The Isley Brothers and In Between Your Sheets

I love the Isley Brothers. They get me through the grind of grad school and stay in heavy rotation on my Zune and computer. My favorite songs by the Isley Brothers are Between the Sheets, Voyage to Atlantis and Summer Breeze (I love the guitar solo on this track). As you can see, I have a thing for the "dusties" as my parents would call them. Tracks by the Isley Brothers are called baby-making songs and if they can't get you in the mood I don't know what can. You might want to have your libido checked out. I've posted videos of all three songs below.



If You Don't Have Anything Nice To Say Maybe You Should Shut The Fuck Up!

I only want to see Pippa's ass damn it.

I was perusing the abominable abyss of online news the other day when I saw an article about Chanel's designer, Karl Lagerfeld, commenting on the looks of Pippa Middleton. For all who may not know Pippa Middleton is the sister of Kate Middleton, the wife of Prince William of England. This is what Mr. Chanel had to say:

"Kate Middleton is a romantic beauty. On the other hand, her sister (Pippa) struggles," "I don't like the sister's face. She should only show her back." *Shots Fired* Ummm...we know you like the ass in more ways than one Mr. Lagerfeld but that does not mean everyone should walk around backwards for your viewing pleasure.


Pippa Middleton

Apparently, Mr. Lagerfeld thinks a woman should only show her face when society deems her to be beautiful. When she isn't found to be gorgeous she should cower in shame and show only her backside, lest she inconveniences the public with her appearance. Mr. Lagerfeld's comment is beyond offensive, objectionable and is just downright sexist. The way in which women are judged for their beauty and attributed a value according to whether they can live up to these standards is one of the main problems in our society. I wish I could say that this is the only disparaging comment Lagerfeld has made about women but it is not. Mind you, Mr. Lagerfeld recently criticized the British singer Adele for her appearance saying:

“She is a little too fat, but she has a beautiful face and a divine voice,” he told Metro Paris in February."

He basically said Adele was fat, however, she compensates for this deficiency by having a beautiful face and a divine voice. I guess if Adele didn't have a pretty face or her iconic voice she would be another fat girl unworthy of having any attention given to her.

His comments are unfortunate and represent a common occurrence in the critique of women. That no matter how accomplished a woman becomes she is still critiqued harshly for her looks. Her beauty is  elevated above her social contributions because this is the crux by which society judges women. Women can be talented and/or intelligent but they're bodies better be on point or they will face a harsh analysis of their physicality. The recent comments about Olympic winner Gabby Douglas' hair are a clear example of that. It was even more unfortunate that the criticism about Douglas came from women because unknowingly they perpetuated the patriarchal lens in which women continue to be physically assessed.

As a Black woman living in America I know all too well what it feels like not to be the status quo of beauty. Black women are rendered invisible and marginalized because of our inability to fit American standards of light or white skinned beauty predicated on a stick thin figure, long straight hair and fine features. We engage in habits that are destructive to our health while endeavoring to achieve or maintain these standards (particularly as it pertains to our hair).

So, when I hear Lagerfeld criticize any woman as if her looks are the only thing she has to offer to the world I cringe. The truth is men have always had the privilege of deciding what was beautiful on women because their desires take precedence over a woman's perspective of how she should look. What's more disconcerting is that Lagerfeld's opinion about aesthetics is viewed as important since he, as the premier designer of Chanel, has the power to influence beauty standards in the fashion industry. This inadvertently determines the beauty standards people try to mimic in society.

Karl Lagerfeld doesn't look like a beauty queen himself so how the hell can he call anyone else ugly. I bet he wish he had Pippa's ass too while he's discrediting her front side. His tendency to place women under a microscope is the type of scrutiny no one should be objected to. My mom used to tell me if you don't have anything nice to say you shouldn't say it all. Maybe, Lagerfeld should heed this advice and shut the FUCK up because no one really asked him for his opinion!

The Real Niggas of Paris

France, a country with a reputation for romance, is showing no love to their former colony of Algeria. Algeria is a North African country that won its independence from France in 1962 after France occupied Algeria for a 132 years. When France exited Algeria, they took various cultural artifacts that were imperative to Algerian national heritage with most items pre-dating France's invasion in Algeria. They not only took artifacts but other documents of importance such as maps of Algeria's underground sewers, gas pipes and electricity lines. *Blank Stares*

These acts were crippling when Algeria implemented plans for its underground transit system and didn't know what the fuck they were digging through because they didn't have the maps. So why would France want maps of a another country's underground system? Simple, it is another way to make Algeria financially beholden to France, to undermine their independence and sovereignty, and it could be used as a stratagem of warfare if Algeria and France ever engaged in armed conflict in the future. It's a real disadvantage to enter into warfare with a country who has the maps to your country's underground systems and you don't even have them.

My class participated in a discussion in one of my classes about France stealing (yes, stealing because that's what it was) components of Algeria's cultural heritage and needless to say I was disappointed but not surprised by some of the answers my future colleagues gave.

One student said, "Well where is the line to be drawn where artifacts are supposed to have papers."

Let's think about this statement for a moment. The line is drawn when the owner of the said property clearly has no papers for their items. I'm pretty sure France has no papers to these artifacts because they STOLE them. France also doesn't have any papers because ALGERIA DID NOT GIVE THEM ANY! And if you have no papers for historical artifacts that pretty much means you don't legally own them. Furthermore, if  France had absolute claim to these objects they would not have put forth a proposal asking Algeria to give up their claims to these items. If something rightfully belongs to you, you don't request that another person relinquishes all claims of ownership to what is supposedly yours. They're trying to finagle Algeria into this position because they know that Algeria has a legitimate claim to these artifacts. The choice given to Algeria is more proof of France's guilt and ambiguity in their right to possess these items.

Another student said, "France didn't steal it because it was a spoil of war."

I guess we're reverting back to the Middle Ages with this statement. Women also used to be spoils of war, so I guess if France had walked away with half of Algeria's women as "booty" then that would have been okay too. These artifacts were not spoils of war. Why? Because France lost when Algeria won their independence. According to this argument the items France took afterwards were not spoils of war since they were not the victor in the war of independence. And I hope to never hear this statement again as an assertion of why one country should keep another country's cultural artifacts after subjecting them to occupied colonialism for 130 years..

Another one of my peers said, "Well, when you have a war and you have a situation where France implemented policies in Algeria and are a part of Algerian history then the area is gray and there is no right and wrong answers."

I told her there was a right answer and that was for France to give back what did not belong to them. The objects stolen pre-date French rule in Algeria, therefore, it is not a part of the unfortunate shared colonial history between Algeria and France. If Algerians completely viewed themselves as French then they wouldn't be asking for these artifacts. They would let France possess them as an indicator of  a shared French and Algerian identity.

Another student mentioned that it was a bloody war on both sides but lamented how Muslims were blowing up French cafes during the war of Independence and my professor compared it to a second intifada (100,000 French died in the war). They completely ignored the 1.5 million Algerians who died during the war, the Algerians who died when France initiated aggression against Algeria in 1830 and those who died when France brutalized Algerians to cull dissent and maintain power during their colonial rule. Frantz Fanon wrote about the cultural and physical subjugation Algerians endured at the hands of the French and the psychological toll it took on its inhabitants in his book, The Wretched of the Earth.

The bottom line is that many of my peers do not come from recent histories where their ancestors experienced some form of cultural annihilation so I don't expect some of them to truly understand the ethics and ramifications of stealing another country's culture. As the progeny of those who colonized various parts of the globe it is fitting that some would present the type of arguments above when it is clear that the items were taken illegally. A few brought up the subject of the legalities of France's ownership but could not expand on how France might be legally entitled to these cultural relics. I found this conversation with my peers interesting and scary since we are taught as archivists that the importance of historical relics are essential to a nation's identity and cultural memory. This means that above anyone else they should unequivocally understand why it is imperative for France to return these items to Algeria.

I had the last word in the argument saying France was not providing access to these relics and maps because their possession of these items goes beyond taking what they thought was theirs at the end of the war. I said it was a form of cultural annihilation in the face of a humiliating defeat suffered at the hands of Algeria. My professor laughed and gave me a look as if I was implying something absurd or going too far in my assessment of the situation. I'm pretty sure Algerians would agree with my statement and would not find it ludicrous by any shadow of a doubt.

If France returned the objects it would be an admittance that it was taken wrongfully. What is clear is that by not returning the objects Algeria is denied a chance to transcend its past as a French colony and the suffering experienced during the war of Independence. The return of these items could also heal France's historical wounds but they are recalcitrant to do what is ethical. Instead, they would rather linger in historical purgatory, not fully acknowledging how their actions damaged and continue to effect Algeria. According to the contempt and deplorable treatment shown to Algerians by the French, we know who the real niggas of Paris are and it isn't Jay-Z or Kanye West.

The Hulk Was Banging On My Wall!

I was talking to my sister three nights ago and she was telling me about something my father had said that was hilarious. I burst out laughing for a couple of seconds but before I could finish sharing the joke with my sister I hear my neighbor banging on the wall. *Blank Stares* I'm thinking to myself is this bitch crazy? Although, it was twelve in the morning, my laugh was short lived. Therefore, it did not warrant the preemptive knock on my wall as if I was going to be cackling for ten minutes straight. What pissed me off even more was that she interrupted an enjoyable moment that I was having with my family (which I cherish since I'm away from home for the summer) and I was not able to enjoy the rest of the conversation because my mind was on how rude this heifer was.

Mind you, I have listened to the Hulk (that's what I call her since she looks like a man and shakes the ground when she walks) laugh plenty of times next door and not once did I have the gall to bang on the wall to signal to her to be quiet. Would you like to know why I didn't do this? Because it was nothing more than a laugh that lasted a couple of seconds just like mine did. If you have a noise problem with me (which she never does because I am considerate) then knock on my door like a human being but don't bang on my wall like a fucking animal and think you're going to get a sensible response from me. She wouldn't have had a reason to knock on my door anyway since my laugh ended up being fleeting.

I'm one of those people that can tolerate a lot from people and it takes a lot to set me off but I'm human and if you do some shit to me that's off the wall then I can turn into an ignorant heathen real quick. This means that you have to disrespect me on a scale that is too large to be ignored before I have to address you. I have never been a person that has gone off at the slightest provocation because that is irrational. I'm sorry but turning the other cheek doesn't work for me all the time and neither does that walking away mantra bull shit. I have always stood up for myself and I will not allow anyone to walk over me or treat me in a manner differently than the way I treat them.

I could have easily walked next door and cussed her ass out but I didn't do that. Instead I've been watching stand up comedy routines for the last two nights in a row, laughing loud as hell at 2 o'clock in the morning and wishing this bitch would have the audacity to knock on my wall again. The night before I watched Richard Pryor, last night I watched Paul Mooney and tonight I will be watching Robin Harris. And while you might be saying that I should take the high road, at this moment I really don't give a fuck about taking the the high road, highway or any other fucking streets that's supposed to lead to some higher level of moral satisfaction and righteousness. I'll stop eventually but she brought it on herself with her asinine behavior. Now who's having the last laugh?

Images of History from the Chicago Stylebook

Since, I am recognizing the power of historical authenticity in photographs; I bring to you my second post of Images from the Chicago Stylebook. My first one dealt with fashion in the 1940's but now I'm bringing it to the 1970's, the disco years. I love looking at the fashion of decades past, especially those of African-Americans because if you let a specific French Elle writer tell it, American Blacks now have a shot at becoming fashionable since the ascendancy of our President and First Lady Michelle and Barack Obama. (Sigh, this is part of the reason why the myth of  Black inferiority endures because of ignorant media portrayals such as these coded in polite language.)

The pictures below are from the photographer Michael Abramson who traveled to the South Side of Chicago in the 1970's and documented the vitality of its nightclubs. These photos come from his book titled, Light: On the Southside, which explores his exploits. The book also includes an LP set with Blues music. I plan on purchasing this book because the photos are amazing! Enjoy! You can click on the pictures to get a better close up.

Michael Abramson and a club patron

Maybe I Should Stop Bitching and Whining

I don't know if some of you all know this but my parents are a major guiding force in my life. My parents have been married for 34 years. Both of them are baby boomers that have lived during the Civil Rights Movement and the subsequent historical events of the past 40 years so they have much perspective to add to any problems I have. I’ve noticed that my parents give different types of advice. My mother usually advises me on my health, maintaining a house, working a job, cooking, children, family, my personal safety (she’s a little bit overzealous in this department) and men. My father mostly advises me on history, war (yes, I know many hand to hand combat techniques on how to kill a man), politics, music, culture, the nature of human beings and how to survive in this game we call life. They are both there when I need advice and offer it even when I don't want it.

Today, I was talking with my father about the Supreme Court's ruling on upholding President Obama's health care law and we started discussing the polarizing components of American politics. I was still pissed off about not recently being hired for a job I applied for (one of many) because I sank into a rant about how the previous generation lied to my generation about the attainment of the American Dream. I proceeded to tell my father that his generation had told my generation our whole lives that if we got a college education we could and would do better than they did. I went on to say that my generation was over educated, in debt, under employed or just plain unemployed and that America was not living up to its part of the deal or the promises made to us about if we worked hard we would be rewarded. My father tried to ease my anger by reassuring me that it would get better.  Maybe, you're thinking I should have stopped there but I continued on saying sarcastically, “Oh sure, I haven’t found a stable job since I graduated in 2009 but everything will be lilies and roses and when I walk outside the sky will be sunny and clear.”

After that, all I heard was crickets from the other end of the phone. At that moment I realized that I had descended into an abyss where I was about to get my ass handed to me. My daddy said,

"So you think you're the only generation that's endured hardship huh? (No, I really didn't think that but I knew where this was going.) My generation was lynched, attacked by dogs, kicked and spit on, endured blatant racism, discrimination, Jim Crow, the KKK, horrible educational opportunities and abysmal employment prospects and you're crying because you haven't been able to find a job fast enough.

*CRICKETS*

“You're talking to me about how your education hasn't gotten you what you deserve when our generation didn't even have the damn choice to go to college to even be angry about not finding a job. I know what your generation is facing and I know it's hard but YOU NEED TO STOP YOUR BITCHING AND WHINING because you have it a million times better than I did.”

*CRICKETS*

“My generation, your grandmother's generation and your ancestors went through a lot of shit for you to sit in Boston right now and get a Master's degree so you better finish that damn degree and shut up. If you don't get a job when you graduate then you will do what the rest of your peers are doing and bring your monkey ass back home to live until you do. You should be glad and blessed that you have that option because a lot of people don’t. If you have to apply to 500 jobs and go on 20 million interviews before you get a job then you will do it and be glad. My generation didn't promise you a God damn thing. All we told you was that you would have a choice and you have that!"

*CRICKETS CRICKETS* *BLANK STARES*

After we ended our conversation I searched for the infamous pictures of the Civil Rights protesters being attacked by dogs and fire hoses. Sometimes you have to be brought back down to earth during your hard times. My father's generation and my other ancestors had sacrificed so much unselfishly. How dare I blame them for my fears and shortcomings!? I realized that I needed to shut the fuck up and stop complaining.

Can I Please Have Control Over My Vagina?!

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer says no more birth control for you whores!

Although, I am living in the year 2012 when I read about issues regarding the sustained attack on female contraception and a woman's right to have control over her own body I am convinced that I might be living in the 1930's. This new war on women's health is an attempt to limit the availability of contraceptives and of course their broader goal is to create legislative precedence that will help roll back Roe v. Wade to eliminate a woman's right to choose.

Arizona has passed a bill that would allow employers to refuse birth control if it is being used for contraceptive purposes contrary to the employer's religious beliefs. The exceptions are in cases when a woman uses birth control for non-contraceptive purposes such as the regulation of her menstrual cycle or for acne. Legislators cite religious freedom as a reason for employers to refuse contraception but what it really comes down to is the creation of obstacles for women who want access to birth control. No one discusses why an employer's right to their religious beliefs should impede upon the medical decisions of other citizens in America? I don't know what it is about Arizona but between this, the elimination of ethnic studies, and the racial profiling of Latinos it would definitely not be a friendly place for me to live as a woman or as an African-American.

The fight for the gains women have made in wrestling control of their wombs and vaginas from a state and a social doctrine rooted in a patriarchal philosophy are far from over. It is clear that segments of the conservative party are hell bent on the regression of all achievements, attached to the women's movement and the sexual revolution, that women have made in the last 50 years. Which translates into; they're not going to be happy until all of us are back in the kitchen barefoot, pregnant and the property of men. It needs to be clear that we as constituents, especially minorities and women, should be wary of politicians and/or citizens who speak of a "reversion to the way things used to be." Because the way it used to be was not beneficial to anyone who wasn't white and male (and to a certain extent that's still true today but that's another post). These politicians never really expand on the idea of  what that phrase indicates, which to me implies exactly what I believe it to mean. Conservative politicians should be more fastidious about eliminating the wage gap that exists between men and women in a job market where men still out earn women just because they are born with a penis. Instead they would rather enact draconian legislation  that seeks to constrict a woman's decision on what she should do with her own body.

It's funny how politicians aren't calling for regulations that would curb men's right to sexually control their bodies such as impediments to the access of Viagra. No portion of the Arizona bill contained anything on Viagra and how that could be an imposition against an employer's religious beliefs. What if I as an employer thought that if you can't get an erection after a certain age then you shouldn't be having sex because God has given men's bodies an expiration date when it comes to intimacy. The case could certainly be made. If a woman had introduced that argument in the Arizona bill there would have been swift resistance against it. In fact, a legislator named Nina Turner did introduce a Viagra bill in Ohio that put restrictions on how and when men gained access to Viagra and guess what happened to it, it was not passed. There have been other female legislators responding to the attack on contraception by presenting bills that demonstrate the hypocrisy in the passage of legislation regarding reproductive rights between men and women.

I find solace in the fact that the majority of Americans believe that the pill is an acceptable form of contraception but that means nothing if we are willing to let politicians override what Americans have ordained as permissible for women and our attempts to control when we get pregnant. I'm going to need the state to stop trying to take control of what I do with my body as a woman: ovaries, uterus and all. Men have control over their penises and all the reproductive choices that come with it. Now can I please have control over my vagina without all your damn input!