Spike Lee Vs. Tyler Perry - So Spike Lee is on a tirade about Tyler Perry and the whole Medea franchise (Thanks Phil DeFranco for bringing this one to my attention). Spike Lee feels that Tyler Perry's characters are degrading to black people and playing on stereotypes of black life. Excuse me Spike, but wasn't your first movie a stereotyping of black men and black women and how they deal with relationships? All your early films dealt with stereotypes (She's Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, And Jungle Fever). The main difference I see between you and Tyler is Tyler is a lot funnier and his movies are based out of a seeming deep seated anger towards certain sectors and a hatred of the white establishment. Are you mad because Tyler can get Maya Angelou and Cecily Tyson in his movies? Be fair, you had Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, and Bill Nunn (Radio Raheem is still one of my favorites).
To Mr. Lee I say buy a bean pie, sit yo ass down, and shut up. Spike Lee is a racist and no one takes him that seriously anymore. Tyler is the go to man in black Hollywood and he has done it the hard way by coming up on the Chitterlings Circuit. This man lived in his car and was homeless. He scraped his way to where he is and didn't have mommy and a daddy (by the way Spike, you still not talking to your dad because he married a white woman?). Tyler Perry is still a very humble man and shares his good fortune with others. Creating jobs in the industry with his studios in Atlanta and moreover, making us all laugh again. Spike Lee seems to strive to keep the racism wall firmly in place whereas Tyler Perry is diffusing it by playing on those stereotypes, which are not all bad stereotypes by the way. The only way people will overcome racism is by learning to laugh at it and themselves. I have never seen people come out of a Spike Lee movie laughing. I hope Tyler keeps on giving us laughter, we need to start doing it more often than hating.
The Hatred of the Hate Crimes Legislation - Now we all know there is a need for legislation to keep people from harming and/or killing people due to color, race, creed, or sexual orientation. This was the main reason I jumped for joy they were getting stricter with it. That was until I had a little think and looked deeper. This bill still needs to be reworked and now more than ever.
In an attempt to curtail the activities of Fred Phelps and his church, one of the proposed changes to the bill is that any crime that can be traced back in anyway to a member of the clergy will result in the prosecution of said clergy member as an accomplice to said hate crime. At first I cheered because it finally meant Fred Phelps and his band of fools were going to be taken down a notch. Then I had that "HOLY CRAP!" moment. Work with me here. A young man goes to his Parish Priest and asks what the churches stand is on same gender unions. Any good Catholic knows the church is against same sex unions, but would never condone harming someone because of that. Now let's say this young man is a few sandwiches short of a picnic and decides to gun down people at a Gay Pride Parade. He is arrested and tells the police his priest told him the church was against homosexuality and unions there in so I acted on my priests urging. That's right, a priest could go on trial for murder in this scenario unless the bill is very clear what constitutes clergy culpability. For now I am waiting to see what the full verbiage is and have pulled my support back... For now.
Amanda Knox, come home - I have been following the case of American Citizen Amanda Knox. For those who do not know, she is the young Seattle woman on trial for the brutal murder of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher. Don't get me wrong, the killers of Meredith Kercher need to be brought to justice, I just don't believe it is Miss Knox or her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito. The police, buoyed by the international attention this case was getting really did a hack job on evidence collection in this case and have not only hurt the families of the accused, but the family of the victim. The defense has fought hard and seemingly has proven several pieces of key evidence supporting the theory that Miss Knox was the killer, are flawed, contaminated, mishandled, and fabricated in some instances. The trial is just about over and I am praying this poor young woman comes home soon, she has been trapped in an Italian prison for coming up on two years. You have supporters Amanda.
The New York Yankees win the World Series yet again - All I can say is insert your favorite string of profanities here. They may have won, but they still suck.
Now for something to make you think...
"Sesame Street's" been swept, but the magic remains - You would be hard pressed to find anyone that hasn't grown up on Sesame Street. I will admit, I am not a fan of what it has become, but my little ones love their Elmo and they still get good out of it so it does still do it's job. The story us OG Sesame Street watchers need to read is by Katie McLaughlin ("Sesame Street's" been swept, but the magic remains). I know how the writer feels about the "cleansing" of my childhood mecca. What do you think? Let me know please.
OK, away I go until someone else gets me going. Remember to bundle up, take care of yourself, flu is out there and winter is coming.
Cheers, be indignant and be well.
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