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Cynique

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  1. Why does any woman of any color stay with a man who beats her? Some psychiatrists say certain women are masochists who enjoy the whole behavorial paradigm of pushing a man's buttons then suffering the retaliation of physical abuse. In the ghetto there's a school of thought that beating you is a sign a man really cares about you. There are all kinds of weird rationales for these co-dependant relationships. Some people even look upon violent domestic quarrels as a foreplay for hot sex. But the bottom line is that if a woman is not dysfunctional, she will not stay with a man who beats her. She will find a way to leave. What I also find significant is that football player, Ray Rice, has not incurred the wrath of everyone. Whoopi Goldberg has come to his defense, saying that it's a natural instinct to hit somebody back when they hit you, so women should not start fights they can't finish. Many men, in fact, claim they are the victims of domestic violence perpetrated by aggressive women. The lines re blurred Whatever. The longer I live, the more I am coming to the conclusion that there is the world as it is publically depicted and portrayed and articulated, - an overt society influenced by people with agendas and ulterior motives and ethical concerns. Then there is the real world. And the real world is made up of a lot of little worlds. People function in the spheres of their personal lives, doing pretty much whatever they can get away, adhering to their own codes. What goes on in private relationships is based on those involved adapting to each other. What they put up with differs from couple to couple, depending on how much they want to stay together, for whatever reason. Likewise, in the family circle how children and parents interact varies from group to group, impacted by the personalities of the individuals involved and how good they are at manipulating each other. In the corporate world, and political arena and international universe, leaders are jockeying for position, all with the goal of projecting the respectible facades that hide the power mongering rogues they really are in private. It's all about appearances; about the divide between illusion and actuality Obviously the culture of Homo Sapiens is chaotic and inconsistent, and the survival of the fittest does come into play. Men have been physically abusing women dating back to the days of cave men dragging their mates by the hair. Whether the female of the species decides to endure bouts of roughness depends on what's in it for her. Everything else is just hot air.
  2. This is a man who benefited from everything The System had to offer for poor black people and this included being raised on welfare and his reliance on affirmative action to get his education. Now he has forgotten his roots and turned into a conservative right wing darling of the Tea Party, critical of Blacks who don't "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" instead of depending on the government for everything. He is also among those calling for Obama's impeachment. I'll take a pass on him.
  3. LOL OK, Troy. Pioneer thinks we'll be at war with Russia by the end of the year. When do you predict all of these people who you say are not able to discern internet reality from fiction will suddenly flip and go on Twitter and rise up against the very technology that they are depending on to overthrow Big Brother?
  4. What is to be gained by America and Russia going to war, Pioneer? The personality clash between Putin and Obama is not serious enough for them to risk the apocalyptic consequences of a war. Or would Congress approve America becoming engaged in another war that is not in the national interest. And why would China want to got to war witih America when it profits greatly from lending this country money not to mention America being a main importer of its goods. All of this current bickering is just saber rattling. I disagree that The Soviet Union and the USA will be at war by year's end.
  5. What is it the Internet will do that will prevent meaningful social change? Is the Internet really omniscient? I think there is a public awareness of the disparity between how things are portrayed on the Internet facet of the media and how they actually exist in real life. The average person does not completely embrace what they encounter on line. Most folks do recognize the Internet for what it is: an entertaining pass time, a dispenser of news wherein one has to consider the source and - a notorious invader of privacy!. But apart from all these hazards that come with the territory of modern day civilization, people go about their daily existences, leading their personal lives in keeping with their own conveniences. They do what they have to do to get by and sometimes this involves the cyber-inspired avatar concept wherein people conceal their real personas in order to navigate in a superficial world. A world where Planet Earth rotates on its axis and orbits the sun and time passes on. But, assuming that disappointment does await those who think the media will facilitate social change, what is the alternate venue people should look to instigate social change? And what the heck is "social change"? Presumably social change is a change in how we interact socially. As our lifestyle evolves, what the Internet has spawned actually represents social change. So, in this instance, what is really being sought is a reversal of social change. I suspect that "political change" is a more apt term for this issue. And if the Internet is not the tool for bring this about, again what is the alternative? Returning to the old way of fighting racism and poverty and crime and unemployment and, above all, corporate piracy? And what is it that recommends this course of action? If the old ways worked, we wouldn't still be seeking reform. We are travelers in cyberspace. And, yes, greedy opportunisitc corporate America has become the FAA of computer airways . Who should replace these regulators? Is the sinister, ubiquitous Government a cure worse than the illness? Can a diverse population come together and slay Big Brother????? Who knows?
  6. The above comments were posted almost simultaneously with the chapters that Jeron provided from his books. My observations were in response to Jeron's posts about his experiences with Hue Man book store and various editors and agents.
  7. As authors it behooves us to keep our egos in check. We must take care to not fall in love with what we write and remember that we are not doing the public a favor by writing material for them to read. They are doing us a favor by reading what we write, so self indulgence is luxury we can't afford. Input from outsiders is important because we are not objective about our work. Friends and like-minded people are not always the best critics of what we write. Being able to take constructive criticism is necessary. All books can benefit from editing. Someimes "less is more". Unpublished authors should consider that extremly long books can be a deal breaker. As a reader, long rambling passages or dry expository text don't engross me. My taste in books runs toward what is concise and tight and - interesting. Toni Morrison says that reading should not be something that is easy, implying that it should be something that challenges. Who's going to dispute Toni? Easy for her to say because her name is what sells her books. Her audience knows what to expect when picking up one of her books. Fortunately for her fans, she is good at what she does.
  8. LOL. "It does not have to be that way", huh? No it wouldn't have to be that way if Jesus would listen to the prayers of his faithful black flock. Meanwhile, in "America, The Promised Land", free enterprise is efficiently operating, doing what Capitalism was established to do; exemplify the "greed is good" mantra. So, the rich get richer and everybody else is left to ponder how Democracy turned into a "life is not fair" proposition.
  9. Yes, a writer has, so to speak, "poetic license" to write about anything. But this is kind of in conflict with the cardinal rule for authors to write about what they know. The possibility that a white author may have to do research to write about black people somewhat disturbs me. He might equip himself to recreate the external conditions of being black but could he, as a privileged, entitled member of society get inside the head of a black person. True, certain emotions are universal and are thereby receptive to empathy but what constitutes the soul of a black person is innate and indigenous and not easily recognized or expressed by an outsider. (Many black people secretly long to be white but a white author would be treading a slippery slope to write about this.) Ironically when it comes to black people writing about white people, I am little more broad-minded because of the double consciousness black people maintain. I think Blacks are more qualified to write about Whites than vice versa because for centuries we have been observing white people, honing our instincts in order to know how to deal with them from an underdog position. Yet, a gifted white writer should be equal to the task. A regular one? Not so much. I always thought that white author, James Patterson was so eager to portray his Alex Cross character as a person first and an African American second that he bleached out Cross' identity. It was like Patterson thought there was something wrong with being a typical black man. But he means well. Walter Mosely's black detective, EZ Rawlins, is a more authentic character. I'm surprised that anyone as sophisticated as you would be so impressed with Tyler Perry. I give him his props for recognizing opportunities to capitalize off a certain audience. And I also give him credit for providing roles and work for black artists. But, to me, what he produces is trite not aesthetic. Which is not a sin, but not an asset either. What I like about him most, is how he rankles the ego of Spike Lee whose movies don't do as well as Tyler's.
  10. Well, there is a school of thought that all art is political. There's are theories about how the art of Leonardo DaVinci and his contemporaries was full of codes about religion and masonery. Many Hollywood producers in the 1940s and 50s supposedly injected inside homosexual jokes and hidden political messages in their movies. The western classic "High Noon" supposedly did this, with its anti-establishment undertones. Subliminal techniques have always been an effective tool in brainwashing movie and TV viewers whether it occurs in commercials or prime time content. I've often mused about whether all the amazing scientific special effects that re-create the universe and currently appear in documentaries about the cosmos aren't the output of humans remotely controlled by advanced aliens, preparing Earth for what the future holds... The information about little known black history is there for those who want to dig for it. Lately, white authors and publishers and film makers are the ones who have been doing the diggin, capitalizing off the telling of "our stories". Black people have always been consumers rather than manufacturers. In this case, we remain the audiences instead of the producers. Meanwhile, black directors tend to get caught up in the ego trip of being at the helm of white movies with white casts. Recently, a person who some might refer to as an airhead in the person of ex-supermodel and current TV producer, Tyra Banks, made the statement to the effect that before the end of the century, through a variety of circumstances, everybody will be moocha colored and race will be irrelevant. I have considered this idea myself. But I've never deceived myself into thinking that if everybody was the same color, all our dilemmas would disappear. Classism would, in all probability, complete the emerging trend of becoming the new racism.
  11. Everything has the potential to be lethal nowadays. Look at how all the automakers are constantly recalling models because they have defective parts that can and do cause fatal accidents, not to mention the danger involved in just driving a car in heavy traffic. Look at all the innocent bystanders killed by stray bullets, sometimes while they are in the privacy of their homes. Hospitals are actually hazardous to your health because they are hotbeds of air-born infections the many surgical and critically ill patients end up dying from rather than what it is they are being treated for. Drugs and alcohol continue to take their toll and STDs are rampant with new strains becoming resistant to anti-biotics, all of these afflictions making victims susceptible to deadly outcomes. Schools and workplaces and public venues can be targeted by dysfunctional misfits of society who spray them with the gunfire that results in mass murder. Airplanes can be shot down or hijacked at any time. The food we eat is dusted with noxious insecticides and fortified with harmful chemicals. The air we breathe is polluted. I could go on and on. What we think is safe, may not be. Poor black people smoke because they are stressed out. Death stalks poverty and racism.
  12. Liquor and cigarette ads were taken in stride. Drinking and smoking were considered cool, and mostly everybody did it, including me. There actually used to be ads claiming 1 out of every 3 doctors preferred Camel cigarettes. Famous athletes also endorsed cigarette brands. But, even back before the "black is beautiful" phase appeared, the ads for skin lighteners didn't meet with a lot of approval. Hair products alternated between hair straighteners and Afro enhancers as the popularity of each style rose and fell down through the years. Fads and fashions came and went, but the quest to exude sex appeal never vanished. When Musk oil first came out, it was all the rage because it really did turn men on. Later, wearing cologne became acceptable among guys and the sale of different brands really took off. Wearing earrings also grew in popularity among men about this time. Yes, back then Blacks were anxious to integrate the white landscape but, they were not entirely compromised. Along the way, the black mystique ended up capitvating white people who came to be impressed with the inimitable hipness and style of soul brothas and sistas.
  13. Unfortunately, Troy, it was during my generation that black resources became under utilized because the drive for integration was on and this meant forsaking what was “all-black” while eagerly embarking on incursions into the white world that was opening up for us. But there was one exception back then. During the infancy of TV and the absence of the Internet, the the print media was the home of literary and intellectual discussion. When it came to a black dialogue on these subjects a showcase was provided by a "Negro" counterpart of LIFE magazine that was relatively new to the field. This upstart publication was Ebony and it quickly became the flagship for black communication, providing a voice for all segments of the African American population which included the successors to the Harlem Renaissance crowd who always found an outlet for their output on the pages of Ebony. So Ebony has, indeed, earned its place among the paragons and pioneers of black journalism. Also worthy of note, is that the book by one of its editors, Lerone Bennett, entitled “Before the Mayflower” is a definitive study on slavery still used as a reference in many classrooms. And to this day, appearing on the cover of Ebony remains an honor and a privilege. As you discovered, Troy, copies of Ebony down through the years provide a pictorial as well as editorial record of black life in America. There was one particular series Ebony ran entitled “The White Problem in America“, a groundbreaking analysis of race that really dispelled many long held assumptions. Do you happen to have a copy of this issue? Incidentally, having been an inveterate contributor to the “letters-to-the-editor” feature of newspapers and magazines, I am proud to say that Ebony always printed letters I wrote to them back in the day.
  14. What is left after squeezing all the moisture out of the sponge of Egyptian skin color is a rhetorical why? Why is blackness despised shunned and denied? Why do great civilizations want any trace of it erased? Yet, Mongolian, Chinese and Japanese dynasties are give their just recognition? Even Mexican and Native Americans influences are acknowledged. But Blackness is dismissed. If aliens from Mars landed on Earth would they find Caucasians more appealing and attractive than Negroids? Europeans more appealing than Africans? Asians equally acceptable? Does the place blackness occupies in nature and the universe have anything to do with the negative vibes it is subjected to???? The dark continent seems to have been doomed from the beginning.
  15. I use FaceBook as much as it uses me. I take advantage of the captive audience and treat my wall like a blog. I editorialize on threads all the time and the good thing is that I feel no pressure to do this daily. Scrolling up and down Facebook Lane provides an opportunity to observe humanity in all of its pathetic glory. It can also serve as a mirror for doing this. Excuse me while I go post an old picture for "Throw Back Thursday".
  16. I enjoyed our exchanges, WC, and hope you won't make a stranger of yourself. Stick around! I think about writing a memoir from time to time. The only problem is that the most compelling experiences of my life would not be for public consumption.
  17. I'd be interested in hearing Troy's response. If you haven't already noticed, wc, I will tell you that this site is frequented almost exclusively by lurkers, many of whom are not writers but simply people who check in to check out the occasional comments on subjects of interest from harry brown and Troy and me. LOL True, it was once a lively place where many posters chimed in, arguing and adding their 2-cents to the dialogs about a variety of subjects. Currently there is very little input from the public, mostly because the discussion forum is not as popular as it once was. So. I don't anticipate that you will get much of a response to your idea here. Personally, I don't know. It might work if you can get writers to check their egos and come together and pool their resources. It should be noted, however, that the Internet, itself, has a lot of outlets where individuals can post a sample chapter of their book, including right here on this site.( Anybody with an inclination to read is probably on line.) And many authors just create their own web page for this purpose, while others are bloggers who will utilize that format to plug their books. But, - what do I know? Nothing beats a trial but a failure! And don't place a lot of weight on my reaction because my book writing days are over. I don't plan to pen any more novels, so I'm not looking for outlets.
  18. And the carnage continues. There doesn't seem to be any effective tactic to combat the gun violence being dispensed by the urban terrorists in the inner city neighborhoods of Chicago. The tragedy is that so many of the killings are random, incidents that end up with the shooting of innocent bystanders who just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or are they necessarily the acts of organized gang warfare or about drug trafficking. They're frequently about personal retaliations gone wrong, about somebody trying to get back at somebody else for a slight, or for attacking someone's homie or relative - cases of one individual taking aim at another individual, either of whom may just incidentally have gang affiliations. Hispanics are the exception to this, however. They have very structured gangs with notorious leaders and drug king pins who issue hits on rivals. These gun wielding young Blacks have been described as being very fatalistic about life on the mean streets, feeling that if they die, they die. It's like they have no souls or regard for the consequences of their actions. It's a given that a gun is standard equipment when settling "beefs". Yet, time and time again, families of the victims and victimizers describe these youths as "good kids", some of whom were attending high school and had positive plans for the future, not to mention being baby daddys. What are the circumstances that have culiminated in the present state of affairs in Chicago's ghettos? What has turned the west and south sides of the city into killing fields? Everybody says the breakdown of the family is responsible, citing the usual lament about fatherless kids and negligent mothers. And of course the lack of wholesome alternatives for aimless young boys, along with the scarcity of jobs. Everybody knows about this particular pitfall, but no one can figure out how to convince black females of child-bearing age to stop bringing children into this world that they cannot properly care for. A new mind-set has to be adopted. Shame has to be re-introduced into the ghetto subculture. Pregnancy among unmarried teens needs to be recognized for what it is. Not a badge of honor but a disgraceful liablity. Older single black females would also do well to curb multiple pregnancies by different fathers. These situations are not conducive to stable home lives and therein lies the problem. Garbage in, garbage out. Of course all of these familiar suggestions are easy to voice. Describing the situation is one thing. Eliminating it is another. We are dealing with the the flux and limbo of the human condition. Maybe the genocide flourishing in Chicago's black enclaves will just have to play itself out. Calling out the national guard, could create more problems than it would solve. Sometimes things have to get so bad that there's nothing left for them to do but to get better. And so it goes...
  19. In regard to your thoughts on escapism, wc. edwards, I earlier cited H.L. Menken's quote in regard to nobody every going broke underestimating the taste of the American public. I'd venture to say that escapism does not have to be a fantasy that represents a flight from reality; it can be a diversion that amounts to an extension of reality - be about familiar people, places, and things that the masses have things in common with, and about humorous situations or heartfelt dilemmas that common folk can empathize with. Art imitating life. Entrepreneurs long ago discovered the profit and advantages of giving the people what they want. When it comes to entertainment, giving people what they need instead of what they want is a slippery slope that can evolve into paternalism. There will always be the "art for the sake of art" crowd. They are the audience for serious writers whose reward will be the praise and acceptance of their peers. Earning a place in the annals of literary distinction as opposed to instant fame and fortune is also a reward. But don't discount the fact that it also takes a lot of skill to write comedy. Writing, like any other profession, is multifacted. Of course, the pen is mightier than the sword and anyone who does write with the noble intent of making the world a better place should, indeed, be encouraged and commended but it should also be kept in mind that laughter is one of the things that makes the world a better place. I grew up during the '40s and '50s before television hit the scene and because my mother worked for the local theater, I got in the show free and I went just about every time the features changed. I never paid any attention to directors but I did have an appreciation for the black and white film noir movies and screwball comedies and lavish technicolor musicals that comprised the golden age of Hollywood which I was privileged to be a spectator of. I was also lucky enough to see the pictures with all-black casts directed by Oscar Marcheaux that at one time were run on little off beat TV channels. At first, I thought these melodramas were painfully amateurish and it took me a while to put them in their proper perspective and appreciate their merit. I've never really considered myself qualified to critique directors but I've always been piqued by the quirkiness of Robert Altman and the outre of David Lynch and the whimsy of Woody Allen and the mischief of Alfred Hitchock. Black directors are surely good at what they do but, if I didn't know, I couldn't identify a movie directed by one of them on the basis that it bore the imprint of their style. From time to time, I catch a showing of Orson Welle's Citizen Kane, still gleaning it for what it is that reputedly qualifies it to be a directorial prototype. As a person of color, your experience has its own niche in the racial spectrum in this country. My black experience is slightly different from others. I grew up in a small midwestern town far away from the Jim Crow south, a pleasant little village that was interracial but not really integrated. The races co-existed, and Blacks were content to stay in their place and not rock the boat because we were comfortable in our own skins and did not need the validation that mingling with Whites would supposedly provide. Things gradually changed as the civil rights movement gained momentum, however. In retrospect, the one thing I am most grateful for was the excellent education that was available at the highly rated high school we Blacks were free to attend. The opportunity to take advantage of this was never denied the younger generation of Blacks in this town. When I went away to college to the Big 10 state school, once again my experience was unique. During the semesters I lived in one of the newly-integrated woman's residence halls, we small circle of black co-eds preferred to keep to ourselves, but curious white dorm mates sought us out, wanting to befriend us to the point of making nusiances of themselves. After a while we just gave in and all became one big happy family. The student body of this campus was made up from a cross section of cities and small towns and farms from all over the state of Illinois as well a sprinkling from other states. Needless to say, the education I got during my time at this diverse institution was not just from books. Being a part of this diverse environment broadened my experiences which were not always positive ones, but I learned a lot about people. BTW, I certainly agree with your take on greed. It is insidious. And it is not good.
  20. I read what you say, wc edwards, and I see a mind at work; one that questions and wonders. I observe how your creativity gives rise to originality. I am stimulated to consider and absorb the points you raise. I am not motivated to challenge anything you say which is rare for me. I think that's because we have managed to avoid the pitfall of ad hominem arguments. I discovered that I am pretty much an Existenialist. I didn't know it until I came across a definition of it. And I came across a definition of it while in my liberal arts mode of learning a little bit about a lot of things. When I said that whiteness did not represent what I valued in life, this is what I had in mind because you don't have to be white to be well read and conversant on a lot of subjects. To me, knowledge is king and is, indeed, power. It represents the gateway to wisdom, and unlike education you don't have to obtain it from the halls of academia. It's been said that there is nothing new under the sun and I am inclined to believe that the answers to all that we seek are right there in front of our eyes just waiting to be recognized. As for religion, I was merely paraphrasing Marx's reference to it being the opiate of the masses. People do need something to tranquilize them in the face of life's uncertainly and death's inevitability. They also need to be intimidated into controlling their inner lizards that can rear their ugly heads and strike out. Power-seeking leaders were shrewd enough to recognize this and exploit it in the name of a god they created in the image of man. The Nicene council waaay back when set out to do this - and succeeded, giving Christianity its strangle hold on the western world. Apparently, people also need something to cheer for - a team to identify with and root on. That's the explanation I come up with for the spontaneous explosion of enthusiasm for the USA's soccer team competing in the world cup tourney. This country is so desperate to be associated with a winner that its population went overboard for a sport that previously inspired yawns by the great majority of people. Naturally, the social media enabled this phenomenon by giving all the arm chair fans a forum for hash tags. Finally, I look at the low approval ratings for Obama, at how beleagured he is thanks to the success of Republican opposition that represents the true nature of white America and its attitude toward black men, and Obama earns my support by default. If the great majority of people are against him and these people come from all persuasions and are not actually in agreement with each other when it comes to other issues, then because Obama is pleasing nobody, he doing something right and the collective disapproval has nullified itself. Since the President is not acting in the interest of any group but following his own agenda, the country will stumble along on the path of Obama's good intentions and I really think that as flawed as he might be his intentions are not evil. He is in limbo, holding down the fort for a new leader and SHE will fall heir to this wrath as America's implosion from within gains momentum. The scenario of present day America is stranger than fiction and scarier. A parallel civilization watching a TV series or movie depicting life on the planet Earth would be mesmerized by what this world has become.
  21. My screen name "Cynique" is inspired by the word cynicism. I fancy my self an inconoclastic polemicist. I have always had a problem with maudlin sentimentality and a polly-anna approach to life. People accuse me of being negative but I call myself realistic. I don't promote the worst case scenario, but it is not ignored. Looking at the world through rose colored glasses is a perspective that invites disapppointment. I consider escapism a distraction. It is a refuge from the trials and tribulations of those who are not LUCKY enough to lead lives that are fulfilling. You have provided some engaging examples of thinking outside the box. Actually, thinking outside the box is a form of escapism for people like me. It calls for free thought. In my soul searching, I am not deluded but I am conflicted. The very metaphysical concepts I think have merit are the same ones that contradict my philosophy. Can thoughts be energized into things? Can thinking positive improve a dire situation? Sometimes. Sometimes not. Can visualization materialize through mind power? Maybe. Maybe not. When it's not degenerating into a charade, Life pretty much just happens. Humor does seem to be the saving grace. Laughter is good therapy. I am who I am through randomness. I do find it curious that when I ask myself if I wish I had been born white rather than black, I have no answer. What I wish for myself has nothing to do with race. Being white does not represent an ideal status in my outlook. Being black, when done right, is "cool." To me, religion in general, and Christianity in particular is the ultimate form of escapism. It comforts the faithful with the security blanket of a savior who knows best and promises a reward in the hereafter. I actually think it's a necesssasry "evil". People have to be kept within the boundaries of herds that are maintained through fear. Humanity can't be trusted to be humane.
  22. I can dig you wanting to maintain your privacy, wc edwards. People who want to share every aspect of their life and appearance, hang out on FaceBook, not discussion forums. Your book mobile idea has possibilities. But I wonder whether there is anything that will turn non readers into readers. I've always suspected that readers are born not made. Reading is a personality trait. All children are exposed to the stimuli of words in books but by 4th grade, the wheat is separated from the chaff. Some anthropologists have even suggested that there is an element, who if not taught to read, would teach themselves to do so. Those who can read, do; those who can't, don't. Those who can read with comprehension gravitate toward books; those who just recognize words, don't. The argument is made that the way to stimulate an interest in reading among young people is to supply them with matter to which they can relate. Hopefully that will be the gateway to reading books. But, just reading what you relate to does not expand your mind, it limits it. Curiosity about a broad specturm of subjects is what defines the good reader. And curiosity is also a personality trait. IMO I'm long past being in my mid-fifties and I am disillusioned about the future of the black underclass and its non reading kids. Its members seem trapped in a visual culture that perpetuates itself. What's troubling is that it's a "ratchet" culture that they revel in. They love the bling and the drama and the violence, and they breed indiscriminately. The fact that they are emulalting the cult of celebrity is even more discouraging. I've reached the point where I've given up. This world is beyond reform. It is evolving to a point where reform may be regression. My day has passed.
  23. LOL Well, wc, maybe my calling you an elitist was off the mark. But you are extraordinary. The average person certainly doesn't have the superior command of language that you do. And what makes this even more compelling is that your ability to express yourself enables you to articulate your opinions and what makes this compelling is that your opinions are worthy of note. Maybe I'm prejudiced because I mostly agree with what you say. Especially about hip-hop and rap. This community can't just be satisfied with being recognized as a legitimate culture and genre, it has become drunk with power and considers itself to be a lot more special than it really is. The hip hop/ rap crowd takes itself much too seriously. They ain't "all that". Appealing to the common taste is no great recommendation or achievement. The challenge of jazz is esoteric. I am curious about your age and the books you have written. Should I google your name or will you reveal more about yourself?
  24. Well, wc, I'm certainly not into Christianity or religion, myself, and would agree that much of it is a "cobbling together" of fables and myths. Which is why biblical charcters patterned after gods makes such good comic book superheroes. They lend themselves to simple morality stories where good triumphs over evil. Moreover, comic book dialogue is quick and simple and a painless way to introduce locked up black males to reading as a means of acquiring knowledge. These illustrated magazines could also serve as a gateway to books. The burgeoning popularity of animated movies seem to reinforce the idea that cartoons that don't tax their brains too much are a relaxing form of entertainment for the masses. As has been said, nobody would ever go broke underestimating the taste of the American public. I was a great fan of "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy but in retrospect when I view these movies on TV reruns, I find them a tad ludicrous. Why, I don't know. Golub was certainly amusing; false and trixy. When Boromir is playing out his death scene in the arms of Aragon, he pays homage to Aragon as his king and expresses a kinship with him as the leader who will save "our people". I always viewed that subliminal statement with a jaundiced eye. It was not so much the context of the story as it was in the life and times of the author, Tolkien. I am much more into "Game of Thrones" with its exquisitely evil villains and sensually-correct heroes and damsels. Who needs a wide-eyed Hobbit named Frodo when you can have a horny dwarf named Tyrion. Love was never truer than when it involves incestuous twins, leaders never more disposable than when they are indiscriminately slain, not to mention fire-breathing dragons with idle time on their hands, all of which contribute to the multi-faceted plot of this saga about power hungry people seeking to rule supreme. Life imitating art. I reviewed a book a couple of years ago entitled "The Savion Sequence" written by D. Amari Jackson. This book was reminiscent of Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" but with an Afro-centric slant. The whole premise of its story was that the original Egyptians were black. Now, if we could just convince the present day Arabs calling themselves Egyptians of this. Black people may not be esteemed but they are ubiquitous. I understand there are black Mexicans as well as black Koreans. These minorites are well-kept secrets existing under the radar in these countries, leading second class lives. Can we assume since the first humans were the Blacks of Mother Africa, and all the other races were mutations of the Negorid stock that, like rebellious children, have forsaken their parents, dismissing them as being out of touch... I don't guess I need to tell you that in the course of your stream of conscious dissertations you come across as conflicted about not only your racial indentity but your racial affinity. To call you an elitist would not be an insult in my book. But, as such, you do leave yourself open to frustration because the average person is not sophisticated enough to understand the dynamics of your angst or the importance of your goals.
  25. That's some deep expository shit you unleashed on us, w.c. edwards. Very articulate and informative. Certain references I could relate to. From childhood, my son has always been a fan of comic books, always fancied himself a comic book artist. He is now middle aged and still immersed in his affinity for this genre. Somewhere along his life's journey, he found religion and now has established his own small publishing company called Kingdom Comics, the banner under which he and a dedicated staff produce a biblical comic book series featuring superheroes on missions to stave off the apocalyptic forces of evil. Their demograph includes the incarcerated population that the prison ministries of churches focus on. There 's not a whole lot of profit to be realizied in this endeavor, but it is making inroads among the inmates languising behind bars, black males who have always been fodder for reading matter. This situation has the potential for a positive impact. Graphic novels and comic books can serve to enrich and stimulate the idle minds of these young black men wasting away in jails. Your theory about the motivation of escapist sci-fi and fantasy fiction was interesting. Conspiciously absent was no reference to the "Game of Thrones" phenomenon that is currently enthralling a large audience. This HBO series based on the books by the same name regularly frustrates its fans by killing off main characters. Its gratuitious sex and violence, however, might be construed as escapism. Recently a friend of mind was telling me that her late mother who would've been over a 100 years were she alive had said that she was descended from a segment of Blacks who came to America but rather than being from West Africa were Moors with an entirely different history. And no sooner had she mentioned this than another person I knew said the same thing about her forefathers. Who knew? Othello and his love for a white woman set a precedent for his countrymen transplanted in America. As someone who dabbles in writing, occasionally self-publishing a chick lit book here, a family saga book there, a paranormal tale elsewhere, I never expected fame or fortune or did I get it. But writers write. Readers read. If you're lucky you find your niche in the literary world.
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