Lauryn Hill may be headed to jail for tax evasion and facing eviction from her New Jersey mansion, but the multi Grammy Award-winning artist has found herself in an even more despicable place: the big gay doghouse.
Hill took to Tumblr this week to defend some offensive anti-gay lyrics in her newest track, “Neurotic Society“. In it, the singer lists reasons why she believes society is crumbling around her, comparing “social transvestism,” “drag queens,” and “girl men” to “pimps”, “pushers,” and “serial criminals.”
“Neurotic Society is a song about people not being, or not being able to be, who and what they truly are, due to the current social construct,” Hill writes. Sounds good so far, right?
She continues:
“The world we live in now is, in many ways, an abhorrent distortion, an accumulation of generations and generations of response to negative stimuli. Many don’t even have a concept of what normal is, by virtue of having lived afraid, ashamed, as victims of abuse, or inadequately handled for so long. I believe in coming up from under that fear and allowing the psyche/soul to truly heal. I understand that healing is a process, but I also believe that it is our responsibility to seriously care for ourselves, so that we can extend that level of concern for others and positively affect our environment.”
It’s strange that, without the rampant homophobia, this song could have actually been empowering and used to promote a different message entirely.
“Everyone has a right to their own beliefs,” she continues. “Although I do not necessarily agree with what everyone says or does, I do believe in everyone’s right to protest.”
Right. You have fun protesting from a jail cell, honey!
Homophile
She’s cray cray and has been for a long time. Wasted potential.
yaoming
Does Lauryn believe tax evasion is “normal”? I hope she enjoys her government-subsidized stay in prison. It sounds like she needs a place to go, anyway, so this is actually working out well for her. Enjoy. You earned it.
Deepdow
I’m done with her. I only hope her words won’t cause effeminate men, gay or straight, harm. Who am I kidding? It will.
Shadeaux
The gay following was the only following she had left. When you go to her concerts that’s all that’s in the audience. Gay men and their best girlfriends and now she has messed that up. The songs of hers that are on my iphone will be ghost in less than 5!
tookietookie
She drank from the same Kool-Aid pitcher as Michelle Shocked. But we sort of knew that already.
mpwaite
Oh hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm lets see she’s headed for a women’s prison.. We’ll see who starts braiding her hair on her extended stay in jail. Remember most people who hate are actually the closeted ones in the first place…. They can’t deal with their own sexuality acceptance, thus they HATE on the very people she should be embracing…. Bless her litte heart.. Maybe she and Queen Latifah need to SET IT OFF IN DAT BITCH…..
redcarpet
Thats a shame. *tosses Miseducation into garbage*
Everything is Everything was my JAM too. Guess she really was miseducated.
Cam
Her entire PR persona of the struggling up from the bottom Hatian is fake.
She grew up in a very upper middle class town in New Jersey. The actor Zach Braff from “Scrubs” spoke during an interview about how they were friends in school, she was at his Bar Mitzva and they both used to share rides together to go into NYC to audition for soaps and commercials.
Lauren can’t even win at being Crazy. Amanda Bynes is doing it much better.
tardis
I just don’t understand how granting rights to a fraction, an extremely small fraction, of the population is going to bring the degradation of society. It follows no logic, thought or sound reason. The truth is, people like Hill, scapegoat homosexuals and other “undesirables” for their own shortcomings. All gay people want is equality. That’s it.
Deepdow
@tookietookie:
My mom’s friend was Michelle Shocked’s P.A. back in the early 90s and I remember going to her apt. on the same block where Day -O used to be in the west village. It across the street from a movie theater which is now a gym. I used to scurry through her apt with abandon. Funny how years later she turns into a smiling bigot. All the way from then and there to now. Heh, life.
Polaro
For once, I agree with everyone. Cool.
vklortho
What does social transvestitism even mean?
stfallon1028
I’m absolutely devastated at Lauryn’s behavior. ‘Miseducation’ was a favorite album of mine for many years. WAS.
Ogre Magi
What a Ding-Bat
Dxley
Who is this bitch? Never heard of her, and quite honestly I’m glad… These celebrities will do anything that puts them in the limelight… And by the way, I really think Taylor Lautner is a closeted gay guy. Now, can I get the same publicity?
Ottoman
Lauryn who?
Tackle
I’m gonna take a different approach to this. And as much as we in the GLBT community have been bullied, and during this time of anti-bullying campaign’s going on, we need to be careful and not pick on the weak. She has been mentally unstable for over 15yrs. Anyone’s who’s been to het concerts will se ethat she’s ruined all of her classics. This a women who would stop mid-song and start praying and chanting. I don’t see what good it would do US to hurl names and insults to to sick womem. But I do see how bad it could make us look.
the other Greg
@Tackle: Okay… what if we politely point out that she looks like a lesbian?
Tackle
@Greg: To some she may. To me that would an opinion.
Homophile
@vklortho:
If “transvestitism” happens the whole world would go “apopkalakic”.
Spike
Who cares what she thinks. Throw the dead beat tax evader in jail.
Jack E. Jett
as relevant as a mood ring and the best press she has had in a long time.
perhaps ms thang will get a ms eduKatin while chompin’ on some jail muff.
Teleny
She is truly mentally ill andi think these days most people realize that she is unstable. It’s a shame really, her beauty and talent wasted… Glbt folks she’s the least of our problems.
mattsy
I used to think she was so talented & beautiful back in the day. WOW now this new song is terrible and she looks like the creature from the black lagoon!
Cagnazzo82
What a waste.
Spooky
“an abhorrent distortion, an accumulation of generations and generations of response to negative stimuli” This makes me think of the Westboro Baptist Church!
RickyD
I have a few things to say.., Ms. Hill sounds as if drag queen and girl/men are a new phenomenon when they have been around since the beginning of time and she says without rampant homophobia those lyrics could be empowering and used to promote a different message entirely.., no it couldn’t !! We know what you mean Lauren, we gay folks are smart. I remember another artist who bit the hand that fed her, her name was Donna Summer, and look what happened to her career. I’m gonna say one last thing.., maybe two. I’ve been wanting to say this for years now. Your version of “Killing Me Softly” sucked. it was horrible ( one time.., lol ) I’m glad I have my Roberta Flack version. And last but not least, pay your taxes, you are no better than the rest of us Americans !!
LadyL
Wow, sad. Talk about the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill…
Volvoguy
Why do I really care what this felon has to say.
Good riddance, have a good time behind bars.
By the time you get out you will be a complete
has been, just another semi flash in the pan
Kangol
KRAY, but she lost her f*cking mind a long time ago.
Sweet Boy
As far as I am concerned she can go drink some dingleberry smoothie
Alton
It’s always a shame when someone so talented is that stupid.
hamoboy
I knew she harboured homophobic views ever since I listened to “Adam Lives In Theory”, where she sings about how bisexual girls are all victims of abuse or misguided by their sex-mad boyfriends. She’s crazy, and her years long connection to a cult leader did not help. Her songs about “corrupted society” or what have you she’s been singing since MTV Unplugged are all the same, superficially meaningful lyrics that talk about “change” and “freedom” that don’t really mean anything coherent when you read and think about them. Her Neurotic Society song that came out last month was terrible, the music was terrible and the lyrics were so bad I didn’t even bother looking them up. Now I see this fool said some homophobic things in them.
I think she needs to stop getting praised for Miseducation, that Lauryn is dead. This new Lauryn is mediocre and needs to go see a mental health provider.
Dionte
I was going to root for her come back, your dismissed Lauryn Hill.
Cam
@Tackle:
I think it is a dangerously twisted, and self hating view to claim that defending ourselves from direct attacks is somehow bullying.
This is the same type of thing that the Westborough Baptist church tries to say about gays.
I think claiming that defense against bigotry is bullying is a dangerously misguided statement.
BigDaddy007
I find my view of people changes quite a bit when I entertain from where their accusations/beliefs/issues come. There is not an artist on the face of the planet who does not use their personal experiences to give voice to their craft. This being said and based on some of the things she puts out there, Ms. Hill sounds like she’s been through some major isht in her life. This does not give her a pass, quite the contrary; it dictates that she get some help. From what I have seen over the last 15 years, this is an act she refuses to do, the denial of which has made her even sicker and forces her to live her dysfunction out loud by vomiting it onto anyone who will listen. That being said, if she wishes to remain sick and deluded, accuse a mass of people instead of her abusers, please continue to do so; this is America. All i ask is that you do so quietly or proceed directly to the crazy car of the life train with the other demented and lock the soundproof door behind you. ‘Nuff said
Lili
Some may call our current society an “abhorrent distortion”, others see it as social progressivism
rbmckinney
enjoy your stay in prison, missy; you’ll be someone’s biotch in there and be someone’s “abhorent distortion” obsession–then maybe you’ll have something to complain about….
kpj558
Do you want to know the real reason society is crumbling around you? PEOPLE NOT PAYING THEIR FUCKING TAXES!
Hillers
The fact that she tries to hide in such broad apologist terms on her Tumblr defending this piece of crap song, and saying it’s not about any specific group of people, and yet uses 591 words in this rap shows that she very specifically had at least one specific group of people in mind.
LpLover
Who? Next!
kejune81
She won’t have any less fun in jail the most people are going to have in hell. No wonder Jesus said there will be very few that find that straight and narrow way; because most people are under the curse of witchcraft. Apostle Paul said it best: “Oh Galatians, who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth”.
Christians are always in the minority.
Be what you want to be as long as you consent to the reward for it in the end.
Bless you
kejune81
Oh, foolish Galatians he said!!!! That’s what God said.
kejune81
The real reason is because the Devil is the God of the Evil Age!
kejune81
@Shadeaux:
Well then you must be for gay people then! Why can’t she state her opinion if you can state your opinion the being gay is right. She may want to just opine that being gay is wrong. If someone doesn’t agree then you throw them away? WOW No one agrees on everything and that’s seems to be fine until it comes to this Gay issue. That’s how I know it’s a strong Devil that’s in these people.
kejune81
@rbmckinney:
Who knows, but one thing I do know is that everyone that goes to hell is going to be Satan’s.
kejune81
@yaoming:
Don’t worry a lot more people are still working on a place way worse than prison! Well it is prison for the souls the are lost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kejune81
@tardis:
They can be equal in this world but not in God’s kingdom!!!!!
Bless you
sfsilver
Hill seems to forget that through most of human history “normal” included people like her (a woman, a black person, a racial minority) having no voice, no rights, no place in civil discourse or society. “Normal” is the refuge of bigots, reactionaries, and the mentally deficient.
lepontneuf
I wonder why she is so angry and focusing on the negative
vinnydee
It is a good form of expression. She has an opinion and expressed how she felt. She has always been talented and hasn’t skipped a beat.
I agree totally that ‘do what you want’ has killed our society.
Keep on keeping on Ms Hill!!
RHamilton
First and foremost, many of these “opinions” are clearly invalidated when you say “I don’t even know who this is but…. she just needs to pay her taxes”. I advise you do some research. Just as many of you are saying that she is speaking ignorantly of homosexuals, you are speaking ignorantly of her character. Lauryn Hill is not trying to harbor her wealth by not paying taxes. Her motive was not to stand up against a corrupt and hypocritical system. I mean, come on people, history lesson 3rd grade! Why did we break away from England? …. TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! And can you even accurately recall of the taxes you pay to the nation? I don’t think so.
tree
I don’t think white people are familiar with the African American community. At least in Detroit some of the prostitutes are transgender men. In areas where their are pimps and drug pushers. I feel like that is also true in other Urban communities too. In poor communities being transgender seems to be seen as more of a mental illness then someone’s sexual orientation. Which probably half way true some of these people probably need psychiatric help since they can’t find a place in society if they are truly transgender.
Also she didn’t pay her taxes because she said her ancestors worked for free.