May each one of us be filled with this joy and spirit as we spend time with those we love. Merry Christmas with love from the Gaskins.
Sent from my Blackberry Storm Sphere: Related Content
Friday, December 26, 2008
Merry Christmas
May each one of us be filled with this joy and spirit as we spend time with those we love. Merry Christmas with love from the Gaskins.
Sent from my Blackberry Storm Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Steelers D
Sent from my Blackberry Storm Sphere: Related Content
Friday, December 19, 2008
First Fridays Christmas Party & NYE in Pittsburgh
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The Incredible Hulk Meets Daredevil Heroes and Villains
I had to represent for me and Doey exclusively. What?!
Shoes Thrown at Bush in Iraq during News Conference
This is mad disrespectful. President Bush has great ninja skills though. He can be my dodgeball partner anyday! Bush was calm, cool, and collected. He even finished his speech after.
Obama would have probably stole on that bama. I hope the secret service pummeled him.
Monday, December 15, 2008
New Whips from Porsche and Lotus
The recession is not stopping two storied makes from introducing kool new sportscars. The 4 door Porsche Panamera and 4 seat Lotus Evora look like they may be true beasts! I will take the Lotus in white and the Porsche in Black...
2009 Lotus Evora
Base Price: $70,000 (est.)
What's New: The Evora is the first new Lotus in more than 10 years and will go head-to-head with Porsche's low-end 911s.
Why We've Got to Drive It: Lotus has excelled at creating relatively affordable sports cars that faithfully recreate a bare-bones racing experience. The Evora promises to continue the tradition.
Porsche
2010 Porsche Panamera
Base Price: $ 127,000 (est.)
What's New: Porsche is expanding its lineup of high-end sports cars with this Panamera, a four-door coupe.
Why We've Got to Drive It: A four-door that handles like a Porsche could be a powerful proposition. The entry level engine will likely be a 3.6-liter, 6-cylinder power-plant creating 300 horses. A higher-end S version will sport a turbo V8
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Happy Holidays
One Love. The Gaskins.
Sent from my Blackberry Storm Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
An Obama/Biden supporter has shared a news story with you
As a fellow supporter of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, I thought that
the following story might be of interest to you:
Video: Election Night Speech in Grant Park
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGx3Kc
--
Sent with Obama '08 from my iPhone
Get your copy: http://www.barackobama.com/iphone
Sent from my iPhone
Victory is Ours!
inspiring night. This photo is beautiful. It is the realization of the
true American Dream. Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Bye Steelers - Chris Paul - Redskins Music
The new song from Chris Paul is out. Bye Steelers!!! Redskins are about to have the game of the year. The Superbowl preview!!! We will be up in FedEx field representing...
Monday, October 20, 2008
Eastern Motors presents Redskins Car Show August 10th 2008
A little ColdPlay soundtrack with some nice whips and krazy Redskins fan. Only in DC. You gotta LOVE IT!!!
Nike
This is my favorite commercial. My son gets motivated by it, and it is truly inspiring. Troy and LT are bringing it. I just wish it was Clinton Portis instead of LT vs Troy.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Redskins Songs
Chris Paul makes hot jams every week for the Redskins. I love the Lil Wayne remix for the "Sucka Cowboys" from week 17 in 2007. That has become my son's official little anthem. hook is ridiculous "come and get this whupping lil' sucka Cowgirls". Check out this one for his current hit, "Whoop On".
He has a whole list of jams that are unbelievable. Click here for all his week to week hits. And let's get ready to sing Hail to the Redskins all the way to the Superbowl.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Rock & Roll Royalty = Little Richard
perform at the Navy Pier for the Budweiser party. At age 76 he still
can rock the joint. Unbelievable greatness on display. Whoooooooo Sphere: Related Content
Fight, Fight, Fight for Iowa
dinner. We celebrated Bill Krause, founder of Kum & Go convenience
chain from Iowa. He and his whole family are Hawkeye Alums and rabid
supporters of the University.
Great man and a great night.
Sphere: Related ContentNelly concert in Chicago
party at House of Blues and watched Nelly put on a great show. Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, October 2, 2008
The Legend of Johnny the Bagger
This lightweight choked me up. This never gets old. Great example of having a heart for service. Click on the link to be inspired...
http://www.simpletruths.tv/movies.php?movie=STSR
http://www.simpletruths.tv/land.html
Derek
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Watch Diesel: SFW XXX
marketingsuperhero@mac.com wants to share this video with you:
Personal Message
This is the most provocative ad campaign I have seen in a while. Borderline obscene, but pretty sexy.
Diesel: SFW XXX
Video:
Agency: The Viral Factory
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1370868150/bctid1819686724
Monday, September 29, 2008
Football musings
By now, the euphoria has subsided over the Redskins brilliant victory in Dallas over the previously undefeated Cowboys. What should be long lasting though, is the belief that Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell are for real. Campbell is thriving in the West Coast offense, and Zorn has managed to still stay true to the heritage of Redskins smash mouth, run first mentality. If the team can stay balanced on offense and stout on D, this has the makings of a very special year in DC.
Did anyone see the Brett Favre breakout performance coming? I certainly did which is why I look genius now for drafting him in my fantasy league as a backup to Tom Brady. Once Brady went down, my cohorts laughed at me. Who is laughing now after Brett put up 6 TDs and scored 46 fantasy points?! It has to be bittersweet for him to see the Packers look more and more hapless each week. And the injury prone Aaron Rodgers is living up to his fragile billing.
Finally, I want to focus on college for a bit. I must admit, that I was buying the hype that was USC after they smashed "The Ohio State University". But people, come on. We cannot write off the entire Big Ten because OSU laid an egg. I for one am happy to see the Penn State Nittany Lions bring joy again to Happy Valley. Could this be the year Joe Pa silences the haters and leaves on top? They look like they have as good a chance as anyone else. Did I mention that my Northwestern Wildcats are also 5-0?! The SEC is a class above everyone else, but after the feeble games played by Georgia, Florida, and narrow victory by LSU, you have to question if they are truly as dominant as people would have you believe. I am thinking right now that the National Championship may see Oklahoma against either Penn State or Alabama. Any 2 of those three would be tremendous.
Gen Y Threatens To Rewrite All The Retail Rules
Times are a changing...
Gen Y Threatens To Rewrite All The Retail Rules
Written by Evan Schuman
September 25, 2008
Gen Y, a loose term for younger shoppers ranging in age from about 14 through 28, is a demographic that most retailers are unprepared for. That's partially because this is the first segment that has never not known of the Internet and also because most retail executives have such a radically different worldview.
In addition, many Gen Y shoppers have never known—or believed they had—any privacy, so they are dramatically more willing to give up or sell personal data in exchange for something they see as having value. Their attention span is short, their multi-tasking skills are high and many find the idea of paying for software quaint and old-fashioned.
They can prioritize how they pay (Paypal's popular) over how much they pay as well as how they want to interact with businesses—in as many ways as possible: text on their phones, IM on their laptops, posts for them on MySpace, video pitches in YouTube and avatars in SecondLife.
John Hiraoka, the chief marketing officer at Epicor, has become an expert on Gen Y, partially because of a nearby teacher: his teenage daughter. During a speech at his company's user conference this week, Hiraoka told a room full of retail execs that they needed to look at the retail world through his 14-year-old's eyes for a moment. He was right.
He made a slide out of a picture of her desk in a remarkably neat and tidy room. (The neatness of the room, he said, was the result of a bribe that Hiraoka declined to specify. As the father of a girl in the same age range, I can confirm that the casual approach to room organization seems to be a younger Gen Y trait.)
The point of the picture was to display her personal electronics, which—CPU-wise—rival what NASA had just a few years ago. It included her desktop computer, an iPod, Game Boy, cell phone, digital camera, CD burner, DVD burner, six USB drives and two wireless devices. And a dolphin, although I'm not sure what the point of the dolphin was.
Hiraoka argued that retailers need to hire a lot more Gen Y employees and listen to them. He promised execs that it would be a very different perspective: "These are the so-called digital natives," he said. "They've grown up with no newspapers, catalogs or phonebooks."
That's all true, but prioritizing these consumers has many risks. How far can one go in communicating with them before alienating older demographics, many of which have a lot more money to spend?
Hiraoka counters that the Web theoretically allows retailers to communicate with many consumers individually, with a different approach and format for different demographics.
That is true and appropriate. But it's also very expensive and would require a very different approach. Will retail execs agree to this tactic, on the say so of much less experienced employees? If so, will those execs rename the demographic as Gen Y-oh-Why?
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Snickers Speedwalking Campaign. Insensitive or Over-Reaction?
I sometimes wonder if we have gone too soft. I am all for inclusion and diversity, but at times question the motives of advocacy groups. Snickers recently pulled a campaign that featured Mr. T off the air because gays felt it was a firect affront on them. I have put a link to the spot below, and would love to get your thoughts. I do not feel this is aimed at gays. I see it as an ad that makes fun of a sport that I have always thought was hilarious and unnecessary, speedwalking.
Insensitive or Over-Reaction? You be the judge.
Snickers: Speedwalker
Video:
Agency: AMV BBDO
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1370868150/bctid1674033081
Is Mobile truly the rebirth of the Internet? I think so!
Can Google's G1 Smart Phone Be More Than an Apple Knockoff?
Search Giant Hopes to Get the Masses (and Advertisers Who Court Them) Onboard With Mobile Internet
By Abbey Klaassen
Published: September 23, 2008
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- With a touch screen, a 3G high-speed network and an application store full of third-party-developed tools, the new "Google phone" has elicited numerous comparisons to Apple's iPhone. But for Google's Android mobile-operating system to be successful, it needs its phones to be much more than the first viable iPhone competitor.
The goal with Android is to simplify the mobile market and get wireless subscribers to buy smart phones and use the mobile internet.
Google, T-Mobile and Taiwan-based handset manufacturer HTC today announced the first phone created with Google's Android operating system. The HTC Dream -- which goes on sale Oct. 22 in the U.S. through T-Mobile under the name G1 -- generally got high marks from bloggers and analysts, who praised the high-resolution screen (like the iPhone, web pages can be viewed horizontally or vertically), tight integration with Google products such as Gmail and Maps, and a flip-out keyboard for those who never got used to the iPhone's virtual type pad.
Simplifying the mobile market
Google's real goal with Android is to simplify the mobile market and allow handset makers and developers to more easily create great devices with useful applications -- in turn persuading some of the 82% of mobile subscribers who don't use smart phones to buy such devices and use the internet. Google sees mobile devices as being far more ubiquitous than computers, and the more consumers it can get to go online via their phones, the better, arguably, for companies who make money via online advertising. (Google CEO Eric Schmidt is so bullish on this he called mobile "the re-creation of the internet.")
Such phones are also good for marketers, explained Dean McRobie, exec director of technology at Organic. Mobile today, he said, is "not easy to work with. We have a huge, multifaceted community of devices. ... Where Android starts to become interesting is in bringing together this community and saying it's in everyone's benefit to have open standards and capabilities for mobile device."
But the phone is still relatively expensive for the average Joe, at $179 plus a voice and data plan. That's a scant $20 cheaper than the iPhone and, by adding on iPhone-comparable memory, for instance, could actually make the G1 more expensive than the iPhone and leads to questions of just how much impact Google's move into mobile will have.
The G1 has flip-out keyboard for those who never got used to the iPhone's virtual type pad.
As Google Mobile Product Manager Sumit Agarwal explained Android earlier to Ad Age: "Google's interest is in getting people to use the net more. We want people to have access to our services. We want the world to have access to the world's information. There are 3 billion mobile phones out there, far more than the number of PCs. ... We view it not as a 'nice to have' but as a survival imperative to provide our services to users via whatever device they want."
What others have done
Other big web players have gone different routes: Microsoft offers a mobile version of its popular Windows operating system, while Yahoo has shunned the OS model, instead creating a development language that can modify websites and applications to fit the device on which they're being used. And AOL last year bought a third-party mobile ad network.
Research firm Strategy Analytics estimated that Google's Android smart phones would reach 400,000 units in the quarter, for a 4% market share. According to ComScore M:Metrics, 19.9 million Americans have a smart phone, up 121% since July 2007, led by Apple's iPhone. Of course, the focus for Google is not just the G1 but the many other Android phones that Google hopes will come after it.
That's also the focus for early Android developers.
"We're big fans of the open nature of Android and the ability it gives us to know our application will work anywhere," said Alexander Muse, CEO of Big in Japan, which created a comparison-shopping Android app called Shop Savvy. "This particular device from HTC is nice and we like it. But at end of day we're programming for Android, not for a particular phone or handset."
Are you a Text-a-holic too?
For Mobile Users, Texting Tops Talking
Nielsen: Number of Messages Eclipses Calls for Second Straight Quarter
By Max Lakin
Published: September 23, 2008
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The typical U.S. mobile subscriber sends and receives more text messages than phone calls.
The trend toward texting has several roots, not the least of which is an inundation of new devices with integrated keyboards, like Nokia's N810.
In a finding that might benefit mobile marketing, Nielsen Mobile found that during the second quarter of this year, domestic wireless subscribers sent or received an average of 357 text messages each month, compared with an average of 204 phone calls placed or received. It was the second consecutive quarter in which mobile texting significantly eclipsed the number of phone calls.
In the hands of teens, young adults
Teens aged 13 to 17 had the highest levels of text messaging, sending and receiving an average of 1,742 text messages per month, while only logging 231 mobile phone calls in the same period. Not surprisingly, the next age group, adults 18-24, had the second-largest gap in text-to-call ratio, 790 to 265.
To come up with its tally, Nielsen tracks billing activity through an opt-in panel of more than 50,000 personally liable, postpaid U.S. mobile lines across the nation's top four carriers, AT&T, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.
Paul Okimoto, corporate VP for Nielsen Mobile, said the trend has several roots, not the least of which is an inundation of new devices with integrated keyboards. "If you look at where mobile phones were just 10 years ago, we've come a long way," he said.
Mr. Okimoto said that, in general, texting options are usually less expensive than their voice counterparts across carriers, which might explain the surge in texting behavior. And while he said Nielsen hadn't done any conclusive research to suggest it, Mr. Okimoto didn't rule out the role a shaky economy could have in consumers' growing proclivity to let their thumbs do the talking.
75M texts sent in June
This past June alone, 75 billion text messages were sent in the U.S., compared with 7.2 billion in June 2005, according to wireless industry trade group CTIA.
At a user base of around 200 million, Mr. Okimoto said the mobile market is rife for advertisers to tap into "who we are." He cited Sen. Barack Obama's campaign, which sent out a mass text message alerting his supporters to his choice of running mate, a text that, according to Nielsen numbers, reached 2.9 million mobile subscribers.
"The whole ecosystem of mobile has reached a critical mass," Mr. Okimoto said. "It's compelling to say the least."
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Obama, McCain, Palin and Biden
I ' m a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....
If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're
"exotic, different."
However, grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you're a quintessential
American story.
If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic "Muslim" (who, by
the way, is a Christian).
However, name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a "maverick".
Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.
However, attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're
well grounded.
If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the
first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive
that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law
Professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with
over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and
Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate
representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on
the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs
Committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.
However, if your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the
city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people,
20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're
qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive and
next in line behind a man in his eighth decade of life.
If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising
2 daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real
Christian.
However, if you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and then
left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a
true Christian.
If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including
the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
However, if, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only,
with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your
unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.
If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in
a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city
community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values
don't represent America's.
However, if your husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one
DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until
age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of
Alaska from the USA , your family is extremely admirable.
OK, much clearer now.
Sonya R. Paulk
Administrative Assistant to the Dean
University of South Carolina
School of Law
701 S. Main Street, Suite 202
Columbia, South Carolina 29208
Monday, September 22, 2008
Mac vs. PC Campaign
I find it laughable that Microsoft waited 2+ years to respond to Apple's very effective campaign. The damage has been done, and unfortunately, Mac has repositioned PC as a nerdy, inflexible, dinosaur.
Mac has had explosive sales growth, and their brand affinity is literally off the charts. People genuinely love their products. Bill Gates and the Microsoft crew sat in Redmond, Washington with lustful eyes and venom directed towards Apple when they should have been ensuring Vista was ready for primetime before launching an inferior "upgrade". Too bad the Seinfeld campaign was a non starter, and Microsoft has already changed course. Not to mention that Seinfeld was notorious on his own sitcom for having a Mac computer prominently displayed in his home office. Rumor has it that Pharrell, Eva Longorio, and other stars in the new PC campaign also all proudly carry iPhones and iPods. With friends like these, who needs enemies?
Click here for a great article on the debacle...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Victory!
garage. We were siced but jive worried to drive through the throngs of
krazy lunatic Cleveland fans with our PA plates. Gigi and Godot were
both sleepy as heck. Sphere: Related Content
Monday, September 15, 2008
Cleveland went hard, but Steelers prevailed
blowing over 60 mph, but in the end the men of Steel played smashmouth
style and narrowly won 10-6.
Here we go baby.
Sphere: Related ContentFriday, September 12, 2008
Mercedes E-Class Commercial
This is pretty wild. I wish we ran commercials in the US like this. Pretty edgy for Mercedes.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Here we Go Steelers!
season opener against the Texans. Steelers look vicious again. Defense
is banging Bamas and offense has serious rhythm. 35-3 and Big Ben is
already on sideline resting. My man from DC Byron Leftwich is now out
showing his skills.
Can't wait for Cleveland trip next week. Here we Go baby!
Sphere: Related ContentThursday, August 28, 2008
Cancun, Mexico 2008
balcony. White sands and blue water are for real here, not just a
marketing campaign.
About to swim a couple miles off shore to recharge my spirit.
Sphere: Related ContentTuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Pirates vs Cubs
but we still love baseball. Sphere: Related Content
Friday, August 22, 2008
Adventure Weekend in Seven Springs
and more up on Seven Springs Mountain resort. Absolutely amazing. Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
GetGo Managers Meeting
Check out the GetGo tanker truck, my Range Rover "Harvey", and the
spectacular skyline of downtown Pittsburgh. Sphere: Related Content
Monday, August 11, 2008
Linen at LeMont
beautiful people came out for a night of upscale and old school
glamour. What a beautiful, diverse, and well dressed crowd. The night
was legendary! Sphere: Related Content
Friday, August 8, 2008
Here we Go Steelers!
and Redskins are our squads. We are hoarse already from all the
hollering. Sphere: Related Content
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Representing Redskins tough at Hall of Fame!
HOF in Canton. We about to watch Art Monk, Darryl Green, and my ship
Andre Tippett go into the hall of fame. Let's make it happen!!! Sphere: Related Content
Friday, August 1, 2008
Shyne Awards
showcase of the creative talents of Pittsburgh youth. What a fantastic
night! Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Prince singing at Pirates game?
Ok it's my little Godot Prince singing karaoke at the game. He was
rocking it up in the ball park though! Not to be outdone, Gigi belted out some hits too.
Sent from my iPhone
Sphere: Related ContentTuesday, July 29, 2008
CNN's Black in America: Not Quite Right
Sphere: Related Content
CNN's Black in America: Exactly What it was Meant to Beby Dr. Boyce WatkinsWhen I received the email about CNN's recent series "Black in America", I wasn't happy, I wasn't sad: I was indifferent. I saw it for what it was: an attempt to use viral marketing to achieve a ratings hit against Fox News. But after seeing the same damn email forwarded to me over and over and over again, I knew one thing: many black people were excited….really excited, as if CNN were the Union Army and this were a modern-day Juneteenth. The email was forwarded as a "must see", save-the-date, tell ya mama, grandmamma, baby's mama event that was going to change the world. Finally, the predominantly white media was going to give us a fair shake and truly tell our story. They were going to help White America understand what we go through and why we are not the animals some think we are. They were going to p resent hurdles and solutions that will help us come together as a nation. Call me a skeptic, but if the media has never told our story accurately in the past, what in the hell made us think they were going to do it right this time?
Given that some label me a "haterologist" for daring to question the religious figure known as Barack Obama (I am cautiously, yet strongly supportive and protective of Barack, but I insist that anyone who gets my vote communicates an effective urban agenda) I chose to let the liquor keep flowing at the "We Shall Overcome via CNN" Happy Hour in Black America. In other words, I remained silent, since it's not fun to bring bad news (academics are trained to be skeptical, even if we think something is good). All of us were ready to pull out the popcorn and kool-aid, to stare down the TV set like we were watching Beyonce give birth in outer space. The CNN event was truly the Black middle class version of the BET Video Music Awards, without all the gold teeth and stuff.
I watched the show the same way I normally watch CNN: between flights in random airports. I don't even watch CNN when I appear on the network, since I stay pretty busy. I won't say how I felt after the special; I'll just let you read my facial expression through these words. Imagine a modest-looking, youngish-oldish, blackish/brownish bald man with a twisted frown-like scowl, a twitching, squinted left eye, a curled up bottom lip and gritted teeth, viewing a TV screen between his two middle fingers. Sort of like the face you make when watching an Olympic gymnast fall crotch-first onto the balance beam right before breaking his leg.
"Black in America" was the socio-political lovefest between CNN and Black people that just wasn't going to materialize. It was the day when we in middle class Black America truly thought we were going to be vindicated, and the world would finally learn to love us. Black America became Jeremiah Wright at The National Press Club, thinking that the same media that destroyed his image was going to be the source of image repair. But like Jeremiah Wright (whom I respect tremendously), we marched away angrily, kicking the cracks in the sidewalk, shocked that we'd all been bamboozled. We were finally invited into the game, but only so they could use our ball and make us the mascot.
I don't hate CNN, I've done a lot of work with them. I do, however, hate Fox News….well, just Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity (great job this week Nas – even though you should stop marketing yourself as a replacement for Jesse Jackson). I don't question the motives of the producers, including Soledad O'Brien, a woman I truly believe to care about black people. I also felt that Paula Zahn (a former host) really wanted to dig to the root of racial inequality in an honest way. I did not, however, feel that CNN could pull off an honest conversation on race, and I don't believe they wanted to. They were, to me, like American Generals thinking they could muscle their way to peace in Iraq. They felt that if they spent enough money, engaged in enough viral marketing and got enough black people excited, they could create a ratings monster.
CNN achieved its goal. What made me feel bad for black people is that many of us actually thought that their goals were the same as our own. Here are some quick thoughts:
1) Black people were not the target audience of this series. CNN was not talking TO black people, they were talking ABOUT black people. Understand, there is a difference between telling white America how horrible black people can be vs. telling White people things they may not want to hear. Sure, CNN was glad to have Black viewers, but they are designed to cater to the other 87% of the population, not the 13% who serve as stars of the show. Black people have always made good entertainment for the corporate news monster, which feeds itself from the number of eyeballs it gets on the screen.
2) Most of the content for a TV news show, guest selection, and everything else, comes from the mind of the producer(s). Most producers of cable news shows, and all of the hosts, are non-black. Their viewpoints, structured in a racist society, are going to manifest themselves in the content of the show. Our media school here at Syracuse is one of the top 3 in the world and we have a lot of students who go on to become producers at CNN, FOX, NBC, etc. During a highly racist show created on our campus news network a couple of years ago (it led to the studio being shut down and students being harshly and unfairly disciplined), I noted that it was not the fault of the students that they see the world the way they do. It& rsquo;s the fault o f their parents and educators who refuse to teach them what they need to understand about race. America must face the truth about racism in order to properly educate news producers to provide a more enlightened perspective. As I began working with international news organizations this year, the contrast became quite clear: I enjoy appearing on international networks like Al Jazeera much more than CNN, Fox and MSNBC. The difference is like comparing a gourmet meal of knowledge to crackers from a sound bite vending machine. That's why I only watch cable news in airports.
3) The Black in America series was done for one reason: to take away Fox News' Black viewers (Black people hate Fox, and I am glad they do) and to defeat O'Reilly at the ratings game. While Black in America did very well in the ratings, it was still second to The O'Reilly Factor. The idea that there are 2.5 million people in America who watch O'Reilly every night says something about where we stand in America as it pertains to race. If CNN is trying to steal these viewers, then an honest reflection on racism is not going to achieve that goal.
4) The way this show was done underscores the need to finance and secure more black-owned media (I shared this with Rev. Jackson this week, since I was disappointed that his mishap with the microphone occurred on Fox – whether you like Jesse or not, our most respected and cherished leaders should not have to lean toward racist venues like Fox News to get a message to their people). No one else will ever tell our story the way we would tell it. This underscores the importance of supporting black media outlets and even going to the Internet to get your news if necessary. This does not imply that CNN can't be a valid source of news, but I encourage their network to get more black hosts and producers so they can tell the story right next time.
5) Personally, I was a bit offended by the "Black in America" series, primarily because it gave me exactly what I expected: a series of shallow statistics and vignettes, featuring the most dramatically negative aspects of our existence, all provided without context to an audience that sits back and says "What's wrong with those people?" I can't help but wonder if a show called "White in America" would be produced, showing many negative realities of the White community. What is most ironic is that such a series would never be acceptable.
Only Black people feel the pressure to answer for every little thing that happens in all corners of our community. We will even say that we are "embarrassed" by something we saw on TV. I've never seen a White man get embarrassed by the behavior of someone in a trailer park, so I don't get embarrassed by Flavor Flav. It is the lack of image diversity in mainstream media that makes us angry at Flavor Flav for simply being who he is. The truth is that we should wonder why it is ONLY Flavor Flav on the network, and not another Black image to balance him out.
Self-reflection is necessary. But I don't believe in self-hatred. To LIFT yourself, you must learn to LOVE yourself. CNN's "Black in America" didn't give us much to love. But looking for love externally doesn't usually work anyway, so why were we trying so hard? The next time CNN offers us a media Juneteenth, this slave will already have left the plantation, I'll be educating my God kids instead.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of "What if George Bush were a Black Man?" For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.net.
This message was sent from Dr. Boyce Watkins: Your Black World to gaskins@glamourlife.com. It was sent from: Dr. Boyce Watkins, 23F Queens Way, Camillus, ny 13031. You can modify/update your subscription via the link below.
To be removed click here
View this message in the iContact Community: View message
Comment on this message
Receive as RSS
Share this message with others: del.icio.us
Digg
StumbleUpon
reddit 
Facebook Saturday, July 19, 2008
Me and Juan Marichal
with the San Francisco Giants. A true baseball legend and one of my
childhood idols. His story is inspiring. I'm cheesing from ear to ear
for real. Godot should be hyped once he realizes how nice Juan used to
be. A true Giant!!! Sphere: Related Content
Josh Gibson Gala
honoring Negro League baseball greats. Big Pops played Negro League
ball and MLB ball in Pittsburgh and Detroit. Baseball is in our blood. Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Photo's from the Pirate Yankees Game 08
Check out some of the fantastic photos from the recent Yankees game in Pittsburgh. We were chilling in the Citizens Bank box. The Pirates pulled out a stunner and beat my Yankees. Tina was zooming in on Jeter and A-Rod and sweating those bamas tough the whole game! Ridiculous. Some amazing photos thanks to my man Samuel.
Sphere: Related ContentTuesday, July 15, 2008
Pamplona Running w/ Bulls July 8, 2008
Check out our man Chris Brann running with the Bulls in Pamplona! He was definitely jive scared and kept jumping out of the action. Next year, we are rolling with him and will make sure we stay in there with the BULLS!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Chilling at Yankees Game
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Partying at the Park in DC
Beautiful people for real. I love it. My city is the flyest by a long
shot. No contest. Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)