Here's The Infamous Facebook Survey-Is The Healthcare Debate A Proxy For Racism? For some....Yes!

Never let it be said that we do not call out racial animus when it arises. It's primitive and as Mr. Starks often opines, racism should be rightfully classified as a mental disorder. I suspect that there will be a blizzard in Hades before the American Psychiatric Association makes that determination. Heck, the APA deduced that gayness could not be categorized as a mental illness, so why the delay in the converse in regards to racism? If you haven't been seeking solace in Osama's cave for the last 24 hours, you might have heard that someone submitted an "assassination or healthcare" survey to Facebook in reference to President Obama. Incredible. Here's more on this frightening tale, courtesy of CNET.com:

Facebook removes 'Should Obama be killed?' poll


All human life is to be seen on Facebook. Which, for some, is not necessarily a good thing.

Facebook has removed a poll asking "Should Obama be killed?" But not before at least 730 people took part in the poll. The poll offered four potential answers to the question: "Yes", "No", "Maybe," and "If he cuts my health care."

The Plum Line, a Washington Post site, reports that the Secret Service has begun an investigation into who might have been behind such an imaginative exercise. It appears that a blog called the Political Carnival first noticed the poll and alerted the Secret Service over the weekend.

Facebook is increasingly becoming a popular forum for all kinds of hateful speech--from Holocaust Denial Groups to anti-Muslim organizations. Groups purporting to hate specific individuals have also found a home on Facebook, and the company has not found it easy to keep up with the amount of policing that is required to cover more than 300 million members.

However, this poll will represent for many an entirely new dimension in human dementia. It will be interesting to see how quickly the source is located and who that source might turn out to be.

Facebook's Barry Schnitt told me in an e-mail that while the site doesn't comment on actions against individual users, "penalties for posting content in violation of our policies range from warnings to temporarily or permanently disabling accounts." He also confirmed that the site is working with the Secret Service but couldn't provide any details of their investigation.

As to the source of the poll, he said: "The third-party application that enabled an individual user to create the offensive poll was brought to our attention this morning (Monday). It was immediately suspended while the inappropriate content could be removed by the developer and until such time as the developer institutes better procedures to monitor their user-generated content."

For Those Who Are Foolish Enough To Think We Practice Self Hatred As Opposed To Self-Determination-Check Out This Afronerd Flashback Circa 2007!

Keeping it cogent and succinct-it's not a theory that events such as last week's beating of a high school student in the Chicago metro area inadvertently brings glee to White Supremacist groups (gangs?). Here's a blast from the past from an entry I posted July 06, 2007 when I originally posted the above PSA on the blog....the "actor" in the commercial sent us a little email:


Well...I know He's not an Afronerd fan......but.....still something for the record books!
I'm pretty sure many of you have viewed the ominous video footage I posted a few days ago of White supremacist, Tom Metzger's PSA. Well guess what true believers? (shout out to Stan Lee) Metzger sent me an email! I checked it out and it is authentic. The blog, political bent and radio program are very real for Mr. Starks and myself. We have stated on numerous occasions that the implosions that are often being exhibited by lower tier communities of color are practically orgasmic to a White supremacist. Let's stop giving them that pleasure by endorsing self-deprecation, non-victimization and empowerment. Anyway, I'm sure one with racial belief's like Metzger's can not be reasoned with, but I suspect that you guys may want to check out the email:

From: WARMETZGER@aol.com
Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2007 09:39:40 EDT
Subject: Thanks
To: afronerdblog@yahoo.com
Thanks for running my public service announcement. Actually when that was made I had been out of the Klan 20 years. But since the Jews wanted to pay me such a big salary for making it I agreed. Actually they cut some of the best where I am waving a 44 revolver around.
For your information I had nothing to do with the killing of the Ethiopian in Portland or advocating it. I am sure you understand what a paid informant is. David Mazella was the star witness in that civil trial. He was paid a lot of money for several years by Morris Dee's of the SPLC for his perjury. If you can find any evidence of any violence that I or my family ever committed against a Black person bring it on.
I am a propagandist not a terrorist. Tom Metzger warmetzger@aol.com

Are we still going to believe that the Klan and others can't literally relax in lounge chairs and observe Black pathological behavior like one would look at a tennis match? Time to get real folks....shout out to the leftists who think otherwise. A penny for your thoughts-just make sure Jefferson Davis isn't on the coin! And for those who think Metzger isn't the real deal, click on the link for his resume:

Wiki does Metzger


So to our detractors....some have labeled this blog a Black supremacist site and others have said that we practice Black self-hatred. We're either "House Negroes" or race baiters-which is it? We can't be both. Perhaps we're culturally centered, straight talking men of color who speak the truth. When you speak the truth...no one respects you-just ask any whistleblower.

Nas writes an open letter to the young mutants, I mean young warriors in Chicago.

When is this lower tier pacifying, excuse making, absence of personal responsibility ish going to stop??
You can expect us to take this open letter apart and get into why some of what Nas says here IS part of the problem. Until then, tell us what you think, and also take a look at some random comments left by folks around the net.

"Dear Young Warriors fighting the wrong wars! Killing each other is definitely played out. Being hurt from the lost of a love one was never cool.

Dear Young Warriors fighting the wrong war! I know that feeling, that frustration with life and needing to take it out on someone, any one. But....

We chose the dumbest things to go the hardest for. I remember seeing deaths over 8 ball jackets, Fila sneakers, and name plate chains. Deaths over "he say, she say"!!!!! "I'm from this block or I'm from that block", or "my moms n pops is f*cked up now the whole world gotta pay"!!!

I remember feeling like I was the hardest "n*gga" breathing. And I couldn't wait to prove it. But let's think. What are we really proving?? And proving what to who?? Everybody knows Chicago breeds the strongest of the strong but I just feel, me, being ya brother from another state feels your pain as if I grew up with you in ya very own household.

You have the ability and mindpower to change they way we are looked at. Look who's watching us young warriors, look who's throwing us in jail constantly, look at the ignorance in the world. Look at the racist dogs who love to see us down. Loving to bury us in the ground or in jail where we continue this worthless war on one another.

Young warriors.... We are WASTING more and more time. We gotta get on our jobs and take over the world. Cuz this movie left the theaters years ago, Juice, Menace, Boys n the Hood , Blood n Blood Out, Belly!

When we see each other why do we see hatred? Why were we born in a storm, born soldiers, WARRIORS....and instead of building each other up we are at war with each other.. May the soul of this young person find peace with the almighty. I'm with you young warriors. You're me and I'm you. But trust me! you are fighting the wrong war."


Here are some random quotes:
"i think this is some bullshit!!.. they are saying that this kid was a honor roll student and he was walking home and got caught in the fight...
but you can see in the video that the dude was swinging on somebody when he got wacked with the board. he was out their fighting too. he was no innocent victim.
and why only sentence 3 teens?? about 20 stomped him. and life in jail for this shit??? it was a all out brawl. they should be doing no more than 5 years.
chicago losses again
thats 4 lives gone. and probably more because somebody snitched."

"some kids made a little memorial with bears and baloons and candles for the boy
.. and they burned it up.. smh this whole city is crazy the streets and the laws"

"everyone was out their fighting. why take 3 out of the whole group and take away their lives.
more than 3 people stomped him. and he was out their fighting to. so it should be self defense.
he got hiself into it"

Mr. Starks

Further Evidence That The Adage, "Nice Guys Finish Last" Might Possess A Kernel Of Truth-Wife Divorces Husband For Being "Too Nice!"

I really do not know what to believe when it comes to "reality" television. Based on the research that I have done, Divorce Court, which dates back more than fifty years, does appear to adjudicate on real life marital disputes. But I am also not naive to the fact that reality series oftentimes do rely on scripts, false premises and audience manipulation. In the case above, it's almost hard to believe that a woman would leave her husband for being too nice. After viewing this episode, I also came across an Afro.com op-ed that laments about the general state of marriage in the African-American community. The stats are abysmal and unless a cultural shift takes place, Black folks may be falling deeper into the precipice of failure and irrelevancy. Hopefully, the Obama marriage might serve as the catalyst that's needed to jump start the importance of promoting a cohesive and functional family structure in communities of color. Take a look at an excerpt from the Afro.com article for more evidentiary fodder:

Having a substantive conversation on the matter has been difficult, the longtime lawmaker said.

“Ever since the Moynihan Report, people didn’t want to talk about single-parent households,” Norton said. “That’s because, first of all, the Moynihan Report didn’t come out of us. And it came out just after the civil rights bills had passed and it made people angry because White America hadn’t taken responsibility for its huge part of what had torn the African-American community apart. So nobody wanted to hear it.”

The Moynihan Report, officially called, “The Negro Family: The Case For National Action” was a paper published in 1965 by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who would go on to become a U.S. senator.

“At the heart of the deterioration of the fabric of Negro society is the deterioration of the Negro family,” Moynihan said in the report.

According to Moynihan, an increasing number of single-mother, welfare-dependent homes and the matriarchal design of Black families diminished the male’s authority, one sign of a crumbling family structure. He predicted that “so long as this situation persists, the cycle of poverty and disadvantage will continue to repeat itself.”

Despite criticism of the report as racist and unfounded, Norton said Moynihan was “prescient.”

Rates of incarceration, drug use and trade, high school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, poor health outcomes and other social ills have increased, it seems, with the breakdown of Black families.

Statistics show that in 2008 only 34 percent of Black children lived in homes with two married parents and 3.7 million Black children live in single-mother homes with mothers who have never been married, more than any other demographic.

“If you think the Black nation can survive whole if only Black women are raising their children, I want you to show me how ,” Norton said.

For the Afro.com piece in its entirety, click on the link below:


CBC Examines State of Black Marriage


And for Part 2 of this Divorce Court episode, click here.

Back On Our Grind.....The Lower Tier Savagery Continues As The "Racism is the Answer" Argument Wears Thin-Chi-Town Student Dies!

Sure this blog is entitled Afronerd, but our faithful readers and radio listeners undoubtedly are aware that we touch on a myriad of issues beyond just pulp fiction fare. Perhaps the most consistent theme of the "straight talk" element of the blog entails the benign neglect of underclass pathological behavior by some within the African-American populace and their alleged leadership. One glaring note to grow on-Racial issues trump inner city violence on any day of the week. And as the above video shows, violence among urban youth is becoming so commonplace that there appears to be no controversy or urgency attached to these harrowing events. The aforementioned clip depicts a Chicago area teen being beaten to death by gang members because of his reported refusal to join their nefarious outfit. For further edification, check out this article, courtesy of UPI.com:

Teen's beating may have been gang related

CHICAGO, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- The family and friends of a Chicago teenager believe other teens beat him to death because he refused to join a gang, the family's pastor said.

Derrion Albert was attacked while walking to a bus stop about 3 p.m. Thursday, the Chicago Tribune reported.

"I think they tried to recruit him and he said no and he just tried to go home and they just jumped on him," the Rev. Victor Grandberry said.

Witnesses told police a group of teens punched and kicked the Fenger High School sophomore in a vacant lot. Some came to the boy's assistance. He was taken to Roseland Community Hospital about a block away from the attack and was then transferred to Christ Medical Center.

A camera on the wall of the Agape Community Center recorded some of the attack. At first there were about 10 boys but eventually there were 50. At least one brandished a piece of lumber.

And as an addendum to the above entry, let's hear the words of the mother of the victim. Her emotional outcries, albeit heart wrenching, are just too common as it pertains to these matters. How many more senseless deaths must occur before we start to speak truthfully about the enculturated pathologies that many folks are simply chalking up as the "collateral damage" expected in this vague urban "war."

New Afronerd Radio Broadcast Tonight at 7pm ET-Discussing VH-1's Hip Hop Honors 4 Def-Jam, Starks' TOS, The Upcoming Precious Film!

Greetings to all our faithful supporters (and detractors)! Don't forget that tonight at 7pm eastern, we have another eventful Afronerd Radio broadcast in which Mr. Starks and I will address the following topics: hip hop icon, KRS-1's recent comments (video, above) concerning Def-Jam's legacy; our thoughts concerning VH-1's upcoming Hip Hop Honors program (KRS-1 was on red carpet of that very event); my online discussion with commenters relating to Oprah, Tyler Perry and Lee Daniels film, Precious; Mr. Starks' Tales of Suspense segment and lastly, our opinion of the new HBCU (Historically Black College & Universities) themed video game, Black College Football Xperience: The Doug Williams Edition. Feel free to call in with your comments, questions and protestations at-646-915-9620 or via email/IM-afronerdradio@yahoo.com. See you in a few hours....and oh yeah-Imperius Rex, brethren!


Afronerd Radio's Week in Review


PS-and maybe, if time permits we can pontificate on a recent article theorizing that
Dr. Cosby might be coming out......as a conservative. Personal note to Dr. Cosby: Jump in, the water is warm!

And while you wait for the broadcast, taste some of this:

Some people still revere classic hip hop artists (even if they're not young folks of color), introducing Chuck D. & Z-trip-

Take a look at this upcoming videogame brought to you by Black owned developer Nerjyzed Entertainment, Inc: BCFx: The Doug Williams Edition

As I promised a few months ago, I plan on bringing more tech news, including gaming, in an ongoing segment within the blog. Here's a clip of an upcoming release that we will review in depth once we get our hands on a copy of the game. Lets just hope that as the first release from a new and Black owned company, it meets the demands of gamers.
Although I am curious about the actual gameplay, I already have concerns about the graphics. I'm a little disturbed by the character modeling, specifically how each character looks the same, there isn't even a complexion variation. Not very realistic, but I will hold off judgment until we get a hands on the game.
Check out the video clip for yourself...


Mr. Starks

Please Welcome A New Edition To the Afronerd Commenting Team-Daryll B. from the Comic Shoppe!

As always we sincerely try to make things simple and plain....again, we try. I thought it was time to add another commenter to our endeavors to essentially "shore up" the pop culture (dare I say "nerdic") element of our blog. Sure, we discuss politics, science and social issues but what about the pulp? Well, enter The Comic Shoppe's Daryll B. So without further ado, here's Mr. B's latest cyber opus:

Howdy Afronerd Blog Viewers! Allow me to introduce myself so you'll have someone to direct your venom to after you read this post. I am Daryll B., one of DBurt's sidekicks from the Comic Shoppe and this is what is raising my blood pressure in the land of fantasy at the moment:






So DC 'Entertainment' am I to assume that this 'event' called Blackest Night is your idea of a reboot for the whole universe now? I mean it isn't like you just had the JLA use unethical means to deal with villains who knew too much (Identity Crisis) which would shake the core foundations of Earth? Or like in Infinite Crisis, revisit and retell one of the greatest events ever (Crisis of Infinite Earths) only to undermine it with flimsy propositions (Superboy Prime's "time punches")?

Wait how about taking the 3 major heroes and have them inactive for a year and instead of telling stories spanning that entire year without them (52), you choose to jump all the books ahead 1 year with the exception of that book. Going even so far as to making the the one 'future' book you had (Legion of SuperHeroes) jump a year forward too and renaming it (Supergirl and the LoSH).

WAIT I got it, to clean up all this mess we'll have a "Countdown" to a "Final Crisis" which due to poor management and shipping, ruined one major story (Sinestro Corps War), focused on characters we hardly care about (Jimmy Olson), and set up a total botch of a main event (Final Crisis) in which you exiled one of the top three characters afterward (Superman), "killed" another for about 4 weeks (Batman) and left the last so messed up that you alienated casual fans (Wonder Woman). Along with the Pussification of your best alien baddie (Darkseid) and flubbing the lead into your next event of the year to "change everything" Blackest Night.

Yeah...they will handle this one right for sure. I have faith..*rolls eyes in disgust*







QUICK HITS

-So I had high hopes for Whiteout the Movie and what do I get? A 3rd rate wannabe "The Thing" knockoff. At least we got a shower scene....

-If you haven't gone to see "9" yet, what is keeping you?

-Did Marvel clone Norman Osborn or what? He is starting to rival Wolverine in most books appeared in while acting out of character.

-Speaking of Marvel, please for the love of god do not bring the f'n Punisher back to the big screen. Every one of these fans who beg you to do it are the same damn ones ripping you for it. Let it die already!!! Now you know what we need: a good Shang Chi or Iron Fist movie. Let's let the spandex / super hero stuff be contained with the Avengers franchise / X-Universe for now. You want to blow DC and Dark Horse out of the water? Gimme a good karate or kung fu action flick tied to your universe.

And no the Daredevil reboot doesn't f'n count if the include the Hand.....although I could see Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin again to shut all the haters up! (You know who you are.)




Recommended Book of the Week:

The Web #1 from DC Comics... I been holding out hope for DC with the Milestone Line and they gave me a Tangent limited series instead. So upon reading a review from Hannibal Tatu over at Comic Book Resources, I decided to give The Web a shot. Let me just say this, I don't know if Angela Robinson is the first sister to write for the big 2 but one thing is clear, she knows pacing and she knows how to set up suspense in my eyes. Mrs. Robinson, I wish you luck and hopefully editorial will give you the time to flesh out this story.

Like these points? Loathe these points? Think there is a comic or a subject I should touch on? You can e-mail DBurt here at Afronerd or reach me at orionben666@hotmail.com. If I think your view is interesting, I will totally give you credit within the blog but one thing if certain: all opinions are valid and important.

Thx for reading and of course, Keep Fantasizing!


Daryll B.

LL Cool J may be heading to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

LL is one of 12 nominees being considered for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This is a well deserved announcement since LL is the definition of longevity in HipHop. He has been a part of every era of HipHop and has stayed relevant.
LL is the G.O.A.T....If you disagree you better have a well prepared argument.

Here are the other nominees:
ABBA
The Chantels
Jimmy Cliff
Genesis
The Hollies
KISS
Darlene Love
Laura Nyro
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Stooges
Donna Summer

On another note, LL made his appearance on NCIS: Los Angeles last night to a reported audience of 18 million viewers helping CBS to its largest premiere week since 1993.

Damn Damn Damn...... Another Stereotypical Black Downtrodden Victimization Film? Thank You, Mr. Perry!

First, there's Oscar talk (allegedly) for Mariah Carey coming down the pike from numerous Hollywood critics. This would be an excellent redemptive story for "Mimi" considering her past mental health battles and her poor first cinematic outing, Glitter. Keeping this brief, I was unaware of this film as I am not really a supporter or part of the demography that is most attracted to Tyler Perry's films. Does anyone know about this film? I suspect it will be another hit for Perry (and Oprah as this appears to have been a collaborative effort) but the continued doling out of stereotypes can't be in our future for the 21st century.....can it?

Is This A Cryptid, An Alien or a Hoax?-Kids In Panama Kill An Alien Creature......I Think

What do our readers think?

Courtesy of Todaysthv.com:

Four teenagers in Panama claim they encountered a creature that was photographed, dead on a rock. It appears to have an animal-like head, but a strange body with skinny, human like arms.
Advertisement

Some say it's an alien while others say it's an animal that's never been seen before. The teens said the creature was alive when they found it and it started coming after them, so they threw rocks and sticks at it, killing it.

Zoologists in Panama said they're not sure what it is, but it appears to be a dead fetus of some kind. Darren Naish of ScienceBlogs.com says the creature is "very obviously" a sloth, though he has a difficult time explaining its hairless torso and head.

This Is Where The Dems Lose Me......Isn't A Monkey Reference Just A Monkey Reference Somtimes? The Curious Case of Roy Blunt!

Don't think that just because this blog possesses a conservative ("perhaps a better euphemism is a "straight talk" methodology) edge that I'm not willing to see what the other side thinks-hence my occasional cyber walk through the very progressive Huffington Post. Mr. Starks and I, to the chagrin of liberals and conservatives, have taken both political bents to task when certain media skirmishes do not "add up." Anyone who has listened to our radio broadcasts as of late should be keenly aware that we do think that some of the vitriol being foisted upon President Obama over his Health care initiatives has racial implications. The issue is some of the racial animus is somewhat ephemeral, so it becomes imperative that any rebuttal should have laser like level of accuracy. And as the title of this entry suggests, some Progressives are using widespread racist claims for a political advantage instead of calling out legitimate instances of bigotry.

Case in point-check out Huffington blogger, Bruce Wilson's take on a fake racial controversy stemming from a "monkey" allusion by Republican congressman, Roy Blunt. This is a case of liberal Whites not only believing in low expectations and accountability from people of color but also betting on our gullibility that any bestial analogy is an indictment against African-Americans. Instead of reviewing an excerpt, click on the link below for the article in its entirety and tell us your thoughts. As I said in an earlier post, let's not rush to judgment and assume everything relates to Black folks. Don't be a monkey's uncle...being a sentient darker hued human makes that assertion difficult-only in a racist's fantasy.

Roy Blunt (R-MO) Tells Racism-Tinged Monkey Joke at DC Conference


And while we're at it, take a look at another article that takes another look at the Obama critique equals racism theorem:

Outlook: Liberals and Racism

Check Out Tuesday's Comic Shoppe Radio Broadcast-7pm ET-Discussing Marvel's "Noir" Line, WB New Animation (Below...Shhh), Anti-Venom, Heroes 4 & More!

Join Daryll, Max and I as we attempt to shed some light on all things pulp during tomorrow's Comic Shoppe broadcast. Feel free to call in with your comments and/or disagreements at-646-200-0104 or via email/IM-thecomicshoppe@yahoo.com. The topics to be discussed are: the upcoming release of Warner's latest direct to DVD effort entitled Superman/Batman: Public Enemies; thoughts relating to Marvel's current "noir" interpolations of their characters-Spiderman, Luke Cage, Daredevil, etc; Anti-Venom get's a 3-part mini and it starts off with a bang to the head.....literally; Heroes and Big Bang Theory start new seasons this week; Marvel's Ultimate Alliance 2 video game has hit the street; the Kirby estate is suing in the same vein as the Seigel family and the Comic Shoppe team determine their favorite graphic novel reads from last week. And as always try to heed the words of our mantra-Be square, Be there and Be aware (it might just save your life)!

The Comic Shoppe's Week in Review

And for your further edification and entertainment, take a look at a performance by the London Souls during this past summer's Afro-Punk festival:


Find more videos like this on Afro-punk

Oh and I Forgot Our Mentor, Dr. Cosby's "About Our Children" Was Airing During The Afronerd Radio Broadcast......Here's a Clip!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

For more clips from Dr. Cosby's special townhall show, click on the link below:


About Our Children clips

More Fire! Tune In For Another Afronerd Radio Broadcast This Sun, At 7pm ET-Blog Topics, Starks' TOS, Whitney H, Death of Ghetto Fashion & More!

Well, we can't have a show without a discussion of the Kanye West-MTV Awards-Taylor Swift debacle or can we? No, it looks like we will pull out our "straight talk" microscope after all, to dissect that issue among others, tomorrow at 7pm eastern time. Set your clocks and join Mr. Starks and yours truly as we bring light to the following topics: why is it that certain ghetto fashion staples (do rags, earrings for men, backward baseball caps, etc) do not appear to have an expiration date? ; an alleged rape victim/Hofstra university student recants her story that she was molested by five Black and Brown males; reading some of our supporters/detractors comments on Afronerd; Mr. Starks' segment-Ironman's Tales of Suspense and in keeping with the "Afronerd" theme-conversations pertaining to gaming news. Feel free to call us live with your thoughts and comments at-646-915-9620 or via email/IM-afronerdradio@yahoo.com. Imperius Rex, folks!


Afronerd Radio's Week in Review

Eeew.......Lying About Rape? Not a Good Look....."Rape" Victim on Hofstra U's Campus Recants Story....

Shout Out to Mr. Starks.....didn't we say, "behind the scenes," that this might be a Freaks Come Out At Night moment? I really hate being right this many times....A topic to be discussed on Sunday's Afronerd radio show!


Here's the original story-




And now, here's the truth-

Hofstra University student recants rape story


HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Authorities in New York say the Hofstra University student who told police that she had been gang-raped by five men on campus has recanted her story.

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in a statement released late Wednesday that the 18-year-old told law enforcement officials that the sex was consensual.

Rice says Nassau County Judge Robert Bruno then dismissed the charges against four of the men and ordered their release.

The woman had accused the men, including a Hofstra student, of taking her cell phone at an on-campus nightclub and luring her into a dormitory men's room and sexually assaulting her early Sunday.

Four of them, Rondell Bedward, Jesus Ortiz, Kevin Taveras and Stalin Felipe, were arrested and arraigned on rape and other charges.

I'm Working Overtime but My Editorial is Coming Up in A Few.......More On Race & The Obama Administration

Finally! A reasoned discourse on the racial undercurrent in the age of Obama. My opinion in a few hours....

Weighing in on even MORE Minutia......Oprah Interviews Whitney Houston

When I first decided to approach this topic, I had intended to go into this long rant about the real Whitney Houston. Now make no mistake, I would never confuse her former paramour/spouse, Bobby Brown with being some sort of sepia-hued cherub, but are we to believe that she is an absolute innocent with no complicity in her failures? I don't think so. Keeping it simple, many of our most famous and honored celebrities possess representatives, publicists and dare I say, strategists that foster an image that usually is very far removed from the real person.

Remember what the public originally thought of Britney Spears and now think about her present day image. During Ms. Houston's 1984 debut, under the tutelage of record mogul, Clive Davis, we were all sold a bag of goods that the songstress not only came from an excellent musical and familial lineage (Cissy Houston, Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin) but was also essentially "the girl next door." As much as I admire Oprah Winfrey, her program at times allows women to mire in the pool of victimization, obfuscating any notions of being self-analytical or self-effacing. Perhaps this inability to promulgate an internal awareness is endemic to most groups that maintain a minority positioning in society. I'm not sure, but keeping it succinct, when has anyone trusted a crackhead? I hope for Ms. Houston's redemption and a successful reemergence, but her being honest about who she is and her personal responsibility (minus blaming anyone) is paramount if she is to move forward. Any thoughts, folks?

It ain't easy being Black....Even when you're White

I'm not really buying the previous story on descrimination and babies. But if you really want to know when the racism gene kicks in, it's around the age of the kids in this video.
And chicken pox is as bad as being Black?? DAMN!!!



Posted by Mr. Starks

You Know...I just Don't Have the Words or the Energy for This Right Now......Now The Baby's Are Racists?

It's late and I need time to really get into this one. Check this out for duration, courtesy of this week's Newsweek:

See Baby Discriminate

Kids as young as 6 months judge others based on skin color. What's a parent to do?


At the Children's Research Lab at the University of Texas, a database is kept on thousands of families in the Austin area who have volunteered to be available for scholarly research. In 2006 Birgitte Vittrup recruited from the database about a hundred families, all of whom were Caucasian with a child 5 to 7 years old.

The goal of Vittrup's study was to learn if typical children's videos with multicultural storylines have any beneficial effect on children's racial attitudes. Her first step was to give the children a Racial Attitude Measure, which asked such questions as:

How many White people are nice?
(Almost all) (A lot) (Some) (Not many) (None)

How many Black people are nice?
(Almost all) (A lot) (Some) (Not many) (None)

During the test, the descriptive adjective "nice" was replaced with more than 20 other adjectives, like "dishonest," "pretty," "curious," and "snobby."

Vittrup sent a third of the families home with multiculturally themed videos for a week, such as an episode of Sesame Street in which characters visit an African-American family's home, and an episode of Little Bill, where the entire neighborhood comes together to clean the local park.

In truth, Vittrup didn't expect that children's racial attitudes would change very much just from watching these videos. Prior research had shown that multicultural curricula in schools have far less impact than we intend them to—largely because the implicit message "We're all friends" is too vague for young children to understand that it refers to skin color.

Click on the link below for the remainder of this piece:

Even babies Discriminate: A NutureShock Excerpt


And then there's more:

Sexist Beatdown: Racist Babies Edition

Jackass: The Movie or is it Kanye? President Obama Weighs In!

Sometimes it really pains me to comment on matters that are steeped knee deep in minutia. And now an "off the cuff" (and off the record) remark by President Obama, even has our resident Commander-in-Chief weighing in on pop culture pabulum. And unfortunately, I find myself frustrated that a racial subtext enters in this matter as well. Anyone that reads this blog knows that we really try to use precision in our ability to decipher what is and is not racially centered but when a young White (and Blonde) ingenue is wronged in the public center by a Black male-unfettered and feigned White cultural outrage rears its ugly head. Was Kanye wrong? You better believe it.

But should this story exist beyond a 24 hour news cycle? No. This is when I become conscious of racial symbolism. I also grow weary of public meltdowns by high profile men of color that ultimately (and incorrectly) position Black males (Serena Williams, notwithstanding) in a generalized dysfunctional context.....again. So what am I saying? We have seen this crazy "dog and pony show" from Mr. West before and we will probably see it again, hopefully it will not result in a tragic ending....but I'm not taking bets.

And perhaps what is most tragic is the death of true musical talent and brilliance. This truly corporatized musical landscape allows for hacks like Kanye, Swift, Rihanna, T-Pain and Chris Brown (and perhaps the remaining five other artists) to pimp their substandard wares in the first place. This is not a generational complaint as I desire to hear new and different music everyday. Unfortunately, the marketplace is not allowing it. Meanwhile, while we wait for the next faux scandal, check out what young artistry (at another award show) used to sound like when instrumentation was the norm and the corporate takeover wasn't finalized yet....introducing a 20 something Mr. Stevland Hardaway Morris:

You Haven't Done Nothin' (Grammy 1975) stevie wonder
Uploaded by endicott85. - See the latest featured music videos.

And now, 30 plus years later, we are subjected to this:





Let's have a moratorium on the death of quality hip hop, soul, funk and our once high Black cultural standard....wow...

Next On The Comic Shoppe-First Marvel Now DC....Introducing DC Entertainment!, A Vampirella of Color?, Incredibles 2 & More! Tues at 7pm ET

Keeping it straight to the point-Join Dburt, Max and Daryll this Tuesday at 7pm eastern as they utilize their pop culture microscopes to analyze the following pulp fiction fare: you just heard about the Marvel/DC merger, so not to be outdone....enter the development of DC Entertainment; Vampirella gets a new look or rather a Second Coming.....sepia style: will we see an Incredibles sequel? Maybe...maybe not; a True Blood vs Vampire Diaries vs Buffy vs Twilight discourse; Tim Burton's 9 and our favorite pulp reads from the previous week. Feel free to give us a buzz with your thoughts and/or comments at-646-200-0104 or via email/IM-thecomicshoppe@yahoo.com. Excelsior, folks!

The Comic Shoppe's Week in Review

Let's Try To Talk & See What Happens.......A Very Special Letter to the Editor, Courtesy of Black Enterprise.

As promised, we had a pretty fiery Afronerd Radio broadcast last night, thanks to Mr. Starks' recitation of a letter he discovered while perusing the June issue of Black Enterprise. Under normal circumstances, I'm not for reasoning with persons who I perceive to possess a racial animus toward minorities but every once in awhile, I will volunteer to be a glutton for punishment. The letter in question, written by a Mr. J. Havell, essentially denotes his dismay with Black media's love affair with the Obama administration and their failure to sufficiently critique this nation's first POTUS of color. But let's take a look at the letter, courtesy of BE magazine:

Obama overdose.


AFTER REVIEWING THIS MONTH'S continued worship of President Obama I could not help but think how the nation would react to a magazine tided WHITE Enterprise or WHITE television network or WHITE appreciation month? With whites becoming a minority in our country and most mainstream sports being dominated by black athletes, does this make sense to help make division? Old excuses of white domination on TV or whatever has been long over. We are more mixed and more of a melting pot than ever. Please let us not forget that our president was raised by his WHITE mother and basically had a sperm donor from a typical dead-beat black father.


Are all of your issues going to be constantly praising our president? Or are you going to give him as much criticism as you would George Bush? Praise should be given when results are seen and criticism should be given to get results. Is BLACK ENTERPRISE going to continue the black media frenzy that seems to give the president a pass just because he is black? We all remember Mayor David Dinkins of New York and what a terrible job he did. It is horrifying to think of history repeating itself. I'm just curious and concerned.

J. Havell

The letter (IMO) possess the typical non sequiturs, racial paranoia and inaccuracies but I did send a letter to Mr. Havell inviting him to air his views on a future Afronerd broadcast. Perhaps he will partake in a respectful conversation allowing him the courtesy of clarification and completion. Will he admit to the inaccuracies and tribal allusions? Let's wait and see.....

An Early Display of Lower Tier vs Upper Tier, Courtesy of Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect Show!

I finally found this episode of Bill Maher's first foray into the celebrity versus politico talkfest, Politically Incorrect. All I have to say is....Thank God for Youtube! This episode, which I believe aired sometime before or after 911, was perhaps my first televised encounter with the lower tier vs upper tier paradox. It was also the first time I saw Vivica A. Fox in a less than glamorous position-she essentially revealed herself to be a ghettocentric individual. The gracious and beautiful Republican strategist Amy Holmes also made an appearance during this broadcast and at the time of this episode's airing, I couldn't quite understand why Fox displayed such a cold demeanor toward Holmes. What exactly am I talking about? Check out how Ms. Fox admonishes Holmes at approx. the 5:12 mark. This brief exchange encapsulates pre Black authenticity and pseudo tribal loyalty questions that are levied against independent minded people of color to this day. A penny for your thoughts...

New Afronerd Radio Broadcast-Sunday at 7pm ET-The Trend of Disrespecting Our POTUS; Recent Comments From Wanda (Jamie Foxx), Starks' TOS & More!

Well it's that time again and in the immortal words of Johnny Storm...."Flame on!" because this upcoming Afronerd Radio broadcast promises to be a truly fiery experience. Join Mr. Starks and yours truly as we bring straight forward analysis to the following topics: Are we seeing racism rearing its ugly head as President Obama attempts to speak to our country's collective student body?; Mr. Starks returns with a few harrowing tales courtesy of his Tales of Suspense segment; more on the state of Black radio thanks to recent comments made by Jamie Foxx (via his XM-Sirius imprint-Foxhole Radio); the preponderance of makeshift memorials in lower tier communities for fallen criminal alleged soldiers and lastly, more insipid Black authenticity (or the lack thereof) questions being levied against President Obama. So set your clocks for this Sunday at 7pm (eastern) and give us a call with your comments/questions at: 646-915-9620 or via IM/email-afronerdradio@yahoo.com. See you guys (and gals) tomorrow!


Afronerd Radio's Week in Review

The Comic Shoppe's Back 2 School Broadcast-Tues at 7pm ET-Supes New Suit at Smallville, Pixar + Marvel=?, Lobo Movie & More!

I hope all is well and that our faithful readers enjoyed their holiday break but it's back to business (or school or both) this Tuesday for The Comic Shoppe. Stop by tomorrow at 7pm ET as Daryll, Max and yours truly discuss the following pulp related news items: it appears that UK's finest-director Guy Ritchie (RocknRolla, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch) has been tapped to direct DC's resident version of Wolverine, Lobo; Smallville's Tom Welling has finally consented to wearing the cape this season....sort of; in the aftermath of the Disney/Marvel merger, talks between Pixar and the House of Ideas have also taken place; photos from the set of Seth Rogan's Green Hornet have just reached the net; reading comics courtesy of your PSP is forthcoming; Marvel's acquisition of Marvelman and our favorite graphic novel reads from last week. Don't forget to drop us a line via our live call in number-646-200-0104 or try IM'ing The Comic Shoppe team at-thecomicshoppe@yahoo.com. And remember make mine Marvel....ahem, I mean Disney!

The Comic Shoppe's Week in Review

No One can Say That Dr. Cosby Doesn't Walk the Walk......Literally! Cosby's Door to Door Education Pitch in Detroit

There's no need for my editorializing this matter. Dr. Cosby and a whole host of other "straight talkers" definitely inspired the creation of this blog and companion radio show, so without further ado...here's an excerpt from the Freep.com piece encapsulating Cosby's latest effort in promoting the need for people of color to seek educational opportunities:

Bill Cosby set to promote education in Detroit


Speaking with Detroit Public Schools students and media, comedian turned education advocate Bill Cosby said his trip to Detroit today is an attempt to bring attention to the importance of public education.


Cosby is taking part in DPS’ “I’m In” enrollment campaign designed to retain students in the school district that is facing an economic crisis due partly to a historic decline in enrollment over the past decade.

“I might say something that people may believe and bring their children back,” to school, Cosby said.

Cosby plans to accompany Robert Bobb, the district’s emergency financial manager, to knock on parents’ doors to ask them to ensure that their children attend school. The neighborhood walk is expected to begin at 5 p.m. today at the corner of Pembroke and Chapel on the west side. Cosby will speak at Henry Ford High School at about 7 p.m.

Bobb said the district’s most serious problems are getting everyone to do “whatever is necessary” to help children and security.

“Our kids can succeed,” he said.

Cosby, who has traveled nationally to speak in favor of changing the culture in struggling cities to one that has more value for education, said more people need to get involved to save Detroit’s children.

“We’re going to talk to people and try to get them to understand,” he said. “We may fail, but let it be known we did walk, we did knock on those doors. … We just know that we’re trying.”

A Question For The Class......Will There Ever Be A Black Revenge Fantasy Film Made A la Inglourious Basterds?

Although I have yet to see Mr. Tarantino's latest celluloid effort, I can appreciate the film's premise-A WWII Jewish revenge fantasy against Hitler. As a supporter of many of Tarantino's works, I will eventually chalk up a free weekend and check out Inglourious Basterds but the question remains......can a Nat Turner slave rebellion fantasy film (sans historical accuracy) be developed in a similar vein to that of Basterds? It is universally accepted (and rightfully so) that those of Jewish descent should expect a fantasy tribute against an evil Nazi regime but would it be perceived in the same way with people of color vs American slave owners? While perusing the cyber walls of Sergio Mims' Shadow and Act blog, it appears the notion of a Black revenge fantasy film has also been posited. Here's the entry in question, penned by filmmaker, Tambay Obenson of S & A:

Maybe my suggestion for a lynching retribution pic in the mold of Inglorious Basterds is inspiring similar ideas in others (See my initial post on the matter HERE).

I just watched Charlie Rose’s hour-long interview with Quentin Tarantino last week, accompanying the opening of Inglorious Basterds, and towards the end of the interesting conversation, Tarantino revealed his interest in making a film about noted slavery abolitionist, John Brown, but not in the traditional “dreary, solemn, historical” manner biopics usually take form.

With the $65 million international weekend gross for the counter-factual Nazi-scalping, WWII “men on a mission” movie, maybe there will be interest in other similar historically revisionist films. Why not the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade? Or, as previously suggested, a lynching retribution pic?

Apparently, Tarantino has mentioned his interest in John Brown previously, as a film he’d eventually like to make – possible his final movie, whenever that will be – claiming that Brown is his “favorite American who’s ever lived.”

As it happened, abolitionist John Brown was unsuccessful in his attempt to start a slave revolt at Harper’s Ferry in 1859; however that occurrence helped fuel the movement that started the Civil War. Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds version would then instead tell the story of Brown’s successful seizure of an armory, which would subsequently lead directly to the end of slavery, preventing the Civil War. Imagine the pitch session in studio exec suites! 2 weeks ago, it probably would have been laughed at and quickly dismissed; however, with the financial success of Basterds, the idea might be instantly greenlit and fast-tracked for a summer 2010 release.

As much as this type of talk piques my prurient interests, I suspect that the American public (Blacks and whites alike) just couldn't support such a film, even if presented in a pulpish Tarantino-esque sort of way. Does anyone remember, John Travolta's post Pulp Fiction film, White Man's Burden? Here's another film that asked the question (reminiscent of a Marvel What If comic)-What would happen if the racial positioning of Americans were turned upside down? Check out the 1995 trailer:





I remember thoroughly enjoying the film with the expectation that it was bound to be successful due to Travolta's tour de force in Fiction but the White/Black consumer audience just couldn't deal with the racial subtext. Will we see a lessening of this discomfort if a sepia toned Inglourious Basterds were to make it to the silver screen? The question remains....

Oh...and while you wait for such a film, take a gander at the first clip above...2003's Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property starring the Justice League's Carl Lumbly.