Friday, December 01, 2006

An Ode to O....

So my girl friend sent me this message today about the recent comments about Oprah made by Fifty Cent. And I asked her if I could put this up..
I really think this is something that we need to talk about.
Like Jay said: "I got rich and gave back, to me that's the win win..."



To Fifty
From Jes
Fifty needs to sit the hell down.

I really hate when people make UN-EDUCATED assumptions and GROSS generalizations about people and/or things that they know nothing about. Before he even opened his mouth…that wack rapper could have at least GOOGLED her. Geeze!!!

Its not our fault or her fault that Oprah is hugely supported by White Women ages 25 to 60?? If he had a brain, he’d realize that there are more of them than us! We are a minority.

But Anyway,

I am not even going to go down the list of Oprah’s contributions to our culture, success and growth as African people in AMERICA and in the entire African Diaspora.

I have had countless arguments, debates with African American people about Oprah being an “OREO” – and I always win my arguments and debates when it comes to Oprah…cause that woman has put her MONEY & her HEART where her Mouth IS. The facts are there...if you want to know them...

This woman has dedicated her entire life to our struggle and cause as a people…but most importantly black women. Not only in this nation…but on the entire Continent of AFRICA. PERIOD.

I am grateful for her and to her for telling OUR story through accurate depictions in her movies, TV shows, books & the countless number of films she produces...

She has exposed and shared with the world (WHITE PEOPLE too) our jewels and most prized possessions (Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Nikki Giovanni) our LEGENDS – she has given them a venue through her show that your Good Morning America’s and Regis & Kathy Lees NEVER DID and wouldn’t even dare to do.

She has given them (the world) a glimpse into the awesomeness of our best and brightest…

Through Oprah, our true and great story as women of color has had an opportunity to be accurately told.

Not only that – Oprah is a genius. She realizes that white supremacy and racism is REAL and rampant in our world.

SHE HAS SAID so NUMEROUS times in several interviews!!!! Fifty!! She knows that It is alive and breathing just as it was 600 to 1000 years ago.

She has been smart enough to use her star power and ability to capture audiences and use it as an avenue to tell a story that has been completely ignored in mainstream media and to hopefully change the mindset of our world. That story is the plight of African & African American women…and really all women of color across the world.

Why would or should she give attention to a worthless wanksta rapper like fifty??

Who isn’t really saying anything or talking about anything in his rhymes?? A rapper with no level of consciousness or awareness of who he is as a black man...(just my opinion)
I am completely offended by his ignorance and comments
Fifty is on my list....

He will be officially called out and talked about in all of my celebrity emails, articles, books and publications...

Fifty – YOU SUCK!!

Holla,
Jes


So my thing is this....I mean how much of OUR struggle do we put on the shoulders of a few of our Black Leaders...
MikeSee's Letter addresses this VERY topic...
Why is it that we expect to have a Black "savior" sweep down and solve ALL of our problems...
Don't get me wrong I am totally for a Movement, and every movement needs a leader...but EVERY movement needs the people...

When are WE as a people, as THE people, going to stop bringing each other down, acknowledge that American as a whole isn't ready for a Black President, and that we need to really get together for progression of ourselves and our community FIRST (local, state and regional agendas) and get that straight and TIGHT...BEFORE we can ever take on a national agenda...
I don't know people what do you think?

7 comments:

Blu Jewel said...

It's always those who aren't doing or saying any of positive influence that have the most to say. More is accomplished by being about it. Fifty's comments should be disgarded with the trash.

Anonymous said...

50 is ignorant and that is all I have to say about that. hey T.C. have a great weekend.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

The thing we have to realize about Curtis "Half-Dollar-Dry-Snitching-Azz" Jackson is that you can take the brother out of the hood, but not the hood out of the brother.

In this case, you can't take away 50's mentality that because he has money that he has power/respect/intelligence. Dudes in the hood think that way. Once they get money they automatically think they're thoughts are the right ones and they can school everybody.

This guy has become quite successful yet he still can't understand when he needs to keep his ignorant (not knowing) mouth shut. While I am not going to defend Oprah's entire stance on hip-hop, I do respect the fact that she specifically says she does not like the degredation of Black women that takes place in hip-hop music. If Oprah takes a stand it could start something very positive...It could.

The sad part about 50 is that you quoted Jay's line about getting rich and giving back. 50 doesn't even do THAT! So until he does something positive for the community and is sincere about it, why should we really care about his opinions, even when they aren't as outlandish and overtly uninformed as this one is. At least Jay-Z is keeping his word and giving back now and not making stupid comments about people who are actually doing positive things.

And everybody wants to hate on Oprah. I don't get it. How do you expect the richest black woman in the world to be able to relate to hip-hop? That shyt doesn't even make sense. Why would a woman of her stature listen to music that talks about women like her (black women) as if they're just sexual object for our (men) pleasure? And of course her audience is going to be white because there are more well-off (financially) white women out there than black women. And those are the people that Oprah can relate to and who can relate to Oprah.

The fact that he called her "white on the inside" shows that this lame is not intelligent enough to understand some of the most obvious socio-economic facts of the times we live in. If anything, her big-azz bank account makes her white, not her friggin' outlook on music, life, philanthropy, etc. Because in the big scheme of things, the income gap is being bridged, but whites are becoming more wealthier by the minute than any other nationality. So Oprah's wealth is increasing just like theirs while we are struggling just to keep up in terms of year-to-year income.

How can we respect a guy's opinion on real-life matters who's built a career out of tearing people down? Keep it music 50...Keep it music. You are by no means Michael Eric Dyson, Cornell West, or even Tavis Smiley.

Why am I still ranting about this dummy's comments?

Tiff, good luck with the surgery tomorrow. I will say a prayer for you!

Anonymous said...

Fity said some mess about Lauryn Hill's music as well. Where does he get off???

Peace,
Kep.

Anonymous said...

Ditto blujewel's comment. I would love to challenge 50 to do one goodwill deed that he thinks would have a profound and influential affect on people of the world. I wonder what he would come up with in leiu of all his fame and fortune. Would he just throw some money at an organization or touch a world's heart like Oprah does every single day? I'd be real interested to see...

T.a.c.D said...

@blujewel-EXACTLY!

@ladyj-who you tellin...

@mikesee-you said it right...I too think that she could take a better stand with regard to Hip Hop...but I can understand her views on the disrespect done with regard to women....& at least she and Jay-Z and do actually give back to the community in more ways than one... the surgery went OK..

@kep-yea he is off the hook...

@jac-I would love to challenge him to do something as well...I mean he doesn't do anything, that I know of for the community...He has given money to several public schools in NYC...BUT that's all that I know of...

I just don't think that 50 really understands what life is really all about...