Month: April 2017

MyMedialogy on WVON: Shea what? Shea Who?

Mya / April 27, 2017

Black women and y’all hair. I swear. For the past week or so, there has been yet another controversy swirling around the value of black folks as consumers. Not a new concept, right? Nivea and Pepsi come to mind as recent offenders. But now a new contender has entered the fray – Shea Moisture. Yes Shea Moisture, the lil beauty company that could. The one that grew literally from a nut in a village in Sierra Leone to a multi-million dollar company, mostly on the backs of black women, who they JUST turned their backs on. How you ask? Well they released an ad where…well, look. SheaMoisture is CANCELLED pic.twitter.com/T4Dru1JgAq — NANA JIBRIL ??️‍? (@girlswithtoys) April 24, 2017 Then, when one of the internet’s ashiest negroes, Hotep Master T aka Tariq Nasheed, wanted to insert himself, they did this. And then when the black woman magic contingency of the internet, got hold of their smart devices, laptops and carrier pigeons and dragged Shea Moisture over every jagged surface they could find they were forced to do this: “Wow, okay – so guys, listen, we really f-ed this one up. Please know that our intention was not – and would never be – to disrespect our community, and as such, we are pulling this piece immediately because it does not represent what we intended to communicate. You guys know that we have always stood for inclusion in beauty and have always fought for our community and given them credit for not just building our business but for shifting the beauty landscape. So, the feedback we are seeing here brings to light a very important point. While this campaign included several different videos showing different ethnicities and hair types to demonstrate the breadth and depth of each individual’s hair journey, we must absolutely ensure moving forward that our community is well-represented in each one so that the women who have led this movement never feel that their hair journey is minimized in any way. We are keenly aware of the journey that WOC face – and our work will continue to serve as the inspiration for work like the Perception Institute’s Good Hair Study/Implicit Association Test that suggests that a majority of people, regardless of race and gender, hold some bias towards women of color based on their textured or natural hair. So, you’re right. We are different – and we should know better.” LOL. Yall wanted to line up with Master Hotep then issue an apology. MAN PLEASE. Apology, Schmapology. Far be it from me to stay quiet…..so I dropped in WVON this morning to discuss the matter at hand with hosts Maze Jackson and Charles Thomas. Check it. I pop in at bout the 35 minute mark. Myalogists! You can find me on WVON 1690AM EVERY Thursday from 630a-7a! Join the conversation

MySAYalogy

Terrifying, Strange and Beautiful Women

Mya / April 10, 2017

Let me start this off by issuing the following disclaimer: I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN ANY OF THEIR RELATIONSHIPS. I ONLY KNOW WHAT THEY SAID AND WHAT I SAW. This past weekend brought news that Janet Jackson and her kabillionaire husband were parting company after just over 5 years of marriage. Janet, who I saw some dumb nword call “The New Halle”, had two previous failed marriages and seemed to have hit the literal and figurative jackpot. She was an older woman now, more settled, armed with the knowledge that can only be gained through failed relationships and marrying a man who seemed to be equally yoked $$$$ to her- so what could go wrong? The same thing that goes wrong often when a woman of her stature finds herself in love. The answer can be found in this excerpt from Warsan Shire: and you tried to change didn’t you? closed your mouth more tried to be softer prettier Now Ms. Jackson doesn’t need to get prettier, so don’t. But she changed, for him. She changed her religion. She changed her dream of a lavish wedding. She changed her music. She changed her outfits. This: Became this: One could look at these pics, one where she is literally covered in chains, as just a by-product of a woman becoming a wife. Being more modest for her man? That’s totally understandable? Him refusing to meet your friends and family? Refusing to show any concern for her mother’s alleged abuse? Rebuking all forms of your life prior to him? Not understandable at all. We see this form of abuse – and let’s be clear, isolating you and attempting to control your environment is abuse – way too often. Sometimes its under the guise of changing your clothing (Janet) Sometimes it’s sabotaging your career (Mary’s chicken slanging and sanging under the guidance of her husband-ger). Sometimes its the form of abuse we are most used to seeing (Mel B.’s bruises). Sometimes we characterize it as love, as concern, but it’s not. Last week, I was almost moved to tears – three times to be exact – over these conjoined themes of love, control and abuse. Our Queen Mary was on the The Breakfast Club chronicling the decline of her marriage to that hairless ape, who also managed to manage her while keeping an eye out for his next banana. (pettypology: I hate that dude. I’ve always hated him, ever since he showed up in that first pic with MJB with not one, but two beepers on his Boach Celt and zero jobs of note) I had tears in my eyes listening to her say how he told her that he fans didn’t love her anymore. How he was quick to jump on her insecurities. How the man that inspired her to write “Lady” dragged her through so much shit she contemplated suicide. I wish we could blame him for her singing to Hillary, but she did that on her own. 13 Years. Mel B. is finally divorcing the man she should have never married once she found out that just because his last name was Belafonte, it did NOT mean Harry was his dad or any other relative for that matter. This gem of a man got their nanny pregnant then forced her to have an abortion, allegedly blackmailed Mel into participating in threesomes, and regularly insulted her with the following names: “f***ing monkey”, “stupid”, “fat ugly and old”, “dumb” and “derelict”. He also viciously beat her to the point where she needed to be hospitalized, but he showed kindness sometimes. Sometimes the beatings could be covered with make up. 10 years. Celeste. A fictional character on my most recent obsession Big Little Lies, who suffered through one of the most realistic portrayals of domestic abuse I’ve ever seen. A woman who seemingly had the perfect life, great kids, handsome successful husband, most amazing home you have ever seen in your life, often found her self on the receiving end of her husband’s hands, because he feared one day she would “go right through him.” He wasn’t satisfied that she gave up her career as a powerful attorney for him, that she moved away from family and friends for him, that she became a mother for him – his fear still ruled him and unfortunately her. She tried to become less. But it would never be enough for someone that saw her as “too much.” At least 8 years. Too much. She had too many friends. She was too “popular.” She went out too much. She was too smart. Her heels were too high. She was too pretty. She spent too much time with her family. She was too visible on social media. She was too good to be true. She was too much. Thank God, I just didn’t lose as much time as my sisters up there. Ladies, it’s important to remember that in love, sacrifices will be made. The sacrifices won’t be lowered esteem, bruises nor suicide attempts. The right man won’t want, nor need you to play small. You will never be too much for him. you are terrifying and strange and beautiful something not everyone knows how to love.

MySAYalogy

Sorry You Are Sorry

Mya / April 6, 2017

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Gee and I got into a brief debate after The World’s Dumbest Brain Surgeon (WDBS) called slaves “immigrants.” Gee felt that an apology should be forthcoming (it was). I felt that WDBS should cock open his mouth so I could take a shit on him and his apology. I’m a firm believer in people not apologizing for how they honestly feel in their hearts of heart. Stand on your word, so I can know where I stand with you. There are things you should apologize for; stepping on someone’s foot; smoking the last of their good good; throwing scalding hot water on your youngest cousin as he bathes after he does the same to you, only with cold water. (Im still sorry bout that, Bran) But society seems to thrive on the type of apology WDBS issued, something insincere and unnecessary. Does he know slaves weren’t happy immigrants? Probably. Even being one of the worlds dumbest brain surgeons, I gotta believe he found time to get in one history class. Did he still say it? Absolutely. Which is why his apology is baseless, unwarranted and not accepted – at least not by me. This comes to mind today as my tribe was given the biggest unwanted assed apologies from folks that should know better, and I’m not even sure whose was worst. By now you have heard or seen that heinous ad small letter p-epsi put forth for the world to see, starring Becky Du Jour, Kendall Jenner. If not allow me to recap. KJ or whatever superhero she is playing in this commercial is shooting an ad (yes inside of this ad). She is donning a blonde wig and the reddest of lips. Suddenly a protest march passes by her shoot. A young ethnically ambiguous man gives her the come hither nod, so she whips off that wig and wipes off that lipstick, finds the fugliest mixed media denim suit she can find and joins the fun! She sashays her non Kardashian sized ass thru the crowd, being photographed by a smiling progressive Muslim lady with a nose ring, when some kind soul hands her a blue can. She smiles broadly as she walks up to the police line. She offers the can to Generic Brown Officer, he nods, shrugs and accepts it. She returns to the cheering crown triumphant that she has now solved racism. Man please. This fuckin commerical is wrong on so many levels, I barely know where to start. Oh wait, thats a lie…the fact that it seems to be a play on the iconic photograph of Ieshia Evans, a black woman standing strong in the face of the police while protesting YET ANOTHER murder by cop in Baton Rouge, LA. Predictably and understandably, my tribe was not pleased. And because we are the driving force behind twitter, we let that shit be known. You know who aint give a fuck? Small letter p-epsi. They released a statement to the almighty Teen Vogue that read: “The creative showcases a moment of unity, and a point where multiple storylines converge in the final advert. It depicts various groups of people embracing a spontaneous moment, and showcasing Pepsi’s brand rallying cry to ‘Live For Now,’ in an exploration of what that truly means to live life unbounded, unfiltered and uninhibited.” They then doubled down on that with a statement to Ad Week that read: “This is a global ad that reflects people from different walks of life coming together in a spirit of harmony, and we think that’s an important message to convey.” Which translates to: Hey Blackies! You’re feelings hurt? Your bad. Stop making everything about you. Barf. But no fear, I guess the same white liberals that now wear pink hats and the men that love them, must have found some gluten in small letter p, because the outcry was finally heard, and they released yet another statement saying: “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position.” Now, what now? I see yall’s weak ass blink-and-miss it apology to me and my community, but wayment. Y’all apologizing to Kendall Jenner? A young white woman who knew the subject matter. A young white woman who filmed the commercial? A young white woman who got paid for it? A young white woman who I ASSumed has not suffered the type of loss that will send one out into the streets in protest? Okay. Fine. Promise I’m good with that, because when it was just my old black feelings that got hurt, it was still okay. You know the one company that was likely VERY happy about all this? Nivea? Yep, that shit your mama slathered you in when the petroleum jelly ran out. That shit whose smell is likely permanently seared into your nasal passages – the one that evokes hospitals and white rubber shoes. What they do you ask? Well……not to be outdone by small letter p, they released the most ridiculous ad you have seen since the last one. Exhibit A: WHITE. IS. PURITY. I mean I know Nivea is a German company, but damn. This is whiteness on a WHOLE other level. No Vaseline level fuckery. What in the stankin fuck is going on in ad agencies right now? My career in PR and Advertising is long behind me, but there’s no way I’m accepting the fact that ANY ONE, thought this was a good idea. What ever happened to focus groups? I’ll make the same assertion about these ad execs as I do Trump voters, ya either racist or ignorant or both. White is purity, yall? Really? I mean I know the law enforcement agencies have been infiltrated by white racists, and I been knew that