Cynique

@TroyYou assume i don't know about the hood and what's going on in the clubs. I don't live in a bubble because, unlike you, i've always been interested in learning a little bit about a lot of things and over the years i've been in circumstances to do this. i grew up in what was the black neighborhood of a white town that was a true cross section of the country at large. I associated with just as many rough kids as refined ones. i was never a snob because i had a taste for what was edgy. i worked at the Post Office for almost 30 years. So don't tell me i don't know about common black people. When my husband was away serving in the Air Force, i lived down the street from an American Legion hall, a raunchy little hole in the wall that couldn't have been more typical of nitty gritty black night life. Amid a bevy of circulating hoochie mamas, I'd sit at the bar smoking Pall Malls and let "down-to-earth" niggas buy me drinks and engage me in interesting conversations before i observed my curfew and made my way back home to my empty bed. Even to this day, i will occasionally venture out with my daughter to a hot spot, just to observe the scene. I've mentioned that i had a 22-year old grandson killed in a drive-by because he got too intrigued with the street life. i may have mentioned that i have another Porshe-driving grandson who is a music producer making big bucks supplying beats for rappers, as well as background music for commercials. One of my granddaughters just entered the University of Indiana on a scholarship. Another one, who is gay, works as a sheriff's deputy. i talk all the time about my ghetto, lil Wayne-loving grandson who keeps me abreast of what's going on in Baby Mama/Baby Daddy land.( And, yes, Pioneer, he's the one who introduced me to the word "thot".) And then there are my children: one son who is preacher, another who is a weed-smoking, book-reading working class stud, the youngest one a comic book publisher. There's my upwardly mobile account exec daughter, my adventurous older one who relies on Jesus to keep her safe. i also have a niece who is a TV anchor woman in Chicago, a nephew who was a feature editor of EBONY magazine. You name it. My life is full of diversity! ( And , yes, I also watch TMZ to get the lowdown on the entertainment scene, a program which enjoys the reputation of being very reliable in its sources and rumor debunking.) So don't blow me off as living in a bubble when you tune out everything about the music scene except what you want to believe. Before you started mansplaining this aspect, i said that music reflects what trending in the black clubs, stating further that artists pick up on this and transform it into music. That's what goes on in with rap music, which is just one venue in the spectrum of black music. You seem unable to get past the idea that just as the black community is not monolithic in its values and life style, neither is black music. Not every young black person is mesmerized by Rap. Many are able to like this music without living it. Rap is what it is. it's not going anywhere. And the millennial discretionary black and bi-racial children of the black middleclass will expediently follow in their parents' footsteps, while the black underclass will continue to enjoy themselves, twerking down at the club between dodging bullets. Get out of your bubble and deal with this. And oh, yes, there is currently a revival of natural hair styles trending in black culture. Is this something the white corporate world is dictating? Obviously you and i will never agree on Colin Kaepernick so it should come as no surprise that i reject your POV about him just as you dismiss mine. Back in the 1960s, the Vietnam war inspired anti-establishment protests by the counter-culture community of hippies, college students and white liberals, and a lot of this was provoked by the profiteering of the military industrial complex as well as American hegemony Bending the knee is about exposing the intrinsic racism in patriotism, a ubiquitous racism that exists in the slave trade of the NFL and NBA, as well as police brutality with its undertones of white supremacy. They're all a part of the same matrix. So there is a difference in what the bending the knee demonstration has ripped the lid off of. It's a black thing. And the great silent white majority can't abide niggas messin' with their beloved striped flag with its ugly checkered history. If nothing else emerges from demonstrations by those who 45 calls "sonofabitches', it will become clear that their lives don't matter, and black folks just have to learn to live with this, and sometimes die because of it.

I'm sure Colin or his advisor were in someway influenced by the practice of Martin Luther King and his cronies regularly bending a knee in protest against discrimination back in the 1950s

@Troy Are your daughters influenced by Nicki Minaj and Cardi B? None of the young women in my family are. Believe it or not there are millions of black women who can separate fantasy from reality. They can watch and enjoy these performers without emulating them in their day to day lives. Of course many others do, but they know how to be "thots" on their own. They're who the entertainers are emulating. This rhetoric that you and Pioneer are dispensing is the same ol-same ol people have been spouting since the 1980 videos with half naked booty-shakin background dancers. Everybody knows that record companies are manipulative and mostly concerned about their bottom lines But i still think black tastes are geared to rather than dictated by corporations, who just give fans what they already like and what is trending in black clubs. @Pioneer1Most young sistas don't relate to white "Becky's" like Taylor Swift because she just isn't their cup of tea.They, instead, prefer artists like Alicia Keyes and Rihanna and Jennifer Hudson, who represent a different genre and have huge followings. Furthermore, white Katie Perry and Miley Cyrus' performances and lyrics are very edgy, vulgar and anything but wholesome. Or, are black girls anymore corrupted than the white teen-aged girls texting nudies of themselves to their high school boyfriends. I don't know why an old lady like me has to remind you guys that this is 2017. BTW, Troy, no surprise that i don't think Colin Kaepernick's protest is a "fiasco". It has opened up a whole can of worms and ripped the lid off of white America's blind loyalty to a flag that is "exclusive" rather than "inclusive". Kaepernick's original protest against police brutality cannot be separated from all of the other issues that have arisen because they are all at the root of racism in a country whose flag does not represent justice and equality for all. Just ask Puerto Rico! The knee-bending is, of course, dividing the country, but it time for the boat to be rocked and for the chips to fall where they may. And what's so bad about the NFL being put on the hot seat? This organization where 90 percent of the players are black gladiators who have been bought, sold, and traded like chattel, - highly paid employees entertaining white spectators, but never allowed a stake in the ownership ranks. Neither the NFL or NBA deserve to be protected or exonerated. Well, this board is back to business as usual. Conflicting opinions.

What message is being sent by versatile super star Beyonce who wears many hats: entertainer, wife, mother, business woman? If you make fanciful videos portraying scantily-clad seductive women singing, dancing and interacting with guys, this will attract impressionable young fans who will buy your product and make you rich and famous? Or, - does she actually make girls want to present themselves as alluring skanks, bent on attracting members of the opposite sex? Or, - does she simply inspire young women to become the best that she can be at what they are good at, in the hopes of becoming a successful person? All of these answers probably apply. If you'd take a survey of black girls from all walks of life, a McDonalds fast food worker, a WalMart check-out associate, a college student, an upwardly mobile professional, they'd all most certainly would want to better themselves. Give them credit for that. I don't think they would say that Beyonce was their prime focus in achieving this goal, or that they admired her anymore than their beloved, hard working, church-goin, "Mother-dear" matriarchs. What i do think is that they'd all say that Bey's exciting performances bedazzle them and make her fun to watch! And sometimes "girls just wanna have fun". Yes, it's good for young sistas to have impeccable role models like first lady, Michelle Obama, TV producer, Shondra Rhymes, Tennis star, Serena Williams, and Congressswoman, Maxine Waters, but in this imperfect world, we all have our guilty pleasures. We all lapse into free-spirited naughtiness at times. Sexual harasser Bill O'Reilly is in no position to chide celebs about the messages they send. Vacillating Ebony K. Williams needs to do a better job at articulating her position on this subject.

i don't think Troy is narrow-minded. And everybody on this board is strongly opinionated. That's how we roll around here. Bottom line Troy is a decent, very intelligent personable good guy who doesn't have to answer to anybody. He's the HNIC of this forum.

@Troyi know nothing about percentages and statistics about black women, but when it comes to other particulars of the social media and the recording industry, i have a problem with you stating your beliefs as facts. You declare that FaceBook made politics worse then they previously were. You assert that music companies control black style, and you have decided that blacks have no culture. Who says all these things are true? Is anecdotal evidence a factor? You just throw these assertions out there as facts because they are your gospel. Corporate America is your nemesis, and you see everything through the lens of your experience with it. You can't get past this arbitrary mind-set that has not updated itself. Currently, black musical artists have more control over their careers and images. I don't think social media does distort people's politics more than, say, newspapers did before FaceBook came along. I think black folks do still have a unique, multi-faceted culture. You are like me when it comes to this country. I attribute most black problems to America's racism. People have difficulty in trying to change my mind about this because this notion is entrenched in my psyche. There are generalizations in regard to my accusations about America, but i brush them aside. You are the same way when it comes to corporate America. I'm too old to change. But there's still a chance for you to not be so controlled by the resentment against what you have made a scapegoat - a faceless entity about whom you drone a litany of offenses that you feel you don't have to back up with source and facts. Somewhere between your conclusions and my observations is the truth.

@Troy Here's another view. In the record business, there are still different genres for people with different tastes in music. It's not all Rap. Grammys and AMA and Soul Train and MTV awards present awards in many different categories And black female artist are not all Nikki Minaj skanks. Many are quite elegant. If you could bring yourself to watch any of the music award shows, you would see the wide variety of styles black entertainers are rockin. Nowadays established artists produce their own music and are even given their own labels by their parent companies. I say all of this to say that black performers create their own looks and the record companies trust them to do this, as long as they bring in the money. The culture is alive and well, still hip and still imitated by others.

What about all of the voter manipulation before FaceBook even came on the scene when people were influenced and manipulated by the empty campaign promises of devious candidates who either appeared in person at rallies or bought ad time on radio, print space in newspapers, and commercials on TV? What's naïve is to think that politics has ever been anything but a corrupt exercise in lies and deceptions and bribes and ignorance. Victory was always influenced by an electorate who voted their pocketbooks, or were rabidly partisan, and even those who voted against someone because of how they looked, not to mention what race or religion a candidate was. Plus, scandals have also been a staple in politics. If FaceBook were to disappear, tomorrow, there would be no drastic change in the shady political arena. It's no secret that FaceBook is all about giving people what they want, an idea whose time came, - one that filled a void that was already there waiting to captivate people who willingly patronized it. Not so much because they are duped but because are bored with their mundane lives. If visionaries were ingenious enough to come up with this innovative concept, and capitalize on its popularity, then that is the reward they reap in a competitive, capitalistic society that is a haven for monopolies. Every product is designed to appeal to the needs of its customers. My question is, if this is wrong, what would make it right? And it's not like millions of people aren't FaceBook fans, and millions of others spend limited time there.

So much for bending the knee...

@Troy I am not about "extolling the virtues" of FaceBook; which is why I referred to its "vapidity", and I never called it "great". Or have I ever implied that Facebook is anything other than just one of the many diversions I pursue on the Internet, including coming to this site, wasting my time imposing my views on others. And I do view FaceBook from different angles, which is why I said it is both "harmful" and "harmless". Plus, it's not a matter of me not wanting to see the DANGER of Facebook and its evil creator Darth Zuckerberg. I simply don't give a damn. Just being alive is dangerous nowadays. I'm too old to be fretting about 2084. I'll leave the brooding about FaceBook to you, since it seems to be your favorite preoccupation.

@Troy You say you have closely monitored face book but you don't sound like you have viewed it through objective eyes. In your one-sided observations, you have presented the worst case scenario in regard to your vested interests. For the majority of people, FaceBook is first and foremost a social forum. Or are its users as naïve and gullible as you think. They scroll down its board and pick and choose what they want to read. People soon get wise to the misleading head lines that don't live up to the hype and they are constantly advising each other in regard to fake news articles. FaceBook, itself, printed a list of the hashtags of unreliable news sources. Indeed, FaceBook is rife with skeptical people who doubt and pooh-pooh what is reported there. And users do have the option to stop receiving annoying notices that appear on their walls. "Delete" buttons are standard equipment on everything. Provocative memes are plentiful, and often humorous and on point. There are all kinds of quizzes you can take, and free photo-shopping for your pictures. There are a lot of food preparation and "cute" pet videos, as well as musical ones of old favorites. The discussions are lively and informative and trolls are easily spotted. Nobody forces you to look at the pictures people have posted of themselves or their children. Yes, FaceBook does bring out the worst in people who are stupid and vicious to begin with. But these types were around before FaceBook, and we'll always be around. And do you really think the Russians had to convince black people that racism exists, or tell white people that BLM are troublemakers? Do you actually think if it wasn't for the Russians, all of the "deplorable" bigots out there would have voted for Hillary? These allegation themselves are over blown. There was just as much good posted about Clinton as bad. People weren't interested in the truth; they voted their prejudices. Mel makes a good point about this when she said: "...94% black women still voted for HRC... So while trolls may fool fools, it isn't fool-proof. Trolls are like a virus - if you're immune-system is strong (i.e., mentally strong) you can't become infected. Only a weakened immune system will be infected." Social media is an amusement for me. And when I've had my fill of its vapidity, I click off and go to another site. There are millions of people out there like me who compartmentalize FaceBook. When it comes to its dire consequences, I think you are panicking like "Chicken Little" who thought the world was falling because an acorn fell from a tree and hit him on the head. In any case, you can't stem the tide of change. The future is fluid. This is the age of technology which is really just about enabling people to be more efficient at doing what they've always done and this includes exploiting each other. FaceBook is what it is, only as harmful or harmless as the people who go there. It is a mirror of life. Ubiquitous smart phones are more ominous. BTW, do you think Mark Zuckerberg who gives millions away to philanthropic causes, who has admitted to not being a good watchdog and is trying to correct FaceBook's flaws, is out to control the world?

No redeeming value in Cardi B's ode to herself, braggin' 'bout bling bought with tainted wealth, lookin for validation and hoping to impress, unable to conceal what caused her distress in the past life vows of a determined gonna-be filled with the dreams of a strivin wanna-be. No matter how much she repeats her chant, her hollow victory is a pathetic rant, a yearning to be crowed by fame when all that awaits is her turn in a game where playas win at being lame.

How many times do I have to explain that Colin Kaepernick's bending the knee is one tactic designed to call attention to a grievance?? His symbolic gesture exposed the American flag for not living up to its promise and, in rocking the boat, he made a great many people uncomfortable. I applaud his moral victory because it not only accomplished its aim, but it created a snowball effect that is ongoing. Furthermore, Colin's personal protest has no impact on other more conventional methods of challenging racism. More power to those who take another tack. I am never that optimistic about any black strategies bringing sweeping changes when it comes to race, but I derive a certain satisfaction from Kaepernick's shaking things up. (Mel's previous post offers great insight about the criticism he has garnered.) In your contempt for the media you overlook the symbiotic relationship between it and the individuals or groups who get ribbons of free publicity in exchange for the profits generated by the coverage of what they do. Are there really any losers in this exchange? Scratching each other's backs is the name of the game in the public sector. I don't have a problem with this because I do have the option of changing the channel when I get tired of sensationalized stories - as do most people. I make up my own mind about trending issues and I appreciate that the media supplies me with the information to do this. What is the alternative?

Colin Kaepernick has been a catalyst. His protest is just the tip of the iceberg and America is on tap for a meltdown. Why do I get the impression that you guys are frustrated by Colin's longevity, and you'll be disappointed if his symbolic gesture brings about change? Instead of acknowledging that his demonstration is one spoke in the wheel of protest, you continue to belittle him as if to say your ways are the only ways to prod progress . tsk-tsk.

"Black stupidity" aided and abetted by the white privilege that saturates this racist country. But keep clinging to your red, white, and blue security blanket as you croon that Star Spangled lullaby and drift off into dreamland...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I am unapologetic about loving this show. I don't feel an obligation to justify being entertained by it, or go into a long explanation as to why I, as usual, don't agree with your opinion.

I tend to agree that 45 does do what a lot of guys think about doing, but don't because they know they can't get away with it. Trump's not really a suave rich guy with class. He's a crude, pussy monger with money. A lot of misogynistic working class Joe Schmoes identify with this macho persona that goes with the territory of rejecting the propriety of political correctness. These types are Trump's people, along with the Evangelicals who brush his boorishness off as "boys-bein-boys" locker room behavior. But what could you expect from these religious zealots who believe women should subordinate themselves to their mates, and have even gone so far as to suggest that a woman impregnated by a rapist, must ask his permission for an abortion. Conversely, there have been studies where, when the female participants were guaranteed anonymity, they admitted to fantasizing about being raped by a handsome stranger. People indulge in a lot of fantasies, but most have enough self control to not act on them. That's what being civilized is all about. I know lately that I've come across as a old, shrewish iconoclast, but when you seek the truth what you encounter is not always palatable and you become disillusioned. I talk about America like a dog, but I also shake my head in disgust at those plantation blacks who make up the baby mama ghetto culture along with the Uncle Toms supporting Trump. These types, along with white supremacists, are straight out of the slavery playbook, - residue of this unspeakable travesty which used the bible to pacify the poor souls it kept in chains, not to mention the native Americans who had their country stolen from them. This is part of the legacy of that red, white, and blue flag that power hungry old men send young ones to fight and die for in senseless wars that have never kept the peace because they are about the hegemony of keeping the rich wealthy. I think I've lived too long. Hurry up winter and come and go so that I can see summer bring the final season of Game of Thrones. And then...

@Mel Hopkins Your remarks are spot on! @TroyThis "bend-the-knee" fall-out is a legitimate news story that doesn't die because it is so relevant. It doesn't have to be hyped because it automatically inspires attention by virtue of being about something near and dear to the hearts of most Americans. And the fact that everybody seems to have an opinion on it is an indication of how it strikes a nerve in the population. IMO, the reaction this gesture receives is like a litmus test for racism. If a white person refuses to consider that troops didn't die for the flag, but for the freedom the flag is supposed to represent then, such people reveal themselves as being intrinsically racist. Why? Because implicit in their position is the message that blacks should overlook how the flag does not represent justice and equality for all and that black grievances are secondary to white perceptions. This controversy is forcing people to take sides and the true nationalistic character of this country is emerging as it marches towards a fascistic state with a fuerher at its helm. It's really appropriate that this debate is taking place in the arena of professional sports, a place in keeping with the "us" against "them" mentality, that reflects America at its worst. You say all of this is of little importance to you. Yet, you bristle about the repercussions of social media and the monopolistic Google and Amazon being of little interest to others. Everybody is entitled to their priorities of course.

This situation is more than just an annoyance to those who don't have much use for the news media. It is an issue that has taken on dramatic, far reaching proportions and is making the country more divided than ever because it's not just about a game. It exposes everything that is problematic about amerika. The Trump supporters and their sympathizers put a totally different spin on the "bend-the-knee" gesture. They think it is disrespecting the flag that American troops have fought and died for. They cannot conceive of the idea that these military veterans fought for the right of American citizens to protest injustice. Not to mention that blacks fought in all of these wars and invariably returned home to a nation that had no problem maintaining the status quo of racism. America is schizoid. And, of course, there is that white element of the population who think these highly-paid black athletes should just shut up and do what their owners tell them to do. This is a sentiment sweeping the country, embodying those angry at troublemaking blacks for rocking the boat and demanding justice instead of revering the American rag and that ridiculous national anthem. It is also challenging the players to flex their muscles and throw their weight around in the 2 sports that they dominate and perpetuate. The NFL and NBA franchises are faced with the dilemma of placating their black players and pacifying their white fans, the latter being very attuned to Trump's racism and false patriotism. These protests are forcing teams to take a stand, risking a defection of black players who dominate these leagues and the white fans who fill the stands. A black boycott by the players would be devastating. Polls show the NFL viewing audience to be way down. All of this is not something to be lightly dismissed. It is a microcosm of the country and involves more than innocuous Tweets from an orange-hued dotard. (The NFL is also in jeopardy because of the growing evidence that the physical violence of this game takes on its players over time.) Not surprising, hockey franchises and nascar sponsors and their participants have sided with Trump. These overwhelmingly white teams and their fans are the stuff Trump supporters are made of, and their decision just broadens the racial gap in the political divide. America is being tested and examined. Because it is not the noble country it is cracked up to be, it is on a collision course with failure. Unfortunately, any attempt to remove Trump from office will trigger chaos.

@Delano I think you would do better and get more significant results if you would refrain from explaining what your goal is in conducting these tests. When you go into all of the convoluted details and why you are doing what you're doing, this can influence the reactions of the volunteers and inhibit their spontaneous response because there's always the possibility that the testees will tell you what they think you want to hear, or misunderstand your complicated motives and not have the right mind-set. Just give concise, arbitrary instructions and then analyze the results after the tests are completed and discuss them with the participants. You put things on my mind when stating your premise, and this filled me with pre-conceived notions. Of course if this experiment only involves physical responses and reflexes, then the dynamic might be different.

Well, a little perspective is called for here. Everybody has painful childhood memories inter-dispersed with the happy ones. That's all a part of the growing-up process. There is such a thing as constructive criticism. The alternative to this is to reinforce bad habits with silence. A balance has to be struck. Black folks should strive to be able to compete in the mainstream instead of setting themselves up for ridicule. This can be done without sacrificing their identity, and a dual consciousness is what the black mystique is all about.

...and maybe amerika and all of its turmoil, is just a piece of shit crawling with maggots.

I'm glad you guys, don't take me too seriously. If i taunted women like this, they would be at my throat. Because, - well, women take things differently than men... Generally.

To what do you guys attribute your incorrect word usage, grammatical errors, misspellings, garbled sentences, and typos, all of which frequently occur in your proof-read versions? Carelessness, ignorance, dyslexia or something else? I am deficient in computer technology and am not good at math.