Absolute nonsense - the perfect example of how "intellectuals" can be led completely astray by their tendency towards analysis and synthesis. 'Trapped in the Closet' was obviously begun in absolute seriousness, and then it became quite apparent, by the myriad comments on Youtube, for example, that it wasn't being received in the intended spirit, and people were laughing their heads off. The smartest thing R. Kelly did was realize this, and then to make out that he was really joking all along. Go back and watch the early chapters - 1-5 were released as a package, and were serious. After the hilarity of their reception, Kelly began to cotton on to the ridiculousness, gradually, and so entered the midget. This drew a kind of hysterical delight from viewers, and Kelly then completely hedged his bets and so appeared Pimp Lucius, etc. Please don't be so silly as to use words like "profound" in discussions of guff like this, you pseudo-academics.

I agree completely. I know Slate gets off on being all contrary, but R. Kelly's TRAPPED is far from profound. It's a terrible minstrel show that gets worse the more it's dwelled upon. Please, let's not encourage the man.

And I might add, that 'Trapped...' is also homophobic, misogynistic, and actually racist piece of nonsense into the bargain. If I was African-American, I would be thoroughly offended by its depiction of my ethnicity. Note also, that all the women are conniving adulterers, and that the only white woman in the series is an overweight trailer-trash two-timer who is having an affair with a midget. Then there's the nonsense about the midget. All in all, it's not even worth discussing. Kelly is quite obviously an idiot (besides being a deviant).

I agree that Kelly was not in on the joke. As far as I'm concerned, he still isn't.

Papa:

Number one I completely agree with your sentiments. Jody Rosen is full of shit. That's not an insult. She is really just talking out of her ass. In an earlier column, she said that:

"T-Pain represents a kind of symbolic severing of African-American music from its traditional emotionalism, from its fervent gospel root..."

T-Pain? Ok. (Meanwhile, there is a synth-machine AT my church - but whatevs.)

I am a Black person and I can tell you, sure, "Trapped...” is offensive, but mainly to my appreciation of music and common sense.

My guess is the average black person is about as offended by R. Kelly's shenanigans as the average white person is seeing their kind trampled across the Jerry Springer stage.

It is what it is.

According to this article, the "profundity" of R. Kelly lies in his current self-aware work, not in his early years as an earnest R&B man. It might be best to practice your reading comprehension before you blast "pseudo-academics" for that terrible frightening thing they do: analysis. Somebody help! The pseudo-academics are analysizing all over the place!!

I don't care to learn how self-aware his recent work may be. If you enjoy it -- more power to ya!

It's only music. We all have different tastes.

Nah. Please, pay very close attention to the opening titles of Trapped in the closet. They didn't try at all to disguise the fact that the cityscape is a layer of superimposed two-dimensional pictures. Then you have the pseudo-noir feel of the title that scrolls from left to right.

Or take chapter 4, for example, when Sylvester is racing back to his house, the back projection of the road is so obvious... I'm sure R Kelly can afford better effects than that. Trapped in the closet was tongue-in-cheek from the start. I don't know about the "profound" thing, but it was never serious.