By Odienator
While Big Media Vandalism awaits the brief return of Black History Mumf next week, I thought I'd come out here and start some trouble. I should be a good Christian, with this being a Holy weekend and all, but if de Lawd can forgive pedophile priests who repent, I'm sure He'll look the other way while I talk shit and then say I'm sorry at the end.
The destruction of intelligent America began with two things: the PG-13 rating and the 24 hour news media. CNN, MSNBC, Fox and Headline News all clamor to find things to occupy the time when there is little news of importance to report, then Americans consume this junk assuming it is the Gospel Truth. This leads not only to a dumber constituency, but also constant harping on news that is either blatantly obvious and/or unworthy of being reported.
Case #1: Making Sense of Obama's Census Form
April Fool's Day was both Census Day and the day a certain cross between John Wayne and Marge Gunderson ran her show on Fox News. The latter topic is too easy to pick on, except to say that if you're going to integrate a show, don't do it with a rapper. The former is more intriguing, especially in light of the SHOCKING news about President Obama's Census form.
I shall not be critical of the President's form, as that would be hypocritical: At least he filled his out. When he did, his response to the race question was the controversially worded "Black, African Am or Negro."
Suddenly, this was news! It's been all over the telly and the web: President Obama identifies himself as Black, African Am or Negro! He probably even circled Negro and underlined it three times, following the word Negro with the word "Please!" Now, I advocated for people marking everything they were on the Census form, in the hopes it would blow up the machine that reads them. The fact that Obama left off half of his racial makeup is no surprise to me, a subscriber to the "One Drop Rule" created by long-ago White society. But why is this news and/or a surprise? When Carol Channing, God bless her raspy-voiced heart, came on a NYC radio station and outed herself as being the product of a half-Black father, that was a surprise. (I wish she'd said she existed "through the MAAAAA-gic of Negritude!") Obama identifying as Black is about as surprising as the Sun rising in the East in the morning. That's what people of his generation, mixed or all Black, used as identification.
Under normal circumstances, I'd say I'm waiting for the backlash, the headlines that say "Reverse-racist Obama denies half his racial makeup!" However, as that certain faction of society running around with tea bags on their heads indicate, Black people aren't the only ones wishing they could zap certain people out of their race. So I'm not expecting Fox News pundits to bitch about this because a key to their success is making you forget Obama's bi-racial, painting him as Black Ilsa: He Wolf of the SS. Obama's response to the race question helps them out. For once, the Census does some good for people!
Case #2: Badu's Butt Naked JFK Imitation
As much as I love her music, I've always thought Erykah Badu had that thing tied around her head a little too tightly. I've never been able to figure out what the hell she was talking about when she spoke at her concerts about ciphers and shit. But I'm a sucker for provocation, and Ms. Badu provided it in spades with her new video for Window Seat. In it, Badu does some guerilla style filmmaking in Dallas, walking down the street while stripping butt ass naked in full view of passers-by. In NYC, nobody would have given a shit--"oh just some crazy ass Negro droppin' her drawers on the street. NEXT!"--but her location in Dallas, near the sight of JFK's assassination, drew the ire of some folks and constant publicity on the 24 hour news media.
Badu herself showed up to explain, and as usual, I couldn't follow her logic to save my life. But I must give her credit for her daring, and thank her for some gratuitous nudity. She and Ossie Davis have something in common, that is, they've both invoked JFK within their body of work. Ossie played him in Bubba Ho-Tep, and if you are scratching your head as to how this is possible, please rent that wonderful mess of a movie.
Case #3: I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out!
Someday, I hope hearing of one's sexual preference ceases to be news. It would indicate to me that America has finally stopped harping on this bullshit. Of course, this will never happen as long as we're a country pretending to be following de Lawd's teachings and tenets. Or perhaps you'll just have to wait until all members of my generation, and the one before mine, drop dead. In the meantime, you'll have to continue to put up with "Is he or isn't he?" style gossip. Notice I didn't say "Is SHE or isn't SHE?" because every woman's a sometimes lesbian in the minds of our straight male, macho society. It's only the guys who deserve full demonization.
Barbara Walters famously asked Ricky Martin if he were gay, and she believed that his evasiveness is what "wuined his caweew." (Aside: I have a speech impediment, so I can make fun of hers and Tom Brokaw's with impunity. So shut up.) After Martin published a letter where he identified himself as gay, I had to see it all over cable and the news media FOR DAYS instead of the obvious "Well, DUH! Let's move on to more newsworthy fare!" Proving my male vs. female sexuality point is Anna Paquin's announcement that she's bisexual, a preference that, to me, always reeked of just plain old being greedy. Her headline was met with "well, that's nice, and hot too! Let's move on."
I need to get free publicity for Big Media Vandalism on the 24 hour news media, so here goes: I, Odienator, hereby admit that I will fuck anything that's over 18, human, breathing, and is a willing participant. Blind, deaf, dumb, cripple or crazy.
See you on CNN!
P.S. I'm sorry, Lawd!
P.P.S.: Unnecessary but sarcastic Big Media Vandalism disclaimer: It's satire, folks!
3 comments:
Interesting article, Odie. I agree with you on the pitfalls of 24 Hour news. One question, though- why do blame PG-13 as well? Just curious.
Paul, the PG-13 rating has caused Hollywood to either dumb or water down R-rated content to get it, or to give another excuse to add more violence and less erotic content in order to keep it. It's become such a desired item by the studios that a lot of intelligent, thoughtful fare either doesn't get made or is bowdlerized for "the children." (See my rant against those little fictitious bastards in this site's Boondocks piece.)
An example of the watering/dumbing down scenario is Great Balls of Fire. Jerry Lee Lewis' life is hardly PG-13. I suppose Jim McBride watered down the content so people the same age as Lewis' wife can get in to see it.
An example of the "no sex, please, we're violent!" scenario is, well, most PG-13 rated movies. Avatar got an R originally, according to James Cameron, because the Sam Worthington Smurf plugged his tail into the Zoe Saldana Smurf's tail. For a time, Red Dawn had the most violent acts committed per hour or something to that effect, and it was PG-13. Kill kill kill: PG-13! Ass to ass alien sex that no human being can actually do so it's not dirty: R!
What the PG-13 rating boils down to is a lot of dumbass movies coming out of the studio system so they can get maximum ticket sales by eliminating the restriction for the core market of 12-17 year old boys. These are the same kids who prefer R-rated material anyway (at least I did at that age, but there wasn't a PG-13 when I was 12).
I was being a tad facetious when I threw in the PG-13 rating as a cause of American stupidity. I just like picking on the contortions movies go through to get it, especially at the expense of adult entertainment. The 24 hour news media is a far bigger thief of intelligence.
If I had known you were going to post such a shocking confession this week, I would have left up the "I'm gay, deal with it!" Facebook comment some knuckleheads at the Apple store posted in my name last week. Let's get that GLADD money!
I think Obama was just being honest about 1. which race he most identifies with and 2. which race (if he hadn't become Living History) he'd be identified as when pulled over on a rural stretch of highway at 2am by some punchy patrolmen. His firm choice sends a subtle message.
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