Play this as you read the post. This blog was inspired by Curren$y’s mixtape with the same title. Low volume preferred.
It’s the weekend… and family time is in order. A sitter has been procured to watch the children; they’ve been fed; and instructions have been left as to what’s expected when bedtime arrives. After a long work week, ROR has been recommended and a night of entertainment and dining are the slated activities. With both parties refreshed, fully clothed and smelling good, the only decision remaining is what will be viewed at the cinema. After reviewing several movie locations to find out what featured films will be showing, a conclusion is drawn to “take it back to the old school” and go to the drive-in. Entry and the ability to pay for food will be much more cost efficient and being comfortable is a premium that can’t be denied. Besides, the windows are tinted on the luxury vehicle and who knows, a little “hanky panky” may take place; foreign eyes need not be invited to that escapade.
And they’re off! An adult beverage is had by both to remove the edge of a long, trying day. For him, cognac made neat; she has vodka and cranberry, as it reduces her inhibitions. Upon their arrival, the movie is agreed upon, the proper radio frequency is selected, the front seats are pushed forward and they cuddle in the back seat. The characters in the featured film are all too familiar; though the eras differ the plot remains the same. And as the opening credits roll and the title flashes across the screen, the words, sounds and images no longer matter; they’re mute. The characteristic of each individual have been predetermined. The people of color will be either killed first when faced with horror, the comic relief, savages or depicted by their “criminal nature”. All others are the heroes or heroines and when the closing credits roll, they would’ve done something to shock the conscious or entice the viewer to wish they had those same attributes.
In real life, there’s no director yelling “Lights, camera, action”; no trailers to return to when a scene doesn’t fair well to refresh and regroup; no stunt double to replace you when you’re designated to take a hard fall, be involved in an accident or be murdered in a violent fashion. Everything is performed in real time; no filters or adjustments. The media plays a profound part in public perception. They single handedly control the minds of the masses. They can build an individual up to receive sympathy and public support, or vilify that same person and have them at the doorstep of purgatory. In a flash, the news coverage went from wall to wall Mike Brown, police harassment, Ferguson, Missouri, to domestic violence and child abuse. And in each of these instances, the featured characters are those of color. And when public sentiment was at its peak, the plot heightened and it was thought that the ending would be different from that of Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Emmit Till and a slew of others, the media without hesitation focused their attention back to that of Ray Rice and now Adrian Peterson. Ray Rice’s initial incident occurred during the month of February; he appeared in court and was punished by the NFL. However, when new video surfaced of the same incident, he faced double jeopardy, and was again punished; this time more severely for a crime he already committed. (The cuddling has stopped and now patrons are at the edge of their seats. The straw can no longer consume the liquid that was once in the cup and all that can be heard is a slurping noise as the inhalation can’t draw sustenance.) For Peterson, his crime can be credited to psychological embedment. Since the 1600s, the cracking of the whip was as synonymous with those brought here from the banks of West Africa as the word “nigger”. The whip was used as a form of punishment; discipline. How could it not be passed from generation to generation when it was instrumental in instilling fear in the hearts of those it was used to enslave? And now, there are faces associated with domestic violence and child abuse. The images are of Ray Rice and Jonathan Dwyer. One almost forgets that Mel Gibson and Nicholas Cage also had similar incidents, and their names have much more prestige. The cases of Hope Solo and Kelly Brooks are easily forgotten when placed side by side against their male counterparts. In the case of Brooks’, she admitted to punching both of her past boyfriends in the face, wrote a book about her transgressions and laughs about it when questioned.
As the couple leaves the venue, they were well aware of how the story would end. Like so many pieces, the predictable outcome doesn’t leave the viewers unsatisfied; for them it’s just a night of enjoyment. In life, although the script can be rewritten to change the conclusion, most people choose to leave everything status quo, play their roles and be the subsidiaries to those that are willing to “rock the boat” and alter the consequence. As with the events taking place today, like a wrestling match, the ending is foreseeable. People of color are regulated to the role of heel, while everyone else basks in the glory of holding the championship belt. They’re engulfed by the applause while the villain is showered with boos. There’s no drawn out kisses or music reaching a crescendo highlighting a historic, heroic end; only misery and suffering. Ask Danny Glover how troubling it is to fund a film where people of color are the heroes and “whites” have no bearing on the finish other than being the ones that are being overrun by those being oppressed (the film was to be based on Francois Dominique Toussaint Louverture [1743-1803], a former slave and one of the fathers of Haiti’s independence from France in 1804, making it the first black nation to throw off imperial rule and become a republic). The drive home from the night’s outing isn’t one of depression; when you’re oblivious to your circumstance, the conversation revolves around the value had involving precious time spent with each other. The sitter is paid their fee; the couple undresses and prepares for a night’s sleep. When the sun rises again, the previous night will be a distance memory and the rigors of the day begins anew. While some strive to change the landscape placed before them, the large majority continue to like things the way they are. And that’s fine if you enjoy the screenplay composed of your life preordained from birth to death; however, if you’re unhappy with the actors playing the role of your character in your own life, the only person that can fire the staff and change the result is you. Flip the script! Popcorn please! “We Are The Change!” I’m gone! (b)
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