For context: I don’t know one song by Jonathan aka known as DaBaby. I am familiar with him through You Tube celebrity gossip channels that discuss his behavior. Jonathan is a menace to society. He has been implicated in murders, he and his security have brutalized fans, he has been a jerk in general. He isn’t loyal to his children’s mother or perhaps mothers. I can’t cancel Jonathan because I never supported him.
I enjoy Dua Lipa. She makes catchy pop music. Dua specializes in dance music which I appreciate. She also represents traditional femininity and sex appeal which I appreciate and is becoming increasingly rare.
Recently Jonathan was performing at a show and he made vulgar comments about AIDS and the LGBT community. Crude, mean behavior is typical for Jonathan. But his past deviant behavior has been in the Black community or someone working in the service industry. This time he offended the LGBT community and was taken to task for it.
Whatever works. I’m glad the LGBT community is taking the trash out. A win is a win. But I do find it to be unfortunate that his behavior was tolerated before. I didn’t realize how much mainstream appeal Jonathan had until he was cancelled. It’s interesting to me that so many people thought it was acceptable that he hit a female fan in the face and his security put a male fan in a coma for approaching him at a show. Jonathan was the toast of the town despite being accused of taking part in murders that happened in the Black community.
All of Jonathan’s past misdeeds were overlooked when he was seen as a hot commodity that can make White people some money and give them clout. I have found that that is how a lot of White women operate. They are friends with people when it’s convenient and beneficial but they often times are not genuine friends. When Jonathan’s behavior caught up with him Dua promptly distanced herself. She never really cared about his character or lack thereof. She just didn’t want to take the heat that came with associating with a fool.
Dua Lipa’s relationship with Jonathan is professional and I don’t expect her to stand up for him in any way. Self preservation is always key. My problem is the way she cozied up to him in the first place despite him being a sociopath. All of that was put to the side when she thought Jonathan would help her star shine a little bit brighter. That’s why I reject feminist notions of all women being a part of a sisterhood. Nope. Don’t be a sucker. There is no sisterhood. There is a hierarchy.
The feminism notion of a sisterhood benefits White women. It has done nothing for Black women and I think it will do damage to Black women in the future through trans ideology which further pushes a White standard of feminine beauty. Dua Lipa wasn’t thinking of any sisterhood when she decided to work with Jonathan. But obviously she knows how to take a moral stand. Hmm. Interesting.
I’m focusing on Dua Lipa because she is the person that disappointed me in this situation. She’s the one I liked. But she isn’t alone. Pop legends Madonna and Elton John made it clear who matters to them and who doesn’t as did concert promoters that had Jonathan booked for several shows this summer.
Clearly, Black people are disposable. Service industry workers are of no consequence. The music industry has no problem buddying up to a musician that disrespects and damages people that are of little value to them as long as they make a few bucks.
In my experiences with White women they interact with Black people under certain circumstances and situations. For example, a White co worker will be friendly at work but will act like they don’t see you if they run into you on the weekends. White girls at college are buddy buddy at school but if they run into you at home they act like they don’t know you. That’s why I never believe White people when they say they have Black friends in order to give themselves some type of credibility.
The Dua Lipa/DaBaby debacle reminds me of White women I’ve met and their situational friendship.
I ran across a racist cartoon from 1941 on You Tube called “Scrub Me Mama With a Boogie Beat”. It’s an animated music video about a Black woman referred to as Mama. Mama is a wash woman, meaning she does laundry for a living. She washes clothes by hand in a metal pail with a scrub board to the beat of a jazz tune. Mama is a likeable character that happily smiles and claps her hands to the beat of a song about her rubbing her knuckles raw washing clothes for others.
Most of the commentary under the video was supportive of the video. Many viewers enjoyed the video, saw it as positive or made excuses for the portrayal of Black people. Some commentators enjoyed the video because it brought back childhood memories. I can’t say I’m surprised by the commentary on social media regarding this video.
Black people are portrayed as sub human in “Scrub Me Mama With a Boogie Beat”. They live in a town called Lazy Town. Everything in this town is lazy and slow moving. The inhabitants of Lazy Town are slow moving, slow talking, ugly, dumb and quarrelsome. The one person in the video that has human like characteristics is a biracial or perhaps 1/4 Black woman. She is pretty, smart and has a human voice.
The men of Lazy Town perk up and become more energetic when the mixed race woman comes ashore. The only feminine looking women in the cartoon are fair skinned. The light skinned feature of the video is no lady. She struts around Lazy Town in a see through skirt. The men run behind her in excitement. Most of the darker skinned women are all heavy set with deep voices. The little girls even have deep voices.
I was aware of these portrayals before this popped up on You Tube. Newspaper comic strips use to mock Black people in newspapers daily. I recall a “Mammy” character in the old “Tom & Jerry” cartoons from my own childhood.
I think that there is some truth to the way men of Lazy Town reacted to the fair skinned women. Black men have defended their preference for lighter skinned women for years in public. Fair skinned women are the beauty standard in the Black community. Black men have been successfully brainwashed by racist media and it persists to this day. If you want proof look for the Black Manosphere on You Tube. They have been expressing their disdain for Black women that look Black for well over a decade. The Black Manosphere refers to Black women that look like Black women as masculine, loud and criticize Black women for having children. I won’t post a link but please feel free to explore You Tube on your own for more information. Instead here is an old clip from “The Ricki Lake Show”.
First, I’ll address the lazy and slow moving stereo type. Black Americans were concentrated in the south eastern United States. It gets hot and humid in the south. They were also performing labor intensive tasks like picking cotton. Black people were tired and likely suffering from heat stroke. Picking cotton in high heat and humidity all day would do that to a person.
The residents of Lazy Town ate watermelon and had chickens. The towns folk were likely share croppers as all four of my grand parents were. They didn’t make much money. My mother told me once that she was paid by the weight of the cotton. After picking cotton all day she earned $3. $3 for the entire day. My mother was one of nine children. My mom’s family was typical of Black southern families. They were dirt poor and lived in poverty.
I never understood why eating watermelon and chicken was a negative stereotype. I unabashedly enjoy both with no shame. The answer is that anything associated with Black people and Black communities is mocked and made into something negative. Watermelon is relatively easy to grow. Small seeds give you a large fruit. Watermelon was an economical crop for large, Black families for whom food was scarce. Growing watermelon was a smart means of surival.
Chicken is a relatively cheap and easy animal to raise. It provides meat and eggs. Poultry was accessible to Black families unlike livestock like cattle that requires a lot of land and is expensive. Chicken was economical for a poor community. As far as voraciously eating chicken and watermelon I’m sure Black people were hungry. Hunger was constant. Of course they hungrily ate and were grateful to what was available to them. I sure can’t blame them.
Those are just a few of my thoughts on “Scrub Me Mama With a Boogie Beat”. The short film speaks volumes about American history in culture in less than seven minutes. The You Tube comment section under further educates viewers on current attitudes towards Black people. I hope you enjoyed my insights and commentary on this video.
“Little Black Sambo” was the next video suggested to me after “Scrub Me Mama With a Boogie Beat”.
Romantic relationships are a high stakes gamble because your heart is on the line. If you are relatively happy with yourself and live a content life as a single person a romantic partner can be a liability. You offer your heart to another person and it gives them a powerful position in your life. They can make you feel like a queen or king or a pauper.
Here are a few songs that illustrate how romantic partners can completely destroy your sense of self worth and outlook on life. Choose carefully and be careful who you entrust with your heart. Can you think of any others.
Maverick City Music is a popular Christian Contemporary band. Christian Contemporary music has fallen off sharply since the early 2000s. It all sounds the same and the singers are interchangeable. Maverick City fits the mold. Their music is typical Christian Contemporary and the singers are talented but their voices all have a similar quality.
I feel like most Christian Contemporary singers are male. They sound similar to a lot of Alternative Rock Bands from the 90s. A few sound like Joe Cocker. I enjoy Joe Cocker’s voice but there is a man who sounds just like that in the American Idol auditions every year.
This describes the men in Maverick City Music. The White men sound like they belong in alternative rock bands and the Black men sound like Joe Cocker and his sound alike American Idol hopefuls. There are a lot of people in Maverick City Music. It’s hard to tell exactly how many.
Maverick City Music ends up trending on occasion because the singers make questionable social media posts. They have made political statements that rile up so called conservatives, one of their wives twerked in a wedding photo, the same newlywed couple took a wedding photo that simulated a sexual position. Recently one of the singers posted photos on a party bus possibly in the nude. That’s not even to mention their affiliation with Kirk Franklin whose family matters have become public.
Then there is Naomi Raine who is the star of Maverick City Music. Her name never comes up in the mish mash and her voice is outstanding. She should leave Maverick City Music where it is and start a solo career. She carries the band on her back publicly and probably in private. I’m sure it’s exhausting.
Jesus carrying the cross on Good Friday
I really don’t follow MCM very close and that’s how I know who the star is. It’s Naomi. The other people who’s names get circulated on social media are done so in relation to some sort of unnecessary foolishness they posted. I know Naomi because of her performances.
Naomi Raine carries MCM like Christ carried his cross with her beautiful voice. The rest of MCM is a distraction. The latest internet gossip about her band mate’s nude party bus photos would be a great opportunity to launch a solo career.
I don’t really care what happens with MCM because they sound like clowns. All of their problems start because of things they post on social media. It’s hard to tell if the members of Maverick City Music are even Christian because they were put together by entertainment executives the way Menudo and other boy bands were. We’re not dealing with the Mississippi Mass or Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir here.
Naomi deserves better. First of all the paychecks are probably kind of light with so many people in the band. She’s very talented and acts like she has some sense. She’s made a name for herself with her work as opposed to social media attention seeking and subsequent pearl clutching. I think she deserves a chance at a solid career away from the circus her band mates create every few months.
A lot of great Christian Contemporary and Gospel music was created and enjoyed in the early to mid 2000s. Here are a few of my favorite songs of that genre and era. I don’t keep up with Gospel and Contemporary Christian as much as I use to.
I miss CDs and CD players in cars. I use to purchase CDs from the WOW! series every year. That and going to church kept me up with all the Christian music. I want to acknowledge that some of these artists have been involved in scandals or questionable behavior.
Here’s my walk down memory lane. This list is not exhaustive but I didn’t want to keep you all day. Enjoy the music.
If you’ve ever wondered what went wrong with Generation X study the lyrics to some of the pop songs from back when our parents were still together. This music is toxic. Baby Boomers were psycho in their prime years. It may be a good thing that they got divorced and left their children alone. Take a look at some of these lyrics about love gone wrong, a lack of boundaries, infidelity, low self worth and financial abuse. (Take this is jest.)
Women put their desperation on full display in the 80s. I listened to these lyrics for the first time in the last year. I was shocked to hear this from Diana Ross of all people.
Diana Ross Upside Down
I said upside down You’re turning me You’re giving love instinctively Around and round you’re turning me
Upside down Boy, you turn me Inside out And round and round Upside down Boy, you turn me Inside out And round and round
Instinctively you give to me The love that I need I cherish the moments with you Respectfully I say to thee I’m aware that you’re cheating When no one makes me feel like you do
Upside down Boy, you turn me Inside out And round and round Upside down Boy, you turn me Inside out And round and round
I know you got charm and appeal You always play the field I’m crazy to think you are mine As long as the sun continues to shine There’s a place in my heart for you That’s the bottomline
Upside down Boy, you turn me Inside out And round and round Upside down Boy, you turn me Inside out And round and round
Instinctively you give to me The love that I need I cherish the moments with you Respectfully I say to thee I’m aware that you’re cheating But no one makes me feel like you do
Upside down Boy, you turn me Inside out And round and round Upside down Boy, you turn me Inside out And round and round
Upside down Boy, you turn me Inside out And round and round Upside down Boy, you turn me Inside out And round and round
Upside down you’re turning me You’re giving love instinctively Around and round you’re turning me I say to thee respectfully
Upside down you’re turning me You’re giving love instinctively Around and round you’re turning me I say to thee respectfully
I said a upside down you’re turning me You’re giving love instinctively Around and round you’re turning me
I say to thee respectfully Upside down you’re turning me You’re giving love instinctively Around and round you’re turning me I say to thee respectfully
Upside down you’re turning me
The SOS Band took feminine longing, anguish and delusion to another level.
SOS Band Just be Good to Me
Friends tell me I am crazy And I’m wasting time with you You’ll never be mine It’s not the way I see it ‘Cause I feel you’re already mine Whenever you’re with me (oh, oh, oh)
People always talkin’ about Your reputation I don’t care about your other girls Just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)
Friends are always tellin’ me You’re a user I don’t care what you do to them Just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)
You may have many others But I know when you’re with me You are all mine Friends always seem to listen To the bad things that you do You never do them to me (oh, oh, oh)
People always talkin’ about Your reputation I don’t care about your other girls Just be good to me (Oh, oh, oh)
Friends are always tellin’ me You’re a user I don’t care what you do to them Just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la Just be good to me
Life is a game of chances So I’ll take my chance with you And you, I won’t try to change We talk about it and I Never had a piece of you And to have all of nothing (oh, oh, oh)
But just be good to me In the mornin’ Just be good to me In the afternoon or evenin’, oh, yeah Just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)
I’ll give you love, I will smother you I’ll give affection, I won’t bother you I’ll be good to you, you’ll be good to me, yeah, yeah Just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)
I’m not the jealous type, I won’t tie you down When you need me, I’ll be around I’ll be good to you, you’ll be good to me And we’ll be together, be together
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la (oh) Just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la (be nice to me, be sweet to me) Just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la (we’ll be good to each other) (Oh, each and every day) just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la (we will love each other, ooh, yes, we will) Just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la Just be good to me (oh, oh, oh)
In 1983 The Police gave us the stalkers anthem.
The Police Every Breath You Take
Every breath you take And every move you make Every bond you break Every step you take I’ll be watching you
Every single day And every word you say Every game you play Every night you stay I’ll be watching you
Oh, can’t you see You belong to me? How my poor heart aches With every step you take?
Every move you make And every vow you break Every smile you fake Every claim you stake I’ll be watching you
Since you’ve gone, I’ve been lost without a trace I dream at night, I can only see your face I look around, but it’s you I can’t replace I feel so cold, and I long for your embrace I keep crying baby, baby please
Oh, can’t you see You belong to me? How my poor heart aches With every step you take?
Every move you make And every vow you break Every smile you fake Every claim you stake I’ll be watching you Every move you make Every step you take I’ll be watching you
I’ll be watching you (Every breath you take) (Every move you make) (Every bond you break) (Every step you take) I’ll be watching you (Every single day) (Every word you say) (Every game you play) (Every night you stay) I’ll be watching you
I’ll be watching you (Every single day) (Every word you say) Whoo, hoo (Every game you play) (Every night you stay) I’ll be watching you
I’ll be watching you (Every single day) (Every word you say) (Every game you play) (Every night you stay) I’ll be watching you
I’ll be watching you (Every single day) (Every word you say) (Every game you play) (Every night you stay) I’ll be watching you…
The Human League wrote a song about being jealous of a woman’s coming of age and success.
The Human League Don’t You Want Me
You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar When I met you I picked you out, I shook you up And turned you around Turned you into someone new Now five years later on you’ve got the world at your feet Success has been so easy for you But don’t forget it’s me who put you where you are now And I can put you back down too.
Don’t. Don’t you want me? You know I can’t believe it when I hear that you won’t see me Don’t. Don’t you want me? You know I don’t believe you when you say that you don’t need me
It’s much too late to find When you think you’ve changed your mind You’d better change it back or we will both be sorry
Don’t you want me, baby? Don’t you want me? Oh! Don’t you want me, baby? Don’t you want me? Oh!
I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar That much is true But even then I knew I’d find a much better place Either with or without you The five years we have had have been such good at times I still love you But now I think it’s time I lived my life on my own I guess it’s just what I must do
Don’t. Don’t you want me? You know I can’t believe it when I hear that you won’t see me Don’t. Don’t you want me? You know I don’t believe you when you say that you don’t need me
It’s much too late find When you think you’ve changed your mind You’d better change it back or we will both be sorry
Don’t you want me, baby? Don’t you want me? Oh! Don’t you want me, baby? Don’t you want me? Oh!
Don’t you want me, baby? Don’t you want me? Oh! Don’t you want me, baby? Don’t you want me? Oh!
Don’t you want me, baby? Don’t you want me? Oh! Don’t you want me, baby? Don’t you want me? Oh
Don’t you want me, baby? Don’t you want me? Oh! Don’t you want me, baby? Don’t you want me? Oh!
Here’s another song about a man using money as leverage in a relationship.
Oran Juice Jones The Rain
I saw you (and him, and him) walking in the rain You were holding hands and I’ll never be the same
Tossing and turning another sleepless night The rain crashes against my window pane Jumped into my car–didn’t drive too far That moment I knew I would never be the same
Cause I saw you (and him, and him) walking in the rain You were holding hands and I’ll never be the same
Now here you are begging to me To give our love another try Girl I love you and I always will But darling right now I’ve got to say goodbye
Cause I saw you (and him, and him) walking in the rain You were holding hands and I’ll never be the same
I saw you (and him) walking in the rain You were holding hands and I’ll never be the same
Hey, hey, baby, how you doin’, come on in here Got some hot chocolate on the stove waitin’ for ya Listen, first things first, let me hang up that coat Yeah, ‘n’ how’s your day today, did ya miss me? Oh, you did, yeah, I missed you, too I missed you so much I followed you today That’s right Now close your mouth Cause you cold busted That’s right, now sit down here Sit down here So upset with you I don’t know what to do ‘n’ my first impulse was to run up on you And do a Rambo Whip out the jammy and flat-blast both of you But I ain’t wanna mess up this thirty-seve hundred dollar lynx coat So instead, I chilled That’s right, chilled, then I went to the bank Took out every dime And then I went and canceled all those credit cards Yeah All your charge accounts Yeah I stuck you up for every piece of jewelry I ever bought you Yeah That’s right, everything Everything Did fool out with me Naw, don’t go, you ever go, don’t go looking in that closet Cause you ain’t got nothing in there Everything you came here with–
Is packe dup and waiting for you in the guest room That’s right, what was you thinking about, huh? What were you tryin’ to prove, huh? You’s with the Juice ‘n’ I gave you silk suits, Gucci handbags, blue diamonds I gave you things you couldn’t even pronounce Now I can’t give you nothin’ but advice Cause you’re still young That’s right, you’re still young I hope you learn a valuable lesson from all this You know? Gonna find someone like me one of these days Until then, know what you gotta do? You gotta get on outta here with that Alley-cat-coat wearin’ Hush-puppy-shoe-wearing’ Crumb cake I saw you with Cause you dismissed That’s right, silly rabbit Tricks are made for kids, don’t you know that? You without me: like cornflake without the milk It’s my world–you just a squirrel, tryin’ to get a nut Now get on outta here Ah! Don’t touch that coat!
Adultery carrols.
Atlantic Starr Secret Lovers
Here we are the two of us together Taking this crazy chance to be all alone We both know that we should not be together ‘Cause if they found out It could mess up, both our happy homes
I hate to think about us all meeting up together As soon as I looked at you it would show on my face Then they’ll know that we’ve been loving each other They can never no, oh no, we can’t leave a trace
Secret Lovers that’s what we are, we shouldn’t be together But we can’t let it go, oh no, cause we love each other so
Sittin at home I do nothing all day But think about you and hope that your ok Hoping you’ll call before anyone gets home I’ll wait anxiously, alone by the phone
How could something so wrong be so right I wish we didn’t have to keep our love out of sight Living two lives just ain’t easy at all But we gotta hang on and after fall
Secret lovers that’s what we are Trying so hard to hide the way we feel Cause we both belong to someone else But we can’t let it go, cause what we feel is oh so real So real
You and me, are we fair Is this cruel, or do we care Can they tell what’s in our minds Maybe they’ve had secret love all of the time
In the middle of makin love we notice the time We both get nervous cause it’s way after nine Even though we hate it, we know it’s time that we go We gotta be careful, so that no one will know
Secret lovers, that’s what we are Trying so hard to hide the way we feel ‘Cause we both belong to someone else But we can’t let it go ‘Cause what we feel is oh so real So real
You can tell a lot about a culture from it’s art. This is art from the 80s and it says a lot about relationships between men and women just as pop music tells us a lot about relationships now. I’m kidding around in this post. I’m not trying to be super sensitive, politically correct or cancel anyone (not that I could). These are historical observations that I find interesting and kind of humorous. I love the 80s!
BONUS TRACKS
Only in the 80s could a song about child abuse become a pop hit. What were we thinking? Suzanne Vega dropped this gem in 1987. It’s about a boy getting his ass beat and the neighbors heard it through the walls. This seems to have been a regular occurrence yet no one saw fit to call the cops. Oh well, it was catchy. The 80s were madness I tell ya!
Suzanne Vega Luka
My name is Luka I live on the second floor I live upstairs from you Yes I think you’ve seen me before
If you hear something late at night Some kind of trouble, some kind of fight Just don’t ask me what it was Just don’t ask me what it was Just don’t ask me what it was
I think it’s because I’m clumsy I try not to talk too loud Maybe it’s because I’m crazy I try not to act too proud
They only hit until you cry And after that you don’t ask why You just don’t argue anymore You just don’t argue anymore You just don’t argue anymore
Yes I think I’m okay I walked into the door again If you ask that’s what I’ll say And it’s not your business anyway
I guess I’d like to be alone With nothing broken, nothing thrown Just don’t ask me how I am Just don’t ask me how I am Just don’t ask me how I am
My name is Luka I live on the second floor I live upstairs from you Yes I think you’ve seen me before
If you hear something late at night Some kind of trouble, some kind of fight Just don’t ask me what it was Just don’t ask me what it was Just don’t ask me what it was
They only hit until you cry And after that you don’t ask why You just don’t argue anymore You just don’t argue anymore You just don’t argue anymore
This song actually made it to number eight in 1991 on the Billboard 100 chart. It was the early 90s so I’ll throw it in. Crystal Waters made a song about homelessness into a dance hit. That’s right, a song about homelessness and probably mental illness sent party goers to the dance floor during this era. It’s kind of morbid when you think about it.
The winds are blowing every morning Just to do her hair now Because she cares you all
Her day oh wouldn’t be right Without her make up She’s never had a make up
La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da
She’s just like you and me But she’s homeless, she’s homeless As she stands there singing for money
La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da
In my sleep I see her begging Reaching police Although her body’s not mine I ask now I do, now I do
She’s just like you and me But she’s homeless, she’s homeless As she stands there singing for money
La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da
She’s just like you and me As she stands there singing for money
La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da La da dee la dee da
I recently finished reading the autobiography of rock start Lenny Kravitz, Let Love Rule. I enjoyed reading the book and I would recommend the book but there are conditions. I’m biased because I’ve been a Lenny Kravitz fan since the 90s. People that aren’t fans of Lenny Kravitz may find the book to be a bit dull.
Lenny Kravitz has a charmed life. He spent his early childhood in New York City in the 70s and early 80s. I’m grateful to have grown up in the 80s because children had more independence and a sense of safety. At the same time there were not as many children only spaces so children had the opportunity to observe adults more. They just had to stay out of adult business.
Lenny grew up playing on NYC streets with friends and when he was a bit older riding the subway himself to museums like The Met and exploring art. Lenny’s parents were a sophisticated couple and exposed Lenny to fine restaurants and theater as a child. Lenny crossed paths and even had close relationships with entertainment legends. One night while out with his dad Lenny met Frank Sinatra. His godmother was Cicely Tyson and her husband was Miles Davis. Lenny’s stylish parents enjoyed entertaining and he described himself as having numerous glamorous aunts. That is great for character building.
When Lenny was in middle school his mother was cast as Mrs. Willis on The Jeffersons. He was disappointed in having to leave New York but he resettled in sunny southern California and his parents bought a home in the hills overlooking Los Angeles. LA is where Lenny discovered his love of music and developed his talent.
Lenny had a contentious relationship with his father. Their personalities clashed. Lenny’s father spent time in the military and he didn’t mesh well with his free spirited son. Lenny and his dad fell out so badly during his teen years that Lenny got kicked out of the family home and was homeless for a while. But Lenny’s father was key to his success and prosperity in many ways.
Lenny Kravitz married Lisa Bonet in Las Vegas in his early twenties and had a baby shortly after. Lisa and being a young dad were also key to his success. Lisa helped him become more comfortable with who he was as a young man and being a father grounded him. The book ends after the release of his album Let Love Rule. I hope Lenny writes another autobiography because I want to know more about his career, his marriage, his divorce, fatherhood and acting career.
Lenny’s life is pretty wholesome so his story is not one with a lot of action, trauma or tragedy which is what propels most stories these days. Some people may find it a bit dull. But I’m a Lenny fan so I enjoyed the book. Lenny has a very blessed and glamorous life even with the pit falls and false starts. I would recommend this book.
I noticed a theme in a few 1990s music videos. Derelict buildings were used as the back drop for a lot of the videos of the time. I researched my theory and I realized that the musical group Prodigy is responsible for a lot of that imagery. It looks like all of their videos were made on the same dank set. But aside from Prodigy a few others used similar images.
I’m not going to hypothesize why this is. I don’t know that there is a why. Sometimes a thing is just a thing for no particular reason. So here’s my collection of 90s videos with dark, derelict imagery.
I don’t listen to much alternative rock but I enjoyed this song and remember the video playing in MTV very well.
This is borderline. Natalie’s apartment wasn’t that bad. It just looked like an urban hipster apartment. This video probably started the urban gentrification of American cities.
Whose house is this? Did they break in and start performing their choreographed routine?
Lisa brought a feminine touch to this empty, raggedy apartment.
I’m not even sure where to start with this. In case you haven’t heard I’ll recap the insanity. Pop star Lizzo went to a Lakers game in a loose T shirt dress with a cut out at the behind which exposed her bare cheeks and black thong. During the game Lizzo was put on the jumbotron and she did a little dance. It was cute but then she turned around so the camera can get a look at her bare butt cheeks and thong while she continued to dance.
I was appalled by it but there’s a lot of shocking things going on in the world today. I was prepared to file this away and move forward. But then Lizzo and her dress with the butt cut out became a trending topic and Lizzo went on a rant on IG. And here is where the problem starts for me. Lizzo is quoted as saying “if you don’t like my a$$ you can kiss it”. We weren’t thinking about her a$$ until she showed it to us.
The so called #bodypositive rant is what made this incident a feminist and “woke” talking point on You Tube this week. Lizzo is a #bodypositivity ambassador and the body positivity movement rubs me the wrong way. I’ve seen #bodypositivity posts all over Instagram and they come across as a manipulative scam.
#bodypositivity is a way to get women out of their clothes. #bodyposi convinces women that they have to take off their clothes in order to prove that they love their bodies and are confident women. The #bodyposi community believes that bearing it all is a way to conquer insecurities.
The #bodypositivity movement really has very little to do with confidence and being happy with yourself. It has more to do with seeking attention and validation. I have more respect for #thirsttrapthursday posts. At least they are completely honest in their intentions and they aren’t fake woke.
The #bodypositivity and modern feminist movement is telling women that they should seek to be lusted after. Modern feminism and #bodypositivity are not seeking to have women valued as a human beings and individuals. The focus on a woman’s body and not anything else she can offer the world.
Lizzo is beautiful, talented, energetic and charismatic. I wouldn’t have noticed that she is heavy without her pointing it out. Her size and feminist activism is part of her brand despite the fact that she is a well trained classical flutist and rapper (what a combination) with a great stage presence. Lizzo has a great deal to offer the world but instead she chooses to focus on a$$.
She is selling herself short and the image that she puts out of herself is cartoonish. I feel like she is living up to stereotypes about larger women, particularly large Black women. Lizzo claims to be standing up for women that don’t have slim bodies but she presents full figure in unflattering ways when it would be very easy for her to project a stylish image. She has the goods and resources to do so.
I’m curious about what Lizzo was expecting when she turned her bare backside to the jumbotron camera. Was she expecting a round of applause? She received criticism from showing her thonged behind in public (shocker) and then she went into victim mode and told everyone that they were criticizing her because she is big and Black. She didn’t take into consideration that her actions would be seen as uncouth to some if not most people.
But Lizzo isn’t the biggest problem. The biggest problem are the social media feminists. They say that the world was trying to police her body because she is a Black with a lot of meat. She could have worn almost anything without criticism but she chose something that she knew would be controversial. Those of us that find her taste and behavior to be questionable are now being made out to be bigots and chauvinists. This is emotional blackmail.
It’s not our job to validate every person when they do things for shock value or out of desperation. And we don’t have to give positive reinforcement to Hollyweird and rich n word culture. This Lizzo situation is almost a real life version of The Emperor’s New Clothes.
Lizzo could do a lot to represent full figured women by just being the talented and beautiful woman that she is but she’s wasting this opportunity with her shenanigans. I do not think that the activism that she is becoming known for will sustain her career as a musician. If no one’s told Lizzo this, you’re pretty and talented. You don’t need to pull childish pranks.
Shannon in Kansas City YT: KC Bible Study IG: @showmeshannon Twitter: kcshannonlee1 