On Melanin, Mermaids, and Well Water

The white folx out here mad about Black elves, mermaids, and extraterrestrials in television shows and films are the same white folx who are also mad whenever Black folx, Black women, in their workplaces get leadership roles, promotions, and salary increases.

The waters of their hate and intolerance in both instances are pumped from the same well.

Don't act like this hate is about "preserving the source material," "honoring the original novels," or anything like that. It's about white folx preserving what they think is theirs, what they believe is owed to them. It's about believing their identity is the only identity that matters at work and in the media they consume. It's about the unwillingness to sit with the belief that heroes and leaders can be green, orange, pale, have face ridges, pointy ears, fangs, tails, and a whole lot of other incredulous things going on, but them being Black? That's "too much." Why?

Because they believe Black people aren't heroes or protagonists, they believe Black people can't be leaders and experts in their fields. They can't be heroes. They can't be the main character of the story. They can't lead industries and shape workplaces. Why?

For many white people, Blackness being anything more than chattel slavery and centuries of systemic oppression is unbelievable. For them, being Black and a leader and protagonist is more of a fantasy than hobbits, elves, mermaids, explorers, leaders, and superheroes. For many white people, Black folx are and will always be less than, which means that we're not worthy of being heroes, leaders, protagonists, or new interpretations of stories and characters that whiteness has deemed white classics.

Some white people need to own that they want their workplaces, television, films, and literature to prescribe to 3/5 Compromise logic. Own who you are and what you believe. You'll still be foolish and hateful, but you won't look as silly as some white person on the internet raging over a mermaid being Black when their ancestors threw my ancestors' deceased or weary Black bodies off of slave ships to the bottom of the ocean.

Never mind. You'll still look just as silly.

Your white supremacy is showing. Might wanna tuck that in.

On Dog Power and the Dangers of White Feminists in Film

Beware of the woke white feminist filmmaker. From The Grio:

“Jane Campion is in a bit of hot water after a controversial comment about Serena and Venus Williams at the Critics Choice Awards.

Campion won best director at the 27th annual Critics Choice Awards on Sunday for her Netflix film, The Power of the Dog. During her acceptance speech, she made comments about the legendary tennis players.

At first, Campion seemed to praise the Williams sisters, who were in attendance in support of the film King Richard, a biopic about their father and tennis coach, Richard Williams.

“Venus and Serena, what an honor to be in the room with you,” Campion said. “I’ve taken up tennis. I really have, and when you want to come over and give me lessons, I’d truly love it.”

Then, after acknowledging her fellow nominees as “the guys,” she ended the speech by evoking the Williams sisters again. “Serena and Venus, you are such marvels. However, you do not play against the guys like I have to.”

Campion was making a statement about the competition she faces amongst male directors. She is only the third female filmmaker to win best director at the Critics Choice Awards. She was nominated with Paul Thomas Anderson, Kenneth Branagh, Guillermo del Toro, Steven Spielberg, and Denis Villeneuve, as reported by Newsweek.

However, many viewers felt Campion referring to the Williams sisters during her speech was unnecessary and uncomfortable and expressed those views on social media.”

UGH.

She won a damn award, and she somehow couldn't stop herself from levying out a microaggression and playing a game of oppression Olympics while belittling two of the greatest athletes in world history as her possible future tennis instructors DURING HER ACCEPTANCE SPEECH. Like, who decides to use their acceptance speech at an award show to take shots at Black women?

White people, that's who.

I'm not even shocked. And you shouldn't be either. White women do this kind of thing in workplaces every day, centering themselves and their struggles as more prevalent and important than those of other women and femmes even when they are in the power position. Sure, Campion has had to fight for her space in Hollywood. But like most white women, she was fighting for spaces and opportunities for white women and not for all women. To allude that Venus and Serena have not had to overcome whiteness, white men, in their sport is ludicrous. Take a glance at who runs the international and national governing bodies of tennis. You'll see a sport governed by whiteness and white men. You don't even need to look that hard to see this. Venus and Serena's accomplishments speak for themselves, especially when you place them under the lens of having to fight for space in a white supremacist, patriarchal structure. There's a reason a movie was made about them and their father. Jane Campion throwing shade at Black women via a backhanded compliment shows how threatened she is by their presence and likely the presence of all Black women she comes in contact with.

This ain't no isolated incident, y'all.

This was something she's done before outside of the public eye that tumbled out on stage for all to see.

Campion's speech exemplifies how many white people, white women, view their struggles as more worthy of a platform and applause, even when their whiteness comes with power and privilege that allows them to achieve success with fewer hurdles.

Enjoy your award, Jane.

On Hot-Takes, Work Ethic, and Wealthy Reality TV "Stars"

If you're a person of privilege who scolds those who don't have the privilege that you have about what you perceive to be their work ethic?

You're legitimately out of touch with what 99% of people in the United States deal with every day.

If you're a multiracial woman with white privilege who has always had it easier than others due to your father's notoriety, family money, and your willingness to put every aspect of your life on television in return for celebrity and cash?

It would be best if you weren't sharing any hot takes about what you perceive as the work ethic of 99% of U.S. Americans.

And if your business advice to women who are starting or looking to start new chapters in their lives and be entrepreneurs is to "get their f---ing asses up and work," followed by "it seems like nobody wants to work these days"?

You're a tool. An insensitive, disconnected, patriarchal, elitist, classist tool. And you're another hurdle, another obstacle in the way of women in the United States having opportunity and equity.

I think it's time for entertainment media to stop interviewing wealthy reality TV stars whose only exposure to the 99% of us who don't have their wealth and privilege is their maid or nanny.