Thursday, January 26, 2006
Does GLAAD Need to Grow Up?
I’m just curious. I didn’t see the episode of American Idol that had them in an uproar. However, I did see the clip where Randy questions the guy about whether or not he was a girl. And to me he seemed justified. I mean think about it for a minute. Put yourself in his shoes. A kid walks in that looks like a girl. Hair done up like a girl. Sounds like a girl. Dresses like a girl. And pretty much has feminine mannerisms and attitude but then begins referring to himself (herself?) as a he. Wouldn’t you wonder too? All Randy asked was “are you a girl?” And he kinda did the stutter stammer thing, “are...? are...? are you a girl?” When the guy was like “I’m a guy.” He looked confused and was like “oh, ok.” Too me he seemed genuinely curious. In all honesty EXTRA didn’t show what the other judges had to say about it. But you would think it was some horrible degrading shit the way the guy stormed out of the building proclaiming how racist, sexist, and hateful, not only American Idol but the United States, was. Bare in mind I didn’t see the clip of Simon telling the guy he should wear a dress. And from what I have read about that incident it was probably a completely different person with a completely different situation. I’m just wondering if this is an issue that GLAAD needs to rally behind to chastise FOX and American Idol. Like Brad Pitt said in Fight Club, “Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken.“ But don’t get mad at people for being confused about it.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
I'm In Love...
with a girl named Hoopz.
As horrified as I was by the idea of Flavor Flav and Brigitte Nielsen, hooking up in Strange Love, I must admit Flavor of Love has become a guilty pleasure of mine. Initially, I thought it was hilarious:
1) because its Flavor Flav playing the bachelor
2) you get to see just how desperate women (people) can be
3) scheming golddigging bitches (and I mean that in the best way possible) and their delusions of grandeur really are train wreck disturbing and funny all at the same time
This is all a crazy recipe for insane drama. I watched the first episode with a mild sense of trepidation but since it was a lazy Sunday, with nothing else on, I gave it a chance. It wasn’t as bad as you might think. While it was strange and disturbing it was actually pretty funny. And not all of the woman on the show came off as money hungry gold diggers. Some actually seemed genuine and sweet. Others came off as... well, a little disturbed. While I haven’t seen every episode completely I do catch it when I can. So far it hasn’t disappointed in it’s entertainment value. If you can allow yourself to be entertained by such a show. But truth be told the only reason I do catch it when I can is one person in particular. Which brings me to the afore mentioned object of my affection.
Hoopz (nickname given to her by Flav, I didn’t catch any of the real names in the first ep) is one of the girls that seems to be surviving the cut every week on the show. And I’m glad she is. Because she is why I watch this show and she is beautiful. The most beautiful on that show in my opinion. I know Rain is probably saying, “what he doesn’t like the asian chicks?” Contrary to popular belief I have an appreciation for the beauty of all woman. Except for evil bitches. Unless they are exceptionally gorgeous. But even then... Anyway, most of the women on that should could be more attractive if they didn’t have all that makeup caked on the there faces. One of the things that I like about Hoopz is that she rarely wears any and when she does she doesn’t look all crazy. She is naturally fine and her body looks just right. Tats and all. Pretty eyes and one of those rare women with a smile that moves me. She is young, from Michigan and at the very least, edited to be a cool ass, down to Earth, round-the-way-girl type of chick. Plus, she can fry the hell out of some chicken. In retrospect I wonder if her Michigan vibe is what drew me to watch her more closely. Me being from Detroit and all. Did I mention she had a great body?
So, yeah I got a thing for a girl named Hoopz. Whose only apparent fault, I can find through the editing, is that she is on a show attempting to win the affection of an ole school rapper that looks like a cockroach (I like Flavor Flav as much as the next but let’s be real here, he ain’t winnin’ no beauty contests). So, for the few of you out there that are still trying to figure out my type (Brooklyn, Rain, I’m talking to you), check out the show and look for the girl named Hoopz. She is definitely my type. Edited personality and all. But hey, Flav’s Moms liked her. That’s got to count for something if momma thinks she’s cool. Right?
As horrified as I was by the idea of Flavor Flav and Brigitte Nielsen, hooking up in Strange Love, I must admit Flavor of Love has become a guilty pleasure of mine. Initially, I thought it was hilarious:
1) because its Flavor Flav playing the bachelor
2) you get to see just how desperate women (people) can be
3) scheming golddigging bitches (and I mean that in the best way possible) and their delusions of grandeur really are train wreck disturbing and funny all at the same time
This is all a crazy recipe for insane drama. I watched the first episode with a mild sense of trepidation but since it was a lazy Sunday, with nothing else on, I gave it a chance. It wasn’t as bad as you might think. While it was strange and disturbing it was actually pretty funny. And not all of the woman on the show came off as money hungry gold diggers. Some actually seemed genuine and sweet. Others came off as... well, a little disturbed. While I haven’t seen every episode completely I do catch it when I can. So far it hasn’t disappointed in it’s entertainment value. If you can allow yourself to be entertained by such a show. But truth be told the only reason I do catch it when I can is one person in particular. Which brings me to the afore mentioned object of my affection.
Hoopz (nickname given to her by Flav, I didn’t catch any of the real names in the first ep) is one of the girls that seems to be surviving the cut every week on the show. And I’m glad she is. Because she is why I watch this show and she is beautiful. The most beautiful on that show in my opinion. I know Rain is probably saying, “what he doesn’t like the asian chicks?” Contrary to popular belief I have an appreciation for the beauty of all woman. Except for evil bitches. Unless they are exceptionally gorgeous. But even then... Anyway, most of the women on that should could be more attractive if they didn’t have all that makeup caked on the there faces. One of the things that I like about Hoopz is that she rarely wears any and when she does she doesn’t look all crazy. She is naturally fine and her body looks just right. Tats and all. Pretty eyes and one of those rare women with a smile that moves me. She is young, from Michigan and at the very least, edited to be a cool ass, down to Earth, round-the-way-girl type of chick. Plus, she can fry the hell out of some chicken. In retrospect I wonder if her Michigan vibe is what drew me to watch her more closely. Me being from Detroit and all. Did I mention she had a great body?
So, yeah I got a thing for a girl named Hoopz. Whose only apparent fault, I can find through the editing, is that she is on a show attempting to win the affection of an ole school rapper that looks like a cockroach (I like Flavor Flav as much as the next but let’s be real here, he ain’t winnin’ no beauty contests). So, for the few of you out there that are still trying to figure out my type (Brooklyn, Rain, I’m talking to you), check out the show and look for the girl named Hoopz. She is definitely my type. Edited personality and all. But hey, Flav’s Moms liked her. That’s got to count for something if momma thinks she’s cool. Right?
Monday, January 23, 2006
Gentrification: The Brilliance of the Boondocks
I like The Boondocks. I enjoy the strip and the cartoon is great. Catch it on Sunday nights at 11pm on Cartoon Network when you get a chance. Last night there was an episode called the Itis. Which was about GrandDad opening a restaurant of the same name, with Mr. Wuncler (the rich white guy from the first episode). I won’t bore you with the meaning of the ‘Itis.’ I suggest asking a black friend for some clarity. While initially it appears to be the main focus of the episode I think it has a more sinister commentary behind it.
*SPOILER WARNING*
See, GrandDad cooks on Sunday and makes food rich in pig lard. Actually, that and butter all he uses to cook. So even the vegetable dishes have pork in them. People eat, get the itis and Mr. Wuncler thinks GrandDads soul food would make a good restaurant. Cool, GrandDad is excited and Huey is deeply concerned about the health of the customers. Because people are getting addicted to the food. Like drug addicted. Literally people are becoming soul food junkies and slowly but surely the neighborhood degenerates into the type of place that police take hours to get to when a crime is committed. By the end of the episode Mr. Wuncler closes down the restaurant due to a multitude of lawsuits from customers who have become unhealthy after eating themselves silly. Doesn’t seem to bad, right? GrandDad cooks unhealthy food, gets a restaurant, Huey is deeply concerned, restaurant closes to obesity complications. An episode about the dangers of an unhealthy diet. What’s so sinister about that you, might ask? The gentrification of the neighborhood. Which was mostly gentrified anyway.
Even as I type this I have to wonder if there wasn’t something even more sinister than that going on here. Let me explain. When Mr. Wuncler takes GrandDad to see the future location of their restaurant (which is currently occupied by Wuncler’s health food cafe, which he hates and the people who frequent it) he makes a comment about how he has been trying to buy the park across the street for years. However, the city refuses to sell it to him, but he keeps trying. So, when Wuncler gets Chico (one of the cooks) to order some pigs, lard and butter he tells GrandDad that he wants to go for the whole urban black thing. Cause thats what the kids are into. Now by the end of the ep Wuncler closes shop because of the lawsuits. The first of which he offers to pay the insurance deductible and the case is settled. He leaves smiling and by the last scene the Itis, as well as the rest of the shops on the street, are all rundown and boarded up. Wuncler stands looking pensive and then he turns to look across the street. And what do we find? The park (which encompassed the whole other side of the block) is fenced up and there is construction equipment and huge signs that say Wuncler Construction. Close up on Wuncler. He smirks and walks off. Fade to Black. Credits roll.
When I saw that I said, “Damn, he finally got his park.” Then it occurred to me. He did all that just to get the park. My boy had come over to watch it too and after I said that he noted, “Damn, niggas, wouldn’t even get that. Niggas, wouldn’t even have noticed what just happened on this show. Damn.”
But now I think it’s worse than that. See, gentrification implies that you’re driving people out of their communities in order to buy it up for cheap and revamp it into something more conforming to the middle class life style. For example, allowing the inner city neighborhood of a place like, oh I don’t know, Detroit, to become so rundown and dilapidated that developers come in and buy up the property for cheap (relatively speaking). Moving out the remaining residents, that got no city support in helping to build up there neighborhood, and then developing new and thriving businesses so that white people move back to the inner city and you can have Super Bowl XL in your city. Thus, the rich getting richer and so forth.
In this episode, Wuncler did something above and beyond normal gentrification. He basically came up with a plan to run an entire neighborhood, that was already very well off, into the ground. As stated in the episode he pretty much owned most of the block. All he needed was that park. And by ruining a small community he got it. Which would surely add to his net worth once he has completed whatever he had in development at the park (or the former park I should say). With luck it will be brought up again in a later episode.
Maybe I’m putting to much thought into a cartoon but considering the social commentary that seems to go into weaved into every episode, I have to wonder. I’m not even sure if there is a word for what happened. Degentrification? Regentrification? Ultragentrification? Who knows? All I know is, that is the type of shit, that goes on in real life. Right under peoples noses. And it goes completely unnoticed. If you don’t believe me do some research on the city of Detroit or Atlanta or even Downtown LA. Maybe you might see a pattern. Or maybe the Boondocks is just a funny ass show.
*SPOILER WARNING*
See, GrandDad cooks on Sunday and makes food rich in pig lard. Actually, that and butter all he uses to cook. So even the vegetable dishes have pork in them. People eat, get the itis and Mr. Wuncler thinks GrandDads soul food would make a good restaurant. Cool, GrandDad is excited and Huey is deeply concerned about the health of the customers. Because people are getting addicted to the food. Like drug addicted. Literally people are becoming soul food junkies and slowly but surely the neighborhood degenerates into the type of place that police take hours to get to when a crime is committed. By the end of the episode Mr. Wuncler closes down the restaurant due to a multitude of lawsuits from customers who have become unhealthy after eating themselves silly. Doesn’t seem to bad, right? GrandDad cooks unhealthy food, gets a restaurant, Huey is deeply concerned, restaurant closes to obesity complications. An episode about the dangers of an unhealthy diet. What’s so sinister about that you, might ask? The gentrification of the neighborhood. Which was mostly gentrified anyway.
Even as I type this I have to wonder if there wasn’t something even more sinister than that going on here. Let me explain. When Mr. Wuncler takes GrandDad to see the future location of their restaurant (which is currently occupied by Wuncler’s health food cafe, which he hates and the people who frequent it) he makes a comment about how he has been trying to buy the park across the street for years. However, the city refuses to sell it to him, but he keeps trying. So, when Wuncler gets Chico (one of the cooks) to order some pigs, lard and butter he tells GrandDad that he wants to go for the whole urban black thing. Cause thats what the kids are into. Now by the end of the ep Wuncler closes shop because of the lawsuits. The first of which he offers to pay the insurance deductible and the case is settled. He leaves smiling and by the last scene the Itis, as well as the rest of the shops on the street, are all rundown and boarded up. Wuncler stands looking pensive and then he turns to look across the street. And what do we find? The park (which encompassed the whole other side of the block) is fenced up and there is construction equipment and huge signs that say Wuncler Construction. Close up on Wuncler. He smirks and walks off. Fade to Black. Credits roll.
When I saw that I said, “Damn, he finally got his park.” Then it occurred to me. He did all that just to get the park. My boy had come over to watch it too and after I said that he noted, “Damn, niggas, wouldn’t even get that. Niggas, wouldn’t even have noticed what just happened on this show. Damn.”
But now I think it’s worse than that. See, gentrification implies that you’re driving people out of their communities in order to buy it up for cheap and revamp it into something more conforming to the middle class life style. For example, allowing the inner city neighborhood of a place like, oh I don’t know, Detroit, to become so rundown and dilapidated that developers come in and buy up the property for cheap (relatively speaking). Moving out the remaining residents, that got no city support in helping to build up there neighborhood, and then developing new and thriving businesses so that white people move back to the inner city and you can have Super Bowl XL in your city. Thus, the rich getting richer and so forth.
In this episode, Wuncler did something above and beyond normal gentrification. He basically came up with a plan to run an entire neighborhood, that was already very well off, into the ground. As stated in the episode he pretty much owned most of the block. All he needed was that park. And by ruining a small community he got it. Which would surely add to his net worth once he has completed whatever he had in development at the park (or the former park I should say). With luck it will be brought up again in a later episode.
Maybe I’m putting to much thought into a cartoon but considering the social commentary that seems to go into weaved into every episode, I have to wonder. I’m not even sure if there is a word for what happened. Degentrification? Regentrification? Ultragentrification? Who knows? All I know is, that is the type of shit, that goes on in real life. Right under peoples noses. And it goes completely unnoticed. If you don’t believe me do some research on the city of Detroit or Atlanta or even Downtown LA. Maybe you might see a pattern. Or maybe the Boondocks is just a funny ass show.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Oprah Sucks...
Ok, not really. Just her show. Which I don’t normally watch. Earlier this week I was duped into taping an episode with the promise that, “if you are in debt you can’t afford to miss this episode.” Of course, I thought this was a good idea. I’m in debt, so I figured she would be offering up some good information. So, I tape the episode and a couple days later sat down to watch it. All the while thinking there would be some good info for people in debt (not that I don’t know how to manage my debt mind you, but knowledge is power). I couldn’t have been more wrong. This was more worthless than the episode she had a year or two ago about people that became millionaires. Let me digress and briefly recap that old episode:
Oprah: So how did you get started?
Guest: Well I had an idea, I worked at it, made these teddy bears, and now I’m filthy fuckin’ rich.
(keep in mind this particular guest had already had a lucrative career in the business world, big time stockbroker or CEO or something like that)
Oprah: Isn’t that great everybody?!?!
*audience screaming & applause*
And it pretty much went on like that every few minutes for the whole episode. Oprah speaks to guest, guest responds, Oprah responds and the audience goes ape shit for what seems like waaaaaay too long. I should have learned my lesson then. By contrast, several years ago she actually had a similar show about this where Robert Kiyosaki actually offered some real advice. At least, some more than just, “you can do it.” Which brings me to this past weeks episodes...
It started off interestingly enough. Black couple living the american dream. Working class husband and wife. They both work. Have a nice house. Nice cars. Husband makes the bulk of the money. Wife keeps the house running (i.e. keeps the bills paid). There income combined is well over 100K and hubby has something like $60K or $80K in the 401K. Doing pretty well for themselves. Except wifey has a secret. Something horrible and potentially devastating to their relationship. Hmm, this is Oprah and it’s a show about debt. So I guess she didn’t use to be a man and she’s probably not cheating on him. She agonized and cried and physically made herself sick for the first 15 to 20 minutes of the show. Apparently they weren’t as debt free as hubby thought they were (he himself claims to be completely debt free). See hubby thought that with the house and car notes they were in the hole about $40. Um, yeah think again. They are in it for about $160K. Given wifey’s credit cards and student loans with their ever accruing interest (I’m feeling her on that one but she got me bet, easy) they are in deep. Hubby had no idea. At all. He was shocked, stunned and every other word you can think of. And what does Oprah do? She explains that she wasn’t out to ambush him or embarrass them. It’s not that kind of show. So she brings out Dave Ramsey. He wrote a book about being rich then poor then rich again. So he is an expert on debt. And what does he do? Basically, he explains to them, for the reminder of their time on the show, that they can deal with this, get passed it, and work it out. But they will have to work together. And he will help them after the show. Um, WHAT. THE. FUCK?
That was it? That was his big advice? This is why people in debt should watch this show? They can’t be serious. Maybe they will save the good stuff for last. One more family to go. This will be brief...
Ok, the first half hour was useless. Second half brings a new family. Affluent, white family of four. One son (16) and one daughter (17). With credit cards and absolutely no concept of work, working, or where money comes from. None what so ever. Buying shoes, Prada bags, and lunch for their friends like their credit limit was free refills of coke at Applebee’s that someone else bought them. And the parents are at their wits end as to what to do about it. The father is completely incapacitated not speaking more than 2 words the whole show. The mother just going on and on about how great her kids are. No discipline problems, straight A’s, never getting into trouble, just great, great, great (Oh, and they each have brand new cars because the parents want them to be safe [forget the fact that daughter completely totaled her first one after something like a month no less]). Except, they are spoiled fuckin’ rotten and incapable of surviving in the real world with out leeching off of Mommy and Daddy. Oprah and Dave pretty much told them this. And what was Dave Debt Experts advise? Of course, since it was mostly about the kids for this fam, he encouraged them to teach them discipline, make them work, learn about money, blah, blah, blah... Ultimately, it boiled down to you can deal with this, get passed it, and work it out. Not to mention the parents apparent resistance to any idea that there is something wrong with this. But that’s ok, cause Dave is going to work with them after the show too. Um, Shows over folks.
And this is the show people in debt needed to see? Why? So we can feel better about our own situation? I was so pissed after watching this crap. I could have learned more passing the time on the internet then the hour I spent on this drivel. I expect something more informative from Oprah than this. But, then again, I blame that on Robert Kiyosaki...
Oprah: So how did you get started?
Guest: Well I had an idea, I worked at it, made these teddy bears, and now I’m filthy fuckin’ rich.
(keep in mind this particular guest had already had a lucrative career in the business world, big time stockbroker or CEO or something like that)
Oprah: Isn’t that great everybody?!?!
*audience screaming & applause*
And it pretty much went on like that every few minutes for the whole episode. Oprah speaks to guest, guest responds, Oprah responds and the audience goes ape shit for what seems like waaaaaay too long. I should have learned my lesson then. By contrast, several years ago she actually had a similar show about this where Robert Kiyosaki actually offered some real advice. At least, some more than just, “you can do it.” Which brings me to this past weeks episodes...
It started off interestingly enough. Black couple living the american dream. Working class husband and wife. They both work. Have a nice house. Nice cars. Husband makes the bulk of the money. Wife keeps the house running (i.e. keeps the bills paid). There income combined is well over 100K and hubby has something like $60K or $80K in the 401K. Doing pretty well for themselves. Except wifey has a secret. Something horrible and potentially devastating to their relationship. Hmm, this is Oprah and it’s a show about debt. So I guess she didn’t use to be a man and she’s probably not cheating on him. She agonized and cried and physically made herself sick for the first 15 to 20 minutes of the show. Apparently they weren’t as debt free as hubby thought they were (he himself claims to be completely debt free). See hubby thought that with the house and car notes they were in the hole about $40. Um, yeah think again. They are in it for about $160K. Given wifey’s credit cards and student loans with their ever accruing interest (I’m feeling her on that one but she got me bet, easy) they are in deep. Hubby had no idea. At all. He was shocked, stunned and every other word you can think of. And what does Oprah do? She explains that she wasn’t out to ambush him or embarrass them. It’s not that kind of show. So she brings out Dave Ramsey. He wrote a book about being rich then poor then rich again. So he is an expert on debt. And what does he do? Basically, he explains to them, for the reminder of their time on the show, that they can deal with this, get passed it, and work it out. But they will have to work together. And he will help them after the show. Um, WHAT. THE. FUCK?
That was it? That was his big advice? This is why people in debt should watch this show? They can’t be serious. Maybe they will save the good stuff for last. One more family to go. This will be brief...
Ok, the first half hour was useless. Second half brings a new family. Affluent, white family of four. One son (16) and one daughter (17). With credit cards and absolutely no concept of work, working, or where money comes from. None what so ever. Buying shoes, Prada bags, and lunch for their friends like their credit limit was free refills of coke at Applebee’s that someone else bought them. And the parents are at their wits end as to what to do about it. The father is completely incapacitated not speaking more than 2 words the whole show. The mother just going on and on about how great her kids are. No discipline problems, straight A’s, never getting into trouble, just great, great, great (Oh, and they each have brand new cars because the parents want them to be safe [forget the fact that daughter completely totaled her first one after something like a month no less]). Except, they are spoiled fuckin’ rotten and incapable of surviving in the real world with out leeching off of Mommy and Daddy. Oprah and Dave pretty much told them this. And what was Dave Debt Experts advise? Of course, since it was mostly about the kids for this fam, he encouraged them to teach them discipline, make them work, learn about money, blah, blah, blah... Ultimately, it boiled down to you can deal with this, get passed it, and work it out. Not to mention the parents apparent resistance to any idea that there is something wrong with this. But that’s ok, cause Dave is going to work with them after the show too. Um, Shows over folks.
And this is the show people in debt needed to see? Why? So we can feel better about our own situation? I was so pissed after watching this crap. I could have learned more passing the time on the internet then the hour I spent on this drivel. I expect something more informative from Oprah than this. But, then again, I blame that on Robert Kiyosaki...
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