Friday, February 26, 2010

That ain't "Flipper".


I was really torn about what to blog about tonight. I didn't know if I should blog about you black folks getting upset because a white sorority won a step show. (And, from what I could see, they deserved it.) Why? If they out stepped your asses they deserved to win. (h/t to Hawa) Then, of course, there is all the political theater going on up in Zoo Yawk. (Mr. Rangel, blaming your ethics problems on your staff is house Negro behavior) Not to mention down in D.C., where a certain secretary is heading out the door. (I guess girlfriend never recovered from the gate crashers fiasco.) Still, I decided that tonight I don't want to blog about any of that. Nope, tonight I want to blog about animals.

Now you all know how I feel about some of you people and your pets. I have some serious issues with how some of us humans choose to exercise our position of power in the pecking order when it comes to living things here on earth.

I am cool with eating animals, and using them for our benefit. Hey, we are smarter than they are (some of us) so they are just SOL when it comes to certain things. Certain things. Because there are times when they do their best to upset the order of things. Like the recent chimp attack that took place in Stamford, Ct. (Why someone would have a pet chimp is beyond me.) And, of course, the latest incident down in Sea World comes to mind. I mean here we have a killer whale being trained for our entertainment, and the big fella just saying enough and treating his trainer like...well.. his meal.

Folks, this is a big deal, and the folks down at Sea World have been taking some heat for the way that they treat their animals. I mean even the whale is talking.

One thing we do know is that Sea World won't stop training their whales for our entertainment, because there is just too much at stake: A brand; money; jobs. Hell the killer whale won't even do any time for his actions. He is still with Sea World, and will probably be coming to a pool near you for more shows very soon.

"SeaWorld Orlando also said it intends to continue using in its performances Tilikum, the 6-ton orca that pulled veteran trainer Dawn Brancheau to her death on Wednesday, though the animal will not be used Saturday."He's been a part of our team and he will remain a part of our team," SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment President Jim Atchison told reporters during an afternoon news conference at the Orlando theme park"

Yep, Tilikum will be coming back, but Dawn will not. Tilikum made sure of that.



93 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey Field, Did you hear/read Trent Frank (R-AZ) comment, basically he said that blacks were better as slaves. Any thoughts?

Bennett said...

...plus, he said that killer whales were better as slaves too.

Unless they're wild.

SickupandFed said...

As beautiful as they are, as wonderful as it is to see them up close(sorta), like you said they are still wild. And when they get hungry who is big enough to tell them no?

It happened here before. Back in the mid to late 80's a lion took the arm of a really nice young lady. I was working at a local station at the time and had done some stories that she was part of. And then a lot of stories when she lost a part of her arm.

But guess what? It's gonna happen again. Because there is too much money at stake. Even for all of us. Imagine how much dough you can get if YOU happen to be the one with a camera on when one of those hungry hippos takes a bite out of someone.

Which begs the question, if you are there when that happens with a camera on it will you be steady enough to catch the belch?

I must be off! ROTFLMBAO

Anonymous said...

I was interested in this story also,and I watched a video of an incident some time ago where they had asked a secretary to fill in and ride a whale. Well the whale didn't know her and flipped her and started biting her and dragging her down.
The trainers didn't seen to want to hurt that whale, they were barely tapping it's snout that was biting on her leg, it's a miracle she got away.
Sea World obviously considers the whales ($$$) much more important than the humans! Those trainers better get smart. Animals will always be stronger than humans they are all muscle!

And on a very un PC thought of mine. Do we have a little to many animals on this planet, or is it just me?
I bought a fountain for the front yard a while back, well the friggin blackbirds turned it into their spa! Had to empty and turn it over. Lizards shitting all over the patio chairs, pigeons...sharks coming up on the beach to carry us away... bears looking for any chance in the mountains (US) to eat us...tigers in India silently stalking their human prey for days etc,etc. Need I say more?
My thoughts are that there are far too many animals and they are getting on my nerves!

Mahndisa S. Rigmaiden said...

Hey FN:
I wrote this comment about the step show on another blog, but here goes...

I watched both scenes and was mildly entertained. But I was not really impressed with either of the performances. Neither exhibited cultural PRODUCTION at all, simply rehearsing moves that have been done before. I have to qualify this by saying many, many years ago when I was in Atlanta for a spell, I saw some of the absolutely best stepping in the world. The rivalry between Deltas and AKA's was palpabe everywhere you went.The Zetas were cool with everybody though and so were the Sigma's. Nevertheless, stepping was serious.

Girls that stepped like either of those children's camps from above likely wouldn't have even qualified for a team back then!

It was an art as well as a science. The children above from both camps seemed to have mastered the mechanics of the movement, but there is a lot more than that which contributes to a good stepping show, some of this is intangible but nonetheless real. Rhythm and creativity in movement and in presentation are good qualifiers for excellence, along with pleasant vocal frequencies and hair styles that only enhance the movement; not detract from it.

If the AKA's, who were stepping in that show, with their narcissistic hair weaves and poses were the absolute cream of the crop for the Black gals, then we really ought to be ashamed. To compete on a national stage and that was the best they could do? Sad. Just sad. As to the Blancas, like I said on DV's they were extremely well coordinated, but otherwise, not all that creative with the movement, more mechanical instead of rhythmic.

The audience no doubt was entertained and at the end of the day, that is what it was all about. I've just seen better.

field negro said...

M Rigmaiden, I think that we can all agree that we have seen better. (Hell I saw the Deltas at USL, and some pretty impressive shows at an HBCU here and there.) No doubt. But in this particular competition, I can't say that the white girls didn't win. That's all.

Leah, I heard about that dude. Wow! Didn't he actually make those statements last month? Why is it coming out now? Did they catch him on YouTube or something? But don't worry, one of his black conservative friends will be here to defend him soon. After all, he isn't in the hood killing blacks is he? :)

SickUpandFed is sick...Lawd pray for these people.

cactusrose, you nailed what i was trying to say about the money angle. It's all about the $.

Renee said...

First we trap the animal in a large pool and then force it to do tricks for food, who wouldn't get upset. I know that people like to killer wales but flipper is not like a hamster or your pet budgie ze can do a lot of damage if even remotely irritated. I don't blame the animal because truthfully humans ought to know better. How many times does it need to kill before people realize that the whale is better off in the ocean?

Anonymous said...

@field:
and anothr scary thing I just realized, Tillikum will strike again. Why? because he feels entitled, he's done it before and he knows nothing will happen to him, he will wait silently for the opportunity to snatch another trainer in...

Anonymous said...

I read some of the comments about stepping and was frankly, astounded, stepping is not a Black thing, Irish people been stepping for a long time too. What makes me sad is that some of the comments seem to hate white people stepping, they been doing that for a long time too. Can't believe the comments about that. It is truly a sad day when people who love stepping are hated for the color of their skin, I think I am ready to give up now. Peace is in my heart, sadness fills my soul today.
Being the white person that I am, I have seen many white people step. Just cuz they won don'/t make them bad.

Anonymous said...

I do not know how we think animals are going to behave differently once we take them out of their own habitat and train them. Animals have instinct and do not have the capacity to rationalize that instinct. It is a Killer Whale and perhaps not a good idea to believe you train such a whale for stupid tricks. The whale probably thouht the trainer was lunch. From what I understand, the whale took the trainer by her ponytail and believe it was a fin. I sympathize for the woman's death, but if they left Tillikum in the ocean this would not have happened. Human beings are arrogant and believe that we can control everything including animals and it is apparent that we do not.

Anonymous said...

M.Rigmaiden, give a link to some better stepping. If you can. I doubt it.

Anonymous said...

Before you know it, Granny will squat some prune juice full of hate, and some links too. She can't step but she will know all about it, since she knows everything.

Sandy said...

@ Anonymous,

The Irish stepdance you are referring to is not the same as stepping done at step shows. The Irish step dance is known as the Riverdance, not stepping. Stepping has an African roots, not Irish.

Black people shouldn't allow stepping to be watered down for commercial reasons, just to make money. People see stepping as a trend, but for Blacks it is a tradition. Keeping the tradition should be the primary focus.

Why don't you start the Riverdance step show.

Anonymous said...

My thoughts are that there are far too many animals and they are getting on my nerves!


Well, humans actually are animals too. The last time I checked though it's not whales or birds that are clear cutting forests, polluting water supplies, and pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Anonymous said...

Sandy,
You don't know what you are talking about, stepping is stepping, no matter who does it, River dance is bull shit and you know it. Or do you?
Oh and by the way, plenty of Black people who are REAL, love Irish step dancing, just as Irish people love Black step dancing, they just simply love each other, unlike YOU.

Anonymous said...

Black people shouldn't allow stepping to be watered down for commercial reasons, just to make money. People see stepping as a trend, but for Blacks it is a tradition. Keeping the tradition should be the primary focus.


Yes and Irish people who step dance shouldn't allow stepping to be watered down either, snark.


For the Irish, Stepping is a tradition, and for the Irish, Black people are our brothers and sisters. Step to that, Sandy.

Anonymous said...

The Irish step dance is known as the Riverdance, not stepping. Stepping has an African roots, not Irish.


Makes me want to barf and laugh at the same time. Juvenile.

Anonymous said...

If you ever want to really learn, look up Fredrick Douglass, and Irish, he didn't make no distinction like you did Sandy, his reality was his own, not some concocted bullshit that he read somewhere.

Anonymous said...

In watching them step, there was no one close to beating them. They "soundly" beat everyone else and consequently deserved to win.

Let's face the truth...we are no longer the best steppers, and the best dancers. Whites can STEP! And that winning is only the beginning.

The black sororities looked pitiful. The motivation and pride to be the best is just not there anymore.

Anonymous said...

Field, as a capitalist, you must know that "THE SHOW MUST GO ON!'

Tilikum, the 'killer whale' is good for business and now that he has added another notch on his fin, more people will come to see him. And he will put on a great show....Sometimes he will perform in a civilized way and sometimes he will kill.

Either way, Americans will flock to see him, hoping to see blood. It's in our genes.
the poster

Anonymous said...

NO, the motivation and pride to be the best is not lost, WE are all Americans, we are : Black, White ,African, Irish, German, Asian, Spanish, and we all from all kinds of religions.
Irish people can step, gd, so do African people. We all the same.

Sandy said...

@Anonymous,

As I said before, the Irish form of dance(Riverdance as it is now called) is not the same as stepping done at step shows.

Youtube Irish dance and stepping and see the difference.


As you said, for the Irish, Black people are out brothers and sisters.

I say to that more than you know. My mother's maiden name and my father's name are Irish, and we're not Irish.

Anonymous said...

Sandy
I do not need to youtube, I have lived a life. I don't need to see the difference, because I know we are not different. We are brothers and sisters..

Sandy said...

@Anonymous,

WHATEVER! You know what I'm talking about.

Anonymous said...

One last thing, Irish people who live in the Us, we can NOT mention, even in passing, things...., we ca NOT say those things we wish to say or remember, we would be in trouble, een today, 2010. Een today we would be in trouble. think about it..Een today.

Anonymous said...

M. Rigmaiden, "If the AKA's, who were stepping in that show, with their narcissistic hair weaves and poses were the absolute cream of the crop for the Black gals, then we really ought to be ashamed. To compete on a national stage and that was the best they could do? Sad. Just sad. As to the Blancas, like I said on DV's they were extremely well coordinated, but otherwise, not all that creative with the movement, more mechanical instead of rhythmic.

The audience no doubt was entertained and at the end of the day, that is what it was all about. I've just seen better."

I agree, both the AKA's and Deltas were terrible. But today, that's about as good as it gets. Each generation seems to be getting worse and worse..and it's not just stepping either.

Whites may have the mechanics down today, but it won't be long before they have the rhythm as they continue to practice. They are a very determined and motivated group when it comes to dancing and the arts.

Btw, I didn't see much rhythm in the Blacks either; nor much mechanics either.

The AKA's and Deltas in the videos are "par" for the course with this generation of Blacks. Back in the 60s, 70s and even 80s Blacks practiced for excellence. Today, they practice just enough to get by. Mental Mediocrity is fairly common.

Sandy said...

@Anonymous,

You are feel to speak your mind. Remember you are anonymous.

Field Hand G said...

Field. You stated that "Why someone would have a pet chimp is beyond me." I just have one thing to say: Jesse Lee Peterson.

NSangoma said...

~
The killer whale is a phalanx symbol, a latter day King Kong that white folk must demonstrate mastery of.

For you dancin-nin Negroes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNHJSk2elkY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNHJSk2elkY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd0kDxP04eI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd0kDxP04eI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90xRDYruyN8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90xRDYruyN8
`

Hathor said...

Tap dance evolved from Irish dance.

Anon,
If you would have seen stepping as done 50 years ago, I am certain that those movements would have been too black for you to claim, but as ever when our stuff becomes mainstream, people want to reinvent history.

Geneva Girl said...

I watched the video of Zeta Tau Alpha stepping that you linked to. The girls were good. I suspect that several of them were former cheerleaders.

Good is good. It just shows the black sororities that they have to step up their game. Or, spend less time stepping and more time hitting the books.

As for the whale, he was probably bored being penned up in that water prison. He was probably looking for something fun to do - and a snack. Set him free!

George said...

'And on a very un PC thought of mine. Do we have a little to many animals on this planet, or is it just me?'

Actually its just you, or rather its just us, the world is too crowded because of human overpopulation. The reason animals are annoying you is because we've built our cities on animal habitats and they've been forced to adapt to the new environment, your beef is not with blackbirds or lizards, its with urbanization. I suggest you get over it because it aint going away any time soon.

Also,

"and anothr scary thing I just realized, Tillikum will strike again. Why? because he feels entitled, he's done it before and he knows nothing will happen to him, he will wait silently for the opportunity to snatch another trainer in..."

is probably the most hilarious thing I've read today. The killer whale is not some murderer plotting his next attack, he kills because, well, he's a KILLER whale. A species doesn't get the title 'killer' without drowning a few motherfuckers. You can't blame an animal for behaving exactly as it should, the best way to deal with this whale is to release it back into the wild and accept that we can't control what is essentially a force of nature.

Sarge said...

If you read some of Roy Chapman Andrews writings on what he saw on a whaling vessel you might find it interesting.

Hmmmm...look at their teeth, watch a show or two on Animal Planet or Discovery which features such creatures, and you can't escape, unless you are a total dink, coming away with the thought, "I guess they ain't called 'killer whales' for NUTHIN''"!

In my younger days I trained and rode (still ride when I can) horses for show, and while they may be "domesticated" they are by no means "tame".

Intersting thing, the man I trained for used to buy race horses that were being phased out, and he used to check their records.
If they started out their careers finishing in the money, but then dropped back to about the middle of the pack for the rest of their time at the track. He would check for soundness issues, and if there weren't any, these were to ones of interest to him.

He figured that they were smart enough to figure out that if you were out front, all you got was the whip and made to run faster for no benefit. If they fell back "in the pack" they just had a good run with their stable mates and had a good time. Most of them made great pleasure and show horses.

But knowing the animal, and recognising the signs of trouble is VERY important whether you're dealing with a hamster or a whale, or anything in between.

field negro said...

"Field. You stated that "Why someone would have a pet chimp is beyond me." I just have one thing to say: Jesse Lee Peterson."

....I swear I am going to stop waking up and reading this blog first thing int the morning. I laugh too hard all day and I can't get s*&t donw. :)

Intresting discussion on river dancing and stepping. I saw that Michael Flatly (I think I spelled his name right)once-got a couple of freebie tickets- and I must say that I enjoyed the show. Still, stepping is something somewhat unique to black frats and sororities, and just seeing the lack of effort on the part of the Greeks in the video was disappointing. So I agree with Geneva Girl.

Now here is the question: could a white male fraternity hold it down with the Q's and the nasty Nupes?

"Field, as a capitalist, you must know that "THE SHOW MUST GO ON!"

I agree that the show should go on, but not at the cost of human life.

Jody said...

I am firmly in the camp of those who call for an end to Seaworlds. Their excuse that they are educational centers for marine life is undermined by their sheer torture of whales and dolphins. Yes, torture. To take a species that has an entire ocean as its home... to know that whales live in groups, that they are highly social animals, that they are intelligent and that they express feelings such as sadness and anger, and loss... and then put them in a tiny, tiny pool to entertain US??!!!... fuck the trainer, fuck all of the Seaworld assholes who torture animals for their entertainment and shame on ANYONE who goes to watch that torture. This makes me angrier than what humans do to each other because animals do not have the ability to fight back and escape in the same way that humans do.

They say that psychopaths can be identified by their childhood behavior of torturing animals... Well, isn't this our collective psychopathic tendencies writ large of the ugliness that is the human species.

John B. said...

Hey, there's a reason they're called KILLER whales.

I understand Tillikum is SeaWorld's number one stud, so they're not going to get rid of him. And wasn't he raised in captivity? So he couldn't be released into the wild anyway.

I certainly don't think he should be put to death for doing what killer whales do.

Tiffany said...

If there is a way to make money, people are going to make it. I mean why in the world would anyone think it's a good idea to cage a bunch of animals and have people to pay to see them. It's sad, but there are a few benefits, like the education we receive frfom learning about the animals. One thing though has to be in mind and that is that these are WILD animals and it doesn't matter how long they have been in captivity or if you bottle feed and diapered them. A monley can sleep in a bed, drive a car and wear clothes, but at the end of the day it is still a monkey.

Tiffany
http://liferequiresmorechocolate.blogspot.com/

field negro said...

Jody, John B makes a good point. This particular whale was raised in captivity, and from what I hear (maybe some experts in this area can back me up on this) but if they sent him back to the wild (or the ocean)now he would die.
But you are right, at the end of the day, SeaWorld and not the damn whale should be blamed for what happened to that trainer. He is, after all, as many have said, a "killer" whale.

BTW, on that white soror winning the step show: I agree with what someone said over at "Dimewars"; do any of you smell a movie deal coming?

Jody said...

It does not matter that this whale was "raised in captivity." Wow, think about what that means... "raised in captivity.".... and there have been whales and dolphins that have been released and they did not die from lack of ability. These species have inherent abilities to adapt to their environment and from what I understand about whales, again, they live in pods, they have adopted whales into their pods.

Why this is so upsetting to me is that it is a reflection of human beings' worst instincts on sharing this planet with the other species... WE foul the air. WE foul the ocean. WE destroy habitat. WE are killing this planet. WE are responsible. And then to treat other species as if they are a plaything or a nuisance at the same time that we are destroying their world (and ours) is the height of sick, soul-less cruelty. It is the ultimate of arrogance and it will ultimately be our downfall as a species.

maria said...

if sea world put on a show and no one went out of a belief in animal rights, there would be no money to make.

i have never taken my kids to parks like that or the circus. just the zoo (which i also feel conflicted about but its a good way to pass the time with kids) and aquariums like that in baltimore.

at the same time the whale attacked, another story was breaking in dubai about a giant fish tank that sprung a leak. seems our aquatic brothers and sisters might have been revolting in tandem. the 2 million gallon tank has "33,000 captive sea creatures."

and catctus rose, um, who do you think was here first?

here's a video of the tank leak:

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/leak-in-shark-filled-aquarium-in-dubai-mall/

maria said...

jody--agreed. well-said.

Dr. Nuwang said...

I personally hate seeing animals in captivity and never visit zoo's, the circus, or places like seaworld. I never thought the whale intended to kill the trainer the fact is simply that wild animals are NOT permanently tamable.

As for the step show the white girls tore the stage up!!!! I didn't see the others but I didn't need to. Black college kids been getting triflin' about a lot of things not just stepping, for a while now!

Plane Ideas said...

I am a tuna fish eating MF...

maria said...

http://www.wesh.com/video/22671481/index.html


this is video of the trainer moments before the whale pulled her in by her hair--watch how she moves her head and swings her pony tail back and forth, and the whale follows.

another trainer said she made a mistake...that the whale grabbed her hair and thought she was still playing.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Well, humans actually are animals too. The last time I checked though it's not whales or birds that are clear cutting forests, polluting water supplies, and pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

2:04 AM


LOL! Well in that case why don’t we just dig a grave and jump in it.
I understand that man has gone overboard in all these processes you describe, but up to a point much of these processes are essential to mans survival.
Can you grow thick fur or scales and live in the wilderness or the sea without clothes to protect your skin from the elements?
Can you run on all fours or fly through the air and catch your food, then tear it limb from limb with razor sharp fangs or beak, or maybe even swallow it whole and raw???
Can you live in nature without much benefit of walls, roof, except for maybe taking cover in a cave or crevice or hole in the mud…you get the picture. Most all other species can. The species Homo sapiens (Homo sapiens is Latin for knowing man or wise man) can’t. The human is weaker, and needs nets of different kinds of support which he/she has very resourcefully, knowingly, wisely developed throughout the millennia..
However, this also means a competition for resources. Homo sapiens competing against species that would eat us, our resources, and wipe us out. There’s no getting around that fact, no matter how pc you want to be about pollution and such.
I like to look at Google earth and see the vast expanses of land that are not inhabited yet. So there’s plenty of space. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

In light of this, my thoughts are that unfortunately, over time the animals will have to give way for Homo sapiens.

Dr. Nuwang said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dr. Nuwang said...

So I see ZTA tied AKA for first place. What a joke, the AKA routine was weak!!! ? ZTA won that outright hands down!!

Jody said...

Well Thrasher.... your tuna fish eating days are coming to a very quick end..
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE53D00320090414

Yet another example of greed and capitalism outweighing sustainability and long term planning... when your children and their children look at you and ask, if you knew this was happening, why didn't you stop it? What will be your answer?

NSangoma said...

~
Tap on this
Plantation slaves, forbidden to use drums, beat out rhythms with their feet, and hands (ham-bone).
`

Anonymous said...

In light of this, my thoughts are that unfortunately, over time the animals will have to give way for Homo sapiens.


Wiping out animals effects humans as well. It's called disrupting the food chain. If you kill off all the birds, guess what happens? Mosquitos and other insects will multiply rapidly-spreading disease. Everything from warming oceans-due to human induced climate change-to fertilizer runoff disrupt the food chain and cause species to die off or change their behavior patterns. All of these thing s directly impact human populations. That's because humans are part of the ecosytem and cannot exist apart from it.

Hathor said...

Nsangoma,

That's the genesis of stepping.

The early tap dancers didn't use the hands and upper body very much or use the heel. There are very old films of people who lived in the backwater areas and how they danced, that demonstrate that evolution.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Jody in the sense that Sea World isn't there for science purposes. The New York Aquariam does not have an entertainment component other than people just watching the fish and other sea animal through the window. Seaword is an amusement park because I've been to the place about 14 years ago, and there are at least three to four different shows at one time through out the park. If you are not watching the killer whales performs, than there are dolphins, seals and sealions. However, when scientists put animals back into the wild, more than likely they were there in the first place, or they create an environment to mimic how these animals would live into the wild to make the transition easier. You cannot put Bobo the chimp who is 25 back into the wild if he was not born there, then you have to place him in a zoo setting.

The show should not continue because you are going to get the same result of someone getting killed. I do not understand why people expect a different result as they continue to do same thing over and over again. She is the second person to get killed by a killer whale. When we ever live that you cannot control the actions of animals. We still do not have an understanding about nature and yet continue to control that which is uncontrollable

Dorian Mode said...

I bet Ms.Paul is sure disappointed, but anyway I thought they tasted like Chicken

Field Hand G said...

@ MeandMyMicroscope (9:50 a.m.) Agreed. I NEVER liked the zoo as a young child, and I still don't. The animals I saw didn't have the same "spark" in their eyes that the animals in National Geographic or on Wild Kingdom had. They were sluggish, and generally walked around very slowly, unlike their counterparts in nature. Just because something CAN be done isn't a good justification for doing it.

Anonymous said...

Schizophrenia is often described by the paradigm of expecting different results from repeated identical behaviors. This is a sign of the "end of times...it's all over white folks...give up!"
Come on, man... What the f..k is up with these people carrying little Mexican Chihuahuas around like ornaments? Have you ever actually watched where a dog sticks its nose/mouth?
Animals(farmed) are better butchered and served up to us in our favorite "new vo" eatery, whales, chimps/orangutans, and gazelles included.

Field Hand G said...

Here's another snippet to add to the discussion; whales don't know that people can't breath under water. As far as they are concerned, a person may be a type of whale (hell, what else are they supposed to think having been raised in an environment where people play with them.) However, the trauma (I wish that they'd be more precise about this...when they say trauma, do they mean bites or bruises ?) If I found out that the "trauma" referred to bruises, I still wouldn't have a definitive opinion about whether or not that whale was "playing roughly." However, the show must go on, bc these whales probably wouldn't make it in the wild. However, we need to make note of the fact that great white sharks can't live in captivity. This suggests that humans may need to stick to the tens of thousands of other ways we have at our disposal to entertain ourselves.

Dr. Nuwang said...

Field Hand G, I'm guessing based on my own work, that part of what killed the trainer was the traumatic brain injury she suffered as a result of being shaken violently. Even if she had survived, she would almost certainly have been in a persistent vegetative state for the rest of her life.

Anonymous said...

Regarding your field negro of the day...
 
Wasn't Mr. Hunter killed by a "left" wingnut?
 
Using his manifesto, he shared views with those on the left.
 
1. "institutions like the vulgar corrupt catholic church"
 
2. "The recent presidential puppet GW Bush and his cronies"
 
3. "they just steal from the middle class"
 
4. *The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each
according to his need.*
*The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each
according to his greed.*
 
Read the rest of his manifesto. Sounds much more like left-wing talking points than some right-wingnut.

Nina simone said...

White people are now going to say they invented stepping. The kind of stepping that we see black fraternities and sororities do comes from the juba dance that originated in west africa and was bought over & performed by slaves on plantations. It is unique to us. It has nothing to do with the irish or anyone else. Those white girls have did their homework, they studied and perfected our stepping. Kudos. But we've all seen how this story will play out. Those girls will get all kinds of endorsement deals, commericials, and will appear on hundreds of tv shows. They will make money, corporations will make money, and they will become the face of stepping. We've seen this before. Eminem is the face of rap. They made Elvis the face of rock n roll, the tried to make justin timberlake the face of r&b. All of them capitalized off black artforms and made way more than any black artist.

SjP said...

"Killer Whale". In this case, killer is used as an adjective to describe a person, place, thing or whale. That should have been the clue.

Anonymous said...

Those white girls have did their homework, they studied and perfected our stepping.

Just like Tiger studied and perfected my people's game of golf. Just like James Booker studied and mastered the piano-a European invention. Or Grace Bumbry and her mastery of opera-another European art form.

Anonymous said...

"...Tilikum made sure of that..."
Let's not anthropomorphize: it's a wild animal, she knew the job was dangerous when she took it. Sh!t happens.

Dr. Nuwang said...

Those girls will get all kinds of endorsement deals, commericials, and will appear on hundreds of tv shows. They will make money, corporations will make money, and they will become the face of stepping.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

No doubt! What's worse is that ZTA have been stepping for almost 20 years and were mentored by my Mother's sorority, AKA. Dam* shame if you ask me, LOL!!!!

Anonymous said...

Regarding step and culture... I know this won't win me a lot of friends (at least it never does when I bring it up in context of religion) but neither culture nor religion is immutable. There is simply no such thing as purely white/black/american/african/whatever category you want to insert thing. Never has been and never will be!

Culture is ALWAYS changing and is ALWAYS influenced by MULTIPLE sources. It is an absolute myth that culture grows in a vacuum. When something becomes a black or white thing that doesn't mean it was created or exists in a vacuum -- it means that something is primarily practiced at this moment in time by a particular group. However, culture evolves, grows, and changes based upon innumerable influences -- even something "invented" by a person in group X draws upon the broader cultures and influence of the world around him/her.

One of the biggest myths white people in the South and black people in general like to tell themselves is that there are (or were once upon a time) black and white cultures that coexisted free from "contamination" or influence from the other. Not only is that a lie but the exchange between the two groups was so great that the South has become one of the most unique cultures in the US because there was so much exchange from a multitude of groups.

Culture is always changing, always will be changing, and is never pure -- not even at the source.

--j

Anonymous said...

Take the time to watch the movie "The Cove." It's up for the best documentary this year.

http://www.thecovemovie.com

The Cove begins in Taiji, Japan, where former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry has come to set things right after a long search for redemption. In the 1960s, it was O’Barry who captured and trained the 5 dolphins who played the title character in the international television sensation “Flipper.”

But his close relationship with those dolphins – the very dolphins who sparked a global fascination with trained sea mammals that continues to this day -- led O’Barry to a radical change of heart. One fateful day, a heartbroken Barry came to realize that these deeply sensitive, highly intelligent and self-aware creatures so beautifully adapted to life in the open ocean must never be subjected to human captivity again. This mission has brought him to Taiji, a town that appears to be devoted to the wonders and mysteries of the sleek, playful dolphins and whales that swim off their coast.

But in a remote, glistening cove, surrounded by barbed wire and “Keep Out” signs, lies a dark reality. It is here, under cover of night, that the fishermen of Taiji, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and an underhanded market for mercury-tainted dolphin meat, engage in an unseen hunt. The nature of what they do is so chilling -- and the consequences are so dangerous to human health -- they will go to great lengths to halt anyone from seeing it.

Lola Gets said...

I know Im late but I read an article about that whale and thats not the first time hes killed a trainer before. Now you know Im an animal lover, but even I think thats a bit much.

Give him free!

L

Hathor said...

J,
It is about giving credit where credit is due. There is a guy that claims he invented the "Electric Slide" and I know that dance existed in the fifties under a different name. He didn't trademark the name, he claims he copyrighted the steps. It is not about race or culture, its about theft.

Anonymous said...

Enough of this. They stepped better; they dressed better; they were more alive: and they looked better.

The Deltas and AKAs looked dead...like old women.

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to hear what Pat Robertson has to say about the earthquake in Chili.

Also, when an atheist like Maria starts to pray, things on earth are getting to be pretty bad.

Anonymous said...

@Hathor -- I hear what you're saying there and agree. I just can't stand by the notion of cultural purity when that's a fantasy that more often than not is used to prop-up some sort of racial, religious, or nationality based supremacy. Giving credit where it's due is another thing altogether.

To put it another way, there's no such thing as purity.

--j

Anonymous said...

"Those girls will get all kinds of endorsement deals, commericials, and will appear on hundreds of tv shows"

Oh please, The vast majority of Americans don't even know what "stepping" is. And if they saw it, most would ask, "How is that any differen't than what the background dancers for [insert name of undertalented, and overmarkted "artist" here] do?"

These girls won't be making a living, even for one year, on stepping between the 7 or 8 of them. Nor will any other team.

Anonymous said...

"It is about giving credit where credit is due. There is a guy that claims he invented the "Electric Slide" and I know that dance existed in the fifties under a different name. He didn't trademark the name, he claims he copyrighted the steps. It is not about race or culture, its about theft."

So what white person copyrighted "stepping"?

And since the answer is none, why are you still arguing? Sounds like sour grapes.

Should we go through everything you use in your daily life and determine the nationality, race, ethicity, culture of the inventor, and say you stole it?

At some point you have to realize how bitter you sound.

Anonymous said...

Let's put a concrete example regarding invention and culture. Chuck Berry is widely acknowledged as the inventor/father of rock n' roll (although there are others playing rockabilly which is also a form of rock n' roll he stands out as the most important by far). So how'd he do it? One of things he did is this: he played country music for white audiences because that's what was popular. Then he decided to to play country/hillbilly to black audiences to see their reaction and at first they thought "who is that black hillbilly?" and laughed at him but then after being exposed a while they started liking it and dancing to it. Chuck Berry then put it together and boom. The major constituent parts of rock n' roll are blues, country, blue grass and gospel (all of which come from cross-cultural exchanges themselves).

--j

Hathor said...

J,
You see, I don't think of Chuck Berry being the Inventor/father of Rock-n-Roll. Nor do I think it initially contained any country. It just so happened that Rock-n-Roll got only to be associated with singers like Buddy Holly. This was done to make sure Blacks weren't included. Jackie Wilson or Little Richard didn't sound like James Brown or Muddy Waters, but they were thrown in R&B anyway.

I am aware of cross cultural influences, but some things are not. I was a little pissed off, when some one told me that Theresa Brewer had wrote Go Tell in the Mountain. I didn't get angry at the person, but angry that the song's history had not survived. It was a Negro Spiritual, not a hymnal that Black folk sung and was over a hundred years old. It was a part of my history and having a white person tell me that a contemporary white person had written it, It felt like some part of my existence had disappeared. The only cross cultural influence in this song was over a thousand years, because it shares the same tonal system with the Europeans and it was written in English.

In your mind we can't be inclusive or have any heritage of our own.

agape2010 said...

The Stepshow winners/co-winners (they let the AKA's share the title)...IMHO neither gave a show. Theatrics and that was it. The ponytailed girls in the Matrix outfits (done & overdone) had so many steps from fraternities and sororities (black) that they clearly had been to every black step show they could get to...lol:) I saw alot of the Q's steps...the Delta steps...the Alpha's steps, etc. *yawn*


THE KILLER WHALE!!! What I would like to know is this...Is the economy really that bad that America is now buying second hand whales...?...we used to buy top grade A whales...not these second hand whales that have a HISTORY of killing people. *Sheesh:?*

Not making light of the loss of life... but...EVERYONE knows that ALL non-domesticated animals have instinctive drift (and some domesticated animals as well).

Seaworld knew the deal (the whale killed before they bought it)... and THEY WERE ADVISED not to try to train the whale...JUST MATE IT...they took a chance and one of THEIRS died...Imagine had that been someone's child...yeah I said it. *Hmmpfh*

They killed the monkey that snatched the face off that woman...and those Tigers that weren't bothering anyone until some kids started messing with them got put down...they shoot horses don't they...why does the whale get to live? *SMDH*

And...
@FN:

The whole Rangel fiasco has been coming on for three...maybe four years. And while he messed up...I still stand on my earlier statement on this:

Rangel being Chairman of the House, Ways and Means is better than what blacks had before his senior position at HW&M.

And...

Unless we get somebody in his place to help support blacks economically...I am going to support him (but not what he did). Chairman of HW&M is the most important position on the Hill.(Exactly WHY do you think they have been after him...C'mon FN...you're a smart guy).

And...

Like Mayor Daley once stated:
"You have to expect a little corruption in the government."

And...I think I wrote more than CF :)

Peace.
~agape2010~

agape2010 said...

@cactusrose:

"I bought a fountain for the front yard a while back, well the friggin blackbirds turned it into their spa! Had to empty and turn it over. Lizards shitting all over the patio chairs, pigeons...sharks coming up on the beach to carry us away... bears looking for any chance in the mountains (US) to eat us...tigers in India silently stalking their human prey for days etc,etc. Need I say more"


Too funny!

Peace.
~agape2010~

Anonymous said...

@Hathor -- I don't know why anyone would think Little Richard was anything but rock. Jackie Wilson was a little different in that his sound was not as clearly rock. But all of that is beside the point, rock is a combination. Blues are a combination. Jazz and Bluegrass are combinations. Nothing develops in a black or white vacuum.

"In your mind we can't be inclusive or have any heritage of our own."

Do you mean to say exclusive rather than inclusive? Because I don't get what you mean by not being inclusive.

As to heritage, I don't understand why you'd think that. I'm not saying there's no such thing as African American heritage or culture rather I'm saying culture doesn't develop in a vacuum. It's not pure. That it developed under the influence of multiple sources just as every other culture has done.

Bluegrass relies on the Banjo does that mean that it's not Appalachian? No, it means that it's origins contain African influence along with many other things.

Christianity developed from Judaism and has heavy elements of Greek philosophy and later African Philosophy via Alexandria. Does that mean there's no such thing as a Christian culture?

Judaism contains elements of Babylonian Myths, Egyptian culture, Zoroastrianism and Hellenization (to name a few) is there no such thing as Jewish culture?

All cultures are a product of this in some form. Maybe Easter Island was its own thing because no one knew where they were but they're all dead and likely somewhere along the line there was outside influence.

Everything is heterogeneous in terms of what it's composed of and no, I don't have a problem with that. In fact, I find it comforting because it undermines the lie of purity and notion of racial, cultural, and/or religious supremacy.


--j

CommentsRus said...

"Tilikum is not a first-time offender. In 1991 — eight years after he was captured off the coast of Iceland — he and two other killer whales drowned a trainer during a performance at Sealand of the Pacific in Vancouver. In 1999, a man who trespassed in SeaWorld after hours and apparently jumped in the whale tank was found dead the next morning, lying across Tilikum's back. Is the big whale a bad seed? At least one marine-mammal expert thinks that yes, that's at least part of the answer.

"'When Tilikum was wild, he was a transient, not a resident,' says Russ Rector, a former dolphin trainer who is now a fierce opponent of keeping any dolphins or whales in captivity. 'Resident whales are the kind that live in a fixed place, like Puget Sound. Transients travel the world, eating dolphins, fish, other whales, basically anything that gets in their way.' Such animals need to be particularly aggressive, both to establish territoriality when they're passing through and to hunt such a wide range of large prey. Those are traits that don't go away."

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1968249,00.html#ixzz0gotgymc3

Hathor said...

J,
I meant exactly what I said. Rock and Roll was and is not inclusive. If you had listened to R&B in the early fifties most of the music was evolving, but very, very few Black artist music have ever been considered Rock and Roll, not even Little Richard. Elvis's early music didn't contain country, his version of music was considered. We Black kids thought our music was Rock and Roll, but the media, Bandstand and like programs told us we were wrong.

Now when we accepted we will always be R&B, defined our Black selves and our art, people like you come along and talk of cross cultural influences. What this does is eventually take what we have away. I'm 65 years old and it has happened too many times during my life time.

What nurtures a people is, tradition and culture. When that's assimilated and we are not; what will we have left, anger?

field negro said...

Damn! Thanks for the 411 Rus.

alicia banks said...

sad day when a killer whale gets more chances than the avg nonviolent black human male drug felon...

this whale had way more than 3 strikes!

and bros are rushed to executions while this whale will be saved

tragic!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1253800/Sea-World-killer-whale-Shamu-attack-Tilikum-down.html

Anonymous said...

@Hathor -- There's probably a bit of a generation gap impeding our communication. I grew up post-civil rights and in an area with relatively small racial baggage in comparison to a lot of other places.

I don't understand why you say Chuck Berry isn't the father of Rock N' Roll. I'm not trying to be difficult it just doesn't make sense to me when he's universally acknowledge by music experts and scholars. I think I understand now, because of your last post, what you mean about being shut out but to me that doesn't take away the obvious contributions and success of guys like Berry, Little Richard, Ike Turner (as much as I dislike Ike he was a genius) and Jimi Hendrix. To me, they are forefathers of rock n' roll and they crossed over despite the fact that for Berry and Richard there was segregation of the audience. Richard was known for bringing audiences together. And they were still playing in front of white audiences.

As for Elvis... Hell, early on R&B stations wouldn't play him because he sounded too "hillbilly" and C&W stations wouldn't play him because he sounded too "black." I think you're talking about the history of music segregation on regular people both in terms of audience segregation and chart/radio separation but the development of music which didn't follow those neat segregation lines. It was blended. The two are not the same. Artists didn't care -- they openly defied them -- and it didn't matter all that much until the record labels started kowtowing to Jim Crow because they were more concerned with the almighty dollar than making a statement.

But again, all of this is beside the point for me because I was talking about how culture develops -- as an admixture from many constituent parts rather than how Jim Crow and segregation affected rock n'roll.

You bring up some strong points but I don't think we're really having the same conversation. You're talking about one thing while I'm talking about another. I think this a limitation/problem that often arises because of the internet.

As to your last point regarding assimilation, I'm not arguing for assimilation but an appreciation of all that goes in to any given cultural production. Although, I will say proudly that I seek the destruction of the concepts of race (a false concept created to divide and oppress blacks), supremacy, and the worst aspects of tribalism. To me, humanity is what we are and most distinctions artificial.

However, that doesn't mean I think uniqueness should be done away with. To the contrary, I think cultural productions and expressions should be appreciated by all for what they are: beautiful expressions of humanity's abilities and accomplishments.

As for taking away, how can you say that? If all culture is heterogeneous in origin then the same applies to so-called 'white culture'! Would you bury the contributions of Africans to Christianity -- not American Christianity but 1st and 2nd Century Christianity -- because they don't fit a preconceived notion regarding white christianity or would you rescue them from history?

What of countless other people of color who have been a part of European history for ages, why destroy that to minimize/ignore that in favor of or in trade of false purity?

I've said before that I believe the future is blended in more ways than one. We cannot know -- nor can anyone else -- what color our future generations will be despite our own backgrounds. Some black folks will undoubtedly have "white" progeny while some white will have "black" ones. What we do know is that they will be human and I want the best for them no matter how they turn out. I also want them to appreciate the full extent of culture but I do not want them believing myths regarding false origins for the sake of a false pride. There is too much to proud of in the truth to have to worry with that.

--j

Nony said...

Those white girls won for being white girls. They ripped their show and moves from the other frats and sororities. They were NOT original. All the shit they did I've seen before. I'm in a sorority and have been to many step shows. I'm tired of black people getting all happy b/c some white person performs something from our culture. That's how we lost jazz, Rock N' Roll and that's how we're losing hip hop. Now we're going to lose stepping b/c once white kids see this show on MTV they're going to want to do it too. Can't we as black people have some shit to ourselves?

As for the whale, he's killing people b/c he wants to be free. If I was one of the biggest wild animals in the world and some person is keeping me in a big ass fish tank and making me do tricks I'd probably hurt someone too. I'm sorry to hear about the trainer's death. But this whale wants freedom.

Ess [S] said...

Nony said..."Can't we as black people have some shit to ourselves?"

No. We don't live in a bubble. Cross-culture pollination takes place constantly.

If blacks wish to stay out front, they need to keep the creative juices flowing--perfect what has been created, and create anew.

We're living in an age of instant communication.

No cultural creations are safe, and nor should they be.

Anonymous said...

Well those complaining the white girls won should feel better. Coke reversed itself and now they're only co-champions tied with the AKA's:

---
Five days after taking first place in the Sprite Step Off finals in Atlanta last weekend, the women of Zeta Tau Alpha's Epsilon Chapter from the University of Arkansas learned they would be sharing the spotlight.

On Thursday, Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Company, which sponsors the college step dancing competition, announced that because of a scoring discrepancy in the sorority results, the second-place winners, the Tau Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. from Indiana University, would be recognized as co-winners and awarded the same $100,000 prize as Zeta Tau Alpha.

The change was revealed in a Facebook statement. It did not offer insight into the exact problem with the scoring or how it was discovered. Coke representatives said in an e-mailed response to questions from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Due to the extremely narrow margin between the first and second place winning sororities, we conducted a further post-competition review and discovered a scoring discrepancy. There is no conclusive interpretation, nor definitive resolution for the discrepancy."

...

Ironically, it was an attempt to foster unity that first brought Zeta Tau Alpha into stepping. The chapter at the University of Arkansas began participating 16 years ago in a Unity Step Show sponsored by the campus chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., an African-American sorority. Through the years, the Zeta Tau Alpha teams learned a variety of steps as well as some history on the tradition of stepping, said Alexandra Kosmitis, a senior Zeta Tau Alpha who is a member of the current step team.

...

After learning they would be co-winners in the competition, Kosmitis said the nine-member step team remained grateful. “We are just keeping a positive attitude about it," she said. "We are excited to still have $100,000 for our scholarships and we are excited that someone else can have some money to help them out as well."


Full story.

Limbaugh et al are gonna have a field day with this when they catch wind of it.

--j

Ming said...

"Limbaugh et al are gonna have a field day with this when they catch wind of it."

--j

No doubt. But if not this, it would be something else.

Limbaugh thrives on controversy, and most of it he creates himself.

Anonymous said...

"After learning they would be co-winners in the competition, Kosmitis said the nine-member step team remained grateful. “We are just keeping a positive attitude about it," she said. "We are excited to still have $100,000 for our scholarships and we are excited that someone else can have some money to help them out as well."

To have sympathetic appreciation and joy for others who shared in the winnings is a 'class act'. I am glad they won because they are modeling how a true "winner" should conduct themselves.

That would not have happened if it had been the other way around. Blacks would have been screaming "It's racism-they did it because we are Black!"

j, you know it's true. and so does Field and Jody. Of course, those in the legal 'field' have been trained to never admit to anything.

Anonymous said...

"On Thursday, Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Company, which sponsors the college step dancing competition, announced that because of a scoring discrepancy in the sorority results, the second-place winners, the Tau Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. from Indiana University, would be recognized as co-winners and awarded the same $100,000 prize as Zeta Tau Alpha."

What a crock! They weren't even close to winning. Coca-Cola is playing politics with its brand name.

Everybody, Black and White, wins! good marketing, Coke. Let's hope there won't be a backlash on your products because you definitely cheated and lied.

A moron could see that the white sorority won hands down! Well, at least you didn't cheat them out their winnings. But you just threw away an extra $100,000 on mediocrity.

Hathor said...

J,

Since you are post generation civil rights era, you should do more research. What you are getting is revised history. Elvis was played on Black radio stations, until he was credited with making a racist statement. Jerry Lee Lewis was played too. This is the first time in my life that I had ever heard that Chuck Berry was the father of Rock and Roll. Ask some other older people. Little Richard was not considered Rock and Roll on the charts. Look up some old record industries newspapers.

There are Black people who like country music as I like classical music. I also like the cross cultural playing of Bach by Jazz pianist Chink Corea. The thing is, Bach's music isn't going to disappear or be said to be the fore runner of Jazz, because his music is so easily adaptable.

alicia banks said...

re: the wf steppers


why is everyone so angry at coke inc?

but not angry at all at the bm judges who actually chose the winners?

Anonymous said...

Field,

I know it is a little late to be commenting on your story of Feb 26th, re: Sea World Killer Whale.

HOWEVER, someday in the future maybe this type of entertainment will not be considered family entertainment just as now we don't see organ grinders with monkeys hopping around collecting money with a cup nor lions being tamed by trainers at a circus ring.

Just my thoughts.........
Aloha from Makaii

Nony said...

I heard the judges for the competition weren't steppers. This is all bullshit and the black frats and sororities shouldn't participate in this next year. We promoted their event and in the end got screwed. That's corporations for you.

NOLOVE said...

animals dont belong in cages or pools the white man might want to figure that shit out.