Jason Whitlock's Scarecrow.

I really didn't want to talk about Jason Whitlock again. But alas, I'm merely a moth drawn to the flames of his sagacious observations.

*Via Lion in Oil (He asked the important questions, but I have a few followups....)

Q: What was the impetus that made you call for another civil rights movement and label a certain segment of the African-American community “the black KKK?”

“I think that to some degree and extent people are misguided and think that there is a lack of dissent in the black community. Meaning, basically, that African-Americans are all good with what is going on in the community. But I hear black people having these conversations all the time. I’m aware that we are not all good with it. Yet, we rarely offer any type of dissent. If we ignore it, it’s only going to get worse. We are going down a slippery negative slope. The hip-hop, prison values.... No one is coming out and saying this isn’t healthy for young people and that these aren’t appropriate values. "

So Jason, you're saying that there is dissent in the black community but it's not publicly offered? Are you serious? Maybe if you weren't continually showing us an ostrich impression with that bag of Cheetos you wouldn't have missed the past decade.

Q: Some say that your comparison of what you define as the “Black KKK” to the KKK that most Americans are familiar with is foolish, absurd and even dangerous. How do you respond to such criticism?

“Well, why don’t we count the bodies? Body by body- The tears are the same and the pain is the same. The violence is just so senseless. The fear that the gang-bangers prey on in the community is the same type of fear generated by the KKK. I understand that this is a strong analogy and I knew some people would be offended. But I’m trying to spark a new consciousness. These gang-bangers are alleging to be pro-black when they really are anti-black.”

It's ignorant and disingenuous to just compare body counts Jason, especially if you're not going to even address intent or influence.

Q: I’ve noticed in the last two columns you’ve written involving the African-American community you are quite blunt in describing various problems within it. However, you skirt the issue of offering solutions. What are some solutions that might have a tangible and ameliorating affect?

“I think the most important thing is embracing education. We can’t let kids go to school and continue to be ridiculed for talking properly. Getting an education is not acting white. People are called ‘sell-outs’ for talking properly. Additionally, hip-hop culture has become an expression of prison values. 25% of guys in my generation in the black community are incarcerated because of our country’s punitive drug laws. We can’t keep continuing to build prisons and creating these punitive cages. We have to rehabilitate people. Some people even need to be ‘habilitated.’ Non-violent offenders need to be treated differently than violent-offenders.”

That's your solution Jason? Stay in school, don't do drugs? Inspiring.

Q: Do you think African-American athletes are partly to blame for some of the ills we are now witnessing the African-American community struggle with?


“No, not at all. We can’t single out athletes. A lot of these kids are coming out of hip-hop culture and don’t know any better. But we are now seeing the major sports shop for talent outside of the African-American community. Major League Baseball has made a concerted effort to shop outside. They are in love with foreign athletes and I think it’s definitely an intentional decision on their part. I think there is some racism to it and also some rejection of the culture.

David Stern, who I think is a very, very fine commissioner, has been bending-over backwards to get guys to see the big-picture. But you have league-owners who are very uncomfortable with hip-hop culture. People will be entertained by whatever color athletes are, but this culture has made owners really uncomfortable. We have to learn to accept that people have a problem with this prison/hip-hop culture. Chris Rock, Bill Cosby talk about it. Black people talk about it all the time, believe me. We have to sit down and talk about this in a serious manner. It’s limiting us and our opportunities.”

Again, you're addressing an imaginary mass-referred to as "people". People who are unaware of the uproar in the black community. People who have a problem with hip hop. Prison too. Who are these "people" Jason? White people, black people, you? I thought the masses were unaware of the dissent within the black community, how can you subsequently reference Chris Rock and Bill Cosby, two of Americas favorite comedians? What's with comedians anyway? Why don't you have a bigger frame of reference?

Q: Are there any athletes out there today who are working to make the changes that you think are needed?

“I don’t think it’s possible for one person to be able to change everything. I definitely think there can be guys like Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali. But none of the guys are doing that. Yet, sometimes we forget that charismatic black leaders told Ali, Brown, Tommie Smith and John Carlos (1968 Olympic medal winners who famously raised their fists in a black power salute) what to do. These guys were led. No one is leading them today. It’s a failure of black leadership. But we can’t blame athletes. They are too immature.”

Now you're challenging black leadership as a whole? Athletes are too immature? Perhaps you should pass me the Twinkies and show 'em how it's done.

Q: Have you read Dave Zirin’s, “An Open Letter to Jason Whitlock.” If so, what are your feelings regarding the comments he made?

“I think Dave’s heart is in the right place. But Dave needs to let black people handle this. We need to have this series of arguments and debates. I say this nicely as possible, but Dave just needs to mind his own business. That doesn’t mean non-blacks can’t help. Obviously, some white people played a great role in the civil-rights movement. I don’t know if Dave just wants to draw attention to his blog or what, but he should just mind his business.”

Dave wanted to draw attention to the facts. Given your aversion to logic and research, you might be a bit more niggerish than you thought, Jason.

Q: What is it going to take for African-Americans to have this “conversation” that you consistently bring up?


“I think we are already there. It’s been bubbling. There are prominent blacks out there discussing this. Chris Rock, Bill Cosby, Juan Williams. They are out there. I knew when I gave the Big Lead interview that people were ready for this. I made the decision to go to AOL because of its association with pop culture. I knew I’d have the freedom to discuss this and spur debate. I knew it was just a matter of time before this conversation could happen. It is taking place right now. And I’m going to continue pushing the need for conversation. But now, I want to take it to another level. People need to really think about hip-hop culture. This stuff is straight out of the penitentiary and you cannot live that way out here in the real world.”

Again with the comedians? Think bigger Jason. Or are you ignoring the efforts of others in a vainglorious attempt to build your own profile? Do you realize you're hindering honest discussion by trivializing our country's past and current ills with your fear mongering? Do you even realize that this issue is rooted in things much bigger than sports, and that it may require analysis by someone other than a fucking sportswriter, especially one as limited as yourself?

Q: While there are prominent African-American sports writers and journalists out there, African-Americans are still under-represented in the field. Two questions:
(1) How did you get your start out of Ball State? (2) What advice would you give a young African-American sports journalist fresh out of college who is hoping to embark on a journalism career?

“Well, I studied journalism in college and worked for the school newspaper. My first job was in Bloomington, Indiana for the Bloomington Herald Times. I made five dollars an hour. Then I moved to South Carolina and covered high school sports for two years. After that, I moved to Ann Arbor, where I covered the Fab Five. As for advice, I would start off by telling the kid to not be afraid to move to another city. Work at a small newspaper and hone your skills. Don’t be afraid to be different and definitely don’t go in with the expectation that the ride will be smooth and easy. You have to be committed.”

Thanks for the advice, Jason. Are you gonna eat that? Ouch! Sorry, stupid question.

Jason Whitlock Is Going To White Heaven

Several more capable minds have weighed in on Uncle Ruckus' weekend in Vegas, but let's look at them in juxtaposition to similar statements made by Bill Cosby. (*via Straight Bangin' ) The problem of 'mainstream' hip hop peddling violence, misogyny, homophobia and corrosive misrepresentations of the black community is hardly a new one, an ever growing movement of dissent having existed within the culture for years now. The NBA had shed it's notorious label of being "too black" during Michael Jordan's tenure, only to have the issue rear it's ugly head again in the past decade with it's marriage to hip hop. Which leads us to Whitlock's diatribe, disguised as "Real Talk". While he and Dr. Huxtable may be delivering the same message, I doubt they have the same motivations.

It's certainly within reason to question whether these types of statements should be made publicly by anyone-black or not-and if so, whether Bill Cosby should be the one to express them given his history. However, his commitment to the education and empowerment of black youth is unassailable. He's spent countless hours promoting the necessity of a robust learning experience to minorities, and has backed that talk up with money-lots of it-including a one time $20 million donation to Spelman College. A man of such means has no need for self promotion, Cosby's only agenda is to draw attention to the problems at hand. A willingness to step outside of his gregarious public image and become a controversial lightning rod in the process, in my opinion, is indicative of a genuine desire to save the future of his race.

On the contrary, Jason Whitlock's hateful denunciations draw attention solely to himself. A reasonable man would assume that someone as committed in theory to a black renaissance as Whitlock has also committed the time, effort, or money that are prerequisite to making such incendiary statements. Ha. Whitlock probably thinks a collection plate is something restaurants use to pile up uneaten food for him. Has he ever provided any true analysis or solutions? Ha. In his eagerness to brand Scoop Jackson and practically an entire culture as savage caricatures of black incivility, he seems oblivious to the fact that he easily fits the description of another narrow minded stereotype, ol' Uncle Tom...



So is all of this just his plan to get into white heaven? Could be. It would definitely explain the Gospel of Jeff George. Why else would Big Greasy paint his vitriolic masterpieces with such broad strokes, ignoring the fact that violence and misogyny are lucrative for, and detrimental to, all races? WWF? Girls Gone Wild? The Sopranos? No, Whitlock saves his love for The Wire, which provides him the opportunity to mar someone else's canvas with his senselessness. David Simon is another man who has invested in his words, blessing the idiot box with a piercing portrayal of postmodern decay, neglect, and their consequences. The Wire is universally lauded by critics for it's resolute depictions of the drug war, disillusioning viewers to contemplate the complex nature of good and evil. I have trouble believing that Simon, Ed Burns, or anyone else associated with this show would see their work in such a simplistic manner as "The Adventures of the Black KKK". Instead of joining the talking heads in tossing around irresponsible generalizations, why doesn't Whitlock emulate Simon or Cosby, and direct his efforts towards achieving an improved sense of public discernment? (He could start with how Joe Kennedy was Stringer Bell's blueprint. Or how the Nu Klan held their rally in a city built by organized crime. A city that promises discretion to it's visitors while they cheat on their spouses and feed their addictions might attract 'undesireables'.) Because like those talking heads, and those whom he despises, Big Dummy is only interested in self advancement.

The only thing Big Wasteofsperm succeeded in doing was taking a bite out of something bigger than he could finish. David Stern is well aware of the "landmine issues"-race and class-and he's also astute enough to sidestep them. Are we really asking the Commissioner to become W.E.B. Du Bois? These are issues reflected by the NBA, not rooted in it. I'm not a big Sinatra fan, I can't stand Brooks & Dunn, and Wayne Newton frightens me. The NBA hasn't exactly embraced hip hop as a collective, and until the percentages of black folks in the stands match those on the court it's going to stay that way. I understand it, and I don't find anything particularly wrong with it. "It's just business." Tell 'em, String. However, what I would like to see more of from the league is an embracing of the communities that produce it's workforce. This is not to rally for a Lil' Weezy performance at next year's halftime show, but to ask for more stories like a Caron Butler. Stories of human frailties and redemption that can shatter stereotypes. Lord-and Reagan-knows Jason Whitlock won't write them.

* 2/26 Dave Zirin. Ether.