Leaderboard

Bill Withers' music always gave me the impression he was a gentle "for the people," "all about love" type person. I don't know the details of his relationship with Denise, but anyone who abuses a woman probably doesn't have respect for females as a whole. I have a problem with that and putting that type of individual on a pedestal. You can't disrespect me or my gender for having weaker muscles and get my loyalty in some fan club. I'm reading Pearl Cleage’s book "Mad at Miles." The title came about because she stumbled across a Miles Davis interview where he bragged about slapping Cicely Tyson in the mouth and how she was afraid of him when they were married. Wasn’t the first time I heard it, but I was shocked when I did. Miles has always been touted in the black community and among jazz fans as if he was some “musical genius/hero.” I was shocked and offended that he found it comical to abuse a woman, and that his behavior seemed to be a well kept secret. My feel is if Miles doesn’t respect women, he gets no loyalty from me as a fan…I give credit where it’s due in him being a musician, but you will not hear me giving him accolades. I agree with Troy. If you're doing a bio on someone give me the good and bad so I can know who I'm fooling with. Pearl Cleage's book goes on to say how Bill Withers abused Denise Nicholas, David Ruffin abused Tammi Terrell, etc…Not to separate us as a people, but to ask the question: How can they hit us and still be our leaders, lovers, geniuses, and husbands? [James Brown should be added to the list for being both an activist AND abusing women]. To make good choices you have to know what you’re dealing with. Anything less slants reality.

Nothing propels me into Obama's corner more than criticism by racist, conservative white people or - self-serving black detractors. I no sooner finished wincing over the President's inappropriate behavior as he reluctantly offered congratulations to Green Bay Packers during the traditional white house visit earned by Super Bowl champs who undoubtedly hope to receive dignified non partisan congratulations from their commander and chief, as opposed to the petulance of the sore losing Chicago Bear fan Obama showed himself to be, - then along comes the dog and pony show comprised of Smiley and West edging me back to Obama's side. Like a stand-up comedy team, these 2 jack-offs go into their glib spiel showcasing their skills at articulating specious arguments in an attempt to expose Obama's vulnerabilites. Jesse Jackson must be proud. But, talk is cheap and, in this case, counter-productive. In spite of Cornel and Tavis making a great show of their past loyalty to Obama, it's clear that these 2 ego-trippin black men have always been secretly jealous of the brotha who became priesident because they both feel this was a position they were just as capable of being incapable at as Obama. This country is so screwed up nobody is going to be able to fix it. It will just end up unraveling and undergoing a make-over, wherein the United States will be history. Babylon. Rome. America.

Sounds like there’s some good reading going on! I’ve taken an eastern detour in my winter wonderland reading. I’m reading Out by Natuo Kirino. Set in current Japan in a seedy part of Tokyo involving 4 women working the night shift in a food factory. It’s a ridiculous murder mystery where the mystery isn’t whodunit but will they get away with it. Several fun twists. Seems I’ve gone back to my habit [i won’t say bad habit because it works for me ] of reading the ending to see who’s left so I know at least one of them got away but it’ll be interesting to see who doesn’t and what happens to the others. I’m out of touch with the literature they are teaching in schools now but I think if students could read stories from all over the world they’d recognize how much the same we all are. No good abusive husbands/skanky wives/long suffering wives/nosey neighbors/ungrateful children/crooks/sicko’s: all the same. Bigotry is the same too. Apparently after the war a lot of Japanese folks left Japan looking for work and ended up all over South America. Guess how their mixed offspring are treated when they go back to the ‘motherland’? Sigh. Thumper, I finished Gatsby. Not a fan. Everybody got on my nerves and I was glad when it ended. Crystal

I can't believe some of the things you said in your post, bunnie. In the first place, that "20 year" figure you randomly threw out there in an effort to dismiss the current disapproval of spousal abuse doesn't neutralize the issue. 20 years ago was 1990 and back then beating your wife was not something that was excused. You further seem to be saying that any abuse that occured during Bill and Denises' marriage, which was more like 35 years ago, was no big deal because it used to be was considered OK to beat up your wife. Oh really? You also make the statement that you're sure the documentary included what happened between Denise and Bill. But Troy, who saw the documentary, said this was not the case. That's what this whole post is all about! Like the others, you don't want to rock the boat. You want to silence those who raise legitimate concerns, because you apparently believe that ignoring the truth will make it go away. Puleeze. Certain of you keep saying that you don't care about his personal life because you like Withers' music. Me, I like his music, too, even as I recall that contrary to what the documentary wants viewers to believe, he was once married to Denise Nicholas.

Well since I prefer to think of my interest in the lives of the rich and famous as "curiosity" rather than "pathelogical" a term Xeon plays fast and loose with, I will ignore his patting himself on the back for wearing blinders. Considering how Withers' long marriage to his present wife was mentioned in this documentary, the door was open to examining his personal life, and the fact that his first marriage to Denise Nicholas is ignored is not only dishonest, but bad journalism. Certain things come with the territory of being a star. Everything unfavorable that the public knows about celebrities has been revealed in documentaries and bios but there are apparently those who take pride in sticking their heads in the sand when it comes to the truth, preferring to think of themselves as purists who only care about art. Puleeze. Any broad-minded person knows that having talent is not synonymous with being angelic, and people like myself can handle the duality of genius. Others prefer to sweep the truth under the rug. So be it.