On Thursdays I post from the vault. This post is from December 2008.
It’s almost Christmas, and yet I’m still ranting on my blog. I know, I know. I should be posting a recipe or sharing a holiday craft or writing about something involving festivity and merriment instead of unloading about all the injustices in the world. But I just can’t help myself.
I tried to move on after yesterday’s post. The kids were with grandma for the night, and I am still fighting a bug, so I curled up early on the sofa and found nothing on the Tivo but children’s movies. So I did something out of sheer desperation, something that I should have know not to do, but excused by being sick:
I just turned on the tv and watched random live programming.
And what do I find, after my day of futile shopping for racially diverse dolls? I find a show called Momma’s Boys, with a mom articulating her thoughts about how she would never accept her son dating “a Black”. These are a few of her choice quotes:
I cannot have a black one; I can’t have an Asian one; I can’t have a fat-butt girl.
I just can’t see that white/black thing, because of the kids.
I don’t have anything against Blacks. But not for dating. The cultures don’t mix.
It has to be a white girl
And then there is her classic reaction to seeing her son kiss a black girl:
She is SO mad at her son. “How could he do this to me!” Do what to you, crazy lady? How is this about you? She threatens to kill him, to strangle his balls, and to jump out of the helicopter right then and there and stop him. And then she moves from rage to anger to full-on grief. She’s crying and distraught, like she just witnessed her son murdering someone.
I know a lot of people are outraged by this woman, and are calling that the show be taken off the air. I agree, it’s total sensationalism for ratings. But while she completely pisses me off, in a way, I’m glad they are showing it. ‘Cause the truth is, THIS IS THE WAY A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK. Like how she said: “I’m not racist. I have black friends. I have a black God-baby who I love. I just don’t want my kid dating someone who’s black.”
It’s easy to be in denial about racial bias when this kind of talk occurs in whispers, behind closed doors, with PC labels and convenient excuses about “concern for the kids” or “worry over what society will think” or whatever makes it sound like it’s not about prejudice. But here she is, just putting it out there, no filter, no flowery language to make it sound like she’s just a concerned mom. If people see this and are outraged, or convicted, then good. We should be outraged, and we should acknowledge that this kind of attitude is still pervasive in many parts of our country. Including Orange County.
In closing, I would like to offer a few words for Momma:
1. You are not white, you are Iraqi. And that culture mixes better in America??
2. You are racist. Own it.
3. The black people you think are your friends, probably won’t be after they see this show.
4. You can’t strangle someone in the balls. Balls are for kicking, Strangulation occurs due north of the balls.
5. Don’t look now, but I think your son is “mixing his culture” with a Black girl in the hot tub. Oooh yeah. Some hot mixing of culture is going down. Bom Chicka Bowm Bowm.
Alright. I’m done. No more ranting. I’m going to Be Of Good Cheer, at this Most Wonderful Time of the Year. I’m gonna go Deck the Halls, instead of Stranglin’ Some Balls.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
