WILL.I.AM's comment on Einstein

[KevinG]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jeff

FIRST is supposed to change the culture, It appears the culture is changing FIRST.

FIRST is changing culture. Imagining that the same wouldn't happen in reverse is ludicrous. Language changes between generations, and that includes what is and isn't offensive. The seven dirty words you couldn't say back in 1972 when George Carlin talked about them are now all spoken on TV. Other words have become more offensive (notably sexually charged slurs). Language is a function of the times, especially when language is used by a professional artist like will.i.am whose job revolves around communicating with his voice.

People swear. Artists swear. FIRST chose to involve will.i.am because he's a passionate speaker and a culturally relevant icon who can connect with the students in a way that Dean Kamen never could. He's a black man, a gifted artist, who came from poverty and is now one of the most recognizable musicians in the world. And he is saying, in a way that no other role model in FIRST could, that he is inspired by what he's seeing. If that's not cultural transformation then I don't know what is.