I am happy to see so many people recognized for their dedication and for their contributions to a more livable world. Cue the music and roll the clips because congratulations are in order– again, to Miss Major on her “Pioneer of the Year” award and TS Madison on her Emmy for RuPaul’s Drag Race. Awards season is officially upon us!
This is also the beginning of conference season. I can already tell the advocacy is going to be nothing to play with in 2024. The real question is, are these fools going to be ready?
First up, we have Nick Wilson, a reality star turned state representative. Wilson introduced House Bill 289 for the Kentucky General Assembly’s consideration, which– thanks to a typo– would legalize sex between first cousins. The bill is meant to add “sexual conduct” to the state’s current ban on “sexual intercourse” among family members, but Wilson eliminated the phrase “first cousins” from the text. Several blogs, news outlets, and TikTok accounts immediately sounded off, resulting in the Survivor winner explaining via Facebook his error. An amendment was filed within 24 hours of submitting the bill. Nonetheless, you mean to tell the people you didn’t have another set of eyes to proofread? Mistakes happen, but surely we deserve more caution around important legislation.
Nikki Haley made a brow-raising claim that this country has NEVER been racist. That is it, y’all. That’s the post. Hands down, Nikki earns her Shut Up Fool solely with that comment. Insisting that the United States “has never been a racist country” as a Brown person is pretty wild. Although, speaking as a Black person, our experiences can be similar but the impact of racism on the Black community is not equal to that of other minority races. I guess Tim Scott’s 45 endorsement was his way of saying shut up fool!
To be judged in Hollywood not based on your skills, but by the amount of melanin in your skin– which in turn decides how many people will pay with their money or time to engage your art– can be disheartening.
There are many claims of unequal pay going on in Hollywood, and it’s clear DJ Vlad is aware of it. The former DJ and journalist went after Taraji P. Henson for her discussions of pay inequity in Hollywood, saying, “Nobody wants to hear a millionaire complain.”
The privilege to ignore these claims as a hip-hop connoisseur is pretty mindblowing. How can you call yourself knowledgeable and credible? Let’s keep it a bean. A white man policing the finances of a Black woman in Hollywood is not something to smile and wave at, especially when his bag was secured by interviewing contemporaries who constantly speak about their own experiences around value.
Vlad’s way of thinking enforces the generational inequities that Black people continue to face. How dare a Black person become a millionaire and complain about not being paid their just due? You may not know these celebrities personally, and you might have your own opinion on this topic that has Black women speaking up, but some thoughts are better kept to yourself. Shut up, fool.
