So since I recently changed jobs I have been thrust into a somewhat different social group with the quasi Black elite... Man o man, these niggas need Jesus. It goes a little something like this, you have a few cats, none of which are particularly THAT attractive, or THAT smart, or THAT rich, yet somehow through social engineering and a few well placed parties that have become just that.
It's funnier still because they very survival depends on other people of varying degrees of hotness to buy into their bullshit so that they can quickly act to co-opt these new people and therefore legitimize and reinvigorate their own existence. However at the end of the day when we look a little bit closer we realise that these marvelous examples of successful "blackness" do not pass the basic tests of their objective legitimacy.
To wit, what has the Black elite ever really accomplished? I mean honestly, when we add up all of the bougie niggas and all of their parties and pseudo white posing, and the like, what is the record? I see politicians line up (sometimes) to kiss their ass, but really, who have they ever made or broken financially. The guess is that one day some person will be able to wake this sleeping giant and own this humongous advantage in fundraising but my belief is that after the big homes, and expensive clothes, and big parties, they actually can not afford many substantive charitable donations. Where were the Black elite after Katrina? I saw rappers and I saw intellects and I saw athletes standing up for the people? But where exactly was the Black business community? Maybe I just missed the massive movement but as far as I have seen the closest there has been to helping the people has been pushing the Essence fest back to NO this year, because yup those negroes do love a party.
Now don't get me wrong, hell I like a party, and I like money, and all of that, but as I push further and further with listening to people disparage hip hop and poverty, and try to claim that Cosby's statements are the necessary tough love for the Black community. I have to ask that since I am seeing all the tough, where exactly is the love?
See instead I believe that it is like the E Franklin Frazier book the Black Bourgeoisie, and the semi update "our kind of people" There is a basic issue that the so-called Black elite live in a world of make believe. They are pretending to be elites who are black while secretly know that they might only be considered elite when compared to blacks. What you get is the strange amalgamation of self hate combined with a pathetically false form of pretend. It's like check it out one day, if you are in a room with the Black elite that attempt to aspire to the highest norms of the English Royal court except for the things that would be difficult for them to do. They are fine dressing preppy, and looking down on the "unwashed" yet the majority of them in the room still are unable to actually pick the correct utensils for use, or know the truly appropriate rules of society. And therein lies the rub, what makes them feel superior is necessary, what makes them feel inferior is unnecessary, but its cool because most believe. And I could call them on it but really why bother? Fools at play are really no harm to anyone, and I am actually a little too grown these days to kill their fun...
Monday, May 28, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The Next Necessary Crusade
When speaking of all of the dangers and ills facing the world. One thing that is missing is that there needs to be a war on outright craziness. Mental Illness is very real people. And a lot of these people are running around being completely off their fucking rocker.
Now I know people often debate about why someone is crazy and want to blame a man or a woman in the past, but lets not blame let's just look at solutions. I mean honestly, if you get in an argument with your significant other and her response is "I will cut your throat and bleed you out little bitch." why are we still in this relationship? I know that according to Ms. Tyler "Dick will make you pull out a gun and shoot somebody." but come the fuck on. People need to chill, shit just can't be that good to set you there and it can't be good enough that you could stay. But hey, I guess I can see your point in saying hey, I am with this unstable Muh... but the sex is amazing so what I will do is just purposely try not to set them off. But do the people do this? Hell to the Naw, instead what they do is go out of their way to set crazy off? Why start screaming matches with crazy? Why cheat on crazy? I mean damn, its sad if you get killed but if a person threatens to burn your house down if she catches you cheating, why exactly do you cheat? Somewhere personal responsibility has to come into the picture.
Secondly, people have got to stop being enablers. People stop thinking that that psycho shit is cute. It really isn't. That dude that wanted to beat up your TA in college for speaking to you about your homework? Not a good look? That girl who cussing out the coat check girl for smiling too hard? Ummm, not so much. Worse part about it is that very few of these crazy ass people are ever cute. Nah, they generally look like shit, and are nuts, but people just stay on with these folks, get married and then have these super contentious divorces, if not a murder...
Finally, stop acting like you didn't know... Basic premises is that everyone has red flags... Very few people go completely off the fucking deep end without some warning, because believe it or not everyone does not have it buried in them somewhere. That shit is an urban legend. I just can't ever see myself waiting outside your house taking pictures of you on my cellphone that I text to you at random parts in the day... I can't see myself calling you 40 plus times in a day cussing you out calling you all types of bitches and hoes and then wondering why we can't get back together. Best part is because in all of these examples (which are true stories by the way) the folks knew about it. You see them early in the relationship and they will crack that their man/ woman is a little bit crazy. Then they want to be shocked later... Bullshit, I say.... Bullshit.
It is an epidemic. As more and more time goes on we learn very clearly that people in this world are crazier than shit, yet no one talks about it. Whether its ole boy from VTech, who started the shit killing a girl that wouldn't talk to him, to the numerous relationship stories where someone's car has been destroyed or the plain ass stalking cases, people need to get their minds right. We need a ribbon....
Now I know people often debate about why someone is crazy and want to blame a man or a woman in the past, but lets not blame let's just look at solutions. I mean honestly, if you get in an argument with your significant other and her response is "I will cut your throat and bleed you out little bitch." why are we still in this relationship? I know that according to Ms. Tyler "Dick will make you pull out a gun and shoot somebody." but come the fuck on. People need to chill, shit just can't be that good to set you there and it can't be good enough that you could stay. But hey, I guess I can see your point in saying hey, I am with this unstable Muh... but the sex is amazing so what I will do is just purposely try not to set them off. But do the people do this? Hell to the Naw, instead what they do is go out of their way to set crazy off? Why start screaming matches with crazy? Why cheat on crazy? I mean damn, its sad if you get killed but if a person threatens to burn your house down if she catches you cheating, why exactly do you cheat? Somewhere personal responsibility has to come into the picture.
Secondly, people have got to stop being enablers. People stop thinking that that psycho shit is cute. It really isn't. That dude that wanted to beat up your TA in college for speaking to you about your homework? Not a good look? That girl who cussing out the coat check girl for smiling too hard? Ummm, not so much. Worse part about it is that very few of these crazy ass people are ever cute. Nah, they generally look like shit, and are nuts, but people just stay on with these folks, get married and then have these super contentious divorces, if not a murder...
Finally, stop acting like you didn't know... Basic premises is that everyone has red flags... Very few people go completely off the fucking deep end without some warning, because believe it or not everyone does not have it buried in them somewhere. That shit is an urban legend. I just can't ever see myself waiting outside your house taking pictures of you on my cellphone that I text to you at random parts in the day... I can't see myself calling you 40 plus times in a day cussing you out calling you all types of bitches and hoes and then wondering why we can't get back together. Best part is because in all of these examples (which are true stories by the way) the folks knew about it. You see them early in the relationship and they will crack that their man/ woman is a little bit crazy. Then they want to be shocked later... Bullshit, I say.... Bullshit.
It is an epidemic. As more and more time goes on we learn very clearly that people in this world are crazier than shit, yet no one talks about it. Whether its ole boy from VTech, who started the shit killing a girl that wouldn't talk to him, to the numerous relationship stories where someone's car has been destroyed or the plain ass stalking cases, people need to get their minds right. We need a ribbon....
Sunday, April 15, 2007
The Language Problem....
Right now, after the whole Imus outcry, people are spoiling for the fight with rap music. The question is how can Imus be fired for saying "Ho" when rappers say worse all the time?
The short answer is Economics stupid. If Rap music that was "negative" did not make any money it would not be made anymore, if Imus did not lose his sponsorships he would be on the air today. It's that simple...
But the difficult question comes in when people want to know why there has not been the outcry against rappers like there was against Imus... There are a few reasons.
1. We all know hoes, and golddiggers, and bitches, and etc... It's true, we all do, and therefore it is not the same as the Rutger's girls basketball team who were people with faces, and struggles that could be identified, with, its fucked up but true. Usually there is just blanket disrespect except for the case of song like "Wouldn't get Far" by the Game, which has generally been given a pass because most people think the video "vixens" are "video hoes."
2. No one wants to deal with the deeper issue. That issue being that Imus used the term "hoe" without any true intention of insulting the sexual promiscuity of those young women. Unfortunately when most rappers and people in the "urban" culture use the term, they actually mean that you are a "hoe" and they treat you accordingly. That right there is the issue much more than the language. There is a problem with disrespect as it comes in the form of words, but there is a larger problem, particularly with the breakdown of the Black American family where men and women just do not have enough proper respect for one another. the word "hoe" could be erased from everyone's memories tomorrow and that would not change the fact that most people these days see the opposite sex as something to be used as opposed to someone to be loved. Until we discuss that, I just ain't ready to start protesting Snoop Dogg.
3. The common belief, no matter how much people try to argue it, is that rappers differentiate. It's like the Chris Rock joke about women dancing to disgusting shit. The basic idea is "he ain't talking 'bout me!" Now in general this is true, though I choose not to speculate what side of the line each individual falls on. As they say, one man's dream girl is another man's bust down... (Or I guess you could say trash and treasure, but I hate mixing metaphors.)
4. Life ain't fair. How bout this? I for one am sick to damn hell of people acting like Life is supposed to be fair. It's not, Black people get fucked over all the time. So what if you believe that in the grand scheme of things he should not have lost his job for the joke. Shit, Arsenio should have lost his job for rolling with the Minister. Kate Moss shouldn't have lost her contracts for doing cocaine. Hell, you can argue all I want about me calling myself a nigga, but hell, just cause I may scratch my ass doesn't mean I would let you do it. Be easy homey...
Not in anyway is the list dispositive, all that I am saying is the situations are different and its why this "movement" to clean up rap isn't likely to work. Hell all the people protesting this shit still don't actually want to have to talk to any real kids so fuck them anyway...
The short answer is Economics stupid. If Rap music that was "negative" did not make any money it would not be made anymore, if Imus did not lose his sponsorships he would be on the air today. It's that simple...
But the difficult question comes in when people want to know why there has not been the outcry against rappers like there was against Imus... There are a few reasons.
1. We all know hoes, and golddiggers, and bitches, and etc... It's true, we all do, and therefore it is not the same as the Rutger's girls basketball team who were people with faces, and struggles that could be identified, with, its fucked up but true. Usually there is just blanket disrespect except for the case of song like "Wouldn't get Far" by the Game, which has generally been given a pass because most people think the video "vixens" are "video hoes."
2. No one wants to deal with the deeper issue. That issue being that Imus used the term "hoe" without any true intention of insulting the sexual promiscuity of those young women. Unfortunately when most rappers and people in the "urban" culture use the term, they actually mean that you are a "hoe" and they treat you accordingly. That right there is the issue much more than the language. There is a problem with disrespect as it comes in the form of words, but there is a larger problem, particularly with the breakdown of the Black American family where men and women just do not have enough proper respect for one another. the word "hoe" could be erased from everyone's memories tomorrow and that would not change the fact that most people these days see the opposite sex as something to be used as opposed to someone to be loved. Until we discuss that, I just ain't ready to start protesting Snoop Dogg.
3. The common belief, no matter how much people try to argue it, is that rappers differentiate. It's like the Chris Rock joke about women dancing to disgusting shit. The basic idea is "he ain't talking 'bout me!" Now in general this is true, though I choose not to speculate what side of the line each individual falls on. As they say, one man's dream girl is another man's bust down... (Or I guess you could say trash and treasure, but I hate mixing metaphors.)
4. Life ain't fair. How bout this? I for one am sick to damn hell of people acting like Life is supposed to be fair. It's not, Black people get fucked over all the time. So what if you believe that in the grand scheme of things he should not have lost his job for the joke. Shit, Arsenio should have lost his job for rolling with the Minister. Kate Moss shouldn't have lost her contracts for doing cocaine. Hell, you can argue all I want about me calling myself a nigga, but hell, just cause I may scratch my ass doesn't mean I would let you do it. Be easy homey...
Not in anyway is the list dispositive, all that I am saying is the situations are different and its why this "movement" to clean up rap isn't likely to work. Hell all the people protesting this shit still don't actually want to have to talk to any real kids so fuck them anyway...
The Reason....
Yo, see the deal is that I love to talk shit, I mean absolutely LOOOOOOVE to talk shit, but things are all so personal now, people get upset, feelings get hurt, and its all bad, but does that mean we can't think what we think? does that mean that no one can agree? Nah I don't really think so, and therefore I try to carry on. Leave out the names people leave out the names, its more the situations. This is a sociological paradigm of life in the city for a black man with an old soul, but before it seems to deep. Understand that it really aint... One love...
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