A guy named Chad

Some of you readers may have heard about the controversy surrounding Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson's new dating series on VH1. Some of you may be wondering, "What's an Ochocinco?", while others may be asking, "What's VH1?".

The show is called Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch, and the issue in the blogosphere is that only four of the 17 women he selected out of 85 candidates to be his "ultimate catch" are black. More discussion on the topic can be found in the articles below:

Chad Ochocinco Criticized For Not Choosing Black Women On VH1 Dating Show, by Jessica Wakeman, The Frisky.

Ochocinco Talks Dating and Addresses Black Women, by Yolanda Sangweni, Essence.

Here is my take on the situation:

1. Who names themselves after two numbers in a language he (allegedly) doesn't even speak?

2. How did Ochocinco get a show on VH1? Well, I guess if someone like Frank The Entertainer--whose claim to fame is being a contestant on a spinoff of a spinoff of a spinoff of a spinoff--then giving a show to an infamous football player makes more sense.

3. I have never heard of a corresponding situation on a dating show like The Bachelor or Rock of Love. Yes, on those shows there are occasionally one or two black women (who usually pass the brown paper bag test) to throw some token diversity in the mix. But I have never heard of an instance in which any of the all white Bachelors or Mr. Michaels only had four white women to choose from on their shows. I don't recall Chris Harrison announcing, "This season on The Bachelor, guess who's coming to dinner? Keisha and Rosario, come on down!"

4. Considering the rainbow salad that is the United States of America, I would like to see a dating competition show that featured a bachelor or bachelorette who was neither white nor black. How about Mei Ling of Love, or For the Love of Raj, or Carlos: A Basement Affair?

5. I have never met a black person name Chad. However, the only person I've met named Tyrone is white. Think about that.


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How could Chilli not choose Farmer D?

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He's a farmer who wears cool hats and helps the homeless. What's not to love? To each her own, I guess. :|

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Why am I going to watch this show?

Because I have no shame.

You can see an extended trailer here.

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I need some Dr. Tom in my life:

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Where can I find a practicing physician who moonlights as a chef and wants to prepare me a four-course meal in my home? Though he could leave out the watermelon salad, especially during Black History Month. :|


Being Erica's Dr. Tom is cool, too, but I doubt he would feed me chocolate:




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For the Love of Ray J is back!

It premieres this Monday night, at 9/8 c, on both MTV and VH1.

Yes, I will be watching. No, I have no shame.

If only From Gs to Gents would come back, too.

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Black history is Everyone's history.

Thank you, VH1. And thank you, Ray J:

He's a multi-platinum singer/songwriter? Really?

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I took a walk this morning,

and it was the Best Walk Ever! Readers of the female persuasion, you should go on a walk, too.

The group of people I walked with was made up of so many fabulous women at different points in their careers. During the reception that followed, I got to talk with talented individuals whom I had never expected to encounter, and whose work I never realized how much I appreciated until it wasn't there anymore. The coolest thing about the entire affair was how comfortable I felt. I was accepted by everyone, by women who have done so much with their lives already. And many of those successful women were impressed by me and my goals. I wasn't worried about what my face looked like or what clothes I was wearing. I felt so supported and empowered and connected. These are people who understand what I stand for and know how far we still have to go as women together.

After all of that positivity this morning, conversely this evening I've been watching And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip Hop, a miniseries on VH1. After four hours of footage that included the LL Cool J, Run DMC, The Beastie Boys, and rises and fall of Tupac and Biggie, one guy finally mentioned "The whole misogyny thing", and pointed out that "[hip-hop is] so accommodating of different styles and different points of view...except for women." Ice-T then excused the industry's oppression and degradation of women by calling it a "back-and-forth", ongoing "battle of the sexes", stating that rappers like Foxy Brown and Lil Kim represent "Do me" feminism.

You know what I love? When men making millions of dollars off of hip hop--an industry now fully entrenched in the hate, mockery and subjugation of girls and women--try to inform me about feminism. Additionally, the entire contribution of women in the hip hop community was relegated to ten of the final 20 minutes of this five-hour special. Those ten minutes included commercials. Also, during this entire special, only one woman was featured as a talking head. One. I couldn't tell you how many men there were featured during those five hours, it was that many.

As I watched the special this evening, and as I listened to Steve Harvey talking to Smokey Robinson on the radio this morning, I realized how much of our culture is dominated by people who decided to say something and were given the power to do so. Not necessarily something important. Just something. Many of these people are men with absolutely nothing of value to say. I'm not talking about Mr. Harvey or Mr. Robinson in particular. I'm talking about fools like Nelly and Lil Jon, whose songs and videos degrade themselves and the women "hired" to gyrate in them. Hired is in quotation marks because I learned from another hip-hop special on VH1 that these women are often not paid for their appearances. Instead of getting much deserved residuals any time the video airs, they get harassed and abused for free. Now that's America. And how are Nelly and Lil Jon degrading themselves? Well, Nelly grew up in a middle-class suburb, and Lil Jon apparently has a bachelors degree. Yet they perpetuate this ghetto fabulous lifestyle acting like they have no sense. What is that about?

Ooh, so now I'm watching a commercial for Ben Stiller's The Heartbreak Kid which looks like a movie about Ben marrying a blond woman who is way too young and way too good-looking for him. He seems not to have known anything about his trophy wife before he married her, and now it turns out that she's crazy. And the movie wants us to feel sorry for him . . . why? I don't get it. Maybe he shouldn't have married some skinny blond woman half his age before he got to know her. Idiot.

I can't wait to see that other movie coming about that young, funny, driven college-educated woman who likes to talk about current events with her friends . . . Oh, that's not a movie? . . . I meant the TV show. . . No TV show either? Then I guess I'll go watch some more gay men on Logo. :(

Nope, there is obviously no problem with the representation of women in American media. You win, irwin.

That's all for now.