“At a learning institution, it’s good to observe an abstract species and abstract things.”
About 175 students observed the self-professed “abstract species” Ice-T dish out dirty jokes and provocative accusations during a two-hour speech at Ryan Family Auditorium Thursday.
Ice-T, whose real name is Tracy Marrow, called on students to have the courage to think for themselves and praised the state of race relations at the COLORS racial diversity speech sponsored by Interfraternity Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council and Panhellenic Association.
“Do not think everything I think,” Ice-T said of his controversial comments, “’cause then only one of us is thinkin’.”
Ice-T filled in as the COLORS speaker after Spike Lee canceled two weeks ago. Organizers called the event — scheduled the same evening as the A&O Ball — a success despite falling short of hopes to sell out.
“Honestly, I was disappointed with the attendance,” said Erin Schilling, Panhel’s vice president for education. “We brought in a speaker we thought people would come out for.”
Ice-T said accusations of racism against him are unfounded and called race relations the most positive thing in the future.
“They say I’m racist,” Ice-T said. “How am I racist? I think the best thing we’ve got going is racial situations. The kids of this era don’t want to carry on these old ways.”
While COLORS speakers typically focus on racial sensitivity, Ice-T also sounded off on issues from violence and religion to sex and pimps.
He called violence a rush.
“It may not be glamorous but it’s a stone-cold rush,” Ice-T said. “Human beings have some type of blood-lust. We’re killers by nature. I feel that I show it in its true form — and it’s mega-violent. If you listen to my records, I talk about it, but I always try to back it up with reality — the pain and the violence and stuff. A lot of people think I glamorize it. I think I just show it how it is.”
He also denounced organized religions.
“Go to the Vatican and look at the domes and look at the money they’re carrying in,” Ice-T said. “Why would you have to pay to connect yourself to God? ‘Cause it’s a racket. It’s pimpin’. Muslims say we got Sprint to God. Christians say we got MCI to God. Jews say, ‘No, no, go with us, we’re wireless.'”
Despite his reputation, Ice-T said he doesn’t label himself as sexist.
“I am not sexist, I’m on the male team,” he said. “If we were all the same race and nationality, it’s the men and the women.”
He said women give guys what they want.
“Respect comes from how you carry yourself — and also how you fuck,” Ice-T said. “Let me tell you something, ladies. All guys want to do is fuck.”
He challenged the men in the audience to raise their hands if they disagreed. No hands went up.
“I think it’s something I believe so little in I didn’t have to respond,” IFC President Dustin Cook said afterward.
Women said they disagreed with Ice-T’s views, but respected his right to express them.
“I don’t care about the way he talks — the word ‘bitch,’ I don’t care,” Schilling said. “But when he was talking about women as manipulative and men just out for sex — that may be the way he sees the world, but it’s not the way I see it.
“He put diversity into our diversity series. The funniest thing was looking around and watching everyone with their mouths open.”
