The Retort

August 20th, 2009

Why The Daily Show Is So Great.

at 2:50 PM |Labels: Jay “AverageBro” Anderson

The Daily Show does it again. Man, is this like shooting fish in a fishtank or what?

Yeah, sure, I know, if the Conservatives had a guy as witty as Stewart on their side, they could deliver an equally scathing critique of liberals. But they don’t.[1] Sorry. And that’s why this show is so brilliant.

Question: Is there a Conservative equivalent to The Daily Show? Do cable news commentators (on both sides of the aisle) realize just how easy it is to refute their arguments in the age of YouTube?

[1] Fox News’ Daily Show knockoff, Red Eye is just plain awful.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Debt Paid, but No Forgiveness

at 1:36 PM | Labels: media, Michael Vick, sports, Vernon Mitchell Jr.

By Vernon C. Mitchell, Jr.

Forgiveness–It is a word that many of us loosely throw around like “love.” We say it, often want and need it at some point in our lives, but do we really mean it or even know what it means? How do we define forgiveness? In the book of Matthew (18:21-22) the disciple Peter asks Christ about forgiveness, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Until seven times?” Christ’s reply was that you should forgive your brother seventy times seven.

That’s a lot.

Michael Vick seems to test some our collective ability to forgive and also to judge one’s actions. Vick was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday and it has been the top news story across sports media outlets around the country. Moments ago an official press conference was held to publicly announce him as part of the team. Vick, surrounded by Coach Andy Reid and former NFL coach and now mentor, Tony Dungy, made yet another series of apologies for his actions and it still seems to some that is not enough. Nor was the once famed quarterback’s twenty-three months in prison enough. Earlier this morning on ESPN Radio’s “Mike and Mike In the Morning”, they took calls from around the nation and asked people about their thoughts on Vick. The response was overwhelmingly negative if not outright hostile.

To say there is a plethora of negativity from fans of the Eagles, of football, pet lovers and people just generally speaking, is an understatement. Michael Vick seems to be just as polarizing as President Obama’s healthcare initiatives. I’m just waiting for some of the so called journalists at FOXNews to call Vick and the Eagles front office “socialist”.

The attempts to make Vick some kind of demagogue are outlandish and petty to say the least. He is ready to move on with his life and get back to work and so should we. It seems like his actions are holding an inordinate amount of weight for his crime. Would folk rather he be stoned or executed? How about let’s lock him into a stockade in some public square, will that feed the lynch mob mentality displayed by some Americans? Unfortunately I doubt it. I’m not suggesting in any way that Vick should not have been punished for what he did. He should have, though I still do not believe he should have done any jail time. Significant fines, suspension from the league for a brief period…all these I can agree with but incarceration was just sending a message to Vick, and other black athletes.

Some will read this post and say I’m playing the race card. Well, I am. If you look at the responses about Vick, the vast majority of the most visceral and damning attacks are by whitefolk. I am not saying that across the board African Americans support Vick. We are not a monolith, but I think that some organization should show him some support. Both he and they could use the good press. I challenge the NAACP, Urban League, our various fraternal and sororal organizations, to help out. But maybe some of our black churches will step up to help this brother, they likely are best suited to do so.

Outside of reading his playbook, Vick needs to read about the trials and tribulations of Heavyweight Boxing Champion Jack Johnson, even talk to Jim Brown. It would be great if he could have a conversation with Muhammad Ali. Vick deserves a second chance. The road back to the top will be hard but I believe and remain hopeful and prayerful that he can do it.

The reality is that Michael Vick has paid his debt to society. He owes nothing to PETA, the Humane Society or anyone else. He must show that he is capable of being a responsible employee of the National Football League and the court system by staying out of trouble, but he owes us nothing. I hope he remembers that. It is time for him to move on with his life and start a new chapter. Hopefully this new one showcases his talent on the field and not his shortcomings off of it.

For the folk that think Vick is the scum of the earth, (especially the Christian ones) have you ever been in need of forgiveness? Let ye who without sin cast the first stone. I hope the best for Michael Vick and his family. He can exceed expectations and make steps to continue to be self defining, but only time will tell. In the meantime America needs to remember that it has bigger concerns to address.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Michael Vick is an Iggle

at 8:30 PM |

Mike Vick’s signed with the Eagles, per CNN. Now maybe those Philly scumbag fans will start cheering for Donovan McNabb…

Thursday, August 6, 2009

The Joker? But Riddle Me This, Batman…

at 11:52 AM | Labels: Batman, Christopher Chambers, conservatives, death threats, extremists, Juan Williams, Michael Steele, racism, Soledad OBrien, the Joker, Washington Post, wingnuts

Shared words on the ugly Obama as Socialist Joker begs a Question–or Riddle

Christopher Chambers

Before we complete the autopsy on CNN’s BIA 2, let’s look at something emminently pertinent to black America. Today, Washington Post Reporter Phillip Kennicott analyzes the Barack as Heath Ledger as The Joker poster, pegging it as the ugly–an inapt–retort (sorry) to the iconic Shep Fairey poster. Soledad and America would have been better served exploring these issues, but again, that wasn’t the purpose nor the target demo for BIA 1 or 2.

But if this is a joke, here’s the lame punchline: Barack’s hardly a revolutionary, hardly earth-moving. And chaotic for the sake of chaos? Come on. As many people think he’s too cautious, too accomodating as those who consider him a vicious freak. Check any reputable poll and anecdotal evidence on that. Ulitmately, it took a recent SNL skit with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson playing “The Rock Obama-Hulk” to parody the manifest turn the other cheek philosophy of No Drama Obama. Clearly then, he hurts some white people passively at their cognitive core…putting their surprising pain and sense of betrayal when Colin Powell endorsed the Prez in context. Comfort zones are as follows: black man as buffoon, rapper/criminal/athlete/Will Smith-Eddie Murphy wiseacre. Black man as safe daddy or cohort: Colin, Morgan, Dennis Haysbert or that dude with whom you shoot hoops before happy hour, or has the cubicle next to years, and is well spoken and slaps you five and talks about Lebron with you. Ah, better and more realistic: black man as allied coon–Clarence, Steele (Mike, not Lex!), Christie…and, sadly, Juan.

So comes the true riddle (with apologies to Frank Gorshin, the original Riddler on TV), as expressed by Heath in the film: why so serious? It’s racism, that’s why. The frightening, perceived ceding of power, real or illusory, by CEO and doublewide-dwelling redneck alike. Safety indeed’s a yearning that encompasses all other needs. Safety and a comfort zone, pushing the usual buttons for the usual people, enhances marketing–just ask CNN when it decided to underwhelm us in BIA 2. Safety, in a different species, is also at the root of denigrating Obama. And what better symbol then Joker? Well…

…the joke could backfire. Recall younger audiences identified with the Joker. Batman was stiff, self-righteous, even hypocritcal. Heath won an Oscar. Bale was shown up as crazy-ass bully. So riddle me that…

Credits and article link courtesy of Shani George Washington Post

Monday, August 3, 2009

The Big-Ass Yawn: Round-up of Black in America 2′s Wrap-up

at 9:23 AM | Labels: advertisers, black in america 2, demographic, Essence, New Orleans, politics, Roland Martin, Soledad OBrien, Steven Perry

All-star cast at BIA 2 during the Essence Music Festival–cool & “uplifting,” a so friggin’ what? Or allegory for something forboding for us as blacks in America? Think for a minute…

Christopher Chambers

Airing this past weekend (8/1 and 8/2) was wrap-up roundtable closing the curtain on BIA 2. CNN filmed the panels (which included clips of and probing Soledad interview with Steve Harvey…yes, Steve Harvey) in NOLA during the Essence Music Festival in July 3, 2009. Check out the photo…where’s Roland? Yes Roland Martin emerged (or was plucked) from his CNN storage locker to host this discussion with Soledad. The usual, the typical, the all-stars were present along with subjects from the documentary like Dr. Steve Perry and Malaak Compton-Rock. The audience was, of course, invited friendlies, Essence officials (and folks, Essence is owned by Time-Warner, as is CNN…lordy, Time-Warner’s TNT runs Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne” shows, and airs the previous Madea flicks…hmmm…). Friendlies included mostly women down there to see the stars and enjoy the Big Easy; people who may have waxed skeptical of BIA 2. But as I tell my Public Intellectual/Pundit class at Georgetown–and as I alluded in the preview post two weeks ago, if you turn them camera lights on, make folk feel that they’re under the velvet rope, show them the VIPs, the skepticism morphs to fawning.

Check out the photo above: L-R: actor/activist Holly Robinson Peete; co-directors of Chicago’s Project Brotherhood Marcus Murray & Pete Thomas, MD; Black AIDS Institute Founder Phill Wilson; actor/activist Sheryl Lee Ralph; Morehouse College president Dr. Robert Franklin; Louisiana State University School of Public Health Dr. Leonard Jack; CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien; Capital Preparatory Magnet School principal Dr. Steve Perry; Morgan Stanley managing director Carla Harris; small business owner Monique Greenwood; Judge Penny Brown Reynolds; National Urban League president/CEO Marc Morial; Executive Director, New Leaders for New Schools-New Orleans Tyra Newell; humanitarian/Angel Rock Project founder Malaak Compton-Rock.

Here’s a nibble of the coming critique, stream of consciousness style: yet again, BIA is a niche product, delivery a black demo to advertisers. Nothing crossing boundaries, nothing for white folks to ponder because Lord knows they need it (if you check their blogs, Tweets, whispers when you get to a room) since 1/20. No mention of the hard issues of 2009, as that wasn’t the purpose. More focus on the irreplaceable superstars, like Perry in Hartford, rather than the institutions. White folks tend to put the thing, the place, the institution, the business over the man/queen bee/mega pastor/star/CEO/personality. What happens to Capital Prep if, God forbid, Perry burns out or gets hit by a bus? Or becomes a packaged product himself, appearing next on Wendy Williams (“How you doin’ Stevie)? So what? Why play it safe? Why turn a powerful documentary into yet another card table stacked with bootlegged “street lit” and churchlady romance books…in front of the library?

Ah, cathartic. We have constructive comments, too. But first…

…let’s hear from you. What was your observation, praise, gripe, notion of the weekend wrap up of 8/1-8/2? Please, talk back to the Retort or our member bloggers so we can talk at you and maybe give CNN a template for something more compelling in the future.

As for something “forboding” allegory presaged in the subtitle above, well, that’ll be revealed soon. Your hint: think of where we & the President and his professed agenda was on 1/20/09, and where he (though still popular), and we, are on 8/1/09. Stay tuned.

Photo credit: CNN

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Grappling With “Good Hair”

August 3rd, 2009

By Danielle Belton

From a very young age I was told, not by my family directly, but mostly by my peers, that I must have “good hair.” It was long and relatively easy to straighten. People argued with me about my genetic makeup over it so much that during my “militant” years in college I used to angrily tell people I was mixed with “slavemaster” when they would pester me for too long about my hair.

I couldn’t be all black, they would say. I had to be mixed with something.

As years waned I dropped my anger and moved on to sadness. Sad that so many people were obsessed with hair. Sad that I, too, was obsessed with my hair. Sad that a majority of men who dated me were even more obsessed with my hair than I was, all indicative of a larger sickness of everyone wanting what they could never have — naturally straight hair.

That’s why I’m both curious and wary over Chris Rock’s new mockumentary “Good Hair” which pokes fun as well as shares some revelations over what black women go through with their hair. He said he created the film for his daughter who asked him if she had “good hair.” So his intentions appear to be in the right place. But considering how psychologically damaging the whole “good hair/bad hair” has been and still is for black women (and to another extent the black men who are equally obsessed with acquiring a woman with long hair), I hope there is a degree of sensetivity to it.