Man In The Comic
If you don't already get Aaron MaGruder's Boondocks strip in your email box, go to ucomics today and get that. He's doing a cycle about our favorite porcelain doll, Michael Jackson, and his recent umgowa, black powa makeover. It's so sad it's hilarious.
Tuesday, July 30, 2002
Mixin' it up
About 10 years ago one of my high school teachers told me she thought miscegenation was the answer to our race problems. I had been out of high school for several years by that time and was fervidly studying African American literature and culture. I thought she was dazed by her idealism and that it was very convenient for her to think that would solve our problems. Turns out, she's not the only person thinking this way. Andrew Sullivan had a post recently about miscegenation as a balm. His idea is that the new reports of rising rates of black women/white men marriages mean that a) black women are "making it" and b) that they're helping create a future where race won't be restrictive, because people will be mixed together.
I think his view is also a bit convenient, like the aforementioned high school teacher. However, unlike the me of a decade ago, I'm not stuck on the idea of inter-racial love as more negative than positive. (Though I must admit, particularly when it comes to black men, I've still got some healing to do.) Now, I'm concerned that the turnaround on miscegenation may just mean we'll have another label for people. So we'll have blacks, whites, Hispanics, Asians and "colored." And this doesn't seem like a good thing. So I'm still pondering the miscegenation as salvation argument and I think we've to to look out for the creation of another label, which doesn't solve anything. One other question this discussion raises with me is what happens to the people who aren't recently mixed ('cause many of us are mixed somewhere in our lineage)? If miscegenation is the answer, are we obsolete?
About 10 years ago one of my high school teachers told me she thought miscegenation was the answer to our race problems. I had been out of high school for several years by that time and was fervidly studying African American literature and culture. I thought she was dazed by her idealism and that it was very convenient for her to think that would solve our problems. Turns out, she's not the only person thinking this way. Andrew Sullivan had a post recently about miscegenation as a balm. His idea is that the new reports of rising rates of black women/white men marriages mean that a) black women are "making it" and b) that they're helping create a future where race won't be restrictive, because people will be mixed together.
I think his view is also a bit convenient, like the aforementioned high school teacher. However, unlike the me of a decade ago, I'm not stuck on the idea of inter-racial love as more negative than positive. (Though I must admit, particularly when it comes to black men, I've still got some healing to do.) Now, I'm concerned that the turnaround on miscegenation may just mean we'll have another label for people. So we'll have blacks, whites, Hispanics, Asians and "colored." And this doesn't seem like a good thing. So I'm still pondering the miscegenation as salvation argument and I think we've to to look out for the creation of another label, which doesn't solve anything. One other question this discussion raises with me is what happens to the people who aren't recently mixed ('cause many of us are mixed somewhere in our lineage)? If miscegenation is the answer, are we obsolete?
Friday, July 26, 2002
Totally frivolous
I know this is mean - but our marriage has, thus far, lasted longer than J-Lo's marriages combined. Whew. Now we can relax. Question is, why didn't she just marry Sean/Puffy/P.Diddy? Too many names to remember?
I know this is mean - but our marriage has, thus far, lasted longer than J-Lo's marriages combined. Whew. Now we can relax. Question is, why didn't she just marry Sean/Puffy/P.Diddy? Too many names to remember?
Find me, stalk me
Latest cyber-scare: people can look you up on Google. Okay, so that's a big duh! But the NYT article does point out how this is a privacy issue and screw up your life. Yet it's like anything else, if you do something different, alternative, or subversive you are both challenging the system and taking a personal risk. This just makes it easier for folks who would use it against you to find out.
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Oooh, child
Austin Powers in Goldmember (yes, they do mean that member) starts this weekend. Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child is in it as Foxxy Cleopatra, a spoof of female blaxploitation icons. She's on the cover of a couple of magazines and with that blonde hair (or is a weave) and the way she's shot, she's looking kind of "exotic." As in, 'we think she's beautiful because she's just a little bit black, but not enough to scare us off.' I'm amazed that that is still the way Hollywood sees black women - and the only way to some extent. Think Halle, Vanessa, Beyonce, and some of the television folks, like Nicole Ari Parker and Sallie Richardson. To be a black woman at the megaplex or in primtime, it seems you've got to be on the light side. Anybody seen Angela Bassett lately?
And is the returning fascination with blaxploitation's stereotypical images tied to this color struck casting? Beyonce isn't alone. Halle is set to star in an updated Foxy Brown. Does this mean less boob footage? Considering Halle's latest work, I don't think so!
I am glad to hear that Halle will be starring in Nappily Ever After, based on the Trisha R. Thomas novel.
Austin Powers in Goldmember (yes, they do mean that member) starts this weekend. Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child is in it as Foxxy Cleopatra, a spoof of female blaxploitation icons. She's on the cover of a couple of magazines and with that blonde hair (or is a weave) and the way she's shot, she's looking kind of "exotic." As in, 'we think she's beautiful because she's just a little bit black, but not enough to scare us off.' I'm amazed that that is still the way Hollywood sees black women - and the only way to some extent. Think Halle, Vanessa, Beyonce, and some of the television folks, like Nicole Ari Parker and Sallie Richardson. To be a black woman at the megaplex or in primtime, it seems you've got to be on the light side. Anybody seen Angela Bassett lately?
And is the returning fascination with blaxploitation's stereotypical images tied to this color struck casting? Beyonce isn't alone. Halle is set to star in an updated Foxy Brown. Does this mean less boob footage? Considering Halle's latest work, I don't think so!
I am glad to hear that Halle will be starring in Nappily Ever After, based on the Trisha R. Thomas novel.
Sunday, July 21, 2002
Bush Burden
Noelle Bush is a troubled young woman. She's serving time in a drug rehab program in Orlando after faking a prescription for Xanax. She's also the granddaughter of a president, niece of a president (that sounds like a joke, doesn't it) and daughter of a governor. An article yesterday in the Orlando Sentinel talks about the pressures such a lineage hold for her. And the mostly sympathetic piece talks about her brother's very different and successful life as a young politician and law student.
What I want to know is, why this particular addict is getting the kid glove treatment? Is being born into one of the most powerful families in the country such a burden? I mean, if you can be a slacker with that kind of pedigree, you must really be working at it. Anyway, I'm sure she'll get straighted out in time for the 2002 election (her father's) and 2004. Perhaps they'll even marry her off and get her hidden for good.
In other addiction news
Normally, I wouldn't even read a story from The Enquirer, much less reference it. But alas, never say never. I heard on the radio (Tom Joyner's tease this weekend) that Eric Benet was in rehab for sex addiction. Had to go get that. The Enquirer "broke" the story. Apparently this is the attempt to save the marriage with Halle. Now I don't want to make light of a brotha's problems or medical terms, but is there really such a thing as sex addiction? Or is he just a playa who doesn't know how to quit? Because if this sex addiction thing is taken too seriously, I can see all kinds of playas getting over on that. "Well, baby, you know I got that problem - that addiction."
Noelle Bush is a troubled young woman. She's serving time in a drug rehab program in Orlando after faking a prescription for Xanax. She's also the granddaughter of a president, niece of a president (that sounds like a joke, doesn't it) and daughter of a governor. An article yesterday in the Orlando Sentinel talks about the pressures such a lineage hold for her. And the mostly sympathetic piece talks about her brother's very different and successful life as a young politician and law student.
What I want to know is, why this particular addict is getting the kid glove treatment? Is being born into one of the most powerful families in the country such a burden? I mean, if you can be a slacker with that kind of pedigree, you must really be working at it. Anyway, I'm sure she'll get straighted out in time for the 2002 election (her father's) and 2004. Perhaps they'll even marry her off and get her hidden for good.
In other addiction news
Normally, I wouldn't even read a story from The Enquirer, much less reference it. But alas, never say never. I heard on the radio (Tom Joyner's tease this weekend) that Eric Benet was in rehab for sex addiction. Had to go get that. The Enquirer "broke" the story. Apparently this is the attempt to save the marriage with Halle. Now I don't want to make light of a brotha's problems or medical terms, but is there really such a thing as sex addiction? Or is he just a playa who doesn't know how to quit? Because if this sex addiction thing is taken too seriously, I can see all kinds of playas getting over on that. "Well, baby, you know I got that problem - that addiction."
Thursday, July 18, 2002
Harris is back with Ray
Yesterday, I spotted the marketing material for e. lynn harris' next book, A Love of My Own, at one of the chain stores. It's due out on July 30. That man is a writing machine. Anyway, the cover was a different style than the recent installments in his novels, so I thought maybe he'd written something completely new. Not so. At his site, the synopsis says Ray Tyler is back. And while I am glad to hear that, I'm sort of getting tired of the same old twist on the bi-closeted brother story. You know - brothas on the down low in college, the professions, music and sports. Have to say this, though - Harris always provides a page turner. So I'm going to read it as soon as I can get my hand on it. I'll post a review here someday.
Interesting that he hasn't ever dealt with brothas on the down low in church. Now that would be a head turner for sure.
Yesterday, I spotted the marketing material for e. lynn harris' next book, A Love of My Own, at one of the chain stores. It's due out on July 30. That man is a writing machine. Anyway, the cover was a different style than the recent installments in his novels, so I thought maybe he'd written something completely new. Not so. At his site, the synopsis says Ray Tyler is back. And while I am glad to hear that, I'm sort of getting tired of the same old twist on the bi-closeted brother story. You know - brothas on the down low in college, the professions, music and sports. Have to say this, though - Harris always provides a page turner. So I'm going to read it as soon as I can get my hand on it. I'll post a review here someday.
Interesting that he hasn't ever dealt with brothas on the down low in church. Now that would be a head turner for sure.
Wednesday, July 17, 2002
Woohoo! Here I am, blogging my ramblings for the world to see. Admittedly, I'm a bit late to the whole weblog game, but I've been busy working, birthing a baby and reading paper books. But in the last few weeks, as my newborn son began to sleep more and our television has begun to die a slow, annoying death, I've been spending more time on the web. Big thanks to soapboxgirls and allaboutgeorge for introducing a sister to weblogs. I am now looking at weblogs every day - unbelievable!
Anyway, today allaboutgeorge referenced an article that hypes the potential benefit to G.W. Bush of a Colin Powell vice presidential run. Hmmm. They seem to think black voters will go for the okey-doke and cast ballots for the Republicans so we can get one of us near the top. If only Colin could just run for president. He'd be a good choice for our first try - he's one of the least threatening black men I can think of. His hair blows in the wind and he's the son of immigrants - people love that. But no offense to the man, I think he's pretty cool and we could use a pro-choice, pro-affirmative action voice in the Bush camp.
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