Tell 'Em Why You're (Not) Mad, Son!

I had a friend instant message me today, asking if I'd seen the Vogue cover with Lebron James and Gisele Bundchen. Of course I have. Stevie Wonder has seen it. Anyway, this friend happens to be a black man who is deeply offended by the cover. I saw the following alternate on Jezebel, and sent it to him. Nope, that's not better, he said. Less blatant, but just as bad. As I told him, I'm the first person to be on the lookout for racism. It's ALWAYS racism. But... this isn't as problematic to me as the fact that Lebron James is the first black man to cover US Vogue (and the first black man to cover French Vogue was a leggy crossdresser - meanwhile Men's Vogue has covered Will Smith, Denzel Washington, and Obama). More problematic is that J.Hud was only the third black woman to cover US Vogue. Vogue is not the most diverse or racially sensitive crayon in the box. But the James-Bundchen cover? It just doesn't scream 'King Kong' to me. They both look like they're having fun. (Oh, and why isn't LeBron in a suit, as my friend and others have asked indignantly? All of the sports figures in the mag are dressed in uniform, while the models, uh, model.) Ta-Nehisi Coates makes a good point about racism debates about magazine covers versus, you know, actual racism. And The Assimilated Negro agrees that this is all a bit much. But what's your take on it?

The big game

I got a little caught up. Granted, it was a Sunday night, so after all two parties were seated there was little else to do but watch the game with everyone else at the bar. In real life, I abhor football. It's a huge waste of time, resources, money, and Faith Hill's voice; all of which go to what, a game?? Moreover, all this nonsense about strategy and plays? Well in the words of Danny in Grease: "Don't make me laugh. Ha. Ha. Ha." Give me a real game, a game of both skill and chance, a game that isn't played in weather below zero, a game where so many players are on steroids that the playing field has been leveled. Give me baseball! But I forgot my dislike of the game and was quickly swept along in a wave of warmth, goodwill, frustration, and ultimately elation. Packers vs. Giants. Such a close game, so many flags on the play (I don't know what that means...). And ok, Brett Favre. Hasn't he been playing this game since I was about... oh yea high? He's gotta be at least 90. He's like the Karl Malone of football. Tonight was fun, but now my football rush is fading into sleepiness. Tomorrow promises to be a busy day. ____ Listening to: John Pizzarelli, "I Thought About You."