Thursday, June 7, 2007

Greetings from the CHAIRMAN

An email from a reader: "My manager walked over as I was reading one of the blog comments from the Dangerous Negro people. He looks at my screen and asks "are you reading some more of that blank panther shit again?""

ROTFL. And now, for some more laughs. Let the sarcasm ensue. (I know I KNOW this is becoming completely irrational and immature, but I can't help it.)

1) We haven't formed an official company response on our view of capitalism (AWESOME, OFFICIAL COMPANY RESPONSE. DOES THAT COME WITH A FREE T-SHIRT? IF SO, I KNOW WHICH ONE I WANT. IT'S THE ONE WHERE YOU CELEBRATE BLACK WOMEN IN THE MOVEMENT...OH WAIT, THERE ISN'T ONE.), but in my personal opinion capitalism is what allows you to have your blog and enough free time to waste/sit around hypothesizing (NO, THAT IS NOT CAPITALISM, THAT IS FREEDOM OF SPEECH - SEE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT NO. 1) about things while people like us are actually on the ground trying to help people. Capitalism isn't perfect, but show me a regime (A PERFECT REGIME...WHY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION) that is perfect, or even one that's better. Capitalism is the way our people can get ahead in this game (REALLY? MONEY EQUALS TRUE SOCIAL JUSTICE? AND ALL THIS TIME WORKING IN A NONPROFIT..SILLY ME). Show me a socialist agenda that actually works and I'll listen. Your idealism is cute (NO, NOT CUTE; MOXIE.), however you shoud consider getting down here and fighting in the real world with the rest of us (AND BY DOWN HERE YOU MEAN? I AM NORTH OF KY, SO I SEE WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM GEOGRAPHICALLY).

2) How are we sexist, homophobic, and uninclusive of all Black culture and how can we fix it? Where is the evidence? Let's get some CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. (LET'S GET SOME CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK...IF SOMEONE ACTUALLY GAVE YOU CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, WOULD YOU TAKE IT? DOUBT IT. INSTEAD, TELL ME HOW YOU are not SEXIST AND HOMOPHOBIC. AND WOMEN WEARING YOUR SHIRTS DOESN'T COUNT.)

3) Charitable Organizations: Save Darfur, Tavis Smiley's Y2L program, various Voter Registration Programs. We also speak to children at various events and schools. (*UN APPLAUSO!*)

4) Philanthropic Policy: I agree wholeheartedly that our company has a responsibility to give back....when we make a profit. However, we are still operating on negative net income. We're only just over a year old, and we haven't paid ourselves any salary whatsoever. How do you suggest we give more than we're giving when we have nothing more to give? (Tre, this is a great question. Honestly, I appreciate your efforts. I really do. I think that my style of rhetoric rubs people the wrong way and that is perfectly understandable. For people to actually go out and be entrepreneurs is a brave thing: some fail, some succeed. Besides, just because there is no net, doesn't mean you don't have anything to give. See your own comment in line item #3.)

5) What are we doing to support our people? Well, besides starting dangerousNEGRO, we are all recent graduates from college (WHOOPEE-DEE-DO, I HAVE ONE OF THOSE DEGREE THINGIES, TOO.), and several of us are pursuing graduate degrees (GOOD...LEMME GUESS, MBAs? YOU KNOW, TRE, I WANT TO PURSUE A MFA MAYBE OR SOMETHING THAT INTEGRATES WOMEN'S STUDIES WITH THEATRE. I HAVE A GREAT IDEA FOR MY THESIS. WHAT SCHOOLS ARE YOU LOOKING AT?). So first, just existing as successful, educated Black men is doing something (AND THIS IS THE KICKER: DO YOU WANT A COOKIE, OR A HIGH FIVE BECAUSE YOU MANAGED TO DO WHAT SOCIETY EXPECTED OF YOU? GREAT, I AM A BLACK WOMAN WHO IS EXISTING, NEVER BEEN TO JAIL (THOUGH I WAS ALMOST ARRESTED IN DC DURING A PROTEST AND MY DAD SAW ME ON CNN) I MANAGED TO NOT BECOME A STATISTIC AND GET PREGNANT, I AM EMPLOYED...I UNDERSTAND THAT OUR PEOPLE HAVE OVERCOME A LOT, BUT AT THIS STAGE IN THE GAME, I AM TIRED OF HANDING EVERY BLACK MAN I MEET A COOKIE FOR HIM BEING AN UPRIGHT, EDUCATED CITIZEN). Every time I tell a white person I attend Harvard, I make a positive impact on the image of Black people in America. (You absolutely do. But in the case of most white people, just not stealing their purse or robbing their home is making a positive image on Black people. Every time I put a sentence together using correct enunciation and phonetics, I put white people awe. Tre, I can't hate on you there.) Second, I don't write blogs tearing down positive movements, so that's another way I "give back." Third, all of us volunteer on a regular basis whether it is on behalf of dN, or as individuals.

6) Our clothes are made in Louisville, KY in a place that nobody in their right mind would compare to a sweatshop, so I have no idea where you got this silly notion. (AGAIN, NOT "SILLY", "MOXIE". BELIEVE OR NOT, SWEATSHOPS DO EXIST WITHIN THE UNITED STATES, BUT WE'LL ALLOW THAT DN DOESN'T USE THEM. BUT CAN YOU TELL ME: ARE THEY AT LEAST MADE BY UNION WORKERS?) ***

7) We're starting a MOVEMENT on a national level. At least we're trying. What are you doing? (YOU'RE RIGHT, MR. CHAIRMAN...I AM REALLY A 36-YR OLD WHITE GUY WHO LIVES AT HOME WITH HIS PARENTS, AGNES AND BURT. I AM EMPLOYED PART TIME AT A LOCAL PIZZA HUT AS A PIZZA MAKER. I WOULD BE A DELIVERY DRIVER, BUT THE STATE TOOK MY LICENSE AWAY BECAUSE I GOT CAUGHT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MAD DOGG AND OXYCOTINS...FOR THE 10TH TIME. I CREATE FAKE BLOGS AND MYSPACE PAGES IN AN EFFORT TO MEET BLACK PEOPLE AND MAKE THEM MY FRIENDS. I AM SORRY. I CAN'T KEEP THIS CHARADE UP ANY LONGER. MY COURT-APPOINTED THERAPIST SAYS THAT I SHOULDN'T USE SARCASM AND HUMOR TO HIDE MY PAIN ANYMORE. "WHAT AM I DOING?" YOU'RE RIGHT...I AM DOING NOTHING.)Again, feel free to contact me personally if you actually want to get some facts before you write another ignorant response with no facts and no constructive suggestions (INSTEAD OF HAVING WOMEN WEAR YOUR SHIRTS, PUT THEM ON YOUR SHIRTS).

***Blogger note: If one were to refer to my original post on this subject, you will see that I link to a company called Bella. This company makes the actual shirts in question; maybe they are printed in KY. Bella's corporate HQ is in LA, which definitely has sweatshops. And while the company has a nice blurb about social responsibility, it's labor practices have yet to assessed by the proper organizations. I'm just saying.

Tre Baker
tre@dangerousnegro.com

Seriously, Tre: I want to see more Black women celebrated on your shirts. I want to see men wearing these shirts. I want Black to reflect Afro-Latino culture...we came from Africa, too. Oh yes, and Meeks Mind...that is what I thought was a subsidiary. That stuff is questionable and sexist and homophobic. I will also say that DN is not sexist and homophobic per se...rather it seems noninclusive of these groups that clearly exist within the Black community. Last thing: what's with the product descriptions? I find it humorous at best that your company pretty much discourages fat women from buying baby tees. That's a little chauvinistic, no?

1 comment:

Kim said...

Wow.

I do like the union workers part.

I just don't think they get it--that some of their shirts don't portray an inclusive vision of the civil rights movement. I think they honestly believe that they aren't somewhat sexist and I think that they don't even begin to address it, let alone the homophobic parts.