The Pilot

Welcome to the Joke Show-- also know as the episodes of my life-- Now because I don't know you, well you will get an edited version how I live and what I do-- Let's begin our journey:

Black Entertainment and the Social Contract
This comes to us from an email conversation on one of the listserves I contribute to:
Sounds a lot like an accusation to me-- not in the negative sense but more in an assertive sense--first I think we should all be happy when any brother takes the inatiative to even go to Africa--period. Speaking for myself, I have yet to go but will be there before I am 40. Next-- let's be honest and look at this issue critically. Yes, the land, the animals, the backdrop may be white owned but at the same time, there are other above the line and below the line costs that too are white owned and operated which conjointly contributed to the production of this music video (white owned) that will air on a music channel (white owned). The airline for starters, the union production company, the hotel, and possibly even the catering company--all very well may be white owned. Lets get to the brass tacks of the matter: as much as we may want to think Luda was the mastermind behind this seemingly Africanised video, Luda is only a link a much larger coporate chain. Lastly, I think the question that is before is centers on the issue of cultural obligation and does Luda have said obligation to African/African-American people-- (more commonly refered to as Black Folk)? In a legal sense, no. To date, there exists no cultural contract which we sign that says we as Black Folk are obliged to operate in efforts that benifit the black community. However, in a moral sense, as people with a history of strugle, in collective cells, yes that expectation does exists; however, is rarely it ever reinforced. There is no D.R.O.P Squad (as much as we need it) however, collectively we will drop various people if we feel they exhibit extreme violations of the unwritten cultural contract, especially in arenas of pop culture and gender politics, for example Lionel Richie, Clarance Thomas, Armstrong Williams, OJ Simpson (before he killed or was held responsible for the killing of the white people). In the case of Lionel Richie, sistas droped him like a hot pistol when they found out he cheated on his wife with a white woman and his record sales consequetnly droped. What is intersting though is the reverse. When Luke and gangsta rap were at his peaks, many of these songs objectfied our women pretty hard, but for some reason, we (collectively) didn't drop/mash on them. In fact, they were promoted in our cultural hierachy, which is mysogonistic bordering sadistic. In close-- as we project cultural expectations on our pop icons i.e. the promotion of Africa, Black Folk, Black cohesiveness, economic enfranchisement, restoration of pride, I think that expectation must be holistic -- which goes back to the question of ownership. Who truly owns the means of cultural production within the spectrum of African-American entertainment?