Black Celebrity Flow Chart

 Note about LeBron James, Megan Markle, and blk celebrities speaking out about anything. 

Newly monopolized media conglomerates in the early 1990s made the switch from hard news to focusing on sex scandal and celebrity culture. Bill Clinton was the perfect president for the switch: part celebrity and part walking non-stop sex scandal. He hit all the Pavlovian buttons of horror, sex, scandal, celebrity. This was followed up by several sex scandals and, of course, The OJ trial. When OJ trial started, a good portion of the media didn't want to sensationalize it. In fact, David Letterman rejected telling jokes about a double homicide b/c he found it crude. Jay Leno had no problems about it, and his rating soared. Leno continued to soar so much that Letterman eventually surrendered to 'Dancing Ito's" circus of the OJ trial and started feeding off the ghoulish vibe. The eyeballs told CNN and Fox what people wanted and it wasn't stories about homeless people or inflation. They wanted to hear about the homicide gossip. 

When I was a freshman at Northwestern I was invited to the Chicago Tribune newsroom one fateful weekend. The editors were getting ready to do a week-long series about the Pope visiting Cuba. The stories were going to be about hope, spirituality, diplomacy. Important news, several correspondents traveling to Cuba, all out push. On the tv screen behind me was a little story about a White House intern and a blue dress. I asked the Tribune editor, 'what about this Monica Lewinsky story?' He told me that it was cheap and tawdry. The Tribune was sticking with its Pope story. They were betting on the integrity of its readers. Of course, a few weeks later, the editor called me up and said 'boy, was I STUPID!!!' Tribune lost a ton of money betting on the goodness and integrity of people. All the other Chicago papers went with the jizz-stained dress and wiped out the Tribune. Eventually the market forces, wore down the Tribune and it became Lewinsky coverage, wall to wall. 

There are good ppl in the media, just like there are female rappers who talk about other things than their WAP. But when you don't support them, they don't get seen. Our media and gov is only as good as its citizens. 

Fast forward to the present moment and we have a media that is 24-7 addicted to celebrities. So celebrities have a lot of power. If they're black and too happy and carefree they get criticized for not being serious. When they try to be serious they get heckled for being rich and trying to say something. When they try to not say something, the media will just create stories to keep your name around. So the flowchart for black celebrities is...

-enormous power = expectations

- doing nothing and you get criticized for being detached.

- do something and you get criticized for trying to use your power to bring attention to something.

- speak out and ppl discount you for being privileged

- not speak out and ppl resent your privilege. 

- avoid spotlight and rumors circulate that you're on drugs or have gone crazy (a la Dave Chapelle). 

There is no winning this game, and it's especially difficult for anyone of color attempting to make a difference. Colin Kaepernick gets death threats and blacklisted from the NFL for taking a knee. LeBron James is told to 'shut up and dribble' for speaking out about brutality. And yes, Megan makes a comment about how she was treated and the response is 'you're rich, so shut up.' Oprah covers black women novelists and you fall asleep. She covers Megan and it's 'shut up, billionaire.' 

The system is designed for non-stop worship and then hatred for celebrities having power. If you're a women or a POC that hatred is doubled. If you're a woman of color, that hatred is increased three fold. 

The game is designed to trigger mainstream viewer's outrage/titillation/distraction/disgust/ worship. It is designed for white viewers to feel good about themselves. 

So blk celebrities and sports athletes speak out. If ppl are going to hate, then you might as well not have any regrets. If people are going to discount every statement due to your bank account, then you might as well have a free conscience.