I read in GQ Magazine recently where some 45 year old guy had Alzheimer's, and you know what I kept thinking while I was reading that article? Why couldn't this have been Jason Whitlock's black ass? I know that was mean, but hey, that's what I was thinking.
"Why field what's your issue with Jason Whitlock?" Well it seems that Jason has a black problem. Or at least a problem with black folks, and as a result, he writes about us in a negative light every chance he gets. If there is a racial issue in America, and blacks and whites see it differently, you can bet your last dollar that old Jason will come down on the side of the majority population.
In his latest hit piece against black folks, Jason lays the smack down with his pen on the Jena 6. To Jason, these boys were out of control athletes who got their just deserts. Jason doesn't see what all the fuss is about, especially given the fact that all these boys weren't Angels to begin with. He goes on to attack the usual suspects, like Jessie, and Al, much to the delight of his white readers, and I am sure, his white employers. Just think of Jason as the LaShawn Barber of the sports world, and you will get an idea of the type of a black person we are dealing with here.
Now let me put this out there right now: I am no big fan of Jessie or Al, and lord knows I have come down pretty hard on them at times myself, especially when they do dumb shit like jump into the middle of the Terry Schiavo fray. They both love the camera a little too much for my taste, and I am still not sure about that story floating around where Jessie was supposed to have put MLK's blood on his shirt the day he (King) was shot. (I always wondered why King's widow never really spoke to Jessie all these years) But I digress. Still, given all of that, there is no denying that Jessie has done some good things to advance the civil rights struggle in this country. And any black person in America who says otherwise is a damn fool. Which is why when I see folks like Jason making a living on tearing down Jackson, it pisses me off. I see other black writers, commentators, and bloggers doing it too. The first person they rip when there is a racial issue front and center in this country, is good ole Jessie. And before you give me the, "but field you do it too" speech, save it. I know that shit, and I acknowledge it. But it doesn't make it right. Hell, one of the reasons I blog is to provide therapy for myself, and writing about shit that I am guilty of myself, helps me to work through that particular problem.
So back to Jason. Mr one trick pony himself. He rips Vivian Stringer, the Rutgers women's basketball coach. He rips America for not giving Don Imus another chance. And every fucking day he rips another black athlete or person who happens to be in the news, for not playing by America's rules. Like who the fuck died and made him the Martha Stewart of race? On a certain level I almost respect Jason's hustle. Because you and I both know that he can't believe all the shit that he writes. But it's working, Jason is getting more popular by the day, because he is just the latest in a long line of black folks who "Charlie" props up to say what he wants to say, but can't, because it would be too politically incorrect. Jason can say it, because he is one of them.
So anyway,I am making a pledge right here and now: I am not going to rip Jessie anymore. He is way too easy. And besides, is it really his fault that he is the first black person "Charlie" goes looking for when there is a racial problem in this country? I don't think so. Yeah Jessie might love the camera too much, but can you just stop sticking it in his damn face please? Is that too much to ask "Charlie"? And the same goes for the other reverend as well. Although lately, Jason has been popping up a lot too. I would dare say even more than Jessie and Al. So go on with your bad self Jason, the hustle is working.
There is nothing worse than a House Negro who knows he's/she's a House Negro, and gets fat paid for being a House Negro.
ReplyDeleteThey willing sit at cocktail parties, where they're the only "fly in the buttermilk", waxing negative poetic about other Blacks, and never realizing that when he or she leaves the room, the honorary "white and conservative" gets the beat down like a Field Negro.
They won't do it to their face. They just bide their time until the House Negro's usefulness to them is used up and gone like a postage stamp.
Then, they get open with their contempt for the House Negro. And, the House Negro either goes into denial and tries to win back the affection of his white presumed brethren, or does an O. J. Simpson and comes running back into the Black Community, where we embrace them with loving and forgiving arms, instead of doing what Harriet Tubman did when runaway slaves tried to return to master and would probably give up the whereabouts of the Underground Railroad.
We can forgive, but we need to enforce consequences for the actions of a Jason Whitlock, a LaShawn Barber, a Star Parker, Amy Holmes, Angela McGowan, Shelby Steele or Stanley Crouch.
I understand if you don't want to hate on Jesse anymore, Field, and I respect you for that. But I will not respect someone who started out with good intentions, but then exploit those intentions to shake down Corporate America and Wall Street in particular.
If Jesse was sincere when he approaches Wall Street CEOs about diversity on Wall Street, we'd see more than Ken Chenault running American Express and Dick Parsons running Time Warner. It is known that Jesse collects a fat check everytime he opens his mouth and proceeds to shakedown Wall Street, but nothing of substance comes back to Field Negroes like us.
One way we can counter Charlie always calling Jesse or Al for comments about Black America is to ask a Chris Matthews or some other white talking head this: "When you want to know what's going on in Black America, is Jesse and Al the only ones you have on speed-dial, and if so, why is that?"
Yes, Jason Whitlock has a hustle going on. But sooner or later, Jason Whitlock, and others like him will be as a dog that vomits and then returns to it, and not worthy of my time, let alone my respect, because it's non-existant.
What do you expect? Jason Whitlock is simply being a loyal member of the MSM when it comes to defending Imus - the better advice would be to ignore dinosaurs like this until they're extinct. I really dislike the mutual loyalty that the media displays, the lack of accountability and laziness prevalent in the profession today.
ReplyDeleteOTOH, you are a tireless blogger and I can't imagine how you get all this great stuff out there. Great service and one of the best blogs I've seen anywhere.
I was so pissed when I read Mr. Whitlock's article. I became even more irate at all the "atta boy's" he recieved from the majority. I did find solace in the fact that Kenneth Foster was spared. I would like to think that your blog and other writing campaigns help garner this decision.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for the moment Jason Whitlock gets caught driving while black, gets his ass beat and thrown in prison for 30 years for "assaulting an officer".
ReplyDeleteFucking Idiot.
Field, I confess that I've got no idea who Jason Whitlock is.
ReplyDeleteAbout Jesse and Al, though, I think we should be grateful that we have some Black men who know how to work the antagonistic media, otherwise Black people's opinions wouldn't reach the mainstream media at all.
It's hard for young people to remember now, but there was a time when you could watch the nightly news and not see a single Black person who wasn't being charged with a crime. Jesse Jackson helped change that and, in so doing, he opened the way for a new generation of Black news stories who aren't in handcuffs. There could be no Donna Brazile and Barack Obama without Jesse Jackson.
And Jesse DOES know how to work the media. When he ran for president in 1988, he had one tenth the money that Al Gore had, but he got more votes than Al Gore did. He did it with free media, by championing causes that none else wanted to champion, and by taking controversial positions that Black people favored but that whites would have preferred to ignore.
So, who is going to be our new generation of media savvy politicians who know how to get Blacks people's radical message out, in spite of a conservative white-media press?
Yeah, Jesse screwed up bad on Terry Schiavo, but keep this in mind: That issue was never very important anyway.
Franics, consider yourself lucky that you don't know this clown. Your blood pressuure is better off for it. I guess that's one of the perks of living in South America ;)
ReplyDeleteMF,that day couldn't come soon enough for me. People like Whitlock forget how they got to where they are in the first place, and the struggle others had to go through so that his black ass can cheese for the entire country in with his ignorance.
anon. thanks for the kind words. But it's not hard work at all. I just write about the shit that I see out here on a daily basis.
unfortunately, I have been seeing quite a bit of Mr. Whitlock lately. Although given his substantial girth, that's not so hard to do :)
When Jesse Jackson had the lead it must of scared the voter in the subsequent primaries, because all of a sudden Gore became a viable candidate. Jackson still had enough delegates to have been on the ticket as VP. It bothered me that he let go so easily.
ReplyDeleteSome time I have to remind people that Jesse Jackson was in the trenches with SCLC. The SCLC had a lot of rambunctious, hip and radical young ministers organizing the communities and especially the young people.
Sir,
ReplyDeleteRev. Jackson and Rev. Sharpton are often wrong. But, are always wrong for the right team. They are proponets of the Black Cause.
antpoppa
Field
ReplyDeleteNow you've gotten my blood boiling when you mentioned Jason Whitlock!
Nothing makes me more furious than to see this house negro, uncle tom looking, ugly fat ass blasting the black race. Everytime I see his name in print, I get the uncontrollable urge to vomit. The reason being is whatever comes from his mouth is sh%t.
And on his statements concerning the Jena 6 is sickening to the core. I didn't hear him call the duke lacrosse team "out of control athletes". They certainly weren't Angels to begin with either. But, he never fails to be a tom and always ready to cheese up.
He's so disgusting
When you've been a Tom, you can never turn into a Field Negro.
ReplyDeleteJason Whitlock demonstrates that in spades (pun intended).
As for Jesse, I'd like to remember when he was down for the cause, instead of being a media whore. At least give Al Sharpton a prop - he's willing to protest and actually be arrested (think Grenada invasion and Viques Bombing).
Field good post, I agree with somethings Jason says about Al and Jessie.
ReplyDeleteI respect Jessie and Al but that still does not change the fact that they are corrupt and selfish people claiming to be called by god.
I can respect the good that people do while ramming my foot in a preadchers a@s for making love children out of wedlock during the time of aids and a 50% fatherless rate for black children.
Having said that I am revoking Jason Sh#tlock black pass if any of you folks see him in the hood, advise the tom that he is to leave immediately.
A black man that goes on TV and radio saying the hateful sh#t he says is a pure bred coon!
Just because Jesse Jackson has done great things for the civil rights movement doesn't make him immune from criticism. Call him on in when he makes a mistake, even if it is easy.
ReplyDeleteI thought Charlie was shorthand for the Viet Cong, since VC is Victor Charlie in the phonetic alphabet. White People should be Whiskey Papa. No, Charlie sounds better than Papa.
I thought you would like the article. Can't write about Jason enough. Peace ...
ReplyDeleteI was reading Whitlock's article again and Field, did you pick up that this he called mainstream reporting on the Jena Six "inflammatory"? I don't know about you, but I'd call:
ReplyDelete"Rather than report the truth, flames have been fanned by lazy or cowardly or agenda-driven members of the media. "
pretty inflammatory.
Jose, thanks for e-mailing me that article,I forgot to give you your "propers". (woozie that's colloquialism for credit. You are so damn smart,of course you are right about that Viet Cong shit. are you an Ivy League college professor or some shit? :))
ReplyDeleteJustice58 just try to breathe my brother, he pisses us all off. And Mark, even a broken clock is right twice a day. Of course Whitlock makes some good points, that's what makes him so dangerous. He mixes known truths with inflammatory shit.
Field, woozy...Charlie as in "Mister Charlie"...as in "Blues for Mister Charlie".
ReplyDeleteField... you ever read anything by Terrence Moore? He's a writer for the AJC here in Atlanta.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is only one spot available in the house and him and Whitlock are fighting for it. True story.
It's rare when you actually SEE the selection of a House Negro. Whitlock and Ridley. Whitlock snapped.
ReplyDeleteNo problem, FN. "Propers"? HAHA
ReplyDeleteC. Vivian Womandela? There is something wrong with Whitlock's mind. It's not like after the Imus crap Coach Stringer suddenly decided to pretend she was one of the greatest coaches in the history of college basketball. You can, like they say, look it up.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. Here's a different take... which doesn't conform to the popular opinion here:
ReplyDeletehttp://asabagna.wordpress.com/2007/09/01/to-kill-a-messenger/
Much love and respect!
09 02 07
ReplyDeleteHello FN:
I am late to this thread, but did read the article you cited by Mr. Whitlock. He seemed to be rather fair and even handed to me. However, I did notice that he mentioned that the incompetent public defender was Black. I don't think that was a relevant fact to the article and seemed like a wedge bs issue to me. Other than that, the article brought up some reasonable points, the main one being that the noose incident happened four months before the brawl. I didn't realize that. I thought the brawl and noose incident happened around the same time.
One thing his article does not mention is that anger can build. So the brawl and noose incident could have been related events separated by folks anger and willingness to act.
So all in all, I think his article would've been better written had he omitted one point and brought in another.
As to other stuff he has written, sometimes I agree while other times he pisses me off.
I think he knows what he is doing, but I am unsure if Tom is the right word to describe him. Only time will tell if he is really a house negro or not because the article you cited doesn't show me that quite yet...
Also, this statement was made in the article:
"Before I go any further, let me state this: The prosecutor should've never charged these boys with attempted murder. The entire school board should be replaced for stopping the noose-hanging kids from being expelled."
A real Tom would not have even said that. A real Tom would have ignored the racism of the event and moved on. Thus, there is hope for him yet and I ain't willing to write him off...
mahndisa and asa, you both have a different take on Jason's article, and that's fine. Franky,you are both principled and fair people and I would expect you to give Mr. Whitlock the benefit of the doubt.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Jason isn't as fair and as prncipled as you both. He is calculating and dishonest, and he takes the positions he does to become more popular.
I would urge you to read his entire body of work. Look at the positions he taks with people like Vivian Stringer, and John Thompson's son.
And while I do agree that he makes some credible points about the Jena 6 case, he said nothing that would make me change my mind about the racism that is rampant in that town or the double standard that the racist DA has when it comes to prosecuting black people.
So the Public Defender was black; so what? He was still imcompetent probably because his office is underfunded and he is under paid. This is what happens in the justice system. Those boys couldn't afford a good lawyer because their families were poor. It doesn't make the charges that were brought against them any less prejudicial.
He (Jason) writes that the entire school board should be expelled, and he is right. But then he excuses that by placing blame on the children themselves, and black people as whole who are too quck to jump to their defense.
Well guess what; in this day and age, we have to jump to their defense. Because if we don't, no one else will.
I think Whitlock performed a valuable public service (no shit) by being a decent fly in the buttermilk. I don't we have enough. We have too many folks like Cornell West and Dyson who have taken the opposite track to an inane and insane degree; that is why I welcome other views like Stanley Crouch's. Whitlock started off like that and I applauded him, but now he's let the notariety go to his fat head.
ReplyDeleteSo FN please don't condemn all flies in the buttermilk. There is a place for that and given the nihilism and bullshit out there in black politics, hip hop and sports, thank God for them.I think this is an issue-- specific and personal--peculiar to whitlock.
With all due respect to those who believe that Whitlock makes good points, what he does is use smoke and mirrors to make you forget the REAL issues of the case. Like FN said, please review this man's record. He provided a valuable DISSERVICE of incredible magnitude. I speak of it in much more detail in:
ReplyDeleteWhitlock-Gone-Wild:
http://www.cosellout.com/?p=107
Jason Whitlock's career is predicated on playing The Designated Negro.
ReplyDelete