Nov 28, 2006

"DO YOUR BEST AND DON'T WORRY"

It's only 8:30 and it's been a terribly busy day already. These are the days I love. Few things work for me like a busy day I feel totally on top of. That's for sure. Last night's radio adventure was such a great time. Another big thank you to James and Dudley for inviting me onto KWVA's Art Hustle.

But my main reason for blogging is that I had a window cracked and as I have blogged before many times, I live overlooking a busy street, so I occasionally overhear odds and ends of conversation. Like just now, for example. "...but, I think Passover is soon so he'll never ask me to marry him during that, right?"

What? I don't even know where to start with that!

Anyway, I have many irons in the fire today, so I have to dash. More later, m'dears. But, I leave you with this. Local columnist, Dawn Turner Trice had this to discuss this morning about human-trainwreck Flava Flav show, "Flavor of Love". What do you think? Too much or too little?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mmmm... if you don't know when his major holidays are, you maybe aren't ready to SPEND YOUR LIFE WITH HIM.

So, no, he probably won't propose during Passover next month.

Nicky said...

RE: DT Trice: It's a tough call. Lord knows I'm the last one to jump on the "girl power" theories that would say the women on the show are progressive and feminist by making the "choice" to appear on their show and sell their sexuality. (I should pause and mention I have never seen the show, but that's what it sounds like from Trice's description). On the other hand, it is every woman's - heck, person's - choice to do as they please when it comes to saying yes or no to appearing on such a show (it doesn't make Flav look all that attractive, either, that he has to entice women onto a TV show to "find true love"). Tough call, as I say, and I guess I end up no better than where I started, which is to say, I don't agree with it, but strive not to judge the choices others make, for whatever their reasons may be.

That being said, another issue is brought up right at the beginning and then again at the end of the article, where Trice says that this kind of behavior in the black community makes it "easier" for someone like Michael Richards to behave the way he did recently. First of all, I'm not sure what he did was "easy" - I'm not sure he'll ever recover his career, ever, after this, no matter how many pictures he has of himself with his arm around a smiling black person in the future (and I don't think he should recover it). Moreover, sad to say, I think racist (or sexist) people would still do racist (or sexist) things regardless of how "easy" minority communities (or the feminist community) make it for them. That's why those people are assholes. I think that minority groups should strive to avoid negative stereotypes for their own positive outcome, not to "convert" those groups of people who have hate in their hearts, because those people will find reasons to be hateful regardless of what anyone does or says or changes.

Unknown said...

You know what is ridiculous about the article's argument (and granted, I willingly admit that Flava of Love is a total guilty pleasure)? Her argument that such shows make it more possible or easier for someone like Michael Richards to say what he said. I have a funny feeling that his odious feelings and words would exist independent of a television show. If anything her argument entirely downplays the history of racism in America, and in many ways plays the old blame the victim card that many have done for years.

Sure, I have no problem with someone pointing out that Afr-Am. women should strive for much more than what is shown on this show, and her point that it does certainly reinforce some bad stereotypes, but let's not fool ourselves. Those stereotypes exist independent of one television show.