Lurker Friday: January (and an Era) Comes to a Close

Some hopeful signs that a new era has begun: Obama Signs Equal Pay Act (still doesn't make him a feminist but definitely an Ally) and moves forward on economy stimulus package.

Expect a new and different kind of Black History Month series this year! In the mean time, please drop a line, lurkers! And enjoy this fascinating New York Times cartoon series, The Inauguration. At Last.

Artist: Maira Kalman.

Another Beyonce Spoof

And, like President Obama, the brother can't dance! *shaking my head.* LOL

Bollywood Meets National Geographic: My Review of Slumdog Millionaire (Spoilers)

Of all the fast-paced edited scenes collected in Danny Boyle's celebrated Slumdog Millionaire, the one that has been stamped indelibly on my mind's eye is the scene depicting the irresistibly adorable Jamal Malik (played in his youngest years by Ayush Mahesh Khedekar) covered in shit.

It was one of those "humorous" scatalogical scenes in which the audience (at the theater where I saw the film, it was predominately white American) howled with laughter, as young Jamal, locked in one of the few outhouses shared by hundreds of slum dwellers - thanks to his pranksterish brother, Samil - desperately escapes through a pit of excretia in order to seek an autograph from his favorite Bollywood film star, Amitabh Bachchan.

Curiously, Amitabh Bachchan, AKA "Big B," who is alluded to throughout Slumdog Millionaire - first in the above-mentioned scene and as the once real-life host of India's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (played in the film by Anil Kapoor), received recent attention for writing on his blog the following about Slumdog Millionaire: "If SM projects India as Third World dirty under belly developing nation and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots, let it be known that a murky under belly exists and thrives even in the most developed nations. It's just that the SM idea authored by an Indian and conceived and cinematically put together by a Westerner, gets creative Globe recognition. [Other films] would perhaps not."

I can understand such sentiment, since "slum tourism" has received a boost in India, thanks to Slumdog Millionaire. As if Western tourists need to travel halfway around the world to look at slums when they only need to most likely walk or drive half a mile to find equal horrors. Also, curiously enough, Bachchan has since backtracked on his opinion, denying that he was the author of these words that appeared on his blog, and has since joined in the lofty praise for Slumdog - in the wake of its 10 Oscar nominations.

While we may elaborate on the power dynamics at play here - why members of the world's largest film industry, (sometimes derisively) known as "Bollywood," are suddenly excited to be recognized by America's elite club, AKA "the Academy Awards" - we may also want to connect such dynamics to what's going on in the film. For the "shit scene" (yes, that's what I'm calling it) may have been Boyle's directorial comic take on the extreme class systems in existence in India, but I - as a "long-memoried woman" who knows all too well my racial and colonial histories - cannot get past a white man smearing a cute little brown boy in crap just for laughs. Far be it from me to dismiss all the historical symbolism in this, considering the far too many British Victorian colonialists and imperialists who looked down their noses at the Africans and Indians whom they colonized precisely because they did equate our brown skin colors with dirt and human waste. They really did! Hence why they loved to also feature the "darkies" and "coolies" in various advertisements for soap because they were always fascinated with the idea that our skin color could be "washed away" and thus reveal the "whiteness" that might be underneath. Nowadays, I think we call this washing "assimilation."

Somehow, this ideology works well with those Westerners who have "Savior" complexes about saving the brown children, which I imagine the overwhelmingly positive reception of this film plays right into this deep-seated desire to "clean" them up. Interestingly, following the shit scene, is one showing Jamal covered in white soapy suds as he's being scrubbed head to toe by his angry mother. (Check out Ann McClintock's Imperial Leather, if you want to learn more about this colonial construction of "racial difference.") The British colonialists also routinely referred to Indians as "dogs," so there is something equally problematic with the movie title, something that has caused some controversy.

Then there's Danny Boyle himself, who had already traumatized me when I went on an interracial date (our second) to see his 28 Days Later. My date and I thought it would be a relatively "safe" little non-thinking candy for the brains (as far as horror films go since we were both fans of Romero's zombie movies), only to be subjected to a scene featuring a black man in chains (the only zombie chained in this way) and a black woman about to be gangraped and telling her young white female companion to just take some valium to deal with it! Talk about awkward after-movie date conversation!!

And yet, the praise coming from critics' circles - and now the Oscars - along with cries of shame and anger from the more "nationalist" Indians (if we can reduce their criticism to that) propelled me to check this film out this weekend. I had to see it for myself, despite my skepticism going in - both about the film's subject matter and the director.

I imagine, with such an introduction to Slumdog Millionaire, that you, dear readers (I know, I know - how British Victorian of me: haven't we all been colonized?), will conclude that I hated this film. But, that's just it. I didn't. I actually found it quite fun and enjoyable! However, I have learned, having read from the greatest of our "post-colonials" - Spivak, Fanon, Cesaire, N'gugi, Mohanty, Alexander, etc. - what it means to decolonize my worldview and, hence, my pleasurable movie-going experience. It's why I can't simply laugh at the shit scene, for example, but can still get whisked away on the adventures of our cute little boy protagonist - Jamal Malik (played as a young adult by Dev Patel) - and his brother Samil (played in the youngest years by Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail and as a young adult by Madhur Mittal), as they press on through their hardscrabble lives in the slums of Mumbai. Appearing very much like "Save the Children" poster boys meet Oliver Twist meets Boyz n the Hood, this fantastical tale of a slum dweller who appears on the hit show, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and stuns the nation by winning (I don't think this counts as a "Spoiler," but if it did for you - what did you expect?), is the sort of tale that emerges in all its feel-good glory in time for our global economic crisis meltdown world.

Told against sweeping shots of Mumbai, the Taj Mahal, and aboard India's transcontinental trains, and with a pulsating upbeat soundtrack, scored by India's celebrated A. R. Rahman, Boyle pays obvious homage to "Bollywood" with his treatment of the fantasy love story of Jamal's enduring, stand-the-test-of-time-and-hardship search for his childhood sweetheart, Lataki (played as a young adult by Freida Pinto in a thankless and uncomplicated submissive-woman damsel-in-distress role) and the melodramatic danger offered in scenes depicting gansters, whom the brothers encounter in slum life. Of course, there's homage and then there's just ripping off - the "Chaiyya Chaiyya" musical scene atop the train, from Dil Se (featuring Shahrukh Khan) immediately comes to mind, even if I'll admit it's my favorite scene in Slumdog, with the young boys surviving life on the trains and hustling every ware they can find. Interestingly, M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" is used for this scene, although I would have found "Bamboo Banga" or "Hussel" or even "Boyz" much more appropriate for the drama that was being depicted.

The story itself is compelling - albeit contrived - but the whole "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" plot device, even if it is the main thrust of the novel on which it is based - Vikas Swarup's Q&A - just felt terribly silly. And it's hard to take a film seriously when every major cliche of "cultural difference" that has come to define India - Hindu riots against Muslims, blinding orphaned child beggars, selling little girls into prostitution, and naturally in our globalization age! the call centers of Mumbai - is used to propel the plot forward. It would be nice if we're given an actual context for why these things occur in the storyline. These are just scenes in the life of a rags-to-riches romantic, who can draw on such experiences to win a game show. Now, I don't have a problem with such depictions of harsh realities in a story. But, I do have a problem when there's no context for these events. The only context we have to go on when watching Slumdog is that these things happen IN INDIA! And, specifically, to the "slumdogs of India."

If the goal of the film is to shed light on the harsh realities of slum life - which is a grand theme one can find anywhere on this planet since there is a slum in every city - and how a slum dweller can truly rise from the lowest rung in society to the heights, there are tons more films that do a better job than this one. However, if the goal is simply to entertain us with a dash of "masala," then I wish the director would be honest and say Slumdog Millionaire is this Brit's take on Bollywood-meets-National Geographic. At least be honest about one's Orientalist gaze, you know what I'm saying? And had Boyle been more honest about that - instead of pretending this is some celebration of how the "bright colors" of the slums can shine brightly despite such nightmarish conditions, or however he put it - we could have had our first Westernized tongue-in-cheek treatment of the East (I should say accomplished, for I hesitate to count The Darjeeling Limited or Love Guru).

Instead, what we get is a derivative Bollywood film - with perhaps one of the worst dance sequences, appearing during the closing credits, to ever grace an Indian-themed movie (say what you will about the campiness of Bollywood, at least those films showcase some fabulous dance scenes; what we get in Slumdog Millionaire is just beyond absurd, and as a non-Indian, I'm truly embarrassed by its efforts). Equally absurd is all this critical acclaim. Yes, it's a fun movie. But, masterpiece it ain't!

Can we at least look past the "exoticism" of "Ooh! It's INDIA!!" and accept the movie for the fun feel-good film it so obviously tried to be? No way should we take this film seriously for it did not give a serious portrait of Mumbai's slums, other than being shot on location. And, no way does Slumdog Millionaire deserve to be the first Indian-themed film (not counting Gandhi of course) to be honored at the Oscars. It certainly doesn't deserve it over Bombay, Dil Se, or Lagaan, a few Hindi films that come to mind which I've seen. And Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay is beyond superior if you want a well done, brilliant film about the subaltern realities of slum children.

In this regard, Bachchan is right about which films get the "Global" recognition (if we accept that these words did come from Bachchan). If Slumdog gets the honors before these more accomplished films well versed in a culture Boyle clumsily attempts to "globalize," then his shit scene will resonate in a whole other way than it does for me already.

Week in Review

Sadly, it seems Professor Black Woman is bowing out of the blogosphere! Before she does, I urge you to read her reflections on this week's historic Presidential Inauguration. Read in Full.

Throwback Ballad: In My Dreams

Last night, I woke up from a dream where I was at a piano bar and some piano guy was singing "Tender Love" - that old school '80s ballad by the Force M.D.s.

Naturally, I went to You Tube and found Alicia Keys' stripped down version of it! The song's on my mind obviously.

Lurker Friday: Reflections

Hey there, lurkers! Please drop a note and say hello.

Some interesting tidbits I received in my e-mail...

Powerful Quote from psychologist Wafa Sultan, a progressive woman in Qatar:

"Brother, you may believe in stones, but you don't have the right to throw them at me."

Watch the Video (Quickly before it gets pulled!)

In other news, there's some truth to this one, isn't there?

Just Look at This!

More Awe-Inspiring Photos.

Academy Award Nominations Announced

Congratulations to two awesome sistas - Viola Davis (pictured left) and Taraji Henson (right) - who were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress for their respective roles in Doubt (See My Review) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Also, great to see Trouble the Water (See My Review) nominated for Best Documentary Feature. And M.I.A., who is now a Grammy nominee, is also an Oscar nominee for her song "O Saya"(in collaboration with A.R. Rahman), which is up for Best Original Song in Slumdog Millionaire.

However....

BOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

• To nominating Robert Downey, Jr. for his "blackface" performance in Tropic Thunder.

• To shutting out WALL-E, which was definitely one of the best pictures of 2008. I'm disgusted to see it relegated to the Ghetto that is the Best Animated Feature category (going up against such unimpressive cartoonish duds as Bolt and Kung Fu Panda - how insulting!). See My Review.

My movie-going plans are on their way, most likely starting this weekend. Stay tuned for more movie reviews!

From Clotel to the President's Daughters

I love me some Malia and Sasha Obama. They were absolutely adorable yesterday, and their mom had them looking fab-u-lous in their J. Crew outfits. Now, if only Michelle would tend to her own fashion sense (loved the day outfit, not liking the evening gown - even though, politically, I understand her choice in Asian 26-year-old designer Jason Wu).

I just love the vibe that these young sistas give off - big sister Malia, taking her photos and looking all studious and pensive, and little cutesy Sasha, who is soooo ready for her close-up, always! Together, they get to be the most popular kids in the nation, and suddenly, whatever issues I have about their father's inaugural address, I go back to these important "moments."

Can you imagine? Forty-six years ago, four little black girls were killed in Birmingham - so threatened were certain Southerners about the prospect of desegregation, they targeted our children for murder. Today, two little black girls will be followed by the Secret Service everywhere they go, will be exploring the expansive White House in their own spare time, and are already setting trends, like with their J. Crew outfits, getting adorable teen stars like my beloved David Archuleta (whom they voted for - Yay!) promising them music lessons, and having the reigning Disney teen royalties Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers serenading them at Monday's Kids Inauguration Ball.

Funny thing that a friend of mine, when I told her about the entertainment for the Kids' Ball, was immediately critical that there were no main entertainers of color at this ball. I told her that I believe the list included Keke Palmer (star of Akeelah and the Bee) and Bow Wow, but we were also aware that the event was most likely sponsored by Disney. Which means, of course Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers were the headliners. So, we started talking about Disney's lack of diversity - something we had grown up with, having watched the Mickey Mouse Club, but never really thought out of the ordinary because of Disney's "squeaky clean" image, which somehow translates to the expectation of a predominately white presentation of our nation's youth.

The fact that Disney had to scramble to find some appropriate young black entertainment for our President's Daughters might just mean, it could just mean, gasp! Will Disney finally start diversifying their entertainment acts? Will we finally get some "squeaky clean" black 'tweens and teens on their roster, if only to counter balance the hip-hop crew? After all, we can't just have the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus representing for the youth now, can we? Not when the main youth of our nation are two adorable black girls, the President's Daughters!

I'm already loving that the President's Daughters are positioned in such a way that we need to have these conversations. We have definitely come a long way from William Wells Brown's 1852 novel, Clotel, or the President's Daughter, the first African American novel which hypothetically follows the life of one of Thomas Jefferson's slave daughters from Sally Hemings, hypothetically named Clotel and whose "Tragic Mulatta" status resulted in her degradation into slavery and tragedy. Brown's 19th-century novel is a reminder that Malia and Sasha are clearly not the first African American daughters of a president. However, they are the first to be openly acknowledged and celebrated. Just having this high-profile representation of our youth is enough to make subtle changes on the racial landscape.

Then again, having heard some racist drivel spewed forth on C-SPAN yesterday, in which some caller from Wyoming said something to the effect of how the Obamas aren't "real black people" because "we" the American people know who the "real black people" are, obviously the Obamas will just be the "exceptions" to the rule. Just another token.

But a token with real power. Hmmmm. This will be interesting to watch as the new era unfolds.

Nelson Mandela's Letter to President Obama

Like I said, this historic moment is about President Obama but even bigger than President Obama, and I think Nelson Mandela places him in proper global context. Here, I've taken the liberty to reprint his letter to our new president:

Dear Mister President,

We are greatly honoured to join the millions around the globe congratulating you on taking office as the President of the United States of America. We believe that we are witnessing something truly historic not only in the political annals of your great nation, the United States of America, but of the world.

Your election to this high office has inspired people as few other events in recent times have done. Amidst all of the human progress made over the last century the world in which we live remains one of great divisions, conflict, inequality, poverty and injustice. Amongst many around the world a sense of hopelessness had set in as so many problems remain unresolved and seemingly incapable of being resolved. You, Mister President, have brought a new voice of hope that these problems can be addressed and that we can in fact change the world and make of it a better place.

We are in some ways reminded today of the excitement and enthusiasm in our own country at the time of our transition to democracy. People, not only in our country but around the world, were inspired to believe that through common human effort injustice can be overcome and that together a better life for all can be achieved.

Your Presidency brings hope of new beginnings in the relations between nations, that the challenges we all face, be they economic, the environment, or in combating poverty or the search for peace, will be addressed with a new spirit of openness and accommodation.

There is a special excitement on our continent today, Mister President, in the knowledge that you have such strong personal ties with Africa. We share in that excitement and pride.

We are aware that the expectations of what your Presidency will achieve are high and that the demands on you will be great. We therefore once more wish you and your family strength and fortitude in the challenging days and years that lie ahead.

You will always be in our affection as a young man who dared to dream and to pursue that dream. We wish you well.

Sincerely

Signed N R Mandela

Acknowledging the "Moment"...Or Not

It is amazing how one's mood can shift so quickly. This morning, I was so hyped, so excited, so anxious about how this day would unfold. Is the security top notch? Will I be a blubbering mess?

It didn't take long for the tears to start flowing when I saw President Obama (still feels good saying it, even though...well, I'll save my comments for later) enter the Motorcade. So many traditions unfolding, with a black man (with all his full "black-man-walking-like-he-owns-the-world-swagger"...and y'all know what I'm talking about when I say the black man's "swagger") at the helm. Feigning humility while posing with his "I'm the Man" stance...because, well, he is The Man now, I was willing to forgive the masculine pose because...well, it's history!

Just that moment is the reason why millions descended upon Washington. It's the reason so many around the world are now tuning in. We do need to celebrate this Moment, and I still get chills watching our swaggering President Obama and his proud wife and daughters be hailed while "Hail to the Chief" strikes up.

Just beautiful, important, critical moments of history. And it's that History why so many bought expensive tickets, drove thousands of miles, and camped out in the cold. That History required us to be Witnesses.

So, I teared up again when I saw Aretha Franklin tear up at the end of "America." A song Marian Anderson sang at Lincoln Memorial in 1939, after the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to let her sing at the Constitution Hall...for no other reason than that she was black. And I cried again as he was officially sworn in at 12:05 in the afternoon.

Then, he delivered his Inaugural Address.

Never before have I experienced such a 180-degree switcheroo in my mood. Here I was, starting out a blubbering mess this morning, and after that unemotional "too cool" speech, I'm left as cold as the low temperature in D.C.

Chit-chatting with a friend on the phone around that moment, we both became more and more agitated. You see, you can't ignore the ways (at least we can't) that certain ancestors who gave their very life for "this moment" got sublimated in such a "safe" little speech:

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

Um, yeah, I didn't see much "humbled" expressions on President Swagger, but I don't need humility or the "mindful" care of the "sacrifices borne by our ancestors." I need some profound acknowledgement. And, no, "our ancestors" hardly got much acknowledgement with whitewashing language like the following:

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

Sigh. Heavy, heavy sigh. Last time I checked, certain of "our ancestors" did not "pack up their few worldly possessions and travel across oceans in search of a new life." They were forced on that journey, and some of them did not make it, while insurance companies got their money's worth for every cargo lost. Last time I checked, and our reporters during the Inauguration reminded us, some of "our ancestors" built that same White House, under "the lash of the whip," that same house where the Obamas will now reside, and LAST TIME I CHECKED, many people - black and white, red, brown, and yellow, women, men, transgender - ALL descended on Washington today to witness this "Moment" precisely because there is something truly great in being able to acknowledge that we went from a nation, whose foundation was built on the backs of slaves and whose very foundation required that this same forced labor population be viewed as racially inferior in order to live the contradictory ideologies of a nation of democracy and freedom built on slavery and capitalist exploitation, to a nation that was able to elect a man of African descent with the name Barack Husein Obama.

That's an extraordinary history, and I think President Obama, in all his glorious power of his new position as leader of the free world, should have been able to acknowledge that. That he did not (or worse, did so in the most perfunctory way) disappoints me.

Not because I want some Black Nationalistic speech (I do not). One can acknowledge our racial struggles in the history of this nation while still gesturing toward the promise of racial unity. It can be done, and masterful Orator was definitely up to the task. My main issue is that This Moment is bigger than President Obama. It's not about him (he likes to say this a lot, but sometimes I think he's starting to believe the Obamamania hype and forget that it's not about him). That's not why millions of people showed up to witness his inauguration. It's because that's the journey our nation has traveled, and it's a moment we must not forget (including President Obama himself).

President Obama stands where he is today because millions more were stolen from their homelands, holed up in the bellies of ships, chained and sold, lynched and humiliated, kicked out of restaurants or asked to get in the back of the bus, gunned down and hosed down when protesting such injustice, for no other reason than the color of their skin, and I really don't appreciate anyone rising up to the occasion of progress and then failing to truly rise to the occasion.

That was not a speech I imagine any of us will be quoting readily. There was no moment of "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," or a "there is nothing to fear but fear itself." This is a man capable of such a great speech, and he did not deliver it, IMO.

Instead there were silences and edited omissions. There was a calculated attempt to be "raceless" and, therefore, "postracial." There was also an immediate call to our present-day pressing issues (which we really don't need to be hearing on January 20 since January 21 is the time to get caught up in that stuff). What I needed was a simple moment that recognized this "moment," and it did not happen.

That said, thank God for the Reverend Joseph Lowery's benediction. If President Obama shied away from the "Moment," Reverend Lowery did not. He ended his prayer with these words:

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen. Say Amen'...

For all those who did not get the cultural allusion, and believe that only white people were being chastised for failing to do what's right, Reverend Lowery was referring to a childhood rhyme about racial hierarchy:

If you're white, you're all right
If you're yellow, you're mellow
If you're brown, stick around
But if you're black,
Get back!

In short, he specifically asked that, in this "new era," we dismantle the system of white privilege and hierarchy and truly make room for a multiracial America based on racial equality. Unlike those who've been calling for a "Postracial" America, in the wake of President Obama, Reverend Lowery reminded us that our goal is really to move towards a "Postracist" America. I'd like to see our first African American and 44th President of the United States committed to the same goal.

It is my hope.

Witness to History!

Wow! What a morning! Woke up early and will be glued to my TV AND my computer. Loving Michelle's gold-colored outfit! No fashion misstep today!

Here's an online guide to where to get your Obama Inauguration news today (htp The Guardian):

Presidential blog

Obama, who has already set up a Change.gov site - being the 2.0 web leader that he is - has a special Inauguration Blog. His staff will be using Tumblr to update the blog throughout the day, including from the presidential ball, and reposting user content. Citizens are invited to submit photos, videos, quotes, links and blogs for the blog and upload photographs to be considered for the official inauguration book.

Twitter

Streaming on the Inauguration is taking place at Twitter. Search for #inauguration or #inaug09 on Summize to find relevant tweets. You can also follow the official presidential Twitter stream - normally @barackobama but for the inauguration it's @obamainaugural.

Flickr

Flickr, the photo sharing site, has a special Inauguration 2009 group where members can add their photos throughout the day.

You Tube

Search for "Obama inauguration" on YouTube for the latest uploaded videos.

Facebook

You can friend "BarackObama Inauguration" on Facebook. You can also send a glass of champagne to friends using the Real Drinks application on Facebook. (Who knew? I'm not on Facebook.)

And, then there's the tons of bloggers, like myself, that will be updating periodically.

Here's an Open Thread on What About Our Daughters.

Enjoy the moment! Enjoy the day! :)

To Serve

Here's a powerful but brief excerpt from a speech by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., shared here today on this MLK holiday and National Day of Service.

Poet to Watch: Elizabeth Alexander at Obama's Inauguration

Poet, Playwright, and Yale Professor Elizabeth Alexander, featured today on CBS's Sunday Morning, will be reciting poetry for the historic day that is President-Elect Barack Obama's Inauguration on Tuesday. She will be the fourth poet invited to a presidential inauguration, the second black woman poet to do so (the first being Maya Angelou, who recited "On the Pulse of Morning," at President Clinton's 1992 Inauguration).

For those of you unfamiliar with her poetry, here is her website and here is one of her celebrated poems: "American Sublime"

(At the same time, American paintings wherein
the biodynamic landscape explodes in flames,

ice, violent sunshine that seems to burn the canvas,
apocalyptic nature that roils and terrifies.

The Beautiful: small scale, gentle luminosity.
Sublime: territorial, vast, craggy, un-

domesticated, borderless, immense, unknown,
awful, monumental, transcendent, transcending.

Go West and West young man, to blinding snowstorms. Leave
shark-infested waters, shipwrecks without slaves.

Miraculous black holes of color large enough
to blot out the sun, obliterate the unending moans,

to exalt, to take the place of lamentation.)

Listen to Audio!

Obama on the Cover

Obamamania is now in full force this weekend leading up to his Presidential Inauguration on Tuesday. And while I'm a bit queasy with his choice to emulate everything Abraham Lincoln - from recreating his Whistle Stop Train Ride from Philadelphia to D.C. to swearing in on his Bible - I'm just as antsy, excited, and optimistic as everyone else with this historic event.

So, it is with this particular spirit that I'd like to reflect on two magazine covers out this week. First, The Nation has an inspirational cover, shared to me in an email from a colleague.

What I particularly love about this cover is that it captures the historical journey, showcasing how Obama's journey occurred on the backs of so many others who fought the good fight to defeat racism in this country. How appropriate, on this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, to see a portrait of MLK figuratively standing behind Obama as he is sworn in by Supreme Court Judge Thurgood Marshall (at least I think that's Marshall) to the highest office in this land. Looking at the mosaic of our Black History pantheon, can't you just imagine and feel their pride from the great beyond? Loving this image!

However, some magazine cover just had to get it wrong, and the honor goes to Ms. Magazine's "This is What a Feminist Looks Like" cover.

I'm not going to pretend that, after a while, it was easier for me to back Obama over Clinton because I felt Obama gave me more reassurance that he was more committed to issues of social justice and concerns that impact the most marginal in society (except for his choice of pastor, who has spoken out against LGBTQ people). As much as I'm uplifted by Obama's inauguration as the next person, no way am I giving him the "Feminist" membership card until he has proven himself a staunch supporter of women's liberation and the elimination of sexist oppression. I have not seen enough commitment to the erasure of gender and sexuality oppression on the part of Obama, and I'm frankly tired of feminists handing out the label to any guy that they support.

No, I'm sorry, but that's not how feminism works. As a man, prove to me that you support eradicating gender oppression, and I'll happily call you a feminist. If I support you for your political views or back you as a candidate, or as a president, that's one thing. But, my support as a feminist should not translate to blind acceptance that the man I'm supporting is a feminist. That's just foolhardy, in my opinion. I remember, last semester, some of my students thought to be inclusive in a violence against women event by inviting a male speaker to serve on their roundtable panel. Only to be sorely disappointed that the "progressive" man they chose to be part of their panel said the most sexist and chauvinistic things that severely undermined the goal of their program!

Women, at the least, recognize those men who could be our allies (like an Obama), but don't get carried away. Not every guy, no matter how progressive he appears to be, deserves to be called "feminist." Know the difference between real male feminists and men who can be allies of feminists. There is a difference.

And, that's just part of my disgust with the Ms. magazine cover. The other part is that absurd patriarchal imagery of "Superman." Now, had the words on Obama's chest been phrased as a question - "Is This What a Feminist Looks Like"? - I might be less critical. But, the cover definitely suggests that they are positing Obama as a feminist, no questions asked, and that's the thrust of my criticism here. Perhaps the article in this issue is just as critical as I am, but as far as magazine covers go, I'm not inspired.

When YouTube Broadcasts from Your Bedroom to the World...

So many levels, so many levels of critique here, but I'll let this video, with over 2 million views, featuring the masterful recreation of the choreography in Beyonce's "Single Ladies" music video, performed by "Heyonce," as he is now called, speak for itself.

"Miracle on the Hudson"

Those of you who fly on a regular basis must be able to imagine both the horror - and incredible relief! - that passengers and crew of US Airways Flight 1549 must have gone through yesterday afternoon. I'm always tense during takeoffs and landings (and have had strangers sitting beside me always inquire if I'm OK). Until we reach cruise altitude, my laptop and headphones don't come out until I feel that level of "safety" (along with my usual prayer mantra).

Despite common sense telling me that air safety is the safest way to travel, it's frightening scenarios like what played out yesterday that often keeps me on edge (and, yes, listening intently to every flight demonstration while we taxi on the runway). Everyone was so orderly, it seems, but I know I would have been hysterical - and probably that passenger everybody is pushing out first on the wing to get me to calm down.

I'm so glad that everyone escaped with their lives. But, what really captivates me about this photo of Flight 1549 and its survivors in the icy Hudson River - one of the first to be released, by Twitterer Janis Krums - is the way it can symbolically represent where we are, as a nation, and as a world, in this most uncertain times. Do we not feel like we're literally and figuratively crashing toward some fateful, apocalyptic end? And, yet, after the crash landing - skillfully attempted by seasoned pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger - everyone "miraculously" survived. What? The plane didn't sink? Instead, it stayed afloat? What? People crashed into the river and lived to tell the tale?

What if, after such a scary crash that we're feeling, economically, socially, etc., we too lived to tell the tale? What if we survive and "wait on the wings" of prayer to get to safety?

I cannot help but feel this is a tremendous good sign and omen for us all!

Obama's Letter to His Daughters: Special Lurker Friday Edition

This weekend, before the historic occasion of the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African American to be elected President of the United States, I thought I would use this "Lurker Friday" post, when I invite lurkers to post comments, and share Obama's letter to his daughters and, by extension, all other children of this nation. Its title: "What I Want for You - And for Every Child in America."

Reprinted from Black Politics on the Web.

Dear Malia and Sasha,

I know that you’ve both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn’t have let you have. But I also know that it hasn’t always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn’t make up for all the time we’ve been apart. I know how much I’ve missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I’d make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn’t seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential-schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college-even if their parents aren’t rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.

I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you’ll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.

Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country-but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free-that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.

That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.

She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better-and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It’s a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.

I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you’ve had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much-although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.

These are the things I want for you-to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That’s why I’ve taken our family on this great adventure.

I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.

Love, Dad

Challenging the Patriarchs: My Review of Doubt (Spoilers)

'Tis the season (movie awards season, that is) for checking out the more "serious" movies out there, and first on my list is Doubt, the Pulitzer-Prize winning play by John Patrick Shanley, who has directed the film adaptation, crammed with some powerhouse actors (Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and the character actress Viola Davis, who proves she can hold her own against the legendary Streep).

Now, you would think, after the recent Catholic Priest sex abuse scandals, which inspired the writing of this 2004-debuting play in the first place, that several movie critics would be less harsh in their verdict against Meryl Streep's Sister Aloysius. However, their latent misogyny (for what other can we call it?), which mirrors that of Hoffman's Father Flynn, seems to draw all the wrong conclusions about the moral of the story.

Roger Ebert says, "Some will say the character of Sister Aloysius, played without a hint of humor by Meryl Streep, is a caricature." I for one disagree that Sr. Aloysius is presented as a caricature here, nor do I think the role calls for humor, considering the allegations. Of course, so much of this sidestepping of caricature is owed to Streep's adept handling of the role.

Ella Taylor of The Village Voice dismisses the story as "it's more about the sins of a nosy old biddy who pulls out all the stops when going through the official channels of a male-dominated Catholic Church would get her nowhere." I for one must ask, how is Sr. Aloysius being "sinful" in seeking the truth?

The premise is this: Sister Aloysius, principal of St. Nicholas parochial school in the Bronx in 1964, watches over her charges like a hawk and runs students and her fellow nuns, the Sisters of Charity, with an iron fist. She's old school Catholic, and around the time of Vatican II, is at odds with the new priest in the parish, Father Flynn (Hoffman), who seems to hold liberal views, which basically translates to being more carnal and given to life's pleasures. They are at odds already, and when the young and fresh-faced Sister James (the complex Amy Adams) mentions her suspicions that Fr. Flynn might have initiated an inappropriate meeting with their only African American student, Donald Miller, Sr. Aloysius is ready to do battle.

Incidentally, I too went to a St. Nicholas Catholic school in the Bronx when I was in the second and third grades and living in the inner city. I was not Catholic, but my mom wanted to avoid sending me to New York City's crumbling public schools (yes, crumbling even back then!), and the parochial school in the neighborhood was an alternative. Sister Grace was very much my Sr. Aloysius: strict and scary in school, except she was completely 180 when she took us out on field trips to Lincoln Center and the American Museum of Natural History. Needless to say, I recognize the stern, scary figure that Streep's Sr. Aloysius triggers in the memories of those of us taught by the black-clad nuns. However, having formed a relationship outside of the classroom, where Sister Grace expanded our neighborhoods and world views, it's a pedagogy I have come to respect, and I even, if ever so briefly, thought about becoming a nun. Not being Catholic and growing up in a very secular and sexualized world managed to help me abandon that idea, but perhaps such a background gave me this particular view point that I brought to my viewing of this film. Basically, underneath the cold, hard exterior Sr. Aloysius presents is ultimately a woman of compassion and "charity."

What's wrong with confronting a priest about your suspicions of sex abuse, especially when said priest is someone whom Church Hierarchy basically tells you is untouchable, you lowly nun? Right or wrong in her suspicions, think of the numerous victims who would have been saved if a Sister Aloysius, who wasn't afraid to confront the patriarchs and break certain silences, did in fact exist? That's the reality I bring to this fictional story.

Of course, I also bring my feminist consciousness to the movie screening as well, and oh boy, did my feminist alarm go off, during a pivotal scene, when Sr. Aloysius calls for an administrative meeting in her office - during which time she plans her confrontation, with Sister James as third party witness - and Father Flynn takes charge as if it were his office. He immediately plants himself in Sr. Aoysius's seat and then expects the women to serve his every whim. Sister James naturally accommodates by serving him tea, and Sr. Aloysius represses every single urge to whack him across his arrogant neck for such an overbearing display of chauvinism.

And that right there, ladies and gentlemen, is when I decided that Fr. Flynn was guilty as heck, and cheered Sr. Aloysius on in her "character assassination." For any person, and a "liberal" one no less (Mr. "we should all be friendlier" and more approachable to the masses Flynn, who accuses Sr. Aloysius of being stuck in the Dark Ages, while his own gender politics belongs somewhere in the Neolithic period) to display such disrespect is someone quite capable of being predatory.

Then, there are the power dynamics at work. Two contrasting scenes depict our Sisters of Charity, eating a bland meal in silence at the dinner table, while the priests are enjoying a crass joke, told by Fr. Flynn, over blood-dripping meat and good wine. Ah, the Church Patriarchs! We could accuse Sr. Aloysius of starting trouble, when she has no "proof" (as if anyone ever has proof of these things), but for me, the issue of "doubt" is less about the mystery of "Is Father Flynn guilty or innocent?" and more about the doubt one experiences when considering one's role within the Church and whether or not you can keep your faith in a religion that guides your moral compass but then fails to practice what it preaches.

More than this battle between Sr. Aloysius and Fr. Flynn are the roles that Sr. James and Donald Miller's mother (the impressive Viola Davis) play in this drama. I find it deeply intriguing that it is the innocent Sr. James who first breaks the silence on the subject of possible sex abuse. It's important for us to think of this significance. Prior to Sr. James's suspicions, we are treated to a scene where Sr. Aloysius, as principal and seasoned educator, mentors Sr. James in her teaching. She admonishes her for not being strict enough, to learn to "grow eyes in the back of her head" (assisted by placing a portrait of the late Pope above the blackboard - the photo creates a reflection that allows Sr. James to see the class while she's facing the blackboard! I myself will try this trick! ha ha!), and to not be so gullible. In the innocuous case of one of her mischievous pupils, Sr. Aloysius suggests to Sr. James that the boy feigned a nose bleed to get out of class. We the audience know Sr. Aloysius is correct in her suspicions for we have already been privy to a scene showcasing the bad boy smoking a cigarette once he's off school property.

Sr. James is all too quick to dismiss what she thought she had seen between Fr. Flynn and Donald Miller. Sr. Aloysius - getting this information second hand - not so much. And, yet, knowing from the previous case of the mischievous student, that Sr. Aloysius was right, and Sr. James was wrong, why would Sr. Aloysius not also be right about Fr. Flynn?

"Doubt" for Sr. James, then, is less about "did he or didn't he?" and more about "Do I trust my intuition?" Church doctrine and the patriarchy have told Sr. James to dismiss the idea of wrongdoing and trust that "Father knows best." More than that, patriarchy tells women over and over to dismiss their "intuition." I'm not so quick to dismiss Sr. James's initial suspicion. She, more than Sr. Aloysius, had no real reason to jump to conclusions that Father Flynn had done something inappropriate. Yet, somewhere in her gut, she thought something was not right, and someone who wants to believe in the best in people just would not go there unless their sensitivity makes them prone to pay attention to someone who is in trouble. If Sister Aloysius moves with her "certainty," I am more moved by Sister James's doubt.

The other aspect of this story is the race issue. In the same scene, when the sisters confront Fr. Flynn, they discuss the annual Christmas Pageant. Sr. Aloysius suggests they neither hide nor push forward the lone black student in the play. Fr. Flynn suggests the issue is not important as long as they treat him like everyone else. Sr. Aloysius uses this moment in the conversation to address the issue of the "extra" attention given Donald Miller. It's a crucial subject, actually, because while it is easy for both Sisters Aloysius and James to notice that Donald might have attracted more attention from Fr. Flynn, they have ignored the behavior of a few other white students, who may have also been victimized by the priest. Certain scenes depicting the boys' interaction with Fr. Flynn are quite suggestive of a certain layer of discomfort and silence - discomfort perhaps brought about by an inappropriate encounter with the priest.

By the time Sr. Aloysius charges on, while Sr. James wishes she would leave it alone, Mrs. Miller is brought in, and when Sr. Aloysius assumes she would have a natural ally, here the boy's mother shocks the audience with her acknowledgement and tacit acceptance. From her "maybe some boys want to get caught!" admission that her son might be gay at 12 years old to her "let's not cause trouble" attitude, which is an implicit warning to Sr. Aloysius to recognize that certain institutions can't be rocked (a startling display of submission and surrender from a black woman, who wishes to benefit from school desegregation, brought about by movers and shakers of the Civil Rights movement, who could not and would not accept the institutions for what they were), I'm still collecting my jaw from the floor and my overwhelmed sadness that, as women, as children, this is why sexual abuse continued back then and continues today. Whether we have doubts that it is occurring or not, we sit on the issue anyway and do nothing. And, specifically, we do nothing because the perpetrators are in positions of power.

It's because we do nothing why perpetrators feel quite at ease preying on women and children. So, as far as the moral of this story is concerned, this is not about Fr. Flynn's innocence or guilt. It's about his position and the power that is in his hands. It's about those who are then faced with the dilemma of either saying nothing or doing something, even if doing something proves futile. Oh, in a short sighted way, we can say Sr. Aloysius won the tiny battle (spoiler alert - eventually Fr. Flynn resigns and moves on), but she lost the war (spoiler alert - in moving on Fr. Flynn actually received a promotion since his superiors dismissed Sr. Aloysius's version of things but recognized him in a higher position at his new parish).

Still, history vindicates Sr. Aloysius's version of things. We can decide if it were the moral thing for Sr. Aloysius to admit to lying just to get at the truth - "taking a step away from God to address wrongdoing," as she puts it. But to me, what's important is the breaking of the silence. Father Flynn may really be innocent, but isn't it better to voice your suspicions than to say nothing? And, for that, Sr. Aloysius may have prevented wrongdoing (or future wrongdoing) just because of the confrontation.

Sometimes, all that is needed to ward off perpetrators and potential perpetrators is another adult warning them: "I've got my eye on you." Right or wrong, sometimes - as adults - we do need to police each other, making sure we never step out of line. Our children deserve our hawk-like attention to this issue.

Motown Turns 50!

So, what's the legacy of this 50th anniversary?

Check out this reflection piece by Mark Anthony Neal.

Then, read the more sobering Motown Blues from the BBC.

Video Witnesses to Police Brutality

Much is being made of the New Year's Eve killing of Oscar Grant by police as "Rodney King 2.0," considering the murder was caught on tape and posted on YouTube. But, need I remind everyone that, despite the Rodney King video, the LAPD were still found Not Guilty? Indeed, the very video that should have condemned them actually exonerated them when, in a court of law, the video images were manipulated to construct Rodney King as a brute black criminal in need of subjugation. The same use of video footage, which instigated the LA riots, is now the source for recent riots in Oakland in the wake of Oscar Grant's death. However, will we learn from history and offer a different narrative in response to the YouTube videos, or will we merely repeat the same script from 1992?

Prince Not-So-Charming

First, he wears a swastika to a costume party, now Prince Harry has caused a row over using racist epithets like "Paki" and "raghead." Charming!

Read All About It.

Music I'm Anticipating for 2009: From My Other Favorite American Idol

Finally! Fi-na-lly! Melinda Doolittle's debut album, Coming Back to You, is due out next month, release date of February 3. An early review has only heightened my excitement, and a sneak preview of her first single, "It's Your Love," (now available on iTunes) screams THROWBACK (and I mean real throwback, not that Amy Winehouse and Adele promise of throwback). Needless to say, the album cover is giving off that Motown/Philly vibe, doesn't it?

For Melinda, who seems like someone who truly took her time to debut when she wanted to debut (and not because, as many like to say, she's just not pretty or cute enough to get signed by a major label - which probably has some truth in it but at least she signed to an independent label, HIFI Recordings, where I'm sure she'll make her own money), I hope the quality of the production makes up for the time she kept the rest of us waiting. After shamefully only finishing third in her year on AI (a placement that I inexplicably hoped for my dear David Archuleta - if only so that he could keep stellar and respectable company with Melinda and Elliot Yamin versus the mediocre company of runner-ups like Blake Lewis and Justin Guarini), Melinda faded away as audiences geared up for Season 7, while the winner of her season, Jordin Sparks, benefitted from a duet with Chris Brown, which launched the monster success that was "No Air," now up for a Grammy nomination for Best Duo/Collaboration. I had resigned myself to not hearing from Melinda Doolittle ever again and cursed the incompetency of today's music industry in letting such a phenomenal talent disappear. Now, here she is, promising that she is "Coming Back" to us. Could it be true? :)

Time will tell if this is a wise decision all around. However, I'd rather Melinda make the kind of album she wants, and not what RCA or Jive or Arista or whoever wants. Many like to predict the short life span of idol alumni, but so much of that has to do with management that can't separate the artist from the reality TV contestant. Labels rush to capitalize on their idol exposure, which usually means the production of a generic pop album that fails to highlight the subtle eccentricities of the artist they're working with. Another advantage (if we can call it that) is this distance between the time Melinda was on American Idol and the time her album drops. Let's hope this distance should help non-idol fans appreciate the artist on her own merit, without the TV show bias (I can only hope, as she deserves a chance at musical relevance).

Anyway, I guess this means that, despite my many protests in the past to never watch AI again, I have to tune in at least twice this season (to see both Melinda and David Archuleta as guest performers since they both will have albums to promote - and if for some inexplicable and insane reason neither of my favorite idol contestants ever are not invited back this season, I will launch a national Idol TV blackout campaign).

Lurker Friday: Changes for the New Year

Since I'm a day late and it's a new year, I'd like to inaugurate a new weekly theme: Lurker Friday, to replace Lurker Thursday. At least I'd have the end of the week to reflect on my invitation to lurkers.

I've been mega busy, super busy, unbelievably busy, as I've been helping out a relative move out as she prepares to retire overseas. This is my first real down time in a week, so I just wanted to update my blog and invite you all to post a comment and say hello.

I hope to post more regularly in the next few weeks. There's so much going on (personally and globally) that I'd like to keep my blog active this third year around.

Thanks to all who've visited, lurked, and left comments!

Photograph: "Waiting on the World to Change" by FotoRita.

Lurker Thursday: New Year Edition

Happy New Year! Please take a moment to de-lurk, give shout outs, and share your New Year's greetings. Peace and blessings for 2009! :)

Photograph: "Happy New Year 2009" by Siskokid.