Mike Otherz
All Star
http://www.ebony.com/news-views/mik...nd-why-he-had-to-go-there-053/2#axzz3YFRWVVo2
MED: I’m not saying that. Here’s the problem with West. And here’s the problem with that criticism of my leaving [those things] out. West has besmirched Sharpton and Jackson for being “ontologically addicted to the camera.” Sir, we saw you on TV getting arrested, it was camera ready. Now, Martin Luther King, Jr. was brilliant at usin’ the cameras. You don’t dog him. But you dog Sharpton and Jackson. Let’s apply that to you. Let’s apply this ready-made, camera ready photo op of you going to Ferguson. And by the way, there were some people like Tef Poe and others who thought what you were doin’ was extremely and explicitly exploitative, while others of course appreciated it.
So that’s the point: Anybody can be called exploitative and called opportunistic. So why should we believe you more than anybody else, especially with men who have cut their teeth and made their bones on doing precisely the thing that you occasionally do? They have given their lives to doing it. This is the consequence of Cornel West refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of another person’s approach. “Handkerchief,” you know, “on a plantation,” ”liar,” “fraud,” “bootlicker.” Sir. Then why should we not apply the same litmus test to you? Are we to believe you because you said you did it for the right reason? It makes no sense.
Tavis Smiley was this guy, he says in his memoir he’s his best friend. Now they don’t even speak. Jay Z. Cornel West was asked by American Express—wait a minute, is this the left wing critic? American Express. Is this the person against oligarchy? American Express. Anti-capitalist? American Express. ([And] I love Ken Chenault as the Black face of American Express coming up with the black card. What a subversive message that is: the highest piece of possession in one’s own personal finance is a black card.)
EBONY: [Laughs]
MED: That is brilliantly Undercover Brother-like ish. So, but you were asked by American Express to vet Jay Z if he was worthy, if he were worthy of a commercial. What? Not you, not Cornel West. The American empire, through its corporatist, capitalist zenith, seduces you into vetting a capitalist exploitative artist, you claim, Jay Z, and you gave him your blessing. And then four years later, you’re clowning him as an example of a man who lacks courage. Who are you not beefing with? So Jay Z, Tavis Smiley, Michael Eric Dyson, Melissa Harris-Perry, Al Sharpton… I mean, at the end of the day, tell ’em why you’re mad, son, tell ’em why you’re mad! So when I put it all together, it just doesn’t hold water.
apparently, ken chesnault used cornel to vet black celebrities to see if they were worthy of commercials and money.
thats like finding out sharpton was cool with the mob etc.
thats some al haymon shyt if i do say so my self. the idea of jay z having to bow down to cornel west just for him to get accepted by corperate america is hillaroius. its a lot of shyt behind the scenes in this entertainment we dont know. who knew man reppin all thepoor peoples of the world was the go to guy for one of capitalisms biggest institutions.
MED: I’m not saying that. Here’s the problem with West. And here’s the problem with that criticism of my leaving [those things] out. West has besmirched Sharpton and Jackson for being “ontologically addicted to the camera.” Sir, we saw you on TV getting arrested, it was camera ready. Now, Martin Luther King, Jr. was brilliant at usin’ the cameras. You don’t dog him. But you dog Sharpton and Jackson. Let’s apply that to you. Let’s apply this ready-made, camera ready photo op of you going to Ferguson. And by the way, there were some people like Tef Poe and others who thought what you were doin’ was extremely and explicitly exploitative, while others of course appreciated it.
So that’s the point: Anybody can be called exploitative and called opportunistic. So why should we believe you more than anybody else, especially with men who have cut their teeth and made their bones on doing precisely the thing that you occasionally do? They have given their lives to doing it. This is the consequence of Cornel West refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of another person’s approach. “Handkerchief,” you know, “on a plantation,” ”liar,” “fraud,” “bootlicker.” Sir. Then why should we not apply the same litmus test to you? Are we to believe you because you said you did it for the right reason? It makes no sense.
Tavis Smiley was this guy, he says in his memoir he’s his best friend. Now they don’t even speak. Jay Z. Cornel West was asked by American Express—wait a minute, is this the left wing critic? American Express. Is this the person against oligarchy? American Express. Anti-capitalist? American Express. ([And] I love Ken Chenault as the Black face of American Express coming up with the black card. What a subversive message that is: the highest piece of possession in one’s own personal finance is a black card.)
EBONY: [Laughs]
MED: That is brilliantly Undercover Brother-like ish. So, but you were asked by American Express to vet Jay Z if he was worthy, if he were worthy of a commercial. What? Not you, not Cornel West. The American empire, through its corporatist, capitalist zenith, seduces you into vetting a capitalist exploitative artist, you claim, Jay Z, and you gave him your blessing. And then four years later, you’re clowning him as an example of a man who lacks courage. Who are you not beefing with? So Jay Z, Tavis Smiley, Michael Eric Dyson, Melissa Harris-Perry, Al Sharpton… I mean, at the end of the day, tell ’em why you’re mad, son, tell ’em why you’re mad! So when I put it all together, it just doesn’t hold water.
apparently, ken chesnault used cornel to vet black celebrities to see if they were worthy of commercials and money.
thats like finding out sharpton was cool with the mob etc.
thats some al haymon shyt if i do say so my self. the idea of jay z having to bow down to cornel west just for him to get accepted by corperate america is hillaroius. its a lot of shyt behind the scenes in this entertainment we dont know. who knew man reppin all thepoor peoples of the world was the go to guy for one of capitalisms biggest institutions.
