From "Driving Miss Daisy" to Dating Granny's Baby?

Say it ain't so. Lord Jesus, please, say it ain't so. I might as well stop wishing because all indicators seem to indicate that it is. Why do the things I write in this blog keep coming back to haunt me? I wrote about Gov. Sanford from South Carolina, while mentioning that Mississippi has it's own problems and that I should not go too hard on SC. Next thing I knew, former Mississippi politician Chip Pickering was exposed by his wife in her divorce filings because he was having a similar affair. After that, in the post about LeBron, I wrote that no one famous (even of the celebrities that are from Mississippi), ever comes to Mississippi except world-renown actor and native son, Morgan Freeman. Now Morgan Freeman has a scandal of his own, and one of epic proportions. Morgan Freeman - the man who played Joe Clark in "Lean On Me," who played Red in "The Shawshank Redemption," who played Lucius Fox in the Batman films, who played GOD himself in "Bruce Almighty" and its sequel, "Evan Almighty" - is dating his step-granddaughter, one E'Dena Hines, and seems to be planning to marry her once his divorce is finalized. No, you're not crazy. Neither am I. Do not adjust your computer screen. Instead, check out the full story here.
**Update: It has been reported that he doesn't plan to marry her. Note, however, that the affair was not denied when you check out that full story here.**
It's a mother effing shame, too. Here this dude is, the most visible Mississippian (who actually lives in Mississippi) and what does he do? Does he help us out of the stereotypes that have plagued this state (some of them rightfully so, but I digress)? No. He reinforces them. Of course, the state of Mississippi is in what is referred to as the "Deep South." One of the things that people think we do around here is get our incest-ridden relations on. I have never kissed a cousin and never even had sinful thoughts about a family member, thank you very much. However, the stigma remains. Now there's evidence to support the misconception. Now they can cite Mississippi's own version of Samuel L. Jackson as a culprit. It gets worse, however. This chick is his step-granddaughter, but she was raised as his actual granddaughter, meaning she likely thought of him just like she would a biological grandfather and probably even called him "Granddad." They may not be getting married, but it still seems that he went from "Grand Pop" to "Don't Stop." Is it really okay to practice PDA with family or with those that we consider family? No, there's no actual bloodline. I know. However, if you ask me (and by reading this blog, you're asking me), it's all freaky and nasty - no matter how one chooses to slice it.

*Side note -Speaking of family members or those who consider each other family practicing PDA, isn't it funny that Lil' Wayne wishes that he could F every girl in the world, yet he only wishes that he could KISS Baby aka Birdman? Just a thought.*

Anyway, it gets worse, yet. Freeman is 72. Hines is 27. Once again, do not adjust your computer screen. It just so happens that if you should put his age in reverse, you come up with her age. That's a completely new twist on the phrase, "opposites attract." That's not all, friends. It's gets worse, still. He's been sleeping with the girl since she was 17. He was 62 then. Come on, Mr. Clark! You're supposed to educate the kids, not deflower and satisfy them. She must've 'leaned on him' a little too hard. All this from a man who played the detective who saved the kidnapped women in "Kiss The Girls?" Too bad he was kissing the girls himself. As for Ms. Hines, is it really that hard to find a man in Mississippi? Of course not, I'm single. I know the population of whatever town she's from had younger and more appealing men than Morgan Freeman to offer a 17 year old. This is like a low-budget sequel to "The Color Purple" or something. And until Morgan Freeman does right, everything he thinks about is gonna crumble.
I'd just like to say that I blame Hugh Hefner, Viagra, and Woody Allen (hey, maybe Morgan and his step-granddaughter can get with Woody and his wife/stepdaughter and double date?) for this as well. Is there really any love in this relationship? Does he look at her and see anything more than, dare I say, a "new model?" Just a younger, slimmer, finer young thing for him to fulfill his fantasies with? Seriously, the guy did star in the film, "The Bucket List." How do we know that a twenty-something wasn't on his? Does she look at him and see anything more than the Hollywood lifestyle, red carpets, riches, stability, security? The fact of the matter is that it isn't my business. But why so young and so close to home? When you look at Cindy Crawford still doing her thang at 43, you know that younger doesn't always necessarily mean better. Plus, she's your step-granddaughter. Seriously, I know there's no blood connection - but she's family. Family-on-family love is good. Family-on-family sex, however, is a no-no. Period. Plus, when his age is factored into the equation, it makes one think that if he keeps getting his freak on with baby girl, she'll be the death of him - literally. I can hear the interviews now. Just like another scene from "The Color Purple."

"How'd he die?"
"On top of me."

What a tragedy it will be if the great, accomplished, and storied life of Morgan Freeman is muddled in the press and in our memories by his freaky family frolicking. He'll be following in the footsteps of people like Michael Jackson, James Brown, Frankie Lymon, and other black celebrities by having his estate, family, and memory enshrouded in controversy (shout out to Bernie Mac for being a family man who went out far too soon, but nevertheless did so with dignity). Sounds like a libido lynching waiting to happen.

"Rappers and Hoopers, We Strive to Be Like"

The title is a Common reference, for those of you who didn't already catch it. It's a line from "The Corner," the first single off his 2005 album, and one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time if you ask me, "Be."

There's a lot to be said about the fact that many of us try to emulate and mimic the images that we see on TV. Probably most prominently, these images include "rappers and hoopers." So here's the issue: When these individuals do things that cause themselves to be seen in a negative light, there is a negative message sent to the imitators and emulators - also known as young people. Case in point:


J.R. Smith, or J.R. "Swish", as his teammates and fans call him, has been raising eyebrows over the past few days because of a recurring habit on his Twitter page. He's been quite noticeably replacing all the Cs in words with Ks. Now I'm not a gangsta, but gangsta mentality has infiltrated popular culture to the point that you have to be way out of touch not to realize what this peculiar spelling signifies. Let me put it simply: He's spelling these words the Blood way. That's Blood as in the two rival gangs, Crips vs. Bloods.

They refuse to use Cs because C is the first letter of Crip, of course.
** But there are other words that begin with Cs as well, like cash. I'm guessing the Bloods refer to it another way, or use a K. Isn't it funny that Bloods, who are a mostly Black gang, have so much hatred for the Crips, another Black gang, that they would rather refer to them with the letter K? A letter, mind you, that when used in threes (KKK) signifies the ultimate hatred of minorities altogether? **

Anyway, the Denver Post brought it up that his misspellings seem to be of a gang-related nature. Must've been a slow news day, that's all I can tell ya. Smith has since deleted his Twitter account for good. Check out the full story here.
Well, well, well. Many of these guys came straight from high school or had only minimal college. It's obvious the league doesn't care so much about their education, yet they aren't allowed to misspell words on their own Twitter pages? Good Lord.
They are role models as I said earlier, so it's not like I would defend such a bad example. I'm simply curious as to whether or not it ever occurred to any of the sports writers or anyone else at the Denver Post or otherwise that (gasp) the Brotha might simply like the letter K! I'm not a J.R. Smith fan (or a Nuggets fan, for that matter - even though the color of the text in this blog may make it seem otherwise) and have seen his on-court antics and am aware that they are enough to make one wonder as to whether or not he is gang-affiliated. It's not something the kids should look up to or try to be. At the same time, there are worse ways to show one's gang affiliation then to misspell a word. If he's gang-banging on Twitter, he's not really a gangsta. Leave it at that. The Denver Post staff might need to get some writing done instead of spending all of their office hours on Twitter in the first place. But wait, there's more.
This whole thing is eerily similar to what happened earlier in the summer to Derrick Rose. The very same Derrick Rose who was named Rookie of the Year last season, and who led the Bulls to a Game 7 against the then-defending champs, the Boston Celtics. A picture of him was spotted in which he was throwing up gang signs. These particular signs belong to the Gangster Disciples, or GDs. They're in the Midwest, Chicago mainly. Ironically, they were started by Larry Hoover, who was born in Jackson, MS - a mere 45 minute drive from my hometown of Vicksburg. They usually wear all black and their caps are usually to the side (so straighten yours up if you're headed to the Windy City) and if you've seen the cult classic movie "Cooley High," they are the ones who killed Cochise.

Rose denied the affiliation although he grew up in Chicago and the gang is pretty prominent in his neighborhood. Is he telling the truth, or is it now unsafe for him to go home? Beyond that, what is the message that is being sent to us from the "rappers and hoopers?" That it's somehow honorable to engage in illegal activity that endangers the community and causes the deaths of so many young minority urbanites? Even if these guys were from that life, they have progressed to a point that they no longer have to live that reality and should be grateful and stay out of trouble to ensure that they never go back. How backwards has our society really gotten if they are doing the opposite? If these guys need a family and a set to claim, they have it. The logo and team name on their jerseys is the only family they should need. Last I checked, gangs don't pay millions of dollars to their members.

Plaxico Burress Is Going To Jail

Song of the moment: Akon's "Locked Up." How does it go again? Oh yeah, I remember.

"I'm lah-cked up, they won't let me out."

Former New York Giants Wide Receiver Plaxico Burress, who you may remember shot himself in the thigh last season at a nightclub on accident while illegally carrying a gun, has been indicted by a grand jury. He faces weapons charges and is looking at three and a half years in jail if convicted. Read the full story here.
He's likely to receive that sentence, too, being that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke out against him and even said that anything short of the maximum 3 1/2 years would be a "mockery of the law." That maximum sentence popped in his head rather quick, if you ask me. He rattled it off and said that he wanted the man to get it. Does anyone else think he's a little eager to send someone to jail (meanwhile everyone, including Roger Goodell, has little or nothing to say about Big Ben Roethlisberger)? Especially when you look at the fact that the guy shot himself and no one else suffered any type of injury, there was no mass mayhem in the club, no riots, no fires, no stray bullets? Another reason that I feel it's best to get paid for using your mind. As long as you're breaking a sweat to get paid, people look at you and more importantly, treat you something like a slave. A well-paid slave, but a slave nonetheless.
I hear the argument. "Someone could've been shot." This is a very accurate statement. Could have been. When's the last time someone got convicted of murder for shooting and missing? Like Katt Williams says, "Don't worry, I'll wait." That's what I thought. Considering that all the damage was done to the shooter and his career, I think probation or a minimal stint in prison would suffice. It is really something, the hypocrisy of the legal system and the NFL. Michael Vick gets 2 years and major suspensions for his role in a dogfighting ring. Plaxico is looking at 3 1/2 for shooting himself in a nightclub because he was not licensed to carry the gun. Donte Stallworth, however, KILLS a man while drunk driving and gets 15 days in jail? Stallworth paid a hefty sum to the victim's family. I'm sure Michael Vick would've paid a similarly-hefty sum to the shelter that got the surviving dogs he had mistreated. I'm also sure that Burress would have been ready and willing to drop some guap on the nightclub or hospital. Or his injured thigh, for that matter. The message from commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL, and our criminal justice system to the world is pretty clear: Kill somebody! Don't you dare injure yourself to the point that you're worthless to us or our franchises and for God's sake, you better not lay a finger on the dogs.

Trea-tease On the Death of Hip Hop

Notice that I called this a trea-tease (not a typo). I have a lot to say about this and will most likely break it into a series when I get done with the one that I am supposed to be working on. Why the teaser? It was inspired by this video:

Eat that watermelon, indeed. Some are asking if the video went too far. Instead, we should be asking if those who inspired the video have gone too far. Rappers (not MCs mind you) like Soulja Boy, who put both feet in their mouths every time they open them and make you wonder why such happily and blissfully ignorant fools are allowed to speak in public or at all. **Ignorance in and of itself is not so bad, we are all ignorant about something. However, speaking on and about things that we are ignorant about is my personal definition of stupidity. Furthermore, I would normally post a picture here but I wouldn't give this no-dancing, no-reading, couldn't-rap-if-he-tried idiot the pleasure of gracing my page. This concludes my interruption, now back on topic.** Of course, the video is narrated by my favorite rapper, Nas, who is pictured above. This is merely a snippet, so I won't get into the similarities between the minstrel show and the current state of hip hop at this moment, which were obviously addressed in the video. Similarities which were also addressed in rap group Little Brother's 2005 album, "The Minstrel Show." They shot a music video for the lead single, entitled "Lovin' It" off their album. BET refused to play this album because it was, and I quote, "too intelligent," according to an unnamed executive. Here's how I feel about BET, as addressed by Aaron McGruder.

Enough of that, just know that anyone who analyzes the images on television with and the words on the radio with their minds as they see/hear them already understands that artists are being "pimped." We'll say or do anything, without regards for the ramifications these things bring about for the entire community (and yes there are ramifications). It's the same thing with black actors. Wonder why they keep killing us at the beginning of these movies? Because there's always someone willing to take the job, that's why. Viewers protest, actors oblige. Same in hip hop. A few listeners protest, most rappers and fans oblige. We don't even realize that we're clowning ourselves for meager money while we make billions for corporate executives, many of whom would never allow their children - or anyone that they cared about - to exploit themselves in such a way. Why is hip hop dead? Ever seen the movie, "Ray?" The beauty of that movie is that it provides an in-depth look into the life of Ray Charles and the sources of inspiration for all of his music. Every song that he sings comes from a specific story from his childhood or his adult life. From his joys, pains, sorrows, and anguishes throughout his life - we got good music. Music that he sang because it was his truth, his experience. That gives it an authenticity that many of us in this generation have never known from music. Fans, listeners, and money came because people could relate to it and therefore supported it. Nowadays, it's backwards. We make music trying to come up with something catchy and simple (not to mention silly) that people will buy. Instead of telling our own stories and imparting the wisdom and lessons learned from our lives into inspirational and life-changing music, we desperately want to make a "hit." Every high school teenager you know is putting out (or has recently put out) a mixtape. Everybody thinks they can 'spit.' No one, however, is bringing anything new to the table. Instead, they make clone music that they hope will be a hit. Not because they've lived it, but because it sounds like something that went platinum and they're hoping to mimic the formula and the success. It's just like reality television. Very little of it is original, it is all derived from something else and adds merely a little twist. For instance, "Dancing With the Stars" begat the ill-fated "Skating With Celebrities." They don't even think enough of us to try and hide it anymore. That goes for both reality television and most of today's hip hop (so-called) music.

2. The stronghold that the mainstream media has on our culture, and our desires to be socially accepted at almost any cost

I know. It's been a long time coming. A really, really looooooooong time coming. In my first post, I said that I would do one of these everyday for a week until I had finished the 7 reasons I had cited (while acknowledging that there are more that exist) for the downward spiral that we are seeing in Generation Y and in our society as a whole. Things came up, stuff got pushed back. I apologize. Sorry. But I'm back on it now, so here we go.

The first reason was the absence of fatherhood. It ties directly into this one, because one part of the reason that we are "raised" by televisions is because parents aren't doing their jobs anymore. Many fathers aren't there in the first place, and many mothers work extra hard to provide for their children - who are left in front of the television all day. Mainstream media (TV, radio, internet, movies, etc.) directly affects us and how we think. Don't we all have people that we know who say things like "I know such and such is true, I saw it on TV!" People hear songs on the radio and think that the topics mainly discussed (money, cars, clothes, drugs, sex, and violence) are what hip-hop is all about (more on that at a later date). As the saying goes, "seeing is believing." I, for one, find it hard to believe what's on TV and what I see in actual life. Wonder why our culture is oversexed? What do they use to sell everything from records to clothes to phones to food products? Sex! Sex, sex, and more sex. It desensitizes us to the immoral and perverse. Plus, in the Black community, we see the same images of Blacks over and over again. Negative images that I believe send subliminal messages that carry sizable consequences. What do we see? We see the "hustler" (or "hustla" for the suffix protesters) that gets money by trafficking drugs to the community. This life is glamorized on all types of movies, songs (and the subsequent music videos), and television shows to the point that we have young men walking around who think they want to be this guy. The part normally left out is how the guy ends up living his life looking over his shoulder all the time, unable to trust anyone or actually enjoy the fruits of his "labor" (think Frank Lucas - his wife bought him a mink and he sat with the bigwigs to watch the Muhammad Ali fight which led to suspicions about his identity and next, his empire came crashing down and he was headed to do hard time). If not, they end up in prison for the rest of their lives. Worse yet, someone gets jealous of the money and popularity our dopeboy has received, and kills him. If either of the last two happens to anyone, that person is not living. Either you die, or you go to prison. Prison is no way to live. They sell these lies to us in such a smooth way, we've even started to believe them. Similarly, sex is promoted all over the media. Once again, they neglect to tell the whole story. Hot partner, sexy. Hot encounter, sexy. What's not sexy? How about syphillis, gonorrhea, herpes, chlamydia? Worse yet, what about HIV/AIDS? Teen pregnancy is not sexy, either. It's a really hard road - especially for someone who is still a child - to travel. No stable source of income, no education, and a young mouth to feed. Even more important, a child to raise without the benefit of life experience that provides the lessons and morals that we all should pass on to our children. Did I mention that it's not sexy? Ask any unmarried woman with a child who is trying to find a date. Not a booty call, mind you, but a date. Yeah. Thought so. You don't have to take my word for any of this. Ask Bristol Palin. Yes, the daughter of Sarah Palin who once said that she thought abstinence was 'unrealistic.' Now she's an advocate, speaker, and promoter, of abstinence. Having a baby is not fun because if you actually care about the life that you brought into the world, you have to put your life on hold. Very few friends stick by you during and after the pregnancy, either. Not fun. Not sexy. What of the fact that many women seem to be looking for "bad boys" these days that life is actually beginning to resemble the movies where the thug gets the girl? Criminals are glamorized and made to look incredibly "cool." Thugs, gangstas, drunks, weed-smokers - cool. Lack of discipline - cool. Lack of self-control - cool. Lack of integrity - cool. The negative effects of such images can be seen on the 10 o'clock news every night. Conversely, the smart and wholesome characters seen on mainstream media are usually shown to be uncool, unpopular, insecure, and lonely. It should soon begin to make sense that so many of us actually shun knowledge and learning - those girls never seem to get the guy or vice versa. Or if they do, it's because they "loosened up" and got drunk that night. Or they finally hit the blunt. Or some girl finally gave 'em some and now all of a sudden, their focus is completely on their social lives and any noble goals or focus goes out of the window. What do we expect from our generation, then? As is my custom, I have rap lyrics ready to prove my point. These particular lyrics are from Lupe Fiasco, on a song called "The Instrumental" which was featured on his first album, "Food and Liquor."

"He just sits, and listens to the people in the boxes
Everything he hears, he absorbs and adopts it
Anything not coming out the box, he blocks it
See he loves the box and hopes they never stop it
Anything the box tell him to do, he does it
Anything it tell him to get, he shops and he cops it..."

The point behind the title of this song is that those who control the images and messages transmitted in the "box" have taken away the voice of he who watches it, thus leaving only his instrumental. I've heard many Brothas from the Nation of Islam say about television, "They're telling lies to your vision." Farrakhan seems to have this one right, if you ask me. If acting and movies and music are all considered "art" and life is said to imitate art, then shouldn't producers, screenwriters, creators, actors, and others in the film and television industry as well as those in the music industry be more careful as to what they are willing to show? Better yet, who said that children should be raised by the media anyway? Isn't it time for parents to stand up and at least monitor and control what their kids can see? Here's the point. I wrote in an earlier post that the current trend of rap music that we hear on our radios relies on one constant: the continued oppression, stagnancy, and complacency of the Black community (the effects of which are beginning to spillover into society as a whole). If more women knew who they are, and that they aren't "hoes," they wouldn't dance to (or worse yet, buy and support) songs and artists that refer to them as such. If more young men really knew what it takes to empower and elevate one's self (knowledge, drive, education and integrity), less of us would fall privy to the dangers and allure of street life. More of us would be too busy investing, saving, or paying our bills to "make it rain". More of us would inhabit safe and prominent neighborhoods before, not after, driving a nice car. More of us would also father our children. Nearly everything that is depicted as cool or socially acceptable on television can and will lead to death and/or destruction. Crime, sex, greed, drugs, lack of intelligence/education, etc. They all lead to the prison yard or to the graveyard. Such is the point of the entire concept on which Lupe based his second album, "The Cool." The album follows Micheal Young History, a young guy who is seduced by The Streets and misled by The Game to be a drug dealer. He ends up poppin' tags and collars and whatnot, rides a nice whip, everybody knows who he is and he has a whole lot of money and women. Eventually, on a skit, a gunman runs up behind his driver's side window and shoots him while he is in his car. On the following song, "Put You On Game," Lupe embodies The Game, a personification of the allure of the glamorized lifestyles which in actuality lead to death or imprisonment, neither of which are glamorous.

"I am the safe haven for the rebel runaway and the resistor
The trusted mis-leader,
The number one defender,
And from a throne of their bones I rule,
These fools are my fuel
So I make them Cool
Baptize them in the water out of Scarface pool,
And feed 'em from the table that held Corleone's food,
If you die, tell them that you played my game
I hope your bullet holes become mouths that say my name,
'Cause I'm the... [gunshot]"

Can you see why I'm so excited that Lupe's gearing up to put out another album? If we ever plan to stand up and take our place as a respectable generation, we have to first reject what mainstream media tells us we should seek. We have to replace the destructive images with constructive ones. Replace ignorance, violence, drugs, alcohol, and sex with intelligence, peace, drive, discipline, and determination. Smart is the new gangsta. Articulate is the new sexy. I'll tell you what isn't sexy. That guy that wants to create children and not provide for them - not sexy. That girl who doesn't know her worth and flaunts her body as if she wishes to be passed around - not sexy. That guy or girl that does not realize who he/she is, what his/her talents are and what he/she wants to spend his/her life doing with them - not cool. The guy/girl that seeks validation from everyone and everywhere else except from within and above - not cool. We have to be the antithesis to what we see on television, to what we hear on the radio, and to much of what is seen on the internet. We cannot be living examples of it. In the Bible (John 10:10 to be exact), Satan's M.O. is described. "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy," it says. It would seem that the Devil is using television to do it. Unfortunately for Jesus, people don't read anymore. Only one word describes the message of the mainstream media - propaganda. We have to dismiss and reject the propaganda and create our own stories, define ourselves, and create our own futures and destinies instead of taking our cues from those in posh corporate offices who are more concerned with ratings and profits than they are about the social effects and by-products of their programming (take notice of the word -a very fitting one). Don't be programmed. Be the resistance.