T-Pain's Freaknik/Review

I was on the way to work when I heard Steve Harvey and his guests talking about T-Pain's new cartoon Freaknik the Musical. Steve was "none-to-happy" about the show. He, and many others that I've talked to, feel that the show is filled with too many negative stereotypes of African-Americans. The characters on the cartoon refer to woman as bitches and ho's. The n-word is used pervasively and there is excessive alcohol drinking and the use of marijuana all through out the episode. They make fun of several famous African-American leaders including but not limited to Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby, Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton. All of what I heard them say on the radio this morning made me want to see for myself how incredibly bad and offensive this cartoon MUST be. I just finished watching it and I do see exactly what they were talking about. I, however, do not hold the exact same sentiments I heard expressed on the Steve Harvey show this morning. I actually really liked the show and was entertained.

Amongst the minutia, I found an underling POSITIVE message being made in the show through satire and humor. There was the lesson of working hard towards a goal, not getting distracted by friends and other people, and how to receive help from those you may have nothing in common with. The cartoon also showed how the power of love can conquer many a foe. It was refreshing to see some intelligence being displayed under the veil of a vulgar and offensive cartoon as opposed to meaningless messages being distributed under the veil of REAL people shaking their asses, drinking from real pimp cups and making it rain in music videos. I'm not a fan of T-Pain on a regular day. I do think this cartoon is consistent with what T-Pain frequently portrays and is meant to entertain a certain demographic...in other words this cartoon is NOT for everybody.

Black people sometimes become embarrassed and or ashamed by what others will think of them when they are portrayed in a negative light. Some of us feel that as long as white folks don't see it, we can laugh and be entertained by a satirical situational comedy sketch, cartoon and/or movie. I know it's a thin line between being laughed with and being laughed at as Dave Chappelle reminded us when he ended his Chappelle Show. I believe that as a people, we are intelligent enough to know how to laugh at offensively funny things as long as when we're NOT laughing we're doing the work that needs to be done help our people become all we can be.

If you are not familiar with what Freaknik really was and how it actually ended, you could be left with certain misconceptions the cartoon didn't address at all. I was recently reminded (thanks Shay) that there was an increase in the reports of rapes and sexual assaults to women during the festival. The police and city officials could not ensure the safety of visitors to Freaknik.

I'm Thed Weller and I approve this message.

the Van Jones situation...

It's Sunday morning. I'm on twitter and begin to notice all of the chatter about Van Jones stepping down from his post as Green Jobs Czar. Here is the actual back and forth I had this morning on twitter which inspired this blog entry...

AroundHarlemRT @blogdiva: Van Jones is a casualty because ColorOfChange went after Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs. Think about that.about 4 hours ago from UberTwitter

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem & Van did it all on vid...who's fault is that? I'm not saying he should have quit...but I understand. Don't embarrass the presabout 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

AroundHarlem@thed_weezy Can't debate Van Jones in 140 but if 1 of America's basic principles is Freedom of Speech, why is anything any1 says a problem?about 4 hours ago from UberTwitter in reply to thed_weezy

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem i'm not sayin he "should've" have said it...i'm saying that there r positions where "we" have 2 b more careful than others...about 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem It ain't right, but it is what it is. Love u'r posts...it's my sunday paper:-)about 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem I'm sorry, "tweets" not "posts"...about 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

AroundHarlemThere's a lot of name calling on twitter this morning. Many are upset about Van Jones #p2about 4 hours ago from UberTwitter

AroundHarlem@thed_weezy Disagree.The days of #Blck people needing 2b careful r over. Its 2009. We hav a Black President aka Leader of the free world#p2about 4 hours ago from UberTwitter

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem Yeah...Skip Gates thought the same thing...they took his ass to jail all the same thoughabout 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem so if Brian Williams was found on tape saying, "I hate ni@@as." it's cool cause he's got free speech? Leave Beck alone then...about 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem Free speech works both ways...Glenn Beck is an idiot, but he's got free speech too...right? Unless he disses Obama?about 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem All i'm saying is that sometimes, there is a price for standing up for what you believe in and calling ppl ass holes...about 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem Just like there's a price for calling blk women "nappy headed hoes" or calling the pres a "racist that hates white ppl",right?about 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

AroundHarlem@thed_weezy I've NEVER mentioned Glenn Beck bc I dont hav a problem w/statement.Disagree but respect his right 2 say it.Free Speech 4 every1about 4 hours ago from UberTwitter

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem So you think it's wrong that he's losing sponsors left & right? you feel sorry for him just like you do Van Jones?about 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem Beck's the elephant in the room...he said some things that "cost" him & so did Van...about 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

AroundHarlemRT @thed_weezy So you think it's wrong that he's losing sponsors left & right? you feel sorry for him just like you do Van Jones?about 4 hours ago from UberTwitter

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem Over all, I wish ppl would allow for folks to change their minds. Quote me years ago & u'll find stuff i'm really sorry I saidabout 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

AroundHarlem@thed_weezy Beck losing sponsors is a business decision made by private corporations. Those decisions hav nothing 2 do w/Freedom of Speech.about 4 hours ago from UberTwitter in reply to thed_weezy

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem To err is human, to forgive...devine. The man said he was sorry and was doing something new he was good at...our loss indeedabout 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem Beck says stupid shit everyday, he was losing sponsors because of the petition that (I know I did) most of us signed...about 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

AroundHarlem@thed_weezy Glad there were not 2 many people who thought like u in the 50s & 60s. Otherwise I'd still be sitting in the back of the bus.about 4 hours ago from UberTwitter in reply to thed_weezy

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem How so? I'm all for change. I was front row with a yellow ticket back in Jan in DC! I'm down for the cause...about 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem Hell, i'm in Alabama where there are billboards of Rush Limbaugh up like he's a hero/i hate some stuff that is/but it still isabout 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem & what I KNOW is real in this country is that life ain't fair. Van Jones proved that there's NOT really free speech...about 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem But, that's the rule...it's not fair...but it is a rule. He broke it. That's an anti-civil rights train of thought? How so?about 4 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem Van J was honest, said what he thought, didn't care who heard or saw him, and it came back to bite him. Happens all the timeabout 3 hours ago from Tweed in reply to AroundHarlem

AroundHarlem@thed_weezy Down 4 the cause means supporting laws of the US. ur comments go against that.u approve of public pressure that go against laws.about 3 hours ago from UberTwitter in reply to thed_weezy

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem i don't approve public pressure, i'm simply acknowledging they exist...about 3 hours ago from web in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem I'm a school teacher, by law, if they found me publicly drunk this weekend, they could fire me. that ain't right, but it is..about 3 hours ago from web in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem in order to fight any battle you need to know the rules of engagement. be they fair or not.about 3 hours ago from web in reply to AroundHarlem

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem and US laws have a history of not ALWAYS being fair. they change all the time...hence the supreme court interpretations.about 3 hours ago from web in reply to AroundHarlem

AroundHarlemI got up too early. Going back to bed.about 3 hours ago from UberTwitter

thed_weezy@AroundHarlem sweet dreams;-) wishing you visions of sugar plums (or at least that Pinkberry breakfast)about 3 hours ago from web in reply to AroundHarlem

Van Jones knew (or maybe he didn't but he probably should have known) that when you speak publically, you should always make an attempt to be professional. In my humble opinion, calling the opposing party ass-holes is less than professional. He also knows that in this country, be it right or wrong, that identifiying ones self as a communist, can cause political problems. And, he knows that this country has a history of holding people of African descent to a different scale of accountablility than of the majority race.(If ANY presidential candidate had the credintials of Barack Obama, he would have been a shoe-in...period.)Because of his race, there was still a questioning of his ablility to govern. This isn't fair but it is how it is in the good ol U. S. of A. Just like I think that Skip Gates should have known that the quickest way to go to jail is to argue and get smart with the police. (I'm not saying that you should be arrested if your only crime is to argue and/or get smart with the police.)

Van Jones had a history of saying what he thought how ever he wanted and it came back to bite him. Just like Glenn Beck, and just like Don Imus. Free Speech goes both ways whether you like what is said or not.

I'm Thed Weller and I approve this message.

Incorrectly Political: Why MSNBC? Your True Colors?

Incorrectly Political: Why MSNBC? Your True Colors?

Why MSNBC? Your True Colors?

So, I love CNN but I am partial to MSNBC's programs. Morning Joe, The Rachael Maddow Show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Count Down with Kieth Olbermann and even Live with Carlos Watson are some of the programs I've come to know and love. I came to know many MSNBC personalities during last year's campaign season. But I've noticed a "trend" that is quite disturbing.

Weeks leading up to Dylan Ratigan's show (Morning Meeting) he was a regular on the network's a.m. staple Morning Joe promoting his new show. I started noticing new TV ads promoting MSNBC's new morning line up. They go something like this, "watch MSNBC all morning starting with Morning Joe and after that it's Morning Meeting with Dylan Ratigan and then it's Dr. Nancy, blah, blah, blah..." but absolutely NO mention of Live with Carlos Watson. I've seen MSNBC ads for every show from The Ed show to Andrea Mitchell's. There is not a Carlos Watson TV spot. I didn't even know he had a show until I lucked up on it by happenstance. I actually thought it may have been canceled with the addition of Morning Meeting, because the TV ads actually say, "watch Morning Meeting and then watch Dr. Nancy..." as if there is not Carlos Watson in between.

Why? Even the openly gay white Rachael Maddow (whom I adore) get's many kudos and promos. What gives MSNBC? I went to Carlos Watson's Wikipedia page and was impressed with what this guy has been a part of and has accomplished. He's the real deal!

I'm not calling MSNBC a "racist" network (we all know that FOX News works too hard to retain that title), but I am saying that the executives at MSNBC should be aware of how it looks when the only person of color to host an entire hour on it's network is the ONLY person that consistently gets NO promotion. When we know better we do better...& now you know.

I'm Thed Weller and I approve this message.