Late
last month, the comedienne/actress Mo'Nique asked Black americans to
stand with her in boycotting Netflix for “gender and color”
biases. And I trust that more than likely, if you're
reading my Blog, you already know about this.
Mo'Nique said on “Instagram”, that she got “low-balled” by Netflix, when they offered $500,000 for her to appear in one of their televised comedy specials. Then she talked about Netflix offering Amy Schumer 11 million dollars for hers, while comedians Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle each got 20 mill'. Then, Mo'Nique said that when she asked for more money, a Netflix spokesperson told her, “Well, we thing that's what you'll bring”. And when she replied, saying her resume should command a higher price, the same person from Netflix said, “We don't go off of resumes”.
Now ultimately, the question is this: does Mo'Nique's “Hollywood” credentials (Remember, she won the “Oscar” for playing that violently abusive, mammy-of-a-mother in “Precious”), and her previous history as a “headlining” comedian, give her the kind of cultural cache to back up her asking price?
And the best way to tackle this question, in my opinion, is to do a comparative analysis of Mo'Nique's comedic career, in retrospect to what these other comedians she's named, have or haven't done, to command those kind of Netflix “numbers”.
After graduating college with a degree in theater from Towson University in 2003, Amy did some off-Broadway work in NYC theater, while she plied her comedic trade in places like New York City's “Gotham Comedy Club”. This led to a “Comedy Central” TV special, and from there, she appeared on the “NBC” talent show, “Last Comic Standing”. She parlayed these successes into TV stints on shows like “30 Rock”, “Bob's Burgers” and “Louie”, and she appeared in a few “HBO” series like “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Girls”. Eventually, Comedy Central gave Amy her own show called, “Inside Amy Schumer”. And this led to one of her first movie roles, in a film that was titled, “Price Check” (ironically enough). After this, she went on to play roles in other flicks like, “Trainwreck”, “Snatched”, and “Thank you for your silence”.
Now, on June 23rd, of 2016, Amy sold out the world famous, “Madison Square Garden” in NYC. And it was there that she announced she'd be taking her comedy show on a world tour. To top that off, she wrote a memoir tilted: “The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo”, which held the top position on the “New York Times” Best-sellers list for two weeks in September of that year.
Mind you, the Netflix spokesperson who Mo'Nique spoke with, told her that Amy's selling out the “Garden” twice, and being in a “big movie over the summer”, was a factor in what she got paid. So much for not going off of resumes.
Now, in my opinion, Mo'Nique is totally right for asking Netflix for a similar price to Amy's. Cause quite frankly, Amy's a third-rate comic at best and a corn-fed looking, inbred bigot at worst. white elites only hype Amy cause she's supposed to represent some new breed of feminist, with her brand of comedy some critics are calling, “casual racism”(CS).
And for those who don't know, let me explain what CS really is—Amy's CS is a rallying call for white women who not only wanna' have their “white privilege(s)”, but who wanna' be recognized as an “oppressed minority” while doing it. Furthermore, they also want white elites, like Trump who the majority of them voted for, to make sure they're always recognized as the world's prettiest women, while showing their true colors (pun intended) by lobbing any and every kind of insult towards Black people. Mind you, these are the same women who're pleading for our sympathies in the #METOO campaign(s).
Now,
we're all pretty familiar with Chris Rock's back-story and
credentials. But for those who aren't, let me give you a brief
primer on his comedic career.
Chris began doing stand-up comedy at New York City's “Catch a Rising Star” club. While plying his trade, he was fortunate enough to meet Eddie Murphy who happened to visit one evening. And after Eddie asked the club's manager to put Chris, who wasn't slated to perform that night, on after another comic, Eddie was so impressed with him, that he put Chris in the film, “Beverly Hills Cop II”.
Chris parlayed the aforementioned coup, into his stint on “Saturday Night Live”. After which, he began his string of HBO comedy specials, like the one that catapulted his career into the stratosphere, (1996's) “Bring the Pain”. And coincidentally, it was this special's skit about “Niggas vs. Black people”, that got him in the good graces of the white fascists who control Hollywierd.
After winning two “Emmys” for the aforementioned comedy shows, Chris' HBO special called, “Bigger and Blacker”, won him even more acclaim with critics and fans—and this got him to his own HBO show, “The Chris Rock show”. After this, he went on to garner major roles in movies like: “New Jack City”, “Boomerang”, “CB4”, “Panther”, “Lethal Weapon 4”, “Dogma”, and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”.
He then took on the role of a film writer/director, with movies like: “I think I love my wife” and “Top Five”.
Now, in regards to the pay-out discrepancy for Mo'Nique as it pertains to Chris Rock, I say she's wrong here for several reasons. First off, Chris' brand of socio-political comedic stylings tend to be more astutely observant and cerebral than Mo'Nique's comedy. Mo'Nique trends towards more “down-home” or “round-the-way” types of punch-lines—whereas you can tell Chris makes it his business to tackle complex sociological issues, which he presents in ways that are easily digestible for the masses. At one point in his HBO comedy speicals, you hear Chris waxing philosophic about how women know within the first five minutes of meeting a man, that they're gonna' sleep with him—then you hear him talk about how “affirmative action” and the white privilege got and kept Bush Jr. in his job as america's president. You're not really gonna' experience that range of cerebral/comedic gymnastics at a Mo'Nique show.
After attending Washington D.C.'s, “Duke Ellington School for the Arts”, a young Dave Chappelle moved to New York City, to ply his comedic trade. He made such an impression on New York City's comedy circuit, that Whoppi Goldberg nick-named him, “The kid”, when he was 19. A talent agent “discovered” him in a New York club and put Dave in his first movie, “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”.
Thereafter, he was involved in several TV “pilots” that got rejected—but Dave was so revered as a master comedian, that once again, Eddie Murphy stepped in and put a young Dave in his hit movie, “The Nutty Professor”. After this, Dave and Neal Brennan co-wrote the stoner-classic, “Half-Baked”, and Dave also appeared in the box office success, “Blue Streak”, with Martin Lawrence.
Dave's Hollywood cache had evolved to the point where white elites “green-lit” the ideas he had for his own sketch-comedy program, and that became the “Dave Chappelle Show”, which debuted in 2003 on Comedy Central. And we all know how wildly successful and iconic this show became—and, we all know how it ended.
But what people may not know is this: The first season of the Chappelle Show on DVD, remains the number one best-selling TV series on DVD of all time, with 3 million of its units sold. Now, this DVD made the Comedy Central network $500 million dollars—and Dave's contract stipulated that he get half of that, which of course, is $250 million.
But Dave didn't stop there, on top of telling Oprah that he wouldn't wear a dress cause he saw the psychological impact it would have on Black people, Dave left the u.s. and went to Africa.
If
not, let me tell ya'—cause in my estimation, Dave struck the
mightiest blow to white fascism, I've ever seen in my
lifetime.
Cause with Dave's actions, he told Black people, in america and the Diaspora, that the white fascist dream, american or otherwise, was BOGUS (and I wanna' use another word, but I won't), and he wasn't gonna' sell-out to it or for it. Now, even though Dave made a comeback, and a deal with Netflix for $60 million, I still fear for his life. Cause white fascists may be wicked as all hell, but they ain't stupid.
And the way whitey usually gets rid of revolutionaries like Dave (and that's not hyperbole, Dave's proven himself to be one) is this: they give someone what they originally fought for, in Dave's case $60 million ($20 million for three comedy specials), and a couple of years after the celebrity's won their battle, they kill them and usually blame it on a drug overdose (Prince).
Cause it would look too suspicious to kill a celebrity, while they're fighting their battle.
Now, if Mo'Nique was offered $50 million dollars, what do you think she would've done?
Meaning, not only doesn't Mo'Nique have the kind of ingenuity and knowledge of world politics that Dave infuses his humor with, but I know for a fact that she doesn't have the kind of moral fortitude that would've allowed her to say no to that kind of money. And she sure as hell, wouldn't of went to Africa, to further prove her point.
So, I've said all that to say this: I applaud Mo'Nique for knowing her worth when it comes to hack comics like Amy Schumer, but when it comes to a generation's greatest comedic minds like a Chris Rock, or true-to-heart revolutionaries like Dave Chappelle, she'll never be in their leagues.
Mind
you, I believe Mo'Nique is very talented, but she suffers from the
same disease that Dame Dash, formerly of “Rockefeller Records”
had. Cause both Mo'Nique and Dame are white fascist freemasons—so they should
know that they're only allowed to be successful ON FREEMASONIC
TERMS—NOT THEIR OWN!
So
to all celebs, or aspiring celebs who wanna' get down wit' tha'
freemasons: if you wanna' survive and thrive in your chosen
profession, you should heed the pithy words of Lavar Ball Sr., and
know when to “STAY IN YO' LANE”. In other words, if
you're dirty dancin' wit' tha' devil, don't cry when ya' gets burned.
And like Sam L. Jackson said in Spike Lee's movie, “Do the Right Thing”: “That's the double truth, Ruth”.
Later...
MontUHURU Mimia
*Addendum: (2/6/18)--Here's a video put out by "The Atlantic" magazine, simply called "Typecast", featuring actor Michael K. Williams (most noteably known as "Omar" from the HBO series, "The Wire"). Now, this mag covers national and international politics, technology, business and "culture", but more than anything, this mag's vid talks about an entertainer possibly regretting their "celebrity". So ultimately, the moral of this vid's story is: if you're gonna' get down wit' "Hollywierd", you've gotta' play by their rules. And in white fascist freemasonry's case, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Either you abide by their ways, or you go the "independent" route, so you don't have to. Enjoy this clip.
But
if you don't, let me break Mo'Nique's beef with Netflix
down briefly...
Mo'Nique said on “Instagram”, that she got “low-balled” by Netflix, when they offered $500,000 for her to appear in one of their televised comedy specials. Then she talked about Netflix offering Amy Schumer 11 million dollars for hers, while comedians Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle each got 20 mill'. Then, Mo'Nique said that when she asked for more money, a Netflix spokesperson told her, “Well, we thing that's what you'll bring”. And when she replied, saying her resume should command a higher price, the same person from Netflix said, “We don't go off of resumes”.
Now ultimately, the question is this: does Mo'Nique's “Hollywood” credentials (Remember, she won the “Oscar” for playing that violently abusive, mammy-of-a-mother in “Precious”), and her previous history as a “headlining” comedian, give her the kind of cultural cache to back up her asking price?
And the best way to tackle this question, in my opinion, is to do a comparative analysis of Mo'Nique's comedic career, in retrospect to what these other comedians she's named, have or haven't done, to command those kind of Netflix “numbers”.
So
let's start with Amy Schumer...
After graduating college with a degree in theater from Towson University in 2003, Amy did some off-Broadway work in NYC theater, while she plied her comedic trade in places like New York City's “Gotham Comedy Club”. This led to a “Comedy Central” TV special, and from there, she appeared on the “NBC” talent show, “Last Comic Standing”. She parlayed these successes into TV stints on shows like “30 Rock”, “Bob's Burgers” and “Louie”, and she appeared in a few “HBO” series like “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Girls”. Eventually, Comedy Central gave Amy her own show called, “Inside Amy Schumer”. And this led to one of her first movie roles, in a film that was titled, “Price Check” (ironically enough). After this, she went on to play roles in other flicks like, “Trainwreck”, “Snatched”, and “Thank you for your silence”.
Now, on June 23rd, of 2016, Amy sold out the world famous, “Madison Square Garden” in NYC. And it was there that she announced she'd be taking her comedy show on a world tour. To top that off, she wrote a memoir tilted: “The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo”, which held the top position on the “New York Times” Best-sellers list for two weeks in September of that year.
Mind you, the Netflix spokesperson who Mo'Nique spoke with, told her that Amy's selling out the “Garden” twice, and being in a “big movie over the summer”, was a factor in what she got paid. So much for not going off of resumes.
Now, in my opinion, Mo'Nique is totally right for asking Netflix for a similar price to Amy's. Cause quite frankly, Amy's a third-rate comic at best and a corn-fed looking, inbred bigot at worst. white elites only hype Amy cause she's supposed to represent some new breed of feminist, with her brand of comedy some critics are calling, “casual racism”(CS).
And for those who don't know, let me explain what CS really is—Amy's CS is a rallying call for white women who not only wanna' have their “white privilege(s)”, but who wanna' be recognized as an “oppressed minority” while doing it. Furthermore, they also want white elites, like Trump who the majority of them voted for, to make sure they're always recognized as the world's prettiest women, while showing their true colors (pun intended) by lobbing any and every kind of insult towards Black people. Mind you, these are the same women who're pleading for our sympathies in the #METOO campaign(s).
So,
in the case of Amy Schumer, I think Mo'Nique's argument over salary
discrepancies is right on and righteous!
Chris began doing stand-up comedy at New York City's “Catch a Rising Star” club. While plying his trade, he was fortunate enough to meet Eddie Murphy who happened to visit one evening. And after Eddie asked the club's manager to put Chris, who wasn't slated to perform that night, on after another comic, Eddie was so impressed with him, that he put Chris in the film, “Beverly Hills Cop II”.
Chris parlayed the aforementioned coup, into his stint on “Saturday Night Live”. After which, he began his string of HBO comedy specials, like the one that catapulted his career into the stratosphere, (1996's) “Bring the Pain”. And coincidentally, it was this special's skit about “Niggas vs. Black people”, that got him in the good graces of the white fascists who control Hollywierd.
After winning two “Emmys” for the aforementioned comedy shows, Chris' HBO special called, “Bigger and Blacker”, won him even more acclaim with critics and fans—and this got him to his own HBO show, “The Chris Rock show”. After this, he went on to garner major roles in movies like: “New Jack City”, “Boomerang”, “CB4”, “Panther”, “Lethal Weapon 4”, “Dogma”, and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”.
He then took on the role of a film writer/director, with movies like: “I think I love my wife” and “Top Five”.
Now, in regards to the pay-out discrepancy for Mo'Nique as it pertains to Chris Rock, I say she's wrong here for several reasons. First off, Chris' brand of socio-political comedic stylings tend to be more astutely observant and cerebral than Mo'Nique's comedy. Mo'Nique trends towards more “down-home” or “round-the-way” types of punch-lines—whereas you can tell Chris makes it his business to tackle complex sociological issues, which he presents in ways that are easily digestible for the masses. At one point in his HBO comedy speicals, you hear Chris waxing philosophic about how women know within the first five minutes of meeting a man, that they're gonna' sleep with him—then you hear him talk about how “affirmative action” and the white privilege got and kept Bush Jr. in his job as america's president. You're not really gonna' experience that range of cerebral/comedic gymnastics at a Mo'Nique show.
So
in this instance, I think Mo'Nique doesn't recognize that Chris'
psychological dexterity, is greater than her own—at least
comedically.
Now, Mo'Nique's suggestions that she get as much money as Dave Chappelle, to
me, is questionable at best and outright crazy at worst. And here's why...
After attending Washington D.C.'s, “Duke Ellington School for the Arts”, a young Dave Chappelle moved to New York City, to ply his comedic trade. He made such an impression on New York City's comedy circuit, that Whoppi Goldberg nick-named him, “The kid”, when he was 19. A talent agent “discovered” him in a New York club and put Dave in his first movie, “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”.
Thereafter, he was involved in several TV “pilots” that got rejected—but Dave was so revered as a master comedian, that once again, Eddie Murphy stepped in and put a young Dave in his hit movie, “The Nutty Professor”. After this, Dave and Neal Brennan co-wrote the stoner-classic, “Half-Baked”, and Dave also appeared in the box office success, “Blue Streak”, with Martin Lawrence.
Dave's Hollywood cache had evolved to the point where white elites “green-lit” the ideas he had for his own sketch-comedy program, and that became the “Dave Chappelle Show”, which debuted in 2003 on Comedy Central. And we all know how wildly successful and iconic this show became—and, we all know how it ended.
But what people may not know is this: The first season of the Chappelle Show on DVD, remains the number one best-selling TV series on DVD of all time, with 3 million of its units sold. Now, this DVD made the Comedy Central network $500 million dollars—and Dave's contract stipulated that he get half of that, which of course, is $250 million.
But
Comedy Central only wanted to give Dave $50 million. That—along
with a host of artistic and political differences he had with Comedy
Central, was the main reason Dave walked away from the deal.
So “crazy” had nothing to do with it.
But Dave didn't stop there, on top of telling Oprah that he wouldn't wear a dress cause he saw the psychological impact it would have on Black people, Dave left the u.s. and went to Africa.
Now—do
you know what that means?
EVER.
Cause with Dave's actions, he told Black people, in america and the Diaspora, that the white fascist dream, american or otherwise, was BOGUS (and I wanna' use another word, but I won't), and he wasn't gonna' sell-out to it or for it. Now, even though Dave made a comeback, and a deal with Netflix for $60 million, I still fear for his life. Cause white fascists may be wicked as all hell, but they ain't stupid.
And the way whitey usually gets rid of revolutionaries like Dave (and that's not hyperbole, Dave's proven himself to be one) is this: they give someone what they originally fought for, in Dave's case $60 million ($20 million for three comedy specials), and a couple of years after the celebrity's won their battle, they kill them and usually blame it on a drug overdose (Prince).
Cause it would look too suspicious to kill a celebrity, while they're fighting their battle.
But
back to Mo'Nique...
Now, if Mo'Nique was offered $50 million dollars, what do you think she would've done?
Ya'
darn right—she woulda' took it!
Meaning, not only doesn't Mo'Nique have the kind of ingenuity and knowledge of world politics that Dave infuses his humor with, but I know for a fact that she doesn't have the kind of moral fortitude that would've allowed her to say no to that kind of money. And she sure as hell, wouldn't of went to Africa, to further prove her point.
So, I've said all that to say this: I applaud Mo'Nique for knowing her worth when it comes to hack comics like Amy Schumer, but when it comes to a generation's greatest comedic minds like a Chris Rock, or true-to-heart revolutionaries like Dave Chappelle, she'll never be in their leagues.
And
the reason why is simple—it's cause at the end of the day, Mo'Nique
is just a narcissistic opportunist, frontin' like she's “conscious”.
And that's the moral of every freemasonic story. It's also the reason why Jay-Z's nearly a billionaire, and Mo'Nique and Dame ain't.
And like Sam L. Jackson said in Spike Lee's movie, “Do the Right Thing”: “That's the double truth, Ruth”.
Later...
MontUHURU Mimia
*Addendum: (2/6/18)--Here's a video put out by "The Atlantic" magazine, simply called "Typecast", featuring actor Michael K. Williams (most noteably known as "Omar" from the HBO series, "The Wire"). Now, this mag covers national and international politics, technology, business and "culture", but more than anything, this mag's vid talks about an entertainer possibly regretting their "celebrity". So ultimately, the moral of this vid's story is: if you're gonna' get down wit' "Hollywierd", you've gotta' play by their rules. And in white fascist freemasonry's case, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Either you abide by their ways, or you go the "independent" route, so you don't have to. Enjoy this clip.
Warning:This video contains harsh language. Viewer discretion is advised.
It's really troubling to me how one who declares himself as a SIRIUS black nationalist would write an blog post like this against one of our own.
ReplyDeleteIt's hypocritical for you to position yourself so poignantly against a "sistah" whose only goal is to ensure that her and every other black female comedian gets a fair and equitable payday to what is consummate to their resume just like their white and male contemporaries.
Your gripe seems to be that (outside of Schumer) she does not compare to the other comedians you've chronicled in your diatribe.
I guess that's a fair assumption to make if you are not taking into account Monique's resume that directly refutes some of the points you were trying to make.
Apples to apples Monique's resume not only stands up to but completely usurps the resumes of each comedian you've listed.
She's had successful comedy tours, tv & talk shows, and critically successful movies like Precious that she won just about every award for including an Oscar.
Sure you can have your own opinion on her stand up but in that regard it's really all perspective at the end of the day. Her comedy in my opinion is no more or less political than that of Chapelle's or Rock's brand of comedy. She, unlike them, is completely unfiltered when it comes to speaking her truth.
The only difference is that their material, in part, is written to make whites feel more comfortable which is why the Freemason elites feel more comfortable exalting them as "comedic geniuses". Exactly like what we're seeing now with another sell out named Kevin Hart.
It drives me up a wall to see people like you over the past few weeks shade Monique while elevating Dave Chapelle, who was no revolutionary. He, like Kevin, was simply chosen and elevated by the elites. Dave had already sold himself out prior to Africa by placing some of the worst possible stereotypes associated with black folk on TV for all of white America and the greater world to see.
Unlike her peers, Monique has sacrificed her career for the greater good of all black people within the entertainment industry. She alone stood up against the movie studios & streaming services that sought to exploit and pimp black talent by standing on her dignity which ultimately cost her career.
We should be saluting and supporting this sistah for doing what no brutha or sistah have been willing to do, but instead, you as a black nationalist want to label her as a "narcissistic opportunist" because she'a taking a stand for us?
And yet you want to question whether or not she has the mental fortitude to turn down 50 mil when you and I both know black people who would have sold themselves out for much less.
-Mike C.
P.S. Usually you write some good stuff but I think you're reaching here. You're better than this bruh....
"Mike"...
DeleteFirstly, everyone who looks like us, is NOT one of our own...and that was the whole point of my post on "Amara the Black", I mean, "Amara LE NEGRA".
Second, hypocrisy has nothing to do with reasons why I'm calling Mo'Nique what she really is, a completely self-involved megalomaniac, whose only goal is getting herself a bigger paycheck.
And let me just reinforce that point by saying, if Mo'Nique was in any way, shape or form, a "sistah" who really cared about the Black community, she wouldn't have played that hyper-abusive mammy in the movie "Precious", that cast a negative light not only on Black motherhood, but on Black women in general. And right after that, Mo'Nique was slated to play the mother-of-all-mammies, "Hattie McDaniel" in a "biopic" that was supposed to be directed by Lee Daniels.
Now, you're saying that Mo'Nique's comedic stylings surpass (and usurp) those of Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle? That's just FALSE. PERIOD. Pound for pound, Chris and Dave's musings are far more cerebral than Mo's...and I'm not just saying that cause they're hell-bent on speaking, or attempting to speak, the "Queens English". And quite frankly, just cause Mo's delivery is unrefined and filled with expletives, don't mean it's the truth bruh. One example of that, is Mo's stance on Lee Daniels betrayal of her. Now, I'm no fan of Lee Daniels at all, but he was right when he said he and Mo are in the movie "business", and they have to "play ball" accordingly. Meaning, if Lee and Mo have committed themselves to white fascist forces, they can't challenge them in anyway without dealing with the consequences.
And to break it down even further, Mo is finding out that you can't be a white fascist freemason AND a diva too. Like I stated in my post, you can only be successful on THEIR terms.
And let me just add this: the job of a Black man, who subscribes to "Black Nationalism" (SIRIUS or otherwise), is NOT to agree with every mandate, dictate or whim of Black women. It's to LEAD THEM TO A BETTER PLACE PSYCHOLOGICALLY, SPIRITUALLY, AND LASTLY, GEOGRAPHICALLY. And as Black men, we can't do that if we're busy thinking that the salvation of our people lies SOLELY in the hands of Black women.
Additionally, a Black man who doesn't call out Black women on their bogus behavior(s), is doing a genuine disservice to our community. Cause that woman will continue to act out unabated, until a strong brotha "checks" her insolence. And in no way am I saying a brotha should put his hands on her, but she should be given a sound verbal reprimanding, so she can be an example to other Black women of how they should comport themselves around us.
Furthermore, Mo'Nique has sacrificed NOTHING...especially not the "bad attitude", that Black women are stereotyped with.
Lastly, I'm NOT questioning whether or not Mo' has the mental fortitude to turn down 50 mil'...cause I KNOW FOR A FACT that she doesn't. And anyone who isn't in denial about the truth, can see that, plain as day.
And with that said, I thank you for challenging me "Mike". Cause frankly, I don't think it's altogether healthy for two strong-minded brothas to agree on everything. So please keep commenting!
And, like I've said previously, if you're not already writing your own blog, you should be.