Def Poetry - Patrick Washington - Letter To The Editor

[devore504]

i watch a lot of tv and i am smart so i don't get why he think u cant have both

[interpolluter29]

@devore504 I don't think he is talking so much about you. It sounds like you have your mind together, and are able to filter out some of the dumb stuff that he talks about. The poem, I believe, is written for those who can't.

[devore504]

tv is what daddy is on yelling lmao dumb ass

[devore504]

this is stupid

[amh19805]

1:46

[xxkEtchUpxx1]

amen

[TheOkayCommenter]

im going to raise my kid the exact way he recited that poem

[MzJazzy123100]

so true

[lakersownsuns]

wow this was awesome

[Gummiibearisme]

damn right!

to everything he said :D

[destroyedtheozone]

AMAZING!!!!! "Homework aint never been a punishment. Being stupid is a punishment." Eloquent!

[fyermind]

I wonder, as a kid who spends my time listening to poetry like this instead of doing my homework, is he the TV I should be turning off? Is enlightenment through poetry knowledge that counts? Or is this just another opiate no better than drowning in Justin Beiber's latest fan club? When does the accumulation of facts MEAN something and when is it just useless information clogging up your time and leaving you empty and worthless when it is all said and done?

[serenitykemeia]

@fyermind it depends. which makes you think more? I personally think that something that is going to open up your mind to things that are outside of your world (and possibly even your realm of experience) is un doubtedly more enlightening than any hit song. there are songs that can make you think but those are the same songs that don't usually get much radio play in america. there are things designed to give pleasure and there are things designed to make you think.

[zarenj21]

damn, def poetry is amazing. FUCK I HATE MY FUCKING SCHOOL FULL OF DUMBSHIT HYPE MONSTERS... They don't know shiet! They havent watched ONE def jam poetry vid... they would rather watch pranks and stupid fail vids on youtube.

[zrg3]

Need more of this thinking in the world!

We're in touch with technology and out of touch with reality

[jkshoujk]

@zrg3 I think this was more about being in touch with media overall, not just technology. But I agree.

[KTRPRINCESS123]

"Fuck Busch! Listen to daddy son! He lies!"

hahahahahahahahaha

[801Current]

This is good.

[WinterInJapan]

It's powerful because he's right and everyone else is wrong.

[BrandonWrites]

I love the this channel of def poetry! thanks kfc123!

On another note, I am myself a poet and please do not feel obliged to but I'm just starting on youtube and if anyone would like to see my poetry you are more than welcomed to :)

Thank you, and also, I love how he mentionned "stedman and I have better things to worry about! " at the end, It's true how we educate ourselves on media so much yet pay no attention to actually educating ourselves sometimes, just look at beavis and butthead :P

[sosexxii3]

who the hell disliked this people know nothing!!

[bells44life]

I relate to this! Its soo true

[beertron7]

He verbalized exactly what I've been feeling

[dipmuthafukinset]

Fucking a.

[shiozza]

who is he to say u all that shit, a kid was raised correctly cause of what he knew and he didnt know timberlake and spears, what if the kid is or grows up to be abusive is he still raised correctly casue he doesnt know spears or timberlake, besides, timberlakes entertainment, if u like his music u feel it if u dont listen to something else

[beertron7]

@shiozza Think about how many random useless facts you know about celebrities, musicians, etc that you don't even like

Now compare it to how much knowledge you have about the world's great thinkers and historical figures

[ia04]

Television can tech you a lot, if you watch the right shows.

[801Current]

@ia04 but that's not what he is talking about, plus you can learn a lot faster and more studying things beside television even on the right shows

[arockystart]

is it wrong that I cant get over how big his sweater is?

[NayderTahiphopQueen]

isn't his poem on TV

[chefawkes]

@NayderTahiphopQueen

yes this poems on tv. what better way to reach the people who need to hear the message.

[wrybred]

i agree with lily that there is some hypocricy in this piece, but the overall msg is profound. I love that bit about a prodigy knowing Brahms not brittany coz he was raised correctly. i think one should take care, like Saul Williams does in Coded Language, to celebrate non-white achievements aswell - despite that knowing the white side of things gives you the power to communicate with the power and hopefully devour and then allow diversity to flower.

[ezcondition]

@wrybred got to know the enemy inside and out

[shiozza]

@wrybred yeah but what if the kid is abusive or a bully, how do we know what the kid is like of screen, so i think its early to say if the kid was raised correctly cause they dont know spears and timberlake

[afrah12]

fucking nigger

[LillieB07]

homework isnt punishment but yet he uses it as a form of punishment when his kid mentions nelly at the table. hahaha ok.

[shiozza]

This is shit, its like saying you will not enjoy any entertainment now son, and if you bring up anything to do with entertainment you will study, you will only study and not have fun. i mean who is he to say your stupid if u remember every line of fresh prince, im 19 watched a shit load of tv and didnt go to college and look at me i own my own house see my parents every week and have good savings and ill prove it on msn if u dont believe me.

[ODAL123]

@shiozza you got it wrong he means people are ignorant and busy worrying about which celeb got married instead of focusing on important things like life, politics and paying attention. you're 19? you dont seem to be, how can you not get the message? idiots like you is exactly what he's talking about. shieeet. keep working hard, pay your bills, and repeat till you retire, you live in a controlled society.

[shiozza]

whos he to say people are ignorant, people are people he has no right to say you're stupid if you remember every line from fresh prince cause wat if a dad says to his son wat patrik says to his, except as a reward for the hard wok he can watch an episode of bel air each day, so this boy then grows up to be smart and all that patricks looking for, but wait a min wat if he remembers every line from fresh prince,thats stupid, plz, magine gettin extra h/w cause u mentioned nelly at the dinner table.

[801Current]

@shiozza You do not know what entertainment is.

[UnitedSovietParty]

In the wise words of Kanye West :

"Taylor, hold on, ima let cha finish..."

oh wait , no.

"George Bush doesn't care about black people"

[ucghouseband]

fuck bush; he lies.

[jox6]

Well you know niggers will clap for anything anti bush

[madeofsteel09]

so will anyone else with a brain

[warsan123abc]

looooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­ool

[foopie29]

also you couldnt hate on pop culture if it didnt exist.

[l3r0ii]

People wouldn't have to berate popular culture if it didn't exist, which is kind of the point. Generally people try to bring the negative aspects of a subject to light in the hopes that other people will realize them and, in effect, disregard the disagreeable subject.

[0oemancipatedo0]

'fuck bush, listen to daddy son. he lies' love it

[AholeAtheist]

The Bush line was totally pertinent. Why would you listen to George W. Bush when he is obviously less intelligent than myself and over half of the people I know? Listen and learn from people of intelligence. Then maybe we'll all have enough knowledge to believe also what Matulu says "If congress can't make progress then let's change the process." Which it obviously can't if it's part of the same system that allowed George to be elected over Mr. Gore.

[TeamLondon1]

lol, the bush line was totally random

[twitchm249]

a man after my own heart

because there is more important things

to pay attention to than bullshit pop-culture tabloid mess

would it kill some people to read a book......

oh yea,i also know plenty of fools that try to call themselves mcs

that dont even know who put out sucker mcs

let alone know the first line,its a damn shame

[1tempo6]

dats was killa like for real oh so deep

[wukid23]

pure genius.

[lycia123]

thats right rep dc wo!!!!!!

[bigladytf]

Wow

[Fluffymiyster]

Wow...I felt tear near the end...that was epic! I try for def poetry, but I'm not much for speaking my poems...Gods, I love this show!!

[theking1175]

this wasnt as strong as other poems but the message behind it is amazing.

[BalactMan]

Patrick Washington "Letter To The Editor" I agree with your poem in everyway. I haven't had TV in my house in over 14 years. Along with loving God we have to love and educate our children. I can't wait to hear more of your art.

[headknockinhoney]

"I dedicate more brain cells to knowing what Snoop had in his crib...than my son in his.."

To raise a kid like that, the complete opposite of how YOU were raised... that would take commitment & love. being Stupid IS a punishment... Would you say being smart is a privilege?

[dfitz516]

is he sayin "fuck bush listen to daddy son, he lies?"

[ASDFGHJKLWTF]

yes

[EmperessClaudia]

So True. Tho I find it funny that we are using one of those mind numbing mediums, like the internet, to view this.

It's really about parenting.

[jholt89]

The internet is the single most powerful opiate and the single most powerful educational tool known to man.

It comes down to how you use it.

[Fluffymiyster]

I'm not saying EmperessClaudia is wrong for what they said, but I applaud you for your words. Very true! Even TV isn't bad...no technology is exactly bad, it's all about what purpose it's used for.

[jholt89]

Yeah tv isn't bad intrinsically, but you take the single most powerful propaganda tool and put it in the hands of propagandists, you can't really expect anything other than propaganda lol

That's why I like the net more, I control where I go, I control what I see.

[franciso7]

yes u contrll it more or less..at least thats what u think...i heard google has some kind of new search machine that make a profile of u with the words that u search...i wonder where this is going to...

[rianrobot]

exactly; very well said.

[flaajj]

@jholt89

ur so right

[gblake32]

@jholt89 that's real, think about it so is any other tool used for miseducation or education . great comment.

[bthegreat194]

@jholt89

porn?

[notareaver]

"If only Trivial Pursuit had been offered in college, I'D BE CORNEL FUCKING WEST!!"

ha!

[mimi294]

people just don't know about this dude right here!!!!

[encore36]

Preach!!!!!

[whitefawn87]

'being stupid is a punishment' i totally agree

[markee871]

he's on point..the nation neds more ppl like this. things that are irrelevent to ur life...paris hilton and britney's dwi is fucken irrelevent..but ppl would rather listen to that then listen to things that are important

[Dukeofyork123]

@markee871 Lol you need a major grammar check dude, Its funny how you agree wit him but you are the people he is talking about!

[RealHennessy]

@Dukeofyork123 You need one too, bud.

[lulz666f]

Fuck yeah! Preach!

[Deadpoetz1]

me like....bravo...bravo

[ronoc9]

*clap*clap*clap!*

[chakralove4]

"the kid ain't a genius he was raised correctly!"

i like that part, it isn't a perspective many ppl have but my kid will be raised this way for sure

[goodtuneseeker]

he's really taking a stand that all parents should...push the kids away from the media frenzy put them back into books

[goodtuneseeker]

"fuck bush listen to dad son HE LIES" bossXD

[luva90]

woww! straight up truth.

[momosauky]

knowledge is power as corny as it may sound that shit is exactly what it is

[OWwizard]

Yeaa Patrick Washington! Team Maryland going all tha way this year!

[shadeybrother]

he named his son steadman??

[Proph14]

nah he was referring to oprah's husband! Making a joke i guess

[TheDisposalUnit]

Wow I felt that! Our culture needs an overhaul!!

[Browzer]

this is my favourite poem.

hit me HARD

[mrhakeemz]

"being stupid is a punishment"

thats good shit

--

Sent from my Helio Ocean

[561400]

daim! :| feel sorry for his kid

[ffuuttuurree]

that was cool.

[10USA]

Couldn't have said it better! We are soo desensitized to TV, it's not even funny.

[starr131]

damn i'm really feeling this poem it hit me with some serious realities that lingered in my mind but didnt bring forth light

[TooCuteForWords]

Yep. Parents need to take more responsiblity for their kids. Mayb everything around them wouldnt have such an effect on them.

[maverickusa317]

He needs a shape up

[22peaches44]

i completely agree with this poem, he knows the score xxx if only all parents and children felt this way.xxx

[robakerson]

man I thought EVERY def jam artist got a standing ovation.

This is just sad.

(not the poem itself. This poem hit me closer than most.)

[kodak1021]

wow thats whats up!!!

[supahead69]

ppl,t.v iz not the only media addiction we have,did u jus 4 get wat we all watched this episode on(the computer)!!!!! dont stop at jus the t.v and magazines,the internet is the bigger problem

[SkunkyBeaumont]

I don't think people watch this performance

to be entertained.

[amychic88]

dis is so true...i luv dis show

[dalaztpoet]

yessssss, i remember wen i watched that eposide

[Alexcantsee]

Why are people so addicted to celebs and mediocre art? This man gives reason to the stupidity of the media and our obsession with not turning off the TV. Right on.

[kipware]

you r the idiot. it is the power of the word. listen!

[finkfink88]

damn he just killed some of the things i love

[Aceaka]

homeboy spoke nothing but the truth, im pretty sure alot of ppl will hurt after watching this, cause 90% of thier lives is based on this stuff. big ups

[driftrap]

you know what the ironic shit about this is...? THIS was shown on tv...

[houman0101]

so you reach the right crowd, like when ur trying to tell people about the dangers of smoking, you write it on a box of cigarette's

[driftrap]

i can understand what you mean... though i don't think its exactly the same thing...

[freedoomfighter]

knowlege is Power

[bmacfn16]

gosh I love this show.

[Bobyjackgirl]

Thats the truth, my mom and I need to do that.

[madboreddude]

ahhhh! flame on!

[wendyling12]

he's smart

[espontaneo02]

excellent

[rcollins20]

WORD!!!

[kokumusicismylove]

i agree with aielaiel....under rated...his poem made as much sense as a poem about bullets and drugs. Its a question of education...we need to find balance in life. xx thank you

[aielaiel]

the crowd didn't even stand up on that one?!?!

i have seen countless rendition's of the 'N word' pieces, countless renditions of having to dodge bullets and police brutality... yet this piece strike even deeper to the heart of the problem.

pop culture is killing us.

from the high rises to the barrios.

under rated, is the truth that he has hit upon.

[BigHorsexx]

VERY TRUE!!the telepidemic

[TLHoward]

4'Sho

[benrich315]

couldn't have said it any better...

[EEE89]

werd!!!!

[nickoow]

on the real...that was sick. keep it up

[moonlitesymphony]

On the...horrible use of the english language.

Do a poet justice and praise him correctly.

[xxfaze1xx]

damn he just made me realize how much time i wasted

[Theambasaman]

Mmm yes sur

[legendaryteine]

dayum.. this is so true. Too many times do I see people do this ((me included)). We always idolize the people on t.v., not knowing that they could care less about us.

[4citi]

word