Aunt Jemima's Revenge: August 2010

Monday, August 2, 2010

Words For Warfare: The Slow Sad Death Of Essence Magazine Edition

“If there were balance in the industry, if we didn’t have a history of being ignored and disrespected…if more mainstream fashion media included people of color before the ONE magazine dedicated to black women “diversified” it would feel different.” - Michaela Angela Davis

The Disappointed Soul Sista's Solution To The Slow Sad Death Of Essence Magazine

I stopped subscribing to Essence magazine when long-time editor-in-chief, Susan L. Taylor left in 2000. I stopped buying Essence from the newsstand on a occasional basis when Time Inc. purchased the magazine and began filling issues with more advertisements than stories, particularly advertisements that had little to due with improving, enhancing, or enriching the lives of African American women. The slow death of Essence Magazine had begun then, the essential magazine for African American women from 18 to 80 was beginning it's transformation into a high gloss version of Vogue magazine in blackface.

I haven't personally bought a copy of Essence since 2001, only poaching a copy from a random culturally sensitive doctor or dentist's office or flipping through my mom's copies when I was visiting her during Christmas. She has since let her subscription lapse shortly after President Barack Obama got elected. My sister was never a fan of the magazine, but she too, had enjoyed random issues from time to time. Just like many other black women, Essence Magazine was a regular staple and standard in my life, my hard-earned travels to become a grown-ass black woman.

In the last ten years, Essence has become a shadow of it's former self. Slow to report on cutting edge issues in the African American community, way to fast to become a lightweight Hollywood promotional tool, clueless and tentative on issues where black women needed a fearless advocate. Current editor, Angela Burt-Murray continues to fail to impress, remember her tone-deaf words of wisdom during CNN's Black in America series? What About Our Daughters offers a blistering take-down of Burt-Murray's seriously stupid response to the latest controversy over Essence recently hiring it's first non-African American fashion editor.

Just a thought, but it would have made more sense if Burt-Murray had called out the long tradition of black women journalists long struggle to be hired at white women's magazines instead of calling out her loyal black female readership. Think about her choice for a long while. Which group was easier to attack? Others have lots to say on this issue, here, here, here, here, and here. For me, I'll let one my black female heroes speak on this issue in the Words For Warfare post above.

My only questions are why isn't one of most cutting edge black fashion directors in the nation being asked to work at Essence during it's 40th anniversary year? Isn't time to be celebrating instead of creating controversy? Why did it take so damn long for Essence to find a fashion editor in the first place? Something is stinking up the joint big time here. How can a magazine that is primarily about fashion, struggle so hard to find a fashion editor? And what happens the first time Ms. Placas screws up with something that is perceived as a racial slight or faux pas?

What I really can't stand is all the pointless anger and inaction that the slow, sad, death of Essence Magazine has generated. Keep it simple folks. Don't get angry, get even. Stop buying Essence, period. I did it, you can do it too. There is no rule that says black women need to keep buying it. If you don't like the direction of the magazine, put it down! Keep it moving. Start reading Clutch Magazine or many of the numerous blogs written by black women for black women.

How about starting a new magazine? Put it online, get some money or ads for a print edition, put it on stolen copy paper from work written in crayon, I don't care, just do something other than whine about how Essence sold out black women. That's what white women would do! And we already knew that Essence had sold out to big time publications when Time, Inc. bought it, so lets stop acting brand new here. Let's be the bad ass black women Essence magazine used to tell us we could be in the era of Susan L. Taylor.

African American Male Athletes Still Living Up To Same Old Stereotypes.....Sigh.....

It's been a bad few weeks for black male athletes, from the horrible news of the murder of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright, to the undeserved second chances of Jeremiah Masoli and Maurice Clarett, the reckless stupidity of Tyreke Evans, and the great flame-out of Delonte West.

Spare me the argument that black athletes don't get into anymore or less trouble than white athletes. And spare me the argument that one black bad apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch, girl, either. I'm sick and tired of watching these guys throw away golden opportunities on thoughtless acts of criminal activity, seriously bad decisions, and a complete full refusal to grown up.

I am sick and tired of black athletes that don't conduct themselves as professionals and expect to be forgiven for acting like jackasses every time they screw up. Sometimes things are what they are. You don't get a 21 million dollar bonus in April and show up to training camp in August as an out-of-shape, unprepared, and disruptive presence for your team, your damn job.

I'm tired of the excuses for these guys. God knows what in the hell Lorenzen Wright was doing that got him killed. And if Tyreke Evans had killed himself or someone else going 120 mph on the highway, everyone would have been talking about wasted potential and other sad stories. Maurice Clarett should have done his class work at Ohio State the first time he was there instead of worrying about the NFL.

And instead of stealing laptops, Jeremiah Masoli should have had his ass in his dorm room, then he would be a NFL draft pick instead of hoping and wishing at Ole Miss in the fall. And if Delonte West gets lucky and is picked up by another NBA team, let's hope he takes his damn bi-polar meds and goes to a shrink.

By the way Dennis "Ugly As Homemade Sin" Rodman made the news today.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

What If You Threw A Diversity Tea Party And Nobody Came? Some Tea Party Folks In Philadelphia Found Out Real Quick

You plan a "Uni-Tea" diversity function for the Tea Party Movement which has a little bitty problem with racist signs and slurs at it's previous events and you invite confirmed racist Andrew "I Ain't Never Apologizing To Shirley Sherrod" Breitbart to speak. How does that event turn out?

Well...you get a handful of colored folks and those folks seems to be the same chitlin-eating, sell-out negroes, you had on your team in the first damn place. The same black folks who skipped past all the racist signs and didn't hear the racist slurs, in their big ass hurry to run over and kiss all Tea Party ass they could find.

Better luck next time.

When You Look Like The Daily Caller's Mark "Who Let The Dogs Out" Judge You Really Shouldn't Be Calling Other Folks Ugly

The dude above with the uber-thin lips, squirrelly eyes, receding hairline, and road map wrinkled face wrote some pointless piece of junk calling some of his fellow journalists ugly. This dude must not have any mirrors in his crib.

The Stupidest Woman In America Hands Down Is Sarah Palin - Hair Weaves, Hand Notes, And Random Half-Baked Thoughts

Could you see this dumb bunny meeting with various Heads of State with random stuff written on her hand? Their names or their countries? Folks are serious about this idiot being the next President of the United States. Our country would become a laughingstock.