Roland S. Martin Bashes Snoop Dogg Over Roots Reboot Boycott: Snoop Reacts
Roland S. Martin bashed Snoop Dogg over Snoop’s call for a boycott on the reboot of the classic miniseries Roots. The NewsOne Now host flayed Snoop for telling people to smoke weed instead of watching a movie about slaves. Snoop says there are too many of those.
Martin blazed away, asking if there were too many Holocaust films, too. He rattled off a list of films that are reminders to the world of what Jewish people suffered at the hands of the Nazis. He said African-Americans need to put out the same kinds of reminders.
“Slavery happened, slavery is real, and too many Americans want to deny what took place in this country,” Martin said.
But the Roland S. Martin bash did not go unanswered. Snoop Dogg posted a profanity-laced response on YouTube, promising he’d let his work speak for him, and that he’d let Martin “breathe.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDe0zdu92DU
The dust-up started with an Instagram video Snoop Dogg posted to his fans, telling them he couldn’t watch any more films showing the degradation caused by this country’s history of slavery. He asked why filmmakers kept going back to that well, rather than make movies about modern-day African-American successes.
“Let’s create our own s**t based on today,” Snoop said, “how we live and how we inspire people today.”
Roland S. Martin bashed both Snoop’s boycott and his seemingly complacent attitude. Martin challenged the rapper to step up. He pointed out that Snoop Dogg’s own film work included producing porn films, and his best success was the flick Soul Plane. Martin called on Snoop to stop buying weed and put his money to much better use.
“Why don’t you stop smoking weed and actually bother to call Will Packer, or Ava DuVernay, or call Spike Lee or the countless African-Americans out there who are trying to make those films,” Martin said.
The Roland S. Martin bash generated mixed response on Twitter and other social media. Fans mostly stuck with their favorites, either agreeing with Martin or backing Snoop. Some recalled the original production, and said the comparison to the Holocaust films as cultural reminders was a good one.
My Dad has been saying what @rolandsmartin said bout Roots since Middle school days! Can’t let people in this country forget. #NeverForget?????
— Young Oluwa ?? (@Yoga_Boom) June 2, 2016
The 1977 miniseries Roots riveted the nation for eight nights. The story, based on the book by Alex Haley, shone a spotlight on a shameful part of America’s past. The series won a slew of awards. But the success of Roots didn’t seem to translate to continued success for African-Americans right away, on or off screen.
Maybe Roland S. Martin bashed Snoop Dogg to light a fire under him. Will Packer, one of the names Martin mentioned, produced the 2016 Roots reboot. Snoop was unlikely to help Packer on the project, given his dislike of such films. But Martin also cited Ava DuVernay, who won the Best Director award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012, and who continues to make a name for herself. And much of Spike Lee’s filmography would seem to land in Snoop Dogg’s wheelhouse.
.@SnoopDogg responds to @rolandsmartin‘s diss???? #clapback #Roots https://t.co/aZkLtu94Of pic.twitter.com/MoJpZjsOA4
— TV One (@tvonetv) June 2, 2016
Unlike Roland S. Martin’s bash, LeVar Burton responded with an olive branch. Burton, who starred as the captured slave Kunta Kinte in the 1977 series, appeared in a cameo role in the present Roots. He tweeted an invitation to Snoop. Burton said he hoped the series could spark meaningful conversation, and invited the rapper to talk over a beer or two.
There’s been no word on any response from Snoop Dogg.
The series wraps up tonight on A&E, History, Lifetime, and Lifetime Movie Network. The battle between Martin and Snoop may or may not be tapering off. But the original series began a dialogue. Whether the new series does the same remains to be seen.
Do you agree with Roland S. Martin’s bash of Snoop Dogg?
[Photo by John Gomez/Shutterstock]
