'as soon as they get the watermelon, i'm in!'

the delicious title of this post comes from MM, who has started her own magnificent blog, one that actually has a substantial purpose, unlike my own.

i love how my friends have basically just chosen the blog topics for me. i'm just spreading it all around amongst the two and a half of you who give a damn.

our favorite RNC chair is back at it again, enticing people of color to join the GOP with "potato salad and collard greens." sigh. his misplaced attempt at diversity just bricked.

viva sonia sotomayor!

Viva Sonia Sotomayor! - watch more funny videos

found this on MO's facebook page. as an aside, when i was a kid, like 5 years ago, i totally wanted to be like MO when i grew up. i'm grown now and i still haven't mastered it. she's cool people.

anyway, this clip is to commemorate our first latina supreme court justice (i'm not being presumptuous. you know she'll be confirmed. they couldn't get her on ANYTHING. 'wise latina' doesn't count.)

'where's the love for brown girls?'

this comes from the astutely aware DPB, as does the title of this post.

and after i first watched this clip, i could only reply: 'this shit is crazy.'

i'm still trying to find out if such skin lighteners are sold legally in the US, but i damn sure know they aren't advertised on TV like this.

it'd be one thing if bleaching one's skin was promoted as just another cosmetic option as say, tanning. however, i've yet to see a spray-on tan ad showing some chick unable to get a job or a date because of her skin color. no one feels epidermically-challenged. it's mostly just folks frolicking on the beach or whatever.

here's a peek into what skin lighteners might actually do to one's appearance.

can it be i've stayed away too long...

a timely shout-out to the late MJ.

in my absence over the past few months, i've been wondering if this space was worth the maintenance. in addition to my regular obligations, posting started to feel like a bit of a chore. plus, was it disrespectful to my caucasian brethren? i don't think so, but when it comes to discussions of this sort, they seem to get most of the blame.

but i've realized ... this was an endeavor meant to show that laughter really can be the best medicine. we live in a complex world, folks. sometimes, we've gotta chuckle just to make it through the day.

and there is much more rant-a-rific fare out there than i'd originally anticipated.

with that, i'm going to try my damndest to keep this thing moving.

pickaninny for sale!

this one comes to me via my buddy DPB (by the way, her blog featuring amazing handmade jewelry can be found here).

i'll admit some naivete on my part, as i thought the days of the pickaninny were on the decline. i mean, with the rise of sasha and malia, how could one continue to view african-american children in such a way?

but gravity hit when i got this in my email. this is nuts. i guess this is what happens when your main source of inspiration is 'birth of a nation.'

the nose and lips clearly occupy most of the real estate on this doll's face, since that's what black folks look like. furthermore, there's NO shipping on this! get the ignorance that you can hug and squeeze while supplies last!

but what really ticks me off is the incorrect spelling of pickaninny in the tags at the bottom. wikipedia features alternative spellings, but here it's spelled 'pickannie'. pick annie? what the hell is that? it ties so nicely back into my ignorance begetting ignorance post.

chi-chi-chi-CHIA!!!

apparently, walgreens has decided to pull the obama chia pet from stores in tampa and chicago because of racism claims (i had my money on misplaced idolatry, but let's not go there).

hmm, i'm not personally offended by this, mostly because it's just a damn chia pet. i guess the big gripe is that once the buds begin to sprout from the obama bust, it starts to look like an afro. i don't know, i guess this one is just lost on me.

first of all, everyone is trying capitalize on this obama shit. you know, before he really screws up and they start burning more of these chia pet likenesses than buying them.

second, i'm wondering if people would be equally offended by a bush chia pet. i mean, it grows a bush (heh heh, bush). that's as dirty as you can get. i haven't yet seen this actual product, and hopefully we'll never see it.

third, i have no clue what type of seeds accompany chia pet pottery, but i'm sure it isn't a particular plant which would probably add more weight to the racism argument.

but i tend to respect the viewpoints of others so if you think the chia pet is indeed offensive, no probs. we'll just agree to disagree.

the ones cultural sensitivity left behind: eyewear edition

so originally, i was thinking about not doing a post on what could be this summer's hottest rage: slanties. there was no way i could express all the nuance and anger about this product as well as the ladies at disgrasian and racialicious. but something kept nagging me about this product, so i had to get it off my chest.

i'm seriously wondering who came up with this idea. i mean, did they not think that it could possibly be offensive to people of asian descent? and the product name? for real?

remember however, that it wasn't just the 'genius' who was inspired by the inuits (the true fucking geniuses) who's at fault. think of all the folks who went along with the idea, unwilling or unable to consider the implications. i mean, they managed to square away a production and marketing budget for this shit!

and these shits cost $75! during a fucking recession! they have the nerve to make you pay out the ass to be ignorant!

if you happen to be in the baltimore area on april 17, please don't go to this launch party. unless you're prepared to do battle.