Why I Considered the KFC Cricket Ad Racist & the Firestorm that Ensued
Due to the fact that Ms. Kasparian and I determined that this is first a stereotypical commercial that perpetuates the long standing point of view that Black people will do anything for fried chicken, and eventually ruled that it was racist, we’ve received countless emails, video responses, Australian newspaper stories, and interviews with an Australian television show to defend our point.
Many of the irate emails followed a similar pattern that began by accusing us of being ignorant to the game of cricket and the lifestyle of people outside of the U.S. Others pointed out that it wasn’t meant to be seen by America, as it was leaked onto the internet. Excuses that they are not aware of the racial overtones of such an ad were also contributed as reasons for the scene. Some complained that we were attempting to degrade Australians, and assumed that we were calling them racists.
Here are a couple of examples: I am australian, I couldn't stomach your report on the KFC add calling it racism...who are you to stand and judge our country?? what the?? have a look at your USA and I would assume you have a ton of work to do.. I am going to say that I have never heard such an immature response in my life on earth.... if you can say that our country is racist over that add, I would be safe to say 1) You have never been here to see that we are more multicultural than where you live 2) I would say you don't even have a passport and have never travelled..
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Just thought I'd send you a quick message to let you know how uninformed you are regarding the KFC advertisement.
I'll just touch on some points, you can do the maths, you seem like you have some intelligence.
- Firstly, The USA seems to be the only country in the world with a problem regarding the advertisement.
- Cricket is not an American past time. It is a past time and national sport for the country/ies the ad has been aired in. If you have ever taken the time to watch cricket, you would realise that this is an accurate depiction of the crowd in some African countries.
- This advertisement was not aired in the USA.
- There is no sense of superiority between the people in the crowd, you seem to be making this up.
- BLACK PEOPLE EATING CHICKEN IS PART OF AMERICA'S RACIST HISTORY. NOT AUSTRALIA'S!
Without the anger, misguided assumptions, or insults there are things I have to clear up. I called the KFC ad racist; I never accused the country of Australia of being a racist nation. I did not say that cricket doesn't have crowds like this. I said that fried chicken isn't the thing that calms the raucous crowds of darker skinned fans. I don't care about the depiction of the West Indies fans as loud, dancing spectators. When the chicken changed their moods, it inherently said things.
Anytime food calms things down, those things are animals. When we want to award our dogs for doing the right trick like sitting down, we give them a treat. It depicts dark skinned people as savages, which is the basis for my problem with the commercial. I understand that my problem stems from the way America historically treated Black Americans. Some also used to (and still do) say specifically that fried chicken is the one food that Black people just can't resist, like an animal.
We still have many, many racists in this country and when an established corporation or entity like KFC puts a message out there that tells them that their ancient thought process is right, I have to point out that it's wrong. We can't give credence to the mindset of a group of people we've been working to change for so many years. Sometimes these people could be hiring for a job and if they have their stereotypes confirmed by pop culture, (commercials) they will subconsciously turn down Black applicants simply b/c they think somewhere in their mind that this person is a savage, just like many used to think. No one wants a savage working for them that they can only calm down with a bucket of fried chicken.
I also understand that this entire struggle happened in America, so I actually don't mind when people from other countries don't take it the way I do. I don't mind that the target audience probably enjoyed it. I just hope that when people disagree with my point of view, that they understand that it's my point of view and that I will respect theirs, especially since it’s different in all parts of the world.
Sure, sometimes the term “racist” gets thrown around without merit. The reason I sometimes don't relax on the racism thing is because sometimes people die over the racism thing here in America. I just don't want to allow it to regain the life it once had. If the KFC ad ran here, with football fans in the place of cricket fans, I'd be just as upset by it; actually more upset. We have crazy football fans that are known to get unruly. So I get the reference, it's just that the chicken is where it crossed the line for me.
So again, I don’t think Australia is the land of racists; I simply believe that this KFC ad is damaging to the perception of Black Americans.
--JJJ
Woods Scandal Sadly Reveals that Some Americans Are Still Threatened by Interracial Relationships
Sadly, late night monologues, privacy invasion, and heroic disappointments haven’t been the only way we’ve responded to this scandal. Every time a good old fashioned, salacious-ridden scandal grabs the public’s attention, we have to be reminded by hateful people in this country that we still haven’t progressed as far as we believe we have in America. To some, the pain and embarrassment Woods is putting his wife and children through seem to take a backseat to the meaningless fact that he dates White women.
While Entertainment Tonight and SportsCenter focused on masking our indulgence in peering into Tiger’s second life with “important” 24-7 factual coverage, frightened and hateful talkers Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck continue to represent some Americans that can only focus on the close minded past we persistently try to escape. While commenting on his perception of Black Americans’ frame of mind regarding their expectations of President Obama, Limbaugh found a way to point out that Tiger Woods’ choice of White women is another problem for the race. Limbaugh’s relentless pursuit of racial division among Black Americans and White Americans rears its ugly head even when the subject of conversation is not even about Woods’ violation of his marriage. He gives validity to the smaller and smaller number of bigoted Americans that think it’s unsavory for Woods, a MULTIETHNIC man, to have illicit sexual affairs or a happy marriage with White women. As he projects his distaste for this seemingly Black man’s sexual conquests of White women, he masks it by dumping his negative views on the very people he chooses to misread.
As long as the conversation being conducted on his airwaves evokes racial division and hatred among each group, Limbaugh’s job is done. When a Black athlete such as Michael Jordan cheats on his Black wife, why doesn’t Limbaugh come on the air and voice his concerns for the “Black Frame of Mind” when it comes to cheaters? He doesn’t do this because Rush Limbaugh is an insular, pre-Civil Rights thinker concerned with Elin Woods, a White woman, being violated and corrupted by Tiger Woods, who he perceives to be a Black man.
While Limbaugh mindlessly told his listeners what the Black Community thinks, his heir apparent in racial division, Glenn Beck, voiced more heinous concerns some racist White men might hold over so many years. While discussing more breaking news that an unidentified blonde woman was rushed to the hospital from Woods’ home early Tuesday morning, Beck asked if Tiger Woods is becoming OJ Simpson. While disguising this blatantly racially tinged question with laughter and jokes of public relations strategies, Beck was actually tapping into the feelings that virtually split this country in two parts among racial lines during OJ Simpson’s “Trial of the Century.”
Never before has a murder trial been less about murder and more about race relations among Black and White Americans. The elements of a large, powerful Black man being tried for the murder of his petite, blonde haired White wife elicited resentment from some White Americans that held ancient beliefs that Black men are uncontrollable, violent animals that taint White women once they’re sexually involved with them. It also charged the emotions in so many Black Americans that suddenly supported Simpson after wrongfully shunning him for dating and marrying a White woman.
Beck spoke for all of the hateful racists that continue to hold beliefs that Black men have no place dating his White women, as there is always the potential for them to snap, become animalistic, and do them harm when emotions flare. Even though the facts show that the ambulance took Woods’ mother-in-law, not his wife, to the hospital due to stomach pains, Beck’s first thought that Woods must have been responsible for violently harming her illustrates his repulsive mindset that an interracial relationship will always result in the beastly Black man hurting the pristine White woman. Why didn’t Glenn Beck compare the NFL’s Brandon Marshall to OJ Simpson when he had run-ins with the law regarding domestic violence with his longtime girlfriend? There was no comparison of WWE wrestler Chris Benoit to OJ Simpson when he conducted a murder/suicide of his wife and child in 2007. He didn’t mention these cases because Marshall’s girlfriend wasn’t a White woman and Benoit & his family were White, and therefore didn’t trigger Beck’s fear that crazed Black men are harming pure women of his own race.
I’ve always known that some in this country still hold frightened beliefs regarding Black Americans and who they choose to date. The general population reprimands these ignorant thoughts, causing the number to get smaller and to be less vocal. Allowing extremely popular talkers such as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh to feel that their regressive rhetoric is accepted does nothing but give life to baseless feelings we continue to try to escape. The sooner we identify and educate the people in our country that continue to hold our progression back with hateful and out of touch thoughts that do nothing except divide us along racial lines, the sooner we’ll be able to enjoy the racial utopia we advertise to ourselves and the rest of the world.
--JJJ
New Sun Maid...or Sun Tramp??
The original model was a girl by the name of Lorraine Collett Petersen who was discovered in 1915 while, according to the company’s website, was drying her hair in the backyard of her parents house. She was then asked to pose for a painting while holding a basket tray full of grapes and wearing a red bonnet. Ok, timeout. Bear with me.
This discovery of Petersen sounds a little creepy to me. Some guy was peeking over the fence into the backyard of the Collett’s home in Fresno and watched this young woman drying her long, curly, dripping wet black hair in the driving sun? How long was this pervert checking her out before the idea popped into his head to have her pose for a painting, just so he could stare a bit longer? Maybe she felt that uncanny feeling that someone was watching her and looked over her shoulder to see some guy looking like Tim “The Toolman” Taylor’s neighbor checking her out. Nothing but a forehead and eyes reaching over the fence to get a good look. Didn’t her parents warn her against being discovered in such a way?
Luckily, her parents were not cautious like mine and it all worked out as Petersen’s image became one of the world’s most recognizable icons. Even after she’s gone through a few updates and makeovers that tightened up her rounded face and slimmed down her seemingly tubby figure, the latest computer generated commercial gives her even more appealing features and even a voice. We’re almost sure to hear, “What about the good old days of the Sun Maid Raisin girl? The days that illustrated a much simpler time, a time when we weren’t obsessed with skinny waists, big boobs and tight asses.”
My advice: get over it. Nearly every product face gets changed. Let’s not read too much into it and think that Sun Maid is trying to sexualize raisins or their raisin bread. (I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out how raisins can be sexy; I’ll need suggestions from the freaks reading this). According to Sun Maid President Barry Kriebel, they’re simply using the new look to educate consumers about healthy living choices. So when we see the new Sun Maid girl going to the gym, shopping at the store, and speaking other languages, let’s stay away from assuming she’s hitting the treadmill in order to keep her boyfriend around or that she’s rejecting America by speaking a little Spanish and therefore advocating an open border policy with Mexico. The redesigned look will only be seen in the new commercials and will not replace the great memories that come when everyone walks past a box of raisins with her red bonneted head on it only to choose that unhealthy pack of Oreos to snack on instead. Admit it; you don’t like raisins anyway, so maybe a hot grape picker girl will get you to grab a few boxes. Men will want to be with her, and women will want to be her!
--JJJ
Trevor Ariza, the Real NBA Finals MVP??
Everyone knew he’d get it; the sometimes legitimate discussion that is had over who should have won the MVP trophy never crossed anyone’s mind…except for mine. I was on board to don Kobe the indisputable most valuable player, until 2nd year Laker Trevor Ariza stepped into the spotlight and made life hell for opposing teams. Ariza played tight and relentless defense on one of the Orlando Magic’s most versatile and dangerous players, Hedo Turkoglu, and seemingly scored at will on the offensive end.
The Lakers calling card throughout the playoffs has been inconsistent play. After dismantling the Magic in game 1 by a difference of 25 points, the Lakers collectively took a break in the following game as they always did, squeaking out an overtime victory on their home court. If it weren’t for a tough layup missed by Orlando’s Courtney Lee at the end of regulation, the series would have been immediately tied with 3 games in Orlando in front of them.
Ariza provided consistency on defense throughout the playoffs and timely steals at the end of games and quarters that sealed a victory against the dangerous Denver Nuggets in the previous round. Kobe Bryant was given the luxury of relaxing on defense, guarding players that were not primary options for the Magic and reserving enough energy to beat one man off the dribble and attract a crowd of defenders. When the pass to a teammate was given, virtually no one hit the important wide open jumper the way Ariza consistently did. While Derek Fisher got praised for hitting two timely 3 pointers in Game 4’s overtime victory, everyone forgot that he shot like an inexperienced rookie throughout the rest of the playoffs. When he struggled, Trevor Ariza delivered offensive production that Bryant could depend on. The games that Lamar Odom routinely took off had Ariza picking up the slack with extra rebounds and energy plays. Everywhere the Lakers had a leak, Ariza filled the cracks. The key player that played little to no minutes in the Lakers failed championship run last year was…Trevor Ariza.
I’m not trying to take Kobe Bryant’s Finals MVP trophy away, as he’s by far the best player on the team, but without Trevor Ariza on the floor with him, we still might be playing games 6 and 7 this week in Los Angeles.
--JJJ
Basketball Remorse?
Wilt Chamberlain’s record-100 point scoring night amazes fans to this day. Kobe Bryant’s 81 point outburst almost exactly 3 years ago got wild praise from Lakers fans in the forms of t-shirts and posters. So why is a private Christian school in Texas catching heat for a 100-0 blow out win in a girls basketball game last week? That’s right; The Covenant School seemed to be playing to cleanse their sins when they absolutely dismantled Dallas Academy last week. Even after a 59-0 halftime lead, parents in the stands claimed to have witnessed more full court presses, continued 3-point shots, and a game that turned into a lay-up drill for the girls of Covenant. In this game of the religious vs. the secular, Coach Micah Grimes and his dominant team decided to skip breaking bread with their opponents and opted for a trip to the woodshed instead. That setting provided more beams and splinters for everyone’s eyes. The question is, will this game count?
Now, the school is trying to get the game to be ruled as a forfeit due to the embarrassment that is coming with the unsportsmanlike manner in which they won. It doesn’t help that the school on the losing end is winless over the last 4 seasons, has 8 girls on the varsity team out of 20 in the school, and that Dallas Academy specializes in teaching students with “learning differences” such as dyslexia or short attention spans. This just went from sad to depressing, forcing the head of Covenant, Kyle Queal, to release a statement saying, “It is shameful and an embarrassment that his happened,” explaining that their requesting the forfeit because, “A victory without honor is a great loss.”
These statements and gestures sound like a preemptive strike upon themselves to alleviate the relentless condemnation they would surely receive from parents of opposing schools and the community. Grimes’ excuses included that the game simply got out of hand. This lame excuse makes one wonder how the coach of a team with a game plan of a full-court press and immediate steals can tell anyone that it “just happened.” It is even clearer that this was the plan when Covenant finally backed off when the 100th point was scored with 4 minutes left in the game, limiting their 4th quarter output to a mere 12 points. So a team that scored 100 points suddenly couldn’t get another point after they reached the century mark? Sounds like a plan to me, a plan that was controlled by the Covenant coach.
Although I’m not a fan of taking the competition out of sports just to make sure the kids’ feelings don’t get hurt, this purposeful dominance transcended the lesson to “toughen up” and “learn this life lesson.” Sure, the girls of Dallas Academy should learn how to lose and move on, but there are some rules when it comes to sports that separate them from real life. There’s no sportsmanship in business or in getting the job, but there is in basketball. When the goal is humiliation rather than simply winning, the victor doesn’t come out ahead, they get taught a bad lesson in athletics.
The Covenant school shouldn’t forfeit this game, they should keep their record and not rub salt into the wounds of Dallas Academy that will have one win in 4 years due to an embarrassing public ass kicking that made national news. It’s already bad enough that they’ve received an invitation from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to watch an NBA game from his suite. Now we’re teaching these girls that losing on an epic scale will get them enough sympathy to be charitably rewarded. Let’s stop breeding super losers and bad winners. A real coach would be planning a way to put up 100 points on The Covenant School…that’s competition, forget forfeits and charities.
--JJJ
Holiday Cheer!
Holiday Season is upon us, flurries are falling in some states, downright snow is hitting other parts; while we spoiled residents of Southern California notice this rain and 60 degrees as the official start of the rough winter season. The turkey is digested by the carnivores left in the country that didn’t see Sarah Palin’s interview in front of the Alaskan turkeys not graciously pardoned by her, and we’ve caught up with our friends and families on how school/work has been and who/why we voted for who/what we did. I hope Prop 8 in California and similar issues in Arizona & Florida didn’t turn the Adult table into a yelling fest loud enough for the Kids’ table to imitate the bad behavior from Grandpa Joe and Uncle Edward.
Our cooks’ have slaved over hot stoves and ovens for the entire day to provide enough sustenance to sustain a never-ending battle between Rush Limbaugh and Cenk Uyger of The Young Turks. Give them some thanks in between barbs, feel good that despite whatever went wrong or right so far this year, you still have a chance to make it better or worse; so keep looking ahead. Sleep is needed, long lines and traffic await the bargain shoppers that will get frustrated with the Black Friday crowds regardless of the fact they all know about it and experience it every year.
Since we’re trying new things this year, like electing Barack Obama, think about continuing to fulfill the wishes of a very inspirational young man that recently couldn’t see them all accomplished in his short time here. When that lady at the left turn light doesn’t turn as soon as green is revealed, give her a polite tap on the horn rather than your normal punching bag pressure. When the gentleman in front of you at the grocery store decides to pay a $20 bill with a personal check, stand strong, don’t exhale loudly wondering why he won’t just use his debit card that withdraws money from the exact same account this 15-minute check routine takes.
It’s vacation time, take all the annoying situations that will most definitely come and remember that you could be sitting behind your computer at work, filing important paperwork, being polite to people that don’t deserve it, answering calls from clients that could have solved their problem if they’d only thought about it, or blowing your horn at a lady in traffic as you head to work, not Best Buy.
Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Black Friday, get in on the holiday spirit that somehow seems to escape us after two days of turkey and pumpkin pie. Be nice to the irritating people you run into, and if you can’t find any, then you’re probably the one daydreaming at a green light while the SUV behind you is laying on his horn!
Happy Holidays!
--JJJ
Can Ice Cube Escape "Gangsta Rap?"
Ice Cube, the West Coast gangsta rap icon and member of the pioneering group N.W.A. has a new single and video out. For many in the Black Community that despised the acronym N.W.A. in the first place, (Niggaz With Attitudes) and felt that their largely misogynistic and extremely violent lyrics perpetuated and advocated a negative vision of Black Americans, Ice Cube should not be winning any NAACP Image Awards.
After so much popularity and controversy over their lyrics that banned N.W.A. from many radio stations and tours, and Ice Cube’s solo career has stretched for almost 20 years. Even though Cube’s albums were highly political and included large amounts of social commentary that spoke of America’s hypocrisy and hidden racism, he never completely escaped the gansta rap label he and N.W.A. began with. So with a new album out and his new single entitled, Why Me? is it possible for him to be seen as a positive voice in the eyes of some that only remember some of the violent lyrics of the ‘80s?
Why Me? largely focuses on the senseless murder of Los Angeles High School student Jamiel Andre Shaw who was shot down near his home in March due to random gang violence. After two Latino gang members approached Shaw and asked which gang he belonged to, they shot him after receiving no response, as Shaw was simply a standout football player and student looking forward to going to a major university.
Ice Cube’s video features the family of Shaw and says, “Why you wanna murder me? You never ever heard of me. You don't know who I am. I could be part of your family tree. Sent by G.O.D. To save the word you and me. You never know who you facin.' Who ya chasin.' The life you wastin.' These words are obviously in sharp contrast to Ice Cube’s lyrics on N.W.A.’s Gangsta Gangsta, “Heres a little somethin bout a nigga like me. Never shoulda been let out the penitentiary. Ice Cube would like to say. That I’m a crazy muthaf***a from around the way. Since I was a youth, I smoked weed out. Now I’m the muthaf***a that you read about. Takin a life or two. That’s what the hell I do, you don’t like how I’m livin, Well f**k you!”
Due to those kinds of lyrics, I wonder if his previous detractors will even listen to his new song’s message that actually agrees with the overwhelming opinion that this needs to stop. Those that still disparage artists like Ice Cube that recorded songs that spoke of senseless killing and street life need to give his message another chance. Sure, he still uses profanity and the word nigga freely in his lyrics, but if a positive message is what many want to get across to young people that listen to his music, how much pain is it really causing? With his name, notoriety, and respect he still has with fans, every little bit from every influence to change things for the better should be accepted.
--JJJ
John McCain Thinks You're an Idiot
After a historic week at the Democratic National Convention, capped off with a historic speech by Barack Obama accepting the Party's nomination before a crowd of 84,000, it's apparent that John McCain's campaign was left in awe like many other Americans. His choice of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as his VP running mate screams of desperation and pandering to any possible voters left that he can draw from the Democratic primary battle between Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Even though the DNC completely dispelled all the dramatic efforts some journalists and the McCain campaign had in saying it was a Party divided, the 72 year old Senator from Arizona has completely jumped off the edge in chasing his dream of becoming President.
Since the majority of Americans are now understanding that John McCain is handcuffed by his promises to big oil companies, lobbyists, and the Christian Right's radical freedom-suppressing views, he began the general election with a very negative campaign that only grasped two very unsubstantial attacks against Barack Obama. He is too popular, and therefore a celebrity and secondly, he is too inexperienced to become President of the United States.
It's well known that one way to attack your opponent is to attack his strengths. With ongoing attacks on Barack Obama's awesome celebrity and particularly his uncanny ability to motivate and inspire young voters, McCain has tried to make the one thing EVERY politician dreams of doing a bad thing. How long have we been preaching that the voter that every disconnected politician can't figure out is the young voter? Celebrities have been trying to get in on the act to motivate young voters for decades with programs like Rock The Vote, but the magic was so difficult to discover, with everyone virtually giving up on them. McCain's declaration that there's something wrong with excitement and hope behind a politician came off more like a jealous contender that wished he had the "it" factor Barack Obama has. Young, motivated voters only turned their back on him more, so inexperience was next up to bat.
Constant spotlights on Obama's time in the Senate probably caught a few people's attention when it was coupled with scare tactics that the Republican Party has turned into an art form. "Is he ready to lead?" "Where is his foreign policy experience?" The fact that President Bush and VP Cheney currently have the most experience in the White House and still managed to destroy the economy, dismantle our image with the rest of the world, and subvert Americans' civil rights didn't seem to matter to some. The obvious asset of judgment has been squarely in the hands of Barack Obama, as it has been pointed out that John McCain's judgment has mirrored George Bush's in his voting record.
So now that John McCain is down by 24 points and the outstanding event put on at the Democratic National Convention has him looking at 4th down, he's getting desperate and throwing up Hail Maries at the beginning of the 3rd quarter before this game begins to get out of reach.
The last straw McCain's grasping at is the determined Hillary Clinton supporters that came to the convention looking to propel their candidate even with the Mission Impossible theme playing in the background. His nomination of Sarah Palin is easier to read than Dr. Seuss. The insular thought is that all women only wanted to see Hillary Clinton in office because she would be the first female president. He has no idea that they liked her policies, trusted her judgment, and admired her strength. McCain's campaign thought, "Hillary Clinton is a WOMAN, and everyone that voted for her MUST ALL BE WOMEN!! Women are so irrational and emotional, let's just thrown some woman in here and their ovaries will MAKE them vote for us!!"
This is so desperate, the McCain campaign forgot about their previous assertions that Barack Obama shouldn't be elected due to his lack of experience. Sarah Palin has NEVER had national experience and has held her Alaskan post for under 2 years. All the people that were worried about that big, bad, experience monster should be jumping under the covers and turning on their night lights when they see Palin crawling under their beds.
As long as Americans don't prove John McCain right in his thoughts that we are all idiots, with women at the bottom of the intelligence pool, this last ditch effort to take attention away from his horrible policies that will continue to hurt America will fall to the ground. Will we choose our next president based on unrelated tricks or real issues that actually affect our lives and the world? Are YOU an idiot??
--JJJ
Obama Is My Slave??
It’s August of 2008 in America. The horrific atrocities that embodied American slavery officially ended at the end of 1865. After 143 years of freedom from the institution of slavery, leading to the struggle of racial equality and eventual opportunity for everyone, we still have Americans that don’t care enough about the country that gave them the opportunity to live free, to respect it.
Doron Braunshtein, also known as Apollo Braun, owner of a New York City boutique, claims he was recently attacked in his store by two African American men for selling his line of “Obama is My Slave” T-shirts.
According to an account from his publicist, the two men worked together - one grabbed Braun's hands while the other kicked him in the testicles. Now, after experiencing the physical fallout for himself, the shirt peddler is reconsidering his merchandise. "I don't want to be killed for my t-shirts. I am still shocked about what happened today but there is a big chance that I will stop selling my anti-Obama merchandise after what happened today. I mean, tomorrow someone can show up at my store with a gun, and I don't want that to happen."
Though he's considering halting the sale of the inflammatory shirts, Braun calls the tees "art" and defends his right to make them. Someone should educate this imbecile on the horrors of slavery since he was never taught in school.
Humans like Braunshtein disgust me. While he cries out for tolerance and understanding, his feeble mind fails to understand that his shirts are inflammatory speech, meant to incite violence and threats towards the Democratic nominee for President, and in this case, himself. This fact can’t be denied as the rest of his line of anti-Obama shirts that sell for $69 carry slogans like, “Jews Against Obama,” “Obama=Hitler,” and “WHO KILLED OBAMA?” Is this garbage supposed to be funny?
I don’t believe that Braunshtein is so stupid to believe that his shirts shouldn’t cause a stir, that they wouldn’t incite violence toward him or anyone else. He’s a business man, smart enough to open his own boutique and keep himself afloat. What I don’t believe he possesses is an understanding or desire to understand what America is.
I like to think that virtually everyone that enjoys the great things America offers has enough of a thought process to be talked to, regardless of how opposite their opinion is of mine. I welcome opportunities to see other people’s point of view as long as I know I am getting the same courtesy in return. Apollo Braun is one of few human beings I’d never like to speak with. His reaction to his assault solidifies his blatant lack of reasoning and provincial mindset.
This reaches beyond my support of Barack Obama for President. I wouldn’t advocate violence upon John McCain simply because I believe he will keep this country I love on its downward path. We forget that we’re dealing with real life when we support our respective candidates. If Braun has something he doesn’t like about Obama, and wants to spread some truth he may have stumbled upon, he has every right to do that. What is it about plastering hate speech on a shirt, advocating assassination, and a regression to a slavery mindset to the country that would make someone vote for his choice, John McCain?
To those that look to defend Braunshtein’s hate speech, think about how quickly someone is booed and shunned when they simply challenge John McCain’s military record. Because he spent time as a P.O.W. and exhibited courage and dedication to his fellow soldiers, it is immediately considered taboo to bring up anything negative he did while serving. Anyone that does is considered unpatriotic and in denial about the courageous things he did while being tortured.
With this mentality firmly in place, I can safely assume that Doron Braunshtein and anyone that thinks his t-shirts are okay to sell are advocating the murder of Presidential nominees; including John McCain, long for the days of oppressive and gruesome slavery, and wish for another Holocaust to occur. Since Braunshtein hates America so much, why doesn’t he just go live somewhere else?
Rick Ross, Studio Gangsta
Drug kingpin turned rapper Rick Ross is taking some serious heat for his “shaky” past. No, the police are not after him for “making a couple million dollars last year dealin weight.” They’re not even looking into the hundred favors that “the real Noriega” owes Ross. Rick Ross, aka William Roberts is under fire from hip hop fans that are upset or laughing that his connection to drug kingpins was only while locking them up.
After pictures of a young, clean shaven Ross surfaced last week of him shaking hands as a newly crowned corrections officer, many hip hop fans were in disbelief that this virtual Tony Montana lied to them. “The Boss” proceeded to vehemently deny the accusations, saying that the picture was photoshopped by haters trying to bring him down from the top of the game. “If this s**t was real don't you think they would have more specifics, like dates and everything? Fake pictures are created by the fake, meant to entertain the fake.”
Mr. Roberts failed to remember what many of our politicians let slip their minds: we keep records of everything; we videotape and take pictures of everything else. So, with his desperate denials out there, the Smoking Gun produced the specifics he was asking for. The dates, salary, and length of time he worked for Florida’s Department of Corrections. Whoops!
Now, let’s keep it gangsta. (I won’t say that anymore.) Does it really matter that William Leonard Roberts was a 19 year old corrections officer for 18 months back in ’95? Does it matter that he talks about knowing the real Noriega? Actually, if you ever really believed that this performer that graced stages and recorded albums was stupid enough to be out on the streets “pushin weight” for a couple million dollars last year, then you should be upset with yourself. Maybe he was talking about pushing your weight to the record store to buy his “street life” music you envied him for.
Hip hop started as a way for the artists to talk about their lives and where they come from. Sometimes the stories spoke of the horrors of the streets, drugs, and crime. This used to educate the people that didn’t live that life about the things that happened outside of their little bubble. Somehow, this ugly street life that no one desires to live turned into a desirable goal by the kids that never lived it. Somewhere along the way, these kids changed their dreams from wanting to go to pharmacy school to just being a street pharmacist. Since some real “Gs” made fame and fortune rapping about their past, everyone else saw the benefits of gangsta rap. If you didn’t live it, just make it up!
We’re so wrapped up in the soap opera that many performers write for us, we’ve been missing how ridiculous the storyline has gotten. Now that one of the script writers has been exposed as a legitimate, law abiding citizen, some are upset?? Trust me, Hulk Hogan didn’t actually get stronger every time The Ultimate Warrior hit him with the chair at Wrestlemania. And what’s so wrong with never being locked up, never getting shot 5 times, and never helping turn your neighborhood into a war zone?
We need to make up our minds about hip hop and our community. One minute, we blame the rappers for writing misogynistic, profanity-laden lyrics about selling drugs and shooting people. We want them to stop glorifying a murderous street life and stop setting negative examples for our kids. Then we call them suckers when it’s discovered that they’re married to their high school sweetheart that they lost their virginity to, they have 2 kids that live in the suburbs, and every time little Ricky swears, he has to put his allowance in the Swear Jar.
And the Oscar, uh Election Goes To…
Campaigning, shaking people’s hands, kissing babies, making inspirational speeches, all this to appeal to enough voters to get elected into office. I’ve wracked my brain trying to figure out why no matter what our beloved politicians say or do, good or bad, once many of us have made up our minds made up on “our guy” there’s little anyone can do to shake that support. We think we see the person on stage that we know and love, but in reality, we don’t truly know these guys, mostly because they don’t want us to, and neither do we.
American politicians are much like our beloved Hollywood celebrities. Sure, many of them are drug addicts or drunks with horrible attitudes when fans happen to meet them, but damn we love that one character they played and the way they delivered that one line from our favorite movie! They’re surrounded by advisors, stylists, speech writers, image consultants, and publicists so much that we see what their crew creates for us. They even ask us in polls what we like and don’t like, just so they can mold this perfect image before our very eyes, while we let out ooohs and aaahhs like it’s the 4th of July and we weren’t expecting that grand finale we see every year.
Let me take a few of our favorite DC celebrities to see which image-driven, red carpet prima Donna, they embody the most.
Recently defeated Democratic primary candidate Hillary Clinton had an image of a tough, hard as nails candidate with the brains of a scholar, but the delicate touch only a woman could provide. Oh, she can go into battle with the fellas, but offered the sensibility and slight vulnerability no man could ever have…unless he’s some kind of wuss. Kind of remind you of Jodie Foster, doesn’t it? She went face to face and matched wits with a flipped out, human flesh-snacking Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, but later showed a vulnerable, but still savvy under pressure side of her in Panic Room, battling three brutal home intruders while caring for her diabetic daughter.
Democratic nominee for President, Barack Obama is the candidate for change, as we’ve all heard and many have fallen in love with. It doesn’t hurt that many women declare that he’s not too hard on the eyes, either. All candidates seem to say the right things, but Obama has a way of making you “feel” the right things as he says them. Supporters and detractors alike admit that he’s an amazing orator, picking up friends and admirers like a rockstar on the campaign trail. Although people love him for this, those very same things make others dislike him, but the plan is to make EVERYONE adore him. This all-around, good looking, smooth talker makes you wonder when Denzel Washington will be stepping up to fill in when Barack has come down with the flu. Denzel has been the rookie cop that was catapulted to fame and adoration in the movie Ricochet due to his intelligence, quick wit, and mass appeal to anyone that encountered him. As the consummate good guy, an elaborate plot to ruin his career, reputation, and family life didn’t happen. Although it was a lot of work, all he really had to do was talk and smile for everything to be alright.
President Bush is beginning to wrap up his 2nd term as the tough guy that you’d love to have a beer with. Bush appealed to the “regular guy” that loves his country, hates it when others disparage it, and will do anything to make sure things go the way he thinks they should. His biggest defenders and supporters admit he’s no Aristotle when telling you exactly what he’s thinking or how his elaborate plan will work, but dammit, it’s going to work b/c this is the United Freaking States!!! Nobody can see us or be us!! This never die attitude is what we see every time Sylvester Stallone takes another role. He mercilessly shot bastards in the head in Rambo, took beatings fight after fight in the Rocky movies, and even embarrassed himself in Stop! Or my Mom Will Shoot, but through all those roles and even more, his growling delivery and speech from the side of his mouth never changed, no matter what the public opinion polls said! When compassion and funny didn’t work he just went back to the well, picked up another huge gun in a new Rambo, 26 years later to shoot a few more bastards and beat a few more asses in Rocky Balboa (part 6), 30 years later. Being a tough guy always helps, even in Washington DC.
Now I’m just wondering when we’ll find a candidate with enough nerve to move in with his rich uncle, take on two different kinds of aliens, beat up virtually indestructible robots, survive as the last man on earth, and then be a superhero! Maybe Will Smith should just start campaigning now as governor of Pennsylvania and get it over with.