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.
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.
The feminists are at it again. These people are harder to understand than calculus. Music producer Jermaine Dupri made a comment that most female rappers today make songs about the stripper life. Social media feminists got upset for some reason and somehow Jermaine Dupri has become a prudish hypocrite in their minds even though their response is a bit prudish. I thought feminists were in favor of “sexual liberation” and expression.
I don’t listen to much new rap music anymore. I’ve gotten too old. So if I have heard of you that means that you have become pretty darn popular. Cardi B is a hip hop pop star that has become difficult to escape. And I’ve gotten introduced to Megan Thee Stallion and City Girls. I don’t care for Cardi B. at all but I think that Megan Thee Stallion and City Girls are quite talented.
I’m a Bible thumper that believes that there is more power for women in modesty than there is in raw sexuality. I also believe that these talented young women would be better served by not flaunting their sexuality. The public will only tolerate that without mocking it while a woman is young but no one is young forever or even very long. You have to have something to sell and talk about other than sex. But I’m not the target market for the music industry and I’m in my middle forties. The City Girls and Megan didn’t ask for my opinion.
I like these girls because I can understand what they are saying. They aren’t mumble rappers that sound like they are coming out of a cold medicine induced haze. They are charismatic, energetic, young, brash and beautiful. They are urban or perhaps ratchet is the better word and make no apologies for it. Their music is fun. And yes, they are sexy and put forth a stripper like image. When I ran across their videos on You Tube they made me smile. I don’t know City Girls and Megan Thee Stallion’s backgrounds but Cardi B. was an actual stripper.
Hip hop has been filthy, blunt and telling tales of urban counter culture since the late 80s. That’s the draw and the charm. Hip hop has sold millions and probably billions because it sells a fantasy to those of us that are students, housewives and work cubicle jobs. They say and do things before an audience that most of us would never do even after a couple of shots of tequila. Feminism has done it’s job.
The City Girls parents probably hadn’t even met yet when tawdry rap music gained popularity and began to dominate the charts. Megan The Stallion and Cardi B. never really had a chance and most young women are never really given a different option to present themselves as something other than slutty. But hey, we’re talking about grown, career women and I respect their choices.
Explicit lyrics, filth and racial slurs ahead.
I thought that feminists were in favor of women expressing themselves sexually and on their own terms. That’s what the City Girls and Megan Thee Stallion are doing. It’s what Nicki Minaj did before them. And it’s what Lil Kim and Foxy Brown did before her these girls’ parents even met. The young feminist response to Jermaine Dupri’s response should have been “So what if they rap about stripping. What’s wrong with stripping?” That would have made more sense to double down on their feminist values.
More trash ahead.
Instead they name off a bunch of other current female rappers that have a more wholesome or emo image. In order to say that all young female rappers aren’t stripper like. If feminists are truly supportive of these modest rappers why aren’t they more popular? Capitalism is it’s own form of Democracy and feminists get a vote.
Jermaine Dupri is absolutely right. Most popular young female rappers are selling sex. It’s the way of the world and you need to be a real rebel to make a different choice. There may be a Lauryn Hill or Missy Elliot equivalent for today but she doesn’t seem to be selling much music. Or at least she’s not selling enough downloads and getting enough buzz to become mainstream like Cardi B.
Jermaine Dupri isn’t young anymore. He’s forty six years old and it sounds like he’s gained some wisdom along the way. He understands that there is more power for women in modesty and using talent and intelligence. I hold the same opinion but I guess I’m enough of a feminist to respect an adult woman’s life choice. He’s just trying to let young women with aspirations in the music business that their longevity is not in blatant sex appeal.
After all, Lauryn Hill still sells out concerts even though her fans know she might show up two hours late. And we’ve never seen much of her body or heard much about her sexual experiences. She did it all with talent and hard work. Punctuality, not so much.
But feminists are interested in arguing and becoming outraged no matter what. That seems to be the goal. They aren’t even standing behind their cause of sexual liberation and expression. A man got them to rally around modest rappers today which is what he was supporting. Women stay losing.
Chris Brown shot his mouth off in a recently released new track and it’s got the Black gossip blogs on You Tube in a tizzy. He said something to the affect of he only has sex with Black women with nice hair. How sweet. Lucky them. That song lyric has started a poop storm. I’m glad because #teambreezy needs a wake up call.
Before I go on about how stupid I think #teambreezy is I must confess my own problematic favs. I make no excuses. I’m just admitting to my hypocrisy but I’m still going to talk trash on #teambreezy and their idol.
My problematic favs:
The Kansas City Chiefs – There have been some very special people that have played or currently played for the Chiefs and by special I don’t mean exceptional athletic ability. I’m mean menaces to society. I saw a Facebook comment calling all Chief fans scum bags for defending our star receiver despite his current controversy. I got nothin’. That commenter is correct we are scum bags.
Anyone that’s been to a Chiefs game knows that we are scum bags. Guilty as charged. I won’t argue. But heck, we want the Chiefs to make it to the Superbowl next year and my man Tyreek runs with the speed of an animal. I’m still mad, sad and shocked that Party Boy Hunt is gone.
The NFL as a whole – I never once considered boycotting the NFL. I don’t enjoy much but football is one of the things I actually like. The NFL is problematic from the owners, to the players, to the fans, to the refs. But I’m not going to stop watching. I will continue to watch and just complain about everything.
R. Kelly – The debate is not whether Robert is guilty or not. He’s guilty as all hell and should have gotten a jail sentence. He beat his charges in a trial that was crooked as a hairpin. So what am I supposed to do about that? I wasn’t on the jury. That’s the question I have for the #cancelrkelly folks.
The debate is whether we should continue to listen to his music. I’ve owned 12 Play since 1993 and it’s downloaded to my mp3 player. I promise I will turn him down at stop lights when I have my windows down OK. And if I ever get married I will instruct the wedding DJ to wait to play Step in the Name of Love late in the evening. Me not listening to his music isn’t going to undo anything that has been done.
I’m sure that I could think of more problematic favs if I really thought about it. But like I said earlier I don’t really like very much. But now that I have confessed my sins back to #teambreezy.
Of all the annoying fan bases I’ve seen on social media #teambreezy is honestly the worst and that says a lot. They bother me more than the idol worshipping, bullying Beyhive. They need therapy worse than self depreciating, chronically depressed Dallas Cowboy fans. #teambreezy irks me more than Trump supporters.
#teambreezy has been out here looking stupid for years. These women publicly fawn over a man that is as well known for beating the living hell out of a woman than for his music. This goes beyond having a crush on a bad boy rock star. I really think that there is something wrong with these girls.
So why are any of us surprised by Chris Brown’s brash behavior and rudeness towards women? He’s already proven that he is a horrible man with bitterness in his heart towards women. And women have proven that they don’t care. He still has plenty of willing female companions and a legion of fans. This is why women and feminism don’t get taken seriously. Women don’t even demand basic respect and kindness such as don’t severely beat a woman in the face.
Chris Brown did his time under the law so he is free to further his career. I can understand #teambreezy positively critiquing and enjoying the music. But these psychos are in love with him. If they had the chance to have an abusive relationship with Chris Brown they would jump at the chance.
#teambreezy reminds me of the episode of The Office when Jim was talking to Dwight about his dream life. Dwight mentioned his boss. Jim stopped him and asked him why he had a boss in his dreams. Dwight defended having a boss in his fantasy life as opposed to being the boss or being independently wealthy. #teambreezy is in love with a man that is a known abuser. Of all the celebrities they could have a fantasy relationship with they choose the one that beat a woman in the face. Some people can’t be helped.
The Black drama channels love to expose colorist attitudes of Black male celebrities. I’m tired of that and don’t care anymore. It’s beating a dead horse at this point and nothing is changing. Black people are really starting to bore me with this s—.
Chris hasn’t learned anything from the criticism he’s getting either. He is digging his heels in and saying that only ugly women are mad. That’s not a very good business model. If you were running a diner would you tell people that they have to be solid 8/10s to be served in your restaurant. If you did that you would go out of business pretty fast. And Mr. Brown is thirty years old saying this foolishness. THIRTY!
It’s obvious that most famous men like thin women. Imagine one of the Jonas Bros. or an MLB pitcher or whatever publicly making rude remarks about overweight women and telling them that they would never have anything to do with them. Feminists would go off and no one would be defending his preference or telling them that they are too sensitive. But then again men wouldn’t dare publicly insult White women even if they aren’t his type. For some reason there is a minority of men that feels the need to scream from the rooftops what their preferences are even when they are not asked.
So I’m glad that Chris made that nasty remark in his song. I hope that it will help #teambreezy snap out of their trance since the pictures of Rhianna’s battered face don’t seem to make a difference. Stop being taken advantage of ladies. Chris Brown doesn’t like you. You’re just a cash cow to him. He doesn’t even really like women with so called good or nice hair or however he phrased it. They are disposable vaginas to him. Put your Chris Brown fandom behind you and move on. It’s OK we’ve all loved and admired the wrong person at one time or another.
I published a list of 90s pop songs based on mental illness and depression earlier today. I thought of a few more so I decided to make a second list. Please enjoy.
Offspring, Self Esteem
This is a song about a man that stays in an emotionally abusive relationship with a woman because he has low self esteem. During the bridge of the song he screams “The more I suffer, “The more you suffer means the more you really care, right?” I have to admit that I’ve been in that head space.
Cypress Hill, Insane in the Membrane
I don’t speak Spanish but thanks to Cypress Hill I know the Spanish word for crazy. Insane in the Membrane is their most recognizable hit. Their insanity is probably drug induced but insanity is a problem regardless of it’s cause.
Mary J. Blige, Not Gon’ Cry
Mary J. Blige had a lot of problems in the 90s. I was debating on whether she belonged on this list or not because a broken heart is not quite the same as a mental problem. But I love Mary and it’s my list so I decided to add her. I wonder if Mary has ever met the guy from Offspring. Perhaps they would get along.
Garbage, I’m Only Happy When it Rains
I remember this band and this song but it was never one of my favorites. This is a little gift from You Tube suggestions. But it’s perfect for this list and now that I’m listening to it I like it. As the kids would say it’s a bop. For the most part I’m a happy go lucky girl but I can identify with the sentiment of this song. I personally enjoy a bit of internal drama. It’s fun. And I do love rain.
Way back when there was a band called Lords of the Underground. I only remembered one song of their so I decided to do a bit of research on their song lyrics. With a name like that I figured they were a little off and they made music expressing that. I hit the jackpot. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, “Psycho”. No one has a video with lyrics uploaded to YT.
The passing of Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys made me think of the hip hop classic “My Mind is Playing Tricks on Me”. I began to ponder if other 90s tunes were based on psychotic episodes. I came up with a short list. The list is random and not ranked.
Geto Boys, My Mind is Playing Tricks on Me
This is a cautionary tale that teaches that even when you’ve gotten away with wrongdoing you can’t escape the guilt and paranoia that your deeds brought about.
Blind Melon, No Rain
This is a perky and upbeat song about feeling stagnant in your life and depression. Blind Melon’s lead singer Shannon Hoon died from a drug overdose in 1995.
Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, Natural Born Killas
This is a creepy song with the stand out lyric “Can’t be around my mama ’cause I scare her”. It’s also a sweet vow to undying friendship and loyalty with the unforgetable lyric “I’m down for Dre like ACs down with OJ”. I kind of want that to be a part of my wedding vows.
Green Day, Basketcase
This was my introduction to the Bay Area band Green Day circa 1995. Green Day owns this genre. They have other hits inspired by hopelessness and discouragement such as Longview and When I Come Around. They’ve built a solid career in modern rock and have been going strong since the early nineties. The band is still together and they are all still alive at the time this was written.
Celebrities are starting to all look the same to me. I feel like RuPaul and or LaToya Jackson are the standard of beauty that the rest of Hollywood wants to reach.
What do you think?
I actually could have added a few more people to this composite.
Shannon in Kansas City YT: KC Bible Study IG: @showmeshannon Twitter: kcshannonlee1 