Bill Cosby needs a muzzle

I really liked Bill Cosby when he was the silly jello guy, when he had the show with smart aleck kids and when he was a Huxtable but now, in his self-hatred series, he is very unattractive. When he gave that speech at Howard a few years(?) back and talked about black people on welfare and not speaking correct English and having babies out of wedlock, most folk were conflicted. We agreed we have some problems as a people and poor black people definitely have some issues to contend with but where was the love? (And isn't Black English a language? Ask James Baldwin) And did he offer any suggestions or ways in which he was going to pitch in to help with a resolution? This might as well be a rhetorical question. Last night I saw a video of his recent speech to Katrina survivors in which he berated them and essentially told them Katrina was God's punishment for theirs being a city of sinners - drinking, impregnating 11 and 12 year olds, etc. It was painful to watch. As my ex-husband used to say are you helping or hindering? What kills me is Cosby is certainly no saint. Don't most of us remember his tabloid fodder a few years back that couldn't have made Camille too happy... Why does he think this is okay to do? I suppose because no one is telling him to shut the....up (except maybe Michael Eric Dyson). Al Sharpton was on stage behind Bill looking surprised or embarrassed or like he ate something that was upsetting his stomach. Jesse Jackson should just go ahead and pimp slap Cosby before he puts both feet in his mouth. Oops -- too late.

The Black America's Next Top Model Report

I missed the show last week but was determined to see it this week. What do I like about it, you wonder. I find Tyra interesting in the way tries to portray herself as a "homegrrl". This week she did this fake falling out thing as a prelude to the girls' improv sessions. Danielle got ragged on about her Southern accent and Tyra kept trying to imitate it and told her she must learn not to speak that way. Danielle responded, "Yes ma'am" in her sweet, country way. Furonda (I just love black names! Her mother probably has a fur fetish and wanted it in her baby's name some kind of way. Maybe she tried "Furocious" or "Furina" or "Furelle..." before she picked Furonda) won the improv challenge and landed a spot on "Veronica Mars" and actually did quite well even though I don't like her in that weave or whatever it is. Jade continues to glow bitchilly (is that a word?) She tried to manipulate Nena (sp?) with her boyfriend drama and then cracked on Furonda's complexion in her rap session with Nick Cannon. Jay said she acted/looked like a drag queen when she did her commercial. She is a hot mess but even though she was one of the final two, I knew they would not let her go because she provides all the drama. Next week it looks like Nena will be the bitch. Why are the black girls playing the bitch roles this go round? That's traditional tv reality show fare I suppose but I hoped (naively?) ANTM was a little different. Anyway, my pick thus far is Nena but she's stressing out - why didn't she just hang up on the dude and why does she listen to anything Jade has to say? - and I don't think it's time yet for them to pick another black ANTM so I also have dibs on Leslie, who appears to be a "person of color," I think.

On another topic: saw Take the Lead last night. Enjoyed it with caveats. Antonio Banderas, YaYa (of ANTM), the brother from "Finding Forrester," Alfre Woodard as a weird-acting principal. Cute dance movie with some racial stereotyping - why do the black kids have to live in the projects with drug addict or prostitute parents and have deceased siblings killed by gunfire? Why do we always have to have the white (or in this case, Spanish) man come in to rescue the "at risk" black kids? The director obviously is a video director because she kept cutting away from the dancing or cutting into it so that you could never see the whole dance or even the entire move. Some improbable story lines as well with the white debutante and the big black dance partner...be for real. But if you're not looking for something deep or innovative, it's fun.

Is "The Sopranos" racist? and other things

Anyone see The Sopranos tonight? It featured a rapper and rapper-wannabe complete with "blinged-out" girlfriends and gunshots. One of them paid Tony's brother-in-law $7000 to shoot him in the thigh (although he did it in his butt) to increase his potential record sales and "street cred." Yes there was the requisite black nurse (for balance?) who caused Tony to say that the hospital staff was like "the United Colors of Benneton." The main rapper even referred to his boy as "nigga." Was that just a legit way to call someone a nigga on the show? I don't know...the whole rapper-thing kind of rubbed me wrong. Comments?

Got an interesting blog comment from "Eternal Blackness" who was responding to my last post about the stripper raped at Duke. EB said black rappers don't care about their women so why should anyone else. A bit disturbing I thought since I believe we should ALL care about one another and that it's not okay to rape anyone anytime.

On a lighter note -- Kimora and Russell are apparently splitsville. (Yes if you didn't know already I am an admitted fashion-culture-junkie.) This marital demise is kind of surprising to me even though when I think about it I never perceived any true intimacy or chemistry between them as I have with folks like Jada and Will and Denzel and Pauletta, etc.