Monday, September 24, 2007

What is happening to the World? Oh yeah...for a minute I thought things were getting better.

I am not particularly surprised just annoyed, that in less than a week, we have had two "insightful" viewpoints (and by insightful, I mean completely ridiculous, racist and unnecessary) from two of the foremost experts on race, Bill O' Reilly aka "Douche" and Adrienne Curry aka, "The girl who won the first Top Model, who married the least cute one from the Brady Bunch, who talks like she had way too many Jello shots at that party."

Oh, and let's not forget that wack-a doo Amenanjalalabad or whatever his name is....spouting all sorts of dangerous crazy blocks from where I work. Scary.

So O'Reilly is amazed (and you can hear it in his voice) that dining in a Black restaurant like Sylvia's is no different from dining in a white establishment. Well, this must be the most newsworthy story he has come out with since he started attacking rappers a while ago. He also goes on to marvel at all the "respectable, well- dressed" Black people at an Anita Baker concert. Blacks entertaining in tuxedos...just like the good old days. Get a clue, Bill. The more you open your bigoted mouth, the more you add to the problem. Does this guy have children? God, I hope not...imagine growing up in the O'Reilly household:

"Bill Jr., are you listening to that negro music again?"
"But dad, all the affluent, sheltered white kids at my school are listening to Ludacris!"
"Son, don't you know that rap music is the downfall of human civilization? Now let's go, we have reservations at Sylvia's...great place, I'm just puzzled as to why they don't have watermelon and malt liquor on the menu..."

What's even funnier (and not in a good way) is that he is actually mad that websites have him spewing this garbage on tape... he claims that it was taken out of context...of course! Silly me! Um, hello, it is your voice, on tape. You would think that this guy would learn about people recording his voice based on past indiscretions...oh well. Lesson to Bill that he is probably too old and out of touch to care about learning: It is not what you say, but how you say it. And who you say it to, like thousands of people on the radio. (idiot)

Now, in Adrienne Curry's defense, she is probably not that bright....seriously, what is up with the slurred speech? Head trauma as a child? A little too much huffing in high school? Whatever the reason, I actually got her intentions in posting this blog on myspace, but wonder of wonders, amidst all the uninformed, racist remarks her intentions like her modeling career, got lost. Yes model, we all get that in an ideal world, race should not be an issue and Black History is American history and blabbity blabbity blah....now once again, let's step into a little something I like to call reality. People of color way back when were basically robbed of any choice, any true freedoms so to hold on to what little identity we had left, to regain our pride, we had to find ways to show that yes, we are here and yes, it is a truly f***ed up situation but we have to do something to rise above it. Hence, BET (which should really be boycotted because it is garbage now...where is Donnie Simpson when you need him?) and Black History Month, AND Telemundo AND the Country Music Channel....everyone needs to identify with something, honey. Curry clearly does not understand that when you go off on rants like this and then say you are not racist, it makes you look (lean in closer) LIKE AN ASS. And of course days after, she issues the mandatory: "white guilt, half assed apology" (which she can pretty much keep) and continues to play the "I grew up like the family on Roseanne, I dated a Black guy so I understand" card. Give me a Break. Or better yet, read a book. I recommend The Invisible Man, The Autobiography of Malcolm X and the Bluest Eye. Then maybe she can really say that she is beginning to understand instead of claiming to already know.

As for this guy Ahmadinejad (yes, I really do know how to spell his name), what is there to say? He came to New York, he was predictably loony and our reaction to it might have made things even worse as far as American/ Middle East relations go, not that we didn't have the right to react. There's the conundrum of being an American. Can't we all just get along? I keep imagining all the Iranian gays in the audience when he spoke at Columbia after that ridiculous statement he made...how do you say "Oh no he didn't!!!" in Iranian?

This will most likely be the first and last biblical quote i put on here but isn't it so appropriate?

"Out of the Abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh."
-Matthew 12:34

image via Tim's Wine
links via Media Matters, Wikipedia, Myspace, Ifilm, NPR

2 comments:

London77 said...

When the playing field has been unequally stacked because of years of oppression and current mind sets to consciously and unconsciously discriminate, we try to give the people with whom it have been stacked against a fighting chance to not only survive but thrive. That is what the Civil Rights Laws, quotas, Americans with Disabilities Act, ect.. tried to accomplish.

To the dismay of more intelligent society these law and acts are seen as a threat to less secure souls. People who do not want to accept that we are all different races, religion, cultures and beliefs are not looking at reality. Yes, we are all Americans. We don't ever need to tolerate each other, but we need to celebrate each other and our differences. Variety is the spice of life.

Unfortunately, Adrienne Curry is just showing her ignorance. It is good she is speaking her mind and has created at least an open dialog on the subject. She is open about her beliefs, and I respect her honesty. She legitimately sounds like she is confused and just does not know. I don't think it is coming from a place of hate but it sounds like she has not had a lot of experience with having very close Black friends for an extended amount of time. Trying to be a quote "Credential Carrier" by dating one of the Blackest guys in high school does not count. There are a lot of people just like her who truly do not get it.

Is Adrienne Curry contributing to BET in anyway for BET to care about her boycott? Does she buy the products on the commercials? She does not have enough respect to learn about the racial history and current history of the African Americans BET is representing.

Many of the networks are separated but the names just say CBS, NBC, ABC...ect, just because the network does not have white or Anglo American in the title does not mean they cater to every nationality.

When is the last time Adrienne has seen a Pakistan sitcom, or more than one Hispanic sitcom? I cannot even count on one hand how many African American shows are on any of the above mentioned networks. If I am wrong, please advise. I will not be offended, but hopeful.

I would also like to know what exactly did Adrienne Curry do for Blacks during Black History month, anyway for her boycott to be effective. Did she visit the Martin Luther Jr King center, or donate any funds to the King center or any African American Charities? Did she volunteer in a predominately African American Homeless Shelter? Did she foster or adopt an African American Child? Did she give money to help Save Darfur? Did she educate her non-black friends about African American history? How could she, when she does not know herself?

Black History Month, BET, JET Magazine and Ebony magazine are not racists. It is not exclusion but a celebration. There is mainstream American and then there are those who are typically left out or not really recognized on a daily basis. Those particular groups’ homosexuals, Hispanics, Asians, and African-Americans create their own culture and celebration to uplift themselves and bring up their self-worth and celebrate their culture and differences. They have to create their own magazines, televisions stations, radio stations, Heritage months, Parades ect...because if they did not they would be ignored. Everyone is looking out for their own agenda.

It is just like moving to China and being only 3% of the population. Sure you want to assimilate and learn the culture and join with the natives but how many TV shows, radio stations, magazines are going to be 1st of all in English, secondly, and how many are going to be based on American culture and tradition. Most will be in the Chinese and the tradition of the Chinese culture.

Some closed minded or narrowly thinking persons will say what about white history month but White America is the mainstream. I know African American who know more about European, White American or even Native American History than their own African American History. Why don't we have a Male Heterosexual Parade? or quotas to make sure White males are hired? We do not have those events because they are the mainstream and there is not a need because they are the ones benefiiting from the mainstream culture. That is why we have the Alma awards, the Country Music Awards ect.....they are not recognized because they are not mainstream but they still matter and should be counted.....I am not Hispanic but I am not offended when they want to have a celebration of their culture and accomplishments outside of what American award show offer.

Everyone needs to stop being so offended when someone wants to celebrate their cultural difference, or set aside a particular time (a month) to educate everyone about the history and contribution of certain races. Racist is described in the Webster dictionary as based on racial intolerance, discriminatory, especially on the basis of race. I do not hear Adrienne complaining about the Gay Parades or other separate cultural or sexual events and celebrations. I do believe Adrienne is racist but her racism I believe comes from a point of ignorance not hatred.

Christopher Knight needs to take Adrienne from the deep end of the pool because she is drowning in her own stupidity. First she needs to tread water in the shallow end, when her mind and water can reach it's own level. Chris please help her

Too bad she let her emotions get the best of her by writing a very demeaning, accusatory letter to Tyra Banks, otherwise Tyra could try to help educated her even more. It is ironic that Adrienne would not be where she is today or even know the husband she has if it were not for a Black woman, but she does not even remotely understand the plight or struggles of the African Americans. Again I will say take an African American History course...as a matter of fact take at least 3....

Girl......get informed and open your mind and time to spend with other cultures, especially African Americans. Slavery has everything to do with it. Not that Black people cannot let the past go but being enslaved for over 400 years and having other races come to America on their own free will, has a lot to do with it.

Do you tell a child who has been molested to move on, or a woman who has been abused by her husband for years to move, or someone whose family has been murdered or someone who encounters racism on a daily basis to move? Do you tell the Jena 6, Mychal Bell, who has been tried as an adult when he is a child, who has been in jail for almost a year to move on? Do you question Cinco de Mayo? Hispanic Heritage Month? Green Day? Asian Pacific Month? Chinese New Year? The Gay Parade?

The first step to healing is to stop the abuse. When Black people are continually being treated unfairly, blamed for the N word misunderstood, held under a microscope and be subjected to people who have ignorant paradigms such as Adrienne Curry it is difficult to just get over it. Give Black people a break. They, we have been through enough......but again the fight to peacefully educate continues....

Written By London77 aka MB

K. said...

Well said, London.

--K