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This topic was spawned from a conversation where I argue against the popular narrative that Black women have Power as a result of their outsized use of Twitter. The treatment of Jones is yet another example of why I say excessive use of Twitter by Black women is not an example of power. Now Jack Dorsey (someone who actually has power), came to Leslie's defense. But Leslie is one celebrity. What about the countless other Black girls harassed on Twitter? Who is coming to their rescue or even thinking about defending them? I can tell you how many videos and pictures I've seen on Twitter making fun of Black women. But Leslie's problem did not start with Twitter... The first time I saw Leslie was at a Katt Williams concert, she was one of the opening acts. This must have been at least 10 years ago, I had not heard of Jones before Katt's concert, but I never forgot her because her routine was funnier than Katt Williams' that night. Leslie has talent. But it pains me to watch Leslie throw herself at white men who reject her with revulsion--just for laughs. Jones' line, "You want my number?" in the Allstate commercial will probably become a catchphrase. To me it just exaggerates the undesirability of Black woman. It is not funny to me at all. But of course white men find this funny, and that is all that matters. The reaction on Twitter is not the cause of the problem it is a reflection of it. White men control how we are portrayed. Reinforecing the hyper-sexuality of Black women is not only funny to them it is lucrative. Now I know Leslie has gained a lot of fame and fortune as a result of this. People will argue Jones is rich, and that is better than being a struggling comedian. Maybe it is, at least for Jones... I dunno. But I believe Leslie is happy with all of this, for she feeds into this persona herself as shown in a tweet from earlier today:

I don't find Leslie funny in general. She's unimpressive in any role other than that of a loud, animated, desperate black woman. Her persona is over the top and not that humorous. She's the antithesis of the cool, feminine Kerry Washington who represents the epitome of poise and intelligence in her role on the TV show "Scandal". Sadly, the only difference between these 2 characters is that Leslie is like the field nigga who Massa sneaks out to the slave quarters to be with and Kerry is like the house nigga servant and secret mistress of Massa. And so it goes...

It's really about trade-offs. Twitter profits from black traffic, but black posters are provided a forum that is free. It costs them nothing, while providing them with a vast audience for their views and promotions. All they're spending is their time. But, yes, it would be great if black women could create their own social media brand which would create jobs for other blacks..

Excellent responses! Exploiting Twitter to reach an audience is fine; owning Twitter is power. Why don't Black women start a new platform? They could reap the financial rewards of their efforts, create jobs for other Black people, and help promote the business of even more Black Entrepreneurs. Of course this has not happened, because Black women do not have the power to do this. They are only as powerful as the owners of Twitter allow them to be. Do you see the distinction I'm making? You see, Black women serve because of the largess of Twitter. Twitter could pull the plug on them tomorrow, but since Twitter Inc. is making so much money on the free labor Black women provide, there is no incentive for Twitter to do it; at least not today. There is also no incentive for Twitter to even hire a significant number of Black women. The company's employees are overwhelmingly white men--especially at the upper levels. But I'm sure no one is surprised by this... White men benefiting from the free labor of Black women, is this what "power" looks like to you? Also lets not confuse the popularity or success of a few Black women with power. In fact in video above Issa Rae, an internet sensation in her own right, asks if brands are aware of the force Black woman are, and Luvvie replies, "I hope they are." The answer should be obvious. They don't know because their names are not on the checks those brands are writing. I have my own opinion about Leslie Jones, but that is definitely worth a separate conversation.

Power is also about influence, and influence doesn't have to involve ownership. Power can be taking advantage of what is offered for public consumption and using it for your own purposes. There is power in numbers and owners are only as powerful as users and consumers make them, which is why invoking a boycott can be a form of power. Power is more than just a word; it's a dynamic. And of course in comes in degrees IMO Leslie Jones, is a SNL member who recently made her debut in the female re-make of "Ghost Busters". She also appears in a commercial for AllState, and is a former stand-up comedienne, whose alter ego was a loud, overbearing black woman which is also the type she usually plays on SNL The fact that she is tall, dark and husky, wears her hair in a spiky natural and is given to threatening scowls, has offended a certain segment of black women who don't like what they consider her stereotypical way of representing them. Anyway, after "Ghost Busters" came out, she was blitzed with a barrage of hateful racist insults via social media "courtesy" of white movie goers, which she admits hurt and demoralized her. When she took to twitter and answered her critics, a certain amount of power accrued to her and she was suddenly popping up on TV shows, stating her case to sympathetic hosts. No, she probably didn't defuse the hate but she took proud ownership of who and what she is and cashed in on a popular outlet to squash her detractors, earning widespread results in the process. In the old days, people used to stand on platforms to vent their grievances and sell their wares. They may not have owned the platforms but they made good use of them.

I'm always intrigued by the "power" that people have. This power creates opportunities for the individual and this is good for that person who has the ability to parlay the traffic and interest they have in their brand. It's definitely a market owned and dominated by Black women. This market is what created the hair care products like Cara B and Miss Jessie so Troy they are really powerful. Curly Nikki was able to parlay her social media presence into a best selling book and multiple opportunities for sponsorships. I don't think ownership of Twitter is the power play. I get that you are saying they aren't powerful, but I don't agree. Black women actually grow their presence online like no other group in the country. That makes them amazing and powerful. Now if they were able to launch their own Twitter I actually think they could build it, but like many issues with us, we simply don't place the creation of the technology in the forefront. But Black women are definitely powerful.