That's Entertainment

I interrupt my constant bitching with a moment of pure entertainment.

Sabrina and Drew are the most entertaining non-pros from Dancing with the Stars.

Oh Mary J.

Normally I'm screaming at Mary J. Blige to GTFOMTV!

Not today. I ran across this little gem on You Tube.




I LOVE tall-ass David Gregory!

I'm about to take a break from the election

This is an exciting week for me. American Idol just started Season 7.

We've done six seasons already? My how time flies. Anywhoo....


Before I get into my reality tv obsession I must share this little gem.

Melissa Harris-Lacewell debates Gloria Steinem, about her op-ed piece in the New York Times last week.

Click here to watch or listen.

Two words come to mind: Feral Cats

clipped from thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com

feral

• adjective 1 in a wild state, especially after escape from captivity or domestication

Food for thought

clipped from www.slate.com Cos and EffectBill Cosby may be right about African-Americans spending a lot on expensive sneakers—but he's wrong about why. Many in the black community have been critical of Cosby for blaming poor people rather than poor public policies. But notably absent from the Cosby affair have been the underlying economic facts. Do blacks actually spend more on consumerist indulgences than whites? And if so, what, exactly, makes black Americans more vulnerable to the allure of these luxury goods? Charles, Hurst, and Roussanov argue that it's because blacks and whites are seeking status in different communities. In the racially divided society we live in, whites are trying to impress other whites, and blacks are trying to impress other blacks. But because poor blacks are more likely to live among other poor blacks than poor whites are to live among other poor whites, poor black families are more susceptible to being pulled into a signaling game with their neighbors.

This whole article is thought provoking and interesting.

Read the whole thing here:
http://www.slate.com/id/2181822

Generalizations are never a good thing

Gordon from We Are Respectable Negroes responded to yesterday's rant.

I started to respond in the comments section, but I was so long winded...So here it is.


Between listening to the WAOD podcast this morning and reading MANY ignorant comments on Dear Black Man, my blood was boiling.

I wrote this post early in my day and dashed off to work. During the drive, I started thinking that:

1. My father doesn't make me tired. At all. He's been nothing but supportive of my mother and me my whole entire life. I'm a child of a non-deserter BM. I was guilty of the compartmentalization that I often accuse men (of all races). How can I attribute such a negative thing to a large group of people, and completely discount the most important people in my life?

2. My black male friends don't make me tired. Oh, wait. Sometimes they do. Moving on...

3. All black men don't make me tired. Actually, that's quite a ridiculous idea, especially given that I do not know all black men.

Gordon says:

The way some of these folks talk, black men who are openly hostile to professional black women and who only date white women are the majority. That's so far from the truth that it's crazy. If you see these types of black men everywhere you look, the problem is with your filter.

I don't actually think these men are the majority. Even if they were, I only deal with these people in passing because I make it a point to keep them at arms length. My real problem is that culturally, black women are being held to a double standard.


I have no problem supporting the causes of African-American men. I believe a crime against one is a crime against all (including black on black crime, but that's another discussion entirely) It just seems that black women are constantly being asked to support men at the expense of their own well-being and self-esteem and anyone who challenges an idea has an attitude. We're being told to sacrifice ourselves in one breath and then we're being told that we are not worthy as women in the next breath.

My mother says this is nothing new in America (then she brings up the Civil Rights Movement). This is simply new to me.


...as I write this, I see parallels in the Democratic Party and the black community. hmmm......

Powered by ScribeFire.

We are respectable negroes putting it down again.

I thought this was an interesting post. My father and I had a similar discussion this morning.

clipped from wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com Gordon Gartrelle says: The Democrats refuse to see the Wizard The fact that she is a Clinton is what’ll ultimately sink her. Feeling good about New Hampshire women coming to bat for their girl? That's nice. Feel this: do you know how many conservative and moderate women will come out to vote, not for a Republican, not against a Democrat, but against Hillary personally? People will crawl from the swamps to ensure she never sets foot in the White House again. If this is fairly obvious even to party loyalists, why are the rest of the Democrats so blind? I think it’s a collection of things: cowardice, strategic and ideological stagnation, an insider devotion to the status quo, and the all too predictable establishment liberal mantra, “White is right (to lead black people), black is awesome (but if it comes down to white vs. black leadership, black get back).

Black men make me tired

Ok.

I have to get this off my chest. This morning, I came across two websites that really got my blood boiling.

First.

What About Our Daughters

I go back and forth about how much I enjoy this website. At times I find the women screechy and I don't know that I actually agree with all of their messages and tactics.

What attracted me to them initially was the portrayal (and betrayal) of black women in the media. I wondered what we were teaching our children about the value of black women.

Every week they do a podcast with black bloggers on blogtalkradio.com. This week they discussed the New Hampshire primary returns.

Second.

I came across Dear Black Man: I'm Not Angry, I'm just mad as hell .

Intriguing.

The website features stories about ways black women can relate to black men in a more meaningful manner.

Nice. I guess.

After further review I discovered that it's not black women who are mad as hell, it's the black men.

The site features an open letter section where black men can air all of their tired laundry.

How are these two things connected?

Well, on this week's WAOD roundtable a caller decided to voice his concerns with the fact that these ladies were not Obama supporters. This was a surprise to the ladies because they are not against Obama, they are just trying to figure out the best candidate for them will be.

The caller (a black man) asserted that all black women should be supporting Obama, we should put our gender aside because that is not important and that Obama needs to be our choice because he is the first viable black candidate. Professor Tracy took issue with the request that she forget her gender to support a candidate that might not be best for her well-being. Another blogger then challenged Mr. Black Man to explain the issues that Obama supported that would positively change their lives. (I'm paraphrasing). Mr. Black Man could only come up with He's not Jesse, he's not Al, he's not Shirley Chisholm. Then he was asked what issues make him, (Mr. Black Man) support Obama. Same story. First black man as president.

hmmmm.......

As this was going on in the background I was reading this:

...Now she wants to be independent instead of us teaming up to build a dynasty. I really feel that BM woman wants to lead the BM and control all aspects of black life. More times than not when a BW acheives socalled success there was a man in the picture to help make it happen. The BW wants her own materialism. Once a BM has been burned in this way he very seldom ever trust another BW. Do BW hate BM? I actually have been able to build my businesses successly with out her. I never would have beleived that she was the one whom did want me to succeed because she wanted her own recognition. Now she now one the 70% of BW looking for a good man.

Here's my thing, I feel like everywhere I turn, I read/see/hear something that speaks to the problem with black women:

1. We're too educated
2. We're too outspoken or we have an attitude
3. We're too independent (A condition caused by the abandonment of the black family en masse by black men, even if you weren't a victim of said loss, you still consume it as part of the culture at large)
4. We don't care what happens to men now because we have so much for ourselves.

All of this is usually followed by "Who are you going to date now, you've got so much for yourselves now your all alone. Ha!" or "Welcome to the 70% of black women who are unmarried!"

Well now wait a second. If you really don't care about us, and we don't deserve your attention, and you're better off with out us and that's why you only date white women, then why do you need us to vote for Obama without questioning his position?

Why do you need us to not have our defenses up when you step to us in the club or at the bar?

Why do you need us to support you financially when the going gets tough?

Why do you need us to subvert all of our goals and aspirations just so that we can make YOU FEEL LIKE A MAN? Act like a man! Are you a man? Why is that not enough? Why must black women act like sub-humans in order for us to be feminine?

Why, after all of this screaming that we aren't good enough, that we aren't worthy, that we aren't pretty, that we are worthless; are we supposed to support what any black man does, just because they are a black man. This is not a two-way street, and I resent expectation. (Oh I could go on and on about expectations).

I'm done.

My Froggy Carr Obsession

This is the Mummers group that the kid in my police brutality photo belonged to. Clearly. They. Like. Beer.

clipped from williampennmanship.blogspot.com Froggy Carr to star in new Coors Light commercial The company was so very impressed by the groups consumption of the beverage on New Year's Day that Pete Coors, president, flew in to personally make an offer to its captain "What can I say, Froggy Carr likes Coors Light," said Mummer, Franky Cavanaugh.

My continued obsession with race.

I know that I'm supposed to hate Shelby Steele. I just can't get over the fact that I agree with 89% of what he just said in this interview.

(I hate Fox News...That has NOT changed)

Hat tip to We Are Respectable Negroes. One of my new favorite blogs.

clipped from wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com You know what? A broken clock is right twice a day.