Michael Arceneaux, EBONY.com contributor and Master of Shade, calls out five of his biggest gripes from the past week. Rejoice and be read. Follow Michael @youngsinick.
1. Igloo Azalea, Still Trying It: In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Iggy Azalea claims that much of the criticism leveled at her is rooted in sexism. After comparing herself to Elvis, The Rolling Stones, and Eminem (unconsciously ironically), Igloo claims, “Well, they don’t say that stuff about Macklemore. So, yes, I think it has 100,000 percent to do with the fact that I have a vagina.”
Someone could’ve easily Googled the name “Macklemore + criticism” to clue in on how much of a crock this statement is. Meanwhile, Iggy, she who dances like a three-legged worse with bad knees, also had this to say about twerking, “Sometimes things become part of pop culture, but they run their course. I think it’s time for it to be over.”
I’m so tired, America.
Although I understand why some have suggested we simply ignore Iggy Azalea, but I operate from the space that so long as she keeps getting attention and uses that attention to say very stupid things, I’m going to keep saying, “No, girl, you need to be quiet and go back to studying your Rosetta Stone for Southern Black Woman Accents: Tiny.”
2. That’s Not How Misquotes Work, Mrs. Rashad: With all due respect to the gorgeous, wonderfully talented, and fellow Houstonian and Bison, Phylicia Rashad, it’s hard for me to take her seriously when she says she was “misquoted” by Roger Friedman over the comment “forget these women” given she went on to tell ABC News the same thing albeit with softer phrasing.
Responding to the backlash, Rashad told ABC News: “I am a woman. I would never say such a thing. I would never think such a thing. My message is, what happens to a nation in which people knowingly and willfully disavow the tenets that describe the nation? … This is not about the women. This is about something else. This is about the obliteration of a legacy.”
So, you’re not flat out saying “forget these women,” but you’re saying Bill Cosby’s controversy is bigger than the rape accusations the numerous women have leveled against him because it’s really about the “obliteration of a legacy.” So you know, forget those women and their stories, this is about COSBY and HIS LEGACY but without actually saying “forget these women.” Cool.
3. Cosby Truthers Must Chill: Although he’s since deleted his tweet, Luke James joined in on Phylicia Rashad’s conspiracy theory about the mounting accusations of rape being leveled at Bill Cosby, tweeting and then deleting, “I agree. I think they are trying to break a legacy that helped build a culture. Our culture. #BillCosby”
For the 9,101,123rd time, a fictionalized character does not take precedence over a real person’s humanity; Bill Cosby had already tainted his legacy using his clout to demonize poor Black people; women do not come out in droves to accuse a man of rape for the sake of stopping someone’s already declining syndication checks from coming.
4. Don’t Make Me Choose: I just want to let both ABC and FOX know that forcing viewers to choose between live airings of Black-ish and Empire is so nasty and so rude.
5. Stop Complaining About People Complaining About The Weather: Look here, trolls, if I or anyone else, want to complain about how damn cold it is outside, mind your business and let us complain in peace. Yes, there is winter everywhere, and sure, summer may be hot as hell and some of us may complain about that, too. However, when it comes to the question “Why y’all complaining about it being cold when it’s winter?” the answer is clear: Because repetitiveness doesn’t negate extremity or hypothermia. And it’s cold, dummy. Can we live (to complain about the cold weather)?
