I know I am tired of this virus. I know pretty much everyone else is. But one of the biggest things that has driven me up the wall and right outside of my mind is the time that celebrities and public figures have had to pander to all of us. During the many phases we have seen from COVID mitigation efforts, everyone has had more free time than before. I have long spoke of taking productive advantage of this free time to better ourselves or our communities. Unfortunately, many people still don’t read the Bayou Observant, and my cry has fallen on deaf ears for many.
If you remember back when tragedy befell George Floyd, and America was up in arms for law enforcement and judicial reform, race issues were also brought back into the spotlight. I won’t argue that such issues are not important, because they certainly are. But I would say that VERY RARELY were these issues discussed in good, practical, productive ways. Sadly, by and large these issues were tackled from the wrong angle, by the wrong people, and have surely driven up animosity in some way. I won’t be afraid to admit I care much less about public figures than I did before, which isn’t saying much because I don’t care for many of them to begin with. Yet, I am deeply troubled by the way some of these figures have gone about expressing their “views”.
Take, for example, the picture that showed Nancy Pelosi, among other Democrats, kneeling for almost 9 minutes while donning Kente cloth stoles (and social distancing AND partial participation in wearing masks). The duration of the moment of silence was representative of the situation when Floyd was killed. These pictures can be found very easily on the internet, but the first link in the “Sources” section contains some as well. In the picture, there seems to be something of a mix of races. Now, I would not assume outright that the Floyd family or the black Congress-people never paid attention to their African heritage, but Kente stoles seem out of place on the white participants in the photograph. Is there any reason why the faux issue of “cultural appropriation” did not cross these folks’ minds?
How about the social media black out that occurred? While I understand wanting to show solidarity to people going through hard times, the social media black out seemed to be an insincere gesture on the part of many who wanted to show the face of virtue. I know people who are honestly sincere about the way the feel regarding race relations in America that participated in the black out, but I know their positions from the interactions I have and discussions that have taken place. I feel many people, and surely scores of celebrities, took part in this because it was trendy.
Now the next target is…well, a myriad of people, and the evidence resides on Netflix. The movie “The Other Guys” starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg is short a scene that involves an art show and some gay characters. An episode of “The Office” removed a scene in which a mystical figure who is personified in blackface is told to not show up. These are both satirical comedies, where the main characters are very obviously not ideal humans or representative of our communities as a whole. These are also not the only cases of silent censorship. I don’t want to blame the wrong company for the censorship, but between Netflix and the originators of these movies and shows, something fishy is going on. Quietly, too.
The question needs to be asked: how stupid do these politicians, celebrities, and big companies think we are? Do they take us for people who cannot think for themselves? While those folks do exist, they are not the majority. The condescension should boil the blood of any American capable of thought. Just like the straight man who thinks that gay Republicans don’t know what’s best for the gay community. Or the former Vice President who claims that if you are black and vote for Trump, then you “ain’t black.”
To my dear celebrities and politicians who pander to either stay relevant or lack the backbone to formulate and stand behind your own original thoughts: Please take your sentiment and shove it. We are perfectly fine without you telling us what to think or do from behind the walls of your mansion in a gated community.
Sources:
https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/a33670853/what-is-kente-cloth/
Bayou Observant 