[Dean's World] Shay: Coonery Wins At The Oscars

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Shay:
Coonery Wins At The Oscars
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1141657089.shtml


   My mouth is still ajar in seeing Three 6 Mafia perform "It's Hard Out
   Here For A Pimp" at the Oscars last night, and then take home a trophy
   for best original song. Folks know that the song is from "Hustle &
   Flow", which is about a Memphis pimp and drug dealer (played by
   Terrence Howard) who aspires to be a rapper. I usually root for the
   black folks in any endeavor, but this was one of the rare times that I
   was actually rooting for black folks not to win.

   I see the Academy caved in to last-minute pressure not to clear the
   use of the word "bitches" in the song =E2 a move that it had previously
   okayed =E2 so the award-winning rappers instead used the word "witches".
   While the sanitized performance was not as bad as I expected it to be
   - my expectations were quite low =E2 it was still bad. I am now thinking
   that perhaps the song should have been done [1]in its original form
   just show folks could hear exactly what Hollywood had nominated - and
   voted for - as best original song of the year.

   My initial reaction was disgust. Disgust that out of all of the
   original songs done by black folks last year for movies, this was the
   song that (1) got nominated for an Oscar; and (2) won an Oscar. My
   cousin said she was stunned and embarrassed, but a good friend of hers
   (who loves the song) had text messaged her and didn't understand
   criticisms of the song. I had to call my best friend to discuss this
   "did you see that mess?" moment, and she couldn't believe it either.
   She had left the room to finish dinner for her family when Three 6
   Mafia =E2 backed up by folks playing pimps and hos - started their
   on-stage performance, and came back into her living room after they
   won the Oscar shortly after their performance. She and her husband
   were stunned on this one. When my best friend =E2 who is a proud black
   leftist =E2 and I agree, you know it's foul.

   Yes, Terrence Howard was convincing as a pimp in the movie. Yes, Three
   6 Mafia's song accurately describes pimpdom. My issue is the
   glorification of pimpdom. That's [2]coonery. So Mr. Howard's character
   goes from being a pimp to rapping about pimpin' (after going to jail
   for beating down a rap star). No real transformation there, but
   coonery. And Three 6 Mafia's song and performance last night was
   coonery. This is what we want black children around the world - and
   the Oscars is seen around the world - to see reflective of ourselves?
   Black folks win when we debase ourselves. No wonder I see so many
   black youth shamefully going around talkin' "yeah, I pimped it" or
   "I'm a pimp".

   At least Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and other
   black movie stars successfully urged Mr. Howard to not perform the
   song during the Oscars. [3]According to Eva Longoria (a Hispanic
   actress who is a good friend of Mr. Howard), Mr. Howard was going to
   accept the request, but Sidney Poitier said, "Do not get up there and
   represent the African American community singing about a pimp". The
   intervention crew was concerned about the harm to the careers of black
   actors. I see that Taraji Henson (the actress who sings the hook in
   the movie) debased herself and joined last night's performance.

   However, I shouldn't be surprised at this new low in Oscar history.
   After all, liberal Hollywood has excelled in reinforcing stereotypes
   about black folks...and too many black consumers have bought into
   these stereotypes.

References

   1. http://www.smartlyrics.com/Song562292-Djay-f-Shug-Its-Hard-Out-Here-f=
or-a_Pimp-lyrics.aspx
   2. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=3DCoonery+and+Buffoone=
ry
   3. http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/tm_objectid=3D16762307&method=3Dfull&site=
id=3D94762&headline=3Doscars--star-no-to-song--name_page.html