Kanye West: mixed race women are “mutts” and exist solely for music videos at Racialicious

Kanye West: mixed race women are “mutts” and exist solely for music videos

by Carmen Van Kerckhove

mutt kanye west essence Thank you Kanye! Just when I was questioning the purpose of my existence, you came along and let me know exactly why mixed race women like me were put on this earth: to shake our asses in your music videos! From Media Take Out:

You knew it was coming. Kanye West seems to have put his foot in his mouth again. MediaTakeOut.com has learned that in an upcoming interview with Essence magazine, the hip hop star came down with a bad case of diarrhea of the mouth.

According to a person close to the Essence story, Kanye reportedly told the magazine, “If it wasn’t for race mixing, there’d be no video girls.”

Then, as if his first comment wasn’t offensive enough, Kanye referred to biracial women as dogs. The rapper told, “Me and most of my friends like mutts a lot … Yeah, in the hood they call ‘em mutts.”

Thanks to Barbara and MzDmnr for the tip!

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Trackbacks & Pings

Kanye West Doesn’t Care About Multiracial People « Dork Nation on 20 Nov 2006 at 4:28 pm

[…] found @ Racialicious: According to a person close to the Essence story, Kanye reportedly told the magazine, “If it wasn’t for race mixing, there’d be no video girls.” Then, as if his first comment wasn’t offensive enough, Kanye referred to biracial women as dogs. The rapper told, “Me and most of my friends like mutts a lot … Yeah, in the hood they call ‘em mutts.” […]
Give You Answers on 05 Dec 2006 at 2:22 am

Has Kanye been hanging with Micheal Richards?????…

It seems a little Micheal Richards has rubbed off on him. Why is this becoming a trend: http://www.racialicious.com/2006/11/20/k……
Give You Answers on 05 Dec 2006 at 2:32 am

What do you think of this comment???…

http://www.racialicious.com/2006/11/20/k… Oh hell no…i wouldnt approve of anything like that …i…

Comments

Lyonside wrote:

What hood does Kanye speak for? Having heard this enough as a kid, sometimes but not always directed at me, if you call someone a mutt in Philly, you are going to start something huge and ugly.

Damn.. I admit, the dude is talented and knows a good hook when he hears one. But this does make me glad I don’t actually own an album.

Posted 20 Nov 2006 at 10:17 am ¶
Revolution wrote:

I sincerely hope this is a misquote so I don’t have to lose respect for Kanye and delete him from my mp3 library.

Posted 20 Nov 2006 at 1:09 pm ¶
KXB wrote:

The hood? He grew up in a middle-class suburb of Chicago. As Carlos Mencia spoofed, “His momma’s house is bigger than his.”

Posted 20 Nov 2006 at 1:23 pm ¶
mr guy wrote:

I’ve lived in the “hood”.I have never heard anyone call a biracial woman a “mutt”

Posted 20 Nov 2006 at 1:36 pm ¶
geecheegrrl wrote:

He should be locked up in a room with not-funny comedian Michael Richards

“Michael Richards stunned a comedy club audience, shouting racial epithets at people who heckled him during a stand-up routine”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061120/ap_on_en_tv/people_michael_richards

Posted 20 Nov 2006 at 2:11 pm ¶
Julia Stepchild wrote:

Lyonside, I’m glad I don’t have a Kanye CD either… OR a “Kanye Was Right” t-shirt.

http://colorofchange.org/tshirts.html

Oh, wait, I just noticed that the t-shirts were made by American Apparel. Figures.

Posted 20 Nov 2006 at 6:16 pm ¶
S wrote:

I wonder if he really said that. Remeber when Beyonce was misquotedwhen she said she makes “black music”?

Posted 20 Nov 2006 at 7:37 pm ¶
bertie wrote:

Kanye has shown his azz on many occasions–this is just another in a long line of dumb-dumb moments from him. I guess his reference to “the hood” is the mythical hood that exists only in the hip-hop world–where everybody rides on 22s, drinks champange in clubs, all women short shorts and high heels walking down the street, every body is or has been successfully “grinding”, and middle class momma’s boys are considered “hood certified,” and not the actual hood as in inner city or poor rural america.

Posted 20 Nov 2006 at 8:08 pm ¶
makethelogobigger wrote:

So Motley Crue actually gets a pass this time in the degrading woman department?

Posted 20 Nov 2006 at 10:27 pm ¶
hapa peminist wrote:

You can’t fix stupid!!

Kanye has NO street cred, he’s from the SUBURBS for f*ck’s sake! And I won’t even go there on how he has a thing for white porn stars….

Posted 21 Nov 2006 at 4:03 am ¶
Eric Daniels wrote:

Kanye going 50 Cent on us, what’s next Young Jezzy wearing Kente Cloth and spouting Black Nationalist rap.

Posted 21 Nov 2006 at 10:20 am ¶
Clitus the black wrote:

God made you Carmen how could “he/she/it/entity” be wrong? As a proud black man i will ALWAYS accept you. I hope this helps fore i sincerely mean it.

Please do not let kanye’s words enter your heart.I believe he is slowing learning what i have learnt.Would you believe me if i said i made a ton of money but gave it all away when i learned the truth?

What i mean is no matter how hard we climb we will never be Geppetto in this system.I have long realize the mental pain half black/white people go thru.Take heart in that you could get closer to my enemy then i ever could.

Feedback is what counts…;) some get this…some dont.

Eric daniels says
“Kanye going 50 Cent on us, what’s next Young Jezzy wearing Kente Cloth and spouting Black Nationalist rap”

We Ach’s dont “spout” but rather teach on those “dangerous” corners.

AbraHAM was a black sumerian.
Nationalist enough for you?

Peace be upon the Saint El Haji Malik El Shabazz.

Clitus
Harlem,NY

Posted 21 Nov 2006 at 8:08 pm ¶
Clitus the black wrote:

er…carmen your not white/black whoops sorry about that.

ill keep it moving.

Posted 21 Nov 2006 at 8:27 pm ¶
Rachel wrote:

Geeze, why does he think mutt is OK.

On another note, he’s not the first person I have heard make the video girl comment. My sense is that this attitude is both insulting to black women and multiracial women. The racist ideas is that Black women and too dark to be in the video, and biracial women are “exotic.” Unfortunately, there are many more folks who believe this beyond Kanye West.

Posted 21 Nov 2006 at 9:49 pm ¶
Oh brother wrote:

My sentiments exactly, Rachel. If he indeed said this, it’s an insult not only to biracial women, but to black women. I for one am a dark skinned sista and we are definitely aware that many black men have this mentality.

He didn’t say anything any other black man hasn’t said verbal or through his actions.

Unfortunately there is so much self hatred and I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon.

Posted 21 Nov 2006 at 11:20 pm ¶
S wrote:

He can keep leaving us out, because I don’t wish for anyone to be portrayed as those women are in those videos. So, I’m glad he doesn’t use people who look like me. Not to say that it’s O.K. for other skin shades to be treated like hoes, but if you keep showing up to be put in the video…I guess you’ll keep getting used. Sadly, some of the very women who get dogged by him will STILL buy his albums, still rock his clothing line if he had one…
If it is true that he said that, do you think that all biracial women would boycot him and refuse to be in his videos? Doubt it. A boycot would really send a message to him, but this day in age, there are just not enough people to stand up and make it happen, or so it seems.

Posted 22 Nov 2006 at 11:26 am ¶
hope wrote:

I do not agree with Mr. Kayne West using the term “mutt” to describe biracial women. However, I do agree that the media is constantly casting biracial females over dark skinned females, in movies, t.v. shows, commercials, and advertisements. The outrage should also be over the death of dark skinned women in the media.

Posted 23 Nov 2006 at 1:20 pm ¶
Ted Duplessis wrote:

Well, I am over it! While I have been a supporter for people of color, a member of the NAACP and donated money to C.O.R.E.-I have grown resentful of the black community and a respected magazine(which my mother always subscribed to for the past 20 years)-elevating these ghetto, negroes to our spokes people! Since, I am Creole of mixed race-Kanye West has made me see what whites have always complained about and that is the double standard of black hate speech vs. other hate talk. This comment could result in hate crimes and violence against bi-racial, light skin black or mixed females. I really don’t want to hear blacks saying that ignorance is an isolated case when it is clearly a virus.

Posted 24 Nov 2006 at 6:32 pm ¶
Annamarie wrote:

that comment was rather disgusting. And also what was said previously, he is dissing full black women too, just because we’re not half of something else, means that we’re not good enough to be in his videos, thats sick. And that sad part is, sooo many men think this its not even funny.wake up call: black women are just as beautiful. And calling bi racial women mutts, he should nationally apologize for his ignorance, they are ladies, and nothing else. When are people going to stop basing beauty on colour instead of actual beauty?

Posted 25 Nov 2006 at 12:16 am ¶
S wrote:

Actual Beauty? The answer is never. We are talking about humans here. That will never happen. We’ve gotten close. Mixed black people are considered beautiful (meaning you CAN BE beautiful IF you’re not a child of two black parents who had two black parents…) You are asking people to admit that dark skin BLACK women are beautiful and valuable too. Sorry to break it to you, but that is just too much to ask.

Anyway. I doubt if we will hear Kanye say that biracial women are mutts PUBLICALLY (on video). They may not boycott his videos, but I bet there would be enough angry people to cause his sales to plummit. One can’t continue to complain without taking some sort of action. We don’t like what he said (says) but are we going to continue to support him anyway??? It would be great to hear a news reporter say that there has been a shortage of women to star in Kanye’s videos! Now THAT would be BREAKING NEWS!

Posted 25 Nov 2006 at 9:51 am ¶
Antoinette - san wrote:

Hmph .. mutt ?

Nice to know after my mixed family, who were born and raised the same as anyone else btw, have made a mutt .

Aha .. now I can go dance in music videos like a tramp and help objectify women .

Thanks for clearing that up Kanye .

Ugh . It’s arrogant, obnoxious people like him that don’t help this world .

Posted 25 Nov 2006 at 10:08 pm ¶
Kristine! wrote:

Mutts? Is that the right terminology? I’m getting really sick of Kanye now, first with his obvious arrogance with him posing to be Jesus, then by him saying he is a better rapper than most, and now, labelling bi-racial women as mutts? Is that what he said???

I think Kanye should stay out of the music business. He has angered quite a few people with his “opinions” about the world and now, reffereing to women as if they were dogs, no better than the term “bitch” it is down right disgusting.

When will we as American citizens learn that beauty should not be objectified by race, age, language or hair color. Maybe then when we realize that beauty comes in every color, our perception of prettiness will become more advance

Posted 26 Nov 2006 at 4:12 pm ¶
Kanye wrote:

yo yo yo i think mutts aint hoes
i liek them girls
with no afros, just curls
and light skin
@sses very thin

yo yo yo
them darkies gotta go

sorry mama but you know it aint fo’ sho

Posted 26 Nov 2006 at 4:14 pm ¶
S wrote:

Good point, Kristine. It isn’t any better than “b*tch”, which is a term that has been used to describe us for so long, that, just like the word “n*gger”, people have begun to embrace it, and use it to describe themselves.

Posted 27 Nov 2006 at 12:47 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:

Mutt has a deeper connotation though (not saying B* isn’t insulting - it is - but it’s also used as a impersonal concept - “that’s a B*” for a bad luck occurance for example) -

Mutt implies mixed BREEDs, which means that the different races are subspecies AND that they can be “bred” for certain traits.. considering the history of the eugenics movement, that’s a scary concept that unfortunately is deep rooted in the US psyche. Every time some jerk says that black are “naturally” better at something (usually sports), my hackles (heh) go up.

Posted 27 Nov 2006 at 1:15 pm ¶
s wrote:

Yeah, that’s a good point, Lyonside.

Posted 27 Nov 2006 at 1:44 pm ¶
Jenifer wrote:

Man…dont believe everything u hear from media take out…i remember this one time they said in an upcoming Essence magazine Neyo admitted he was gay….that never happened…so until we see this actually magazine i wouldnt believe it

Posted 27 Nov 2006 at 7:51 pm ¶
Jenifer wrote:

Man…dont believe everything u hear from media take out…i remember this one time they said in an upcoming Essence magazine Neyo admitted he was gay….that never happened…so until we see this actually magazine i wouldnt believe it

Posted 27 Nov 2006 at 7:51 pm ¶
Nina wrote:

In fairness to Essence the quote was in a section about people “better seen than heard.” They were hardly glorifying Kanye’s ignorant comment-though they did print it. Pg. 72 of the current issue BTW.

Posted 27 Nov 2006 at 9:27 pm ¶
Angelique wrote:

Being a biracial woman, I am very offended by his comments more so than those of Michael Richards. Kanye is a black man who should uphold his race and not demean them (especially the women) by calling biracial people “mutts”. I was not bred nor do I bark. He should be ashamed of himself. Maybe he needs to have his jaw wired again.

Posted 27 Nov 2006 at 10:52 pm ¶
iamnotstarjones wrote:

Kanye doesn’t have to do anything but love his mama, stay black and die.

Remember you have the option to download all his future music illegally if you are truly pissed off.

Posted 29 Nov 2006 at 4:47 am ¶
David Johnson wrote:

Helen of Troy, for whom an entire generation of men lost their lives, was always calling herself a mutt. (cf. Iliad Book 6 line 344)

Posted 30 Nov 2006 at 8:22 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:

David Johnson: *blink* and your point is…?

I’m not going to even go into about how the Illiad is not a historical document, but I really don’t think Homer had Kany’e’s racial intentions in mind.

Posted 30 Nov 2006 at 10:38 pm ¶
A. Mae wrote:

First of all…the comments on here only show that yall cant read nor read between the lines. Kanye is obviously making note of the fact that dark skinned women arent found attractive enough to be video girls hencforth “if there wasnt race mixin-no video girls” comment. and the hood thing…read it again. thats what “THEY” call them in the hood” He didnt say “WE”. Therefore he wasnt catergorizin himself in that statement…the word “mutt” was being used for biracial women LOONG before he said it. so who are you really mad at? I think yall she be mad at the ignorant black people who still think that lighter is better. GO AHEAD KANYE!!!!!

Posted 03 Dec 2006 at 9:03 am ¶
A. Mae wrote:

And i wish i c ould smack all of yall..

Posted 03 Dec 2006 at 9:05 am ¶
Lyonside wrote:

A. Mae: I’m glad for your sake you can’t TRY to smack us *EG*.

Maybe it’s a misquote (as someone said above), but the quote as it’s printed certainly doesn’t sound like Kanye’s speaking OUT against colorism/racism in the hiphop/entertainment culture. It sounds like he’s approving or at least tolerant.

Sure, let’s argue about semantics of using “they” vs. “we.” THAT matters *eyeroll*

Noone said he invented “mutt” as an epithet. But since you’re obviously part of his fanbase, and I do think he’s a bright guy with definite skill, don’t you think he should have a clue and be a POSITIVE influence instead of sounding like a woman-degrading racist??

Posted 04 Dec 2006 at 12:14 pm ¶
SAL wrote:

I used to have angst about being a light-skinned biracial woman and I had encounters with nasty, dark-skinned black men like Kanye who would say ill s**t to me. The truth is that there have been biracial people in this country since we hit these shores. Yes, light-skinned women have the privilege of shaking their asses and long hair (real or weaved) in videos for the titillation of white men and unevolved brothers like Kanye. But at the end of the day we are all African peoples and, in this climate, we need to work together and not against each other. Kanye’s music will be forgotten in 5 years–he’s a self-destructive, bombastic idiot. Biracial people–don’t accept ignorant mess from self-hating darker brothers and sisters. And darker sisters and brothers–love yourself and be proud so that we lighter people can learn to love ourselves and stop trying to pretend we’re “almost” white.

Posted 04 Dec 2006 at 11:23 pm ¶
A. Mae wrote:

He never said thats what they were SOLELY created for…yall took it a step further…But since you obvoiusly need facts to validate it..how many darkskinned video girls do you see? are you honestly gonna tell me that lightskinned women arent casted over darker skinned woment?
Never said he hated women..so where did that come from..black ppl so quick and eager to get crunk on sombody..and this is the same black race that ostricize their own for being to dark…but when someone snaps on the light skinned folk yall wanna get all defensive..and yes the semantics just matter..because they obviously have 2 DISTINCT meanings.. NO LIGHT SKINNED GIRLS mean NO VIDEO GIRLS. end of story

Posted 07 Dec 2006 at 7:27 pm ¶
A. Mae wrote:

Its too late for all that work together bullshyt…because no matter how much we say “darker the berry the sweeter the juice”..it will always mean “darker the berry the uglier it is.” The stigma and isolation that come with being dark will never be lifted. How many whites do you see goin…”well your hair isnt straight enough or your eyes arent light enough” But then you wonder why u dont have the respect of the white man when he sees you callin your brother “skillet” and “burnt”. Do you believe yall deserve the respect of the black man? no. dont get mad at Kanye..because if it wasnt for black people stereotypical previous actions…he wouldnt have anything to say now would he?

Posted 07 Dec 2006 at 7:33 pm ¶
A. Mae wrote:

and lets keep it real..what stigma comes with being light skinned..you will never hear a black man say “No, im not gonna date you because your hair is too straight, your skin is too light and your eyes are to light.”

Posted 08 Dec 2006 at 5:33 pm ¶
kim wrote:

A. Mae,

I went to visit a cousin two years ago, and as we talked and I made a comment about being light-skinned,then moved on in the conversation, assuming her to be on board with me, she stopped walking, reached out and grabbed me, and asked, incredulously, if there were problems that lightskinned women underwent - both in the “community” and with Black men.

I was astounded, and asked her if she was joking. No. I told her she was joking, and merely waited for her confirmation of such. It never came.

She is a deep, rich brown and I am very light with almost no gold, tan, shading, etc.

As with her, I will say to you that light-skinned women do not wake up everyday, look in the mirror, and give praises for “not being dark.” In fact, for many years of a light-skinned woman’s life, she may catch so much hell (not dark enough, not sister enough, nor Sista enough, accused of not being Black enough politically or spiritually) that she may find herself wondering what it is to be brown, and inconspicuous, among her people.

Light-skinned women suffer the same type of misogynistic abuses that all women do, and when she declines some ruffian’s invitation to sex her up in his own inimitable, toothless, slurping-her-up-through-a-straw into the hole at the front of his mouth way designed to sound enticing, she is cursed for being all sorts of half-breed, half-white, stink-a** b*t**es as any other self-respecting woman.

I know you are not a frequent contributor to this site, and you seem full of a kind of furious hate that comes from someplace that has nothing to do with another woman. Unless it was in the most tender bond a person knows in life, at the start of life.

Sister, all I can say to you, is watch some light-skinned sisters, real women please, not little girls who are just discovering their power over men due to circumstances beyond their control. Listen to these women; speak with them.

Angela Davis and Nikki Giovanni, Eleanor Holmes Norton and Marianne Wright Edelman, Jessica Care Moore and Asha Bandele, and legions more…have never turned away from their sisterhood with you.

Don’t waste time defending someone who would demean your sisters the way Kanye has. It will not be long before such a person finds it expedient to demean you.

Posted 08 Dec 2006 at 6:37 pm ¶
???###??? wrote:

Please stop calling BIRACIAL women MIXED. That in itself is offensive.

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 1:44 am ¶
Gin wrote:

Kanye, Kanye… Funny to see how his glossy image as a hip-hop artist is so intentional and controlled yet the man behind the music has no idea which way the wheel is turning. Watch out for that trash can, dawg!

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 5:25 am ¶
A. Mae wrote:

How has kanye demeaned yall? thats what i still dont understand…MOST as in (92.6%) VIDEO VIXENS ARE LIGHT SKINNED. NO RACE MIXING NO VIDEO GIRLS!!!. Its in black and white(no pun intended). so there are no gray areas. its visible- watch any music video and if not all of them are light skinned then 99% of them are. HE NEVER SAID THATS THE SOLE PURPOSE THE ONLY PURPOSE THE ABSOLUTE PURPOSE OF THE LIGHTSKINNED WOMAN. So where is that coming from? He didnt coin the word “mutt” brothers were sayin it looong before he did…so are yall really mad at. Kanye is merely voicing out what is already there.

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 9:10 am ¶
A. Mae wrote:

Now if the quote went like this: “No race mixing means no video girls, because thats the only purpose of a light skinned sister and in my opinion they are mutts and thats what myself and my friends call them”. Then ya’ll can get belligerent. But this quote and the one at the begnning of the page are completely different…reading comprehension anyone?

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 9:13 am ¶
A. Mae wrote:

???###??? wrote:

Please stop calling BIRACIAL women MIXED. That in itself is offensive.

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 1:44 am ¶

But when you join one race and another race and they have sex…their blood MIXES…so therefore you have a child thats a MIX of 2 indiviuals of different races…resulting in a MIXED child

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 9:15 am ¶
A. Mae wrote:

I think its time for the black community to open there are eyes around them and really pay attention. I dont see light skinned girls nor women being made fun of because they are too light skinned..and if they are..it doesnt happen as often as the ridiculing of the darker skinned sister. Memeber back then with the affluent blacks of Martha’s Vineyard–if you were darker than a paper bag you couldnt marry into their family. O!!! the hardships of being lighter skinned..geez that must suck.
And if in deed lightskinned people are being isolated for being lightskinned and are not being wholey accepted…then what does that tell you.. African americans are fukked up..cause if ur dark its a bad thing..now if ur light…its still a bad thing. damn!!!!!!

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 9:20 am ¶
A. Mae wrote:

you will never hear a black man say “No, im not gonna date you because your hair is too straight, your skin is too light and your eyes are to light.”

that in my opinion is evidence enough…cause me and alot of my darker skinned sisters feel like we have to work extra extra extra hard to get a man..especially when ur competiton is Mya whos momma was white. But you dont understand that..becuz ya’ll light skinned..and you will never walk in our shoes

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 9:22 am ¶
kim wrote:

Annie Mae,

that is your name, right? An era of Mae’s brought forth a generation of Annes/Anns/Annies…Black, true enough.

Honey, have you ever sought to communicate a cohesive thought? You are angry because you have a really nasty disposition, which you emanate.

You give what you get, in many instances.

I could care less about Kanye West, and have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, as you have no idea how to clearly express it.

But…if you are having problems finding someone in your life, maybe you need to look elsewhere: away from the clubs and streetcorners, not at the Dollar Store or bus stop, not at the neighborhood hoops game.

And maybe you need to look inward.

Dark-skin women marry, find love, and “partners” they can ‘get their groove on with’ every day. But these are women who have self-respect, confidence, a sense of their own value, and standards for themselves and others.

Look elsewhere for love. Before you look for a man to give it to you, look inside of yourself.

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 1:48 pm ¶
A.Mae wrote:

No. My name is Addie and do not patronize me with the looking for love on the street corner rant. Im not angry about anything, I am however disappointed that lighter skinned women are trying to express the disadvantages of being lightskinned when in actuality they have it better than darkeskinned people and the whole “you will never find a black man say your hair is too long and straigt..etc” quote was merely an example, because my love life isnt significant to you, however it expresses the difficulties of darker skinned women. And if you were darkskinned yourself…you would be able to relate. And Im actually a pretty slowed tempered person in reality, so me not being able to find a man(which isnt even true anymore in which that Im already engaged) isnt neccessarily true, cause I know for a fact that my personality is on point. Furthermore the whole lightskinned sistahs attitude of “I have suffered as much if not more as the darkerskinned sister is complete bull.
Funny how you decided to focus on the quote about my relationship life.
What about the quote about the blacks of 1.)Martha’s Vineyard and how you couldnt marry into the family if you were darker than a paperbag.
2.) How fairer skinned slaves were treated better than the darker ones.
3.) How many times the darker skinned sister has heard I would date you but you too black. Or “Damn that bitch is burnt” or You too damn black.
But Im sorry…the lighter skinned women have it so so so much harder. NOT!. Walk in a darkskinned sistahs shoe once and I gurantee you your opinion will change. “Folks dont know how it is until they cross the creek and fish on the other side”- Addie

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 3:20 pm ¶
A.Mae wrote:

And my stand on the Kanye quote..he never said that was the SOLE purpose of the light skinned sister—thats just black people acting out a stereotype and finding excuses to get belligerent. I do however agree that he should have kept the word “mutt” to himself. But ask yourself this…if there werent light skinned women..how many video girls would we really have?

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 3:27 pm ¶
kim wrote:

Addie Mae, or to properly respect your posting name, A. Mae:

I wasn’t focusing on anything you said in particular. Your energy says those things to me. I focused on what is at the core of your upset, because that is how you actually feel to me.

You seem to think light-skinned women are sitting around complaining. About anything. We are not. See, light-skinned women are about doing their jobs…waking up and taking care of the laundry, going to work, building community. If that is what they are about. If they are about something else, something shallow, something materialistic, something in-your-face, then ask yourself : just what kind of person are you dealing with?

My comments here to you are about the politic and tone of how one presents oneself. No one is defending Kanye’s comments and at the same time bemoaning their “complexion,” as it is called in the Black community.

The nature of the discussion about Mr. West is the use of his derogatory terms. You would justify his use of such terms because they preceded him, and are in wide use in the “community,” or “hood.” Listen to the other things you complain about as being at large in said community, and how upset you are about them:

3.) How many times the darker skinned sister has heard I would date you but you too black. Or “Damn that bitch is burnt” or You too damn black.

Ms. A. Mae,

do you really seek to be in the company of anyone who refers to a woman in such terms? Who seeks to dismiss another human being openly, rudely, and on the basis of that which that human being has NO CONTROL over?

Do you notice how my comments to you about the demeaning aspect of the above speech mirrors the demeaning aspects of the “mutt” comment as it relates to light-skinned women?

Who really cares how how hard, or how good, a woman’s chances are of dating or sexing a man who sees a woman as less than human?
(I presume, based on the level of the rant you have displayed here, that you are of an age to use such terms as ’sexing,’ and probably a member of a social environment where it is bandied about)

Because you are acclimated to a climate where the values and dispositions of video/street culture seem to actually represent how Black people feel about each other, how we attract mates and establish relationships, you do not see beyond the male-dominated, materialistic, bling-bling. hottie mentality that is actually a bastardization of any self-respecting group.

The video world, the rap and hip-hop world are not TRUE TO LIFE DEPICTIONS of how our lives are; how our inner lives are; what our aspirations are; what our options are; what our future is.

And don’t even step to me with your dark-skin-validates-my-Blackness (read: real Sista) crap, because the ghetto does not discriminate when it comes to who goes hungry, who goes homeless, who gets raped and disemboweled, who ends up on drugs, who makes other options, who determines they can be something other than that which the face of decrepit tenement buildings and project hallways says they are.

The biggest differences are the opportunities and stresses placed on the genders. If you want to have a discussion of how life separates because of the double whammy of color + (anything), talk to me about gender issues.

You think you have such a hard row to hoe, to use a southern expression. Does that make you think that no other woman does? Are you really that self-absorbed, that apolitical, that single minded?

Based on the tone of your very last post, I would say that you do not hold yourself to be. But then you don’t live where I live, do you?

You weren’t encircled on the play ground in first grade and made to sit in the middle, while the rest of the children played ‘ring around the white girl.’

You weren’t openly told by little dark-skinned children that you weren’t allowed to come to their party because “only Black people could come to their party,” were you?

You weren’t beat up when the lights when out on the sixth floor in the project housing unit because some girl had been raped and ‘brothers’ were out to get the ‘white’ people were you?

Really. Sister. Do you ever read about real women doing real things for the betterment of us all.

If I were Bebe Moore Campbell, God rest her soul, what would I have to say to you? Say it with me now , come on, “Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine.”

Doesn’t mean we don’t both sing a mean one. Open your mind.

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 4:17 pm ¶
A.Mae wrote:

“And don’t even step to me with your dark-skin-validates-my-Blackness ” That never came out in my comment nor did I even imply it. My point and comments are strictly about Kanye’s quote and its motivation and its connotation….so your rant about the ghetto and this and that…IRRELAVANT. And if you werent being belligerent…You would have noticed that I did state that I didnt agree with the mutt part of the Kanye’s quote..however..everything else is true. Now though you may have been called white girl and been picked on blah blah blah…you and your lightskinned sisters suffering is not COMPRABLE to that of a darker skinned sister. Because when you say “lightskinned”…whats the first thing that comes to a black persons mind both male and female alike….she must be beautiful, desriable, and intelligent. Im sorry that we seem to perpetuate the stereotypes we denounce. But thats the way it is. THats reality..if you dont think like that…then MORE POWER TO YOU…but thats not how it is in the real world. In the real world…being lightskinned is a damn good thing! And even though you went through or are going through your “your not black enough” phase with your peers….its not as prominent as “your too black phase”. Being darkskinned will always be frowned upon more than being lightskinned. And where I live as nothing to do with it..because Ive live in collegepark,ga(black ghetto) to conyers, ga(uppermiddle class country white area)…and its the same exact story…”you’re too black.” All im saying is…you dont know what it feels like cause your not darkskinned….and i dont know what it feels like to be lightskinned cause im not. AGREE TO DISAGREE..you cannot speak for me…and i cannot speak for you I can only account for what I have been through and what I have witnessed my fellow darkskinned sisters have been through. and you can only do the same for your lightskinned sistahs…all in all..I LOVE YOU AND MYSELF JUST THE SAME. But I will never believe that your ridiculing is comprable to mine.

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 6:37 pm ¶
A.Mae wrote:

And you havent experienced what i have.
1.) Having your bestfriends mother come outside and pull her daughter in while saying I dont want you to get all “black and toasty” like your friend addie.(she doesnt know that i heard that)
2.) Being called skillet, blacky, darky, tar, blackie chan, blackie robinson, by not only peers but TEACHERS!…same teacher who told me that if not a white person would get the job before me and lighter skinned girl will. (this was when i was applying at macdonalds when i was a teen.)
3.) Having lightskinned girls tell me i couldnt join their “pretty girls club” not because i wasnt pretty because I was too dark and my hair wasnt as long as theirs.
4.) Having the guy that gave me my first kiss call me a matchstick behind my back and later on got my lighter skinned friend pregnant.
5.) Having “coal girl written on my locker in middle school (salem middle-lithonia,ga(black area))
6.) Having kids scratch me with sticks to see if i would leave a black residue on it.
7.) Having to watch my neice get pushed to the back of the line at the slide while all the black boys let the light skinned girls jump them. (that one really hits home)

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 7:18 pm ¶
kim wrote:

And what is the common ground here, A. Mae:

betrayal.

Does yours make more sense (meaning, is it more justifiable?) Does yours hurt less? hurt more?

The point: I said to you that with perspective and consideration, you will see that every woman goes through her own travails, and women on both side of the color issue in the Black community have felt the sting of the clashes that exist within our community.

I asked that you not dismiss the hurt of light-skinned women; theirs is not always an easy “in.”

In childhood we all suffered the terrible backlash of what had been transmitted through our communities’ adoption of the value system that had been imposed on it in slavery, and up through the present.

If we are awake, aware, and dedicated to Blackness as a place central to all humanity, then we realize that at its core it is nurturing, it is the essence of all that can be created, and it created the sister next to us, as well as ourselves.

When we continue to pass on the prejudices and beliefs that color in our communities has value, then we become the parties guilty of hurting the next generation: your nieces, and mine.

I will not do it, I will not dance that tantalizing, tormenting dance.

And this is not me being pompous or bombastic or self-righteous: I only understood how deeply split we were after reading Malcom X’s autobiography at fifteen. And I walked around Harlem and the Bronx and let every young man who called me out of my name, (”light-skiiiiin,” “redbone-almost-white,” “white chocolate,”/ whatever)…know that he would no longer do that, for in expressing a desire for me framed in those terms, he is letting me know that he would openly ignore or disrespect any brown-skinned sister who walked by, or happened to be with me. As though that made me exceptional, and her second-class.

Taking my cue from Janet Jackson, I actually introduced myself to them, told them my real name (something you and I know you just don’t do), and told them to use it, and NEVER call me, or any other light-skinned sister by the terms he’d used with me. You should have seen the way brothers looked at me, but they always smiled, and always apologized.

And, I like to think, they thought twice about the meaning of what I’d said, considering their mothers and mine are deep brown/black, and , let’s face it, we all love our mommas.

You’re right: I haven’t experienced what I have, but consider the man who is loving you now: would he reject someone who looks like me on the basis of my being very fair? Is he a good man? (of course he is, right?) Is that fair?

Peace to you.

And those girls were idiots (#3 in your above post), because, as my grandmother said, and I’ve carried with me my whole life: “Kimmalee, I don’t care how pretty a woman’s face is; if she got ugly ways - she ugly!”

Maybe it could all end with your family, and mine.

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 10:20 pm ¶
A.Mae wrote:

Im glad we found a common ground:). ITs refreshing actually.

Posted 09 Dec 2006 at 11:24 pm ¶
Justin Bell wrote:

Uhm well being a Creole… excuse me mutt. I find his comments very empowering. I mean what better way for saying mixed people are good liking then likening them to dogs! I mean they are our best friends right, right? No lets be serious he is just saying that mixed people are so good looking that they should be viewed as sexual objects! But in all honesty over 90% of all blacks in america have both white lineage and native blood flowing through their veins. That small portion that doesn’t are either African immagrents or the children of immagrents. So Kanye unless you just got off the boat. Keep your opinions to yourself the black community doesnt need any more divisions. So Kanye stop bringing Blacks down.

Posted 12 Dec 2006 at 8:43 pm ¶
skyy wrote:

races have been mixed since man was formed from the dust of the earth. cut us open and we all bleed red. God ,Jesus Christ , made us. nobody has the right to degrade the masters creation. we shall all stand before God and give an account to every idle word we say. nearly all of us have some other race in our blood. i’m a black american,but i’m lightskined with straight and curly hair,and i’m confused with being spanish or mixed. it doesn’t even mater. one day we who are children of the most high,will be changed in the twinkling of an eye,and recieve new glorious bodies. peace.

Posted 15 Dec 2006 at 12:42 am ¶
herpeapod wrote:

Changed from this life of sin
To one that brings that great joy within
Changed in the twinkling of an eye…

took me back for a minute. ahem.

Justin, somewhere along the line, perhaps with Skippy Gates and his PBS crew?, I heard the number was closer to 70% of mixed-raced Blacks, but whose counting?

Posted 15 Dec 2006 at 12:48 am ¶
WireITup wrote:

LOOKS like Kayne mouth needs to be wired back up to stop him from make an AZZ out of himself. Everytime his young buck open his mouth something stupid comes out.

Posted 18 Dec 2006 at 4:59 pm ¶
Dan wrote:

Damn I swear the reaction to this is way over the top. Who cares if he said the word mutt! I’m sure what he was trying to say was that mixed women or mutts are stunning! The media is just trying to sell some tabloids so they make him seem racist. I love mixed women too I’m Latino and have white, black and indian aunts and uncles so naturally most my cousins are mixed who cares. Eventually most the worlds population are going to be mutts. All he was trying to say is Mutts are hot!!!!!!!!!! It was a compliment

Posted 19 Dec 2006 at 4:41 am ¶
faith wrote:

Isn’t his wife to be a “mutt”?

Posted 19 Dec 2006 at 12:51 pm ¶
faith wrote:

Guess he met her on a video set!

Posted 19 Dec 2006 at 12:54 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:

Dan: Are you familiar with the concept of “positive” stereotyping?

All Asians (or all Pacific Asians) are good at math and computers - god help the Japanese kid with a learning disorder!

All Latinos are “hot-blooded”/”good lovers” - god help the Latino/a trying to get away from a possessive or abusive relationship, or put someone away for attempted rape.

And All mixed people (or in this case, black/white people) are “beautiful”/ “exotic”/ “hot”:

OMG: God help you if you don’t look like someone’s beauty ideal, esp. if you are a woman. God help you if you have weight issues. God help you if you don’t even WANT to conform to any one ideal placed on society.

And ask yourself: where did this concept come from? why is a mixed-race woman with white descent (as almost all the faces in the media/models/dancers, etc. that people talk about ARE) are considered beautiful, but you just don’t hear much about black/Asian, or any other minorityX/minorityY mix as being on the same level? It’s called the European Beauty standard - look it up.

A backhanded compliment deserves the same from this first-gen biracial black/white woman: the back of my hand.

Posted 19 Dec 2006 at 1:51 pm ¶
Denae wrote:

I want each of you to think about what Brother West was saying. I object to the label mutts because none of us despite lightness or darkness are “pure” black, but lets think for a moment. Who is shown more in music videos, light or dark females? Who is constantly shown as the personification of beauty on the covers of Ebony, Jet, and Essence, light or dark? We are taking steps backwards as a people and do not see that we are returning to the days of the paper brown bag test where only light skinned black females need apply. I get it, I hope the rest of you do too.

Posted 22 Dec 2006 at 7:05 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:

Denae: You’re right, and there is a definite bais in pop culture against dark-skinned actresses/dancers/models of African-American descent - someone dark like Naomi Campbell is the exception, not the rule.

But: Was Kanye West CRITICIZING this trend? It sure doesn’t sound like it. And I call foul on people who seem to think that he’s objecting - sounds to me like he’s supporting the status quo, which I totally agree is UNFAIR, and reflects the European beauty standard.

Posted 22 Dec 2006 at 7:45 pm ¶
sk wrote:

hes gay… dats why he said it….hes gay

Posted 23 Dec 2006 at 2:44 pm ¶
A.Mae wrote:

the quote wasnt entirely false…how many video vixens are really darkskinned? im not condonin his usage of the word mutts .(even though he didnt make it up) however….if lightskinned women are valued over darkerskinned women and are thought to be more beautiful..u have no one to blame but yourselves…cause as self righteous u want to be..u have all played a role in the disenfranchising of the darkskinned woman. STOP BEING IDEALISTIC and KEEP IT REAL!

Posted 24 Dec 2006 at 4:08 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:

A.Mae:

>u have no one to blame but yourselves…cause as self righteous u want to be..u have all played a role in the disenfranchising of the darkskinned woman.

HOW? WHEN? How did _I_ create this sterotype or support it? I don’t buy or otherwise support any recording artist if their work is mysogynistic, homophobic, and violent in nature. I try my damndest to be aware and speak out about the dominance of the European beauty standard. I don’t read pop culture magazines that are obsessed with this (really, currently I have a subscription to Parents magazine and Sci American - I ocassionally slum it with Psych Today and Home and Garden). I’ve never thought of my darker-skinned relatives as less attractive based on skin color, and so on and so on.

I think it bogus to say that EVERYONE who objects is suddenly part of the problem? If we didn’t object, then we’d be part of the problem, don’t you think?

Posted 24 Dec 2006 at 5:23 pm ¶
merq wrote:

OK, Lyonside, why oh WHY are you even entertaining the bitter, nonsensical ramblings of this Angry Black Woman stereotype over here?

As a black man (and no, not one of the purported 70-90% with white ancestral ties), I’ve gotta say I’m really more worried about you, A. Mae, than any of those video chicks. You come off like the modern-day embodiment of the Sapphire caricature.

Posted 24 Dec 2006 at 6:52 pm ¶
Kim wrote:

Merq,

Thanks for the reach out the other day. I hope our other sister here can hear you, I do so care for her considered voice.

By the way, Marlon Riggs was/is so on point with where he placed his energies, wasn’t he?

Are you familiar with late poet, Sabah-As-Sabah? I loved him truly. So much integrity, focus, dedication.

Posted 24 Dec 2006 at 8:56 pm ¶
merq wrote:

Hey Kim,

No, I haven’t heard of him, but I’ll be sure to look him up… and yes, Riggs was incredible. I could barely sit through his last documentary, “Black Is, Black Ain’t” as the audience was pretty-much forced to watch him die of AIDS.

That got his point across wonderfully, but let’s just say I don’t enjoy the flashbacks.

Posted 25 Dec 2006 at 12:08 am ¶
old white perv wrote:

Everyone in this world is prejudiced in one way or another… Oh Well!

Kayne West is known to have a very small penis and this is probably the source of most of his anger. I live in Hollywood and it’s kind of an open secret that he can’t satisfy a woman.

Posted 25 Dec 2006 at 1:10 am ¶
merq wrote:

Well, then. I guess that clarifies that!
[/disdainful sarcasm]

Posted 25 Dec 2006 at 6:21 pm ¶
A.Mae wrote:

There yall go with that idealistic shit…thats not realistic…

First of all Lyonside..you can only account for YOUR actions and for YOUR opinions…however…you count for how many out of the whole black population 0.001%. So thats great that you dont feed into the stereotype or perpetuate it…kudos for you. And once again..im not angry….the situation isnt even serious enough to be trying to be getting pressed over.
Every time some controversy starts black people wanna be all of a sudden idealistic..samples:
“Black people shouldnt use the word nigga” when in REALITY most african americans have accepted it as slang.
The darker the berry the sweeter the juice”
when in REALITY the stereotypical embodiment of beauty is light skinned long hair light eyes. (hence your video vixens)
Yea we shouldnt think like that, its not right…but thats how it is….it cant change because the stereotype will always be there…and no matter how much YOU dont feed into it…it still wont change KEEP IT REAL KEEP IT REAL KEEP IT REAl…stop with the idealistic ideas shit ..cause its not gonna fly.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 3:01 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

and when i say u have no one to blame but urselves…i still stand by it..I am not of American origin..i didnt have ancestors as slaves..all my people are back in nigeria and thats where my family migrated from to canada and settled in georgia.
The way i have read and understood it is that the white man(since slavery) has brainwashed you into devaluing yourselves because you were black….and you know you werent shit if you were darkskinned…ESPECIALLY if you were darkskinned…why did a majority of houseslaves just so happen to be lighterskinned? hmmmm why did a majority of lighter skinned slaves get treated better? hmmmm.
Ya’ll were made to beleive that because you were negroe…u were less of a person..a black ugly smelly thing…so the closer u can get to white…the better you are..the better you got treated…is it right? HELL NO..but thats reality. again i must stress..STOP WITH THE IDEALISM..”oh this is the way its suppose to be”…the “teachings of so and so says…” That is irrelevant… KEEP IT REAL.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 3:07 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

merq wrote:

OK, Lyonside, why oh WHY are you even entertaining the bitter, nonsensical ramblings of this Angry Black Woman stereotype over here?

As a black man (and no, not one of the purported 70-90% with white ancestral ties), I’ve gotta say I’m really more worried about you, A. Mae, than any of those video chicks. You come off like the modern-day embodiment of the Sapphire caricature.

Posted 24 Dec 2006 at 6:52 pm ¶

Excuse the fuck outta you.(another black stereotype.”cant get your point across with that tossing out insults”
…im not bitter..and if wat i was sayin was completely false…then id kick my own ass so fuck you very much. im doin what you arent..keeping it real. Like i said over and over and over again..its not right..the situation isnt right…but its true. thats how it is…thats how it has been thats how it will always be.

..and if you lyonside dont feed into the whole euro beauty standard, dont buy the magazines, dont agree at all…thats good! great! excellent..BUT YOU ARE ONLY ONE person…and you do realize that just about every sentence in ur #69.) response started with “I” ?Speak for yourself and no one else..all im doin is expressing the values that BLACK AMERICANS HAVE PERPEUTATED FROM THE START…all of this should have been nipped in the bud right after the slaves were freed…what happened then is now echoing now. we are reaping the consequences of the situations back then..and the reaping will never end.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 3:22 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

do i feed into the hype..no…frankly if ur ugly ur ugly..u can be light skinned light hair and eyes and be ugly as i dont know what, dumb as shit, and have a garbage personality….when “mixed” “light skinned” comes to mind..i envision a negro with a yellow complexion not neccessarily “beautiful”…but my opinion is irrelevant…because my opinion is idealistic..so i will refrain from spitting opinions and relate to the MODERN day facts

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 3:28 am ¶
gatamala wrote:

all im doin is expressing the values that BLACK AMERICANS HAVE PERPEUTATED FROM THE START…all of this should have been nipped in the bud right after the slaves were freed…

*sigh* if ONLY it were all so simple….

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 3:49 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

simple…its not even possible…unless u invented the time machine and i didnt know about it. lol…that was me tapping into my idealistic side….ofcourse it isnt that simple and not realistic.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 3:52 am ¶
James.P wrote:

WOW…
I agree with everyone…somewhat..however I agree more with Miss. A. Mae. Yea, you’re actually quite right, it isnt about how things should be, its about how things are. As a middle aged highschool teacher I have heard on numerous occasions of how my male black students say they “want them a redbone with long hair pretty eyes and a fat ass” My own buddy perfers light skinned women of darkerskinned ones, I have indeed witnessed him turn down a girl because she was “overdone” and by that I dont mean too much make up…I mean too dark. Do I agree with that? No! (hell I’ll take whatever I can get).lol But it isnt right. Everyone seems to be lamenting on how things should be but thats not they way they are. Lets analyze the black society and whats going on in today instead of quoting every other black poet and philosopher.
And Miss. Mae..that was hilarious.
That previous quote about you will never hear a black man say “I can’t date you! Your hair is too straight and long and your eyes are too light and so is your skin”….cause it would never happen. But you know and I know and the REST of yall know someone who’s said “yea that girl is too black” ” she needs to stay out the sun”..”i hope our kids dont come out with her complexion.”
Is that right? no but thats how it is.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 4:08 am ¶
James.P wrote:

So who’s fault is it again that the lightskinned complex even exists? not entirely the white man..because when black people had the chance to speak up they didnt—we kept that standard of beauty. How many of yall would really like Vanessa Williams and Halle Berry if they had the skin complexion of Alec Wek(darkskinned woman)…ok…lets keep it real.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 4:12 am ¶
James.P wrote:

And reading through these comments..lets keep it civilized..just because someone doesnt accept your perception of things does not give you the right to patronize them and calling them “bitter” saying they are rambling nonsensically”—thats just flat out childish. That kind of action INVALIDATES everything you’ve said and will say.
You are right Mae…black people cant get their point across without tossing out insults.”
(and you cant blame that on the white man now can you?)

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 4:16 am ¶
James.P wrote:

oh…black people and their belligerency

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 4:39 am ¶
Olivia B. wrote:

I agree too actually I think because they dont personally believe it, buy it , participate in it or even experienced it they dont believe its going on therefore resulting in their idealistic views.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 5:04 am ¶
Olivia B. wrote:

And reading through these comments..lets keep it civilized..just because someone doesnt accept your perception of things does not give you the right to patronize them and calling them “bitter” saying they are rambling nonsensically”—thats just flat out childish. That kind of action INVALIDATES everything you’ve said and will say.
You are right Mae…black people cant get their point across without tossing out insults.”
(and you cant blame that on the white man now can you?)

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 4:16 am ¶

Tell em again James..tell em again. lol. that was mighty rude though. tsk tsk tsk

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 5:12 am ¶
Olivia B. wrote:

Dont get me wrong here..not that im not saying that lighter skinned women havent have their share of discrimination…but it isnt comprable to that of a darker skinned woman and I must include that im brown skinned neither favoring any party.

If you as an individual were beat up and tormented because you were lighter skinned— im sorry..maybe your INDIVIDUAL suffering was more than another darker skinned INDIVIDUAL’S. However in a broader light..as a whole..the suffering of a light skinned sistah is NOT and NEVER WILL BE comprable to that of the darkskinned sistah (not even trying to make it into an “I have suffered more competion”)….and thats just the fact. not even my opinions.
-By courtesy of my AAAS degree at Duke.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 5:19 am ¶
Morehouse Man wrote:

I agree with everyone…everyone makes some pretty explicitly reasonable pointsl….however, I especially agree with A.mae and James…I appreciate the realistic view of it.

And Olivia…I agree also..but you know thats not what light skinned black people want to hear. lol lol. But hey, I guess the truth must be told… not realized…it has been realized..just not verbalized and why? Because people just cant handle it. I say praise black people both light and dark..and I believe you agree also A. Mae. I dont believe that you are attacking lightskinned people…however you are making some damn good points with the whole realism and idealism factor..because thats what its all going to boil down to- “which is ideal and which is real”. And real will always outweigh ideal because thats what we live in. We dont live in an ideal society…obviously(lol) so why try and view everything in that light?Some things cant be changed. The light skinned complex has been around for hundreds of years..even dating back to India where the word “nigger” originated among English Colonists…so the stigmas of the stereotypical qualities of light skinned people will not be lifted by making idealistic statements on here and quoting every black intellectual in the textbook.
Sometimes you just have to stick to the facts. Its a stigma in our society that we cannot lift…Im sorry its there. I dont condone it…and Im sure neither does A. Mae. Lyonside, james, olivia,kim etc…but be real guys be real.

My name is Morehouse Man and I am a Mulatto.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 5:38 am ¶
Morehouse Man wrote:

And some knowledge for those who desperately need it… the word “nigger” was used by English Colonists to distinguish the darker Indians(south ) from the lighter Indians(north) and by Indians not Native Americans. And yes…they enslaved the “niggers” (Southen Indians) because they could withstand the scorching rays of the Indian sun while English colonist could preserve the beauty of the lighter Indians and fornicate with them. So when Kanye does make a statement like that…I dont even bat an eye offense.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 5:46 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

Bout time…. Never once did I say that Kanye was justified to use to word mutt…but everything else prior to that word usage in his quote is absolutely the truth(thats what this forum is about isnt it?) . I do not have a personal vendetta against light skinned women…surely u dont believe all my friends are darkskinned women–hell my best friends are light skinned. However, I am lamenting on the fact of how no one took time to read in between the lines of Kanye’s quote. I am lamenting on the fact that no one said it was the SOLE purpose of the light skinned woman to shake her ass…I am indeed lamenting that through these long years of negroe oppression the lightskinned complex and the beauty issue still exists(whether you buy the magazine or not)…I dont need to quote any black poet-philospher-or activist and refer to anyones teachings to validate what YOU and I see everyday. Not that I am saying that it is irrelevant. But the teachings of so and so has been around for years….and has the lightskinned complex been lifted? NOPE. still there and just as strong as it was years ago. I do not appreciate the fact that I come here to voice out my opinion and someone is calling me bitter and dont appreciate you talking to me in a patronizing tone. When all I am doing is shedding light on the fact that the stigma of being darkskinned is much much more heavier in society than being lightskinned…but you we want start another march over Kanye’s statement about lightskinned women. But what do I know…Im just rambling nonsensically. Sorry I come off a like “Sapphire Caricature” …. I suppose its my fault that the lightskinned beauty standard is my doing somehow right? No you opted your opinion with no insults and I expect the same respect. Always that one negroe to fuck it up.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 9:02 am ¶
merq wrote:

To the more rational members of this group (no, step back A. Mae and James B):

Nobody’s (no, let’s rephrase that I’m) not saying there’s no stigma against darker-skinned folk. I’m well-aware of that fact. But to put the blame solely on the doorstep of light-skinned people is ludicrous!

Of course, there are light-skinned people who really do see themselves as God’s Chosen Negroes (I think we all remember the poster R. Model), and there are indeed the brothas who, true to much-ballyhooed stereotype, seek only lighter-skinned women.

But what I find incredibly irritating, Jimmy B, is that you use ONE example from YOUR personal experience as proof of some ludicrous universal rule… and don’t project your tired preferences on us here. While I like the looks of both Halle and Vanessa, I think Alek Wek’s fucking gorgeous (as are models Ajuma and Oluchi), and I believe we’re yet to find a black celebrity as incredible-looking as Grace Jones was in her prime.

But then again, I guess I’m not a “standard” black guy, as determined by you, James B. You sound like one of those white “I know black people” posters.

And A. Mae:
I don’t know what you thought your Nigerian ancestry was supposed to validate. I’m actually from Nigeria, and I neither subscribe to nor respect your ideas.

Stay golden.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 9:08 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

Nobody’s (no, let’s rephrase that I’m) not saying there’s no stigma against darker-skinned folk. I’m well-aware of that fact. But to put the blame solely on the doorstep of light-skinned people is ludicrous!

(did i ever imply that) No. Where in the hell did that come from. (example of negroe belligerency)

Frankly you are none other but another negroe…so you respecting my ideas is irrelevant…and they arent even ideas..they are facts..show me where I stated something false and I will give you a reference.
And I only put that I am Nigerian-born in Ibadan moved to Canada at age 3 because I wanted to let you know what point of view I was looking at it from Im not american..I dont have american values…so yea I think that is relevant to my declarative.
Secondly…you are a hypocrite..I like how James…not “Jimmy” (witchya insulting ass) stated his personal experiences…cause thats all he can account for and I think he made a pretty good point…the man is middle aged what he witnessed with his peers is what he witnessed in his students who are of a different generation therefore exemplyfing the widespread stigma of the lightskinned complex. You want to jump down his throat for those ideas…but then you turn around and say that “I think Alek Wek’s fucking gorgeous”. How dare you you use ONE example from YOUR personal OPINIONS as proof of some universal rule. James is only a representation of what goes on repeatedly in everyday society. So please come down and really read into what people are trying to say. IF you get irritated…no one asked you to stay.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 10:02 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

And like “JIMMY”said
And reading through these comments..lets keep it civilized..just because someone doesnt accept your perception of things does not give you the right to patronize them and calling them “bitter” saying they are rambling nonsensically”—thats just flat out childish. That kind of action INVALIDATES everything you’ve said and will say.
You are right Mae…black people cant get their point across without tossing out insults.”
(and you cant blame that on the white man now can you?)

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 10:03 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

And James B wasnt the only person who agreed with my “ideas”. If you want to attack someone..why dont you attack us all.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 10:04 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

And I am indeed very rational but I am indeed realistic. I dont believe its the light skinned womans fault…if you were reading like a good negroe..you would have realized that I said that…im not dumpin the problem of the lightskinned womans lap but the lap of BLACK PEOPLE IN GENERAL..no one is saying its their fault at all..so fuck you once more very much.
Let me now take a leaf out of your book:
I don’t know what you thought your Nigerian ancestry was supposed to validate. I’m actually from Nigeria, and I neither subscribe to nor respect your ideas.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 10:08 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

YOU ARE ONLY STATING WHAT YOU BELIEVE AND HAVE EXPERIENCED (though u felt it appropriate to jump down James throat for it). Where’s the facts? ok…shut up.

And I will stay golden…just make sure you well rounded.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 10:10 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

Morehouse Man wrote:

I agree with everyone…everyone makes some pretty explicitly reasonable pointsl….however, I especially agree with A.mae and James…I appreciate the realistic view of it.

And Olivia…I agree also..but you know thats not what light skinned black people want to hear. lol lol. But hey, I guess the truth must be told… not realized…it has been realized..just not verbalized and why? Because people just cant handle it. I say praise black people both light and dark..and I believe you agree also A. Mae. I dont believe that you are attacking lightskinned people…however you are making some damn good points with the whole realism and idealism factor..because thats what its all going to boil down to- “which is ideal and which is real”. And real will always outweigh ideal because thats what we live in. We dont live in an ideal society…obviously(lol) so why try and view everything in that light?Some things cant be changed. The light skinned complex has been around for hundreds of years..even dating back to India where the word “nigger” originated among English Colonists…so the stigmas of the stereotypical qualities of light skinned people will not be lifted by making idealistic statements on here and quoting every black intellectual in the textbook.
Sometimes you just have to stick to the facts. Its a stigma in our society that we cannot lift…Im sorry its there. I dont condone it…and Im sure neither does A. Mae. Lyonside, james, olivia,kim etc…but be real guys be real.

My name is Morehouse Man and I am a Mulatto.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 5:38 am ¶

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 10:12 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

Im sorry..that the rational members seem to be only the ones that agree with you..but frankly your hypocrisy and lack of experience is making you make an ass out of yourself.

Thank you morehouse man. and Olivia…and I had a cousin graduate degree with a AAAS major from Duke…do you know a Olatunde Obayanju?

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 10:14 am ¶
Olivia B. wrote:

lol…wow truly hypocrisy at its finest also saying that you said things that you didnt and all nor imply.

Its ok for you to express your personal opinions but no one else can express their experiences…wow thats completely fair…but we are the irrational ones right…
You have some pretty solid points…however sometimes your answers are irrelevant to the comments you are responding to. Its like im doing a history question and you keep on insisting that 2+2=4. ok thats right…but it is irrelevant. And since you want to insult James…why dont you take a leaf out his book and keep it respectful in here. This is why black people cannot have civilized conversation…because someone always has to revert to the insults…
And you do realize because of the execution of your opinions…it is completely and utterly invalid now. You had some good points..but you had to ruin it with adding the insults..like adding too much salt to a well seasoned chicken…..and actually A. Mae I didnt know any Obayanjus but I was infact acquainted with some Adenirans, Adebukolas and Oladirans. lol lol.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 10:36 am ¶
Olivia B. wrote:

and that previous statement was directed to mr. merqe

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 10:38 am ¶
James.P wrote:

The purpose of my entry wasnt to force feed a belief on anyone..but to indeed express my experiences and how it affects both old and young..not to pass it off as an idea- just to express what goes on in my neck of the woods..and I know its not only in Lithonia, Ga this is happening..cause I am a well rounded guy and I’ve traveled…traveled alot…and honestly…its the same story in every sector…so whether or not you agree Merq doesnt change the fact that it doesnt happen. lol “basking in the ambiance of a hypocrisy”-i got that one from you mae-”KEEP IT REAL KEEP IT REAL KEEP IT REAL KEEP IT REAL…not ideal…not opinionated…just real.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 10:44 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

its “Basking in the ambiance of your Hypocrisy” but Im glad you noticed and understood. Never said lets all blame lightskinned ppl…”Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” merq- maybe thats what you want to believe? because thats not what I believe or stand for..or even expessed for that matter.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 10:48 am ¶
Morehouse Man wrote:

Did anyone even read? cause I felt like if people…like merq were reading like they were suppose to do before commenting they wouldnt be speaking irrelevant ish and jumping down someones throat for doin the exact same thing they were guilty of.
Yea..the whole insults rant…really pathetic. it was a good invalidator for your views merq. we are grown adults..stop with the insults.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 10:53 am ¶
Derisive wrote:

Actually…reading these comments… I think A.Mae and Merq would actually get along because in its essence…they are kinda saying the same thing. A. Mae didnt put the blame on the doorstep of lighter skinned blacks…but actually said it was a BLACK problem..just black people in general—and it actually is. So I dont see what the problem is..everything is tainted with disrespectfulness.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 11:32 am ¶
loveEssexHemphill2 wrote:

Fire that is closest kept, burns.

Merq, unless you speak sign language, brother, back away.

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 9:28 pm ¶
merq wrote:

WOW! Busy day, eh? Hahahaha. This is hilarious!!

But hold on a sec… I probably shouldn’t be laughing, ’cause A. Mae will probably go on another eight-post rampage… one that only serves to prove how level-headed she is, of course.

The only thing I can really take away from what I read of A. Mae’s comments (like I was really supposed to take her seriously after the foruth post!) is that I may have slipped up by referring to James B as Jimmy B… I have a tendency to do that without thinking, Mr. B. Do accept my apologies.

As far as my comments about Alek et al go, they were merely to counter James B’s claim that most people appreciate Halle & Vanessa only for their complexions. MY personal comment was used to attack a gross generalization, not create one– there’s a difference.

And while on the subject of gross generalizations, let’s talk about this “black people’s belligerence” bit. Now, while I’m certainly not belligerent, I’m under absolutely no illusions about kind of man I am. I’m an asshole, and I know it (and having read A. Mae’s comments, I hope she’s equally self-aware). Still, I’m a fair asshole… and I don’t lash out when totally uncalled for.

Now, having established myself as a bit of a dick, and suggested A. Mae take an equally honest look at herself, I’m still under NO illusion that this is some intrinsic “black” trait, as suggested by Mae, James B., and whomever else raised that old nonsense. Assholes are assholes, idiots are idiots. You lose whatever credibility you have when you come up with that near-essentialist drivel.

The rest of it stands, so I look forward to A. Mae’s exhortations on how to remain civil during an argument (between cries of “shut up” and “fuck you very much”).

Don’t stay up too late fretting. Hahha!

Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 11:59 pm ¶
A.Mae wrote:

You first accuse me of saying things I didnt say…accuse me of implying things I did not imply. Its not my fault that your reading comprehension skills are damn near remedial. No one is attacking light skinned women or even light skinned people in general. My point…the basis of all my replies is about the severity of the skin complex among African Americans. Where did I fabricate information? Where did I dump the blame at the door step of the light skinned women? Where are my opinions in this matter? Nowhere…this isnt information that I decided to pull out my ass and mold and shape it to my befitting…this is information I have gathered over the years…this is information I gathered from my sister who is an African African-American Studies major at Duke, this is information gathered from not only what I witnessed in my part of town…but the town next to it, and the town after that. (thank god I never threw away those surveys I did in college).
No one is saying that there arent brothers like you who do appreciate the darkskinned women…..However, in real life….REAL LIFE I must stress…thats not the same picture. A MAJORITY of African-AMERCIAN males are still on the quest for their “redbone” princesses with long hair and pretty eyes. NO on is blaming these interaccial women and people for that. Its not their problem…ITS OUR PROBLEM…as BLACKS in general…it us OUR problem…what did I say wrong? I still dont understand where you are coming off…if anything…I thought we were on the same page untill you pulled out the lets start disrespecting people in here…like a stereotypical negroe….

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 7:08 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

I have every right to get pissed off when you keep putting words in my mouth. thats beneath us. beaneath you and me.
I dont understand why you are soooo intent on painting this “lightskinned women hater” of me. “The oil paint isnt gonna stick.” Believe what you wanna believe…I dont get it anymore. At this time..I just think you’re looking for an argument—- a show…well go argue with yourself…because the ideas you’re generating about me and the way I “think” is probably a mentally induced representation of maybe your own inadequacies.

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 7:12 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

I’m a fair asshole… and I don’t lash out when totally uncalled for.

OK, Lyonside, why oh WHY are you even entertaining the bitter, nonsensical ramblings of this Angry Black Woman stereotype over here?

As a black man (and no, not one of the purported 70-90% with white ancestral ties), I’ve gotta say I’m really more worried about you, A. Mae, than any of those video chicks. You come off like the modern-day embodiment of the Sapphire caricature.

O my..im sorry that was very fair…and very respectful….even though I wasnt even addressing you in the first place. I thought you were nigerian..surely you were brought up with more respect than you exhibit here.

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 7:38 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

And I also find it very funny that you havent addressed neither the information I presented nor Olivia’s or even Morehouse Man’s. I see you picking and choosing what you want to address(though we have all been saying the same thing) Maybe because you know that we all have been saying the same thing(and you realized it loooooong ago but dont want to admit your faults- therefore continuing your personal and disrespectful attack on me.) I dont know what vendetta you have against me..neither do I care.
However, let me ask you this…and this should clarify everything…What do you personally think about Kanye’s statement? What are your views on it? What do you think is the history behind the meaning of Kanye’s quote and the inspiration/motivation behind it? I am sorry that I didnt ask before..and maybe we wouldnt have indulged ourselves in this squabble.

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 7:46 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

The rest of it stands, so I look forward to A. Mae’s exhortations on how to remain civil during an argument (between cries of “shut up” and “fuck you very much”).

That was actually James’s quote about staying civil…I merely quoted it after you provoked me…remember you addressed me first in a disrespectful manner and I merely returned the favor…great reading skills

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 7:48 am ¶
Morehouse Man wrote:

Now that you brought it up…yes Mr.Merqu what do you think about the quote? what are your views etc etc.

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 7:52 am ¶
merq wrote:

A. Mae:
You keep asking why I didn’t “attack” Morehouse or Olivia, even though they were saying the same thing as you. Well, let’s see… because they were saying the same thing as you, maybe? Why repeat the same comments to all four of you, when I could just engage the ones I find more interesting (for whatever reason)?

And yeah, I would go into the whole “Kanye comment” discussion, but, to be honest, there are people I’d rather have this conversation with… you know, people who don’t go on about the “stereotypical negroe” and “belligerent black folk.”
So while I see you seem to have calmed down somewhat now (five posts, instead of seven!!), I agree that we’ve squandered any chance we may have had for an adult discussion of this topic.

So now we’re done getting our shits and giggles, I doubt there’s any point in actually conversing on the subject.

(Translation: “I’m taking my ball and going home!!”)

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 9:14 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

The “stereotypical/belligerent” black folk didnt come after you sapphire comment….so whats your excuse again? who started it?
Your making it sound like i drew those comments out of my ass..maybe its because I was responding to the way you addressed me…no but its not ur fault…you can just go around talking to people anyway you act without consequences right?
WE squandered? I merely responded to the way u came at me…dont wanna be called stereotypical…dont come at me with the bitter rambling nonsensically line. AN EYE FOR AN EYE.

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 10:10 am ¶
Olivia B. wrote:

That was plenty fun actually. I like the way the merq nit picked around everything except for the basis of the discussion. Doesnt even matter..whatever you said after your #70.) response was invalid anyways.
And yea..you did start with the insults…but u didnt appreciate getting them back eh?…lol hilarious.

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 10:50 am ¶
Morehouse Man wrote:

Yea…you did start it with your response about the bitter sapphire caricature comment…even though she wasnt talking to you…so when she pulls out her stereotypical belligerency card…why throw it in her face? Um…yea..its time for you to take your ball and go home, you’ve officially made an ass out of yourself.

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 10:52 am ¶
Lyonside wrote:

Um, I’m NOT joining the fray.. (dropped out a while back, having said whatever I had to say)

But why don’t you all please start using >

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 1:12 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:

And it cut me off… Silly computer…
Should read:
——-
Um, I’m NOT joining the fray.. (dropped out a while back, having said whatever I had to say)

But why don’t you all please start using >

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 1:14 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:

Trying this one more time - must be a code problem…
Should read:
——-
Um, I’m NOT joining the fray.. (dropped out a while back, having said whatever I had to say)

But why don’t you all please start using “

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 1:16 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:

For the sake of little green apples! Apologies for the multiple posts - I have no idea what’s wrong….

All I’m saying is please indicate the poster and use quotes or something, please, as I think that’s the cause of a lot of the namecalling and vitriol that’s derailed this thread.

Thanks!

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 1:17 pm ¶
Anonymous wrote:

okay am I the only one who noticed Olivia B. and Morehouse Man are being straight-up ignored?

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 6:29 pm ¶
Morehouse Man wrote:

Yes…ofcourse..because unless we see things in their way..our opinions dont matter or even count as a matter of fact. ….but then again…no sense in arguing the truth right? All we did was extend on A. Maes point of idealism and realism…which is 100% accurate. Cant deny whats in black and white.lol(no pun intended)

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 6:53 pm ¶
Morehouse Man wrote:

I’d rather have this conversation with… you know, people who don’t go on about the “stereotypical negroe” and “belligerent black folk.”

I also find that it is very funny how he had the audacity to even throw that in her face when he started with the insults…if you ask me…seems like you are well aware that you are a stereotypcial belligerent negroe….so much for the sapphire caricature. lol

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 6:55 pm ¶
merq wrote:

A. Mae, you poor kid. You still don’t get it, do you?

I mean, seriously. That’s the best reasoning you can muster? “Well, you started it!!”? Come on, mannn! Surely, you’re capable of better.

Anyway, you still seem not to understand. I could care less if you call me stereotypical… like I’m really gonna lose sleep over what some clearly-unhinged online entity has to say. I only mentioned your “stereotypical negroe” ** comment because you seemed to want me to actually discuss the point of this post with you. See, when I called you out on sounding like a bitter harpy, I had no desire to actually engage you in any logical discussion. I was merely encouraging Lyonside to ignore you as well. Got it now?

Plus, besides the reasons stated above, I had no desire to express an opinion on the Kanye quote when someone upthread (Lyonside, I think) had already done a pretty good job articulating what I was thinking. See, unlike Morehouse and Olivia, I see no need to echo what’s already been said (in far more interesting ways, I might add)… which may well explain why, yes, I have been ignoring them through all this.

Ahh, it’s been a long road, but I’ll always cherish the laughter…

**Oh… and seriously, who actually writes “negroe”??

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 7:07 pm ¶
A.Mae wrote:

{A. Mae, you poor kid.}
Dont patronize me.

Im sorry…I didnt realize that you all of a sudden became Lyonsides daddy.
Didnt know that as grown adults we cant handle our own any more..yea..lyonside must be throughly grateful for your dutiful asswatching/kissing right? Cool..nice for you to want to discourage him– but not at the expense of someone else….but really…get off his jock..

{I mean, seriously. That’s the best reasoning you can muster? “Well, you started it!!”? Come on, mannn! Surely, you’re capable of better. }

Then do not throw it in my face or call me out on it…..ESPECIALLY since you are guilty of the same.

And I write”negroe” cause I can- thank you. Who picks fights with people who dont address them? Who sits there and starts arguments for the sake of it? Who the hell uses “nonsensically?” only person I heard use that was my father with his heavy nigerian accent..
The more you point out my “flaws” the more you are exhibiting your hilarious idiosyncrasies.
What point exactly are you even trying to make?

{Kanye quote when someone upthread (Lyonside, I think) had already done a pretty good job articulating what I was thinking}

ok…then be quiet..if someone has already expressed your opinion..why are you still talking? Cause you can right? Just like Im afforded to use “negroe” when I feel like…Id rather use “nigger”. But I think we all know you exhibited the typical behavior of one gracefully..Id give you an Oscar..did you do the voice of Sambo back in the day?(thought I detected a hint of a yoruba accent on that little devils voice) Yea…keep coming with the insults while simulatenously crossing out the validility of everything you say. Damn you are so good at that multitasking! Maybe I should learn the ways of the “Aderemi” right? ummm. no I’ll rather stay with my Bitter Sapphire Caricature ass and ramble “nonsenically”. I should now go put my hands on my hips and roll my head, neck and eyes simultaneously?)LOL hehehe

Love, Adedoyin

P.S…you really made my day.

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 10:52 pm ¶
Olivia B. wrote:

OHhhh…Come on now Mae…stop with the n-word..you’re sounding like Kramer…soon maybe merq will start sounding like the disgruntled black person in the audience (”That was uncalled for!!!!!!!)

But seriously..that was hilarious..I think Im gonna print that out and hand it around the office tomorrow. I liked that Sambo joke. lol. ROTFL

Posted 27 Dec 2006 at 10:54 pm ¶
Morehouse Man wrote:

Lol….um that was indeed funny, Mae. I had to share that with someone else. I really wonder if someone can roll all of those extremities at the same time. Wow..that would be a sight to see. lol.

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 12:31 am ¶
James P. wrote:

You know what Mae, under any other circumstances I woulda been quite disappointed in you for that reply…but since its merq..yea..toss in the sambo joke and then some
…genius…hilariously genius…
But hey..thats how he wants to play it right?…and I thought he took his ball and went home already, I dont think he was quite equipt for the game..
“po’ po’ po’ sambo”. “Maybe sambo be’s a good niggra nahw”

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 12:45 am ¶
2Conflicted wrote:

Now you know you are soooooooooooooooooooo wrong for that Miss. A.Mae…and the rest of yall for laughing…but reading back at the comments…Merq, you were kinda asking for it. Guess you shouldnt dish out a plate you cant finish eating.

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 12:53 am ¶
Charles.M.Akintunde wrote:

Now I for one will not even address the insult rants between both parties. However, I did not see where A.Mae implied that it was the fault of the mulatto people of the color depthness complex, nor did she dump it at the doorstep of light skinned people,(isnt that the cause of the disagreement?)
So I must ask..what is it that she said wrong or you didnt agree with? Can someone fill me in because Im dumbfounded that this extended to a show of indeed—- belligerency{on both parties actually}.

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 1:03 am ¶
Charles.M.Akintunde wrote:

(the quote wasnt entirely false…how many video vixens are really darkskinned? im not condonin his usage of the word mutts .(even though he didnt make it up) however….if lightskinned women are valued over darkerskinned women and are thought to be more beautiful..u have no one to blame but yourselves…cause as self righteous u want to be..u have all played a role in the disenfranchising of the darkskinned woman. STOP BEING IDEALISTIC and KEEP IT REAL! )

Not to jump in all “righteous than thou”. But that was the quote “merq” was referring to correct? (when he made the comment on the sapphire/bitter caricature of A.Mae) Now I believe, if I am not mistaken that when she says that we have played a role in the “disenfranchising of the darkskinned woman”..I dont believe she was attacking any one black individual(hence I dont understand Lyonsides response with the “I dont feed into the media” retort). But truly in the larger spectrum and view of things…Black people in general…not individually have actually played a SIGNIFICANT role in the “disenfranchising” of the darkskinned woman— not to mention the brainwashing idea of the white man and “lighter is better” teachings back during slavery. So I believe..sincerly that A. Mae is in fact expressing the thoughts of not only herself, MYSELF, olivia, james, morehouse man..and yes..even you MERQ and others of what you already know.
Where you went wrong? Stressing how YOU dont participate in it? How YOU love Grace Jones. How YOU accept and embrace the darkskinned woman..But when was the responses ever in question of how YOU felt? No one is doubting that you love Grace Jones in all her darkskinned glory…A.Mae and a few others are expressing the IDEA of what a MAJORITY of blacks have both unconsicously and consciously accpeted as a beauty standard? Is that agreeable?
No need for the disrespectful retorts back and forth. I believe as well educated Nigerians and Americans…or just grown adults in general, that it is a little bit beneath us.
Agree to Disagree
..And end it there.

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 1:19 am ¶
Olivia B. wrote:

That was the voice of reason we needed. Thank you Mr.Akintunde.

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 1:21 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

Thank you thank you thank you thank you. Yea…i can live with that.

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 6:18 am ¶
lurq.Mae wrote:

ok this was worth de-lurking for.
A.Mae and Merq, return to your corners. This bout is over. you both made very good points. A.Mae, you’re right about the oppressive beauty standards, and i DON’T believe you were blaming only lightskinned girls for this. Merq, i agree that no group should have to suffer sweeping generalizations.

BUT because you two made this less about the issue and more about personal attacks, let’s talk about that.

A.MAE - PLUSES
+ you’re right about REALISM vs. IDEALISM.
+ you REFUSED to be labelled a Sapphire.
+ you tried to squash it after a while (it was a little passive aggressive but you tried).
MINUSES
- you trotted out “nigger.” i don’t care who you are or what he did, you don’t do that. next time you do that, i’ma tell Harpo to beat you!
- same with “Sambo.” and that was hypocritical of your allies to say it’s OK as long as you don’t like someone. they lied, it’s NEVER OK.
- speaking of allies, did you go call your DAD on him?! weak, sis. reminds me of those girls back in school who would yell extra loud in an argument to get their friends attention and start a gang-up.
- i agree you DIDNT sound bitter when merq said you did, but you really sounded very confrontational despite those sistas taking the time to calmly explain things.
- after a while it felt like you were attacking nigerians too. yes, i know you’re nigerian too (sort of) but you’re also black and that didn’t stop you from bringing us all down with “nigger” and “sambo.” learn to fight with just one person without shooting whole cultures in the crossfire.

MERQ - PLUSES
+ boy, you’re funny! bad by yo’ damn self.
+ you made sure it was clearly about you and A. Mae, and didnt resort to insulting the whole race.
+ you apologized to James B
+ despite your mean comments (more on that later) you kept it classy and mature.
MINUSES
- you may have been funny but you were MEAN!
- you ignored Morehouse-Man and Olivia like they were A.Mae’s imaginary friends.
- you called her a Sapphire. while that may not be as bad as “sambo,” its still a very hard stereotype for black women all over to shake.
- you may have thought you were helping Lionside but you still came at A.Mae pretty hard.

OK its been 12 rounds, and i officially declare this a draw. Merq lost some points by starting things up but A.Mae lost more by hitting below the belt. also you tagged in your dad. this ain’t wrestling, boo! (jokes)

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 9:26 am ¶
A.Mae wrote:

um…where is my dad? That is my father…My last name is Adenrian…why would you assume that? He might be a friend of olivia or morehouse for you or I might know..so thanks for your assumptions..but that is irrelevant….
So if calling someone a Nonsensically Rambling Sapphire Caricature(which in lament terms is technically a “nigger woman” as white folk would have called it) and irrational is ok…then there was nothin wrong with my Nigger-Sambo joke….might I add that I really didnt even call him one..”I said thatI WANTED to call him one and indeed did he acted like one”…there is a difference.(and only I can be a judge of that being that I said it)
And if you noticed…the first insult card I used was the stereotypical belligerent one…which he tactfully threw back in my face..So no hon, im justified to hit him below the belt as he did with me. AN EYE FOR AN EYE. If i feel like I am being hit below the belt I sure as hell am not gonna hit him in his nipple..Im get it where it hurts. DONT DISH OUT WHAT YOU CANT TAKE IN.
All in the name of good fun though…
And thanks…I really do actually appreciate how you tallied that up. You have a good holiday!

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 10:02 am ¶
James P. wrote:

In my opinion….all of this wouldnt have happened if Merq was being a good negro and minded his own instead of jumping as Captain Save-a-Black Man.
yea…if someone were to call anyone as a sapphire caricature(stereotypical black person) whichI believe is a fancy word for “nigger”( person who indulges in the stereotypical behaviors of the African-American race). Yea..Id hit them multiple times below the belt. Like I said, under any other circumstances I would have been angry at mae…however merq was practically begging for it. No love here.

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 10:08 am ¶
Charles.M.Akintunde wrote:

I am in no way related to Ms.Mae….if I didnt know better I think that was a stereotype..because Mae is Nigerian and so am I and I agree with her…I’m automatically her father? Yea..that was a low blow for you.
Maybe Olivia and Morehouse Man are her siblings..well lets all make it a family affair. For you to assume that…and actually have the guts to voice it out—almost cancels out everything you say after that…what nerve of you to make that kind of broad generalization “well he’s nigerian and so is she and he is on her side…so that must be her daddy”. Joke or no Joke..not very tactful.
I’m a grad student at UPENN. (I think Im a little too young to be her daddy)

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 10:16 am ¶
Olivia B. wrote:

This wouldnt have happened if Merq wasnt being once again belligerent and a nosy man…sorry “boy”. No one was even addressing him to begin with. Want to know what I think…do you really think that A.Mae would have threw out the nigger-sambo joke if Merq didnt throw out his sapphire card…you have to question the motives for these things. Yes, Merq you stuck your foot in your mouth, hope it tasted nice.NOPE NO SYMPATHY HERE( call me a sapphire caricature (which is nigger in its essence) “I’s gone be ready to whoop ya ass”. lol {rollls eyes neck and head simultaneously):)

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 10:22 am ¶
Olivia B. wrote:

{A.MAE - PLUSES
+ you’re right about REALISM vs. IDEALISM.}

If she was truly right, which I know and you know and WE ALL know (yes…you too merq)
Why bother arguing and then calling that individual a Sapphire Caricature?

WOW. that to me sounds like a bad case of Pervasive Developmental Disorder(NOS)
Or your very very argumentative. (to an extreme)
Its like arguing that 2+2=4. WHY? why would you initate and continue the argument when you know she was right to begin with?

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 10:26 am ¶
merq wrote:

Okay, I had to return after reading Lurq.Mae’s hilarious ruling. By the way… “Lurq.Mae?” Good one.

But yeah, you’ve got a point there. I should’ve known better than to dig up such a damaging stereotype. Bad move on my part.

So yeah, A. Mae, I messed up in that respect. Apologies.

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 2:52 pm ¶
A.Mae wrote:

yea…apology accepted..and I apologize for my sambo joke.

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 10:54 pm ¶
Olivia B. wrote:

Now that thats over with…. when is merq and mae gonna get married so I can have me some joluf rice and pepper soup. lol. ohhh the arguing was getting tiring…Im just in the mood for some good ol’ Sunny Ade and that joluf rice and do-do.

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 10:57 pm ¶
Morehouse Man wrote:

Yea…I definetly see wedding bells in their future. (sarcasm). You’re crazy Olivia.

Posted 28 Dec 2006 at 11:04 pm ¶
Circa94 wrote:

i wouldn’t trust what journalist write too much, this sounds out of context. prolly a joke or something he made at most.

Posted 30 Dec 2006 at 3:22 am ¶
Morehouse Man wrote:

Careful with that now Circa…someone might come out of the blue and call you a “sapphire caricature and claim you are rambling nonsensically”. lol. let me stop

Posted 30 Dec 2006 at 9:20 am ¶
Morehouse Man wrote:

And yea I agree…noticed at the top the forum the title says that mixed race women are mutts and exist SOLELY for music video…
Where did Kanye say that was the ONLY purpose of mixed women? So, yea I see how things can be exaggerated to make them sound worse than they are.

Posted 30 Dec 2006 at 9:22 am ¶
Rita wrote:

Well, I think his comment is an insult to Black and Mixed women. I def think there is a misrepresentation of dark skinned black women on tv. If you went by what you saw on tv, dark skinned girls hardly exist. Me being light skinned (but from two dark nigerian parents), I have experienced the “preference” by a lot of black males (surprisingly not white males). I make sure to tell them that my hair is weave and i will not give them no light skinned babies with good hair. And if they tell me they only date light skinned girls, i dump them cause what’s to garantee i will have light skinned girls? Will he say my dark skinned child is Ugly? then start the whole cycle of self hatred again? I think not!!!I think this self hatred is disgusting and spells disaster for our race. if you watch BET, most of the audience is dark skinned , but most of the video “hooches” are light skinned. We can only blame the “white man for this image of the ideal beauty” up to a point. It comes down to us as a people to teach our children the beauty of the “black” color(many shades). Lord knows how many times i hear from these nigerian parents complaining to their kids how dark they are compared to their lighter counterparts and how bad their hair is. maybe if our black boys and girls stop watching all those videos and stop hearing that dark is bad from adults then maybe we can start seeing a change. Blacks have buying power and a big percentage of them are dark skinned. Maybe if we actually not buy those artists that don’t show darkskinned girls or don’t go see movies or watch tv shows then maybe things might change. And it needs to fast. But the thing is we patronize the people we complain about so until you’re ready to do something about it, don’t complain. I for one stopped watching those videos and selective of tv shows and movies i watch (my tv time is greatly reduced lol)
Listen, just as when a kid commits murder he is not held totally responsible for his actions, when an adult commits murder, he should have known better. So us adult, black males and females (esp males) need to grow up and stop making excuses for our self hate and realize what we are doing to ourselves and our race.

Posted 31 Dec 2006 at 2:06 am ¶
kim wrote:

>Lord knows how many times i hear from these nigerian parents complaining to their kids how dark they are compared to their lighter counterparts and how bad their hair is….

Kim: is this a real post? are you making this up?

Posted 31 Dec 2006 at 10:13 am ¶
Morehouse Man wrote:

Thats just not nigerian parents…that could be any parent in general. The color complex is more prevalent in American blacks than pure africans blacks—-on account of the rise of the color complex during slavery.

Posted 02 Jan 2007 at 3:59 am ¶
Princess Tayisha wrote:

This comment has been deleted by the moderator. Please do not create multiple identities/personalities for yourself. If you have something to say, pick one identity and stick with it please.

Posted 02 Jan 2007 at 1:43 pm ¶
kim wrote:

Morehouse:

Assuming you are under the age of forty, and yet over the age of twenty-eight, raised by a parent who was at least twenty years older than you:

Have you actually heard a parent refer scathingly to a child’s skin color and hair type, when the parent and the parent(s) ALONE are responsible for ALL physical traits of a child?

Do we all see this as a symptom of a mental disease and spiritual psychosis?

Note: I set up the criteria for the parents’ age due to some well known differences between parents of an older generation, parenting with a different sense of comitment and community support, and those of the younger generations.

Posted 02 Jan 2007 at 2:41 pm ¶
Morehouse Man wrote:

Im not going to respond… that kind of issue can only be discussed by people who have witnessed it or personally been throught it. So I’m in no place to comment…neither is anyone else from what I can see.

Posted 02 Jan 2007 at 11:34 pm ¶
kim wrote:

The question was only posted to see if you HAD witnessed it or personally been through it. Obviously, I am incredulous at the statement by Rita, but that is not the same as being willing to say it has never happened.

So, thank you for your candor.

Posted 02 Jan 2007 at 11:55 pm ¶
ceecee wrote:

i am of mixed race too i think what he said was offencive to all mixed race people. i am a person that you call two toned i am yellow and brown all over my body. i think he should appoligize to everyone.u aint from no hood and just quit.

Posted 04 Jan 2007 at 5:37 pm ¶
Real Talk wrote:

Being a black person myself, why should I care if Kanye is insulting biracial people? A lot of them don’t even identify with black people except when they are experiencing racism themselves or are rejected because they are not white so why should black people now be up in arms because of Kanye’s comments? I didn’t see any biracial people defending darkskin people or people with strong african features when they are constantly being degraded and relegated to the background even more. So why should we care? I don’t care for Kanye myself because he lets things slip out his mouth with nothing substantial to back it up but there are far worst people, things and organizations that should be boycotted before Kanye West.

Posted 09 Jan 2007 at 4:49 am ¶
Anonymous wrote:

I almost wanted to say..”and so what..suck it up redbone” But light skinned people would have a fit.

Posted 10 Jan 2007 at 5:44 pm ¶
merq wrote:

wow. we’re still discussing this?

Oh yeah, and lurq.Mae:
Why do I get the feeling I know you? heh.

Posted 10 Jan 2007 at 6:28 pm ¶
jane wrote:

When Kanye first came out, i was impressed to see a rapper not wearing his pants w his ass hanging out -and not thinking that bad grammar was cool. Until he started making videos, I thought he had respect for his mother at least. Then he went all superhero on us and ruined his chance of cross cultural acceptance- I include women in that phrase-hopefully-so i’m not surprised that he would make a remark like that.

I would also like to say that I blame the women that feel it’s ok to shake their “money maker” to a song that is calling them “hoes” and referring to their bodies as “money makers” and reducing women to nothing but money hungry animals willing to do anything for a buck.

On MLK day, i’d like to say that i think it is disgusting that any black rapper would feel that a dark skinned beauty OF HIS OWN CULTURE is not PRETTY enough to be in a music video. Pretty comes in many forms.

Stretching the subject a bit, I am a woman from a multi generational, multi racial background and before hair weaves exploded on the scene, I was all but burned to the ground from the searing looks from certain (not all) African American women if I even ATTEMPTED to look cute on any given day, or if I had the AUDACITY to feel confident about myself. I got, “oh she thinks she’s all that!”. Now, suddenly, it’s ok for African American women to not only try to look as WHITE AS POSSIBLE, but to flaunt it as though they’d just done something wonderful for the world.

I look around these sites and I realize the world has lost all sense of reality.

Be beautiful, but for God’s sake, please try to be yourself every now and then. Money does not make a soul enlightened and I think Hollywood (more like Hollow Wood) has made that quite clear.

Posted 15 Jan 2007 at 12:43 pm ¶
kim wrote:

” to look as WHITE AS POSSIBLE…”

If it wasn’t true for you, why assail others with holding to such intent, and vilifying their cosmetic operations?

Maybe they are seeking (and mind you, I am the Kim up-thread who got INTO it with a sister darker than myself) to have a little of what you are having, that presumed easy-way day. (You know how far that takes you.ha)

It simply doesn’t help to assail, ’cause you never build someone up by breaking them down.

Posted 15 Jan 2007 at 2:04 pm ¶
jane wrote:

I am not vilifying anyone. I am stating my experience, but it seems you want to be the only speaker on here doing that. From this point on we should be supportive and I commit to doing the same. As a multi-racial person, most African American people that I’ve come across become very angry if I try to explain my history so I don’t anymore- and I don’t jump on the bandwagon in the first place, but someone always points me out like I’m some kind of freak.. so then I explain myself and suddenly I’m the jerk. The world is too focused on race anyway. Yes, respect the struggle of all people and keep fighting for equality above all, but even you, are more than just your race. We all are. Racism sucks and the pain that I’ve experienced is not just about how I look or how I date- it’s more about the way everyone wants to hold on to their ancestral roots but I’m damned if I do. I’ve experienced racism from people of both African and European decent almost on a daily basis and I’m not “assailing” anyone. I did point out however that if women of any color keep signing up for a video that blatantly says over and over that she’s some kind of gold digging slut, then they have to be held accountable too. Blogs are great for learning FROM EACH OTHER, not playing blog cop.
As far as an easy-way day.. what is that? I don’t have a group of ppl to back me up. I’m like some kind of alien or something to most ppl. I’m not here to play, who’s been hurt the most. We all have been hurt and if I state that i’ve been put down for trying to look or be my best natural self, that is not judging anyone. Just stating my experience. White girls have kicked cans at me at concerts and given me the same dirty looks. So I want others to understand that to be multi racial is not an easy way day. It would be more suitable if you called it The Lonely Planet! Race can also be a culture, but the racial differences in our skin all boil down to ancient environmental adaption and that’s all. People act like dark skinned ppl are from one galaxy and light skinned ppl are from another. Any Anthropologist will tell you that. If someone hates you and doesn’t even know you, it hurts, period.

Posted 15 Jan 2007 at 4:55 pm ¶
Jason wrote:

This comment has been deleted by the moderator.

Posted 15 Jan 2007 at 9:40 pm ¶
kim wrote:

Jane,

‘blog cop.’ That’s cute. I’ll take it as it was intended, and say I understand the why of why you wrote it, but also say you’re off base.

The easy-way day is what others THINK your life is like everyday you wake up, and step out of your house. I figured you would understand that due to what you wrote, and my assumptions at a shared experience of very light-skinned individuals. I do identify as Black, and only Black, though there must be some multigenerational thing going on with me (or: It Must be Deep) as I am in my lonely- only in my family. Just was never made to feel that way by the family.

The feeling I sought to convey to you was that of doing a disservice to darker skinned Black women who seek to don the weaves, and whatever else you see them use in order to attain a more Euro/American standard of beauty and acceptability.

In waking everyday inhabiting a form that does not automatically state “Black” woman, or “White” woman (I get the feeling you have to declare in order for people to feel they know how you self-identify), Black women treat you like you think you’re better than them . When you finally get over the longterm psychic assault in that arena, and find your “look” in vogue, thereby gaining a bit of confidence by being mainstream, find that the aura of confidence you exude, in addition to the assumed skin privilege you carry, finds you in no better position, politically or socially, with Blacks.

If the idea of some Blacks is that you have it ‘easier’ and they seek to borrow some of that for themselves, (and here goes the re-stating of my question so that it should seem less an attack, than a challenge of conviction and opportunity for reassessment of perspective), why call them as close to white as possible (which we know is actually slander in said context), when that is the way in which you were viewed, and the reasons your very entrance into a room may have seemed scandalous?

Was that any clearer?

Posted 15 Jan 2007 at 10:43 pm ¶
jane wrote:

You yourself agree/state that they are using a Euro standard of beauty to be further accepted. If I used the term “as white as possible” to describe a hairstyle, I am simply saying the same thing you just did. If I wanted to argue about writing interpretation, I would have gone to a different blog. Point being, I did not ask to be born. I am what I am and I happen to think that mixing races is a beautiful thing and a slap in the face of racism. If someone is going to think my mere existence is “scandalous” , that is CRAZY and I am not making excuses for that view nor will I ever accept that point of view. Nor do I believe that it is ok for an African American women to hate me because of my background AND assume that I am hateful of them and accuse me of thinking I am better than them and then turn around and use a weave to match a European standard of beauty. That is a huge double standard and that is my point.

Posted 16 Jan 2007 at 7:54 am ¶
jane wrote:

And i would never look for confidence in the “mainstream” or in Vogue.. i know better than that.

Posted 16 Jan 2007 at 7:58 am ¶
kim wrote:

We are not in disagreement; I wonder how you keep reaching for that.

The Euro standard, if we are to agree is what the other Black women are reaching for, is one which you first stated was in imitation of White women (and in large caps). My re-wording of your statements, to give it a geographic and cultural placement, does not mean I initiated that line of speech.

Jane, please slow down and re-read what you are saying, and what I am responding to, and seeking to communicate.

Why term your entrance scandalous? Because it sends other women to a part of themselves that finds them defining themselves in opposition to you, and finding themselves lacking, and therefore you present (the lightskinned female presents) something that scorns, defames, and undermines their essential claims to being the standard of beauty in, at the very least, their own communities. Your community. My community.

And, not ‘in Vogue’ (capital V), but in vogue, or, en vogue.

The interpretation which must be done is one which is necessary as I respond to your words, and you to mine.

In seeking to hear you, really hear you, of course I read what you write, as I would listen to your voice if we sat in the same room. I would still make inquiries of the language you have used to scorn, if you expressed hurt at being received in certain ways for the way you look (naturally and beyond your control ) and the physical qualities (and psychological responses to) attributed to your skin and hair.

If those same qualities are not to be used AGAINST you to shun or denigrate, then how can you use them AGAINST other women who seek to have what you possess, and are privileged by (socially) in possessing?

Posted 17 Jan 2007 at 2:26 am ¶
kim wrote:

jane: Nor do I believe that it is ok for an African American women to hate me because of my background AND assume that I am hateful of them and accuse me of thinking I am better than them and then turn around and use a weave to match a European standard of beauty.

Kim:
Of course it is not o.k.

They do assume that you are hateful of them, but have also received messages (as have all women) to be hateful of intrinsic parts of themselves, historically, and , if you read up-thread, continually.

At some point, the person you are is the model of the character you possess, and that will be communicated most strongly to every person who comes in contact with you. You will not change other people’s minds about you, but can change what you project, which gets transmitted in small ways. Such change, like the ripple effect, can change how people receive you. And then, (!) how you feel about being around them.

It takes each one of us.

Posted 17 Jan 2007 at 2:32 am ¶
jane wrote:

Kim,

Yes i do agree with the ripple effect and subscribe to the same philosophy of that totally. i don’t doubt that i’ve been harboring wounds of the past, growing up and being a minority among minorities. It is something that i’ve been trying to work on..not EXPECTING other women to look down on me. i know that by being fearful of that hate, that it can only bring more of the same. It is not easy to heal a lifelong wound, but it’s not impossible either

Posted 17 Jan 2007 at 12:30 pm ¶
kim wrote:

jane,

it was only when i encountered the “color” issue as a mother, living in suburbia, that I truly realized how deeply ingrained other people’s instant reaction to me (”because you look the way you do”) went to something akin to a seething boil, that peeled away the top layers of something in their own spirits.

Because I found mothering in a Bible belt suburb completely isolating and depressing, I reached out to women who would never have entered my circle of friends had there been more options ( we had different interests, options, perspectives, cultural traditions and values, etc).

When I realized the level of spite they held for the organic me I represented when I walked in the room, and what they transferred to our interaction, having brought in baggage from their pasts, I was more patient than I should have been. But, ultimately, I realized they could not see me, only their old-images-of-someone-who-looked-like-me, and feel their old hurts. I never placed their pain on my plate, but neither was I unaware of their struggle to suppress that first “jump” of their heartbeats and their calm, their “okayness” with who they are, while in interaction with me.

I’m not saying you have to change you, or accept some sister’s crap to prove you mean no harm. So please don’t place yourself out there for others to use and hurt you. You have done no harm in being born, and have come a long way (I know) to being able to wake up feeling groovy (don’t know how else to put it; old, I know) about yourself, and to step out in the world bolstering yourself to move forward.

Your confidence and self-assuredness will bother the hell out of some people, but, believe me, so many others will feel that you love people, and respond to that . And confidence is sexy (meaning appealing, a draw) as hell (and both men and women respond to another woman’s energy…can open doors ). Besides which, if you’ve prepared yourself for the field you want to enter, why should you not feel confident?

Do you have a copy of Mandela’s inaugural speech? Look it up, or let me know, and I’ll paste it here for you. Walk with it inside of you.

Posted 17 Jan 2007 at 1:22 pm ¶
neglectedtarbaby wrote:

Kanye aint say nothing we aint already know.
he aint the first one making rap videos. Everybody know there is an issue among dark skin and lightskin. lots of men love mixed women asian and black spanish and black white and black. Dont turn kanye into some scapegoat for this shit.

Posted 20 Jan 2007 at 4:03 am ¶
Lyonside wrote:

NTB: (sorry, can’t bring myself to type it all out): Nice bit of logic there. So noone should ever object to anyone supporting the status quo… yeah. That’ll cause progress.

If you would get your information from real life and not MTV/BET/VH1, you’d see how stereotypical and WRONG your comments are… but I suspect you’re doing a bit of posing here, between the tagname, the slang, and the lack of punctuation. The tone of your comment says that you are vested IN the status quo, at which point I hope society can keep progressing without your assistance, thanks.

Posted 20 Jan 2007 at 11:51 am ¶
DHimself wrote:

Kanye West says everything you would expect from a rich little boy un-experienced in real life. First he says if there was a bible written today he thinks he would be in it. Then he cries because he didn’t get an award, even though he doesnt deserve one. And now this, the funny thing is he says yeh in the hood they call em mutts… I don’t think Kanye West has ever even been to a hood. He’s not only giving a bad name to rappers, but people living in the “hood”, and acting as if women are just objects. It’s sad that so many people actually listen to him and respect him. It’s too bad his mouth isn’t still wired shut, otherwise he’d be known as a decent producer instead of a dumbass.

Posted 27 Jan 2007 at 7:14 pm ¶
Muffy Mutt wrote:

I am a mutt and I am attracted to extremely dark men. I have called my own self a mutt because truly, I don’t know all that I am mixed with, but it is a lot for sure–and that is just on one side. There is nothing more handsome than dark, dark, dark super dark chocolate skin. Although, lately I was attracted to someone the same color as myself!

Posted 31 Jan 2007 at 11:03 pm ¶
Lifescholar wrote:

I am a mixed race male, half white and half black. I was not in the least bit surprised by Kanye west’s comments. Through no conscious decision, most, if not all of my friends are black. Whilst acceptance by a large proportion of white people was always an impossibility for me growing up (as i was viewed fully black) the majority of black people acepted me as black.
I have an extensive insight into how black males view mixed race females. In a majority of cases you are just viewed as something pretty to toy with until the “beautiful nubian princess” arrives. This is something normally pushed by their mothers, who don’t consider “mulattos” to be worthy of their sons. For some reason a large number of mixed race females go for dark skinned guys. I don’t know whether this is to do with absent fathers or the need to be treated like shit, but as far as i’m concerned, more mixed race females need to show love to their mixed race male counterparts. We are a race too, and until we respect ourselves as one, rather than as some kind of mistake that needs to be rectified we will forever be 3rd class citizens.

Consider this: How can i walk down the street with another mixed race person and people automatically think that we must be brother and sister. Is this not racism? Is that not as natural as two dark skinned people or two white people being together as a couple ? If you want respect, then take control!!

I must just add that my preference is almost solely mixed race girls and i have no problems in acquiring them(truley for want of a better phrase) so i am in no way bitter. My children are mixed race and I feel good that i can relate to them and what they’re going through as i’ve been through it all myself. I’m proud to be mixed race and i instill that in my children. Aint nobody gonna take that away from us!

Don’t get it confused, or you may end up used and abused!!!

Posted 02 Feb 2007 at 10:40 am ¶
Keyniata wrote:

All I can say is that, the side effect of that light-skinned standard of beauty is:
SKIN Bleaching (endorsed by husbands, society, religion).

Posted 02 Feb 2007 at 12:33 pm ¶
DHimself wrote:

One thing that bothers me is a lot of the people above who are either light skinned black or dark skinned label themselves as that. You say you’re a black man or black women, or mulatto man or women. I’m Hispanic, and am proud of my culture. But I’ve never seen myself as a brown man, I’m a man and thats it. One thing I’ve noticed is that many dark skinned women seem almost ashamed of themselves for being dark, and have low self esteem you gotta realize that you are the whos most judging your dark skin. Just like women like confident men, men like confident women. It’s women a women has a low self image that a man will take advantage of her and use her. And I’m not justifying that I’m saying how it is, and of course people are going to have preferences in appearence which includes skin tone, but it’s when you define yourself by your skintone, stereotypes, or by what other people think of you that you segregate yourself. We can never fade Racism if we as people of color accept it and practice it ourselves. Don’t view Kanye West as some sort of political leader or civil rights leader. He has no knowledge of real equality struggles just what he’s read and heard, he made “Crack Musik” which is a great song because we can all relate to the struggles of the past, but he can’t. Through the wire is the story of his life. Crack Musik is the story of the struggles in poor neighborhoods, in which a middleclass college dropout as he was, has no first hand knowledge of. I don’t respect him at all, on his CD he makes college sound like a joke, when the people like myself wish we could have even dreamed of going to college. People who work hard everyday for every single meal and thing they get envy things that he disregards. So sorry if it sounds like I’m hatin on the kid, but he had a choice, he could have stuck to making club songs, love songs, and songs about his life, but instead he tried to become a leader but if you choose to be a leader you have to be headed somewhere.

Posted 04 Feb 2007 at 8:41 am ¶
Chelsea wrote:

i’d also like to post it’s extremly difficult for mixed people to fit in. Some of us look mostly white so blacks rejects us and some of us look mostly black so whites reject us. As for me I look more white so i am rejected by most of the black kids at my school. Even though i listen to rap and hip hop, wear new era hats and air forces cuz its what i like. But most people persive me as hispanic or white. And it’s annoying.

Posted 04 Feb 2007 at 11:39 am ¶
merq wrote:

Chelsea:

Sorry to hear that. Perhaps greater understanding will come when you no longer see your “blackness” as dependent on Hip-Hop and Air Force Ones.

Posted 04 Feb 2007 at 2:13 pm ¶
babyshaq wrote:

Ok ive been reading for a minute and I just wanna say if you are dark/skinned you really cant speak in shoes of a someone light/skinned and someone light/skinned cant speak in the shoes of someone dark/skinned. I am MIXED, which is not derogatory or offensive in any way because i have more than just black and white in me. Nobody has the right to sit there and say lighter skin colors dont get as much grief as dark women cause that is completely false. I dont find myself anymore blessed being mixed than being completely black, especially living in the south. Sistas want to beat you in the hood cause some might have the mentallity that you are there to steal their men and white men will not date you cause they are worried about their family casting them out cause their girl has black in her and by what standards some vidoes out there are posing, black men have the idea that they need a light/skinned woman over a dark/skinned woman cause a rapper says so. My point is that it doesnt matter how much we fight about who gets more grief about their skin color in the end it doesnt make us stronger which is what we need to be cause we are all minorities.

Posted 19 Feb 2007 at 9:36 pm ¶
candace wrote:

First of all I am a bi-racial woman and am offended by the title “mutt”. My father is Spanish and my Mother is African American with a mixture of Native american and Irish.
I already thought that he was ignorant when he acted so immaturely about losing an award and persisted that he should have received it. What is so ironic about this man is that he tries to portray an image of being an intelligent black man when in fact he is a lame excuse for one! I grew up in the hood of Philly and if a guy ever called me anything of the such it would have been something terrible. Us “mutts” shall I say are much more than eye candy.I speak for the percentile of “women” that actually have a brain. ” Ayo Kanye if you need an example of what a real black man is come down to ATL and holla at my husband; he could teach you how to act, dress, and be attractive for once in your life”!

Posted 03 Apr 2007 at 2:12 pm ¶
Tanya wrote:

I want to address the folks that are comparing the hardships experienced by light and darker skinned African American women. In my honest opinion, being ostrocized for something you have no control over will always be damaging to a person’s psyche. However, judging from the post, some people feel that these incidents of inter-racial prejudice are less damaging to lighter skinned people. It’s not true of course.

I think the ill perceived inequality in these experiences is that lighter skinned people are being percecuted for a feature that is considered by some as “good.” However, darker folks are being persecuted for something that is considered by some as “bad.”

maybe that where most feel the inequity exists. maybe that why some feel lighter skinned people ahould sit down and shut up, because there’s not to much to complain about. We have to open up our minds, or our souls will experience a slow bitter death.

Posted 14 Nov 2008 at 12:36 pm ¶
sabeth wrote:

who in the hell is KANYE WEST??…asks a afro-german woman of pride and dignity

Posted 30 Mar 2009 at 9:50 am ¶

Kanye West: mixed race women are “mutts” and exist solely for music videos

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