Taking the "The" out of Psychotherapist: Some of Fiction's Most Scary Rapist.

So I was watching Oklahoma The Wolverine.... I mean London Stage Revival with Hugh Jackman version a few nights back, reacquainting myself with something I haven't seen since I was really young.

One portrayal that struck me was Jud. Shuler Hensley the actor gives the character a certain empathy by giving you the feeling that a lot of Jud's actions are guided by great loneliness and desperation. This same loneliness and desperation makes him menacing and dangerous. While watching Jud trying to court Laurey in a manner that makes him come across as a Borderline Rapist I couldn't help but think of this Meme.

This Meme which shows some poor guy trying his best to look sexy but coming across as someone you'd be leery of in a dark alley, or in daylight, or in a public setting, is a very apt description of Jud's behavior throughout Oklahoma. While Jud never crosses that event boundary from menacing and Rapist like to actual Rapist, Other Fictional Characters unfortunately cross this line in some of the most psychotic and menacing ways possible.

MELE-ON GRAYZA FROM FARSCAPE

Surprised ? This character and the reaction of other characters from Farscape towards her completely averts the It's not Rape if its a Woman Trope. Equipped with special Pheromones that make her a walking Biological Roofie, she drugs protagonist John Crichton rendering him incapable of saying no or doing much of anything. and has sex with him against his will as part of her seduction/interrogation. Furthermore she aptly and quickly showed in addition to Rape she had no problem ordering or personally doing Murder and other foul deeds to get her goals.

SCHILLINGER FROM OZ

Schillinger. J.K. Simmons the actor who played Schillinger is a wonderful actor, probably a decent human being and has played a variety of roles including the cantankerous owner of the Daily Bugle J Jonah Jameson. But his role on Oz made me feel like shouting “Run Spidey Before you get Raped”when I watched the Spiderman Movies.

His character was literally a checklist of “You ain't @#$%” characteristics.

NAZI: check.

MURDERER: check.

RAPIST OF MENTALLY DISABLED: Check

Perhaps in one of his most heinous acts (Besides his constant Rape and mental and physical abuse of Tobias Beecher which including forcing him to rip him pictures of his family and branding a Swastika on Beecher's ass.) he tricked Mentally challenged Cyril O'Reilly into follwing him into a supply closet where he raped him.

TESSAI OF NINJA SCROLLS

Echoing the Sentiments of the “Let's Not Turn this Rape into a Murder Meme”, almost exactly, is Tessai, a Villain in the Ninja Scroll Movie. His exact words are, “I have no problem raping a dead girl.” Uttered while assaulting Kagero a female ninja.

In a “Look at your Life, Look at your choices” moment, we discover that Kagero's entire body is poison He probably shouldn't have Tried to Rape a someone whose entire body is poisonous to the touch. This act helps seal his fate in a battle with Jubei the hero of the story.

JUDGE FROLLO OF HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

One Internet commenter once said of hearing the song “Hellfire”, that he almost expected Judge Frollo to start touching himself in the middle of it. While that might seem inappropriate for a Disney movie, in Truth, not too much about Judge Frollo is appropriate for Life, much less a Disney movie. If he had a pick-up line in a Bar it would be, “Hey Babe Sleep with me or I'll go all Final Solution on you and your Ethnic Group.” This is literally what he tries to do to the Gypsies/Roma of Paris, because of his unrequited crush on Esmeralda.

Hot Rachety Ghetto Romance Literary Mess.

So Came Across this Book at Work Today and all I could think when I read the Description was "For Real Though, Harlequin Romance meets New Jack City. Nino Brown in a Fabio Pose with some Random Crack Whore was what they really wanted to go for !!!"

I'll Let the Book Description Speak for itself:

In the Beginning, there was a drug dealer named Smoke, and Breanne Phillips was one of his most faithful customers. She was smoking crack to block out an existence she couldn't escape from, and Smoke was hungry enough to take anything she had to offer in exchange for his magic rocks. It was a mutually satisfying arrangement, one he forgot about as soon as he got out of the game, dropped the nickname Smoke, and started answering to the name Alec.

Fast-forward sixteen years, and Breanne Phillips is back in his life. These days she's a businesswoman who goes by the name Anne. She's dragging a sixteen year old hoodlum behind her, claiming Alec is the boy's father and demanding that he straighten out their son.

As if dealing with an unwelcome ghost for his past isn't enough, his son is mixed up in the kind of foolishness Alec is all too familiar with, which means he'll have to step in and rearrange some things. A door opens, and Smoke is suddenly back on the scene, ready to put some heads to bed, including Anne's. After that, he'll deal with the son he never knew he had.

Letters From a Former Slave to his Master.

Was browsing the Internet Today and came across a letter on Letters of Note from a ex Slave to his Former Master.

I Love the tone of this Letter as it just overflows with the type of sarcasm that if I had to paraphrase in modern terms would be "Reconcile and come back to work for you, my Black Ass. Reconcile these Nutz you lying sociopath."

Letter of Jourdon Anderson to his Ex Master.

Dayton, Ohio,

August 7, 1865

To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee

Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.

I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy,—the folks call her Mrs. Anderson,—and the children—Milly, Jane, and Grundy—go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.

s to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any pay-day for the negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.

In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve—and die, if it come to that—than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.

Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.

From your old servant,

Jourdon Anderson.

Tropes and The Help

Recently saw The Help and enjoyed all the performances. Hope it gets quite a few awards for the acting job put forth by all the Lead Actors.

That being said the criticism that its juggling act of portrayals minimizes the Racism faced is true. Like a lot of movies about Black people its not really about Black People but about good white people.

Imagine if every story about Anne Frank was told from the point of view of the Dutch kid whose parents kept her in their basement or if Fiddler on the Roof was all about the cute spunky Russian girl who befriends Tevye's Daughters, and was told through her eyes.

Imagine if any movie about Pancho Villa or any other famous Latino figure wasn't about them per say but spent more time exploring their story through a spunky American's reporter/love interest/random white person eyes.

If imaging the first two made you raise your eyebrow and made your facial muscles scrounge up into your own version of a WTH look, then you realize why people would dismiss The Help despite its fine performances because its another movie with black people as a background to their own story in a long history of movies about black people not really being about them.

Since this is a common Trope It goes without saying that it and a lot of other Tropes are represented in this movie. TV Tropes has a full list of trope s for the is film

Glenn Robinson talks about Religion's Role in Occupy Wall St

Louie Armstrong plays Jazz to his Lady Under the Sphinx

If she ever broke up with him, the next brother might have an incredulously difficult time, topping this feat.

Beautiful Song to Start the Week.

Cannot get this song out of my head. Going to have to learn Hawaiian. So here is He Mele No Lilo aka "Lullaby for the Lost Ones."

And Now a PSA About whupping your Kids

The Ugly Side of Fashion

Interesting Piece By Leomie Anderson over at the U.K. Sunday Times detailing her experiences with racism in the Fashion Industry.

A Few months ago I came across this story which I gave the worst possible title in the world to.

It seems since then this story has gained a life of its own and the guys at Next Media Animation now have their take on it.

The Myth of the Gun

Excellent piece (as always) from the Guys at Extra Credit, over at The Escapist about the Historical and Social Reason Americans are so into First Shooter Video Games.

New York MMA

At the premier of NY MMA I joked with Peter Lamapsona, a writer for USCombatSports.com that this would be the worst place for some drunk or troublemaker to start a fight. As he pointed out in addition the various MMA martial artist in the room their were at least 2 or more title holders in the Room including Eddie Alvarez, a current lightweight champion and also interview subject for the documentary. The drunk/troublemaker scenario would quickly turn into the Chappelle show skit, “When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong.”

Fortunately for all imaginary drunks and troublemakers that scenario was just a mental exercise. NY MMA as a documentary argues and illustrates that as a sport it celebrates the discipline and dedication of the people involved especially people in the NY scene where for various reasons its illegal.

In many ways NYC is the perfect fit for MMA . With a international reputation for toughness and a international reputation for being international. MMA with its modern gladiators and the impossibility of being part of the MMA scene and not encounter a Brazilian, Dutch, Eastern European, or Japanese accent. Accents and toughness that would be right at home in NYC.

Yet despite this the early reputation of MMA as human cockfight lingers and part of the consequence of this is the State wide Ban on MMA bouts. Part of the consequence of that is shown when we encounter Bradley Desir, Promising MMA fighter who because of the ban on MMA has to travel to other states to qualify and compete in the sport he loves.

The documentary covers a wider array of the MMA world from Martial Arts Teachers to Public Relations, Executives like Dana White of UFC and important figures in the sport like Bas Rutten, Josh Barnett and others.

But noticeable in the documentary about a sports origin in combat is that it has a lack of an opponent. The fighters and MMA professionals are all given a real voice and personality yet the opposition to them is vague. The vague rule against MMA in NYC is never personified as well as the opinions of the fighters and teachers the Filmmakers interview. No politician or public figure or voice on the street who stands against the legalization of MMA is ever giving a clear voice to either critique or show their motivation.

Another lack of the documentary is the Filmmakers take far too long to introduce what turns out to be a sly sense of humor. There humor which is only apparent in the third act, creates some of the documentaries more entertaining moments, such as a in joke about the illegal practice of a popular MMA fighter, Relaying the many many rules in place to safeguard fighters while having some in jokes and adds a levity to the professional and intelligent tone most of the interviewers take.

In all a good documentary but the lack of a clear counterpoint and a unexplained subjugation of a wonderful sense of humor that makes many good points in arguing for legalization of MMA in New York.

Newsworthy Weekend

This Weekend had a lot of events. Normally wouldn't cover this, but hell, a whole lot of whole lots happened, and they can't be ignored.

So as every one knows the Brits have a new Princess since Prince Philip got married. Wasn't too interested in the Royal Wedding. Glad too people who say they love each other are going to try and spend the rest of their life together, but past that didn't have any interest, until I saw this:

Whatever convinced Princess Beatrice to wear that God only knows. But suffice to say if Doctor Who and the Daleks showed up and fought over who got possession of that hat, nobody would blink, in fact they would kind of anticipated it.

On a more serious note we also found out that Osama Bin Laden had been found and killed. Lots of surprise, some celebration at his death, as for me, to quote the Smiths “I'm not Happy and I'm not Sad”
Glad to see that some of the families of 9/11 were able to find closure. Glad some justice was served But find no need to celebrate what is a benchmark though not a endmark in a continuing struggle .

The Smurfette Principle

The Folks over at Feminist Frequency do a great job of explaining the Smurfette Principle; part of the "The Only" Trope Family ( "The Only" Black/Latino/Woman/Minority in a story or cast of characters.)

Animation and Hip Hop

Anyone that know their Urban Metaphors, knows that Roses grow out of concrete. And being a fan of this saying I wanted it so badly to describe the very first animated movie I saw that had a hip hop sensibility to it. Unfortunately upon re-watching Bebe's kids it became apparent that a weed growing out of concrete was the more apt metaphor.

As Far as I can remember Bebe's kid was the first animated movie that had a hip hop sensibility to it. Based on a comedy skit by late comedian Robin Harris, it unfortunately did not stand the test of time when recently watching it as an adult. Both critics and the studio that produced it gave it the side eye treatment. Reviews for it were horrible and the DVD was discontinued due to low sales.

Now thinking of Hip Hop and Animation in the same sentence gives people pause. After all Hip Hop is stereotypically about gritty street imagery, while animation is stereotypically about cute talking animals and bunnies, and flowers and fairy princesses. However I might suggest that this is because these people never ever paid full attention to Disney Movies in particular their villains who show us mere mortals how grimy is done.

In Disney's very first Movie “Snow White” the Evil Queen literally ask for Snow Whites heart to be bought to her in a box. Disney screwed up many a child hood by killing Bambi's mother. In “Sleeping Beauty” Maleficent catches feelings cause she wasn't invited to a birthday part so she curses a infant with a horrible death (not making this up folks, re-watch the movie.)

Both Lady Tremaine (aka this Axe murderer looking bitch from "Cinderella")



And Madame Medusa from “The Rescuers”
didn't just write the definitive books on Child endangerment and abuse but they founded and maintain the library on that subject.

Let's not forget Judge Claude Frollo who if we learned anything from “Hunchback of Notre Dame” is that his favorite pickup line is “Sleep with me, or I'll kill you and your entire ethnic Group.” So yeah fuck that Bull@#$% If you're walking down the block and Captain Hook and his crew are on one side of the road and the Crips are on the other side you better walk in the middle .

So after that brief education in Disney Griminess and the early failures to incorporate Hip Hop and Animation (Not even going to discuss the MC Hammer Cartoon aka “That which must be named.” Here are some examples of making it work.



Afro Samurai – In contrast to Disney's falsely earned reputation for being all pixie dust and fluffiness, Anime always had a harder edged reputation, that gained it a big underground audience. So it wasn't out of left field when Afro Samurai with its Kung Fu Movie, Rap and Japanese cultural references, was introduced. Further adding to the pedigree is the soundtrack by Wu-Tang's Rza and the lead character being voiced by Samuel L. Jackson.



Samurai Champloo – Another example of Hip Hop and Anime. A excellent soundtrack provided by the now regrettably deceased Producer Nujabes. The Anachronistic story telling includes beat boxing Samurai, Break-dancing Samurai, Yakuza with Gold Fronts, A episode that gives a completely new meaning to “blazing trees”. In addition this anime also tackles some social issues like the mistreatment of the Ainu, a minority group in Japan, homosexuality, and the early persecutions of Christians in early Japan.



Madagascar 2 – For the Second Madagascar movie Movie Soundtrack Movie Maestro Hans Zimmer teamed up with Will I Am for a Animated movie with a Heavily Hip Hop tinged soundtrack. My Favorite moment of this movie was Alex On The Spot/The Traveling Song where the Hans Zimmer/Will I Am combination create a truly moving father/son moment.





Despicable Me – For their first animated outing the guys who did Despicable Me went with a Big Gun, Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes. As Far as I can tell this is Pharrell's first movie composer credit and I'm impressed. The high point is probably the R&B and Jazz infused song “Prettiest Girls”. The Title song for this movie is also killer.


Honorable Mentions:

(Gatchaman :)

While Technically not Hip Hop C'mon its a soundtrack composed by Earth Wind and Fire's Maurice White and the 80's R&B Inspired exit song for Gatchaman isn't bad.




(Proud Family:)

So Yeah Breakdancing against Mutant Peanuts........



(Tengo Tenge:)

One of the few Animes with a black central character it makes the list with its snazzy dance opening

Libyan Child Traffic Cop

WTF Pics: Final Fast Food

After seeing these Pics taken at the 2008 Los Angeles Anime Expo I can't help but hum "McDonalds" in my head to this tune

WTF Picture...................Nation of Islam chill with Neo Nazi's

I don't even know where to begin to explain this one. It almost sounds like a bar joke, "So a bunch of Neo Nazi's where hanging with the Nation of Islam..."

Further explanation for this WTF Picture provided here.

Happy St Patrick's Day

For All my Irish Folk, a clip from one of my fave Animated Movies, "Secret of Kells.". Songs in Celtic and About the Book of Kells with a Redhead as the main character, its got "Erin Go Bragh" written all over it.

R.I.P. Dwayne McDuffie

Most people knew Dwayne McDuffie from his work on Ben 10, and Justice League, and Static Shock. His characterizations and plots produced some of the finest moments of television I've seen, animated or otherwise.

Static a creation of Dwayne McDuffie and the Milestone Staff, in his Original Comic Book Design

The more familiar design from the Cartoon Series

I was introduced to him though, not through any of the writing he did for these shows, but a well deserved and hilarious murder. I remember him for murdering Luke Cage, Black Lightening, and Brother Voodoo. Icon one of the criminally underrated titles in the Milestone Universe had a issue called the Death of Buckwild that basically parodied the piss out of these iconic black comic book characters. It Showed the cringe inducing stereotypes and ghetto fabulous portrayals that always accompanied these characters .

As a comic book fan as much as I enjoyed these characters there was always a reserved part of me given these stories the side eye, because of the ridiculously hammy and racist portrayal even by comic book standards of non white characters.

While at Marvel Comic he sent a infamous memo making fun of how Marvel was marketing and portraying two of their popular black characters at the time.

Unfortunately a few weeks ago Dwayne McDuffie passed away due to complications he had from Surgery the day before. With his passing the comic book community not only loses a master of the art who in addition to creating stories that revealed dimension of Archetypes like The Justice League, and others, but a creator who bought the question of race in comic book out of tired cliche and made all his character portrayals, regardless of ethnicity three dimensional.