Funnel Cake Flowers comments on Malcolm X being gay?

FCF: Marable Manning’s new book on Brother Malcolm X, “A Life of Reinvention,” has caused quite some controversy. Not only does the book challenge Alex Haley’s early interpretation of the prophet’s life but some of the alleged facts have now openly put Malcolm X’s sexual life into question. The question that we might question…is why the hell are we questioning? Isn’t one’s freaky-deakyness their own personal bidness?

Contrasting arguments have been made that the original autobiography has particularly shaped the identity of Black masculinity, which of course as we know can only be heterosexual. There for what will Black men do now? They better think quick because the Gay’s honey have ammo. Sexuality is as complicated as personalities and something we might consider is not letting someone else's determine our own. Orgasms are like civil rights everyone should be entitled to one. I know one thing is for sure, it’s complicated. I’m Funnel Cake Flowers your Urban Chameleon news reporter from Tickles.TV

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Funnel Cake Flowers reports on the latest ignorance to a beat: The Soggy Bottom Boys drop "LET EM DRAG"

by Funnel Cake Flowers The Urban Chameleon news reporter

When I got the call from Self D'Struck Records, a company dedicated to creating ignorant rap music that "kills the game," inviting me to the set of The Soggy bottom Boys' latest music video "LET 'EM DRAG," I wasn't sure if I should be honored or horrified. The Soggy bottom Boys, an infamous rap group with literacy issues, don't believe in putting a pair of pants completely on. Therefore...let them drag. It occurred to me that other reporters may have already declined, so with trepidation, I decided to strap on my bulletproof vest and AK47 (under my cape) and roll to set to get the story. After all, I am The Urban Chameleon news reporter.

To read more on The Soggy Bottom Boys, visit The 15 Project Online, hosted by Fahamu Pecou.

"For those who wonder why rap is dead... it's simple, we killin' it"

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Malcolm X: The Human vs. The Hero

by today's Urban Chameleon

Last night, between frozen yogurt and a 10:00PM movie showing, me, my husband, mom and stepfather got into a heated discussion about the new book on Malcolm X from renown historian Manning Marable, “A Life of Reinvention.” Allegedly, the book reveals facts of Malcolm X’s life that were kept quiet from the public, including emotional and physical problems between him and Betty Shabazz, and challenges Alex Haley’s earlier interpretation; Marable even claims that X had a white male lover. My husband, born within a few days of Malcolm X, always felt some kind of zodiac connection and was disheartened by the news. This was not the same hero he, or most of us, were familiar with.

My mother tried to give some perspective. Coming from the Civil Rights generation with a circle of friends, which include educators and philosophers, the news was no news to her. She argued most heroes have a regime in place to protect an image (which hides human flaws from the greater public). However, I got the sense that like many others, my husband preferred not to know. The regime made it safe and comfortable, but I couldn’t help but wonder where we would be as a culture if we knew sooner. Would married couples with similar issues find comfort? Would the Gay Rights movement be further along? My mom had to remind my husband that the facts of someone’s life that might make us uncomfortable, doesn’t take away from their contributions. People are complex; rarely do we see examples that reflect our complexities. Many people live quietly, tormented in their duality, or even tri-ality, with no outlet. Maybe Malcolm X was just an Urban Chameleon…most of us are, regardless of who and what we are; different sides of us are revealed when exposed to different audiences. My corporate friends certainly see a different side of me than my around-the-way friends.

I thought back to the skit, “The Real Housewives of the Civil Rights?” and how upset some people were that our heroes were contextualized in a satirical manner by a group of comedians. Now, just a few weeks later, a credible historian causes a similar affect with alleged facts. Would we be less emotional if we allowed ourselves to be more human?

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Funnel Cake Flowers comments on Grant Hill vs. Jalen Rose. Who is more Black?

FCF: The controversial topic of Real Black folks vs. Uncle Toms, “sell outs” is as old as the piece of fried chicken to ever accompany the first piece of slice bread. NBA player Grant Hill, wrote an article for the New York Times responding to retired NBA player, Jalen Rose who as a freshmen at Michigan State, made a comment insinuating that Black men that attend Duke University aren’t really Black. Thoughts about my own childhood resurfaced as growing up people, both Black and white often mistook my light skin’dness and ability to command the Queens English as being less Black. More often than not, the depiction of Black life is associated with poverty and the inability to annunciate words. I was raised with two loving parents and ironically I did grew up in da hood and can flip real quick and bust yo’ ass. I say this to say, don’t let the pronunciation of someone’s I-N-G’s fool you. Whether Black, white, Asian, Latino, cultural authenticity is reflected in many different ways. Under this cape I can pull out an Ak47 just as quickly as I can pull out a master’s degree. In the words of T.I. “If you see me in the club shawty you don’t know me.” I do know that one thing is for sure…it’s complicated. I’m Funnel Cake Flowers your Urban Chameleon news reporter from Tickles.TV

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Funnel Cake Flowers comments on NFL player Adrian Peterson the slave?

FCF: When a metaphor goes wrong it can be very damaging to the metaphorerer… Minnesota Vikings' running back, Adrian Peterson, felt media ramifications when he compared the plight of a NFL player to a modern day slave. This comment may have caused Kunta Kinte to do the Doug E. in his grave. Adrian Peterson seems feel that football players are being exploited by masa who is asking them to work harder with out compensation let alone healthcare. This to me sounds like the average Mexican…or African…or even American. One could argue that we should cut Adrian some slack that maybe Kunta Kinte lost his foot so that Adrian can charge masa millions for his thighs. To sum this story up it’s millionaires fighting with billionaires and as my mama you to say, this sound like rich folk problem to me. I know one thing is for sure it’s complicated. I’m Funnel Cake Flowers your Urban Chameleon news reporter from Tickles.TV

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Is race specific love keeping some of us from finding true love?

by today's Urban Chameleon contributor

I had to ask my mom where the concept of “Black love” came from. From what she could recall, “Black love” was born around the same time as “Black power”. At the time, significant power was in place to keep the Black community disenfranchised and so the idea was to unify in order to overcome oppression and gain basic human rights. Although times have changed, “Black love” still seems to be like a hot pair of shoes on a Neiman Marcus sale rack and I wondered if it’s still as imperative as it once was.

On several occasions, I've had friends pass up what looked like good love in hopes of finding “Black love.” For them Michelle and Barack Obama's relationship is a beacon of light that they spend their days tanning under. Some friends have been waiting years to meet the right one and have teased me for going out on dates with guys who weren’t Black. Although I haven’t met the right one yet, I’ve opened my mind and heart to the possibility of love and as a result have tasted food I probably never would have tried, traveled to places I might have never known, and learned things about cultures outside of my own making me even more of an Urban Chameleon. Meanwhile, those same friends seem to be missing out on life waiting for Obama’s twin brother to show up. It’s bad enough that most of us as young girls are disillusioned by the idea of Prince Charming sweeping us off our feet only to grow up to arguments over money, sex, and a bunch of other stuff that wasn’t a part of the fantasy. If the best Prince Charming real life can deliver us shows up...should we send him or her away just because they’re not of a certain race?

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