Comments on AverageBro.com: The AB.com RoundTable.

RE Sniper execution: I wasn't "excited" about it. ...

2009-11-23T23:54:53.143-05:00

RE Sniper execution: I wasn't "excited" about it. Someone who terrorized the DC area was put to death. An eye for an eye. To me there's nothing to glorify there.

RE Martin/Jamie movie: that might be funny. But really, how funny could it be. I personally may only be able to take them in the small doses that they came in ie: their 30 minute shows they were in. But then again I could be wrong. I would like to see Precious though, it looks like it will be a good movie. Which theaters they are in I believe have nothing to do with us, it has everything to do with the production company.

Call me regular. I may not actually pay money to g...

2009-11-18T20:05:32.122-05:00

Call me regular. I may not actually pay money to go watch Shenehneh and Wanda (then again I may...I'm finicky like that), but I think that movie will be hilarious. Back in the 90s when Fox actually had Martin on and I was all of like 6, I was not all boo hoo, this is going to ruin my perception of my people. I was trying to sneak episodes in and laughing until my mother had the good sense to ban me from watching.

I never once attempted to read Push. I simply prefer laughing. Yes there are historical precedents and stereotypes at play, but some things are just funny. Sometimes we just have to let people choose what makes them laugh.

Tyler Perry not only makes people laugh, he has basic moral issues inserted. No it's not highbrow.

Guess what? Other races watch some real basic and at times inane stuff starring mostly their own peoples and written by themselves. Sometimes black people create dumb stuff about white people and it hits big (ie. Married with Children...i don't care how much you liked it, you can't tell me it had more going for it than Martin).

I know there's a numbers and representation issue, but for some reason I always feel the need to fight back on these topics. I had to ask some friends once, if all we as blacks were allowed to do was read and pontificate so that we could have a level of progress. It didn't sound very fun.

As for the death penalty. I don't get it. Torture's probably more effective...but that has its own issues.

Hindsight is always 20/20.Hasan's contacts with th...

2009-11-18T05:07:48.617-05:00

Hindsight is always 20/20.Hasan's contacts with the Yemeni imam were noted and investigated but they didn't find anything actionable.

As it turns out there is a small but growing contingent of white supremacists/white separatists in the military, some of whom are quite open about their views. For the most part these people are not monitored or discharged, unless they do something or really make the brass look bad.

Moral waivers are up in the military. There's also a growing gang presence.

So it wouldn't have to be "political correctness" that caused the Army not to get rid of Major Hasan. It could just be that they need every warm body they can get and aren't in the business of discharging people for bad thoughts, just bad actions.

haha @modi I feel you on the Tyler Perry comment. ...

2009-11-17T21:56:30.695-05:00

haha @modi I feel you on the Tyler Perry comment. I don't find his stuff entertaining whatsoever but I can respect his hustle. (Cliched answer but still true.)

And you're so right about the Martin/Jamie movie. I'm sure I'll die laughing. Dave Chappelle proved to me that comedy can make me put politics aside. I laughed at plenty on the Chappelle show that I wouldn't in other contexts. BUT! It just sucks that Martin and Jamie are such funny guys but the only way to get them in a movie together that could be great is they have to dress up as women and be ghetto ones at that. Just sayin...

wow is that ricardo screaming and begging to get s...

2009-11-17T21:50:44.026-05:00

wow is that ricardo screaming and begging to get subbed in the game!? cot damn!

you know how i did my answers? i recorded my answers out loud, wrote them down exactly how i said them, and then submitted them.

@tunde, what's up dude. nigerians unite. and yeah, i wonder if gil will dap shaq up in tomorrow's match-up.

@ebonie and @greg dragon, appreciate sharing space on the round table with you guys! great answers, making me look at things a little differently.

@hux! what's up. we did alright out here! i see you have a pretty conservative approach! tyler perry isn't a bad guy, man. i think the bigger picture is the fact that his movies are created for the 90% of black people who may not be all about some stuff that's like "precious". he's working towards that way, just slowly. the movie will be funny. you can't tell me martin and jamie won't make you cry laughing. even i laughed at jamie's "africa" skit, and i'm african. he was making fun of my people, and i couldn't breathe because i was laughing so hard.

that was an intense comment. thanks for AB for putting me on to the round table. and if you wanna get things INTENSE, you should get that bamma ricky (@internetgoon) in the mix and put me and him head-to-head on some current events shit. he doesn't read enough CNN or BBC to keep up with me.

sike. he'll probably beat me. but i'm up for a challenge. ha. great idea, i'm a big fan of he roundtable, and i think that some company needs to pick you up and make you part of their network because your content and view on shit is out of this world. genius. brilliant. so if anybody with pull out there reads this, GET THIS GUY ON YOUR TEAM.

much respect.

I'm somewhere in the middle on the Ft. Hood thing....

2009-11-17T21:47:59.964-05:00

I'm somewhere in the middle on the Ft. Hood thing.

I think it's correct to refrain from the "terrorist" label, because it looks like this guy was simply a very disturbed individual who fit the profile these shooters often fit. A terrorist is something much more specific than that.

On the other hand, it does strike me as slightly mad how everyone seems to be jumping in circles to avoid the obvious. Of COURSE he shot those people because he was a radical, America-hating jihadist Muslim. His emails, his ties---he shouted "Allah Akbar!" for God's sake! (Allah's sake?) What else do you need?

I think that much like the Columbine killers channeled their madness through quasi-Hitler worship and "trenchcoat mafia" nonsense, this guy channeled his madness and increasing bitterness through fundamentalist Islam. I don't see how acknowledging that is Islamophobic or racist.

On Precious, I'm unsure of how that marketed the ...

2009-11-17T18:02:27.176-05:00

On Precious,

I'm unsure of how that marketed the film [or if they even advertised the film on television as I don't watch much of that nowadays], but from what I read on wikipedia it got a rather limited release. And to be honest, I wouldn't have watched it either if I could--not that I think that it's a bad film, but it'd be too real for me and something I'd rather not go through again.

Not that I'd watch something like Skank Robbers either for obvious reasons. But I suppose it does have the advantage of probably not getting a limited release and being created to appeal to the lowest denominator.

To be honest, I'd rather have a movie that doesn't show blacks as being utterless hopeless [I realize that Precious point was that there was still hope] or caricatures though.

The best example I heard was the interview with hi...

2009-11-17T16:46:52.967-05:00

The best example I heard was the interview with his classmate, who said he and several other soldiers reported Nidal for his presentation on radical Islam, and that nothing was done.

I suppose it begs the question: if people knew he was a radical, he was under investigation, and he was STILL not reprimanded or even questioned, what other reason could there be? Stupidity? Malice? Frankly, a limp-wristed PC defense is the best accusation you can throw around.

I don't think the number of screens Precious plays...

2009-11-17T16:37:58.165-05:00

I don't think the number of screens Precious plays on has much to do with black people specifically.

Heavy, depressing movies, even ones that end up being uplifting, are a tough sell to the American public in general. And incest (rightfully) makes people's stomachs churn. Finally, Precious stars an unknown actress who isn't attractive by society's standards. Hollywood is pretty harsh in that regard.

@ Spool Please point me to some concrete evidence...

2009-11-17T15:34:31.767-05:00

@ Spool

Please point me to some concrete evidence that this is an example of political correctness gone bad. I've yet to hear anything other than standard Fox News talking points, nothing concrete.

The reason people are being gung-ho is because of ...

2009-11-17T15:28:54.302-05:00

The reason people are being gung-ho is because of all the firsthand evidence that he WAS a Muslim terrorist. Killeen is just up the road from me... local coverage has been thorough and unafraid of calling it how it is.

He shouted Allahu Akbar as he fired. He was being watched by the FBI for terroristic and jihadist statements as early as Dec. 2008. Former classmates say he turned a class presentation on environmental issues into a sermon on Islam. He gave away all his possessions before he left for the attack. He told people that he was a Muslim first, American 2nd.

Are all these things the sort of stuff you're allowed to say in the USA? Absolutely. Should you be in the f$&@ing US Army while saying them? Hell no.

Is Obama afraid of calling him a terrorist? I don't think so... the term has legal implications he doesn't want to get into now (or ever, I think). I bet they privately all believe he was. Then again, the guy who shot up the Israeli Airline ticket desk at LAX while screaming about Hamas and jihad wasn't a "terrorist" either.

Was the Army afraid of dishonorable discharge because they'd be sued for discrimination? It appears so, yes. And that's screwed up, very very screwed up.

Is Obama being politically correct? I suppose I ju...

2009-11-17T13:34:26.805-05:00

Is Obama being politically correct? I suppose I just hate the term "politically correct" because people use it as a perjorative when you could easily be substituted for "not racist" or "not sexist" or "not knee-jerk reacting."

Can I get in the next round?! I'm ready...

2009-11-17T12:43:20.959-05:00

Can I get in the next round?! I'm ready...

1. I think Obama is being "politically correct" fo...

2009-11-17T10:11:46.002-05:00

1. I think Obama is being "politically correct" for the right reasons. He's a politician, why shouldn't he be correct? Bush probably would have reacted similarly. There's also a subtle difference between a shooting rampage and blowing a bomb up.

2. A lot of people who live or know someone who lives like "Precious" just want to escape and have fun with Skank Robbers. It's culturally (somewhat) connected to them which is validating but doesn't depress them.

Round Table? Yes sir.

Is Obama being too PC?-I'd say he took notes durin...

2009-11-17T09:39:11.073-05:00

Is Obama being too PC?-I'd say he took notes during the whole Gates/Crowley fiasco. Chasing down "specific folks" and sounding the alarms doesn't always work (see previous 8 years).

When are you releasing your tell-all?-I have very little material to release a book, but since I work in a library, I'll advocate for some of ya'll...LOL!

Skank Robbers or Precious?-I haven't touched a theatre since Star Wars III. I'll grab highlights of both when they hit the premiums or breakdown and join NetFlix.

Wanna join the next edition of The AB.com RoundTable?-I'll read and respond when time permits.

Also, I don't really have an interest in seeing ei...

2009-11-17T06:39:59.954-05:00

Also, I don't really have an interest in seeing either Skank Robbers or Precious. It is slightly humorous that some of us got bent out of shape by all white fantasy movies like LOTR but then we go support movies that wallow in some pretty bad stereotypes or very lowbrow comedy.

Legally we can't prevent Muslims from joining the ...

2009-11-17T06:37:28.696-05:00

Legally we can't prevent Muslims from joining the military nor can Muslims be denied citizenship or in the case of native born, have citizenship revoked.

I think those are things that are in the recesses of the minds of some right-wingers. Maybe not even in the recesses, any more, come to think of it.

That said I think the reason that they are so gung-ho to call the Major's rampage a terrorist attack is that they can then blame Obama for allowing a terrorist attack on his watch.

All that aside the Major was giving off lots of warning signs and his powerpoint presentation should have alerted his superior officers that he wasn't with the mission and could be dangerous.

I am surprised that Jamie Foxx would play such a r...

2009-11-17T01:42:17.890-05:00

I am surprised that Jamie Foxx would play such a role. I thought there was a standard after winning an Oscar....