Topics for Tonight's Word on the Curb
Max Reddick just sent me the following for WOTC tonight.
I do as I'm told.
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“PROSPECTIVE TOPICS FOR WORD ON THE CURB PODCAST
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18TH, 2014
I. WHEN & WHERE I ENTER
This week there was an interesting video circulating throughout the various social media. It was off a very affluent, Harvard educated black man explaining how he advises his sons to dress and carry themselves if so that they are not subjected to prejudice or profiled by the police.
In addition, the great and wonderful Max had an interesting experience concerning white perceptions of young black males while visiting his son who is away at college.
At some point during the two previous podcasts, we mentioned that the on-going problems with race in this country are not a black problem but a white problem because the on-going problems with race have more to do with white perceptions of black and brown people than anything else.
In other words, there is a certain narrative attached to black and brown bodies, a narrative that is overwhelmingly a narrative of depravity and pathology. And no matter how we attempt to dress up those black bodies, how we attempt to cloak those black bodies in evidence of our conformity to the status quo, that narrative is still attached to our bodies in varying degrees.
A. Are you aware of how you are perceived by those you come into contact with from day-to-day?
1. Is that perception positive or negative?
2. Do you consciously do anything to shape or affect that narrative?
a. Wear your hair a certain way?
b. Your choice of clothing?
B. Do you advise your children to dress, wear their hair, or carry themselves in a certain way so as to shape the perception of others?
1. Why or why not?
2. What do you tell them?
C. Do you think that it is fair for people to be judged simply by virtue of their appearance?
1. Why or why not?
2. Do you think that there is any validity in stereotypes?
II. CALLING ALL SORORS!
This week the new VH-1 reality show Sorority Sisters debuted. Even before its debut, the reality series was already controversial, and black Greeks unsuccessfully tried to get it shut down.
However, after its debut, black Greeks, especially black Greeks in female organizations, realized that it was an even greater abject, swollen and burgeoning, leaking, sad sack of foolishness than they could have ever imagined, and they redoubled their efforts to have the show taken from the air, this time by targeting the companies advertising on the show, and they achieved a great deal of success by doing so. Many of the big named sponsors pulled their advertisements from the show.
But, the question then becomes, “Where was this Herculean effort to have other reality shows that are just as great abject, swollen and burgeoning, leaking, sad sacks of foolishness—and I am talking about the Basketball Wives, the Love and Hip Hop wherevers, and the Housewives of Atlanta—taken from the air? Why are you so concerned and animated when the image and reputation of black Greeks are threatened, but seemingly so unconcerned and animated when the image and reputation of black and brown womanhood are threatened?
A. Mention of the blog post from the blog Cue the Rant, “So Now You’re Mad?: A Response to Sorority Sisters from a Sorority Sister” by Tierra Clemmons.
B. First question goes to any black Greeks who might be listening. How many of you out there are black Greeks?
1. Did you watch the show?
2. What do you think of the show?
3. Did you read Tierra Clemmons’ article? [We might consider contacting Tierra Clemmons and see if she wants to listen in and have her say.]
4. What do you think of the article?
C. What do you think of black Greek efforts to shut this show down while remaining relatively silent about the continuation of the other shows?
III. I WANT TO KISS YOUR TOES & OTHER STUFF I AM TOO SHY TO SAY ALOUD
In our on-going Bill Cosby scandal watch, other women have come out this week to accuse Dr. Cosby—AKA Cool Cos, AKA Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, AKA America’s favorite dad, AKA that freaky negro over there—of attempting his described modus operandi on them.
First, Cathy Lee Gifford came out to give an ambiguous statement about Cosby having may or may not tried to add her to the list of his conquests. He served her up a cup of cappuccino—ala Beverly Johnson, and then attempted to steal a kiss but was rebuffed (Gifford did not mention having felt drugged after drinking the cappuccino, however.).
Then, this model-slash-stripper by the name of Choloe Goins came out with her own accusation. She states that during a party at Hugh Hefner’s infamous Playboy Mansion, Cosby drugged her, she passed out, and when she finally came to, she found Cosby kissing and sucking her toes while pleasuring himself.
Then, Camille Cosby finally made a public statement, comparing the accusations against her husband to the case at the University of Virginia and framing him as the victim. Cosby’s daughter Erin even came out with her own statement, which pretty mush reiterated the points Camille made. And R. Kelly called him a pervert and said that he should be in jail.
Now, it dawns on us that a man with the stature of Bill Cosby could have had all the extraneous, illicit, extramarital sex he wanted just by virtue of him being Bill Cosby, so why we he go around drugging women, doing nasty stuff to them?
A. What do you think? Just why?
B. What do you think of Camille and Erin’s statements?
C. After all is said and done, do you think Cosby deserves a chance to regain our adulation? Are there any statues of limitations on our forgiveness for fallen idols like Bill Cosby? [This if left over from last week. If we choose to do Cosby again, it could be used as filler if necessary.]
1. When a beloved icon like Bill Cosby falls, when and why should we forgive him or her? And how do we choose those for our condemnation and who gets a pass?
Examples:
• Chuck Berry? [Statutory rape; jailed for voyeurism.]
• Jim Brown? [Notorious woman beater.]
• O.J. Simpson? [Stabbed up those white people.]
• Miles Davis? [Ex-pimp; exploited women; notorious womanizer; abused women; beat the stuffing out of Cicely Tyson; basically abandoned children.]
• R. Kelly? [Peed on a bunch of children; on-going pedophiliac behavior.]
• [Can you think of more?]
2. What about all the good he or she has done?
• Jim Brown? [Courageous, unflinching community activist.]
• Bill Cosby? [Gave millions to a number of causes benefitting African Americans.]
• [Can you think of more?]
IV. CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE!
Well, after all the waiting and anticipating, Christmas time is almost here! In fact, next Thursday this time, we will be deep, deep into Christmas 2014.
A. Are you FINALLY ready for Christmas, or do we still have some procrastinators out there?
1. First, raise your hand if you are one of those people who did not take the Christmas lights down from last year, and all you did was to go outside and plug them in?
2. Anyone got any special plans for this Christmas?
3. What are you hoping Santa brings you this Christmas?
4. Do you think that you will get it?
B. What is going to be on your Christmas song playlist this Christmas? What is going to be in heavy rotation at your home?
C. Does anyone have a favorite Christmas story they would like to tell? What was your best Christmas ever?
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