Tyler Perry's Madea's Halloween movie did a whopping 27.6 million at the weekend box office, and since it took 20 million to make, you have to admit that was a huge victory for Tyler Perry and the actors associated with the film.
Now the Ashy Larrys will come out the woodwork to shame every black person who made this film a success. Who are the Ashy Larrys? These are the black men who identify as straight; yet, are constantly concerned with gaze and approval of other black men; who call women queens as long as they agree with them, accept their misogynistic behavior and convo; yet, you are a bitch, when you don't; usually, they are heavily degreed and well read; yet, rather than using this education for good, use it to shame and ridicule others who aren't on their level; they are homophobic; class elitists; and have toxic masculinity (masculinity, which really isn't masculinity but as long as it looks that way around their "boys" they are good with it).
These Ashy Larrys in the coming days will call you out of your name for not supporting Nate Parker's Birth of Nation. They will tell you that you are doing the work of white supremacy, while at the same time are so concerned with the white gaze themselves over how Tyler Perry dressed in drag is an assault to black male masculinity (rolls eyes). They will call black women Negro bed wenches; even though African American females made up 60% of the viewing population for Birth of Nation; they will call other black men Uncle Toms, question their sexualities, and be ready to arm wrestle you (like who does that other than 12 year olds?) for not supporting a good black brotha such as Mr. Parker (I bet none of their black asses have read them court transcripts from his rape trial, but whatever; let's not let pesky facts get in the way of good black solidarity (rolls eyes again).
So my response to these Ashy Larrys? Fuck you!
You know why Madea movies do so well? Because being black is hard enough, and we want to laugh sometimes. In addition to the other daily life stuff that we deal with (sickness, death, abuse, employment woes, etc), we have to walk around in this black skin, and sometimes, we like to take a break from the oppression, the daily strife, the racism, and just have a good old belly laugh.
And for 90 minutes or two hours, Tyler Perry gives us that, and the fact that he is not a rapist, makes it even sweeter.
So enjoy Madea, and remember never let anyone steal your joy!
Until next time....
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Friday, October 21, 2016
40 and 1 Month!
I am officially 40 years, and 1 month old today. Out of all my many birthdays, this was the one that I met with extreme anxiety and trepidation! I am talking about the kind of anxiety that had my palms sweaty, my heart beating rapidly, and one that was met with an extreme sense of gloom.
It doesn't help that my mother is only 17 years older than me, and I have witnessed 90% of her milestones in life.
On paper I look good: two degrees, 18 years of experience in my chosen field, actually doing what I attended college for, own my own home; yeah, materialistically speaking, I am a "good black man".
But then there is the other side: I am childless (which is not necessarily a bad thing), single (which is an even greater relief most days), living paycheck to paycheck (yeah, I need to fix that ASAP), and my energy is less (I think that is more a symptom of my age), and unhappy with my jobs (Yes, I have multiple ones).
Earlier today, while pondering my advancing age, and job hatred, I wrote the titles and ideas for seven books.,
Three years ago, I self-published my first one. Since then, I have started on four more, but procrastination, fear, and the busyness of life, have stalled my creativity and my inspiration.
But there is something about being 40 and 1 month. A ticking clock, a sense of urgency, a basic sense of being fed up, and feeling that I am spinning like a hamster on a wheel, that makes me realize that I need to step into my destiny.
I have often been told that I have a way with words; that I would be good at writing books, and I have a plethora of book ideas, but the problem is my follow through. I let life inundate me, when I should be working towards my goals.
What I really want to do is to write books, discuss those books and other life issues with others, guest lecture, give speeches, anything but what I am doing now.
If there is any silver lining to my advanced age, it is a feeling of being unbothered. Unbothered doesn't mean being selfish, uncaring, or a douchebag. For me, it means deciding what I allow to bother me, allowing my needs to take precedent over what is important or necessary to others. Fulfilling my destiny.
Now to get off the proverbial stool of doing nothing, getting rid of complacency, letting go of fear, taking back my life.
Unbothered!
Until next time....
It doesn't help that my mother is only 17 years older than me, and I have witnessed 90% of her milestones in life.
On paper I look good: two degrees, 18 years of experience in my chosen field, actually doing what I attended college for, own my own home; yeah, materialistically speaking, I am a "good black man".
But then there is the other side: I am childless (which is not necessarily a bad thing), single (which is an even greater relief most days), living paycheck to paycheck (yeah, I need to fix that ASAP), and my energy is less (I think that is more a symptom of my age), and unhappy with my jobs (Yes, I have multiple ones).
Earlier today, while pondering my advancing age, and job hatred, I wrote the titles and ideas for seven books.,
Three years ago, I self-published my first one. Since then, I have started on four more, but procrastination, fear, and the busyness of life, have stalled my creativity and my inspiration.
But there is something about being 40 and 1 month. A ticking clock, a sense of urgency, a basic sense of being fed up, and feeling that I am spinning like a hamster on a wheel, that makes me realize that I need to step into my destiny.
I have often been told that I have a way with words; that I would be good at writing books, and I have a plethora of book ideas, but the problem is my follow through. I let life inundate me, when I should be working towards my goals.
What I really want to do is to write books, discuss those books and other life issues with others, guest lecture, give speeches, anything but what I am doing now.
If there is any silver lining to my advanced age, it is a feeling of being unbothered. Unbothered doesn't mean being selfish, uncaring, or a douchebag. For me, it means deciding what I allow to bother me, allowing my needs to take precedent over what is important or necessary to others. Fulfilling my destiny.
Now to get off the proverbial stool of doing nothing, getting rid of complacency, letting go of fear, taking back my life.
Unbothered!
Until next time....
Saturday, October 8, 2016
It Took Another White Woman: The Hypocrisy of Trump Supporters
Yesterday, as the big "October surprise" which is common in any election cycle, audio was released of a 2005 interview between NBC correspondent Billy Bush (first cousin to Jeb and Dubya) and Donald Trump. In the released audio, Trump brags about groping women, and basically describes a full on sexual assault. Bush cheers him on, and even encourages his married co-worker, Nancy O'Dell to hug Trump, even though she was the subject of the rapey tirade.
GOP leaders took to social media to denounce Trump's comments (not their endorsements), and feigned disgust.
My question is, where has this disgust been for the last 40 years?
Where was your disgust in the 1970's, when Trump failed to rent to black people, in any of his properties?
Where was your disgust in 1989, when he falsely accused five black men of murder (Central Park 5), and pushed for their executions when DNA evidence later exonerated them?
Where was your disgust in the last 18 months of his campaign where he has likened Mexicans to rapists, all Muslims as terrorists, and basically had venomous things to say about anyone who wasn't white?
Now you are outraged? Why? Because Trump committed a sin, broke the 11th commandment, "Thou shall not disparage or disrespect a white woman!
If you are mad at this statement, where has your anger been the last 40 years of Trump's vileness?
If you are mad at this statement, you should be equally as mad that a reality television producer is the leader of a major political party.
If you are mad at this statement, be mad for the millions of rape victims triggered with PTSD because of Trump's rapey comments.
If you are mad at this statement, be mad for every person of color, who he has managed to offend, disparage, and disrespect over his lifetime!
Until next time.....
GOP leaders took to social media to denounce Trump's comments (not their endorsements), and feigned disgust.
My question is, where has this disgust been for the last 40 years?
Where was your disgust in the 1970's, when Trump failed to rent to black people, in any of his properties?
Where was your disgust in 1989, when he falsely accused five black men of murder (Central Park 5), and pushed for their executions when DNA evidence later exonerated them?
Where was your disgust in the last 18 months of his campaign where he has likened Mexicans to rapists, all Muslims as terrorists, and basically had venomous things to say about anyone who wasn't white?
Now you are outraged? Why? Because Trump committed a sin, broke the 11th commandment, "Thou shall not disparage or disrespect a white woman!
If you are mad at this statement, where has your anger been the last 40 years of Trump's vileness?
If you are mad at this statement, you should be equally as mad that a reality television producer is the leader of a major political party.
If you are mad at this statement, be mad for the millions of rape victims triggered with PTSD because of Trump's rapey comments.
If you are mad at this statement, be mad for every person of color, who he has managed to offend, disparage, and disrespect over his lifetime!
Until next time.....
Friday, October 7, 2016
I Am Not Going to See Birth of a Nation, and You Will Deal!
Months ago, I wrote about my displeasure over Nate Parker's lack of repentance, empathy, and straight up arrogance after being accused of rape, harassing his victim after the fact, and then the whole story ending in her tragic suicide nearly thirteen years later.
I find it highly distasteful that a man accused of rape would write a screenplay, where there is a rape scene, and then invite the guy, with whom he raped a woman, to co-write with him. But I digress, as this is not the point of this blog.
My greater issue is that we seem to value art, over the artist, and over human lives.
Many of you are willing to forego his past transgressions because you really want to see the film. Admit it; there are plenty of other slave narratives (12 Years A Slave, Roots, Queen, etc) executive produced and written by black people, so if it was simply about telling our own stories, there is a plethora of literature and film examples out there. Ultimately, it is that you care more about the art than you do the story, or the artist.
Nate Parker is married to a white woman, any other day you would slander him for it, like you did with OJ, Kobe, MJ, and countless other black men, but again, he has something you want, so you are willing to forego this minor transgression.
Nate Parker is arrogant, narcissistic even; any other black man would be an Uncle Tom, an asshole; again, you are forgiving, make excuses for, and ultimately shrug your shoulders, because you want to see the film.
If Nate Parker were accused of raping your wife, daughter, sister, mother, girlfriend, you would gather up your local posse and perform some street justice, but again, you want to see the film.
You are quick to rally in the streets when policemen kill unarmed black men, and there in the forefront are black women leading the charge. They tell you they have a problem with Nate Parker and his unrepentant, nonchalant attitude about his alleged rape, and you say, "stop trying to tear a brother down"; "we need to see this film," so their feelings, the women who fight so hard on your behalf when the boys in blue take your lives and those who you care about, are tossed aside.
I your fellow brother, fellow black man, sexual trauma survivor, tells you I can't support this film, because it triggers my PTSD, and I don't want to support someone accused of doing something that changed the whole trajectory of my life, and you say "get over it", maybe not literally, but you tell me by spending your money on the film, raving about how good it is, and preaching to me, why I should see it, despite how triggering and traumatic it is for me.
So ultimately it is about the art! And maybe not even the art itself! Maybe, it is about the fact that you need to feel that you are racially aware, "woke", pro-black, this film allows you to prove that!
Because ultimately, regardless of this film, white supremacy will still be a thing, cops will still murder us in the street, our lives still will have lesser value than those of a lighter skin hue, but you got to see good "art", so that is what is most important right?
Until next time.....
I find it highly distasteful that a man accused of rape would write a screenplay, where there is a rape scene, and then invite the guy, with whom he raped a woman, to co-write with him. But I digress, as this is not the point of this blog.
My greater issue is that we seem to value art, over the artist, and over human lives.
Many of you are willing to forego his past transgressions because you really want to see the film. Admit it; there are plenty of other slave narratives (12 Years A Slave, Roots, Queen, etc) executive produced and written by black people, so if it was simply about telling our own stories, there is a plethora of literature and film examples out there. Ultimately, it is that you care more about the art than you do the story, or the artist.
Nate Parker is married to a white woman, any other day you would slander him for it, like you did with OJ, Kobe, MJ, and countless other black men, but again, he has something you want, so you are willing to forego this minor transgression.
Nate Parker is arrogant, narcissistic even; any other black man would be an Uncle Tom, an asshole; again, you are forgiving, make excuses for, and ultimately shrug your shoulders, because you want to see the film.
If Nate Parker were accused of raping your wife, daughter, sister, mother, girlfriend, you would gather up your local posse and perform some street justice, but again, you want to see the film.
You are quick to rally in the streets when policemen kill unarmed black men, and there in the forefront are black women leading the charge. They tell you they have a problem with Nate Parker and his unrepentant, nonchalant attitude about his alleged rape, and you say, "stop trying to tear a brother down"; "we need to see this film," so their feelings, the women who fight so hard on your behalf when the boys in blue take your lives and those who you care about, are tossed aside.
I your fellow brother, fellow black man, sexual trauma survivor, tells you I can't support this film, because it triggers my PTSD, and I don't want to support someone accused of doing something that changed the whole trajectory of my life, and you say "get over it", maybe not literally, but you tell me by spending your money on the film, raving about how good it is, and preaching to me, why I should see it, despite how triggering and traumatic it is for me.
So ultimately it is about the art! And maybe not even the art itself! Maybe, it is about the fact that you need to feel that you are racially aware, "woke", pro-black, this film allows you to prove that!
Because ultimately, regardless of this film, white supremacy will still be a thing, cops will still murder us in the street, our lives still will have lesser value than those of a lighter skin hue, but you got to see good "art", so that is what is most important right?
Until next time.....
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