Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Good afternoon everyone!
First, let's check in with Liz!
Keep doing your thing Liz!
Okay, just so you know, I feel like ranting today - so let me just get to it.
Now, did any of you watch The View yesterday? Ann Coulter was their guest promoting her new book. All I have to say is Ann Coulter makes Elizabeth Hasselbeck look like she has a bit of sense...and that's a hard thing to do. Please watch this - it gets a little heated!
Now, I take issue with MANY things that Ann Coulter says and stands for. But having been raised by a single mother myself, this discussion was especially grating to me. How this woman can pass judgement on an entire group of single mothers who struggle (or maybe DON'T struggle) to care and build a life for their children is beyond absurd. Ann Coulter, who has never been married or bore children, sat there at that table like she was the moral majority, and I'm so glad Whoopi called her ass out.
And she had the nerve to say that she was being attacked?
This woman indicted an entire group of women who are superstars raising children. Like Barbara Walters asked, what about widows? What about women who ran away from an abusive situation so that they and their children are safe? What about women who were married and then got divorced? You'd think she'd say these women were the exception. She didn't! Ann Coulter is just straight crazy.
I can probably say with some certainty that MOST women (and men) don't set out to be single parents. Sometimes life just happens. And they deal with it. I am in awe of single men and women who raise their children and handle their business and do it all successfully. We don't know the next person's circumstance, so passing judgement should be left to no one but God.
But I'm not done..oh no no no no!
What also totally baffled me was Ann Coulter claiming that Halle Berry's Oscar acceptance speech was "for the blacks," and that she was identifying with her Black father who abandoned her.
Huh? What the hell is she talking about?
In case anyone forgot what Halle said, here is her speech.
Halle Berry is a Black woman. Ann Coulter would agree with that. So why is she taking issue with Halle being PROUD to be the first Black woman to receive the Academy Award for Best Actress? Is she supposed to all of a sudden DENY her Blackness because she's an Oscar winner? Halle Berry can't help who her father is. She can't help that he was a Black man. Halle Berry knows that in the eyes of all of society, she is a Black woman. She wasn't identifying with her Black father. She was identifying with her Black SELF.
If anything, she thanked her manager Vincent Cirrincione, who she said was like "the only father I've ever known." I guess Ann missed that part. She also missed the part where Halle said, "I want to thank my mom who's given me the strength to fight every single day, to be who I want to be and given me the courage to dream, that this dream might be happening and possible for me. I love you, Mom, so much. Thank you." I didn't hear her mention her father. Ann Coulter is an idiot.
Halle Berry, an Academy Award winning actress, was also raised by a single mother. A WHITE single mother. They come from every race. Not all children raised by single mothers are drug dealers, addicts, murderers, unwed teens or are in jail. They go on to be productive citizens who contribute to our world. They accomplish extraordinary things. They're just like me.
It probably pisses Ann Coulter off that next week, the Black son raised by a single, White mother, will take his oath to be sworn in as the next President of the United States. She needs to just go away...her and Sarah Palin. Matter of fact, take Joe The Plumber too while you're at it.
-b
21 comments:
WOW!!!!!!!! EXCELLENT BLOG BROOKE!!!!!!!!! I love to see you get all angry! lol
I think single parents..(whether woman or man, black or white or purple) should be given all the props in the world for doing what the have to do for their kids! It's not an easy job to do with someone let alone when there is only YOU & no one else. Plus as you said what about those who escaped abuse or worse. My mom was married at 16 & had 3 kids by 21 by a man who became a drug user who used to beat her ass & stole everything including her kids furniture to sell for drugs. She left him & started to raise her 3 sons BY HERSELF. She sacrificed everything she had & sometimes went without eating so that my brothers never went without anything. She met my dad later on & combined they went on raise 9 children together including adopting my lil brother. And I know her struggle made her the wonderful mother & woman that I admire today! I'm having a baby now & granted I hope to be with this man forever BUT if it doesn't work out that way there is nothing I won't do BY MYSELF for my child..
And lastly although my parents have been together for over 35 years some of my MOST WONDERFUL friends have been raised by single parents. These mom's have raised wonderful sons, daughters, doctors, lawyers etc etc etc. And I personally don't think any of them would be better off in a 2 parent household.. Like I always say making a baby doesn't make you a parent. It's the things you do for your child that make you a parent!
P.S.-any single parents reading this. Pat yourself on the back!!! :)
P.P.S.- I think someone should tase Ann Coulter...LOL
I'll be back after I'm done crying from Halle Berry's speech...
What her small minded self faile to realize is that the only reason she is in the press is because she says the most outlandish things...
Halle Berry, Boris Kodjoe, Karyn Parsons, Bob Marley, Giancarlo Esposito, Alicia Keyes, Eartha kitt, and Barack Obama identify moreso with their black side because when you look at them that is what yoluu see; they LOOK black and were probably treated as such throughout their lives...rememebr, back in the day if you had a DROP of black blood, you were black!
Would she prefer the "safe" biracial people? The ones who can "pass"? People like Vin Diesel (especially this fucker!), Mariah Carey (she's gotten better now) Kidada Jones, Soledad O'Brian, Tiger Woods, and Cash Warren (Jessica Alba's husband / baby daddy) who seem to RUN from their heritage? "Oh, I'm onhly half whispers)...black".
The award was moreso for the struggle of ethnic people - black especially to be recognized in Hollywood as more than steppin fetchets and mistrals. I swear this woman needs to get back on her meds!!
I saw it - I wanted to jump thru the screen...and when she DARED to get flippant with Barbara, even Sherris was like "wait a minute, you dont have to speak to her like that!". Despite her flaws, This is Barbara's show and you are not suppose to come on and treat the HOST like your bitch! Ann Coulter got OWNED!
BTW, I saw a clip from "Huckabee" on YouTube where even he got on her ass...and that's FOX NEWS!! He called her on her obvious lies and exagerations and what did she say...NOTHING!
trash bag >(
Liz,
That's why Cash Warren & Jessica Alba get along soo well. She doesn't like being categorized as LATINA either???
Halle Berry's acceptance speech, in my opinion, is probably one of the most memorable, powerful moments in television - and I'm so happy to have witnessed it in my lifetime. That was raw, genuine emotion at its best.
Annamaria, your mother sounds like a phenomenal woman, and if you have even a fraction of her strength and love, you'll be an EXCELLENT mother! :-)
I know for a fact that I would not be the person I am today if my parents had stayed together for our sake. I don't feel like I missed out on ANYTHING. We had a wonderful childhood growing up. We knew both sides of my family. We were well loved, well adjusted children who turned out well - all thanks to my mother. Everything that is good and strong in me I got from her. No question.
Liz, I totally agree with you. Ann Coulter only wants you to be black when it's negative, not when you're an Oscar winner or the President of the United States, because then it would discredit everything she says. Her hypocrisy is blinding...someone needs to just drag her ass thru the street.
Oh, and did you see Barbara Walter's face? She looked like she was about to pull the plug on that entire interveiw - like "wrap this sh*t up! you don't know who you f*ckin wit!"
My father was a single mother......Blog...;-/
Wow.. that was a great blog. And a great topic. Before I continue, let me say that this women is crazy... I do think she presents some good facts... however the problem is how she analyses the facts. You can spin factual data to represent any view that you please...we should have all seen that from this past election.
Having said that, I absolutely do not thing that single parents doom their kids to a life of crime and despair... however, we must acknowledge that raising a child with only one parent in that household adds another challenge to the already daunting task of raising a child. Although I have not checked the facts, I'm going to say that most of the people in our prison system probably coe from one parent homes... HOWEVER..she doesn't take into acoount the number of successful children who are also raised in a single parent household.
My personal take is that sinlge parent do need to realize, that kids need that motherly and fatherly role model in their lives. And this comment is especially for single mothers. Make sure you find a good manly role model for your child. If not... best believe they will find their own... and it probably won't be a good one.
On the Halle Berry thing... Ann is just stupid. People are not born Black or white... mostly it is somewhere in between those two colors. (I have a sexy caramel'ish hue about me.) We don't become black or white until the world starts to judge us and puts us in a box. We are black, or white "by reaction." Reaction to our environment.. reaction to our society. OK... stepping down off my soap box!
Lastly, Brooke... is Annemaria sitting next to you while you blog. DAM!
LMAO... NO I AM NOT Sitting next to Brooke when she posts the blog.. I guess I'm just not as busy as the rest of you! lol...
And not sure about the facts on the prison system thing BUT I have a relative who has been in & out of prison his WHOLE life. He is now in his 40's & still in there & his parents have been together his whole life...
Wow!!!!
I'm feeling so many different emotions between all the clips you've showed...
Do your thing Liz!
In regards to Ann Coulter, God forgive her
And Halle speech gave me chills
Brooke says I tend to be controversial - I'd argue I just tell it like it is in my brain. Well, here we go...
I wasn't the least bit offended by watching Ann Coulter.
Understand this, people - Whoopi hit the nail on the head and understands it - she said to Ann "I get that's part of your act." Exactly. It's part of her thing. Ann isn't the least bit crazy. She's in the business of making money and being a political viewpoint celebrity. Which is why you can always go to the same crackpots spewing out more and more controversial garbage - they make a lot of money and get a lot of notoriety doing it.
the best thing one can do is not to invite them to jump in front of a camera or microphone - it's to systematically break down their crap with facts, expose them for the liars and hypocrites they are, and use what ever vehicle you may have to refute that crap. And there are these type of people of all kinds. Rush Limbaugh is really no different than Charles Barkley...just completely different subject matter. But they both stand as outspoken, polarizing figures who draw in large numbers of people cuz you never know what they will say or do. Don't think there are these type of people all over, and you just choose which ones you love and hate based on what you believe?
Then what do you call Rosie O'Donnell, Steven A. Smith, Keith Olbermann, Dennis Miller, Bill O'Reilly, 50 Cent, Al Sharpton, Howard Stern, Michael Moore, Aaron McGruder, Dave Chappelle and Bill Maher?
Their all people who want and crave attention, and like to get their views out in various ways. They all pop up from time to time, and none of the ones I listed - along with many others - really surprise the world when they say something "controversial". Hell - I KNOW I'd be great at it! Cuz I can argue that we should worship The Devil if you let me - and completely not believe a word of what I'm saying - but present the most compelling argument to make you say "hmmm..."
I don't agree with anything Ann says or writes...but then again, she can't ever upset me cuz I get her "act". She wouldn't be successful if she didn't upset people. Peter Gabriel and Bono have a lot of opinions on things. Guess what? No one cares. Know why? Cuz we all agree on the points they bring up about discrimination, economic depravity, needing to work together in harmony, etc. There's no excitement there. Let one of them say "F THE POPE!" Then we'll get some attention on them...
I get more upset when people who pass laws and policy who don't have a media agenda say or do things along the lines of the ones I mentioned. THEN I get upset.
As for Halle Berry - F that hoe. And I really mean that, too. But that's such a long topic for another day, it's not funny. But I'll just say this - I don't really watch award shows, but was at my TV station when that Oscars aired where she, Denzel and Sidney got awards. And I was never as offended by an awards show in my life as when they won. I was cool with Sidney getting his. I actually gained more respect for Denzel because of how he handled himself and the subtle things he said during his acceptance speech (and in particular, some of the things he said after the oscars aired). But Halle?!? Being proud and carrying on for playing that grandiose welfare mom?
I cringed knowing that the only times we are award-worthy (as actors) in oscar history is when we convincingly play some deep negative image of ourselves. Or some ridiculous caricature or stereotype. Or, what they think of us as being convincing in.
Let's take Denzel. He can win an award many his roles in his career. But they give it to him when he (A) plays a convincing slave (Glory) and (B) when he plays the most morally depraved, piece-of-caca cop in major movie history (Training Day). He couldn't win for Malcolm X or Cry Freedom?
I'll always appreciate him keeping the award in context and being very subtle in alluding to the fact he won for THAT particular award instead of earlier in his career.
I'm done...let me stop ranting on Brooke's Tuesday rant. Sorry, Brookster...y'know I can get carried away.
Poke.
Rameer... I think you gonna give Al Sharpton a run for his money... BUT for the most part what you said did resonate some truth... I still think Ann is a retard who deserves to be tased & I do still think Halle Berry is the best thing since sliced bread.. And I do cry watching her acceptance speech... BUT you get a round of applause for your well thought out & eloquently put arguement.
It's all good Rameer, and I agreet that Ann's views are part of her ACT. We can all dismiss her as the moron she is.
As for Halle's win, I was moved by her speech because I felt like she was accepting it for the many woman of color who should have gotten it before her. Anyone will tell you that I think Whoopi Goldberg should have won her Oscar for playing Celie, not her character in Ghost. You can't even compare the two roles. I felt Oprah should have won for her portrayal of Sophia...as a matter of fact, ANYONE in The Color Purple could have earned an award. And I agree, Denzel could win for almost any role he plays. I'm not arguing who should win what when for which roles. I'm pissed at her comment about Halle's speech being "just for blacks." We could argue all day about if she actually deserved it - that's another blog. But regardless, she won - and her speech was heartfelt, not "for the blacks," but from her soul.
B, I also agree children benefit when they are raised by two parents, but it can't just be ANY parents. They have to be good role modoels for their children, or else staying together for the sake of the children could be just as deetrimental. I'm not an advocate for people striving to be single parents, but if life takes you to that place, I applaud the ones who take responsibitly and raise their children to the best of their ability.
Annamaria...I know you probably meant it in a complimentary manner, but Sharpton is NOT who I ever want to be compared to...him and Jesse are on some other ish. But that's another blog topic, too. But thank you so much for the positive words and response - I appreciate it.
I detest Halle Berry. In a MAJOR way. She look good. And she's been in some movies I liked in the past. Those are about the only positive things I can bring myself to say about her.
She's no BROOKE.
Brooke...I feel you getting mad, but again - that was her intention. She's probably been loving having appeared on that show...she'll be milking it for weeks.
Oh, I'm sure she is milking it. In a weird way, it was actually fun to watch because she was making a fool of herself. While these type of people love attention, I think they also hate seeing themselves made to look foolish. The best was watching Babs' response to her - even in her coolness she gave her a look like "you should be glad I even let you come on my show." On today's View, Whoopi said "we all know you're Barbara Walters" (talking about some other topic) and Barbara quickly replied, "you wouldn't know that from yesterday's show." While that may have been a bit arrogant of her to say, I admired her gangsta!
And they know her act as well, which is why they had her on. They knew it would be a heated discussion and that makes for good tv and ratings...so everyone is in on the act.
Brooke your a great writer but I did not know you are a Lawyer as well. I like how you broke the facts down.
No, that was Rameer breaking stuff down - I was just ranting! LOL! But thank you! When are you guest blogging for me D? :-)
Great job Liz! Stay focused and keep up the good work!
Good blog Brooke.
Just letting you all know that when I do my speec it will be directed to the trailer park people. lol
Out!
Hey everyone! Crazy day but had to chime in...
Liz you go girl! I'm rooting for ya!
In regards to Ann...her ignorance and stirring up stuff is what gets her that paycheck. Sad but true. I watched the clip and I'm not even surprised that Mom who watches the View everyday didn't chime in. She probably laughed at the woman! She's so humble and to raise me and then adopt two medically challenged children who are my sisters (one has passed since) is a selfless person. Single parenting is no joke but then to give more of yourself and talents to more children that don't have homes, have numerous medical conditions and will always need to be taken care of is incredible and an act of God in itself. She's amazing! I wish Mom read blogs...and even turned on a computer lol so she could read this one. She would love it!
And I agree with the other comments about the shout outs to single mothers. I give them all props and too the single dads because they are holding it down too!
All I can say is not to put too much energy into that ignorant chick Ann C. cause we know the real deal and that's worth more then what she makes because it's priceless what a lot of these single mothers do to raise us.
Brooke great blog!
Peace.
Wow, your mother sounds like an amazing woman - no wonder you're so great! Raising children with special medical needs isn't easy, so for her to take that on on her own shows how selfless and strong she is. Amazing.
Wow great blog Brooke...you know I saw this yesterday and I was hoping Barbra would bitch slap her...I know Joy was...she's gangsta...well anyway coming from a single parent as you well know LOL.....I can say most of my friends who came from a single home had just as much chance of success as a two parent home....As a matter-of-fact some people we grew up with who came from two parents got into more trouble...but its not about how many parents were in the house its about HOW YOU WERE RAISED!!!!!
Annamaria you love Halle Berry cause you look just like her!!!!!!LOL
Rameer I so get what you are saying, It is her act, just like Elizabeth Hasselbeck she wasn't all conservative until Rosie was there...She needs to keep her job because her husband ain't doin nothing.....
Anyway on the last note...Shout out to my MA Dukes for doing such a GREAT JOB!!!!!!
Love today's post and love all the comments. They're all on the money.
I met Dominic Carter of NY1 News last year and he shared with me how many controversial, if not crazy and infuriating pundits don't necessarily believe what they say in the media (at least not to the degree that they spout it). They are simply doing what they do for ratings, time slot viability and ultimately their paycheck.
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