Some Things ARE NOT Racist

I know… Coming from a racist like me, that seems a little funny… But it's true. Some shit just is. No need to go deeper and make it about race… I had a long talk with my Mini Me last night (that would be Tia, for those of you who just started reading my blog…) and we discussed the racism in the Princess and the Frog and how a mutual friend of the family is outraged about it even though she hasn't seen it. Then we started talking about Tyler Perry and what makes a "black movie" and all sorts of other stuff that is better suited for a different post.

When I got up today and started my rounds on the internet somehow I came across this picture of Kanye West and Lady Gaga. I saw the pic yesterday I think, but today it was special because of the conversation I had with Tia and the comments under the pic . Now… I'm a racist. I admit it. I'm very honest about my biases and prejudices and society says that makes me a racist. However I am probably the most open minded racist you'll ever meet. Not in an "I-have-white-friends!" kind of way, but like… I am genuinely interested in hearing all sides of just about everything. Dialogue and education rock my world. I LOVE meeting blond-haired, blue-eyed folks who aren't devils… =]

Having said all that, it's not hard to believe that not a lot offends me. We live in a racist, capitalist country, so yeah… a lot of things that happen are jabs at the colored (and by colored, I mean minority, not black) or poor man. But a lot of things ARE NOT. When I see this picture a few things come to mind… First, David LaChapelle did the shoot so this kind of image is to be expected… Dude means "camp" and "pushing the envelope" and… "Amanda Lepore." If you don't know… Let Me Google That For You… =] Second. Tarzan and Jane. Obviously. I don't see Slave Kanye taking advantage of Poor, Helpless Gaga. If I want to go a little deeper… I see Strong Black Man Kanye. And… uh… Sexpot Gaga? I never know exactly what to see with that chick… But anyway… Let's look at some comments because that's where the real meat is...

“Black man, torn clothes, no shoes in a jungle, naked white woman lookin scared(...and i like lady gaga) and we're cool w/ this. stop playin! nobody sees slavery sh*t here. NOBODY! i'm disappointed, truly. on on some other sh*t - the airbrushed abs, c'mon son!” [TELL 'EM WHY YOU REALLY MAD… YOU WANT KANYE'S ABS… LOL]

"When are black men going to get a clue and start standing up for themselves? There is nothing artistic about this picture: it looks like an angry, aggressive man that is about to take advantage of this woman. Nothing artistic, just SEX. If they wanted it to look like he was saving her then the artist could've done a better job than this. Gaga looks completely helpless & naked like he just knocked her unconscious so he could do whatever to her. The artist knew exactly what kind of message he wanted to send and it's not elegant artistic expressions!" [NOTHING ABOUT KANYE LOOKS ANGRY TO ME. WEIRD EYES MAYBE… BUT HE LOOKS PEACEFUL OTHERWISE. GAGA IS JUST SEX HERE BUT SHE DOESN'T LOOK HELPLESS. CERTAINLY NOT UNCONSCIOUS.]

"I know it's in the name of art and sometimes that means pushing the envelope but c'mon people this is ridiculous. I am not feeling any black man being depicted as a possessed gorilla ." [HERE WE GO WITH THE POSSESSED MESS…]

"These two are satanic, they both are possessed masonic illuminati puppets, goodbye." [THIS ONE’S MY FAVORITE.]

Now… I know a little about history. I know that America does not care about black male identity. I get it. But this picture and others like it don't get me too riled up. People focus on the sensational. They make big statements about how this "sets us back" somehow, but they don't want to engage in any real dialogue. They don't want to talk about the more subtle ways media destroys the black image (i.e. anything on BET, Flavor of Love, House of Payne, The Cleveland Show…) but they want to get up in arms about a picture that was meant to make you talk. Hmmm…

Perhaps my problem is that I'm a Negative Nancy. I'd rather complain about things that are supposed to entertain me rather than things I'm supposed to be upset about. Maybe I should stop tryna rock the boat and go against the grain. I need to stop being irritated by black people who call the Cleveland Show a "black show" (despite the fact that most of the characters and writers are white…) and have never seen an episode of the Boondocks. There is plenty out there about which to be offended. (Like… 52% of black 8th graders in Tennessee as recently as 2007 reading below a basic level…) In any case, this picture ain't it.