(bowing to the Siddity, bowing and more bowing.)

And really, some of this is related to how hip hop is now — it’s predominantly male and there’s no female equivlent of Simmons to call him on the carpet also.

PS — Sims 2 rules. I need to get my copy back from my friend. I love making soap operas.

Regarding Simmons, I realize I didn’t make myself clear on a few things. I don’t actually object to foul language in music (shit, I curse all the goddamned time myself) and I don’t actually believe the ban would solve anything. I’m angry at the disingenuous lip service Simmons is paying to the issue, essentially hijacking what could become a meaningful conversation for his own purposes.

Am I happy that conversation might have been spawned by the fact that white critics immediately tried to lay the blame for Imus’s slip at our feet? No. In fact, that’s classic racist maneuvering. I acknowledge that. But Simmons just matched spin with spin. I would have been happier if he had come out and said, “Look, we know there are issues in hip hop that need to be dealt with, and I have called a summit of artists and industry executives to address them/started a foundation for young women in the arts (or whatever), but none of this changes the fact that Don Imus insulted a group of talented, accomplished young women at what should have been their shining hour.” Rather than using his place in the spotlight to refocus the debate in mainstream media and perhaps have another one within the community, he threw out a self-aggrandizing smokescreen.

M: Occasionally, I part myself from Sims2 just long enough to throw a hissy fit.

With Russell, he can talk all he wants about artists, but what bugs me is that we’re not seeing female rappers get representation and respect. It’s all about Beyonce and her booty right now. What happened to the Salt-n-Pepas, Mc Lytes, Queen Latifahs and other strong women who didn’t have to rap about being a sex object? These women were as good as the guy rappers and they didn’t have to be like Lil’ Kim and her tits or Foxxy Brown rapping about sex.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong about rapping about sex, but when the message is just brand names, gangs, sex and disrespecting women, it’s easy to see how that message overwhelms everything else and permeates into our behavior. It’s a weird infinity mirror thing — who’s reflectin whom?

Russell can’t talk until he shows that there’s some diversity in mainstream hip-hop. They shouldn’t be allowed to talk until we see some diversity in hip-hop (and not just Beyonce shaking her ass). The only message right now is the brand name, ghettofabulous life and it’s bullshit.

It’s this kind of Siddity Bitchery that will change the world.

Shock jocks don’t have that disconnect — you know your IQ’s going to drop a couple of points when you hear that shit on the radio. What’s the awful thing is that people who listen to this and claim that they’re not racist will think it’s alright to make jokes like this.

And I will have to beat them with a clue-by-four.

Also, no one gives the same gravity to Asian American stereotypes as they do with African Americans. Maybe it’s the fact that in the past, immigrants have been more quiet and willing to deal with this shit (I remember my dad telling me to ignore stuf like this) than to stand up, boycott and get angry. It could also be a socioeconomic thing (”What are ya’ll complaining for? You’ve assimilated alright!”) or something with history (somehow it’s harder for people to digest the immigration policies that excluded Asians from being allowed to immigrate to the United States over slavery).