What happened to journalistic integrity? Three major news stories this summer. All with major flaws. CNN used to be the serious news service; now I feel like I am watching FOX when I turn on Anderson Cooper and he is talking about dressing like Cher. WTF?
Poor Paula Deen. Yes, I said that...POOR PAULA DEEN! Have you ever used the N word? Yes, I have. When singing along with my favorite rappers..."all my niggaz, and my bitches" or when quoting one of the best movies of all time, Boyz N the Hood..."Nigga, please". So yes, I, a nondescript, middle class, white girl, from a quiet, upscale Boston suburb, with my Master's degree in education, HAS SAID THE N WORD.
Up here in the north, especially in New England, we like to keep our racism quiet and fill our lexicon with politically correct editions of just about everything. In the south, however, racism is right out in the open where everyone can see it. Either you are overtly racist or you are not. By now, and I mean 2013, I am sure racism is getting just as blurry as it is here in the north, but up until very recently, it was still quite evident.
When Paula Deen invited Oprah Winfrey and her best friend Gayle King to her home, I actually thought it was weird. Awkward even. Each of these super successful, self-made, intelligent, wealthy women knew the dividing lines they grew up with; but they decided to bite the bullet and cross those lines. I think I know why.
It is lonely at top. These women know what it is like to be a minority. Not black or white, Latino or Asian, rich or poor. What super successful, extremely wealthy, smart women know is this: as women in America we are still the minority. Think it is lonely at the top for a man? Try being a woman there. An African American woman. A single mother. So many strikes against them.
I honestly don't care if Paula Deen used the N word TWENTY YEARS AGO. I don't care if Oprah advised us to not eat beef, or if Martha Stewart was privy to insider trading. I don't care because men have been ruthlessly engaging in WHATEVER IT TAKES to get to the top and then some for CENTURIES. However, when women of any race, creed, color or character dip their toes into the land of the 1% they are crucified by the men and women who already are there...most of whom were born there or used illicit means to get there themselves. Capitalist societies are dog eat dog. Bark, bite and attack your way to the top and then lock the doggy door behind you so the next guy (or gal) can't come too.
American women should be very afraid. This racist country elected a black man as it's leader, before allowing a woman to take the seat
in the oval office. Where is feminism now?
Moving on...because I could go on that tangent for days and will at another time, I promise...the next story that adorned the headlines was no less relevant to the state of race in America: Treyvon Martin and the George Zimmerman trial.
After that kangaroo court, the entire country again goes up in arms over race. White-Hispanic? What is that? We don't call our president White-African-American, now do we? How convenient!
Here is my brief synopsis: a young, black, man was walking down the street. He was NOT the sweet, gentle, well-educated, well-behaved young man, that the media presented. He was a troubled, difficult young man, race irrelevant here, who was not buying a snack but rather ingredients to make some home made drug concoction. But hey, being young and black and male in America is no cake walk. He got into an altercation with an over zealous, self proclaimed neighborhood watchman (insert cop wanna be jokes here). Treyvon was probably shot in self defense. And it was probably an overly aggressive strike, and he certainly did not deserve to die. Unless of course he DID say to George, "you're gonna die tonight" in which case, well, every man for himself.
Regardless, or irregardless (since they mean the same thing) the laws of Florida allow Georgie to walk free. And really, what is the alternative? Send him to prison so we the taxpayers can foot the bill to house, feed and clothe him? Really? We can't bring Treyvon back, but we also didn't need to take yet another situation and allow the media to turn it into a three ring circus of race and gun laws either. Thanks, again, CNN.
Lastly, the Rolling Stone cover. Being a Bostonian, and knowing a lovely lady who was there, and her little boy injured, makes me have stronger feelings about this situation, than say, a Sandford, Florida resident. Not only was the cover of August Rolling Stone, in poor taste, unnecessary and just plain disgusting...it was the pathetic attempt of a failing rock and roll magazine to get everyone's attention. Well, it worked. But now most of us just want to burn it. Hey Rolling Stone, you are a rock and roll magazine! Put some musicians on your cover and know your place. Your are not Time, you are not Newsweek. You do not have the place in American journalism that you apparently think you have. Now you never will. You turned yourselves into nothing more than the National Enquirer. Now you can get off your high horse and go play in the sandbox with CNN and FOX news. They are bff's now.
Going to watch some Al Jazeera news now. Which would be great if the US didn't censor it. God bless America.
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