Hump Day Diversion: Accidental Racist

These days, it seems like you can’t pick any door in the pop culture funhouse that is the internet without discovering someone’s take on the unholy union of Brad Paisley and LL Cool J for their song “Accidental Racist” which dares to daringly, irresponsibly, admirably, or hilariously (depending on who you ask) address the issue of racism via arguments for and against Confederate flag paraphernalia and do-rags.

If you haven’t yet heard the track, it is somehow not a joke. Whether or not the very existence of the track is in itself accidentally racist, we are not here to judge (plus, this piece at NPR is a fantastic exploration of the White Southern Musial Identity that helps contextualize the debate over the song’s potentially problematic characteristics). What is clear, however, is that the two have very authentic intentions to provoke meaningful dialogue on a very tough topic and you can catch their take on the track’s intent here.

You can follow chatter on the controversial collaboration very nearly literally everywhere so, in related spirit but in a definitive divergence, we offer you some of our favorite fabulous insane… uhm, “unlikely”… duo tracks after the jump.

Here’s another Country meets Hip Hop when Tim McGraw pairs up with Nelly…

And here’s Country meets what the WHAT?! Dolly Parton and Sylvester Stallone…

The King of Pop and Sir Paul… almost so bad it’s good again…

Legends: Jagger + Bowie gyrate in the streets with suspicious glee…

MJ makes the list again with an ill-advised coupling with Eddie Murphy…

Oh also, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Phil Collins… yeah. THAT happened…

So, you see, “Accidental Racist” could happen to anyone… well… not anyone… but poorly conceived collaborations have caught even some of the greatest artists in popular music… and somehow, also Rambo.

Happy Hump Day, readers, you’ve been diverted!