I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Talking about topics and people who through a potent combination of contributing factors create combustible Polarization; while some sweat I'm in my element because America is one big funhouse mirror any damned way. Sex, Race, Politics and Religion impact all of us in some form or fashion and recently they've galvanized their considerable power in the person of one Lolo Jones. As a man in his 40's with a daughter in her 20's i couldn't help but feel something when i saw the young lady break down in a national TV interview over a NY Times Article that likened her to Anna Kournakova. It didn't improve matters that her teammates Dawn Harper and Kellie Wells complained about the coverage her "story" received during the Olympics and how it obscured the accomplishments of much more successful teammates. It seems we as Americans who create a culture driven on attractiveness never complain until we are on the outside of said attractiveness. The Women who complained are clearly beautiful in their own right and i cant see any of them sitting at home on a Saturday Night but somehow the decisions of some white guy in a suit is still being attributed to a teammate; someone they sweat and worked hard with. I see Serena William's beautiful African American (see Bootylicous) Body everywhere in Ads, commercials and Pop Culture and yet Lolo is lambasted for having "That Vanessa Williams" look...all to the delight of white media members. If it is about the money then say it, a lot of male athletes aren't shy about saying " I should be paid more than that guy" because i'm better than him. But saying that would put the Lolo discussion in a different place wouldn't it?, Gabby Douglass isn't in that Bi Racial Vanessa Williams mold and yet somehow she bailed her family out of bankruptcy with her marketing appeal despite the ridiculous snickering about her hair. This is the United States of Attractiveness and when we went down this purely biological path we opened a Pandora's box of subjectivity and Majority standards of beauty. Black folks have dealt with this since the Bullwhip Days and cases like Lolo's reminds us that the Post Traumatic Stress from this Matrix engineered by Slave masters is still with us. We tend to single out and pick on 30 year old bi racial girls but never confront our Greek Sororities for maintaining skin shade standards that have been in place for over 100 years. We all have suffered the sting of rejection purely on physical features, but we never seem to pass on the exceptions given from people who do find us cute now do we?.
The author of the New York Times piece opined that males are never the subjects of unwarranted attention based on their level of attractiveness; he need only look of his window because the New York Jets have TWO QB's who have benefited from Madison Avenue. Neither would be considered a Top 10 Quarterback in the NFL. Mark Sanchez had a GQ spread before he took a snap and do you think women would gush about Tim Tebows virginity if he wasnt 260 lbs of Grade A American Beef? Really?. Cue the shirtless running in the rain Tebow video again, trust me there are women who cant tell you what a Touchdown is who will sit down and watch HIM. Jones is in a Capitalistic system and DESERVES what she can negotiate, I'd be willing to bet this writer (Jere Longman) is making more money than several superior scribes because he asked for it. Male Sports are Marketed off of perceived notions and Male attractiveness all of the time, to hear analyst talk about Quarterback Prospects in vague terms like "look the part" and "own the room" is a form of bias favoring guys who merely look "Commanding". Dawn Harper on some level deserved to run the 100 meter final in her own Nike sponsored shoes but as Jackie Joyner Kersey said "everyone wants to be marketed, but not everyone is marketable". Knocking Jones for trumpeting her story is knocking sports, why else do some people call Sports "Soap Opera's for Men"? We actually call men who play games heroes and we have a 24 hr. Channel dedicated to telling us their stories, to the point where we have a nation of men who worship men they THINK they know. Reality Shows have already proven we will watch attractive people do just about anything regardless of how culturally worthless so why cant we revel in the "story" and sex appeal of one of the Top hurdlers in the world?.
The Real Story is Secularism in Media and the Venom shown toward Christians
So called "Live and Let Live" Progressives go after people like Jones and Tebow as if this were a battle for the souls of their unborn. I see Propaganda everywhere; because dammit it seems to be the case nowadays. If an individual is so secure in their secularism shouldn't they be able to look at women like Jones and say 'so what? i mean she is stating personal principles right?. I prefer to view it all as Chris Rock would, on some things I'm conservative and others more liberal and i just cant see how Christian Athletes/Sex symbols rank very high on my attack list. I'm sure Jones isn't the only athlete featured in the ESPN nude issue that adheres to some form of Religion, she's just the only one who talked about it. Anyone can take a look at someone from the outside and reduce them to Vixen-Virgin-Victim but how thoughtful and nuanced is that?. Do we attack certain people who have a set of values we've failed at because we failed? is it easier to say "who the hell does this chick think she is" than "good for her"?. I wish i hadn't become sexually active as early as i did but i don't take that reality out on Tebow because his Virginity allowed him to reach his potential without distraction. I can look at him and be secure enough that our God loves me too; i just need a lot more practice like he does throwing the damned ball. Cynicism is akin to cowardice and we live in a Culture that rewards boorish obstinant and attacks people who TRY to abide by a Moral Compass then we are a nation of cowards. And i say this as someone who grew up as Narcissistic and screwed up as any American kid, i can look at Jones from the view of someone who didn't try very hard and say that i appreciate her effort to BE a certain way.
And now for what the Chilluns call "Keepin it 100"
Muhammad Ali told you in the most graphic, cringe worthy racially divisive terms and you ate it up because he looked good saying it. Celebrity never meant "accomplished", we've elevated women for sex tapes in this country, we've also anointed crass women like Paris Hilton who i may add shares the same qualities (Tall, Thin, blond, Blue eyes) that Hitler advocated as examples of a "Master Race". A "Modern" Celebrity is anyone who can do any mundane thing while being absolutely gorgeous and this is already proven. Competency is always second when it comes to putting a face on your products or commercials, Madison Avenue will only sell things to you with people you wish you could be-long gone is the spokesperson you can relate to or trust. The first Televised Presidential debate was in 1959, JFK was a bundle of nerves before Frank Sinatra pointed out it was in the bag. Sinatra knew that once those lights came on it was no longer how it is, but how it looks. Jere Longman should know that the very President we have now pimped his personal story and was the first Celebrity Candidate of this magnitude since JFK. And deep down Black Folks know if Obama were any darker, any shorter, any less easy on the eyes we would not have witnessed his historic election, a lot of US would have stayed home because he didn't "look" like he could do it. In 2008 the Republicans knew they were dealing with a Rock Star and just happened to bring in the Hottest Female Governor in Politics, they didn't even bother to vet her!. When she was exposed as an empty vessel the Momentum surrounding her only intensified. Yeah, Lolo Jones fits a "type" and yet all of you reading this are partial to a certain type of person. Many of us if we think real hard can trace our most hurtful romantic heartbreaks to a certain "type" of man or woman, and yet we still find ourselves bending over backwards when we see them coming again. Why? because we too are like Madison Avenue, we know what we like and we will dig deeper in our pockets and psyche to rationalize wanting to associate ourselves with it, so is it really Lolo or is it how "Low Down" the Laws of Attraction make you feel?.
No comments:
Post a Comment