Okay, I love Oprah to pieces but she has no business talking about things she knows nothing about: hip hop. I know she finds rap to be demeaning to women. She has claimed on more than one occasion that the problem with youth (black youth specifically) is the music and the videos (rap specifically). But, she’s completely inconsistent. First, she had that punk, Black-woman hating, shallow, arrogant, Louis Vuitton-pushing, materialistic, wanna-be pimp: Kanye West on her show. This manchild has nothing but half-whatever women in his videos. Never a classic Nubian African beauty in the midst. Weave abounds. Second, she has on Be-non-say on ever chance she gets. This girl has not shown her real hair since 1994. She weaves in blonde tresses like the rest of us speed down I-71---all the time. Beyoncé unwittingly belittles, mentally brutalizes and indoctrinates millions of girls everyday with her hypersexual dancing, hatred of kinky hair, and completely non-intellectual persona (her beloved Oprah asked her favorite book and she paused for like 10 seconds, the stupid girl couldn’t even come up with some pat answer like the Bible. Oprah saved her and moved on.). Third, she had on Puffy. He constantly put women on display as objects. I want consistency. Tons of things demean and degrade women. What about every makeover show Oprah has ever had? Message: you’re not good enough, wear better, more expensive clothes, get a weave (which invariable appear on the black female makeovers), and put on more make-up. What about every anorexic, bulimic pop- princess? What about the ridiculous magazines consumed with beauty tips and weight loss plans? What about the constant stream of money-worshiping reality shows of Mtv?
This 50+ woman does not know a thing about hip hop. She has one of the most positive rappers in the industry right in her own city of
How can she make any critical analysis of hip hop when she doesn’t know any of the details or the inter-workings of the music? It’s not that complicated, but, really doesn’t she sound like an old coot saying: “turn down that racket and put on some Billy Eckstein!” Plus, I’m the only one that can say anything negative about rap.
Admit you love the Pussycat Dolls as much as I do.
6 comments:
Now that was a mouthful.
I can definitely see your point of view on the whole matter. However, what bothers me more about Oprah is how she pats herself on the back so much while acting like she's not patting herself on the back.
Oh, and I also love the Pussycat Dolls. I absolutely love that Buttons song; and Snoop Dog makes it that much better.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.AND COMMON IS A GREAT RAPPER.YES OPRAH HAS DONE SOME GREAT THING BUT IM SPEECLESS I AGREE WITH YOU.
great post as always felicia. you make the other bloggers on here look so foolish
i do not think your blog is any greater than the rest. you just talk about deeper subjects. i do not think yours is best.
I don’t like rap. I don’t like rap. I don’t listen to rap but on rare occasions usually it’s social as I’m with people who do like it. Stereotypically, I should love rap. I’m a 26yr old black male.
I can’t tell you about the intricacies of rap or hip-hop either. However, I do know the general images is portrays to the public. Unfortunately the positive individuals are far few and in between. When you hang with negative individuals you can’t get upset when you get grouped in with them. As I said, I’m not into the intricacies entailed in hip-hop culture and such. Yet I live in one of the undisputed capitols of hip-hop, Atlanta. I’m surprised that you see Kanye West in a negative light; I was under the impression that he was one of the few bright spots. I recall a few years ago some of my friends were talking about Kanye West. I asked naively, “Who is Kanye West and why is everyone talking about him?” “You don’t know who Kanye West is?” was the reply. They were telling me how conscious this individual was and how revolutionary he was. I retorted, “I don’t know who Kanye West is, I know who Cornel West is?” There was silence, because my friends are also intellectuals and knew who I was talking about. I was given some credence for throwing that individual out there, like that. Now, a few years later, I’m hearing that Kanye isn’t as conscious as everyone said or thought.
I’m familiar with Common as with Kanye, Ice and Luda if not with their music. I’m grateful for the economic benefit they have blessed the community with. However, I’m still not a fan. I’m glad that they are starting to get their acts together and mature. However, a few years of good deeds does not erase a lifetime of misdeeds. The few good deeds of individuals do not negate the overall image or an enormously powerful music industry and specific genre.
Say what you will about Oprah Winfrey. I don’t watch her show anymore than I listen to rap music. Yet still, I would consider her a black leader and heroine. She is basically a self made black woman who has overcome the odds and obstacles. He companies haves benevolently blessed the African Diaspora. She has risen above a personality to becoming an actual brand! I have yet to hear that someone was influenced or encouraged to commit criminal act because of her this is not the case with the genre of rap.
Is Oprah perfect while the individuals of rap are imperfect? No, they are all imperfect as we all are. Could Oprah do more? Yes, as we all could do more.
However, in the finally tally, I have more admiration and respect for Oprah than I do most individuals of rap. He character, and influence speak for her everyday of the week around the world. When my grandmother died we had an inscription placed in her casket lining. It read, “May the work that I’ve done speak for me.” Can we say this about Oprah and she be would not wanting in the scales? Can we say this about the individuals of rap? Can we say this about ourselves?
First let me say that I think the topic of Oprah is a lose/lose situation. It's impossible to deny what she has accomplished no matter how much she gets on your nerves!
On the topic of hip hop/rap it is true that Cube, Common and Luda are hip hop icons and it is also true the Cube and Common don't get the love they should! But as the years pass and I see our race gradually decline, I find it hard not to make a direct link to ideal of the rapstar!
Our (black) youth are lost in this idea of the hustler. "Work the streets and cover your mouth with metal then you'll get respect". That all they have to do is learn to rap and then life will fall in place. That the cool thing is to be ignorant and reckless! There is no desire for education (the only power that is real)! Kanye saw that rap needed an advocate and he took that his niche', that does not mean that he is a black advocate!
As a lover of hip hop, it breaks my heart to see what its evil nemesis (rap) is doing to our mentality! I just want black people to stop lying to themselves when it comes to rap! Black people will defend some things out of shear spite! If we would stop and be honest for just a moment we would agree that rap has taken it too far and we as a people have fallen right into the stereotype it has set! Be honest now!
Post a Comment