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“But watch who you bring home, they see a black man with a white woman, at the top floor they gone come kill King Kong,” raps a laser focused Kanye West on his new song Black Skinhead.
I read it. I heard it. More than a few people thought women, mothers would convict, now acquitted murderer, George Zimmerman. They did not think race mattered. It does. Don’t forget the dichotomy of the helpless White woman and the menacing Black predator. In 2008, Lebron James posed mouth agape and beastly in stance, one arm around an off-kilter Gisele Bundchen. Vogue used the racially conscious picture to drum up publicity. America’s tongue wags for racism like a b-tch in heat. We love to use American slavery and racism for Hollywood dollars and media coverage, yet claim we live in a post-racial society or that we as Black people always play the race card. We know how much media and advertisement plays a part in selling us lipstick, blush, hair color, and Nair, but after Trayvon Martin’s case we ignore how we are also sold racism and White privilege.Unfortunately and fortunately, my first experience of the fear White America has about me, a Black boy, dating a White girl was a lesson from my parents. I dated a White girl named Lauren; my mother’s message to me was “don’t be alone with that White girl, ever.” She feared for me. For she knew what Adrienne Kennedy wrote in her essay Grendel and Grendel’s Mother “Ever since I’d been an undergraduate at Ohio State there were few white women that I didn’t dislike. White women, I felt since the days of American slavery were instigators of racial cruelties and evil.”Kennedy an esteemed Obie Award winning playwright for the 1964 play Funnyhouse of a Negro, and the 1996 June and Jean in Concert and Sleep Deprivation Chamber. She rights in the aforementioned essay “now both my sons were with white women. I’d searched for a way to rid myself of the conflicting torment I felt at seeing my sons with these women. I tried to write about this torment in my essay Letter to Flowers, then I started a murder novel in which both women were found dead in a garden in Virginia.” Black women know their sons as victims of White women. While, White women have been taught Black men prey upon them. Have we forgotten how quickly we believed Susan Smith, Ashley Todd, and Boonie Sweeten when they claimed Black men harmed them physically or kidnapped them and their kids? In all these instances, it took months for the truth to come out. When women claim to be victims of crimes we tend to take them at face value; however, there is something historically present at work when White women continuously play on America’s fear of the Black man to frame them.In the instructions given to an all female-predominately White jury, the judge wrote:however, to justify the use of deadly force, the appearance of danger must have been so real that a reasonably cautious and prudent person under the same circumstances would have believed that the danger could be avoided only through the use of that force.
The judge was asking these White women, who have been conditioned to fear Black men and Black youth, to essentially convict themselves, their “reasonably cautious and prudent” self. -
Apparently, this past Sunday, Justice Clarence Thomas did not tune into the epic night that was Next Chapter and Dark Girls on OWN. Justice Thomas has a great aptitude for prejudice and his reverence for Whiteness is only matched by, well, our own. Twice this week, Justice Thomas has been on the wrong side of history, but he has been in line with a long tradition of Blacks hindering the rights of gays and aspiring to Whiteness. White gays have long seen the Black community as an obstacle to gay marriage in the United States. At virtually every traditional-marriage rally, African-American religious leaders have played a prominent role. White gays also despise those that are a kin to them (Black gays) for the perceived lack of socio-political engagement in the matter. For White gays, Justice Thomas is now seen as ignorant, one that cannot, or rather, refuses to see the intrinsic link between gay civil rights and African American civil rights. I expected White twitter to be furious with Justice Thomas, but it was Black Twitter who also jumped on the bandwagon. I don’t quite understand. We are the same community that values ‘good hair,’ ‘proper English,’ and ‘lighter skin’. Of course Justice Thomas is in the pocket of the White man, we all have been. Viola Davis described it best, when she said we create cerebral narratives that “our make up has always got to be perfect, our hair has always got to be perfect, [or] if it’s a male in a narrative he’s always got to have tight abs,” if not we show how much we hate ourselves. As I write this article, I am also watching the Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin trial. I am honestly saddened beyond measure. Rachel Jeantel, friend of slain Black teen Trayvon Martin, is on the witness stand being badgered by a White man with a law degree; while on Twitter, her dark skin, ‘bad hair’, and weight are being shredded apart by Black people. The two that scrolled across my twitter timeline were by two males, one with light skin, and yes, the other with those tight abs Viola Davis mentioned. Before we crucify Justice Thomas lets take a hard look at ourselves; there is danger in forgetting we are all n-ggas no matter how assimilated. We demand so much of one man, when we have offered so little ourselves.
Follow the author of this article: @noose_lme -
As the Supreme Court abolishes the Civil Rights protection that afforded us all the opportunity to achieve equal footing on a political landscape, I look towards television for representation of socio-economic equality.Tuesday, June 25th 2013, the Supreme Court struck down section 2 and 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which has helped to ensure fair voting regulations in southern states that have long been in bed with Jim Crow.If equality could be made on the back of the politics solely, then Blacks and other minorities would have had a level playing field in education, health, and social-economic situations since the Fourteenth Amendment. We all know this is not the case. Therefore, in celebration of how far we have been set back politically, I would like to celebrate Black television, which hints at a more equal society.One of my favorite quotes is by Chris Rock; I’ll paraphrase: Major League Baseball was not equal when Jackie Robinson was drafted. MLB only became equal when they let awful Black players be drafted.Chris Rock believes, as do I, that true equality is the ability to suck and still proceed. If we only ever had The Cosby Show that would not be equality. To only glorify perfection in a race is as dangerous as a toddler sitting on a twenty-foot tall pedestal. True equality is financing a predominantly Black film for a hundred million dollars, have it gross 20 million at the box office, then have the same studio take the gamble again, and again, and again. Warner Brother’s and Disney have (to name a few) have done it over, and over, and over for White films. While some will not see my point, the fact that we have the “dysfunction” in the form of Love and Hip Hop, the “success” depicted by Olivia Pope, “wholesomeness” on Let’s Stay Together, and the “spiritual/intellectual” on OWN, allows others and ourselves (as Blacks) to realize our vast complexities, eliminating the monolithic notions that proceeded this new era. In the 70s, the perception was that we were all it the projects like JJ on Good Times. Family Matters and The Cosby show replaced the welfare nuance of Black family with wholesome two-parent households full of kids that generally obeyed their doctor, lawyer, stay-at-home, and police officer parents. The late 90s and early 2000s threw out the family and focused on the single Black woman and her quest of career and marriage. I cannot recall a single decade where more than two depictions of Black life were portrayed. Are these shows that are broadcast now all that we are? No. However, I do believe the socio-economic landscape television presents for us at this moment is an improvement from the time of the mid 2000s when the CW abandoned Black viewership. Olivia Pope has to be making a good six-figure salary (noted by her DVF coats) and Bravo illustrates how Black women are eager to diversify their portfolios. Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s (the best show) on OWN shows a family hustling, so there is something for every generation to own.My recognition of television does not negate the exercise of racism the Supreme Court’s decision has just helped to facilitate. Protect your rights.Follow the author of this article: @noose_lme -
1. The Bitchy Black Woman LivesThe bitchy Black woman is not a stereotype; she lives. She’s snarky, sarcastic, fights her life with every quip, and dishes out a mean side-eye. Newsflash, that’s fine. Some Asian’s are good at math, some Hispanics in America are undocumented, and some White people are racist. The problem is the monolithic thought that every Black woman at all times is bitchy. We seem to give women, specially those of color, two roles to play: the virgin or the whore, Claire Huxtable or New York (of Flavor of Love fame). If I have to idealize women by a TV character I like to think of them as Olivia Pope, she's well rounded. Recently, I was asked if we ended the negative portrayal of Black women on television would the stigma and stereotypes cease. No. Television didn’t start racism and this monolithic characterization that all Black women are bitchy. I find it hard to believe that television, solely, can eradicate a mindset that was prevalent before VH1 put celebrity faces to the archetype.2. Tragedy Can Pay OffIs charity the secret to rejuvenating a career? The season finale of R&B Divas showcased the vocal troubles of Nicci Gilbert and the Brownstone reunion. Gilbert's idea was to give back and get some in return. This charity was suppose to provide a return on investment for Brownstones reboot. It is a relatively new American ideal to turn tragedy into consumerism, the breast cancer merchandise segment of businesses is a multimillion dollar subsidiary, with a big disparity between profit and charity donation. Do you recall when American Apparel was doing what was good for business, but was in bad taste, when they promoted a sale on the back of the human tragedy Hurricane Sandy. What about when President Bush, two weeks after 9/11, urged us to “Get down to Disney World in Florida” where his brother was previously governor. At least we can all agree that Nicci Gilbert has the mind set to become President of the United States.
Follow the author of this article: @noose_lme
3. Being Gay Is Not a PerversionOn the season 2 finale of R&B Divas, a jubilant yet reserved Monifah tells her Jesus “fanatic” 20 something year old daughter, Akemi, that Monifah, herself, and her partner of two years, Terez, are now engaged. Akemi was noticeably battling with the idea and expressed her thoughts by calling Monifah’s relationship (and all same sex relationships) a perversion. I saw nothing perverted about the relationship between Monifah and Terez, perhaps Akemi would rather her mother be in heterosexual abusive relationship like that of Evelyn Lozada and Chad or Keke Wyatt pre-Michael, instead of just a healthy relationship between two adults. -
We have become immune, so very immune to dehumanizing and degrading language, images, and behaviors. However, I suppose it’s not degrading if it’s entertaining.
K. Michelle, a TV personality and aspiring singer, hits men where it hurts: sexual orientation. On VH1’s hit reality-soap opera Love and Hip Hop Atlanta, K. Michelle walks the line between heroine and villain. A self-proclaimed battered woman, K. Michelle wages warfare on anyone that rubs her the wrong way in an effort to ‘keep it real’. Her choice of weapon for men is questioning, no, stating that they are gay. K. Michelle can be seen calling any man she verbally spares with gay Monday 8 p.m. eastern standard time. 
Twitter loves the slander. The majority of the people I follow on Twitter and other forms of social media are Black gay men like myself. A vast majority of them find it comical that K. Michelle uses their sexual orientation as an insult. Would we accept a White woman calling a White man in an argument Nigga? I predict we would if it were for entertainment; I’m not proud of my prediction.Coming from a generation were we have widely accepted the term ‘nigga’ as a placeholder for ‘friend’ or ‘homeboy’, I understand the nature of words and how they change according to times and the culture using them. K. Michelle and her use of degrading men by using gay is not the same thing. Besides, belong to the culture is a prerequisite to participate in the changing of derogatory words. K. Michelle’s intent to use the word ‘gay’ as a sword against her opponents is derogatory and ill spirited.K. Michelle maybe the problem, but we, as a society, are the enablers. Have you seen Family Guy? More specifically have you seen the episodes of where they poke fun at the Rihanna-Chris Brown domestic violence altercation? More importantly, have you seen the photos of Rihanna’s abused face with the ‘funny’ captions? What about the jokes on Twitter about the violence bestowed on women by men? If we make jokes adding to the humiliation of a abuse victims like Rihanna, how can we expect the average woman to come forth about domestic violence and rape? We should not.
Recently, Kelly Rowland released ‘Dirty Laundry’ a track off of her MCA release Talk A Good Game. The songs chronicles Kelly Rowland’s abusive relationship with a former lover that led to a rift to her and Beyoncé’s friendship. On Facebook, I witnessed 30 something year old African American Men and Women bashing Kelly Rowland for being jealous of Beyoncé’s success. Whoa! Are we listening to the same song or have we come so immune to violence on woman that Rowland just seemed like a whining brat? I suppose nothing is degrading as long as all of it is for entertainment and product. Yeah, that’s what slave owners thought when they made slaves rape one another.
-Noose
(Follow the author of this article @noose_lme) -
The year is 1760, and Miley Cyrus, in Tennessee, is flipping back the gums of an African savage, trying to see if she will acquire him. Don’t be alarmed; she just wants to take something home, “something that just feels Black*,” according to Planet IV.
Blackness has always been a commodity to America: from the cotton pickin’ days to Living Singlethe 1990s sitcom. Staring Queen Latifah and Kim Fields, the show illustrated the personal and professional lives of six African American friends in Brooklyn. The Fox network premiered the sitcom in 1993. Underrepresented on television during the 1980s, the African American community flocked to the comedic sitcom. Fox struck gold, again, as it did with In Living Color, which premiered April 15, 1990 and New York Under Cover, featuring strong minorities leads, which aired from 1994-1998. When the 1990s ended so did the support of the Fox network for African-American sitcoms. It’s a popular motif within cable networks. The WB, UPN, and CW all followed this model as they built there networks on the viewership of minorities, then once on solid footing these shows were replaced by White sitcoms and vampires.Cyrus falls in line with a long tradition of White America reaping what Blacks have sown by way of the media. Yes, Justin Timberlake and Eminem borrow from Black culture, but they have shown a true respect for African American tradition and art. They respect living and past legends, while only chiming in on gimmicks not building an identity of monolithic Blackness around these gimmicks. If Cyrus is truly ‘bout that life, I say back to the auction block with her.
Showing posts with label sv Noose. Show all posts
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