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RapGenius.com analyzes the vice presidential debate
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) participates in the vice presidential debate with Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R) at the Norton Center at Centre College in Danville, Ky., October 10, 2012, moderated by Martha Raddatz (C) of ABC News.
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After last night's vice presidential debate, today has been a pundit's dream, full of political analysis and fact-checking.
But are we even hearing from the correct pundits?
Mahbod Moghadam is one of the co-founders of RapGenius.com, a site devoted to parsing hip-hop lyrics (as demonstrated here and here). As far as the battles went, Moghadam was not impressed by the candidates' style.
"It does't even rhyme. That's the problem," Moghadam said. "It's not even in verse. If they would do it in free verse, it would be more artful."
But like a lot of the political pundits, Moghadam caught on to Vice President Biden's use of the word "malarkey."
"I'm gonna malark it out," Moghadam said.
Rap Genius just received $15 million in venture capital from Silicon Valley investors. Hear more from Moghadam on the financial possibilities for rap analysis Monday on the Marketplace Morning Report.
Marketplace?! I am an avid fan of rap, and even have used rap genius before...but this seemed forced and awkward. I enjoy marketplace for its substance, as well as its more playful pieces, but Mr. Moghadam sounded quite awkward throwing in way too much slang which further caricatures hip-hop as frivolous and shallow. His site is around both because of people's desire to translate slang, but also to analyze deeper metaphors and structures below the topical...some thing I can't say is true for the larger medias coverage of both politics and rap.
On many of the issues, the two sides differed starkly.
Ryan claimed he spoke true, but Biden called Malarkey.
There, I rapped the debate. Or, at least vaguely rhymed it. $15 million in venture capital, please.
Srsly, Marketplace, what was that?
Seriously? We're fast approaching a very important and extremely close election and this is what come up with? There's two minutes of my life I'll never get back.
Sorry, but I need some talking points here for when Mitt comes to my door and tells me he's cutting funding for Public Radio. Don't make it harder than it has to be.
