un-mute.com

This is a response to the backlash of Don Imus.

So I have not in any interweb (it’s a series of tubes!) forum said anything about Don Imus. I really don’t want to, it’s been beaten to death and since I can’t make enough money to buy a bag of groceries at Whole Foods by talking about it I won’t. What has been on my mind and in my conversation is the way that Hip-Hop became the focus of the attention. Blame the rappers. They say those things. Oprah even had a show about it. Must mean something, cause Oprah is the offical American stamp of approval about anything. I’ve been sending her pictures of me to show on the air along with a resume and my likes and dislikes in a woman. If she ever gives me any shine I’m sure to have a cornucopia of job offers and an abundance of “lady friends” for the rest of my life (ladies, he can cook too!). I digress, what I have not heard except from a few individuals I interact with (Props to D.P). are these names:

Debra Lee - President andCOO of Black Entertainment Television

Sylvia Rhone - Exec VP of Universal Records

Judy Smith - Senior VP of Communications, NBC

Cheryl Boone Issacs - a Governer of the Board of Motion Picture Arts

Cathy Hughes - Chairman Radio One

What do all of these ladies have in common? All are sisters with high positions in the entertainment business. Why do I mention this? Because no one has mentioned trying to interview them in reference to these issues. No one has said in a public forum, “Hey, Debra Lee! What’s up with the crappy videos that debase women?” Let me guess, some of you are saying…they’re only one person! They can’t change the whole industry! You can’t just blame them! Why not? If any random rapper can be thrust into the spotlight because of such things then why not those who help select what we see and hear? Ever hear of the Whistle Blowers? They exposed some powerful corruption, I’m sure it wasn’t easy…but they felt it was worth it. Hold on…before I get into large issues concerning personal sacrifice (or cajones) let’s go another way. How many genre’s of Hip-Hop are there? Think of how many you know of and then consider how many you see in the store when you go to buy a CD. Now do the same with Rock & Roll, Jazz and so forth. Wikipedia has about…I don’t know how many genres listed for rock. You pull it up and count them, just looking at it made my eyes hurt. While all of these may not be represented at your local record store, I’m sure you’ll come across more listings than for Hip-Hop. Why is that? Is Hip-Hop really all the same? Just one organic globule from which one extracts what one needs (No Billy Hoyle) ? Here’s something else to ponder. I stopped listening to popular radio a few years back because I realized that if I listen for an hour I would hear what they planned to play for the entire day (I’m looking at you Radio One). Isn’t that curious? The jazz and oldies stations don’t do that. Why does the main source for Hip-Hop and R&B play the same things over and over. Is that all there is? Why haven’t I heard Talib Kweli on the Radio since the “Get By” Remix? I’m not sure how long it’s been since I heard a Mos Def joint. Little Brother, The Roots, KRS, Lupe…forget about it. I don’t live up top (B’more speak for NY) , but I don’t live in the boonies, so why would I just not hear these cats on the radio? Maybe I’ve lost you. So let me ask straight out: Is there more than one type of Hip-Hop? Is there more than a radio hour worth of Hip-Hop and R&B available at one time? Why doesn’t anyone question why we only hear certain things on the radio? If you’re anything like me (you might not be cause I’m a character) the majority of the music you buy isn’t played on the radio. You would also think that a majority of what’s on the radio is hot gah-bage (garbage). Finally you’d think that N.W.A and the groups that followed in their path over the next two decades did a pretty good job making it known just how messed up it is to grow up in the ghetto in America and that after 20 years people might stop regurgitating the same stories and start actually trying to do something about it. In less time than that I began working with people from areas like the one I grew up trying to help them change their lives…but whatever. Actually people probably still haven’t gotten the message because they’re shocked at something as simple as someone using the phrases; bitch, nigga, ho and so forth (I mean it’s all good in America, why would someone say anything like that). I learned a long time ago that it is easier to curse the darkness than it is to shine light. It doesn’t take as much energy to condemn an outcome as it does to try and deal with the process that creates it. It’s easier to ask people to play nice and not say “bad words” than it is to find out why they aren’t playing nice. Just as it’s easier to point at these people and label them the bad guys than to ask: “Why the hell is this even in the mainstream media?” If it’s such a big issue, why do I see cats who speak these “horrible words” (won’t someone please think about the children!?!?!) and hardly anyone else when I flip stations. How come I never heard Katrina Clap anywhere? By the way, did anyone show up to bail Mos Def out when he got locked up for doing that? Jesse, Al, anybody? Nevermind. So let’s see:

1. No one cares about the dudes who don’t rhyme like they have Tourette’s.
2. Everyone wants to challenge those who do use “negative terms”.
3. That’s really all the radio (and the T.V.) plays.
4. No one wants to challenge or ask the program directors and executive types what the deal is.

I’m trying to add this all up, but math was never my best subject. Here’s an idea, I’m going on a crusade. All diaper companies here this: Cease and desist your operations at once. You are enabling babies and infants. They need to go to the bathroom like everybody else. How dare you help them to walk around defecating on themselves? I won’t tolerate that from the dude who asks me for change every morning and I won’t tolerate it from them. I don’t care if they can’t walk. I recommend they get it in gear.

They need to cut out all that drooling also.

See that? I’m crusading to make the world a better place! Elect me to office! Give me a show! Listen to me! I’m really not sure which facet of this issue is the saddest. If there is a problem though, all are accountable so all should be challenged. I’m putting the people behind the desk on front street. When Janet’s nipple made it’s debut, the N.F.L. started being more careful about who they booked and what their show entailed. If it’s horrible for nigga, bitch and ho to be thrown about…isn’t it worse to be an (educated) black woman in a position of power who doesn’t oppose playing the songs and showing the videos that do it. If Burger King played porn in the store I’m sure people would say something to the manager, but they’d also be writing, calling and directing their venom at the corporate office. So in essence I guess what I’m saying is WTF!!!!!