2011's Biggest Biter: Beyonce's Choreographer

The individual who "choreographed" the 'Run the World' dance decided to take some footage from round here and copy and paste it onto the routine. Watch this and you will know. This is for that troll, hutton, that came onto the blog a while ago and decided to make some unjustified remarks. Here you go.

Venomous Trolling: my response

As much as I appreciate the comments that have been flowing into my blog, there is a limit to what I am able to read. I question the sanity of any individual obsessed with coming to my blog and making hateful remarks such as the following:

"For those with the luxury of attending 95% white private schools, then proclaiming their blackness behind a computer screen at the University of Cape Town or Chicago, I truly envy you. Instead of feeling sorry for myself in solitude, I plan to move beyond your unbearbly condescending, self-serving bullshit and spend time with people who are actually proud to be black South Africans. One more thing for those who think every person with a white parent thinks alike. We don't fuckers, we don't. I hope in due time the scales will be removed from your eyes."

May I begin by stating that I find it hard to understand how you would know this much about my history and background of which I speak very little of to those I am not familiar with? This is surprising.

It's a lot of venom to have to stomach. Such strong hatred is abnormal. That you would come to this blog for a second times even after recommended readings that might help you understand why you are acting out this way is just amazing to me. There should be something more worth your while to invest your time in than shaming me with notions that are false.

Firstly, blackness is not defined by a state of lack or poverty. In trying to nullify my proclamation of blackness by stating that I went to "white private schools" you make a negative remark about what this so called blackness really is and how it is defined on a social scale.

To whom am I being condescending? There was never any individual that I addressed when making my posts. You are entitled to your own opinion but if you want to read this blog there is a certain protocol required and that is that you maintain respect for the writer of this blog. I have allowed your first two comments to be published. Any further vitriol will be blocked and you will no longer be permitted to voice your opinion on the 'Unspoken Word'.

There will be things written in this blog that do not please you so I advise you, open at your own risk. If there is something here you find offensive, I cannot be responsible for your response. This is my domain where I am free to spit my own opinions and vent as honestly as I can. If it strikes a nerve then I suggest you don't read it at all.

I am a pacifist and do not believe in making others feel small. If you wish to do so please divert your attention to some other individual or perhaps blog.

Destiny's Child and Beyonce

It's official, this is my anthem of the moment. Just can't seem to stop listening to it. It sounds great, the lyrics are empowering to me as I'm sure plenty of women and girls around the world find it.

My own childhood was filled with Destiny's Child's music. 'The Writings on the Wall' album was a permanent fixture in the conversations I used to share with friends at school during 5th and 6th grade. At the ages of 10 and 11, I was learning assertiveness and not submissiveness, strength and not weakness and Kelly, Beyonce, Michelle, LaTavia and LeToya had plenty to do with this.

While there seems to be a lot of feminist backlash about the song being an inaccurate portrayal of the gender structure in society, I find the song favourable because as many of these types of songs, it is encouraging and empowering. Women may not occupy equal power positions as it is but with enough work, we could well be on our way to sharing equal footing. The debate is about whether empowering songs of this nature do more harm than good. I would have to argue that they play a positive role in fostering a healthy sense of self which is what most women and girls need anyway given the circumstances of being part of a marginalized group.

Girls running the world may not be the reality now but it sure as hell does not hurt to dream. When I listen to this song, I see images of all the powerful women I know who have made their mark. Though they have had to struggle and found themselves exploited at times, they have given as hard as they could give and that is an accomplishment in itself.

Africa Day Today

Well, I had no idea but kudos to "google" for making me aware!

Mama Africa, though your adversity is steep, you are still loved. How beautiful you are! How lovely your people.

Mah Dawgs at the Merridienne Cypha, elke Woensdag

Shout out to Jay-Tip, Green Pantha and that dude who sounds like that dude who isn't Q-Tip in a Tribe Called Quest.

Silenced in Solitude: the sustenance of hegemony

This song strikes a deep chord that resonates in my mind, compelling all the thoughts that lurk in the shadows to elude their fear and bring themselves to light. Fear is a crippler, a useless emotion that I must rid myself of.

Fear of speaking the unspoken and sometimes, just giving rude motherfuckers a solid piece of my mind sans profanity or anger but full of dignity and sensibility.

Again, I thank you Lupe.

@Home_UCT_Res

I commend the photographer for making this desert-place look so cool! Ah, photography...what an art!

Beyonce Backlash: Trollers, How I Love Thee!

So all of a sudden, the 'Unspoken Word' came to life after I made that post about Beyonce. Since then I have:

1. Rejoiced about the fact that I have trolls. Wow, the 'Unpoken Word' finally has some real blogosphere action.

2. Responded to the individuals that do not get my drifted and posted serious-sounding comments about me being a hater.

3. Downloaded the song (yes, I'm a pirate...aaaaargh) and listened to it over at least 30 times.

4. Had my inner-Destiny's-child-loving girl self rejoice about the fact that Beyonce is singing real female empowerment songs again that are not overly sexualized like some of the work she has delivered as a solo artist.

5. Danced around to this song pumping hard through my earphones.

6. Loved the hell out of the song, how she incorporates a South African dance style in the song for all the world to see and appreciate.

7. Had parts of the video play in my head in joyous recollection of how dope it is.

Now, I don't know where the trolls discovered something in my words to attack. It's just a case of subtle misunderstanding because this is quite obviously my new feminist chant.

But trolls, I love you. Reading your comments has brought back a new enthusiasm for blogging that died with along with my reader count.

All I have to say is, "Thank You" and please by all means, keep on trolling. What would the blogosphere be without you entertaining individuals?

Back to Bey....

WHO RUNS THE WORLD...GIRLS BEEEATCHES!!! YEAH!!

Next up: my discussions will revolve around an analysis of women's role in science and the general male response to their presence at all levels of the academia from Undergraduate, Graduate ("Toast to the college grads" - Beyonce) to Doctorate and Professorship level.

Beyonce Dancing Pantsula

Oh, boy. We have to deal with another carbon-copy of an African-dance style from some artist in the states. First it was that teach me how to dougie which was a straight-up 'Twalatsa' done by Arthur and 999 about 12 years ago over here in South Africa.

Now, it's Beyonce doing semi-awkward pantsula in this:

Can't say which one is worse. But I'm glad the song seems to have feminist undertones.

Psychobabble Bullshit at Psychology Today

Whoah, I did not know that this piss-ass publication even existed. Here's a post from Angry Black Woman's website explaining the whole mess.

More from the loon who writes this shit at the Psychology Today Website Satoshi Kanazawa


Excerpt:

Satoshi Kanazawa is an evolutionary psychologist, Reader in Management at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Psychology at University College London, and in the Department of Psychology at Birkbeck College, University of London. He is the coauthor (with the late Alan S. Miller) of Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters (Perigee, 2007).

Now here's my take on it. A qualification does not nullify the fact that you could very well be insane. Even after studying psychology. Clearly this must be the case. This is yet another example of the perpetuation of scientific racism.

Can racists just give the Black race a break already? Geesh!

Darkie Conceptions within the Western Mind

"I am talking about a book which parades in the most vulgar fashion prejudices and insults from which a section of mankind has suffered untold agonies and atrocities in the past and continues to do so in many ways and many places today. I am talking about a story in which the very humanity of black people is called in question."

Chinua Achebe on 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad

A very subtle form of this is in stereotyping. I want to share this experience because not only has it scraped against my soul in an annoying way, it has illuminated a fact to me. One particular individual has been open enough to voice his percption of me on more occasions than even I can bear. But perhaps these have been good in showing me what thoughts could be lurking in people that think white and think European.

The black female sterotype returns to haunt me in the form of "you look angry", "OMG, you looked so pissed in that picture", "are you mad?", "why are you angry?"

Now I ask, has there ever been any offense in not smiling. Should I smile for every waking moment I expel air. For those who are not black and female and are allowed to contemplate serious things every now and then, I envy you. That you are not bombarded with a reminder of how angry the world thinks you are. Just because, you know, you are a black woman and that's what is expected right.

These questions along with "What's wrong?" when it's clear that nothing could be wrong irritate me on several levels. For me it does not imply concern, though the speaker may try to bring this across. Rather it is a sinister way of elevating themselves above you. Thinking that you are "sad" or "angry" "all the time" (real quotes from the same dude) reveals a firm belief in these status quo ideas that society has constructed. So deep, they defy the logic of what is in front of you. I could smile all day but it wouldn't change the thing deeply embedded in your mind and that things spells "angry black woman". Wonder where you heard that one.

Also, about thinking people of colour look the same. We don't fuckers, we don't.

Brilliant Mind: Fanon

"Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong. When they are
presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new
evidence cannot be accepted. It would create a feeling that is
extremely uncomfortable, called cognitive dissonance. And because it
is so important to protect the core belief, they will rationalize,
ignore and even deny anything that doesn't fit in with the core belief."

"Imperialism leaves behind germs of rot which we must clinically detect and remove from our land but from our minds as well."
— Frantz Fanon

Both quotes taken from "Black Skin, White Masks", an absolute must-read for anyone interested in the psychology of colonialism.

Protests Proliferate: Police Brutality in "post-apartheid" South Africa

After the killing of Andries Tatane during a peaceful march on 13th April and another brutal assault from officers at a nightclub in Woodstock, UCT has organized a protest scheduled for the 5th May.

So, this is meant to be our post-apartheid South Africa. What's changed then?

Easter Weekend Woodstock "pig"brutality.

Scene from Andries Tatane's burial during April.

Unlikely Trip-Hop 90's

Used to love this song when I was 9. My brother borrowed this 5fm compilation disc and out of all the commercial pop-sounding rock songs on the CD, this one caught my attention. This eeries vibe mixed with indie acoustics. Perfect blend. In true youngin in the 90's style, I wrote down the lyrics from listening to the song line by line. The trip-hop downtempo spirit had me years ago. See this now in my love for 'Drowned World' taken off of the 'Ray of Light' album of 1998. Produced by William Orbit, the song takes on the trip-hop influences of Bristol in a bittersweet gem of a song I cannot get enough of.

New Favourite Wiggaz