August 15th, 2008

When it Rains…

SWHS was suffering from Croup but it traveled to her lower lungs and has become Bronchitis. Bronchitis means asthma attack which means nebulizers treatments and prednisone and hyperactivity. To boot, hubby and I both came down with the flu- during the summer. By the way, a tooth broke and I am certain that I have at least 6 cavities, but I had to cancel the dental appointment because munchkin was in the hospital.

Then, my blog broke and I spent the better part of today, trying to figure it out.

So, now, at 7:13 PM, I am off to bed.

July 29th, 2008

Early Hollywood Depictions Find Their Way Into Modern Film and No One Seems to Care

* This article is originally posted at The Chancellor’s New Clothes by Learners Inherit the Earth and used here with permission.

I have been teaching three summer school courses focusing on the Origins of Black-American Stereotypes and Their Use in Modern Society. My students laughed at me as I explained hidden racial stereotypes in movies Like “The Lion King,” “Aladdin,” and “Shrek.” They were upset to find that the movies and TV shows that they watch almost daily are subliminally teaching them to hate and oppresses themselves through the use of subliminally hidden racial stereotypes. It is, of course, a topic that as a Black Woman, I am passionate about and, as you can imagine, I am passionate in my teaching of the subject.

So, imagine my disgust when I came home to prepare the next edition of The Carnival of Education, only to be bombarded by commercials and trailers for a movie called “Tropic Thunder” in which Robert Downey Jr. dons “blackface” in a comedic role. To say the least, my jaw hit the ground, however, at first I had not realized that a Black actor was not playing this “Black” character. I even chuckled at the trailer until my husband told me that the actor was in fact, Downey. Apparently, Robert Downey Jr plays an actor whose claim to fame is that he was transformed into a Black man for a role (see picture above).

The absurdity does not stop here. I could not find a SINGLE article condemning Ben Stiller for writing and directing the movie. In fact, all of the write-ups that I saw hail the movie as a “Comedic Success” even calling Downey’s portrayal as accurate. Wow. (I will not link to these reviews because I cannot even accidentally support this movie).

This is what America has become? We are so desensitized to racism and prejudice that we cannot recognize it when it is smacking us right in the face. Bin Stiller should be ashamed because had this been a movie in which a Black man was made up to be Jewish, he would have been livid. The Jewish community would have been outraged.

So, where are the usually vocal pseudo-Civil Right’s Leaders like Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson, and the Nation of Islam? Dammit, I would even settle for an outcry from Chris Rock, Oprah Winfrey or Bill Cosby. Nevertheless, there has been nothing. When Ted Danson wore blackface to a Friar’s Club Roast, there was a collective gasp of disgust from everyone. But now, nothing.

July 8th, 2008

McDonald’s Has a Backbone AND a Clue!

I don’t write about politics or religion too often, but after reading this article, I had to say something. In summary. the American Family Association wants families to boycott McDonald’s because the company’s Vice President of Communications recently joined the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Basically the AFA believes that the company is choosing sides in Homosexual war.

I was stunned for several reasons.

Firstly, the AFA (an organization that prides itself on being a Christian group) wants to impose their beliefs on a Corporation. Apparently, according the AFA, the Christian way os to deny anyone rights or respect when their beliefs do not agree with a system built on interpretation. The Bible can be interpreted in so many different ways and no one has the right to say that their version is better than another. The AFA is determined to enforce “the recognition of Christmas in seasonal print advertisements and the criminalisation of homosexuality and lobbying in favour of ‘traditional marriage.’”

Wow, that is some agenda. Sounds very much like something in Margaret Atwood’s The Handsmaid’s Tale or Orwell’s 1984.

Secondly, I was shocked because several companies including Walmart have given in to the AFA’s threats to boycott their merchandise due to their support of gay rights. However, McDonald’s has not. In fact, they issued a statement saying:

“Our founder Ray Kroc once said, ‘None of us is as good as all of us.’” wrote McDonald’s Global Chief Diversity Officer, Pat Harris.

“This is a core value of McDonald’s.

“We treat our employees and our customers with respect and dignity, regardless of their ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or other factors.

“We support out employees’ personal involvement in organisations of their choice.

“We will continue to support our people and their right to live and work in an inclusive society.”

I am amazed that McDonald’s has placed Human RIghts above Corporate Agenda.

But what shocked me most is that AFA is a family organization. They preach hatred, inequality, and opression all under the guise of family protection and Christianity.  Religion is a PRVIATE matter and should not be used as a basis for controlling anyone. My religious beleifs may dictate that I do not approve of homeosexuality, and that may be what I teach my child, but I don’t have control over what some one else believes. The fact that the AFA hs completely ignored this proves that they are not a family nor a Christian organization.

I don’t want the AFA protecting my family values. What next? Will interracial couples or interfaith couples be a threat again? Will they attack working mothers? Single mothers? This organization has way too much power and I’m afraid that it wll only get worse.

May 8th, 2008

Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are

I am alone. Except for her, and him, and her, and her. We are alone.

Up until 4 years ago, I was living in a false reality. I was under the assumption that human beings were generally good people. We helped each other out because we knew that deep down, it is the right thing to do. But this is not the case.

The reality is that human beings are takers. We are takers and we never give back. We “pave paradise and put up a parking lot” and then we plant a tree to give the illusion of giving back to the world.

This rant comes from a very dark place. It comes from a place of complete disgust. We are helping out a friend. He is living with us because, after moving from Atlanta to NY, he could not find a job and needed a place to live. He was living with another friend, but it did not pan out. And now I know why.

We have allowed him to live with us and he has decided that he was going to screw us over so completely that we actually had to miss a rent payment. I’m not going to go into details; it is not necessary. All that needs to be said is this- friendships are precious to me, but when someone screws me over once and then does it again, I am not too forgiving.

I am at a loss when I try to understand someone who is content with being a leech- a mooch- a loser. The Revenge of Intellect tells me that most good people keep to themselves and don’t ask for help. What sucks is that all the bad people are asking for help and the good people who respond are getting screwed?

I have been dropped into Oz. I’m wearing the ruby-red slippers and I am pouring water over these slimy bastards, one by one. And I am asking that all of you good people- the ones in hiding come out, come out, where ever you are. We need to regroup. There is strength in numbers and we can take back morality.

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Originally posted 3/18 on my now defunct blog, “Wag the Dog”.