Afroman to perform: joke's on us

Have you heard? Afroman is coming to campus for Pig Roast!

The good news is, given that he does not have the most extensive repertoire from which to construct a set list, there is a pretty good chance (see: 100 percent) that you will get to hear the two songs with which you are familiar! And after those six minutes pass and the novelty wears off, you will realize that the idea of bringing a washed-up, drugged-out "musician" to campus is better in theory than in practice.

Oh well -- at least you didn't have to pay or anything. No. You didn't. Your friends at the Campus Activities Board footed the bill for you. They wanted to ensure that, this year, your Pig Roast would be "legendary." I guess Dustin Diamond (see: Screech) wasn't available to do a sub-par stand-up routine, so they had to go to the next sub-par entertainer on the D-list.

Here's the thing -- I get that it's supposed to be funny. I see the humor in booking a performer who is not musically talented and whose lyrics lack any hint of substance.

I love a good joke, but to me, this whole Afroman thing is like one of those practical jokes that is hilarious to talk about doing, but that you'd never actually do because it just isn't worth the time, energy, money or potential repercussions.

The joke is not so funny when you consider that Afroman's performance has the potential to feed a dangerous fire on our campus. His songs glorify drug use, sexism, violence, racism and other activities I am confident that the student body doesn't want to endorse. Given the recent campus efforts to hold our students to a higher standard of responsible citizenship, I think that hosting this performance is a big step in the wrong direction.

His lyrics may represent a mindlessly catchy murmur to some, but to others, they may strike a very personal, sensitive chord. So some people will find his performance hilarious, but at what cost?

If you plan on attending Afroman's performance this weekend, do yourself a favor and open your ears and really listen to what he's saying. Consider the possible implications of his messages. Consider what it means that the student group in charge of booking events for you picked this guy to perform on your campus. We deserve better than this, and it's time we started acting like it.