In this very long blog … article… entry… or whatever you want to call it, I am going to show how Black people are called “Niggers” in this day and age.
So the other day, Im minding my own business, reading my twitter time line. When all of a sudden, I see different people talking about Common and Fox News and how Fox is the worst thing there ever was and they said all these mean/bad/untrue things about Common… yap yap yap. I was like damn, what happen? However, I didnt wanna know bad enough to actually go look for and read an article. Because, the people at fox news and their pundits always say something to get the people in an up roar. I thought it was just one of those moments.
Later on that day, I find out what the situation really is. Most of the “opinion” shows across fox news all felt some kind of way about Common performing a poem for children at the white house; due to some of the lyrics in his catalog of music. Painted a picture of him being just another rapper thug, who talks about violence and shooting police. I thought to myself “Foreals Player??”. At that moment I was also sure that there was footage of them going in the complete opposite direction with somebody…… I’d say white, but why go there? So I’ll say somebody one of those opinion givers actually likes or is friends with or something along those lines; who cares what color they are. Too bad I dont have the time or resources to go back in time and find said footage; make some long elaborate post about my views and how I feel about it, backed up by supporting video footage. But you know who does have the time and specializing in doing this to fox news? Jon Stewart.
Im friends with a lot of Black people (duh) and I see them take things like this and turn them into racial arguments often. From my point of view I think they are sometimes misguided. But not by much. The argument Jon makes here is that, the lyrics were taken out of context. Taken out of context to support and paint a negative image of President Obama (who happens to be a Black man… but thats still not my point). Which is where this argument should stay for the time being. Because thats exactly what is happening on a surface level. Fox is basically skewing Commons lyrics to push their own agenda. Which is not factual reporting. Its half assed, propaganda reporting to support your own agenda. To me, thats kinda what the news is, depending on what station youre watching and who runs it. Anyway… this story on the daily show continues:
Ooooooooh if we only had the tape….
I was watching this, like of course there’s a damn tape! Before that clip even finished, I said to myself… this isnt even surprising anymore, theres always a fuckin tape. The audacity these people at fox have is off the damn charts lol. From a certain view point, you almost have to respect it. But then at the same time its hard not to feel disrespected. Why disrespected? Because to say one thing, then months or years later, support something completely different; like I dont remember what youve said in the past NOR support those previous views, like it cant be looked up; makes me feel like you think Im a fucking idiot. Thats a total disregard for the intellectual fortitude of the viewers of your network. I dont watch fox news, so of course, Im not talking about me directly. BUT, if I was a viewer, then disrespect is certainly on the menu. Thats not cool man.
Anyway… this whole thing, I feel, was summed up nicely by Jon Stewart. Its completely silly and conjured up. Maybe it was a slow news day. Obama administration found and killed Bin Laden, which everybody agrees is a good thing. However, those who oppose this president, still dont want to see him in office; no matter what lol. There is an election coming up and fox news has a line up of republicans to support and push who, not only ARE NOT responsible for the killing of Bin Laden. But a lot of these people have less than stellar past (Im looking at you Newt!) or maybe are only hinting at running for president but know they wont really run because its not in their best financial interest (This means you Trump… and Palin). But these people still need to be pushed none the less. And since republican voters are clearly getting smarter these days; with (correct) information being easier to get to, through other means (not fox news), these days. Any little thing that will put a dent in the “I gave the direct order for Seals to go in and kill Bin Laden regardless of what the punk ass, lying ass Pakistanis had to say about it… like I said I would. Keeping YET ANOTHER campaign promise that I made. Yes I killed the person that knock down the towers. Oh and Americans LOVE revenge. Oh! And I watched it happen live to make sure it happen, like a real American would. And this all happen under my administration. President Barack Obama” armor needs to happen. Any little dent is needed at this point; from an overall, in the future, perspective.
But they are REALLLLY reaching with this whole Common thing.
Which brings me to my point, the one that is beneath the surface. Where race does play a part.
Not the whole Common being at the white house thing, but the THINGS THEY SAID and the words they used in describing this man and the situation. Painting a picture that makes him out to be vile, a mut, a nitwit, complete fraud; they tried to paint this man as an idiot and all kind of things, in attempt to discredit Common and his music and the work that he has done; so on and so forth. These things were actually said (I wont even talk about what Bill O’Reilly had to say. Well not really). But some how, this whole issue went from Common defending two people, who have murdered police officers; and Im positive it isnt that black and white. To a lot of vicious name calling.
This round of name calling and all the things they had to say about Common, is basically how Black people are called “Niggers” in this day and age. Im not saying that these people think all Black people are dumb niggers. But I am saying they are basically calling Common a dumb nigger in this instance and these are the tactics that “those people” use to call any other Black person who they dont like, a nigger lol. All the negative name calling and descriptions they used in talking about Common, in the past, was always followed by a Black man being called a Nigger, in some kind of way white people string together their insults lol. The words they used in describing this man, are all words used to describe a “Nigger” in the past and still till this very day.
They refer to Common as a person who is “less than” and is low form of human. Disgusting and unworthy of visiting The White House.
This is kind of like me not calling your mom a whore. But still referring to her as a vile, disgusting person; who also associates with pimps and has less morals than any good mother should have. Notice I didnt say anything about sex or money. However, if one were to keep on with this line of language and name calling, one might end this string of insults by saying “your moms a whore!” Because basically, thats where they are going with it and its not hard to see that.
Im not saying they are picking on Common because he is Black at all. Im saying they (the fox pundits) called him a dumb nigger all over fox news without actually using the word “Nigger” at all. They just gave a documented description of a “Nigger” from the perspective of an American Caucasian individual; when referring to Common. Thats what Im saying.
Do I believe that these people are racist? No, not really. Ill just side with the argument Im positive that they will make; There are Black people all over the network, how could they possibly be racist. They even interviewed a few when they talked about the Common situation. Fine. No problem.
But what really opened my eyes to what was beneath the surface of this situation was the reaction/emotion that followed on twitter. All of the Black twitterereesesesereses (and other races as well) out there had something to say and felt some kind of way about the language they used in describing Common. The same kind of way Black people usually feel about being called a nigger. The consensus was that the issue they brought up was dumb, but the language crossed the line. When else can “these people” cross the line.. When they call a Black person a nigger; or in this case, describe him as such, in any situation that is deemed negative by anyone who isnt Black.
I see this as yet another time that a made up issue is brought to the forefront to invoke emotion. The same kind of emotion Black people display when being called a nigger, that usually results in some kind of violence or display of aggressive emotion. That violence and emotion invoked that is also used against us when we are wrong for engaging in said violence or aggressive emotion, because we were called a name. Used against us to justify what is being said about us, the actions taken or the point of view that is attempting to be made.
While they didnt out right call Common or any one else a Nigger, the “emotion invoking” language that they used, did just that. While its not as bad as if they called him a Nigger out right; the back and forth is still there. There is news coverage across all the other news stations, when initially it was just fox news that constructed the issue and brought it to the forefront. Now it has spanned out several days. Now the people who were supposed to be the news reporters, are the news makers. Everybody is talking about them and what they have to say and what they are doing and yap yap yap. Which then makes the issue bigger than it is, just because more than just the fox pundits are talking about it. While no one other than fox is using the bad language to describe Common, their words are being repeated over and over and over again. Even by Jon Stewart. This doesnt make them bad people. Its news, they are reporting it; it would be dumb of them not to.
So now, not only are they getting pub on other major news networks… which is kinda like advertising (any press is good press). But they paint Common in such a bad light. Anybody who defends this man and or invites him any where; is made out to in line with such a dubious character; possibly share the same views; possibly be the same kind of person.
So while they cant out right use the same language they used to describe Common, as they would use to describe the first lady and the president for any reason. They can certainly present Common, a person that was invited BY the Obamas to the The White House as such. Implying that they (the Obamas) must, at the very least, condone what they are describing Common as. Which in turn, makes the Obamas look just as bad or the similar to the same kind of person they are making Common out to be. To who? The majority of cable news viewers.
Me personally though. A Black man. I really dont get upset when something happens and its Nigger this, Nigger that. Because in this day and age, if you dont let it invoke the emotions that “those people” are trying to get out of you. Not only do u block them from obtaining some kind of backwards moral high ground….. you know like, when somebody calls you a nigger, you end up whooping their ass, then all of a sudden youre wrong and going to jail. But it was THEM who called you a Nigger first… you wouldnt have even wanted to whoop this persons ass if they wouldnt have said that. You know when that happens? And how kicking a persons ass who calls you a name, is illegal no matter what (ask Kevin Garrnets “lynching” ass). Then youre wrong and the violator is a victim some how (because assault is illegal). You know what Im talking about? Yes, that backwards ass moral high ground. The one where the violator is wrong, but as the person who got called a nigger and did some ass kicking as a result; YOURE wronger in said situation.
If, as a Black person, you dont let being called a nigger, or the language and tone that Common was described with, bring some kind of emotion out of you; rather it be hurt, pissed, whatever. Then silly shit like this loses traction QUICKLY and becomes a non issue. Leaving you with the moral high ground you thought you had in the first place. But thats another blog entry. This one is long enough.
Do I think Black people will ever get to the point where unfortunate language gets to us? Nope. But, I also didnt think I’d see a Black President till I was like 70 or something. So who knows lol. But as long as we do, were putting money in the pockets of organizations like fox news. Making people like Sarah Palin and Donald Trump more popular, while simultaneously validating some (not all) of their views.
But at the same time, you cant just sit around and call any Black person a Nigger on the low and get away with it. We see you. We’re not going to let you. No matter which way we go about being upset about it. Its not ok no matter. Even if we call each other niggas all day long. Even if, one day we all decide to not be offended and just laugh. Its not ok.
Its also not OK to skew the news THAT hard. Damn! They didnt even try to present the whole argument lol. They stopped mid way through and made that out to be the whole song lol. Thats not OK. No matter who it is. Good thing the Daily show is still on the air. There is no way I could have recovered all that footage to make this super long point lol.