Sunday, February 14, 2016

Why Beyonce Cannot Be Taken Seriously



The Beyonce halftime performance at Superbowl 50, and the subsequent aftermath were hard for me to watch without my blood boiling. My consternation was not driven by the angst of some White Americans necessarily, or the calls for an anti-Beyonce protest. Although those arguments have merit. I am one of the few black Americans who recognizes the hypocrisy of this whole mess.

Some say the Beyonce performance was an “attack” on police officers. Others say it was an effort to support the so-called “Black Lives Matter movement” and to highlight the deaths of black people, particularly black men, at the hands of authorities. Others say that it was a salute to the Black Panthers - highlighting the groups emergence in the Bay Area, 5 decades ago. It has also been described as a salute to Malcom X. Beyonce seemed to embrace the spirit of all of these ideas in post-performance interviews. That is what the song ‘Formation’ is supposedly all about. But this raises a ton of questions. I know it did one thing- it hijacked the performance of the other artists who participated that day. I found it ironic that Coldplay seemed to have a healthy, positive theme of ‘coming together’, while Beyonce seemed to bring more division, at a time when we have more than enough.

Should, or more importantly, can anyone take this woman seriously? Let me get this straight- Mrs. Thug Love is now supposed to be an activist, advocate & catalyst for social change? Mrs. Destiny’s Child is now concerned about the lives of black men & boys and believes that too many are dying in the streets? When I heard that this was the gimmick, I was beside myself. I wondered if I had entered the Twilight Zone.

Beyonce has spent nearly two decades influencing black culture, young black women in particular. She has shaped fashion, hair, makeup and culture for young women for years. Keep in mind Beyonce is literally treated like a deity in today’s black culture. I often (half jokingly) say that one of the main requirements for being a Black American is that you must love & admire Beyonce. As a consequence of her role and position she has also helped to shape the image of what the ideal mate should be for young women. It’s easier to count the number of young women of color who have not been influenced by Beyonce in some way.

If you are a Black American like I am and you don’t support “Queen B”, you are considered some sort of freak…uncool, corny, out of the loop, an oreo, etc. So her influence on today’s black culture, young black impressionable women in particular, is massive.

So what has been the image that Beyonce has promoted as the ideal mate for young women? None other than the badboy/thug. That message and theme is present all throughout her music, spanning 2 decades. Her many collaborations with gangster rappers and her marriage to a former drug dealer only reinforces this message. From the Destiny’s Child hit & signature tune “Soldier”- where she promotes the image of thugs loud & proud, suggesting, very clearly, that this is the only guy for her…. To songs like “Up In The Club” and “Thug Love” (among others), the theme is clear - she prefers thugs, and other women of color should follow suit. The message to women is…if he’s not a thug, tough guy, badass, tattooed, with “street credibility“…don’t date him. Of course, women of color in particular, predisposed to the bad boy have, by in large, heeded that call.

I cannot help but wonder how many young men have died trying to conform to this image. Black men without a doubt, already stigmatized, are under pressure, mostly from within their own communities and by black women in particular, to fit a certain badboy image, and in many cases they feel that they have to be the toughest mother_____ on the block. This has been made worse by young women lusting for men with this rough badboy image so that they can be just like their pop idols. There is no doubt that because of this pressure, many young black men had to change & conform to the thug image to fit in, even when their true personas represent something else. I have seen this in abundance over the years, both first hand, and through stories from other black men. I have personally never taken the bait and changed myself to satisfy any of these women, but it does have an impact on men of color in a more broad sense.

I recall a letter from a couple of years ago in the “Dear Abby” section of The Examiner. In that letter a young black man asks if he has to play a thug to peak the interests of black women. He was fed up by what he saw from women around him. They always went for the guy with the thuggish traits. Of course he already knew the answer to his question…. He expressed the fact that changing to fit the thug image was the only way that he was successful with black women, even though his real persona was that of an educated, nice, upstanding, funny, gentleman. I hear these stories constantly and I know this issue is real… my first hand experience has been undeniable.

So how many black men have been indirectly killed or have found themselves in prison because they are trying to live up to this thug image that Beyonce has helped to push (an image that is now supported & validated by large numbers of black women)? This number cannot be quantified, but I am confident in saying that her influence has led to more black men being harmed (pushing more black men to death or prison) than the number of unjustified killings of black men at the hands of authorities. Those of us who actually understand statistics are aware that the number of unjustified police shootings is extremely low, particularly when compared with the number of police interactions. Far more have been killed after being influenced by urban culture…cut down by black on black violence. These are young men who, if influenced differently, could have and in many cases would have, taken a different path.

Through my life experience and in my line of work, I have seen the devastating impact of the Beyonce’s of the so-called black community. The conveyor belt to prison is always full. Young black men are told that they have to be aggressive and be a bonafide tough guy in order to have a chance at dating or intimacy. In this era of feminism, where women make all the rules, men, by in large, have no choice but to conform under those circumstances. And this is what black men have been doing. If a man is constantly told, both directly and indirectly, that he has to have fancy material things…. that his manhood is tied to what he drives, he will conform. In the absence of adequate entry-level employment, even for someone with a degree, young black men (many with arrest records and convictions that preclude employment) are forced to create their own jobs to meet this Beyonce standard. They have the brains to stay in school…. but the subculture that they live in tells them that they have no time to wait.

If artists like Beyonce and Rihanna and the like proclaimed love and affection for men who stay in school, get good grades, who pursue college& graduate, and who don’t engage in criminality, there would be a seismic shift (over time) in the black community. Would it eliminate crime or improve conditions overnight? Unfortunately no. But if popular and influential artists proclaimed education to be cool….and something that is the ideal attribute for a man…. It could help to stop the downward spiral. It would certainly reduce the number of black men (by the thousands) in the jail, prison, and funeral home pipeline.

Beyonce being tied to Black Lives Matter in any way just further highlights the hypocrisy and misguided vision (or lack of vision) from within this so-called “movement”. Dr.’s Glenn Loury and John McWhorter pointed out very nicely the errors of this movement in a discussion from last year. Dr. McWhorter in particular is on point as he so often is, in highlighting the Black Lives Matter paradox. He echoes many of my viewpoints on this group. Hear the full discussion. Not a discussion to miss.

Not only is Beyonce a walking contradiction in the sense that black men are killing each other in droves often in the pursuit of meeting the standard of materialism and thuggery that she has pushed throughout her career, but she also besmirched the memory of Hurricane Katrina and all those who suffered in New Orleans, as pointed out by New Orleanian Shantrelle Lewis, in her excellent piece in Slate. (Please stop by Slate for this must read). Beyonce didn’t seem to leave anyone out in terms of offending. I thought it was ironic that part of the effort was aimed at slamming police, yet a large contingent of officers escorted her to and from the venue on Superbowl Sunday.

So Beyonce is a hypocrit. The real civil rights activists…the folks doing the real work on the ground everyday, especially those from the 1950’s and 60’s, should be outraged that Beyonce is using the imagery of their struggle to sell an album. Selling an album is all that this was really about to her. She doesn’t care about saving the livers of black men (or women for that matter). Beyonce is concerned with Beyonce…and selling units. If she cared, she would do more benefit concerts for the victims of violence in cities like Chicago, Baltimore, Memphis, or my hometown of St. Louis- the nations murder capital by percentage. St. Louis has either had that top spot or has been among the top for the better part of a decade and a half. When 9 year old Tyshawn Lee was assassinated in a Chicago alley by gang members as some kind of revenge, where was Beyonce, her hive and her money? Where was Jay Z? When 1 year old Dillan Harris….a 1 year old baby boy…was killed in Chicago by thugs running from a murder scene… where was Beyonce? Nowhere to be found. She is concerned about black lives? There are countless Tyshawn Lee’s and Dillan Harris’ across the country, particularly in our inner cities. But I don’t see Beyonce stepping in the clean up the mess of the culture of thuggery and violence that she has helped to perpetuate.

If Beyonce wanted to show concern for black lives, particularly the lives of black men who have been impacted most viciously by the cycle of violence and hopelessnes….if she really cared, she would set up job training centers in these troubled inner cities. She would take her money and her hive and volunteer her time feeding and clothing those in need in these communities. If Beyonce really cared about the plight of black lives, she would change her theme…and stop perpetuating the garbage….the mental trap…that keeps so many black men stuck in a brutal cycle of violence. If the black nerd was deemed sexier than the badass…the troublemakers…who harm the community, we would soon have more young men like those in Chicago’s Urban Prep Academy…and fewer falling into hopelessness and prison. Beyonce should try flipping that message around to try to make a difference. If Beyonce really cared, she would change her outlook and values on what a good man is supposed to be (from the presentation on the outside, to his spirit on the inside). She wouldn’t poison the minds of young black folks, especially young women who listen to her music, adopt her style, and emulate her every move.

The Beyonce craze is the perfect example of how black folks will too often follow anything with a cool look and a catchy hook. Be aware of who you are supporting.

A social justice lion who will change the black community for the better? Absolutely not. There is no evidence of that…. not even on the horizon. A slick business woman who is using Black History Month and Black Lives Matter to sell a tremendous number of albums? Absolutely yes.

Monday, March 02, 2015

Will Chicago Elect A New Mayor?

chuy vs rahm

This past Tuesday delivered a shock to TPTB in Chicago: Mayor Rahm Emmanuel has been forced into a runoff.

His opponent is Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia, who, if elected, would become Chicago's First Latino Mayor.

When I say that folks just assumed that Rahm would get the 50% +1 of the votes needed to avoid a runoff, I mean it.

I mean, how could he not. He raised money hand over fist.

He outspent Chuy 12 to 1.

TWELVE TO ONE.

He had all these slick ads, and these slickly made fliers.

But, here's the thing.

Rahm doesn't have a base.

I can't point to anyone, other than the 1% that remotely likes Rahm, and would come out, hell or high water, to vote for him.

  There are those who were afraid of him, and then there are those, like me, who are sick of him, and want an apology from those who voted him in 4 years ago.

Thursday, November 06, 2014

Working Too Many Hours

Due to current circumstances... I am forced to work between 50 & 60 hours per week. Also have not been feeling well at all.

So I had to give up on blogging (at least blogging regularly). I am working 2 demanding jobs.... and they keep me completely stressed.

Have had plenty to say all of this time. But by the time I get home... I am exhausted. I have given up on the whole political process.... and have been left disgusted by everything... so I have not been motivated.

Blogs...and the whole concept of blogging has declined in popularity since the mid 2000's. So as the internet changes... I will have to change at some point. If you do not have one of the top 10% of blogs... site traffic is marginal. Only a few of the bloggers/blogs that were around chugging along 5,6, 7 years ago are still going. Many of my peers from years ago have left blogging. So I don't know if it's worth it to write for 100, 200, 300, 400 readers. At it's peak, I was able to draw a few thousand, depending on the material posted.

But I still hope to revamp the blog at some point. Perhaps a new name... and a more varied focus. I would like to have a blog about restaurant/food reviews. Would like something else on photography. SquareSpace is a great blog host.... but I am not sure if that is something that I can afford. And to cover all of the areas that I would like to cover... would require someone with a normal life. I don't have a normal life right now. Not even close to one. I am working more than I ever have in my life.... and I am earning less than ever (relatively speaking). Nothing is going very well right now. Issues with health and income have had a negative impact on every other part of life.

But eventually I would like a blog that covers the above all in one. I am still interested in politics... but not with the same passion. It just seems like this Country makes the same mistakes over and over again. With so few political parties... it's just a predictable cycle. We have now come full circle... back to where things started just a few years ago.

I would really like a biweekly or monthly column for a major paper or established website.... like Salon, Gawker, Slate, Mother Jones, the Huffington Post etc... But that opportunity hasn't come along. That was one of my original goals when I started the blog.... to some day work my way to a column or guest writer opportunity with one of the big sites. I had a couple of breakout opportunities back in 2007, 2008... which would have launched me... but I never took them due to issues of anonymity (I might tell that story some day). But I think a column or guest writer spot is doable under a real name, without much of an issue.

Doing the research for real writing is time consuming. It has to be worth it for me to divert time & energy forsaking other interests.... (like a personal life, dating, and a family for example). I got tired of doing tons of background reading and spending several hours a week working on narratives and trying to find interesting topics, when I was not getting much reader feedback. It just didn't seem worth it. But when I come back, it will mostly be for me... focusing on things that are enjoyable... so writing won't feel like work.

I am going to keep everything going for now. Everything has gone to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The only public social media that I have is Twitter. I do have a FB page... I finally broke down and joined a couple of years ago (with trepidation) but if I told you about it... or showed it... I would have to kill you immediately afterwards.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Illinois Folks - Early Voting Begins Today

Chicago Folks....Suburban Cook County.....Illinois Folks...

EARLY VOTING BEGINS TODAY!!

Now, if you missed the deadline for registering to vote, you can go GRACE PERIOD VOTING- which mean you register to vote and vote at the same time. Grace Period is now possible THRU ELECTION DAY!

Here are the Hours for Voting from now until Election Day:

• Mon., Oct. 20 through Sat., Oct. 25: 9 am-5 pm

• Sun., Oct. 26: 10 am-4 pm

• Mon., Oct. 27 through Fri., Oct. 31: 9 am-7 pm

• Sat., Nov. 1: 9 am-5 pm

• Sun., Nov. 2: 10 am-4 pm

• Mon., Nov. 3: 9 am-5 pm • Election Day, Tues., Nov. 4: 6 am-7 pm

City of Chicago Folks, here's your information:

ALL 51 City of Chicago Early Voting Sites are now open for Grace Period Voting.

LIST OF ALL 51 CITY OF CHICAGO EARLY VOTING SITES

Suburban Cook County, here's your information:

ALL Suburban Cook County Early Voting Sites are now open for Grace Period Voting.

LIST OF ALL SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY EARLY VOTING SITES

Now, remember, when you go to Early Vote or Grace Period Voter,you will need ID. Grace Period voters need two pieces of ID. Here is the list of acceptable ID.

Neither needs to be a photo ID, but one must include your current address. Acceptable forms of ID include:

Illinois driver's license

Illinois state ID

Employee or student ID

Credit card

Social security card

Birth certificate

Utility bill in applicant's name

Mail postmarked to the applicant

Valid U.S. passport

Public aid ID card

Lease or rental contract


Here is the WILL COUNTY information.

Here is the DUPAGE COUNTY information.

If you have kids or family that might need Mail (Absentee) Ballots, and the person has an Illinois Drivers License/State ID, you can order a mail ballot ONLINE.

COOK COUNTY

DUPAGE COUNTY

WILL COUNTY

............................................

The big election in Illinois is for Governor. You don't have to like Governor Pat Quinn, but just remember this, almost 700 thousand in Illinois have been helped because of the full implementation of Obamacare in this state. Of that, over 460,000 were helped because of the Medicaid Expansion. Rauner has already said that he would NOT have done that..because THAT is who he is. So, think on THAT. If Rauner had been Governor, nearly a HALF MILLION PEOPLE in this state - the WORKING POOR - would be without access to BASIC healthcare. Rauner also doesn't believe in the minimum wage. Just thought you should know.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

I Am Tired of the Rioters and Chaos in St. Louis

I have been tired of the chaos since before the Michael Brown situation. Urban terrorists have been laying siege to the St. Louis Metro area for years.

There was no Al Sharpton, no response from Civil Rights Inc. when a grandmother, Juliette Cleveland-Davis, was gunned down like a dog by thugs in front of her grandchildren just a couple of weeks ago. Not a peep from them.

Friday, July 04, 2014

Happy 16th Birthday to First Daughter Malia Ann Obama!!

Today is the 16th Birthday of the President's Eldest Daughter - Malia Ann Obama.

Happy Birthday to someone who is blossoming into a beautiful young woman right before our eyes.

malia obama-17

Senate Hopeful Barack Obama Waits For Election Results

malia obama-16

malia obama-15

malia obama-14

malia obama-13

malia obama-12

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Actress/Activist Ruby Dee Dead at 91

ruby dee-1

Another Legend has gone home.

Ruby Dee dead at 91: Legendary stage and screen actress — and Civil Rights leader — frequently costarred with husband Ossie Davis

Family member confirms death. Dee was living in New Rochelle.

BY Joe Neumaier , Joe Dziemianowicz , Nancy Dillon /

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS /

Stage and screen legend Ruby Dee, who personified grace, grit and progress at a time when African-American women were given little space in movies and on stage, died Wednesday in New Rochelle, N.Y. She was 91.

The death was confirmed Thursday by a family member, who declined to answer any questions pending the release of a statement.

"She died late (Wednesday) with her whole family around her," family friend Latifah Salahudin told the Daily News. "All three kids and seven grandkids were there, surrounding her with so much love. She went peacefully from natural causes. We should all be so lucky."

"She was so full of life and so strong. Such a powerful woman. We're all going to miss her," Salahudin added.

ruby dee-8

The Cleveland-born, New York-raised actress and activist — winner of an Emmy, a Grammy and a Screen Actors Guild award, among others — not only starred on Broadway (“Take It From the Top!” “Two Hah Hahs and a Homeboy”), film (Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” and “Jungle Fever”), and TV (“All God’s Children,” “Feast of All Saints”), but, with her husband and collaborator Ossie Davis, was a major figure in the Civil Rights movement.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/ruby-dee-dead-91-article-1.1827040#ixzz34RwXxx4q

ruby dee-4