The other Things Fall Apart

I recall back in 1985 and 86 reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. It was part of an English class I had at City College in New York. The purpose was to see some of the great writing from people of color that the standard public school education never even hinted existed.

Things Fall Apart is the story of an African man, back during the early colonial days of the English invading Africa, and how he copes with the forced introduction of European democracy and Chrisitianity. It is quite a book. While I personally did not enjoy it, much to the surprise of my Professor, I did feel the power and statement of the book. If you have never heard of it, I do recommend it.

So you can imagine my surprise that a film called Things Fall Apart is in production now. Hollywood making a film starring and featuring a Black cast, with a less than positive view of Europe, colonization of Africa, and the purposive destruction of tradition and lives of people rich in culture and tradition. I'd have bet money that it would NEVER happen.

And I would win that bet.

Things Fall Apart, the film, is not a take on Chinua Achebe's acclaimed 1958 book. The closest the film gets to any aspect of the book is the fact that African Americans are in the movie. Once you find out who is in the movie and what it's about, you might cry since it shares the name of such a great work.

The film is about "a star football running back, played by Jackson, who faces a personal tragedy as well as his own mortality while in his senior year in college." The Jackson mentioned is Curtis Jackson, best known as the grammatically challenging name 50 Cent.

Talk about a let down. This is another quickie low-budget film, featuring a minor D-list actor (really a glorified rapper, which is the same thing) in a role likely to do nothing but glorify violence and reinforce the misguided idea that the only chance of success for African Americans lies in sports or entertainment.

The film originally was titled Love Me, Love Me Not. I think they should have stayed with that title rather than piggy-backing on the title of a far superior work of art.

Of course I could be wrong. Curtis Jackson might have taken MANY needed acting lessons. The film could be a breakout role, showing Jackson displaying depth and pathos. And Hollywood might actually adapt Chinua Achebe's book. In fact Iran might give up on creating nukes and the Health Care Reform might not cost us extra money. It's all mathematically probable, which is another way of saying realistically impossible.

Look at it like this. The movie will cost around $20 to see when you add in all the costs. The DVD will likely be the same. You could buy the hardcover edition of Chinua Achebe's book for $11. You will save $9 and have a far better time for your money. Plus if you are into the "we have to support Blacks in entertainment even if it's crap" mindset, Achebe is African, so you are still supporting - just quality in the case of the book.

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50 Cent sells his skin for money

You might have heard that 50 Cent is making a change. It seems that the bullet magnet is dropping one of his more notable marketing points in his effort to become less 'ghettofabulous'. What might this be? His tattoos.

Now most people of my age or older got tattoos because there was a meaning for them. Each of my 4 tattoos is a symbol of an event or moment in my life. But the meanings of tattoos changed over the years and now are just a common fad, with the majority of people getting them just because it's a popular thing to do. Curtis Jackson (50 Cent) is among that latter group.

50 Cent is removing his tattoos with laser removal to improve his chances of getting film roles. Which says 2 things clearly. The first is that the tattoos have little true meaning, which begs the question why place such a demonstrative and ideally permanent image on his body in the first place? The second is that Jackson (50 Cent) believes that the tattoos somehow interfere with his ability to act.

Personally I believe that a tattoo is a statement for life. No one should ever place something on their body that has no meaning to them. Unlike a hairstyle or clothing, a tattoo is not something that can be changed on a whim. Tattoos are not fashion but a declaration of a person in a manner that announces itself to the world - if it can be easily seen. Given that now such importance is not given to tattoos, sadly.

But as for the conflict with the acting ability of Jackson... well that is another matter. 50 Cent has stated that sleep is more important to him than the tattoos. That the time in make-up to hide the tattoos is detrimental to his film career. Likely there is also the thought that his marketability among Hollywood is higher when tattoos are not prominent.

Generally I find this to mean that 50 Cent is even more of a sell-out than ever before. If the tattoos were more than a statement of his desire to just be popular and follow a trend, then he would keep them. So it implies that he is weak willed in that respect.

His removal of the tattoos in an effort to receive monetaty gain implies his willingness to conform for a price. he is willing to enact extremes just to get a dollar. Which is not too suprising for a person willing to sell drugs for a living. Such an individual is little more than a whore for money, in my opinion, and obviously a sell-out given the chance.

But the thought I really find amusing is the thought that the tattoos in any way might influence his acting ability. One must have talent first, to have anything affect it. Thus far there is no hint of his ability to act, execpt if you include his minstrel act as acting. Therefore tattoos or not, he is rightly relegated to the standard D-class of acting that virtually all rappers-turned-actors deserve.

How good is 50 Cent acting? Well there is the upcoming film Twelve, where he has to stretch his abilities and reach to play a murdering drug dealer. Who knows if he can get into that role. Not that he has life experience there.

The film Get Rich or Die Tryin' was so impressive Samuel Jackson stated he did not want to lend credence to what he believed was an inexperienced and unproven actor. It also promted the quote from film critic Roger Ebert,

"Like Bill Cosby, Jackson is arguing against the anti-intellectual message that success for young black males is better sought in the worlds of rap and sports than in the classroom".

It also was a film that demanded immense acting skill, with 50 Cent playing a drug dealer that hoped to be a rapper.

All in all, lack of tattoos will not improve his lot in gaining roles. He is regarded as he should be, a drug dealer that got popular for being a minstrel. Hollywood has yet to have a reason to treat him better.

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50 Cent sex video lawsuit

I've found that rappers, since 1992, are a sad bunch of minstrels. They parade around screaming how tough they are, how much they love the ghetto (that they got out of), and how many drugs they can take while screwing anything that can walk. The reality is just so far from that.

One of the bigger "artists" is minstrel entertainer Curtis Jackson. He is probably best known as 50 Cent, and less well as bullet magnet. His songs boast of a glamorous thug lifestyle. His videos show him endulging in copious amounts of alcohol, women and so on. His reputation is built upon the facts that he is a dropout and convicted drug dealer.

As impressive as all that may be, the thing that I find interesting is the latest legal battle he is facing. 50 Cent is so successful, so surrounded by throngs of women, that he is getting sued for a sex video on the internet.

Not a video of him having sex, which I'm sure some drug-addled fan might envision in a haze of ganja high. It's a video of someone else. All Jackson did was insert himself into the video with a wig, robe, and providing a narration. Then he put it on his website. Or so the lawsuit he faces alleges.

Now I doubt that Jackson is geek enough to know how to manipulate video as required. But the mere fact that he found the best use of his time was to have this video manipulated, seems telling. The fact that it's a sex video even moreso.

For all his money and fame (deserved or not) 50 Cent couldn't even produce his own sex video? Not unlike much of rap today, the best he could do was alter the work of someone else? Not only is this low class (if it is true) its lazy, stupid, and more than a bit creepy.

50 Cent may be one of the best minstrels of the current crop of sell-outs, but I tend to believe that you just can't get the ghetto out of those that want to wallow in the worst aspects of it.

Viewer comment about 50 Cent

Some of my long-time readers may recall that I recently commented on the MTV program featuring 50 Cent. I'm sure they would also recall my thoughts about this particular gangsta rapper.

"So Curtis Jackson will be getting a television show on MTV. Viacom must be drooling. The executives there must salivate inbetween laughter at the thought that a ex-convict, crack drug dealer, making them money legally. It’s such a dumb idea that it probably will work."

Well in that post I also had a Youtube video commentary.



Now that commentary received more than just a few vulgar comments. Few were in english and contained a full thought. But one did. And I present that well thought out, interesting comment.

"Dear VassMike:

In your youtube rant, you have brought up many good points, and others that are not so good, witch I intend to address in this letter.

First, you are right, the whole 50 cent show is laughable if not a bad idea. It probably promotes various bad influences, however, no more so then any other shows aiming for the same adolescent audience group. The same group that 50 targets to make his money. And it works, he is filthy rich.

As for your proposal that he does not know any business other then crack and rap, is mislead. He had many other business movements. Such as a clothing line, bottled vitamin water (which he sold to Coca-Cola for millions), and probably more. He is very skilled and knowledgeable in what he does.

The rap is an easy skill comment shows ignorance in the subject. Rap is not an easy skill, in-fact it is very hard. To create flow with rhyme, syncing with a beat, and remaining comprehendible is no easy feat. Hence, most rappers do not know how to do this.

50 Cent (not 50 Cents) chose his name because 50 Cent was urban talk for something, which I can not recall at this time. It is not based on dollar value. This is why its 50 Cent (singular).

Now, I am hesitant to mention this because I am not 100% sure on this, however, I will write it anyway. 50 Cent, I am pretty sure, had put lots of money into urban areas in an attempt to make "hood" life better, but kept it hush hush so that it would not tarnish his name. And by tarnish, I only mean in the sense to make him look soft and lose record sells.

As for the crack "poisoning" people comment, I would like to say, no more than Players or Demoria cigarettes. Tobacco and alcohol poison people. I seen parents buy cigarettes over food for there children. The very same thing you are smoking in your video. I understand it is a lesser evil, but an evil none the less.

Please do not take this letter as an attack. You seem to be a clean cut, self respecting, and political kind of guy. This I like about you. However, I just feel that your attacks should not be so much on 50 Cent, and more on the whole video game/movie/music industry that allows this "its cool to be a gangster" concept come into play.

I myself do enjoy such music/movie/video game violent concepts because it acts as an outlet for my aggression, its entertaining. But I do not act in such a manner in the real world. It is a shame though, for those who are influenced and act out as they do on TV. There just needs to be better parents.

Sincerely,
ShadowsAndGhosts "

My reply will appear as a comment below.

50 cent sell a new opiate to the masses

So Curtis Jackson will be getting a television show on MTV. Viacom must be drooling. The executives there must salivate inbetween laughter at the thought that a ex-convict, crack drug dealer, making them money legally. It’s such a dumb idea that it probably will work.

50 cent, will have a program on MTV where people will compete in a business oriented reality program. Now my initial thoughts are these



Expanding on that thought I wonder what the competitions on this program will be. Who can take the biggest drag on a crack pipe? Who can stand longer after being shot? Who can run from the police on foot the fastest?

Perhaps I’m being too harsh. This high school dropout might actually be smarter than the things he has done in the past. He might have taken time in prison to educate himself. But I doubt it.

I obviously have a problem with unrepentant drug dealers that are glorified and promoted by corporations that wish to profit off of the worst aspects of the Black community. I dislike the fact that this sell-out will get pennies on the dollar to showcase a program where other people (inevitably mostly Black I assume) will run around looking foolish to make even fewer pennies on the dollar – if they win – all for the amusement and benefit of Sumner Redstone, Viacom, and such.

Think about it. In the 1970’s it became impossible for these people to make money degrading Blacks publicly. In the 1990’s they saw and developed the ability to continue to disenfranchise and minimize Blacks via a medium that was already there, rap. They created and promoted gangsta rap, using the worst representation of the Black community – drug dealers. In effect they now have Black minstrels that go out and say words (especially the n-word) that they can’t say for fear of lawsuits, and rap in money while watching music videos that allow them to envision their greatest fetishes.

Am I against 50 cent having a show on MTV, BET, or any cable or television channel? Unless it’s a program where he is promoting people getting cleans and sober, or having drug dealers apologize for the death and pain they create, no I don’t. Because anything else is the blatant attempt to profit off of his infamy and usability.

In 5 years Curtis Jackson will likely be a fleeting thought. He will likely be relegated to some top 40 playlist when radio stations revisit the past hits. He’ll pop up on a VH1 remembering the 2000 program. But likely that will be it. Because he is not memorable. He is not unique. He is barely capable of being called an artist. And with his loss of fame will go his money, I’m sure.

But until his 15 minutes are up, after he has been milked for every dime he can squeeze out of young White teens in the suburbs and the Black community, he will be dropped as fast as every other rapper you can’t name from the past decade that was once the top.

If you see this program on MTV - 50 Cent: The Money and the Power – know that you are filling the coffers of men that collect money for the buffoonery of 50 cent. If you watch this know that you are spitting on the graves of crackheads that died so that Curtis Jackson could wear the latest trend in clothing at one point in his life. Because every dollar and dime that goes to anything with 50 cent is another dagger in the backs of people Curtis Jackson poisoned and never looked back on.

But if you disagree, if you have a reason I (or anyone) should see this show, please let me know. I’d love to hear that argument.

Discussing 50 cent interview on Fox News

It’s amazing what money will make some people do. Some have sex for it; others sell poison (drugs) to children. The prisons are filled with thieves and petty robbers, and sometimes there are those willing to prostitute themselves just for a buck. In this case I’m referring to 50 cent (Curtis Jackson) appearing on Fox News with Neil Cavuto at 4:50pm Monday, to market a new line of Pontiac cars that he was involved in creating (in other words he put his name on it).

Considering the broad net cast upon Fox News, and the general mood in the gangsta rap industry for the channel I found it amusing that Jackson would appear. But then again, trying to sell the new Pontiac on BET wouldn’t really be possible.

1. There is no news program for him to be on
2. Gangsta rap targets young poorer African Americans
3. The rating suck as few really watch the channel compared to most other cable network programs (though I think they exceed CNN)

So I find it interesting that Jackson went on the channel to pitch the new car essentially to a more conservative, generally White, predominantly Republican, basically older audience. But since he is getting paid (no doubt a licensing deal and or record company perks I imagine) he goes where he is told. But don’t confuse gangsta rappers with sell-outs! That’s just not fair or Black, so I’ve been told.

For those that missed the interview, it was no hatchet job. It was fair and generally stayed on point about this promotion. I found it interesting that for a guy ranking #2 on the Forbes list of top rapper incomes, he only has 3 cars (he never mentioned if any were the car he was pitching). The modesty seems far from the persona he markets on stage, video games and that movie flop.

Which lead to a question about his film coming out next year, April 12th. Sadly I will find something more interesting to do than see him in the film, like take a nap, but I was shocked to hear that Mr. Robert DeNiro and Mr. Al Pacino are in the film. How did he pull that? It’s not like he has talent, nor is he having sex with the director (I presume) so I don’t know what got him the role. I am going to guess it’s a very minor role that will be marketed and hyped as if he were the lead in a $100 million film. No matter what you think of the guy, the fact is he is no Will Smith, or even an Ice Cube.

While this was ongoing, Neil Cavuto referred to a conversation he had with Mr. Sean Combs. They showed a brief clip and the difference in the style between Mr. Combs and Jackson was stark. Mr. Combs looked professional, sharp, casual and wealthy in his suit. Jackson looked like he was just at the gym and paid too much for the quality he had on.

But I digress. Neil Cavuto asked a question of interest about how gangsta rappers are all trying to go mainstream, getting into movies and pretending to be actors. The question was, and I paraphrase both the question and answer,

“I notice that there seems to be a move away from the violence and more to the mainstream. Are you moving away from the violence?

[50 cent] It’s not a move away from aggressive content. Success removes us from the environment, we aren’t writing about those things as much. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there or that someone isn’t writing about it. We’re just not around it.”

Again, I am paraphrasing. If anyone can show me an official transcript I will gladly correct the wording, but the essence has not been changed. And “aggressive content” was exactly the term Jackson used. He was coached very well by his PR people. I was almost impressed by the ex-convict. The subtle change in terminology changing violence, which is what, is advocated and accurately describing the actions described in gangsta rap, to aggressive content implies that his lyrics are no worse than a game of touch football. Talk about spinning a scenario in your favor.

And it’s interesting to note that for the most successful rappers, the ones most in favor of the n-word, being ghetto fabulous, and living the thug-life, (in general) are the ones that have left the ghetto, and lead lives mostly without any connection to the actions they continue to promote. From what I interpreted from Jackson’s words, he believes that essentially the top and longest running rappers are fakes since they have no connection to the events they proclaim rap is meant to ‘keep real’.

[Why do people keep saying that? What does it mean? Keep it real. Like you can fake life. Like there is a choice in being alive. This isn’t the Matrix, when stuff happens it happens. The statement is ignorant, a result of minds refusing to stretch to find the words that actually convey the thought in their head.]

Now add to all this the fact that Jackson likes Senator Hillary Clinton, because he liked her husband. What President Clinton has to do with her holding the Presidency makes no sense to me. She did not gain experience in running the government by osmosis, nor did she have a real power or position when she was First Lady. And her policies, if you can figure out what they are, seem to not match his.

Of course, like most I’ve noticed in support of Senator Clinton, Jackson is strongly against President Bush. When you call the sitting President “without compassion” you clearly state your reasoning. This is not a good reason to pick the next President though. President Bush is not going to run again. He is not going to be elected again. The logic runs false.

And how dare he call any sitting President “without compassion”. I may not agree with all the actions of President Bush, but that is not the same thing as to insult the leader of our nation. I can respect that Jackson may want to bring the troops home, but I also realize that this ex-convict is hardly the most astute political thinker.

While President Bush may be slightly more articulate than 50 cent, he is advised by far greater minds, and has always acted in a manner that seems to be guided by a belief that his actions are in the best interest of the nation. Disagree if you wish, but there has not been a successful terrorist attack in this nation to date, several attempts have been made but all were thwarted. And the economy, while not perfect is good.

All in all I found the interview interesting. Curtis Jackson left me unimpressed, his efforts to sell whatever increases his personal wealth left me unfazed. I was amazed that he found himself in a film with quality actors, and learning his political beliefs just makes me hope he keeps them to himself in the future. But it was a fair and mild interview.