way i see it we are fighting the wrong battles as a way of dealing with loss, with anger, with control.

Until we see that we are all in this together

that there is no "American" or "Iraqi" or "Asian" or whatever that we are all just HUMAN BEINGS wishing to be happy, wishing to be honestly free... then change can begin.

[runescapejunkiee]

amen

[alconburie]

if u truly believe that, speak up.

[someofusarebrave]

@vanjaycity More than there being no "America", well, that was a name slapped upon a piece of ALREADY OCCUPIED land by a bunch of white men who then proceeded to exploit both land and pre-existing nations. These may not be the right names to call these lands, but names are still important---they remind us of our histories and our herstories, even when we don't want to remember. I feel maybe being reminded of a thing is most important if and when we most do not want to remember it.-

[kathaiti]

thanks asshole...

[souhoulou]

yeah it wuz kinda mean for evryone to call u stupid for not getting it.lol i kinda got lost at da beginin but caught up at the end.den re-watch it to re-appreciate. it basically talks about da flaws of society.nd how we are constantly bein lied to nd fucked over.nd we just shuttup but it...instead of fighting. datz a very brief resume bout wut she said. i suggest u re-watch it nd listen carefully ;)

[daliwndrland]

It's sorta about how there so many things we complain about in this world but there's nothing that really have a crusade against. No one's stupid if they don't get a poem, poetry's about questioning and interpretation.

[poetryislife]

this is wild...i luv it

[patrolwatcher]

Wow, that is a poem that stings those who have wronged many.

[quizzlie]

Stand the fuck back, Ani Difranco.

[aokay19]

it's people like marty that give me hope where there is so little hope to be found. she gets it.

[TheLickList]

F@cking LOVE IT!

[MrPlummer]

Christ is my reason to die. He's my reason to live.

[rhenrichs]

She said a good reason. That poem was... powerful.

[peace190788]

wooooooooooo chills

[lilcoco07]

good...no great

[jamesemalfoy]

I loved it. And she is HOT.

[Takethehigherroad]

TIMELESS...

[ballg]

no comment

[j055w4]

Ace :)

[hugejmo]

I don't know why, but she just doesn't do it for me. I just don't feel moved by her words, or her performance. Just talk.

[xclusiv4321]

You want a reason to die, check out the genocides being commited in Africa right now,

I completly feel what you're saying and I don't know if you're actually going to read this but trust me, there are a lot of problems out there that need all of our souls to solve

[otepeeniss]

No idea wat this poem's called but I do kno I love this chick ........ s inspiring.

[KalamariSillyBuns]

what's this poem called?

[devilish1angel]

I'm thinking she wrote this before 2001, at which point all of those states still had law that would punish her if she fucked a woman.

[MDB0706]

maybe i misunderstood what she was saying, but im pretty sure she said if she fucked a woman in any of those states she would get punished....but i may have heard wrong

[blueorchid89]

no, you heard right..

[jennysd619]

listen person under me ! a poet dosent need an age! It's what you got to say and how u feel !IT'S POETRY!!!

[PurpleKittybear]

I love it. Fucking awesome; what she says here, is exactly what EVERYONE in America needs to hear. Because next to everyone feels it, and for those that don't, you gotta understand your neighbor before you can love her/him. :) Anyway, that made me happy..and angry. Impressive.

[kokumusicismylove]

give me one good reason to die..she is great and so succint!! thank you x

[mspbp]

,.vcxvnxndf;d;flgdmlggffg

[tsuenwanking]

Yeah!

[narufan342]

"Give me ONE good reason to die!"

[paintthesky128]

"raging terror of where you're headed is the surest sign that you're traveling in the right direction."

wow. amazing.

[lyracy]

did she say massachusetts? because i listened twice and it sounded like she did, and if she did she'd be misled because at my school alone people would be going to jail left and right because women fuck women here all the time.

[Frostypeanut]

GODDAMN!

[5CFRIEL]

is it realy still illegal to be a dyke in all those states fuckin backword hicks

[KristiNoGood]

its legal here in MA now yay!

she's wonderful...

[darkparadox6]

this poems realy old, its not legal any more

[catchmusic425]

i liked it. 'course shes angry. she has a right to be.

[TomCollinsgirl]

This is why I am pissed I dont have HBO anymore. This is one of my favorite shows I ever...no my absolute favorite HBO program. Expression of emotion is a necessity of life. This is a great poem..

[otepeeniss]

There are bad poets out their and she's not one of them, otherwise she wouldn't have been on t.v. She expressed herself and she did it well.Everyone clapped for her.For those of you who think she didn't do a good job expreesing herslf your just broken up because you know you will never be able to do that.Sheer jealousy.

[besskatherine]

Poems are meant to be able to express every kind of emotions and bring forth all kinds of issues that face us in our personal lives and worldwide. To say that it does not sound like a poem because of its anger is ridiculous! A lot of the best poems are birthed from anger and hurt! Plus, being a poet does not, obviously, make you an expert on poetry. Also Since we are being so picky: "and im a poet myself" is horrible grammar. I hope your poetry is put together better than your sentence.

[Chikko23]

No, I listened to the whole poem. BUt that part stuck out to me especially becuz I don't understand what's so anti-poetic or uncultured about soemthing like the promise keepers. it's supposed to encourage men to be better citizens. I thought that would be a good thing? And what xactly does her poem contribute to our society? I guess her anger confuses me...

[BattleAngel]

i didnt like it. slam poetry for so many comes way to close to being a just anger filled rants not resembling any sort of poetry at all. other forms of spoken word such as hip hop keep the rhythm without sounding redundant like this women does. people like her really make me hate slam poetry. and im a poet myself.

[CrypticSlaughter]

poems cannot be anger filled? you seem to attach slam poetry to just the hip-hop movement. i don't see how she sounded redundant. please explain. poetry shouldn't be kept to a formula or a rhythm as you so put it. anyone who can put words down on paper and manipulate their words creatively to express what they want can be a poet. don't make poetry sound so exclusive.

[viky83000]

I got chills.

[Ladyday83]

WOW you c an't help but feel that!!!!

[jpraymond375]

Chikko, it's clear that you don't understand what she's trying to say...but anyways, great piece of writing, even greater piece of conceptualising the reality of our failure to progress in as a society

[Chikko23]

so what's yer passion then lady? Legalizing screwing other women? YEah, they should saint and give U a metal I guess? So you think it's a shame that men fill up stadiums to talk about leading their families and being good to their kids and wives, but you want them to come and listen to yer poems instead. WHy?

[banglanaeem]

Nice, you listened to a whopping 14 seconds of the poem.

[lokken85]

your a retard. i dont feel i have to say anything more

[mamafae]

that was amazing.

[Mhendeb]

Not bad. And I agree. Everyone is talking and complaining. But No one is doing shit to change things.

[haldun81]

My savior!!!

[ArtCrimez]

promise keepers take up stadiums and poets fill coffee houses....

[Ehsona]

she rocks!!

[bruja218]

i have the honored to be coached my Marty for a performance i did for VDAY... she is one of the very few poets who are TRUE and RAW about what she does.

[AgaetisByrjunTakk]

Got really choked up there... loved it. Passion. Passion is everything.

[werechick]

Nice, but started off kind of shit.

[sethocopia]

love love love she said what needed to be said about our generation.

[soulrebel07]

beauty

[d1061]

DAMN!!! 

[WiccaGirl17]

I love Def Poetry. I picked up all the DVD's as soon as they came out. I'm waiting for the fourth, it's out next month.

Marty McConnell is one of the greatest spoken word poets i've ever seen, live or otherwise. My dream is to see her live but being in Canada this seems unlikely. The poetry scene in Toronto isn't that great to begin with anyways.

[demirpla]

I watched this performance of Marty McConnell on HBO almost exactly 4 years ago during a sticky Chicago June night and I was blown away by the strength of her words. "conspiracy of comfort", "give me one good reason to die", "generation of screamers" are words that reflect intelligence, albeit thoughts and feelings similar to these have been expressed by others. Relevant to Marty's poem is Anne Sexton's "Self in 1958" where in a different register Sexton questions the erosion of reality.

[demirpla]

Also Madonna released or attempted to release a video called "American Life" where the pop icon expressed her dissatisfaction with the material/modern life. You can watch Madonna's video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v­=TDxglR1esWY

Listen Anne Sexton's "Self in 1958" at

http://town.hall.org/radio/Har­perAudio/053094_harp_ITH.html

or visit Marty's web page

http://martyoutloud.blogspot.c­om/

[ElAmanteSinAmor]

Truly verbal bliss and beauty. If that shit cant inspire a person than that person should never be.

[HunterSDuke]

Tears are streaming down my face...

That was amazing!

[Crash171]

when you find it, I will be there

[ThaMuzikMizzle87]

DAMN