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Racist Tweet, Bad Joke, Or Neither?

Rants and Tantrums, , , , , , , ,

I read a tweet last night that I found to be very distasteful.  It was a racist tweet, but of course the author of that tweet didn’t see it that way.  You see, Twitter is no different from any other social media site, personal website, or blog.  There are a lot of people out in cyberspace that feel they can say whatever they want, and not be held accountable, or called out on it.  I am referring to trolls, everyday people, and celebrities.  NO ONE IS EXCLUDED.

I instantly unfollow those on Twitter who tweets negatively about racism, discrimination, religion, politics, belittle their followers, block their followers because they “feel like it” (after talking rudely to them), and whatever else I feel I don’t want cluttering my Twitter feed.  Last night was no different.

One of my now EX-FAVORITE wrestling entertainment superstars, Gregory Shane Helms, aka The Hurricane, posted a tweet I did not find to be funny at all.  It was a bad joke.  Rude, disrespectful, and racist.  Sure, people interpret things differently, but we need to be considerate of others when talking, tweeting, Facebook, Tumbling, and whatever other modes of communication we use while on the internet.

This is Helms‘ first tweet.

tweet1

Of course when I read it, I immediately thought, “What the hell?”  Did Hurricane just say that?  He later posted the tweet below, but this time I commented.

tweet3

I got what I expected, a defensive response from Helms.  I expected that type of response just from the tone of his second tweet.  He actually said that people are racists if they think his tweet meant just “black folk.”  How are we racists?  He’s the one that made that insulting tweet.

He also told me to not think the worst.  Really?  So just what in the hell am I supposed to think?  Ape is a racial slur towards blacks.

Black people have been called apes, monkeys, and gorillas for centuries, so exactly what is he saying?  That tweet reminds me of that “I’m not racist but” phrase.

As a black female that suffers from PTSD, anxiety, and depression from an assault by a white man who made racist and derogatory comments towards me while trying to choke me, and succeeded at knocking me upside my head, I definitely found Helms’ tweets hurtful.  But that assault was nearly four years ago.  So I would have found that tweet to be insulting years before then, at an early age when I began to learn about racism and racial slurs.

I thought back to a few years ago, when I was playing a game of online Uno on Xbox.  A man with a white avatar greeted me (my avatar is black and looks just like me) with a “Hey nigger.”  He thought he could say whatever he want and get away with it.

So what did I do after I read Helm’s response?  Look at that second tweet again.  On the right-hand side you will see an image of a person and a plus sign.  White background.  If you’re not a Twitter user, then I will tell you what that means.  It means I UNFOLLOWED him.  If I was still following him, the background would’ve been blue.  It’s not worth the stress.

I would say that I can’t believe he tweeted those comments, but I would be lying.  People of all socioeconomic statuses make crude comments everyday.  I hear it all the time in the workplace and in other public places.  I don’t care what people say in private, but publicly, we need to choose our words wisely.  And not get an attitude when called out on our bullshit.

This type of behavior happens everyday, especially by celebrities who really think they can say and do whatever they please without any consequences.

Up until I read those tweets, Gregory Shane Helms was one of my favorite wrestling entertainment superstars.  I was crazy about him on WWE, and I especially liked his storyline with Molly Holly.  That quickly faded.

When a person makes a racist comment in public, and gets defensive when called out on it, then I lose all respect for that person.

The tongue is the most dangerous weapon of all, and those tweets hurt like hell.

I run an honest blog, so everything I type are my honest thoughts and opinions.

 

 

I Need Your Help

Rants and Tantrums, , , ,

I have been trying to locate a document for some time now, and I have been unable to find it.  I cannot find anything close to it.  So I am desperately seeking everyone’s help in finding this important document.

I am looking for a law.  You know, a set of rules and guidelines that tells what we can and cannot do.  Anyway, I don’t know if the law that I’m looking for is on the local, state, or federal level, but it must be out there somewhere because I’m often called out on certain things.

I am looking for the law that says that just because I am a black female:

  • My natural hair should not be shoulder length, otherwise people might think it’s a weave.
  • I should always be prepared to convince people that my hair is not permed/relaxed because it’s “so soft” and “pretty.”
  • I have to like Beyonce
  • I have to watch Tyler Perry movies
  • I have to watch basketball wives reality tv shows.  (I don’t even know the name of the show.  All I know is something about Atlanta, basketball, and wives.)
  • I have to listen to “black music”
  • I am expected to cuss and use slang in my everyday vocabulary
  • I must gossip.  ALL THE TIME.
  • The farthest I can travel for a vacation is the 4-5 hour drive to Illinois for the Taste of Chicago (food festival) and the Cincinnati Jazz Festival.  Florida and the Caribbean are a no-no.
  • The only channel I can watch is BET (Black Entertainment Television).  CNN (Cable News Network) is not allowed.
  • Under no circumstances am I supposed to read comic books and attend comic conventions.

Whew!  That’s a lot.  See why I need your help?

Stereotyping.  We are all guilty of it.  What I listed are just a few of the stereotypes that I encounter on a daily basis.

I was chastised by a black female for not liking Tyler Perry movies.  I tried to explain to her that I don’t dislike his movies, it’s just not my preferred genre.  I am into horror, action/adventure, fantasy, and sci-fi.  A white female overheard the conversation and said, “YOU don’t like Tyler Perry movies?  I like Tyler Perry movies.”  I didn’t feel the need to further explain myself, so I shrugged my shoulders and walked away.

Back in the fall I was chastised and belittled for watching Thor:  The Dark World (IMAX, 3D of course) instead of The Best Man Holiday at the movie theater.  Yes I know that the handsome Morris Chestnut was a lead character, but I chose to put my love of superhero and action/adventure first.

I won’t even tell you how several black females got on my case for not watching Precious.  They were mad at me because I refused to watch that movie.  But what they don’t know is, I don’t care for black drama.  My life has been full of family drama for as long as I can remember.  Why pay to watch it at a theater when I get it for free all the time?  I didn’t tell them any of that because it’s none of their, or anyone else’s, damn business.

Do I need to tell you that people wonder why I read comic books?  And the suggestions of books I should be reading because that’s what they’re reading?  I find it funny that people recommend shit for me to read, although I have never seen a book in their hands.

I am going to end my tantrum here because I’m starting to type bad words.  Remember, cussing is expected of black females.  I think.

I am going to search for this law until I find it.  If and when I do find this set of rules, I am going to read them.   And then I am going to continue breaking them.

Parenting Tip #2: Little Smart-Mouth Girls Are Not Cute

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NOTE TO PARENTS (especially mothers):  little smart-mouth girls are not cute.  They’re not funny either.

Smart-mouth kids is a pet peeve of mine, probably because I wasn’t mouthy while growing up.  I turn my head so fast in the direction of kids talking smart to their parents, or any other adult, that I’m surprised my neck haven’t snapped by now.

This blog post focuses on toddler and preschool-aged girls.  Those little 2-5 year-old girls that stand with their hands on their hips while talking.  They can barely pronounce their own names, yet they are able to say an assortment of smart-alecky words.

My niece was one of those little mouthy girls at that age.  She was around age 3 or 4 when one day, out of nowhere, she said, “For your information.”  I had no idea what she was talking about, and neither did she.  She now has a 5 year-old daughter who’s even mouthier.

For some reason, and I don’t care to know that reason, a lot of women think it’s cute and funny when toddler and preschool girls talk smart.  Well it’s not.  And I can’t stand the following:

  • “Oh did you hear her?  She’s so cute.”
  • “Ain’t she cute?”
  • “Ain’t she grown?”
  • “Look at her lil grown self.”
  • “Gone girl with yo’ bad self.”

These little girls walk around, talking smart to whomever they like, and their mothers don’t say a word.  Well, not all mothers keep quiet.  Some mothers, or other female figures, don’t allow that madness.  My mother, sisters and I didn’t allow my niece to talk smart around us.

A few years ago while I was at work, a little girl around 4-5 years of age, was standing at the nurses’ station talking smart and sassy.  She responded sensibly when asked her name and age, but the attitude was definitely there.  One of my co-workers laughed loudly and said, “Ain’t she grown y’all?  Ain’t she grown?”  My other co-workers and I told her no, that she was not grown.

A few minutes later, the child’s aunt arrived while she was talking.  The aunt quickly put an end to that madness.  She told the child that she didn’t know why her mother let her talk that way, but that she was going to stop it.

Mouthy female toddlers and preschoolers are not cute.  And they’re not grown.  They are disrespectful.  But I can’t blame them because they don’t know any better.  I blame their parents, especially their mothers.

5 More Questions I May Never Find The Answers To

Random Silliness, Random Thoughts, , ,
  1. Why is marble cake always dry?
  2. Will a racehorse ever travel faster than gossip?
  3. I know that I before e, except after c.  So why do I always spell niece and receive wrong?  (thank you spellcheck)
  4. Men have two heads.  Why do they use one more than the other?
  5. Where is Waldo?

Parenting Tip #1: Hand Washing

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Hand washing is the best way to prevent germs from spreading and avoid getting sick.  Kids may listen when parents tell them to wash their hands, but it’s our job to make sure they follow through with it.  We can’t follow our kids everywhere they go, but we can make sure they ALWAYS wash their hands while at home, in hopes they do the same when they are out in the public.

I went into a restroom at a fast-food restaurant a few days ago.  Both stalls were taken, until a little girl walked out of one of them.  I went into the stall, and the child started talking to another young girl in the other stall.  Within a couple of minutes, both of the girls walked out of the bathroom without washing their hands.  Maybe I overreacted.  The soap and water worked for me, but maybe it was just a coincidence.  Maybe it wasn’t working at the time for the girls.  Yeah right.

Parents, please stress the importance of hand washing to your children.  Soap and water.  Hand sanitizer if, if necessary.

Training kids to wash their hands from an early age will hopefully stick with them into adulthood.  That way, they won’t become like the lady I saw in a restroom at a courthouse a few months ago.  She used the bathroom, but ran her fingers (not the entire hands) under the water for no more than two seconds.  I used a public restroom at my job recently.  On two separate occasions, a woman walked out of the stall, and right on out of the bathroom without stopping at the sink.  UGH.  GROSS.  NASTY.

15 Questions I May Never Find The Answers To

Random Silliness, Random Thoughts, ,
  1. How many licks will it take for me to get to the center of a tootsie pop?  I have tried a countless number of times over the years since childhood.
  2. Why am I always given a stack of napkins for a regular hamburger at McDonald’s, but zero napkins for a sloppy Big Mac?
  3. Why haven’t my jaw ever been broken by a jawbreaker?
  4. Why are selfies suddenly popular?  We were taking pictures of ourselves years ago, back in the disposable camera days.
  5. Why don’t I get strong like Popeye when I eat spinach?
  6. How much wood could a woodchuck chop, if a woodchuck could chop wood?
  7. It is easy to fall in love.  Why is it hard to fall out of?
  8. How is it that 5 billion people can tell me all about Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, and Honey Boo Boo, but only 5 can tell me about Malaysia Flight 370, the 200+ kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls, and last years United States federal government shutdown?
  9. Why do high school athletes get full-ride college scholarships, but high academic achievers hold bake sales and spaghetti dinner fundraisers to pay for at least one semester?
  10. Why do blacks become furious when called ‘nigger’ by whites, but happily call each other ‘nigga?’ (not all of us say ‘nigga’)
  11.  If white racists hate blacks so much, then why do they spend hours baking in the sun until they are dark?
  12. Why does Michigan have cold winters when it’s shaped like a mitten?  Will we ever be able to borrow Louisiana’s boot?
  13. Why does a know-it-all know-it all?
  14. Why haven’t Calgon taken me away?
  15. Who shot J.R.?