THE DEGENERATION OF America

I have long held the belief that America is Rome; an expansive powerful empire, with too much time on its hands that it began to cave to internal strife. While, this is an oversimplification of the many factors that led to the fall of Rome, I still feel it is an appropriate comparison. This is because I see America caving to stupid internal pressures which are threatening to destroy this country. Here are a few examples this week;

Rachel Ray Fiasco

What the hell is wrong with people? When did wearing an article of clothing that most of the world wears make one a terrorist. Did I miss something? This scarf that Rachel wears in the Dunkin Donuts commercial is worn by a lot of people in the world. They are an article of clothing; I mean for god sakes, terrorists wear kaftans, sandals, and shoes. Does that mean because I like to wear those same articles of clothing, that I support terrorism. Shame on America, but even larger shame on Dunkin Donuts, for been the spineless cowards they are catering to the stupid.

Parents and Teachers

Today, a teacher is in hot water because parents who chose to send a tape recorder with their child heard things that they did not approve. I am the first to believe that teachers should be role models. But what is wrong with parents that they would rather choose to send a tape recorder rather than go speak with the teacher. When did we as a society stop acting like responsible individuals, and feel it is much better to be cowards. If you have a problem with a teacher’s treatment of your bad child, speak to the teacher, or then speak to the administration, or then the school or the PTA, what is the point of these groups if you will not use them? You are not helping your child; you are bringing them up to be cowards. Cowardice is the first step to an ineffective democracy.

Political Pundits

When did the so-called political pundits become children? The reason you guys are pundits is because you are supposed to not only have the knowledge, but you are aware of the breadth of history. You are supposed to help foster the political debate, and not be talking monkeys for whatever political party you consult with. Furthermore, when did it become acceptable to attack people personally, rather than actually attack their arguments in order to disprove them? You are the reasons why we never know what political candidates stand for, or what effect their policies would have. This is because it is now all about who they associate with, and what gaffe they made.

The news media

The time has come for us to de-monopolize the news media. We no longer get news; we no longer get actual reporting, or these people doing what the article of free speech guarantees them to do. This is to be the watchdogs of the society at large. We just have new agencies that have rooting interests with political parties, and ideologies. They are too busy worrying about whom their CEO supports, and or what he will vote to shape their reporting. I am tired of Fox news been pro-republican. CNN is pro-democrat. I would mention MSNBC, but they are just annoying as they have both pro-republican and pro-democratic people on the same time, all you here is constant blather, and nothing ever is reported.

DENZEL WASHINGTON’S LEGACY

There is no doubt that Denzel Washington is one of the finest actors of my generation. In fact, there is very little doubt he is probably the most accomplished black actor of the same era. From winning the Oscar to pretty much every award that can be bestowed on an actor, he has set a legacy that cannot be denied or erased. That is until the apocalypse or the total erasure of this small blue planet.

Yet, despite this, one of the reasons I have chosen to meditate on this actor’s career is the fact that I have noticed that Denzel’s roles are for the most part the same. I am sure more articulate and sophisticated critics have pointed this fact out. But, a glimpse at his roles on IMDB¹ would show that Mr. Denzel has consistently chosen roles of the servant of the state. His most common role is a Police officer or a Military man.

The only major films of his where he does not play this role are: John Q, He Got Game, the Hurricane, and Malcolm X. Yet in two of those roles, Malcolm X, and He Got Game, you could make the argument that he still playing a variation of the servant of the state. As Malcolm was a servant of not only the Nation of Islam, but a servant of the African American state as Black Nationalism was Malcolm’s major goal. In the case of He got Game, he plays a convict who is still a servant of the state, as he is commissioned by the governor to convince his superstar son to play for his alma mater. Furthermore, his character must work within the rules of athletic recruiting apparatus.

So my question to the greatest Black actor of my time is, Why these roles? And what does the legacy of the roles he has chosen, impart to our community. I think the other two movies answer these questions for us. In the Hurricane, Mr. Carter a Boxer who clearly has been wronged by the state, still chooses to use the same state law apparatus to right his wrong. In John Q, his character, though revolutionary, still chooses to change the rules of the donor policy of the state.

For most people, this would seem benign, but for a black man, this is very intriguing in that Hollywood for a long time has not only been the face of America to the world, but it is very effective is shaping the views of the young black man. As the landmark Brown VS, Board of Education argued as one of its points, was the fact that what was wrong with separate but equal was the fact that it created an unequal self image in the mind of the black student. Therefore, equality is important not only in the physical sense but in the mental sense.

Any black historian would tell you that there has long been a war between two camps in the black community, the separatists and the Inclusionists. The separatists have longed believed that Black freedom, and Black equality can only be achieved through a separated black state. The Inclusionists, have longed believed this same freedom and equality can only be achieved by changing the state in which we live in. While, it would seem that the Inclusionists have all but won the war, as they have been responsible for the most change in black equality, especially if you consider the case I referenced earlier was a Supreme Court case. It was black people changing the state in which they lived in to include them as equal citizens. This battle is still fought today, especially in Hollywood images of Black Americans. Most black Hollywood movies either focus on a separate Black America; either as a family unit or a culture, or they focus on a Black American within the context of the General America. Even Denzel’s career highlights this; there is a stark contrast between Mo better Blues, and his other roles. As Mo Better Blues focuses on the separatist idea of Black America and Black Americans, and his other roles show him as an agent of the state. The Black man in General America.

It is no surprise that by far most of his roles have dealt with the latter, and I think that Denzel represents the symbol of the Inclusionists. I do not know if this has been done purposely or it is because most major roles for Black actors are Inclusionists roles, an artifact of the fact that the Inclusionists have been winning the war. It would be interesting to see if Hollywood images and major roles for Black actors would change. If we are going to see a shift in Hollywood, Where major roles for Black Actors will be in the separatist mode, and feature exclusively Black societies, and Black states. Would the American audience embrace it? Though this same American audience has embraced the Rap and Hip Pop cultures, and has pretty much made them the driving force in mainstream culture. If this shift occurs there is no doubt you will only have to look at the roles Mr. Denzel Washington plays to show that this is in fact true.

1. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000243/

Happy Bullday

Coming out of this winter, I wondered if it is time for me to become an NBA widower. Do not get me wrong, my favorite NBA team was not The Seattle Supersonics; a team with almost four decades of NBA history, and a rabid fan base, which were given the slip by Oklahoma City snake oil salesmen. Rather my team The Chicago bulls was even more depressing, we watched as Kevin McHale pretty much all but bought the Eastern Conference championship for his beloved Boston Celtics. Then we watched the greatest player of this generation get wooed, and of course John Paxson, the man who had spent all his time acquiring assets for this scenario, choose to be sheepish, and decided his collection of young players was better than a team led by Kobe Bryant.

Fast forward a few months later, The Baby Bulls had become veteran Bulls, and acquired their selfish, undisciplined, and overall bad which of course killed their coaches prompting this lengthened Coaching search, but also Cleveland’s pile of crap (Neck beard” Gooden, and “Offensive set Killer” Hughes) in exchange for his pile of crap (Malcontent and overrated” Wallace, and “Much older” Joe Smith). Meanwhile Kobe Bryant was coasting to the MVP, and a possible date in the Finals. The Bulls who were picked to contend for the Eastern Conference championship were now farther from a championship than in those Pink Floyd years.

But, I like to borrow a Theater term, “Deux Ex Machina”, of for the rest of us, “The God in the Machine”, A term that refers to when a play has not only an existing set of rules, but a perceived outcome, and a God descends, and completely shifts and or changes the dynamics of the characters, and the outcome of the play. Yesterday the basketball Gods descended on John Paxson’s pile of steaming poop, and gave the Chicago Bulls the number one pick, which most likely gives you the rights to MBeasy, or Derrick rose. Two players that not only change the fortunes of a young team, but can make this young team legitimate again.

So by all means Bulls fans celebrate, and dance the Jig, and realize you might have just gotten better without having to rely on John Paxson: a General Manager that gets too much credit because of the sad state of the franchise he took over, and has been giving a pass on his inability to use his properly acquired assets to actually effectively bring the Championship trophy back to its rightful home. While you will have all the lead up to the NBA draft to wonder if John Paxson will be able to rise to the occasion, or will his regime again bungle a worthwhile opportunity. It is too early to say, and or speculate. For now, it is a happy day, time to celebrate, and be merry, and hope the Gods have chosen to smile on your destined tragedy, and turn it into comedy with a very happy ending.