Putting Our Collective "Ass" on the Line: Self-Imposed Exploitation Chasing the American C.R.E.A.M

I was happily relieved when the Soft-Porn spectacle called: Uncut was CUTT from the so-called Black Entertainment Network. When you say BET, somehow the three-letter acronym communicates and means something very different from the idea of all that Black Entertainment is and should embody. It is as if we are only interested in nonsensical Soulja Boy "What's up... I’m gettin monaaay" cadences, OR so- called "Black Carpet" journalism. A dysfunctional relationship with the glorified respectability of drugs, violence, the prison industrial complex, and the UN-newsworthy notoriety of the Black "American Gangsta seems to never die. It’s like the one thing we have to hold onto in the ghetto. No one can quite do gangsterism like us." Yes….It's funny in a sickening way you know. It is as if the same buffoonery performances that we have been told "Chicken George" so eagerly performed for his slave masters, to the mockery of Steppin Fetchit, as he tried to break down barriers for future black actors in Hollywood, suddenly descended and went from hopes of opening a door to currently becoming part of the walkway.... to be walked on.... with our own feet... in a revolving door. These images were packaged, marketed and sold to society at large as "white ideas" and representations of entertainment at the expense of black men, women and children. The sad reality is that these same debased caricatures are in fact, the IDENTICAL depraved spectacles we are performing for society, casting on each other and selling to one another as "entertainment." WOW!

Now I certainly support the Black Entertainment industry. Black actors and actresses are pivotal. The more space we create for ourselves the more power we should garner to create, shape and evolve what it means to be a Black actress/actor in film, stage and television as we progress toward the future, But AND only--- if we act responsibly with that platform. The problem I have is what we have done with the little space we have created in the arena today in popular culture, i.e. certain genres of music, music videos and the sports entertainment industry. We have perpetuated, recycled and expanded stagnate images of sexualized, violent and materialistic Zombies in a significant segment of these hard fought for spaces. I am certainly aware of the power of the "owners of access" Yes, indeed....the "corporate capitalist pimps" are real and they exert a tremendous amount of influence over--to a large degree what are talented, but disadvantaged and under-educated (with the exception of sports, as most of them have been to college) AND not saying that college is the only place or avenue one has to develop and express intelligence, as there are a lot of smart, bright, capable young people who may not have received or have access to post-secondary education, and likewise, there are many college educated people who make poor decisions, we seen that in the wall street debacles! However, these disadvantaged young men and women are usually making decisions between indefinite sentences in the concrete jungles to the right of them,... and the prison industrial complex to the left of them,.... lap dances and pimp daddy day-care to the rear of them,.... and for a precious many.... a violent certain death around the corner. These vitally important decisions often do not afford these individuals making the decisions to consider all the consequences of what may seem as a way out, and I am very sensitive to that reality!

HOWEVER, I am not talking about the boogie-MAN, or modern Jim Crow justice. We are not going to beat that horse in this conversation, as these are things we are willingly doing to ourselves and we all know IT. I am TALKING about the absolute over-saturation of the "AssFace",... meaning every time I watch videos, log-on to You Tube, FaceBook or MySpace, somewhere in the process there are bombardments of female bodies from the neck down, facing the wall with captions that say: "Come get this ass," Come slap my ass, or..... I don't know...."Is this my ass"? lol...

Okay! I am exaggerating these expressions to some extent, but you get the point---- because we have all seen these images. With the invisibility of an identity, and a personhood, all you are left with is your ass replacing your face. Now let me be clear, there is nothing wrong our bodies as black women, we should be proud of our unique bodies, embrace them and all of our curves AND celebrate it, honor it. But keep it classy, and do things in a tasteful manner. Not all video vixens / models portray the worst. But definitely not in the manner that our former enslaver mocked us, and made us the desire of his savage sexual fantasies! Just TAKE A LONG HARD LOOK and THINK ABOUT IT, the next time you think about posting that photo!! Each one teach one. Read this article on the real-life story of the Hottentot Venus (Sara Bartmann), where this image originated http://www.nathanielturner.com/hottentotvenus.htm

Now, Equally disturbing and visually uninteresting is The "Killa Costume America’s Most Complete Hardest…. Clown": You know, Bling-Bling, Hubcap necklaces, the can't go back throw-back, the gun trophies, the combat vests, the "I'm Gotti Bonnano" wanna be's, and the Etch-a-Sketch tattoo motif. Last but not least....the "Anybody is A Rapperrrrr.........No You Aint Looking Boy

With the emergence of YouTube and social networking sites like Myspace, Facebook and others, there seems to be a race toward the lowest common denominator: THE BOTTOM, both figuratively and literally. Now I know there are some who will have all matter of excuses to justify the 'Why" of what I have called out! And…. I am sure there are some who will try to make this the white man's fault. And to the extent there is a real power structure in place that may promote the space for such images-- I agree that certainly an argument can be made. However, "No One Can Make You Feel Inferior With Your Consent." (Eleanor Roosevelt) and likewise.. Racism, being poor or not having a job opportunity does not make you go and say well, "forget it I am going to go home put on a thong, with toys and dirty clothes in my background and take a picture of my backside and put it on Myspace for FREE"!

As Women we have to be conscious of a not too distant ago past where we would run from these sexualized images that portrayed us as sexual beasts of the lowest social, and animalistic order of living beings. NOT Human Beings. The Black woman was perceived as being hyper-sexual (over-sexed), whore-ish, and only good for a "Good-Ole Rough-Riding Ravage Pounding by Massa." It is my intention to use provocative language here so that we get a full flavor of what is really going on. Just look at this image, to the left...I mean JUST LOOK AT IT!!! Now what is different from this and what we see today in the clubs on the dance floor, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube or the dark side of the video vixen circuit? Well, the only thing that is missing here is a long weave and "5" inch heels. Our chocolate sista’s are still being portrayed in contemporary videos and mainstream media as the woman more likely to be "dropping it like it's hot" --That's BullSh**t! The light-skinned video girl although sexualized as well, has the slight advantage of being the "desired girlfriend" in the vidy-hoe, which further perpetuates the color-caste bias and a "I am better than you" attitude amongst the sista-hood of black women, as well as the continued devaluation of the ebony or coffee skinned sista’s, or women with short hair as deficient or not attractive, thus she is relegated to "The best kept sexual secret ......We need to wake up!

Now I am not sure if we just don’t give a F$$K, or we if just think no one is paying attention. Because I know we have to be aware of these images and where they originated, how they were used to shape our identities from slavery through Jim Crow to the current day. These self-imposed stereotypes are currently being exploited for profit, shaping sexual identity for our next generation of young women, and likely increases of sexual assaults, sexual abuse and other sexualized and violent crimes against women. I guess as we struggle to realize the American Dream, become drunk from the intoxicating power that comes from money and the extent to which we individualize ourselves and disconnect from group identity---- we simply do not mind "Putting Our Collective Ass On The Line"

Justice Speaks..What do you think?
RJ