Viola Davis Struts The Red Carpet Au Naturel !

I'm not a fan of "The Help".  I respect the talents of Ms. Davis although her viewpoint about the film as it related to her role and that time period is suspect.  On a less political and more cultural level...I must give props to her husband, Julius Tennon who encouraged her to drop the wig.  His quote, according to his wife is.. 'If you want to wear it for your career, that's fine, but in your life wear your hair. Step into who you are!'  Bravo to both of them for I'm sure the black blogosphere will have a lot to say about it and expect some cruel and disrespectful assessments of her appearance.  

Mr. Tennon and the incomparable Maestro Barry White summed it up well.  Enough said!
 

 

T.V. FORUMS ON TABOO TOPICS: 'THE DOCTORS' & 'DR. OZ' COMPETE ON WHO CAN GROSS US OUT THE MOST.

I've started this post with a focus on The Doctors and if you haven't seen this show lately, some of the topics have become quite explicit and at times, nauseating to say the least.

There are charts, animations, procedures on human beings and cadaverous body parts presented to really enhanced the importance of the subject matter.  Each show has become more sensational and we're learning more than we need or want to know about the staff, three of whom still have private practices.

Actually, I believe Dr. Mehmet Oz started all this when he was initially featured on the Oprah Show.  His over the top pronouncements and covered trays with a brain, intestines, heart and other internal organs became quite common.  His ability to coerce Oprah into promoting his message that Americans need a lifestyle change became so popular that he got his own show . The bottom line is--if we don't want our organs to look like the ones he borrowed from the hospital morgue after autopsies and such; we need to make a change.  I believe this is an aversive tactic and it may 'scare us straight' for a moment in time but over the long haul, it's usually ineffective.              

In his exuberance, he's revealed way too much about bedroom behavior between spouses and partners and frames it in such a way that certain acts have been deemed okay by the medical establishment.  I can't help but wonder about the aftermath when folks stand and ask very personal questions and for some reveal embarrassing quirks or health issues.  When the excitement of the event and attention ceases..will the memories and feedback become albatrosses once they return home or to  their social/familial/religious venues and places of employment? His show and that of 'The Doctors' compete on how they can become more sensational in their presentations on bedroom behaviors and obesity.  The latter I will visit later.  There was one particular Dr. Oz Show discussion on anal sex, vaginal noises and odor issues and frankly it was too much information.  What happened to the private consultations with your doctor or health professional to address these issues.  On some of the shows they will warn adults to remove their children because of content, however, that is about 5-10 seconds and many of us know what it's like to get children out of a room and it certainly doesn't happen within that time frame.  This is rather disingenuous--in my opinion, however, ratings rule!

"The Doctors' will discuss the hazards of obesity or being overweight and it's just about every show that one is ridiculed and lambasted for being so.  There are willing participants in the audience who will cry and go along with the 'public  flagellation', however, I see a disturbing public trend of harassment of overweight folks. It's become acceptable because the medical establishment has declared war on 'obesity' in all its various stages and by doing so has also declared war on their humanity. That I find objectionable.  I haven't seen Jillian Michaels of late on their show and I hope she doesn't return.  Many viewers believed her comments were obnoxious at times and very hurtful and may work on shows like  "The Biggest Loser" but they don't belong in medical forums. Dr. Oz is a co-conspirator and some of the remarks directed at the people on stage is rather stunning and then attempts to put salve on the wound comes off as rather messy.  In some therapeutic circles it's labeled the "kick-stroke" approach.  You reveal a hurtful fact or behavior that is causing the dysfunction and follow-up with a behavior or characteristic that is life affirming and admirable about that individual. 

I trust that this doesn't come off as prudish to some, however, when medicine collides with marketing and ratings--the results aren't always helpful or healthy.  What is insidious about some of these programs is that their solutions and helpful information for some of our physical/medical problems aren't always cost efficient or realistic especially for the average American.  It doesn't hurt their private practices as well! 

Disclaimer:  These are my views and my views alone.  Most public medical forums can and do serve a purpose, however, some of the presentations and how they are marketed at times can sabotage the best intentions.

IS THERE A NEED FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH ?

Photo Credit: wfp history

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Courtesy: BayView

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Ahh...February is upon us and again I must ask myself ....is this really necessary and why just a month and the shortest one at that? There are pros and cons expressed by many on the benefits of celebrating the achievements of black people in this country.  It's been written that it serves the purpose of informing the general public that we aren't deadbeats and under the most trying circumstances black people have contributed significantly to the growth of America.  Free labor notwithstanding, but also in the fields of science, agriculture, technology, education and the arts. A counterpoint expressed is that it separates us from mainstream society and that we are citizens and it should be a part of American history.  I'm a baby boomer and very little about black people other than a paragraph or two on slavery and George Washington Carver were a part of history books during the 50's and 60's.  Most recent history textbooks are lacking with questionable information as well.  It's also been my understanding that there is a new twist to the revisionist movement afoot that diminishes the horrifying  and contradictory aspects of this country's history in ways that are astounding and disingenuous.

There are some news outlets in the black community that use this month to feature up and coming 'movers' and 'shakers'  which for many redirects the focus on the now and the future talents of black folks.  They understand the past and how significant the contributions have been and in most cases ignored or diminished, yet, choose to mainly concentrate on what members of our community are doing now.

I've chosen for this post to look back for I truly believe that if we don't learn from history we keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again.  Given the current climate in this country, I can't help but wonder if we are undergoing another post-reconstruction crisis.  Briefly, for those who haven't heard of the Post-Reconstruction Period in this country after the civil war; it was a time when blacks were elected to office and experiencing freedom in ways that were astounding.  The southern whites became threatened and enraged over this development and began terrorizing people of color.  Lynching innocent black folks, taking away their voting rights through intimidation/murder and segregation laws were among many oppressive tactics at that time.  These practices continued until the civil rights movement of the 50's and 60's were effectively dramatized on the world stage despite earlier incidents of blacks attempting to become first class citizens.  The election of Barack Obama as President has again from my point of view stirred those forces of xenophobia, hate and anxiety over the diminishment of white supremacy.  Code phrases like 'taking our country back' are framed within a distorted view of our Constitution and Bill of Rights. This President has had to withstand a substantive  amount of disrespect and openly racist remarks during the primaries and after his election.  There has been a dramatic increase in hate groups and their ideologues have permeated mainstream society.   

I try to imagine what it must have been like for Nat Turner and many other slavery opponents, e.g., Denmark Vesey and Charles Deslondes meeting in the woods to plot how they were going to gain their freedom.  Harriett Tubman who with great courage and fortitude led groups of slaves to the north and on one occasion had indicated that "I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves".  I can think of a few modern day folks who remind me of the latter...but I digress.  That meeting at Harper's Ferry between Frederick Douglas and John Brown debating the merits of armed conflict is so fascinating to me.  Oh if there was such a thing as time travel...it would be breathtaking just to sit on a stump nearby and listen to the dialogue between these great freedom warriors.  The former died of old age and the other a broken man who was hanged--for you see..he didn't consider that slavery not only shackles the body but the mind as well.  As a woman it would be an honor to have known Ida B. Wells.  Fierce, unrelenting, unafraid in tackling the most egregious events that the government avoided addressing for an extended period--lynchings!

In many ways, I think she was an unsung heroine.  There have been books written about her that I've read, yet, the sacrifices she made during so many facets of her life to stop this obscene practice stretches the realm of probability.  Imagine, just how thrilling it must have been to have sat in the audience May 8, 1909 listening to her speech 'This Awful Slaughter' at the NAACP's first annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia.  She and the others helped pave a way when there were very few mechanisms to do so and added substance to  hope and faith.

My response to the question at hand is a resounding YES.  A more effective use of venues to disseminate information is required and less on shallow displays such as company cafeterias serving soul food to commemorate the month. We need it  more now than ever and  wherever the opportunity arises to counterpoint revisionism and to remind the world that lest we forget...the chances that we will repeat become 10-fold.

Links:

Revisionist History-High School Textbooks

Huffington Post- Michael Keegan on Revisionism

The Grio on the Need for Black History Month

The SPLC on Hate Groups

PBS.Org on African American History - Lynchings

Black Past.Org - Ida B Wells - This Awful Slaughter
Here's Why So Few People Know About Northern Slavery  (Updated)