Miley Cyrus is a Bitch

Disney = Wholesome. For the most part, who would disagree?

I mean yes, the acting is disgustingly over the top terrible. Not just over the top, but over the top terrible. And disgustingly so. However, over the top was what kids respond to. Kids need to be overstimulated in order to elicit a response from them. But, no matter the quality of acting, they seem to get across these mini-lessons about being socially responsible. So overall, kids shows are wholesome.

The kids themselves though. The actors. The terrible terrible actors. Apparently they use that bad acting to thinly veil their naughtiness and idiocy behind the camera. Or in Miley Cyrus' case, in front of a camera, too. I guess the earlier you start off as an actor in front of the camera, the sooner you shit over your career behind it. Except, nothing seems to touch Miley Cyrus. She can pose half nude with her dad and she's still allowed to globally influence children. She can have an exposed underage teenage boob and her career is still going strong. She can offend 4 BILLION people, 60% OF THE WORLD, and she can still renew her show's contract, sell out concerts, and make a mean buck off of merchandising. WTF

I'm sure you've already heard about her CHINK pic scandal back in February of this year. Time heals most wounds. This one, I'm still steaming about. I still hate that she exists. If you don't know yet, Miley Cyrus took a picture with a bunch of her male friends. No, that's not the scandalous part. All of the non-Asian people in the picture, including the superstar, are all either squinting or pulling their eyes back. The lone Asian in the group (probably safe to say that he's the token) is straining to open his eyes wider than is natural for him. The ignorance. SMH

Then a LOOOOONG time passed with many people in an uproar before she attempted at an apology on her blog on her fansite that people have to PAY $30/month for to access. She said:

I've also been told there are some people upset about some pictures taken of me with friends making goofy faces! [So now 4 billion people have goofy faces. Look at your teeth.] Well, I'm sorry if those people looked at those pics and took them wrong and out of context! [Those people? What do you mean THOSE people?! I don't think there was a context where that could have been right.] In NO way was I making fun of any ethnicity! [Then what were you doing?] I was simply making a goofy face. [You were simply being a bitch.] When did that become newsworthy? [When you became a role model to young kids that don't know any better than to condemn you.] It seems someone is trying to make something out of nothing to me. [It's all your own doing. 4 billion people were offended.] If that would of [sic] been anyone else, it would of been overlooked! [No it wouldn't have.] I definitely feel like the press is trying to make me out as the new 'BAD GIRL'! [No. You're just a stupid bitch.] I feel like now that Britney is back on top of her game again, they need someone to pick on! [This has nothing to do with Britney. Again, all your own doing.] Lucky me! haha [This is funny to you?] Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know what is on my heart. [Which would be no remorse, it seems] You guys know me and have been by my side every step of the way! [And now people should be extremely disappointed.] You guys know my heart and know the most important things to me are my friends, family, fans, and GOD! [They have nothing to do with this other than not stopping you from being a dumbass.] In NO WAY do I want to disappoint any of you! [But it happened nonetheless, didn't it?] But, when I have made mistakes in the past, I feel like I've owned up to them and apologized. [So why aren't you doing that now?] I really wish everyone would stop focusing on my personal life and get back to focusing on what I love! [You're in the limelight. You have no personal life. You made a movie about that.] Music and Acting! [You're not very good doing either and I don't know why you are this big.] Hopefully, I will be touring again this fall! [You will. You are untouchable. Untouchable bitch.] Yayy! =] [Yes. Smiley face. Dismiss the matter at hand.] It will be a nice change to be back out on the road again! [It would be a better change if you actually apologized. Empathy would do you some good, too.]

bexoxo blessings...Miley =) [I'm sure your fans have forgotten what this post was about. But yes, God be with everyone. Hugs. Kisses. of DEATH]

WHERE do I even start?!?! That wasn't an apology at all. So I guess people were hating on her for THAT so she put this out on the fansite:

I want to thank all of my fans for their support not only this week, but always! I really wanted to stress how sorry I am if the photo of me with my friends offended anyone. I have learned a valuable lesson from this and know that sometimes my actions can be unintentionally hurtful. I know everything is a part of GOD’s ultimate plan, and mistakes happen so that eventually I will become the woman he aspires me to be.
Peace and love, Miles

You know, that's STILL not a real apology. She's sorry IF the photo offended anyone?! IF?!??!!? She's not really sorry if she hasn't accepted the fact that people were indeed very offended. And she just excused herself of any wrongdoing because God planned it for her. Now, who can argue with GOD?!

You know what, call God up and we'll have a chat about THAT mistake of an existence. I really hope kids learn from better people. There are a plethora of those.

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Affirmative Action and Me

Affirmative Action: positive steps aimed at increasing the inclusion of historically excluded groups in employment, education and business. Such steps are not designed to offer preferential treatment to, or exclude from participation, any group. To the contrary, Affirmative Action policies are intended to promote access for the traditionally underrepresented through heightened outreach and efforts at inclusion.

Definition taken from the American Association for Affirmative Action


To be honest…I don’t know how I feel about Affirmative Action. It has had a really negative effect on me but, by the same token, I can see its purpose pretty clearly. Personally, it has clouded my perception of myself and my sense of self worth to a huge degree. Every step I take, every opportunity I get, I have to wonder if I’m only getting it because I am black and because I am a woman; the higher I go, the worse this gets. I know…I know! People have been fighting in this country for ages for leaps towards equality and here I am complaining that a major move towards it is ruining my life. But let me give you a peek into what I mean.

While I enjoyed my time immensely at Dartmouth and proved my worth by keeping an above B average (I had a rough first year…), I always felt that the white, more privileged students were often thinking that I had only gotten in because of affirmative action. Now, to be honest, I’m sure they weren’t even worried about me or what I was doing there, but I always felt that I had to represent black women (and black people) positively. I had to show them that the negative portrayals in movies and on t.v. were not correct! Again…I was probably imagining their thoughts of me but the pressure was so immense.

As I neared graduation and we began to look for jobs…I was told by several people that the fact that I’m a black person AND a woman would bode well for me in the professional marketplace. Someone referred to it as “killing two birds with one stone”; it would be better for the company to hire a black woman rather than a black man and a white woman… what the hell? Now, I have to be honest. In high school and college, I hated the notion that the color of my skin would take me further than someone who might be more qualified than I. I didn’t want anything handed to me on a platter; I just wanted to get in on my own merit. Now…now that I realize how hard it is to break into the professional world without strong background references…fuck it. At my current job, there are a lot of young blacks like me here trying to break into law school and, quite frankly, this will look good on our resumes. From what I can tell, we are all qualified young blacks who come from middle to lower-class backgrounds. No one has a parent that attended Harvard Law or who works as a lawyer or judge currently. Not having a background or a strong reference to break into this bloated field means that a lot of people will get overlooked (think: those questions on college/law school apps- Has anyone in your family attended ______ Law?). If being black will get my foot in the door and make them take a closer look at me…I’ll take it. I don’t want to be accepted just because of my color or sex…I just want to be considered!



So I guess affirmative action is a good and bad thing. Good because it forces companies to diversify and have people of all backgrounds and upbringings and levels the playing field for those who may not have even been considered for schooling or a job. Bad because it allows people that hold racist ideals to have more fuel against those that they view as lesser than them and lowers the self esteem and self worth of those who may feel that an opportunity has only arisen due to their skin color, sex, sexual preference or whatever.

Double-edged sword I guess. I know…I know…damn women/minorities are never satisfied!


Interesting article about affirmative action in the Supreme Court and why affirmative action is better as a race-based system.

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RACE[ism]

GUEST COLUMN:

What is RACE? What is DIVERSITY? What is EQUALITY? What is DISCRIMINATION?

People toss around these terms every day, but what do they really mean? In the dictionary one can find ‘race’ to be defined as any number of things:

1. a group of persons related by common descent or heredity.
   
2. any of the traditional divisions of humankind, the commonest being the Caucasian, Mongoloid, and Negro, characterized by supposedly distinctive and universal physical characteristics: no longer in technical use.
   
3. an arbitrary classification of modern humans, sometimes, esp. formerly, based on any or a combination of various physical characteristics, as skin color, facial form, or eye shape, and now frequently based on such genetic markers as blood groups.
   
4. a human population partially isolated reproductively from other populations, whose members share a greater degree of physical and genetic similarity with one another than with other humans.
   
5. any people united by common history, language, cultural traits, etc.: the Dutch race.
   
6. the human race or family; humankind: Nuclear weapons pose a threat to the race.
   

  SOURCE: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/race

But what does it mean for people to use race as an integral part of ones vocabulary, when there very well is no universal definition to indicate what is meant by their use of that word? And if it is impossible to decipher the true meaning of race [if one even exists] then how can we try to define diversity, equality, and racism BECAUSE aren’t they somehow interrelated and dependent on a concrete understanding of RACE?

My life experience thus far has provided me with the opportunity to witness how these ambiguously-defined terms function in a society that is framed on the constitutional belief that, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union…do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
SOURCE: http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Preamble

I prefer to explore this issue by recalling some rather recent experiences that sparked my passion for exploring the meaning of RACE.

EXPERIENCE #1

         I recently attended an “awards show” that was hosted by a respected college organization, and having no exact idea of what to expect from the show, I assumed that it would be a typical event to honor the positive contribution various people made to the campus community. But the awards show was shocking and not like anything you would expect to occur at Dartmouth [at least I hope not] and I am positive that had it occurred at Dartmouth the Black community would have become largely divided.
      The awards offered were things like
            "ashiest boy" [the award given was a bottle of lotion]
            "darkest boy [in terms of skin color]"
             "girl with the biggest donk"
            "boy with the worst hollering game"
            "most annoying boy"
            “biggest flirt” and “best swag”

      All persons in attendance were expected to have voted in advance and for every award category the hosts posted personal photographs of the nominees [yes, there were photos of people in their Friday ‘going to the club’ outfits]. But what was the worst is that the female MC said so many inappropriate things. For example, when the guy won the swag award, she stated very loudly in the microphone "ooh ima bout to take my panties off …yeah thats my boo, yep hes got that swag, thank you boo for last night...ooh ima bout to go take my panties off right now."

      When it was later announced that the young lady to win biggest flirt was not present, the MC proceeded to say "oh yeah…she’s a flirt…yall better watch out cause she will try to take yall's man...yeah she is trying to take my man,” then she said "yeah she’s not here...alright... he [in referring to the guy who won the swag award] knows where it’s at" as she began grinding for in her super-mini dress.

      Even the guy to win “the funniest” award decided to perform for the audience and started grinding on the floor to the point that he lost his shoe in the middle of completing a split. Some people watching laughed, others looked on in disbelief, and the person next to me whispered “coonery.”

EXPERIENCE #2

       During class, a student conveniently shifted a discussion of race and the equal protection clause to focus on affirmative action in particular. Affirmative action is a topic bound to bring debate and I cannot recall a single instance where PERSON Y was not upset at PERSON X. The debate was sparked by question asking how the admissions committee decided which persons would be granted admission to our school. The professor tried answering but of course he wanted to have people chime in, so one student did that by stating the following:

"My brother goes to the medical school and in some class there was a Black girl and she knew everything and was better than him...and he asked her how she knew all these things and she explained she attended a class over the summer [possibly an enrichment program like SEAD or LEAD at Dartmouth]...and hence, it seems unfair that the Black student should have to take that class twice in order to do better...because that is almost assuming she is stupid and cannot get it right the first time...."

And this student proceeded to contradict themselves in saying " you know...I don’t think its fair she is able to take the class twice and there’s this expectation she cannot perform well the first time just because of her race…and if I must go to the hospital, I don’t want the Black girl who is too stupid to get the stuff right the first time to operate on me.”

- BrownSugar

BrownSugar is currently pursuing a higher level of education, knowledge and growth in an environment that one can only hope ALSO grows with age.

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What am I? Don't you mean WHO am I?

WHAT is the issue

I understand that it is only natural to categorize. Psychologically, all animals do it. It makes life a lot less confusing to know friend from foe, tasty dinner from gangsta neighbor who will swallow you whole.

But there are so many instances where it doesn't matter. If it's not pertinent to survival, toss it. The extraneous mental baggage really weighs you down in the long run. Toss it.

I grew up in an ethnic enclave. It's wonderful I'm immersed in Chinese/Chinese in the Americas culture on a daily basis. (I would say that's different from Chinese American culture, with or without the hyphen. Subtle wording with a world of difference.) When I stepped into high school and then college, I was not held back by my one-sided cultural education. I revel in experiences that would break down whatever preconceived notions I've ever had about one thing or another. I live to know.

I used to LOVE being called "little big-eyed girl." To me, it means I'm completely adorable! But when my mom was called that as a child in China, it was a derogatory expression. Yes, the stereotypical "chinky-eye" was the hot thing and my mom's eyes were far from that measure of beauty. Times have changed and the big eyes are key. But people still categorize and label. There's no change in that department.

I've been asked TWICE this week if I'm Filipina; once by a Filipino man and once by a white woman. It's not the first time I've been asked that. I don't fit the classic "Chinese" look that well. I was told I could pass as half-white/half-Chinese because of my nose and eyes. I was once asked if I'm half-black. I'm not sure how I come off as both half white and half black. Go fig.

"Pale-skin" "Round Eye"

What does it matter? I'm not really that disgusted or annoyed by those comments. I'm rather intrigued by them. I wonder how I look to someone else. I always thought I look Chinese because I know I'm Chinese and I look like ME all day everyday. As far as superficial race identity goes, that's all I have to say.

Racism...That's a whole different story. Age 10. I was walking to Seaport with my best friend at the time. This cute little old white lady walks by and says with noted extreme disgust "Stupid Chinks." We weren't being rowdy or obnoxious. We were just walking. It shocked me to the core. I generally have a terrible memory but that moment is seared into my mind.

I haven't had to deal with racism again until college. College of all places.

I was asked by a friend if the reason why I like black men is because I hang out with a mutual black female friend. Maybe you wouldn't consider that racism, but I do in my mind because the comment assumes some kind of race identity issue on my part as an Asian American, that as an Asian, I have to be this nebulous being to be molded by an outside culture, that I couldn't very well think for myself, that black men have nothing to offer me other than their bodies. I was furious! I've also been accused of having a fetish for black men. AGAIN! I was furious! No. My preferences are my own preferences and they are preferences, not fetishes. Refer to my textbook definitions. Did these accusers ever bother to ask me what my type is? Nope.

Someone once said to me in college, "But aren't you Oriental?" Very strange. Other people may not have said anything to my face, but there must be a reason why some Asians in college didn't bother to talk to me and why I felt a bit ostracized by some other people because most of the company I kept happen to be black. It was like I was THAT Asian girl in the group of black and Latino students. I didn't feel that way. But I was probably seen as such. The sentiment is usually thinly veiled on their faces. Does that bother me? Extremely.

Don't assume WHAT I am. Don't me put into boxes labeled with WHATs. I am a WHO. You don't know me and the socially appropriate question that will give you the opportunity to know the real me would be

"Who are you?"

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Things Not to Say

This one’s going to be relatively short and to the point because for some reason I’m just not ready to tackle this particular subject. The topic of racism was proposed for this week.

Also, I don’t think “less than 600 words” is enough room to cover this…not even 12,000 could…[we were told to keep our posts between 400-600 words because apparently you guys wouldn't read more than that....obviously I break that every week...] .

Instead of ranting in paragraph form...I decided to summarize my thoughts into a list: Racist things you may say without thinking they’re racist (and yes, these have been said to or around me). You may think these are compliments…and some black people may take them as such…but they really aren’t. You’re generalizing a whole group of people based on your (or a friend or a friend of a friend’s) experiences with a few. That’s not a good thing…

1) Can I touch your hair?
2) I tan so my skin can look like yours…/Black people can't tan or sunburn!-
3) Black guys have the biggest d*cks. You must be able to take like 14 inches…
4) Can I say ‘Nigga’ to you? Not with an ER!!! An A! My best friend who was black let me.
5) Black people are the best dancers.
6) Black people are the best at [random sport name].
7) I hear black women are good in bed.
8) You don’t talk/act/look black.
9) Did you vote for Obama…?

I’m not perfect...I have been guilty of generalizing people too. I have tried to make a change though…I don’t bring up race/religion/socioeconomic status/etc. until I know the person well enough to ask these questions or until they ask me one (then they’re fair game!).

There are obviously many more to this but its 9:30a.m. and I have a lot to do today. These are some of my biggest ones though…Make your own list if you feel- I’d like to know yours! Read more...

Must Be Nice being Average and White?

When you are Black in a primarily White environment, eventually you realize that you're as bright as the Vegas Strip in the Nevada desert.

The reality of the situation is this: Being an identifiable racial minority in a predominantly white setting attracts a heightened awareness of your existence.  Expounding on this idea, a possible working definition of "white privilege" might be the ability to be inconspicuous and unspectacular in successful, powerful, and exclusive environments. Watch this clip from Chris Rock, especially the end, and you will better understand my point:

I had one unforgettable experience my freshman year of college, where my unrequested "Big Black" identity label was shoved down my throat...

During freshman winter I was 1 of 75 students enrolled in an early morning History lecture course on the American "Founding Fathers." The class was comprised of students of all grade levels, but most importantly I was the only Black male, with there being 1 Black female.  Like many freshmen, I had rapidly evolved into a night-owl/borderline insomniac who could barely wake up for (let alone stay awake in) the morning lecture.  After dozing off a few times in class, I started to feel ashamed and began consciously missing classes to catch up on sleep.  My choice seemed okay in my mind because I knew the professor never took attendance and didn't know my name.  Sure there was a class participation portion to our grade, but only 10 people regularly participated and countless students were skipping the class periodically just like me.  

Then one afternoon a few days before the midterm exam, I open my college email and see a personal letter from my professor.   This definitely caught me off guard because, once again, my professor had never called me by my name or even spoken to me at this point.  After a moment's apprehension, I opened the email only to find out that my professor had not only noticed my absences but was deducting points from my participation grade.  She wrote that if I did not start attending classes regularly I would be in danger of failing the course!   To put it simply, this email Scared Me Straight and was the impetus  behind a monumental grade recovery; I was in the front row of that class everyday from that day forward.  Nonetheless, I could not block out the recurring thoughts or rather rhetorical questions continuously circling my mind post-incident:

1. "How did my professor know I was missing so often?  I had shown my face somewhat consistently and she DEFINITELY didn't know my name.  She would have had to search her picture index for the Black boy to find me."
   
2. "Why didn't my white counterparts receive the same personal email alerting them to their impending failure?  Were they even being penalized?"
   
3. "Were my equally absent white/white-looking peers even noticed by the professor?"

I remember talking with one of the culprit "white-looking" friends, a light-skinned Latina, about these concerns, and actually she was the one who forced me to realize how much I stood out in the classroom.  No matter how similar my mind and actions may have been to the other students, my physical characteristics alone attracted unprecedented notice.  I recall angrily telling this friend, "I bet you if I were a 5'4" white girl with brown hair, I would have never been missed or on the verge of failing."  My friend agreed.

I am not one to usually play the race card and I am EXTREMELY grateful to my professor for reaching out to me (I was then and still am thankful).  It was because of my professor's unexpected email that I was able to defeat a bad habit and move in the right direction.  Furthermore, I learned a MUCH bigger, more enduring lesson through this experience..

I must accept the fact that wherever I go and whatever I do, I will probably be easily distinguishable and unable to blend in.  No matter how similar or accepted I may be to my White peers, my physicality will continually draw the microscope.

I will rarely be afforded the chance to be an unnoticed, free, undisturbed wallflower...

Be well,

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Racism? In MY generation? More likely than you think.

“Have you ever had something happen that was so racist, that you didn’t even get mad? You was like, ‘God damn that was racist!’. I mean it was so blatant you was, ‘Wow’. Like it didn’t even happen to you it was like a fuckin’ movie. Like you was watching Mississippi Burning; ‘Wow’. - Dave Chappelle

I actually arranged such an occasion for some friends of mine once. They, all black, had come to my place of minimum wage culinary employment and were clearly rubbing the situation in my face. Seizing the opportunity, I declared "I'm sorry but we don't serve colored folk here" and waved to the white girl behind them to pass them and come to the register. After a moment of hesitation, she actually did skip them and to this day I wonder what she was thinking.

There's nothin' a white person could ever say to me that will ever catch me off-guard. Ever! I'm always lookin' for some racism! No matter where the fuck I'm at, I'm like "where the racism at? Where it at, where it at, where it at?" No matter where I'm at. I could be sittin' down with Regis Philbin, doin' an interview, talkin' about Madagascar 2, sayin' "yeah, Regis, Madagascar 2's real good, man. I play a zebra again! Oh, this motherfucker's great!" And right in the middle of the interview, Regis'll pull a pencil out of his pocket, stab me in the neck and say "take that, ya fuckin' nigger! Take that, ya dirty, greasy nigger! Take that, ya fuckin' nigger!" And I'd be like "I shoulda seen it comin'. I let Regis get too close." I'll be mad at me. I'll apologize--"hey, man, I left my neck all out, man. I'm sorry, man, " - Chris Rock

I don't want to dredge into this so I'll copy and paste this from a journal entry in 2004 during a more interesting time in my life:

So that I never forget. That job offer where they posted I accepted. They responded happily. Then communication ends and suddenly the job is reposted with the additional message of ‘white people only. I’m not racialist but the children’s parents insist'

Since that experience I kind of maintain that, until you've experienced that down home country racism where people are fucking with your money, you haven't really experienced the old racism.
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