As I pointed out, Spike Lee’s anti-gentrification rant earlier this week, despite containing some inflammatory language and being somewhat hypocritical, actually had a pretty reasonable message: don’t be an asshole. Well, it seems the general public has failed the do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do test yet again, and someone has vandalized the neighbor of Spike Lee’s childhood home in Fort Greene. They smashed some windows and spray painted “DO THE RIGHT THING” on the house. Huh. I would’ve gone with “CROOKLYN.”
Neighbors tell NY1 they believe it was in retaliation for an anti-gentrification speech Lee gave on Tuesday.
One neighbor tells NY1 she thinks the suspects hit the wrong house.
“I think that somebody was probably trying to retaliate against the other neighbors who complained about the music rehearsals that are always on going in the Lee’s house – ever since I moved here. Never bothered me at all. There is no excuse for spray painting some one’s house, No matter what you feel. There are other avenues for protest if that’s what you want to do,” said Dianne Mackenzie, a neighbor.
Investigators are looking into whether or not the graffiti has anything to do with Spike Lee’s speech. [NY1]
Ooh, so it could be people angry about Spike Lee’s anti-gentrification speech, or it could be people angry at the same gentrifiers who don’t like Spike Lee’s dad’s music that Spike Lee was complaining about. So it’s the either anti-anti-gentrification people, or the anti-anti-anti-gentrification people. It’s a good thing the investigators are in Brooklyn, no one’s going to crack this case without a thorough understanding of irony.
[check out the video at NY1]