A viral TikTok song is turning heads with its bold take on racism and colorism, using satire to expose painful truths with striking simplicity. What sounds like a catchy jingle quickly reveals the complex realities of privilege and exclusion that many face daily.
From Nollywood to TikTok
“Whitey whitey whitey..
If you’re black, nothing for you..
But if you’re white, there’s something for you
In their world white is right
But Black is wrong.”
The first time you hear it, you almost can’t believe that someone had the guts to put these feelings that have long plagued society into a song that is so tragic, yet, strangely upbeat. The song is actually quite old. First heard in the 2010 Nollywood movie White Hunters, the song has randomly gained popularity on the micro vlogging site, Tik Tok.
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Social Commentary Through Humor
Perhaps you have seen one of the videos by Asher Glean, where he parades around in a bad blonde wig, miming the offensive hook, with a caption above that spells out some occasion of either casual or blatant racism.
Or even videos where brides are slathered in Fenty 145 foundation to hide their Fenty 420 skin from their grooms.
Or maybe you have seen videos form other creators using this song to explain their everyday run-ins with racism.
Decoding the Lyrics: The Complexity Behind the Simplicity
So why has this song resonated within the social zeitgeist?
It is simple. It addresses three key aspects we are all familiar with.
The refrain ‘whitey whitey…’ is a nickname, it implies desire. The white person is being called to because they are always called. ‘Calling all whities.’ The line that follows reinforces this. If you are black, there’ s nothing for you. You were not the one being called.
As a person of colour, you often find yourself in situations and places where you know there is indeed nothing for you. Maybe it is something as simple as being a dark woman browsing the foundation isles at an upscale beauty shop, or maybe it’s something more serious, like a corporate job, where you meet all the qualifications… except the aesthetics.
Colorism and the Visual Politics Behind the Viral TikTok Song
Those videos showing poorly matched foundation make you consider whether these women feel pressured to disguise their dark skin because they believe there is nothing for them. However, if they are white, or white adjacent, there is something for them.
The privilege that whiteness brings is apparent to most people of colour and societies where colourism is rampant.
“If you white, you’re alright
A phase I was told as a child comes to mind.
If you’re brown, hang around
And if you’re black, get your ass to the back”
The knowledge that whiteness acts like an “Admit one” ticket is the lived experience of many in colourist societies. There is always something for white people. While black and brown and everyone else is on the outside looking in, being filtered for what their skin tone qualifies them to access.
This simple jingle even manages to summarize racist ideology used to justify the systematic oppression of black people. White is right, and black is wrong. White people are considered virtuous and inherently good by their very nature, while black people are seen as inherently bad. Therefore, the nothing that black people get is well justified.
Those four lines that have taken over TikTok feed with hilarious results, resonate because it is a daily truth for too many people. The fact that racism, when explained so simply, and stripped of all the academic verbiage, it seems like a joke, is testament to how ridiculous racism and colourism actually are.
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