Tag Archives: Oprah Winfrey

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On Harry & Meghan

When Henry Charles Albert David and Rachel Meghan Markle, aka Harry and Meghan, decided to pack up and leave the majesty, the pomp and the trappings of the Royal Family I knew it was ultimately about racism. Not because I was a cynic looking for a fight. In fact, I never gave a rat’s ass about The Queen or any of the madness surrounding it all. I remember asking someone to explain to me what it was all about in the first place. Didn’t America become ‘American’ in part because they wanted to get as far away from the monarchy as possible? I was surprised to learn out the Queen didn’t actually run anything policy wise for the UK. Yea, I was really informed. 

Still, when Meghan and Harry became an item I noticed early on the code words and dog whistles surrounding them in the media. Especially in Europe. The realist, not the cynic in me knew white folk stuck up on the gravitas that is all things Queen and royalty would view Harry’s choice as something taboo. It’s one thing to sew one’s royal oats through youthful shenanigan’s and discrete indiscretions. It’s another to bring those indiscretions home… and for all the world to see!  Well I never!

When the couple left for Canada in early 2020, during the beginnings of a pandemic no doubt, in my heart I knew Harry was in essence choosing his wife over his position and subsequently his family. Watching Oprah Winfrey’s interview brought it all the way home for the world to see. Watching that interview brought many thoughts and few emotions to bear for me.

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  1. Meghan Markle is a G! For those who don’t get the lingo that’s short for ‘Gangsta’, (spelled correctly) a Boss, one who fully understands the situations and circumstances presented to her and has perfected the art of perseverance and stamina to become the winner! She is poised, peaceful, vulnerably and authentically human. Seeing her talk about the utter lack of support from the press and Harry’s family, as well as the betrayal of her father was heartbreaking yet familiarly typical. Rejecting her was typical. The heartbreaking part was seeing the pain of rejection and back stabbing after giving her most ardent attempts to broker peace through some compromises understanding the traditions of the institution. An institution which foundations are grounded upon caste and a total unwillingness to cede space for her humanity. She never had a chance. Her father, also a white man found pleasure in her mother’s body yet betrayed the seed his private joys produced when he saw an advantage for himself. Oh how so typical. Thomas Jefferson would be proud. Markle was broken to the point of not wanting to live any longer. Seeing her victorious now, is as much a triumph as was the evil attempts to destroy her from within that system.
  2. Harry is also a G! A remarkable young man who no doubt learned from the events pre and post the death of his mother. He could have easily chose the status of his birthright and lived the ultimate celebrity welfare experience like the rest of the clan. And yet he honored a commitment he made to his wife and infant son choosing love and freedom in circumstances most would never have the courage to overcome. It was refreshing hearing him admit he had blind spots when it came to the racial/caste systems and how he had to learn to see through his beloved eyes. Instead of encouraging her to deal with it, he got her the hell out of there. Now estranged from his father, his brother and many other relatives he moved to another country, escaping the welfare system having to figure out how to provide for his family; not only for food and shelter but for basic bodily security. Though he wouldn’t say who had the audacity to talk about the skin tone of his potential offspring, one can still see the disgust in his eyes just thinking about it.
  3. Hearing Markle address Buckingham Palace’s system as ‘The Firm;’ describing how her passport and keys were taken, her freedoms heavily restricted, it sounded like some Skull and Bone shit to me! A syndicate, an underworld of puppet masters lording over its inhabitants. At all cost the business, the machine of the Queen and the systems it supports must be continually reinforced to sustain its power. The palpable relationship Harry spoke of between the Palace and the British Press was also telling. With hands scratching one another’s backs I can only imagine the debauchery within the Palace walls during those Christmas parties.  
  4. Speaking of The Queen. Both Harry and Meghan speak adoringly of her and vouch for both her guidance and support. This leads me to believe she has no say in a damn thing that goes on around there. Or at least she believes she doesn’t. If she is as supportive and loving of her grandson and his family, how in the hell was his security detail pulled? Is she is a literal figure head ruled by The Firm? Or is she quietly complicit with her own situation?

Ultimately these are personal matters though limited details are played out in the public. I am very happy that Harry and Meghan spoke their truth. I am happy the race/caste system in the Palace have been exposed and revealed fully enough. Most of all, I am glad Harry was strong and courageous enough escaped the bullshit that killed his mother and with his wife able to raise two healthy and well balanced children. Good for them! Love wins!

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Uncomfortable Truths

Imagine Oprah Winfrey became partners with the NFL and when asked about Colin Kaepernick saying, “We are beyond kneeling now. It’s about action.” The same people that hate Oprah and Gail King by association would be saying, “That bitch Oprah always trying to keep a black man down! She needs to stay in her lane!” They didn’t say that about Jay-Z.

Imagine Oprah buying into Papa John’s Pizza making a commitment to clean up its image after the owner was caught calling black people niggers in a conference call. Then it would have been, “See that bitch working against her own people. She needs to stay in her lane. We trade Oprah for Ellen!” They didn’t say that about Shaq.

When Bill Cosby spoke at Morehouse University talking down to black graduates – then followed it up with what was coined The Blame The Poor Tour, saying black people name their kids Shaniqua and Muhammad, and all that crap – (because he was talking down to poor blacks he neglected to say the name Condoleezza) – when he called young black men thugs who need to pull their pants up, who justified police shootings over a pound cake – many black folks applauded Cosby saying he needs to air this dirty laundry and challenge black people to a higher moral standard. When this same Cosby went down for breaking the moral standards he chided Blacks with lesser income and wealth, the same Cosby who admitted in court he drugged women without their knowledge…who did comedy about giving women Spanish Fly to get them into bed. Then this same Cosby – who somehow gets a twitter account and post from prison applauds Snoop – who has made millions upon millions of dollars making records calling black women bitches and hoes for decades calling Gail King a horse face bitch these same black people continue applauding Cosby disrespecting another black woman. R Kelly gets caught basically kidnapping young girls keeping them from their parents isolating them from their families, support system and foundations, and black people are like, “Where were the mommas?”

At some point and sooner than later we need to stop denying and seriously address this hate of black women in our own culture. We also need to do some self-examinations about the shit we way, the things we write, and not take the most popular and easy way of thinking into subject matters that deserve sophistication and perspective. We also need to stop denying and seriously address this hate of black women in our own culture. We are a most brilliant people. We deserve better, and we can and should do better.

We can agree and disagree on many topics. We are not monolithic. Some of my BEST friends and I disagree on shit all the time. Sometimes vigorously with plenty of profanities in tow. But we never disrespect one another’s person or manhood. It’s always love and true love at that. Somehow we have to find a way to disagree and criticize one another’s actions without the vitriol that tears our souls out right from within our own lips. There are few exceptions where I will just cold kick a black man/woman to the curb or the proverbial revoke their cookout privileges. That is only reserved for the most extreme measures.

And let us not forget: Some of ya’ll mad at Gail and Oprah absolutely hated Kobe both when he played and afterwards. Many black women hated Kobe during Colorado talking about him ‘fucking with white bitches.’ Many black men hated that he mimicked Jordan’s style and strove to be as great as if not greater than Mike. Some of ya’ll hung on to MJs balls so hard you couldn’t appreciate what Kobe brought to the game. Many of ya’ll hated him because you were team Shaq during their personal feud and didn’t identify with Kobe because he came from suburbia. You preferred AI. The killer part is just on a basketball level, the most hard core brothers in the league like Iverson, Stephen Jackson and Matt Barns all LOVED and respected Kobe often saying Kobe was more hard core gangsta and committed to the game than they were. I remember debating a brother in the fall of 2019 for calling him a snitch! I was like, “Man really? You do know he was like 23-24 years old then right? He was an underdeveloped man like many of us were at that age.” He was like, “Still a snitch!” But on his timeline he dogging King with NO mercy. So is it REALLY about Kobe? I think not.

At some point and sooner than later we really need to do some self-examinations about the shit we way, the things we write, and not take the most popular and easy way of thinking into subject matters that deserve sophistication and perspective. We are a most brilliant people. We deserve better, and we can and should do better.

With Love,

CMac

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Why the Skeptics Should Watch Leaving Neverland

First let me explain to you what this post is NOT about:

  • Cancelling Michael Jackson > I don’t believe in ‘cancelling’ anyone. How can a group of human beings cancel another? It’s impossible. I do believe in viewing a person or a situation from a nuanced perspective. At least as much as one can. We are all flawed and have committed evil acts in our time. As a matter of fact, as flawed humans we are presently capable of dastardly deeds as much as acts of generosity and love. We choose our actions daily.
  • A Referendum on Michael Jackson’s Music >The root word of ‘fan’ is fanatic. Fanatic is defined as, ‘a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal.. especially for an extreme religious or political cause.’ In this case the religious and political cause is Michael Jackson and his music. I’m not asking you to watch Leaving Neverland so that you can stop listening to Jackson’s music. How you reconcile love for his music vs what he’s accused of is up to you. In a world full of either/or’s, there is room for and/both. Facing harsh truths about our icons makes us better more responsible humans.

It’s frustrating to hear people dismiss something as a lie that they have not seen. I’ve heard and read more than a few in the Black community say they refuse to watch the documentary. The reasons vary from, ‘They just want money,‘, or ‘The media is out to destroy Jackson,’ or ‘Why didn’t the come forward years earlier or why lie about it before?’ These questions are tremendously shortsighted. For example, I was sexually molested as a child. Am I a liar because this is the first time I put it in print? Less than a handful knew before I hit ‘publish.’ Also I know that molestation has been an issue in my own family.

I recall a time when a family member called a family meeting to confront another member. The incident or incidents happened to them as a child. (I’m being vague to protect privacy) During this meeting they gave their account of what the person did to them. Their pain and agony filled with tears was devastating to watch as they described what was done to them as a child. This relative was in their 40s. On another occasion it was suspected that a member was molested. A safe space was provided for them to open up. They denied it for about 15 years. By the time they were ready to admit the truth and face the trauma, they were on the verge of a nervous breakdown. There are more examples I could give but I’ll stop here. The point is one cannot determine for someone else when they should be ready to share their truth. And it should be understood that the high level of skepticism of victim’s stories is part of the reason why it’s so hard to come forward. First of all victims tend to blame themselves. The longer the secret is held, the deeper the guilt and shame. Couple that with the fear of not being believed creates a no win situation. Every time someone says, “I don’t believe any of the victims in the ‘insert public molestation or sexual abuse scandal,’ you reinforce the need to remain silent lest they too be called a liar. Not to be missed, it both covers and empowers the perpetrators.

I was listening to the radio the other morning and caught the tail end of an interview with Arsenio Hall. He was on the “Tom Joyner Morning Show” talking about a sequel to the film, “Coming To America.” At the very end of it without being prompted he said, “Don’t waste your time on the Michael Jackson documentary. It’s slow, it’s annoying and people letting their kids go to Michael’s for five days in a row without their parents. …He then joked. “You know what? Tito didn’t send his kids to the ranch for five days.” Finally he took shots at one of the alleged victims Wade Robson, saying, …“the boy has Rob in his name…Unless you had ‘thief’ in your name you couldn’t have a worse name for the documentary.” This is fandom. Since Arsenio knew Jackson and is a lifelong fan, he would rather ‘cancel the accusers.’ Regardless of how he feels about Jackson’s guilt or innocence, discouraging people from watching the documentary and using their own judgment is weak!

As someone who has seen the complete documentary, including the Oprah Winfrey interview, “After Neverland,” I find the critics terribly uninformed. They site money as a motive. They question the timing. (as usual) They speak as if it’s merely 4 hours of simple minded accusations without any road maps, logic or rationale. I too didn’t know what to expect. What I found upon viewing is that it’s really not so much about Michael Jackson. It’s about grooming, not just the kids but the adult parents as well. It’s about how the young underdeveloped brains of children can be manipulated into a false sense of love. It’s about seduction and how even small children can be turned on both in a sexual and erotic sense, leading to confusion and self blame. It’s about the fallout of recognition, confusion, and deception as the child grows into teen and eventually adulthood. It’s about how those who are in charge of security can be hypnotized into forfeiting basic protections which should be forged with common sense. It’s a story of tragedy that the victims and their families including the wives of both Rob Robson and Jimmy Safechuck must endure for the rest of their lives. Jackson is merely a vehicle to illustrate the story.

Oprah (a sexual molestation survivor) said that what director Dan Reed accomplished with this doc was what she tried to accomplish with 217 shows on the subject matter. I agree. I have no idea how the director got all of the interviewees to open up the way he did. Even with the sometimes graphic descriptions it’s carefully done in a totally non salacious fashion. Personally, I believe it should be required viewing. I would consider Oprah’s interview ‘The Workbook’ if the documentary were text. Whatever one takes away from watching, these men are not laughing, they aren’t rejoicing, they certainly are not mentally or spiritually free. To ignore what is presented is missing an opportunity to learn how children are seduced and preyed upon, often right under our noses.

The truth of the matter is that historically we have had sexual abuse and assaults damaging our youth for generations. It’s happened in our homes, our churches, our schools, in back alleys and public spaces. Sadly we haven’t done a good job in protecting our children or creating a pathway of safety for them to reach for help when something evil happens to them. It’s all about preserving the secrets. Victims aren’t listened to enough. And when the accused perpetrator is a celebrity, we send clear messages that past and future victims will not be believed. But it’s time to take the covers off and recognize that this isn’t a problem, it’s an epidemic! We’ve ignored the injured. We’ve empowered and embolden the perpetrators. We must stop this vicious cycle!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Blago on Blow? I think so!

Gov. Rod Blagojevich says he considered selecting Oprah Winfrey to fill Barack Obama's former Senate seat.

What in the H – E – double hockey sticks is up with this cat?  Has he flown over the cuckoo’s nest or what? 

The Illinois governor has an impeachment trial going on.  And since he thinks it’s unfair he decided to leave the state for a host of interviews.  So far he’s laying out such gems such as he considered Oprah Winfrey for the senate seat he allegedly tried to sell.  I mean in one sense that makes sense considering she makes enough money to meet any price he may have asked – but SERIOUSLY!    Oprah? 

Not to be outdone by himself, he also compared himself to Mandela, MLK, and Gandhi.  WTF? 

Man I think this dude is doing Shrooms, LSD or something! 

He obviously does not live on this planet.  He lives in planet Blago.  A world only he understands.

I’m not sure what is more stupid – his words or the fact that some book publisher is considering whether to give Sara Palin an $11 million advance for a boring ass book about her life that she will in no way tell the truth about anyway.

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Playing The Game The Way It Should Be Played

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It’s being reported that global talk show icon an avid Barack Obama supporter Oprah Winfrey  accepted money from one of Obama’s chief political enemies.  Dallas Billionaire Harold Simmons an avid John McCain supporter not only paid almost 3 million to pay for ads linking Obama to Bill Ayers, once gave Winfrey 1 million (5 million pledged) for her girls school in South Africa.  Mind you this is the same cat that funded that scam “swift boat” ads that buried John Kerry and his heroic Vietnam tour. 

I applaud Winfrey for understanding how to play the game righteously.  She gets it!  Get what you ask?  Gets the fact that just because you take money or donations for one cause, it does not mean you have to compromise your morals, beliefs, or integrity for another.  Historically in most cases, folk get it all twisted and just hide behind some public relations firm.  Not Oprah!  She’s was not bought out like some soft feeble minded folks.

Now some people will just say that Oprah is paid so therefore she can afford to do what she does.  Not altogether true.  If it were like that she could have merely funded the project herself.  She has enough loot to do that for sure!  Not to mention I have a friend who spoke privately to baseball Hall of Fame member Ozzie Smith.  The subject of money came up and being rich after a lucrative career.  Ozzie said it this way, “I don’t care how much money you’ve made.  When you are used to making millions of dollars and used to seeing those checks coming in twice a month, you miss it. ”  

The point is that a 5 million dollars is 5 million dollars.  People who make that kinda money desire ways to make more of it.  So I don’t see Winfrey as being less ambitious.  It’s simply understanding that you can take the money but the money doesn’t have to take you.  To the contrary: Accept the money.  Use it for your purposes, and still keep your integrity. 

Too bad many other celebs and politicians don’t get that.

You go Oprah!