As I sit here in my pajamas, trying to finish eating cold oatmeal and drink cold coffee, with my 3 month old daughter fussing at my side- the little dictator that she is- I say to myself, "Wow, if only 20-year-old me could see me now".
What do I mean when I say that? I mean I was pretty much hell on wheels until I was 28. A hot mess for too long. In no way a role model or even proud of myself for .... anything really. I didn't speak eloquently or smartly, I was often not a respectful person towards other, I was probably down right insensitive. And I was kinda a tramp. Not exactly the kind of person you'd want around kids or even to take home to meet Mom and Grandma. But, hey- PEOPLE CHANGE.
In the words of Kevin Hart: " If you don't believe that people change, grow, evolve as they get older, I don't know what to tell you. If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify or explain their past, then do you."
Can we all please stand and have a round of applause for Mister Kevin Hart?!?!
But why did he have to say this? If you live in present day (circa 2018) America, you may know why. Some people are offended by absolutely everything now a days. Things that the majority of us USED TO play off as funny, isn't socially acceptable to joke about anymore. And if you joked about it say, 8 or so years ago, you're crucified for it NOW. Exhibit A- Donald Trump. Exhibit Z(ABCDEDFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ12345678910.... You get the picture, right?!) i now Kevin Hart.
Kevin, a self-made comedian and actor, who (and don't say you don't SEE COLOR when you look at a person) just happens to be black- and quite short- said it was his dream to someday host the Oscars. "To be able to join the legendary list of host(s) that have graced the stage is unimaginable!", stated Hart. He would join the ranks of Chris Rock in (2005, 2016), Whoopi Goldberg (1993, 1995, 1998, 2001), Sammy Davis, Jr (1972, 1975) and Richard Pryor (1977, 1983) as only the 5th person of color to host. Seems significant enough to me.
But wait, the color divide is old news. I mean, the first woman who hosted was in 1948, and since then 16 more have graced the stage. Women are old news, too. I guess these two groups are no longer victims anymore in the eyes of "the world".
It took less than 48 hours from the announcement to have Kevin Hart feel forced to back out of this 'bucket list' moment. In his words this is "the opportunity of a lifetime"... and there are people in the world who think he is unworthy.
24 hours later, he was trying to defend himself to "the world" that he deserved this honor as much as he wanted it. CUE THE SCREAMING LIBERALS, THE OUTRAGE. It seems that as far back 2008 or so, "hundreds" of his past jokes and tweets show him to be insensitive to the LGBT community. He said in a video "My team calls me, 'Oh my, God, Kevin, this world is upset about tweets you did years ago.' That pretty much sums it up.
I remember being a kid in the late 90's, early 2000's and casually using the phrase "That's gay" or "That's so gay" or "you're gay". Everyone did it (I know, that doesn't make it right). No one meant it in an ANTI-GAY way, no one put that much thought into it. I grew up with two sets of gay uncles and set of lesbians as family friends. I surely didn't mean it in anything other than a passing manner, and I didn't think of it as an inappropriate or hurtful thing to say until I was maybe 24 years old. That's also about the time I purposely tried to stop using the phrase "That's/you're retarded". At that point in my life I realized I was being inappropriate, insensitive, and ignorant. I REALIZED IT- I CHANGED MY BEHAVIORS AND WAY OF THINKING, ACTING, AND SPEAKING. I CHANGED, I BETTERED MYSELF.
Hart states "I swear, man, our world is becoming beyond crazy. I'm not going to let the craziness frustrate me or anger me, especially when I worked hard to get to the mental space that I am at now," and "Guys, I'm almost 40 years old. If you don't believe that people change, grow, evolve as they get older, I don't know what to tell you. If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify or explain their past, then do you. I'm the wrong guy, man. I'm in a great place, a great mature place, where all I do is spread positivity". PREACH BROTHER(oh wait- I'm Caucasian, am I appropriating?! Is that racist for me to borrow that phrase and language?!). He also added a written statement to the video: "Stop looking for reasons to be negative...Stop searching for reasons to be angry....I swear I wish you guys could see/feel/understand the mental place that I am in. I am truly happy people....there is nothing that you can do to change that...NOTHING. I work hard on a daily basis to spread positivity to all....with that being said. If u want to search my history or past and anger yourselves with what u find that is fine with me. I’m almost 40 years old and I’m in love with the man that I am becoming. You LIVE and YOU LEARN & YOU GROW & YOU MATURE. I live to Love....Please take your negative energy and put it into something constructive. Please....What’s understood should never have to be said. I LOVE EVERYBODY.....ONCE AGAIN EVERYBODY. If you choose to not believe me then that’s on you....Have a beautiful day."
OMG I just can't even- because he's so RIGHT. You want to call something 'woke'- it's that statement, that mindset. In my words- stop trying to ruin other people's lives who have had no effect on YOURS. I would put money on it, I would truly bet that the people who are outraged don't know him personally and have never been personally (and purposely) affected by him, by his words and actions. I would also bet that they don't give a rat's ass about his personal struggles. About the mean things people said him that were derogatory and insensitive that he chose to OVERCOME.
Mere hours after posting the heartfelt video and clearly turning down the Academy's demand that he publicly apologize for the old tweets, Hart decided to step down from the illustrious appointment of Oscars host due to the "firestorm" that rained down from all sides in outrage over his past comments about homosexuality. He posted this announcement on Twitter just after midnight Friday (48 hours of controversy?)- "I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's....this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past," he wrote on Twitter. "I'm sorry that I hurt people. I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart. Much love & appreciation to the Academy. I hope we can meet again." Why did he make this move? Another post of his on Twitter also tells us that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences had contacted him and said he either had to apologize for the past tweets, posted between 2009 and 2011, or they're "going to have to move on and find another host." Cool, world, dash the guys dream of hosting the Oscars.
In the words of Robbie Wierdick, or Bob Stone (Central Intelligence reference)- "I DON'T LIKE BULLIES".
Maybe the Academy can find someone else who fit's today's narrative better. Someone less offensive. Someone gay-er than Ellen DeGeneres or Neil Patrick Harris, since they've already been there done that. Maybe someone who is gay and black? Maybe Billy Porter?! Gay, black, and a woman? Tessa Thompson from "Westwood"?! Someone Muslim, trans, or an illegal immigrant? ALL 3?! Good Luck, Academy.
Can't we just go back to the days when Ruby Rose wasn't gay enough to play a LGBTQ version of BatWoman?! Oh wait, you hadn't heard? I'm sorry I even mentioned it. By the way, it took me almost 6 hours to complete this one post... apparently I am no longer a self centered, foul mouthed, harlequin anymore. My, how times have changes.
What do I mean when I say that? I mean I was pretty much hell on wheels until I was 28. A hot mess for too long. In no way a role model or even proud of myself for .... anything really. I didn't speak eloquently or smartly, I was often not a respectful person towards other, I was probably down right insensitive. And I was kinda a tramp. Not exactly the kind of person you'd want around kids or even to take home to meet Mom and Grandma. But, hey- PEOPLE CHANGE.
In the words of Kevin Hart: " If you don't believe that people change, grow, evolve as they get older, I don't know what to tell you. If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify or explain their past, then do you."
Can we all please stand and have a round of applause for Mister Kevin Hart?!?!
But why did he have to say this? If you live in present day (circa 2018) America, you may know why. Some people are offended by absolutely everything now a days. Things that the majority of us USED TO play off as funny, isn't socially acceptable to joke about anymore. And if you joked about it say, 8 or so years ago, you're crucified for it NOW. Exhibit A- Donald Trump. Exhibit Z(ABCDEDFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ12345678910.... You get the picture, right?!) i now Kevin Hart.
Kevin, a self-made comedian and actor, who (and don't say you don't SEE COLOR when you look at a person) just happens to be black- and quite short- said it was his dream to someday host the Oscars. "To be able to join the legendary list of host(s) that have graced the stage is unimaginable!", stated Hart. He would join the ranks of Chris Rock in (2005, 2016), Whoopi Goldberg (1993, 1995, 1998, 2001), Sammy Davis, Jr (1972, 1975) and Richard Pryor (1977, 1983) as only the 5th person of color to host. Seems significant enough to me.
But wait, the color divide is old news. I mean, the first woman who hosted was in 1948, and since then 16 more have graced the stage. Women are old news, too. I guess these two groups are no longer victims anymore in the eyes of "the world".
It took less than 48 hours from the announcement to have Kevin Hart feel forced to back out of this 'bucket list' moment. In his words this is "the opportunity of a lifetime"... and there are people in the world who think he is unworthy.
24 hours later, he was trying to defend himself to "the world" that he deserved this honor as much as he wanted it. CUE THE SCREAMING LIBERALS, THE OUTRAGE. It seems that as far back 2008 or so, "hundreds" of his past jokes and tweets show him to be insensitive to the LGBT community. He said in a video "My team calls me, 'Oh my, God, Kevin, this world is upset about tweets you did years ago.' That pretty much sums it up.
I remember being a kid in the late 90's, early 2000's and casually using the phrase "That's gay" or "That's so gay" or "you're gay". Everyone did it (I know, that doesn't make it right). No one meant it in an ANTI-GAY way, no one put that much thought into it. I grew up with two sets of gay uncles and set of lesbians as family friends. I surely didn't mean it in anything other than a passing manner, and I didn't think of it as an inappropriate or hurtful thing to say until I was maybe 24 years old. That's also about the time I purposely tried to stop using the phrase "That's/you're retarded". At that point in my life I realized I was being inappropriate, insensitive, and ignorant. I REALIZED IT- I CHANGED MY BEHAVIORS AND WAY OF THINKING, ACTING, AND SPEAKING. I CHANGED, I BETTERED MYSELF.
Hart states "I swear, man, our world is becoming beyond crazy. I'm not going to let the craziness frustrate me or anger me, especially when I worked hard to get to the mental space that I am at now," and "Guys, I'm almost 40 years old. If you don't believe that people change, grow, evolve as they get older, I don't know what to tell you. If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify or explain their past, then do you. I'm the wrong guy, man. I'm in a great place, a great mature place, where all I do is spread positivity". PREACH BROTHER(oh wait- I'm Caucasian, am I appropriating?! Is that racist for me to borrow that phrase and language?!). He also added a written statement to the video: "Stop looking for reasons to be negative...Stop searching for reasons to be angry....I swear I wish you guys could see/feel/understand the mental place that I am in. I am truly happy people....there is nothing that you can do to change that...NOTHING. I work hard on a daily basis to spread positivity to all....with that being said. If u want to search my history or past and anger yourselves with what u find that is fine with me. I’m almost 40 years old and I’m in love with the man that I am becoming. You LIVE and YOU LEARN & YOU GROW & YOU MATURE. I live to Love....Please take your negative energy and put it into something constructive. Please....What’s understood should never have to be said. I LOVE EVERYBODY.....ONCE AGAIN EVERYBODY. If you choose to not believe me then that’s on you....Have a beautiful day."
OMG I just can't even- because he's so RIGHT. You want to call something 'woke'- it's that statement, that mindset. In my words- stop trying to ruin other people's lives who have had no effect on YOURS. I would put money on it, I would truly bet that the people who are outraged don't know him personally and have never been personally (and purposely) affected by him, by his words and actions. I would also bet that they don't give a rat's ass about his personal struggles. About the mean things people said him that were derogatory and insensitive that he chose to OVERCOME.
Mere hours after posting the heartfelt video and clearly turning down the Academy's demand that he publicly apologize for the old tweets, Hart decided to step down from the illustrious appointment of Oscars host due to the "firestorm" that rained down from all sides in outrage over his past comments about homosexuality. He posted this announcement on Twitter just after midnight Friday (48 hours of controversy?)- "I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's....this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past," he wrote on Twitter. "I'm sorry that I hurt people. I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart. Much love & appreciation to the Academy. I hope we can meet again." Why did he make this move? Another post of his on Twitter also tells us that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences had contacted him and said he either had to apologize for the past tweets, posted between 2009 and 2011, or they're "going to have to move on and find another host." Cool, world, dash the guys dream of hosting the Oscars.
In the words of Robbie Wierdick, or Bob Stone (Central Intelligence reference)- "I DON'T LIKE BULLIES".
Maybe the Academy can find someone else who fit's today's narrative better. Someone less offensive. Someone gay-er than Ellen DeGeneres or Neil Patrick Harris, since they've already been there done that. Maybe someone who is gay and black? Maybe Billy Porter?! Gay, black, and a woman? Tessa Thompson from "Westwood"?! Someone Muslim, trans, or an illegal immigrant? ALL 3?! Good Luck, Academy.
Can't we just go back to the days when Ruby Rose wasn't gay enough to play a LGBTQ version of BatWoman?! Oh wait, you hadn't heard? I'm sorry I even mentioned it. By the way, it took me almost 6 hours to complete this one post... apparently I am no longer a self centered, foul mouthed, harlequin anymore. My, how times have changes.
I'm with you like 95%!!! My only difference is that I feel as though the problem here is that no one is willing to let things go or pass; they just have to be angry about EVERYTHING and the person who angers them can never suffer! People are too sensitive, nowadays! I'm mixed and my whole family makes jokes about our own family that would be considered "racist", both to white and black people! I don't think it's wrong to say things like, "If I catch my boy playing with a dollhouse, I'm gonna break it over his head" because it's a joke - not intended to be taken seriously! The LGBT community is taking all of the joy out of this world, I swear! ������
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