“Oh Oh my baby, it don’t matter if you’re black or white”.
But it did matter to him, didn’t it? He went under multiple knives, and even more media twitter to become white, he married white women and had white children.
White. Thin. Rich. Cool.
Who sets the ‘happening’ labels ? Some fashionista in the sky? A blue-eyed god? Not likely. Centuries of white dominators?
And when do the opposite words become weapons?
Walking past the playground, I overheard “No, you can’t sit on that. You’re too fat.” A dreaded label which that little girl is going to try all her life to shake off.
Here instead are some totally cool labels I’d like to see (inspired again by my favourite beings : kids n animals)
“Butt-scented” : Notice how dogs make an impression on other dogs by sniffing their butts? As in : “Whoa, she’s cute!!! Her butt stinks from a few blocks away!”
“Stung Stud” : Neel : Mama, That tall boy’s really cool. He got stung by a bee 3 TIMES !!!”
“Lice Mate” : As in monkeys – “She’s the best thing to happen to me – She and I – we spend whole mornings just picking each other’s lice – My Lice-Mate till I die….” (sung to the tune of Yaadon ki Baarat. )
“Spit Chief” : I know for sure that the coolest kid among the 5 year olds is he who blows the biggest spit bubble.
No one’s bothered in the dog kingdom whether you look like a million dollars or earn it. The only label they ever stick on you is “Good tummy rubber” or “World’ best cook” (finally - someone thinks I am !)
Anyways, I sat through bits of Jacko’s funeral today, and through the tears, heard various people call him the “Greatest Entertainer of all Time”, “a loving Dad”, “ a fantastic human being”.
All politically correct, added-sugar, take-in-small-doses labels.
No one called him Black.
JANE KIDDING. my life as a pretty (bad) mom, worse manager and good survivor, and how to find everything hysterical (strictly in hindsight).
Well, that was a sugar coated pill, or punch. Your posts are getting darker, Jandy. Or more introspective? Masks and now labels. I have been following your blog, though not commenting, after my first attempt.
ReplyDeleteThis one I must admit is closer to home though, and MJ tried his whole life to escape labels, as many of us do. Though the rest of us actually invite labelling - proud as we are of our achievements. Keep writing. Even though I may often disagree.
just when i was going to write something like this today, i had to rush to the doctor :). well thought Jane.
ReplyDeleteI put up a 'all you have to do is die. the glowing tributes will follow.' status on facebook. the ones who liked it said they did and the ones who hated it called back to say so. As for 'black or white' well.. beats me but you never know what ones personal motives are. Someone said "all pigs are equal.." ;-)
ReplyDeletejane. getting serious, i see...hey, i want the old irreverantjandy back....:)
ReplyDeletehaving said that, i enjoyed the post anyway....so count me in as a reader whether ure posts are dark or light..:)
Just a small mention on the death certificate that the deceased's ethnicity is Black.
ReplyDeletegot the message. getting back to writing the insane stuff - too much intense thinking going on out there anyways huh, for me to add to it?
ReplyDeletenice one Jane
ReplyDelete