A close second in the Negro Nitpicking Sweepstakes came the critique that Michelle Obama was wrong for not wearing at least one black designer on inauguration day. Um... she wore designs by a Latina and an Asian American -- tell me we're not back to the idiot days of the Obamas having to prove they're down for black folk. More importantly, her husband just appointed African Americans as UN Ambassador and ATTORNEY GENERAL. Personally, I think black America stands to benefit more from a top down opposition to racial profiling than either Obama checking off to-dos on this byzantine blackness list.
Here is a useful bit of information that we might reflect upon during the next four years: Barack Obama is the President, not the host of Soul Train.
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Or another people who attended HBCUs. Ugh. Jelani on the silly-ass Negro Nitpicking Sweepstakes:
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"Here is a useful bit of information that we might reflect upon during the next four years: Barack Obama is the President, not the host of Soul Train."
Best line of the day........
Barack Obama is the President, not the host of Soul Train.
That's beautiful.
Yeah. I shoulda quoted that. Hope you don't mind if I do.
So when Michelle Obama does wear something by a Black designer, we can expect Uncle Juan Williams to have a hissy fit claiming she's resurrecting the ghost of Stokely Carmichael?
Dashikis and afro-puffs for everyone!
As we all know, this is the time we will realize that there are thousands of Ann Coulters in our community--those whose thinking faculties are polluted with a pungent/irritating agent. They can't zip their dirty mouth a second. They can't join the throng of thinkers in our society to be relevant henceforth.
Barack, stay far away from this corrosive forces currently represented by Irish moron and cocoon black folks.
TNC, we love you! You are our hero here.
I guess if I'm looking for an upside here, it's that people like Juan Williams are reduced to this sort of ridiculousness because there's really no other stuff to go at them with. But still, it's sad.
I was just about to comment on that last line but I see people have beat me to it so I will just fifth that emotion and say big ups to Jelani. The whole post was on point.
Ooooooohhh, DAMN, that was the line.
"Negro Nitpicking Sweepstakes"
I'm not sure if I'm allowed to laugh at that or not, but it's hilarious.
Laugh all you want, Tessa.
YES.
A good friend of mine attended an inauguration watch party sponsored by the black alumni of Harvard Business School. In attendance was every type of hack and saint, from John McWhorter to Amiri Baraka. There was a panel discussion afterward, and someone asked, "What could Barack do, or leave undone, that would most disappoint you?" Apparently, John McWhorter responded, "Leave race-based affirmative action in place." Another reply was something to the effect of not putting more blacks in positions of power.
I damn near had a heart attack upon hearing this, even though I should have know those particular Negroes would go that route. Apparently, their disappointment turns almost entirely on race. I'm no fan of race-based affirmative action, but I would definitely be more disappointed if Barack left the troops in Iraq and continued the American torture regime. But anything other than race was lost on these clowns.
The only solace you have walking away from that panel discussion is that Obama is not listening to these fools. They can't scream loud enough because we have so much actually serious shit happening in this country that impacts black and white people, and he can't be bothered with shit like whether or not his wife wore a dashiki.
The biggest favor Obama could do black people--and this country--is to ignore these tired ass Negroes. And he seems to be doing just that.
Big ups to Jelani, and if you're out there, big ups to you, Prof. Mason!
Thanks for having the grace and restraint not to delve into the first part of that post. I read it and, no offense to the author, but I wish I hadn't. Some folks are just way past their expiration date and the old fool who claimed "Bill Clinton is every bit as black as Barack Obama" and now is ragging on the brother over whether his black appointees went to HBCUs is certainly one of them.
Best line this year so far.
"Barack Obama is the President, not the host of Soul Train."
True, but just imagine: Sarah Palin unable to finish the scramble, winking and saying "I'll get back to ya on that."
Sarah Palin is not qualified enough to be on Soul Train.
Sarah Palin is not qualified enough to be on Soul Train.
Come on. She's not even ready to be on Thomas the Tank Engine.
Perhaps we can channel Bill Safire and Spiro Agnew and create "Nattering Negro Nitpicking Nabobs of Negativism."
http://www.answers.com/topic/nattering-nabobs-of-negativism
Actually, I think Obama could totally out-cool Don Cornelius.
But that line pretty much sums it up. Aside from the fact that the person attacking Michelle Obama for not choosing black designers is a nutjob (http://blacksnob.com/snob_blog/2009/1/27/womens-wear-daily-gets-punkd-michelle-o-fashion-critic-reall.html), people still insist on making the Obamas' race a major point of discussion. Barack Obama is America's president, and he is black. Those two things shouldn't have that much to do with each other; his blackness doesn't obligate him to do anything for the black community that he wouldn't do for the rest of the country.
Make that two Latinas - Maria Cornejo (on the whistle stop tour) and Isabel Toledo (inaugural balls)
When I hear complaints like these, I cannot help but think of Beyonce's song "Irreplaceable." "To the left, to the left. Everything you own in a box to the left."
"Barack Obama is the President, not the host of Soul Train." - Jelani
Friggin hilarious.
This line means so much more though. Are we becoming a bit too comfortable/"familiar" with the First Family? Not respecting the Office? I am all for questioning policies. But President Obama is not the head of the NAACP. I can't speak for all black people, but I understand that President Obama is not going to make all of the racial inequalities disappear, and appointing Ta-Nehisi to Secretary of the Arts is not going to help with that. No offense Coates, you'd be great if such a position existed.
I'm just a bit uncomfortable with 1. the Juan Williams attack on the First Lady, 2. Jonathan Martin of Politico's mean mugg and verbal assault of the President during a friendly and social visit to the Press Corp. 3. the attack on the First Lady for not wearing black designers 4. and now President Obama has not appointed enough black people?? All in the FIRST WEEK IN OFFICE???
I don't mean to be "precious" about President Obama or the First Lady, but I wish the media/journalits/"leaders"/pundits/anyone with a damn microphone in their mouth could wait until the Obama's actually screw something up before we start criticizing and complaining.
duh i mean Isabel Toledo for the inauguration. heh.
'not the host of Soul Train' ... LOL!!
and appointing Ta-Nehisi to Secretary of the Arts is not going to help with that. No offense Coates, you'd be great if such a position existed.
Well, there is the head of the NEA, which is about as close as you can get, I'd guess, and I dare say Coates would be an improvement over Dana Gioia.
Black folks looking for the hook-up from Obama are gonna be sorely disappointed. Remember the "walking around money" stuff from the primaries?
Speaking of Soul Train, if you get a chance, buy "Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia." Four CDs, with everything from the O'Jays to Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes to The Spinners to McFadden & Whitehead. And of course it includes TSOP by MFSB, also known as the Theme from Soul Train.
Damn! Justsome guy beat me to it--that was the best line of THE WEEK ,for me.
Although, Ta-Nehisi,YOU KNOW a case COULD be made to have the President host a special Soul Train edition--a tribute to the 15th--or so-- anniversaries of Menace to Society, Boys 'n the Hood, Waiting To Exhale,and Colors.
Then, he could co-host--with Tina--an Ike Turner Memorial Smackdown, featuring a beat down of the most annoying white b__s known to man, like Elizabeth Hasselhoff,Sarah Palin,or Ann Coulter.
Should Michelle insist greens and cornbread be served at all State Dinners? Outlaw Saltine crackers?
This is nuts!
I mean, what does Barack have to do to be accepted by those who, ironically, might have accepted him easier were he white (like Clinton)--even though they are black? It's a strange quandry, isn't it?
"Perhaps we can channel Bill Safire and Spiro Agnew and create 'Nattering Negro Nitpicking Nabobs of Negativism.'"
I was going to suggest adding "niggling" but thought better of it.
Barack Obama is President.
Barack Obama is President.
Barack Obama is President.
I'm sorry, but it still hasn't quite sunk in. A man named Barack Obama won. The first black President. Good liberal Democrat. He won. BIG!. He won big! Here. In America. He's not the leader of some smarter and more civilized country over in Europe. Here. WE did it. We actually elected a good, smart, competent person to be President who is black and named Barack Hussein Obama.
A sudden outbreak of common sense!
Sorry. Just can't quite believe it yet. So I'm sure as hell not going to nitpick about it.
wonkie:
I keep saying, "President Barack HUSSEIN Obama" with the "Hussein" extra-loud in hopes that any nearby Republicans heads will explode. It's Darwin in action!
@wonkie
A man named Barack Obama won.
Barack Hussein Obama, even.
It hit me really hard as I read a newspaper...um, over a nice gentleman's shoulder on the metro this morning: Whoa.
It was nice.
A man named Barack Obama won.
Barack Hussein Obama, even.
I keep on replaying from Tivo the Neighborhood Ball .....the part when Denzel Washington says, after the first few bars of Hail to the Chief.
" The President of the United States and First Lady Michelle Obama."
over and over and over.
I just had to chime in too because that host of Soul Train line pretty much hits the nail on the head. This is a whole new road for Black America and our desire to get too familiar with the First Family may end up biting us in the butt (lest we forget all that discussion of the First Lady's posterior).