But so is patriarchy. Tyler Perry has done it again, responding to charges of coonery against Madea with no sign of accountability or humility. NoMoreDownLow recently posted a clip of Mr. Perry responding to claims that his widely publicized character, Madea, is coonery at its worst. His response, "People need to chill. Let that shit go!" Check it out:
Last year, upon the release of "For Colored Girls," I wrote a brief piece on my thoughts of Mr. Perry I called, "Madea Goes to College." Not only should Tyler Perry invest in the art of accountability, it appears he too, should be looking into the history of Blacks in cinema.
Donald Bogle traces a genealogy of Blacks in American films in his book, "Toms, Coon, Mulattoes, Mammies & Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in America Films." After the backlash "The Birth of a Nation" received for its sexually aggressive brutish Black buck, Bogle argues cinema had to play it safe making Black men jesters instead of sexual predators. He goes on to state, "Because the guises were always changing, audiences were sometimes tricked into believing the depictions of the American Negro were altered, too. But at the heart of the various guises, there lurked the familiar types."
Now, to those who see a Black man in drag as emasculating, HA! The idea of emasculation is proposterous, especially since it has commonly been used against Black feminism. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." The idea of a Black man in drag for capitalistic exploitation in a European-dominated industry is a different story. For Perry (and audiences) to completely ignore the history of Black men in film, especially as they relate to comedy, in his commentary and films is ignorance at its finest. It appears Perry does not realize that not only does Madea buy into the racist imagery of the mammy, the fact it is a man in drag performing the mammy makes it a double whammy. Madea, the double whammy mammy.
If you're not familiar with Rebecca Black, you might want to read about her here at KnowYourMeme.com.
I was at work when I first watched this video, and I called my coworker over to show her. We laughed at it. Let's be honest, the video is funny in just how impossible it is. Kids her age are not driving on the highway, and they shouldn't be partying at some block/houseparty type deal either. We both asked "Where are their parents?"
I think it's safe to say that Sarah Palin isn't having the best week ever. Not only are folks in America mad at her as a result of the tragic assassination attempt in Tuscon, Arizona, of Gabrielle Giffords whom she "targeted" on her website a year ago. Now she has famed shock jock Howard Stern gettin' all medieval on her ass as on his radio show - yep, he went as far as to call her a "cunt."
Yep, so much for toning down the caustic political rhetoric. What he said is probably sexist and so not cool with some of you I'm sure. But I suppose since it's Sarah Palin... it's no big deal, right? Though Stern's entire rant is spot on, I'm not sure if he should get pass for using that word. But then again maybe I feel this way because I'm black, and I'm used to more acceptable words like bitches, and hoes.
For the record, I wanted the above picture of Sarah Palin to be one with her caught in some crosshairs. But I was afraid that one of you readers may have seen it as a call to action killing her and then it would be my fault. Nope, not gonna be the blame for the actions of one of you nutjobs.
I've had a penis now for, oh, a little over 40yrs now. And I've come to realize that having one of those things grants you certain privileges that for the most part aren't recognized by fellow penis possessors.
For example, having a penis leaves one oblivious to many of the things women - or, people with vaginas - are subjected to at the hands of men. For all intents and purposes of this post, let's discuss this, shall we?
Recently, the newest contributor of our blog team, Tracy Renee Jones, dropped an awesome piece that highlighted the abuse women deal with daily in the form of unwanted sexual advances from men.
It's an awesome piece, and if you missed it, you really should check it out [read]. Ironically, her post was written on the week that there was much discussion on the female sports reporter being sexually harassed in the New York Jets locker room.
Now if you haven't heard, about a week or so ago, Mexican sports reporter Inez Sainz was at the center of much discussion after it was brought to the attention of the NFL and the New York Jets front office, that several players and staff acted inappropriately towards her while she attempted to do her job of interviewing rising star Mexican quarterback, Mark Sanchez [read here].
Well, not to really belabor a point or anything, but when it was all said and done, and the story broke with pics of what she was wearing, many in the court of public opinion were quick to suggest that whatever treatment she received, was a product of her unprofessional-ism. To make a long story short, many people were of the opinion that she was "asking for it," by being dressed as a whore in a men's locker room. Look, I like a fat ass like the next guy, but being in the presence of one doesn't give me license to act like a Neanderthal.
I've been on my baby board for months and in that time I've seen so many ideas that just seem so ass backwards. You may think I'm exaggerating a bit, but from what I've seen, I am seriously concerned about womanhood these days. After all, these women have procreated or are trying to. They are going to pass their bullshit on to their kids.
Several weeks ago, a girl asked our board if she should strip or be a prostitute because she couldn't find work. When someone suggested school she guffawed, but prostitution was put on the table in the first place? They told her to go with stripping, and some suggested prostitution under the right conditions. They said it was safe and when I mentioned that stripping actually isn't all that safe, they wanted her to ignore that fact because it was "fun."
Still other women said they would be a stripper if they were thinner or had flatter stomachs. This is what we strive for? One could make the argument that this is only the trajectory of this board, but if I had a dollar for every time I heard a woman talk about how she wanted to be a stripper, as if it's some awesome life goal, I'd be burning hundred dollar bills on a yacht off Ibiza. Other women have gotten on and said that women who have talked about the sexism they face as females is a "self-fulfilling prophecy," whatever the hell that means.
Back when I first started frequenting the board, this video of seven little girls basically pussy popping was completely disregarded as something fun and exciting, nothing sexualized or nothing to prove the sexualization of little girls.
There was one discussion started by a black poster about her black friend who was promiscuous, and exhibiting some very harmful sexual tendencies, at least from a friend's standpoint.
When I mentioned that black women are at greater risk for HIV/AIDS and other sexual diseases, the white women in the forum would shrug it off and use themselves as examples. These are women who would later then deem themselves feminist.
When one talks about pornography and how exploitative it is, it seems like women are the first to defend an establishment that is in many ways not only racist, but extremely one-sided in how it only caters to men and has continued to be exclusively catering to men.
I believe in gender roles. I'm not interested in even being like men. I want equality in pay, and equality as a human being, but I'm not interested in "being like men". I'm a woman, and that to me, is something truly special. I appreciate the grit and the calculation that I bring to the table, because it's different from my man's grit and calculation.
And while we as women have achieved so much, there is still plenty of work to the be done, especially when it comes to the issues women of color face.
But I can't turn my back on men. I do believe in teamwork. I do believe in our boys. I find that as I get older, I get tired of the media telling men what's masculine and what's not, as if they know any better:
It's disheartening to read about women portraying their husbands as neanderthals. These are the same women that already have lowered standards because they see their men as such. How can you rise above, if you don't have to rise?
We may have gotten to a place where we can do so much more than our mothers and grandmothers and their progenitors, but do we really have the right to aim low? Don't we owe them more?
This label is fluid for me, as you can have several schools of thought within an ideology, but at the end of the day, I believe that women, especially women of color, need to be less preoccupied with being "one of the boys" and setting the bar within our own sex.
OK, so today I have Jesus on my mind. No, not the little brown dude from Mexico; sorry, this isn't another one of my pro-immigration reform posts you love so much. Instead, I feel like talking about the white, sandal wearing, hippie looking dude - yeah, the wine making carpenter.
So anyway, ironically for the past few days I've been pondering this question:
If Jesus was a woman, would she be as famous today as he is?
I asked a couple of friends a few days ago and we've all concluded that we probably would not have heard her story. Personally, I happen to think that she would have died a lot sooner than the legendary guy on the cross. I dunno, but images of witches burnt at the stake come to mind. Which is really ironic because if it wasn't for Christianity there would be no witch hunts.
I mean let's be honest, folks: judging by today's standards and structure of male patriarchy, the biblical days were pretty damn sexist. Yep, and women were reduced to property one level up from cattle in my opinion. Sure, there are positive stories of women in the bible, but even they had to, as The Rock would say, "know their role." And today, this is one of my points of contention with Christianity and the worship of Jesus Christ by believers, and more specifically women. But hey, per the bible Jesus loved the chicks too.
I mean why wouldn't he? According to the "story", a woman is responsible for man's fall from grace with God, and it took the birth of a man from a white virginal platinum-plated uterus, to bring salvation to the world. That being the case, it's only natural for him to pity the women who threw their panties on the stage at his concerts. You know, sorta in a "don't worry baby, it ain't your fault; these niggas ain't shit and I got you," kinda way? You know, those black women who are obviously less virtuous than white women; black women who just can't find a man, so they run to the church like momma and grandma told them to?
Yeah I know it sounds kinda crazy but that's just how RiPPa's twisted mind sees it; and also, it didn't help that he watched this weeks episode of The Boondocks. For those of you who saw it, on the surface it appeared to be possibly the greatest dig at Tyler Perry, who in a few years has become the closest thing to a Black Pope the Negro kind has seen. Before he came along all black church goers did was eat at buffets and get fat. Now, because of Tyler Perry, they can eat at buffets and have conversations about his moviesas they get fat.
I am not afraid or ashamed to admit that I was into Sex and the City back in the day. Matter of fact, the last episode had me a crying mess. Don't get me wrong, I knew the show was shitty in a diversity sense, even with Blair Underwood's brief stint, but I still watched. It was fluff and it was cute.
When I heard there was a movie in 2008, I really gave it the side eye even with Jennifer Hudson on it. I just didn't feel like we needed to see women who had clearly aged (and most not so well) engaging in young girl hoe shit. I could get with it when I believed they were in their Thirties.
Unfortunately, these women are not impressing me anymore because at a certain age, there are just certain things that you should have in order. Be single or not. Be married or not. I could not bear to see women my mother's age or damned close dealing with things women MY age might be dealing with.
So I knew that I was not about to see a SATC2 movie for that reason, but then come the reports of their overtly flaunting of their white privilege and their American ignorance in a Muslim city not well renown for its esteem for women's rights.
"So don't be actin like you don't be backin that stuff up, girl in the club that's what you got ass for." - Mystikal (Shake Ya Ass)
Well, from the looks of it, everyone is getting in on the charitable bandwagon for Haiti. There was a telethon aired on MTV, Hip Hop for Haiti, and a host of other events aimed at raising funds for the beleaguered nation in the wake of one of the worlds worst natural disasters. In downtown Toledo Ohio, Marilyn's On Monroe got in on the act last weekend in assisting with funds for relief as advertised:
A couple of weeks ago in a featured post by Renee of Womanist Musings. We discussed the sexualization of black women as it played out in a new PETA ad campaign that featured a nude model. In that post I think we pretty much came to the conclusion that the ad was exploitive of black women; at least that's the idea many people who commented arrived at. I mean anytime a woman's body is used (or taken advantage of) to push a message or an agenda it's sexist, right? Shoot, we even discussed the exploitation of Beyonce's sexuality in the music industry in another post by my blog sister Seattle Slim.
Well, with that in mind, do we feel the same way about the undertakings of Marilyn's Of Monroe in Toledo Ohio? I'm just asking because I'm sure the people in Haiti could care less if any of the money used to purchase supplies came out of the crack of some strippers ass, or out of the pockets of the Pope himself.
Personally I found it funny that the "Christian" organization had no problem taking the money. Nor had any qualms with where any of the money is coming from. I especially loved the line "We don't have a right to judge a persons heart, if somebody is doing something they have to do for a living then that's the way it is." I loved it especially because we're often taught that "All money isn't good money."
But I guess the tragedy in Haiti warrants compromise, so I understand. Yep, and I can see a Dope Boys For Haiti fund coming real soon. That said, are you willing to compromise on your morals and principles and accept this act of charity even if it supports a patriarchal system? I mean clearly these women "own their sexuality," right? That said, is it really sexist, if the end justifies the means? I really would love to hear your thoughts, on this one. You can read the story at the Huffington Post, and I think you'll find the comments as interesting as I did.
So it's no secret that RiPPa loves the kids. Yes, I'm currently the father of three beautiful young ladies with another one due in January. I'm not gonna sit here and suggest that I'm the best parent in the world because I'm sure that there are a lot of things I could have done differently over the years. But hey, with a new baby on the way, please believe that I plan to do better with this one than I've done with each successive child in my care over the years. Times have changed, and adapt I must. That's why I'm going to teach this to my now 2yr old, and my newborn next year:
Yep, when I first saw the above video on Facebook over the weekend (one of my contacts is connected to the mother of this child), I was jealous of the lady who uploaded it. She was so proud that her baby won $20.00 earlier that day in a dance contest that she decided to have an after party/celebration at her house in her kitchen. Yes, like all proud parents, she wanted the world to see just what her baby could do. Nothing makes a parent more proud than the accomplishments of their kids, and I was jealous that it wasn’t one of mine.
“Shake that ass, do the Stanky Leg, and you'll never starve baby girl,” is going to be the message I teach my two youngest girls. Oh trust me; they're not going to be eventual failures like their two older sisters. Like I said, I failed with them; I can only wonder what they'll be able to do to be self sufficient when they get out of high school in the next two years. Had I done my job as a parent, at 16 and 15yrs old as they are today, they would be able to do this:
Boy do I wish my two oldest kids had such confidence in themselves.
When you’re able to dance and motivate erections by random men…
The world is definitely your oyster, no?
Obviously the parents of these children, unlike me, realized just how important confidence and making the booty pop is to ones survival. How can one expect their children to leave the nest and go out into the world without the necessary confidence to do something strange for a little piece of change? Sure you may deem such artistic expression inappropriate for girls at that age; but hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? Yep, women bitch a lot about different issues – they even form womanist groups and stuff. But I’m willing to bet that life would be different for them had they all started out dancing on a kitchen table and learned how to Twerk it instead of blaming men for their troubles.
P.S. If you fail to see the sarcasm in this post you should drink a warm cup of bleach.
Forgive me father, for I have sinned. Yes, I did watch BET this past weekend. It started somehow changing channels on New Years eve. I was sitting here bored just channel surfing, and for some reason the images of Black people made me stop. Well, actually, it was an image of a scantily clad Black woman that did it (I think she was Black).
Well, not just that, but since I don't have a clue as to what's hot musically, I figured it couldn't hurt watching them countdown the best the year 2008 had to offer. To be honest, I didn't even know they made music videos anymore. Hell, I thought that was a forgotten art since all they ever do is focus on ring tone friendly nursery rhyme driven hooks and melodies.
But anyway, before getting to see Keyshia Cole's dysfunctional family, the music videos made me think: Where have all the White Girls gone? Seriously, where have all the White girls gone? Ok, so I'm sure they're still around. But how come we don't see them anymore. Could it be that they're tired of falling in scary movies when the monster gives chase?
Could this be the reason we see more of them doing stuff like this...
So who's fault is it? Is it hip hop? Black women? Have all the White girls all of a sudden, for the love of attention from Black men resorted to the shit you just saw in the video above? How come they're all over BET these days? Used to be they would only be on there after hours in those 1(900) number phone bone commercials. Is it Black men who are to blame? Before you think I'm trippin, lemme tell you that there are videos like this all over the internet. Seriously, Google that shit! I mean I remember when White girls would all be in a circle together on the dance floor doing that one move they all know how to do. You know the move, right? Its not really a move its a dance; its called the White girl. Yeah, its how they all danced. Or so I used to think. Nowadays I just don't know anymore. I mean, do they still all go to the bathroom in a group?
No seriously, all jokes aside, I am amazed at just how all of a sudden flat booties are out of style. Damn right they are. Pancake booty has been replaced by the now famous tramp stamp, the standard booty clap, AND MO' JUNK THAN FRED SANFORD. Oh well, I guess the Chinese chicks are next. Might as well, hell they've been taking over the NBA since Yao Ming. But in all seriousness, it kinda makes you wonder why they used to laugh at Sarah Bartman back in the day. As a Black woman she was put on display in circuses as a sideshow act because she had a big butt. Talk about degradation, huh? Having to be in display all over the world as a freak because of genetics, had to be a tough pill to swallow for her.
But now here today, I see nothing but White girls on BET and elsewhere with much ass shakin that shit. Implants maybe? I don't know. But its a damn shame dark skinned women ain't in style anymore. If they were, I probably wouldn't be bitching or feel guilty about watching BET like I am today as I beg for forgiveness. After all, all I saw were White girls...oops, I mean light skinned women on that network. Which is cool because at least its not sisters being degraded, or degrading themselves. Come to think about it, wasn't that the reason BET decided to pull the late night show UNCUT from the air years ago?
You know how it feels to go to a party and see someone else with the same outfit you're wearing? I don't know about the fellas reading this, but I'm sure the ladies can feel me. When you see something like that, you feel sorta funny, sorta embarrassed. I know that's how I feel or have felt before when placed in a similar situation. Well, that's how I'm looking at John McCain's pick for a Vice Presidential running-mate.
I mean the guy got his ass knocked the fuck out like "Debo" did "Red" in the movie Friday from Obama's speech at the DNC. And this is what he comes up with in his announcement for VP? A woman who has only been govenor since 2006?? Not being sexist, or suggesting that a woman cannot run this country. That's not the issue. But hey, I don't expect my 10mth old daughter to start doing brain surgery in 6 months time either.
The funny thing about this, is that for the last month or so, he, John McCain has questioned Obama's experience. He has also questioned his judgement. But yet, this is his big announcement he had lemmings...oops...I meant republicans waiting for overnight. Questioning a resume or voting history is one thing, but to tie that in with his (Obama's) experience is another. Its like two virgins who've never seen any parts of the pussy arguing about who is best to have sex with a prostitute. Yes America is like a prostitute, and we the people have been taking it up the ass for quite some time now. Yep, for the last 8yrs to be exact.
And here comes John McCain to save the day, or at least sell us whores on the idea that he can be the best pimp. What's sad, is that there are millions of people who see this as a good choice in VP. Lord forbid that McCain wins. Lord forbid that he has a stroke the day after the inauguration after a night of drunken sex from his very wealthy wife who owns him. Lord forbid that would happen. If it does, we the people will be stuck with the re-incarnation of the "Church Lady" from "Saturday Night Live" to run this country.
Really Mr. McCain? Is that the best you can do? Clearly he's punch drunk if he thinks he now posses the "dream ticket". I really hate to think that him and his crew believe that by putting this woman on the ticket, that they're gonna attract all those "disgruntled" Hillary Clinton supporters. Hopefully grandpa Moses is smarter than that because Sarah Palin is no Hillary Clinton. She's a white woman like her, but she doesn't have the draw like our former first lady. If ya ask me, McCain and his team smoked those 18 million pieces of crack that fell from the glass ceiling that is women in politics. Hopefully she doesn't start wearing pants suits next week.
But suddenly, John McCain, Mr. Tough Guy, is viewed as a man who has championed the rights of women or their causes. The guy voted to have legislature make insurance companies cover Viagra, and not Birth Control for women. Hmmmm? Sounds kinda sexist to me, but what do I know. After all, he is a pro-lifer. Why else would he NOT want women to receive coverage for birth control pills, but allow men to have coverage for Viagra. But then again, he's 97yrs old and still has to keep his little shriveled up pecker erect. If I were a woman, I'd be insulted by this man and his attempt to be a reformed chauvinist pig.
“He who warned uh, the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms, uh by ringing those bells, and um, makin' sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be sure and we were going to be free, and we were going to be armed.” -- Sarah Palin on Paul Revere
