Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Another reason why I love Kanye West

I caught the end of "All Eyes on Kanye West" on MTV2 the other night. In it he talks about how he used to be homophobic until one of his cousins came out to the family. Kanye realized that he had a choice to remain homophobic or to accept his cousin, whom he loves, as he is. That was a big turning point for him, and he talked about how his cousin now brings his partner to family gatherings. Kanye talked about the rampant homophobia in the hip hop community, and called on the hip hop community to change their ways. He said that homophobia is discrimination, and that it's wrong.

To have such a well respected rapper/producer as Kanye West speak out against homophobia is a big deal! I thought of all the kids I used to teach sex ed to, and how Kanye's words could really have an impact on them.

Plus he talked about using Fiona Apple's producer on his new album, and about how much he likes Portishead, so I am intrigued!

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Whatever Happened to 7 Year Bitch?

And who knew that this song from their 1992 debut album, Sick ‘Em would again be applicable in the next century?

No Fucking War

We're fucking poor
We're very poor
We're really poor
We're fucking poor

Bush pull out
Like your father should have
Continue to ignore
We're gonna take it to the streets
We'll start a fucking riot
I wanna fucking riot
It's time to fucking riot
Who wants to fucking riot?

No fucking war
No fucking war
No fucking war
No fucking war

Dance and sing, plead
Pray for peace
But they won't hear you
No not in the least
You're in reach and
You've got to shove
Cuz silence
Is defeat
Yes silence
Is defeat

We're very poor
We're fucking poor
We're really poor
We're fucking poor

Bush pull out
Like your father should have
Continue to ignore
We're gonna take it to the streets
Start a fucking riot
I wanna fucking riot
It's time to fucking riot
Who wants a fucking riot?

I Love Kanye West

On a September 2, 2005 NBC live concert fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Katrina, Kanye West went off-script and delivered some raw truth to the viewers. I was someone who didn't quite get all the Kanye hype last year, but now, I'm hooked! Following is an excerpt from "Kanye West's Torrent of Criticism, Live on NBC" By Lisa de Moraes from the Washington Post.

*******

...West and Mike Myers had been paired up to appear about halfway through the show. Their assignment: Take turns reading a script describing the breach in the levees around New Orleans.

Myers: The landscape of the city has changed dramatically, tragically and perhaps irreversibly. There is now over 25 feet of water where there was once city streets and thriving neighborhoods.

(Myers throws to West, who looked extremely nervous in his super-preppy designer rugby shirt and white pants, which is not like the arrogant West and which, in retrospect, should have been a tip-off.)

West: I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it says, "They're looting." You see a white family, it says, "They're looking for food." And, you know, it's been five days [waiting for federal help] because most of the people are black. And even for me to complain about it, I would be a hypocrite because I've tried to turn away from the TV because it's too hard to watch. I've even been shopping before even giving a donation, so now I'm calling my business manager right now to see what is the biggest amount I can give, and just to imagine if I was down there, and those are my people down there. So anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help -- with the way America is set up to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off, as slow as possible. I mean, the Red Cross is doing everything they can. We already realize a lot of people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way -- and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us!

(West throws back to Myers, who is looking like a guy who stopped on the tarmac to tie his shoe and got hit in the back with the 8:30 to La Guardia.)

Myers: And subtle, but in many ways even more profoundly devastating, is the lasting damage to the survivors\' will to rebuild and remain in the area. The destruction of the spirit of the people of southern Louisiana and Mississippi may end up being the most tragic loss of all.

(And, because Myers is apparently as dumb as his Alfalfa hair, he throws it back to West.)

West: George Bush doesn't care about black people!

(Back to Myers, now looking like the 8:30 to La Guardia turned around and caught him square between the eyes.)

Myers: Please call . . .

At which point someone at NBC News finally regained control of the joystick and cut over to Chris Tucker, who started right in with more scripted blah, blah, blah.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Unbelievable Katrina Quotes

"We got a lot of rebuilding to do.... the good news is and it's hard for some to see it now but out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic gulf coast... out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house -- the guy lost his entire house -- there's going to be fantastic house. I look forward to sitting on the porch. " -Bush at the Mobile Regional Airport, Mobile, Alabama, Sept. 2, 2005

"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." -Bush at the Mobile Regional Airport, Mobile, Alabama, Sept. 2, 2005

"I believe the town where I used to come – from Houston, Texas, to enjoy myself, occasionally too much – will be that very same town, that it will be a better place to come to." –President George W. Bush, on the tarmac at the New Orleans airport, Sept. 2, 2005

"You simply get chills every time you see these poor individuals...many of these people, almost all of them that we see are so poor and they are so black, and this is going to raise lots of questions for people who are watching this story unfold." —CNN's Wolf Blitzer, on New Orleans' hurricane evacuees, Sept. 1, 2005

"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality...And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them." - Barbara Bush, on visiting the Astrodome, Sept. 5.2005

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