"A lot of stuff that's out today is coonery buffoonery," filmmaker Spike said in an interview at the past Black Enterprise Entrepreneur Summit. Lee was referring to the television productions and movies of Tyler Perry. Spike went on to say, "Tyler's very smart with what he's done. He started out with these plays. Church busses would pull up, packed and he's parlayed it into a... he bought his own jet. You buy a jet, you've got money."
Some would say that Spike is bitter, because Tyler has made such wealth for himself. But, when you look at the fact that Hollywood has a long history of supporting and promoting benign negro buffoonery, then one might think that it's not bitterness on Spike's part at all. It's reality.
Chuck D. of the Public Enemy (socially conscious hip-hop group of the 1980's and early 90's) said of the rappers mugging for television programs with all of their diamonds, big cars and cribs, "It's coonery. 'Yessah mas'r' with white lips everywhere, just to show your people what you got and they don't. House 'niggroes' of the worst type."
Chuck D. raised the consciousness of many young Blacks during the hay day of PE, but when the awareness of this elevated consciousness reached the White record exec's, the gig was over for Public Enemy. That consciousness became most real with young Blacks everywhere reciting the lines of the 1989 PE hit, "Fight the Power":
Elvis was a hero to most,
But he never meant shit to me,
You see straight out racist,
The sucker was simple and plain,
(Motherfuck him and John Wayne...)
With Elvis being a White recording industry "super icon" and the Enemy being in that same White record industry, one would have to know that there would be no way that PE would survive long after that slam. There is still way too much money to make on Elvis for the industry to allow this sort of free speech to go unchecked.
In the early 90's, Public Enemy found themselves "facing an audience that had moved on," according to strategic White media and sell-out negro media. Chuck's voice was effectively hushed in the record industry and Blacks were put back to sleep as we watched our favorite thug/gangster/bling-bling/pant saggin' buffoon show off his grill and crib that the White folks let him have for being a good n-word and poisoning the minds of little brothers and sisters across America.
"Fight the Power" was recently voted the number 1 hip-hop song of all times in the VH-1 countdown by fans and industry analysts.
Coonery and buffoonery is not limited to our Black entertainment. It shows itself in Black business and politics as well. My good friend, Pris' (Prisoner of Love) and I, discuss the coonery and buffoonery of our Black politicians and business people frequently.
Pris' has been on radio shows and talk show circuits asking "What real power does the Black man have?" His question is very deep and profound, yet seems to be going over the heads of many who are asked. Some are dismissive, calling him a pessimist and explaining the perceived power of certain Blacks that they can name. But, when Pris' provides the insight that every Black that they can name has a White man that ultimately determines their lot, the conversation is usually ended abruptly.
What Pris' believes is that the only power that any "real" Black man can have is the power to take care of his family, teach his children, love his people and help his community. "A negro driving a Benz, chasing young girls, thinking that he's something because White folks smile at him and give him awards is as big a damned fool as was Stepin' Fetchit or Sleep-n-Eat."
I, myself, have written in the past that we are the only race of people that I've seen having so many awards ceremonies and celebrations in the light of doing so poorly as a collective. When you consider the fact that in every case of these awards 'shindigs,' they are largely presented through White sponsorship dollars, then the celebration itself becomes much like a coon and buffoon show.
Not to say that there isn't a great deal for us to celebrate as Black people. There truly is. I simply don't believe that these kinds of celebrations do justice for us as a people. I actually feel that they do more detriment in showing that some of us are willing to have a party on the White man's dime rather than doing substantive things to improve the plight of Black people.
Will we as Black people, ever be beyond the coonery and buffoonery that many of us have CHOSEN as our path to progress?
It is up to our children. Many of the "I marched with King" negroes are completely lost. If some that claim to have marched with Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. actually did, then it was nothing more than parade to them.
We refer to them also as the "I got mine" generation. They were so busy selling themselves for what they could get out of the "Civil Rights" deal that they failed to see the writing on the wall. They will be leaving the world and our community far worse off than they found it and for that, we must say thanks for the show "niggros."
The generation behind them (my generation) can only hope to instill our young with the knowledge necessary to go beyond and be better. The way that I calculate it, with the 50 years that the "I got mine" generation lost for us, my daughter's children will be in a position to stop the shuffle, approach the world with the seriousness that it requires to see justice and opportunity for all, and end the coonery and buffoonery for good.
Home
Some would say that Spike is bitter, because Tyler has made such wealth for himself. But, when you look at the fact that Hollywood has a long history of supporting and promoting benign negro buffoonery, then one might think that it's not bitterness on Spike's part at all. It's reality.
Chuck D. of the Public Enemy (socially conscious hip-hop group of the 1980's and early 90's) said of the rappers mugging for television programs with all of their diamonds, big cars and cribs, "It's coonery. 'Yessah mas'r' with white lips everywhere, just to show your people what you got and they don't. House 'niggroes' of the worst type."
Chuck D. raised the consciousness of many young Blacks during the hay day of PE, but when the awareness of this elevated consciousness reached the White record exec's, the gig was over for Public Enemy. That consciousness became most real with young Blacks everywhere reciting the lines of the 1989 PE hit, "Fight the Power":
Elvis was a hero to most,
But he never meant shit to me,
You see straight out racist,
The sucker was simple and plain,
(Motherfuck him and John Wayne...)
With Elvis being a White recording industry "super icon" and the Enemy being in that same White record industry, one would have to know that there would be no way that PE would survive long after that slam. There is still way too much money to make on Elvis for the industry to allow this sort of free speech to go unchecked.
In the early 90's, Public Enemy found themselves "facing an audience that had moved on," according to strategic White media and sell-out negro media. Chuck's voice was effectively hushed in the record industry and Blacks were put back to sleep as we watched our favorite thug/gangster/bling-bling/pant saggin' buffoon show off his grill and crib that the White folks let him have for being a good n-word and poisoning the minds of little brothers and sisters across America.
"Fight the Power" was recently voted the number 1 hip-hop song of all times in the VH-1 countdown by fans and industry analysts.
Coonery and buffoonery is not limited to our Black entertainment. It shows itself in Black business and politics as well. My good friend, Pris' (Prisoner of Love) and I, discuss the coonery and buffoonery of our Black politicians and business people frequently.
Pris' has been on radio shows and talk show circuits asking "What real power does the Black man have?" His question is very deep and profound, yet seems to be going over the heads of many who are asked. Some are dismissive, calling him a pessimist and explaining the perceived power of certain Blacks that they can name. But, when Pris' provides the insight that every Black that they can name has a White man that ultimately determines their lot, the conversation is usually ended abruptly.
What Pris' believes is that the only power that any "real" Black man can have is the power to take care of his family, teach his children, love his people and help his community. "A negro driving a Benz, chasing young girls, thinking that he's something because White folks smile at him and give him awards is as big a damned fool as was Stepin' Fetchit or Sleep-n-Eat."
I, myself, have written in the past that we are the only race of people that I've seen having so many awards ceremonies and celebrations in the light of doing so poorly as a collective. When you consider the fact that in every case of these awards 'shindigs,' they are largely presented through White sponsorship dollars, then the celebration itself becomes much like a coon and buffoon show.
Not to say that there isn't a great deal for us to celebrate as Black people. There truly is. I simply don't believe that these kinds of celebrations do justice for us as a people. I actually feel that they do more detriment in showing that some of us are willing to have a party on the White man's dime rather than doing substantive things to improve the plight of Black people.
Will we as Black people, ever be beyond the coonery and buffoonery that many of us have CHOSEN as our path to progress?
It is up to our children. Many of the "I marched with King" negroes are completely lost. If some that claim to have marched with Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. actually did, then it was nothing more than parade to them.
We refer to them also as the "I got mine" generation. They were so busy selling themselves for what they could get out of the "Civil Rights" deal that they failed to see the writing on the wall. They will be leaving the world and our community far worse off than they found it and for that, we must say thanks for the show "niggros."
The generation behind them (my generation) can only hope to instill our young with the knowledge necessary to go beyond and be better. The way that I calculate it, with the 50 years that the "I got mine" generation lost for us, my daughter's children will be in a position to stop the shuffle, approach the world with the seriousness that it requires to see justice and opportunity for all, and end the coonery and buffoonery for good.