Wednesday, March 24, 2010




Chapter II. The Negro American Family












There are two points to be noted in this context.




Unknown said...

Is it at all possible that in this case, the three guys do in fact have a stable father figure in their lives, and they're just gay? A father figure who's probably upstairs in the kitchen facepalming while the mother is attempting to explain that teenagers need a chance to explore their sexuality? Just saying.

macon d said...

That seems pretty possible to me, Taylor.

Jacquetta said...

I am mildly offended at the homophobic implications of this post. Those young men are obviously gay and as noted by Taylor, there is no indication they suffer from "absent fathers/black male syndrome". This is not at all good evidence of the deterioration of the black family structure, unless one is implying that a lack of black male presences in the home makes male children homosexual or effeminate. I feel this video makes a far better example of the way media is influencing our society and the pervasiveness of hyper-sexuality in our culture.

chaunceydevega said...

It was supposed to be provocative...

Question: Should boys or girls of any sexual orientation be dancing on Youtube to Beyonce (or anyone else) for that matter?

I think a strong and responsible father in the home or in said boys lives would make it clear that is a no.

Check out the other embeds to see the consistency of the position.
Ottoman molestation, jsmoov grounding, etc. etc. are all part of a bigger problem with bad parenting and folks not teaching their children appropriate boundaries of private and public.


jacked UP jazz said...

It is blatantly apparent to me that these, um, young men "got skilz". I hope the divine Ms. B lurks on this channel and offers these fellows a chance to audition for her next tour.

Also, on an unrelated matter, I would like to commend the center dancer on his choice of sensible shoes. Most people have no idea how hard it is to find two inch pumps with a wide heel and sufficient support for dancing.

You go gurl.

chaunceydevega said...

@Jackedup Jazz--He is doing something special with those shoes!


krystal*lyte said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
krystal*lyte said...

It isn't a display of homophobia when someone makes a point that there’s still such a thing as being socially responsible, no matter what gender you wish to portray yourself as...i'm just sayin.

Anonymous said...

But it is homophobia to say that "we are truly a society too sick to survive" WHEN (or because) "teenage boys choreograph dance routines to Beyonce's music" and to connect this to "sexual assaults on ottomans" and "jsmoovery," which I as a frequent visitor to this blog know is part of a larger argument about how gay the behavior of hypermasculine young black males really is (much to your vexation), and to claim all of this is the "fault" of absent fathers (or father figures) thereby implying if there was some man around to show these boys how to be men these gay children wouldn't be... [For the record, not learned. One either is or is not!]
(Singing: "And the world would be a better place." Really?)
THAT'S when "we are...too sick to survive"? When gay young people--boys!--dare to show themselves on camera?

CD, I am not satisfied with your "it was supposed to be provocative" reply. That is all too often the response when people are called on bigotry. ["That's not how I feel personally. I was just being provocative."] Don't say it; I'm sure you "have gay friends."

Here is the other problem with this supposed bad parenting argument of yours: You pretend to be on the side of black women ("It's the fault of black men for running off and leaving the women with all the responsibility."), but your argument screams at black women: "Y'all don't know how to raise no damn children properly. Look at what happens when YOU do it!"
Just so we're clear: Absentee fathers are not a new phenomenon in the black community and we managed to turn out some respectable Negroes anyway!

On behalf of the single women (mothers and grandmothers) SUCCESSFULLY doing their best to rear productive individuals--male and female--who are so confident in who they are as to be their true selves, thanks so much for... nothing.

gordon gartrelle said...

Your hateful mind just can't fathom resistance to the heteromormative order.

They are dancing in pajamas and high heels as if to thumb their noses at traditional modes of masculinity; their performative gender-bending would make Judy Butler proud.

Media and technology have democratized celebrity and enabled a level of narcissism to which the average person has never had access. Now everyone's vapid, banal, or vulgar lives are on display for all to see.

Don't you see how wonderful and transgressive this is, Chauncey?



Wow! I like your energy. We are looking for some guest bloggers so please feel free to send us some things.

Now, I can't stand ign't culture period. You know this. As a matter of policy I think too many folks are showing their behinds and acting stupid on the Internet...desperate for their five minutes of fame and then retreating when they play themselves. If those were my sons acting that way--straight or gay--they would have my foot in their behind.

I call out the hypermasculine thugs because in my eyes they represent an interesting mix of problems. They are "real men" but they continually act in feminine ways. They are also to the one very homophobic, but then they idealize prison culture where homosexuality is a norm. They walk around showing their behinds to each other, but would kill you if you asked them if they were "punks." They are often on the "DL" I hate that word btw, but aren't gay because they are tops.

It is a hell of a puzzle.

Now, you won't like my explanation for their behavior one bit anon, but hell it will be a fun exchange. I think that we need 2 parent homes. This isn't to say that one parent can't do it alone, but it is considerably more difficult. I do think that young men in particular suffer greatly when dad isn't in the home. They are feminized in the worst: part of being a baby boy is being infantilized. These boys are made into men ("little men") at an early age. They are made the object of all attention in the home and often live an extended adolescence where their worst traits are enabled. Finally, there often seems to be an almost incestuous relationship (emotionally) where sons are made into the man of the house by their mothers/aunties/cousins when dad is not around.

I am old school. Young boys need good male role models to learn how to be men, and most importantly to learn the boundaries of abstract authority. Some of these young ign'ts end up in prison precisely because they grow up in a youthocracy, where there are no true elders, and they are enabled in all manner of stupidity as "little men" and baby boys.

Interestingly, there was an episode of Judge Mathis on the other day where a young mother listened to her kids who confronted her and told her to divorce their stepdad because "he had too many rules, i.e. structure in the home, do your homework, and accountability." This lost soul listened to these children!

To point, the oldest of the brood--16 years old--stole a car, wrecked it, and then dad wanted to kick his behind and hand him over to the cops to teach him a lesson. What did mom do? Her boy needed a hug so she held him...and didn't punish him. This is the mess I am talking about.

Sorry if that sounds patriarchal. I will own the comment.

I am hard on the sisters because the men are so raggedy and lost. It is unfair that women have to do the jobs of both parents, but these "men" are so lost, perhaps we ironically are not better off because these "men" are not in the home. Who knows?

chauncey d

Mec said...

Chauncey D,


Fortunately,there's enough room on the internet for people to "show their behinds" and/or act stupid as well as display more serious endeavors.
Who is being harmed by the behavior of the dancers in the clip? What in that clip warrants your foot in their behind or warrants any other admonishment? Most professional dancers were amateurs at one time.

Should these gentleman wait until they're offered a paycheck before they dance and submit the routine for public viewing? No room for male dancers in your family, understood. The Judge Mathis anecdote is worth discussing but it irrelevant in this matter unless the you know the particulars of these dancers parents.

The point of my post is to suggest that the Moynihan Report, although informative, is being used as camouflage to justify your "discomfort" with these seemingly gay men. And your 1:59AM comment supports my suspicions. That's my armchair psychology. Btw, I do like your blog. :-)

chaunceydevega said...


Well damn. Question: just because one can should they? re: showing one's behind for millions on these Internets?

Judge Mathis is relevant for all things! Watch your mouth!

just kidding...

chauncey devega

Mec said...

lol..Well,I wouldn't make it the 11th commandment; Thou Shalt Not Show Thy Behind Upon Thine Internets, if it causes no harm...Besides, there has to be some effort to see most of the antics people think are worth filming.

I'm sure that I will not see 99.8% of what You Tube has to offer. Most of the You Tube clips I do see I come across them because they're posted on websites I visit. So I can't say whether they should do it(show their behinds) or not but I can say that I shouldn't spend time actively seeking it out.

I see I crossed a line putting "irrelevant" and "Judge Mathis" in the same sentence, it was out of ignorance it won't happen again! :-)