the young people's professor

• Now lets be frank, the DREAMGIRLS posters are making me nervous. Why do the ladies look like cheap drag queens? Someone couldn’t take care of these burnt-kitchen wigs? And no shade, not to be Frank (I cant help it though) but I finally heard Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of “And I am Telling You I’m Not Going” and I’m less than impressed. Maybe im being too critical, I guess there will never be another Jennifer Holiday. Lets hope that Hudson rips the other songs on the soundtrack. It would be a shame if she blows this part, because homegirl really can saang. Just listen to this 10 second performance she gave for the D.C. black gay boys a few months back at a popular club….lets hope she lives up to all the hype.

• Lets be frank….Uhm, excuse me but when did Africa become the newest white girl trend? From Madonna’s stolen baby, to Angelina’s latest shiny black son, to Kate Moss’s ridiculous “minstrelsy in the name of AIDS” fiasco, it seems as though buying black people is back in style. Question: while Madonna, Angelina, Kate and the rest of the Western world is busy “rescuing” Africa from itself, are their black nannies here at home getting a salary increase? Oh…

• You know what, I gotta be frank about something: I hate cops. I never thought the day would come when I would turn into the (stereo)typical young black man that hates the police. But actually, that’s exactly what I have become. I can honestly say that I hate the NYPD collectively. Period. As a person who grew up in mostly poor and working class black communities, cops were always imagined as local terrorists, as people to be avoided, temperamental tyrants. Never were police officers imagined as individuals that (black) people would feel comfortable approaching as symbols of “protection.” Instead cops were to be held in suspicion, feared, hated. As a grown man, nothing has changed for me. Walking through the streets of New York and riding the subway I regularly see police officers harassing, smacking up, punking out, abusing, and just plain old “fucking with” young brothers for any and every reason. Black New Yorkers, honestly when are we going to do something about this? Collectively, can we say “enough is a fucking ‘nough” to systematic police brutality in New York City?
• Which brings me to my next "frank" observation….Guilani for President? Are you fucking kidding me? It amazes me how quickly a national tragedy (September 11^th) can taint peoples grasp on historical reality. You dont need a PhD in political science to understand why Guiliani was one of the worst Mayors in the history of New York City for people of color. First of all, it was under Guiliani’s fascist and overtly racist regime that the NYPD first developed into the military unit that it is today. Have we forgotten that it was under Guiliani’s “no tolerance==shoot black people” era that we witnessed three of the most brutal police murders and beatings in recent New York City history (Amadou Diallo, Anthony Baez, and Abner Louima)? Uhm, have we forgotten that it was under Guiliani’s regime, particularly his infamous “quality of life” campaign, that homeless people, the working class, and queer youth of color all became easy targets for massive gentrification (i.e. Harlem and the Christopher Street pier) and incarceration? Have we forgotten that September 11^th saved Guiliani’s public image and re-cast him as a “hero” when in fact he was and is a racist totalitarian bastard? I haven’t forgotten. But maybe I’m just too fucking frank.
• Now lets be motherfucking Frank, Ballroom Rockstar has a wonderful premise, but can someone please get these people a copy editor? (never mind a Managing editor and a real Masthead). Can I NOT have to open up a black gay magazine and feel like I need to pull out my red pen and mark up 1,000 grammatical and syntactical errors in each issue? And its no shade. I’m just being Frank. Oh, and since I’ve been subtly accused of slandering Rockstar in the past, I’d just like to go ahead and set the record straight for once and for all. I am actually a huge advocate of the efforts of Elton Carpenter, Raymond Greene, and the CEO of Global Pheonix Inc. I like them a lot. I hope that none of my critiques of the publication are mistaken as critiques of these individuals. Quite the opposite actually. They get much love from me. Also, I thought it was nice that I was listed in their October "Top 40" list of ballroom competitors. But ultimately, I think that the unprofessionalism of one particular leading figure at the publication has ultimately alienated Rockstar from a lot of opportunities because of his growing reputation for extreme cattiness, political naivety, and straight-up Niggadom. I hadn’t planned on commenting on this in public (mind you, when I was originally asked to write for Rockstar a year and a half ago I gladly agreed), but since this person has not only attempted to block me from writing me for the publication but has also “bad mouthed” me to other magazines and members of the house-ball community, I just thought I’d go ahead and make it hot. You know who are you are and homeboy you don’t want a day. Trust me. Now, next topic. I’m done being Frank here.
• But Lets Be Frank now, Beyonce’s new single “Irreplacable” is everything! And did anyone notice hot boy Bobby in the video? Remember him from CLIK Magazine a few months back? Well alright now!
• Frankly speaking, I cant wait to see the hot ass boys in the Alvin Ailey Dance company once again this winter. Ailey is always one of my holiday favorites, it’s a tradition for me.

Ah, I just love being Frank. Don’t you?

Posted by the young people's professor on 11/17/2006 at 9:44:00 AM | Permalink