John Tory Obviously Cannot Take A Hint?

When the wolves eat their young it is not a pretty thing to watch. In Canadian politics this is not rare but this has got to be embarassing for the Progressive Conservative party. The Progressive Conservative party have an annual meeting next month and the leader John Tory is trying to block the members that are against him from attending the meeting. Some members of the Progressive Conservative party want their leader John Tory to gracefully walk off the stage and vanish. Actually some Progressive Conservative party members want John Tory to fall off the stage LOL!

John Tory is adamant he is not going anywhere but it is painfully obvious he is a weak leader for the PC Party. The question has to be asked what is a leader? John Tory may have money but he doesn’t have the “it” factor to be the leader of a political party. Tory has a history of losing. Tory failed a few years ago in the municipal elections to David Miller and Miller is still the mayor of Toronto. Last October John Tory failed to become the Premier of the province of Ontario and the Progressive Conservative party had a humiliating defeat to the Liberals.

Now members of Tory’s own PC party have created a website they want him to go away. I am definitely not PC but even I have to admit the members are right Tory has to get lost. Tory attempted to gain the ethnic vote with his religious schools funding scheme and it exploded in his face. Ontario voters rejected Tory yet Tory cannot take a hint and get lost? Tory has proven he is ineffective he just doesn’t seem comfortable in the spotlight there is just something about Tory that turns people off.

Here is another example that Tory is an ineffective leader he doesn’t even have a seat at Queens Park in Toronto! Yes dear readers, John Tory is a leader of a major Canadian political party but he cannot even sit with his own party at the Provincial legislature in Ontario. Tory lost his seat in a stunning defeat to the Liberal Education Minister Kathleen Wynne. What more proof does John Tory need to prove he is simply not good enough? For my American and foreign readers here is an analogy. Can you imagine Gordon Brown not being able to sit in the House of Lords? John Tory in his delusional mind has a lust for power but not with reality. In politics words mean nothing without results.

Tory has proven he just doesn’t have the charisma to be an effective leader. I think the other members of the Progressive Conservative party will eliminate Tory shortly.I have to admit a part of me actually feels sorry for Tory. However, a part of me is snickering in the distance at the PC party. The PC party caused so much damage in the province of Ontario in the 1990s under former leader Mike Harris. Even though the current Premier Dalton McGunity isn’t perfect the people of Ontario have spoken. We prefer McGuinty over Tory. I admit it is time for Tory to stop his disgraceful behavior and quietly go away.

Links: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080107.wtories0107/BNStory/National/home

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080107.wtory07/BNStory/National/Ontario/

Lucy Liu Love Interest On ABC “Cashmere Mafia” Is White. Is This Progress Or Promoting Racism On Television?

Lucy Liu is the lead in the new ABC show “Cashmere Mafia” and the premiere will be on Sunday at 10 pm. According to media reports Lucy’s character Mia Mason is going to be a softer more vulnerable character compared to the other roles Lucy Liu has had. The public have complained that sometimes Lucy Liu has been stereotyped in movies as the dragon lady or the overtly sexual Asian woman.

On ABC’s “Cashmere Mafia” Lucy’s character Mia Mason is going to be the level headed one out of the four friends and she’s going to be more laid back. I am excited about the program because an Asian American actress is the main star once again on a mainstream network television program and it is about time.

Lucy Liu is an international superstar she has been in hit movies such as the “Charlie’s Angels” series, “Shanghai Moon”, “Payback”, and “Kill Bill”. My personal opinion is that Lucy Liu has more range then the movies she has been in recently. I think television could be a good opportunity for Lucy to demonstrate her acting talent. A lot of people forget Lucy Liu saved Ally McBeal she made the show so much more exciting and interesting.

On the blogs there has been a lot of discussion about the fact on the show “Cashmere Mafia” Lucy Liu’s character Mia Mason’s love interest is a white man. I do have a question why does the lead have a western surname instead of an Asian surname? Is this realistic? Wouldn’t it make more sense to give Lucy Liu’s character Mia Mason an Asian last name? Perhaps the writers of the show are going to avoid the issue of race with Lucy’s character and want her to assimilate as much as possible? I have thought about this for a while. I am wondering why isn’t an Asian American male actor Lucy’s love interest? Am I being too sensitive or too critical here? I wonder?

My perspective is ABC obviously wants “Cashmere Mafia” to reach the largest demographics as possible. Television executives want a new television program to appeal to a general audience. We always see Asian American women paired with white men in pop culture we don’t even question it? Hollywood promotes the image that interracial romance ares perfect, fights against racism, and is the ultimate ideal for women of colour.I also notice we rarely see men of colour with women of other races. Whenever a man of colour is on a television show he is consistently paired with a woman of the same race. So why is there this invisible code and double standard?

Almost a decade ago back in 1999 there was an explosive controversy about interracial relationships on the NBC television show ER. Eric La Salle an African American actor was very vocal about the fact he felt NBC was promoting racist stereotypes against heterosexual black love. On ER La Salle’s character was paired with a white woman and their relationship was depicted as being loving and perfect. However, La Salle’s relationships with black women was presented as negative and fractured. It was a powerful statement Eric La Salle made in the media because he was challenging the racist representations and imagery about black heterosexual love.

La Salle was correct in his analysis that NBC was being racist trying to present interracial love as the solution and the final answer. La Salle received a lot of hate mail but eventually ER discontinued the interracial relationship. La Salle had the courage to speak up about the mixed messages NBC was promoting. Just because someone is in an interracial relationship doesn’t mean the issue of racism is over. Some people enter into interracial relationships based on racist assumptions about another race. On the ABC television show “Cashmere Mafia” the classic racist message ABC is promoting is that white American men are better then Asian American men just because of their skin colour.

We don’t even wonder if the constant pairing of Asian American women with white men in pop culture is damaging or promoting racist and sexist stereotypes? Is Hollywood trying to say Asian American men aren’t good enough? When are Asian American males ever depicted as being suitable partners?

Since white Americans are the majority in the United States television still has to orientate to the interests of whites. ABC television is a business and the ideology is they have to create shows so that white people will watch the programs. The more whites that watch Cashmere Mafia the more potential advertising revenue ABC can generate. Perhaps ABC believes pairing Lucy Liu with a white man is considered more palatable for a mainstream audience? However, “Cashmere Mafia” takes place in New York City. Everyone knows New York City is very racially diverse.

Is ABC trying to say they couldn’t find any attractive and talented American American male actors such as Parry Shen, John Cho, or Russell Wong as potential love interests? What is the message ABC is sending? Was ABC afraid to pair Lucy with an Asian American male actor? Did ABC think people would cringe seeing heterosexual love between Asian people? Is there a silent fear here? Why is the heterosexual romance between people of colour never presented as loving, beautiful, and sensual?

The cultural signifers is that Asian American women are rejecting Asian American men. Asian American men are emasculated and treated as unworthy of the love of Asian women. Asian American women are always paired with white men or with black men. Is this right or promoting racism? What about Asian American men? Doesn’t anyone care? I wonder what Asian heterosexual American men think about this? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could see Lucy Liu with an Asian American man as her love interest ? Even on Ally McBeal Lucy Liu’s love interest was a white man.

The North American pop culture consistently promotes the racist representations that Asian American male sexuality is inferior to white and black male sexuality. Asian American men are rarely portrayed as sexually attractive and as masculine strong men. Asian American males are often depicted from one extreme as marital arts experts such as Jackie Chan.

The other stereotype is the sexuality of men of colour is presented as inferior to white men. For example, the Hiro and Ando characters on the NBC show Heroes are presented as nerds and effeminate. Some people may say Hiro and Ando are supposed to be the comedians on the program. However, I see this is an excuse for tacky screenwriters that don’t want to present men of colour as complex three dimensional people. Hiro and Ando are presented as the other.

Why are Asian Americans depicted as foreigners on television? Hiro cannot speak English but Ando can speak English with a thick Japanese accent. Why are the Asian American men presented as different from all the other cast members? Also, often when interracial romance is explored between men of colour and white women it is often viewed in a negative light. On the NBC show Heroes the DL character of course is a criminal and his white wife Nikki was a former stripper.

I notice there is no balance. Where are the representations of regular Asian American men? You know the nice, attractive, guys that are our coworkers and our friends. We know there are attractive Asian American male actors out there so why do we hardly see them on television and in films?

There is also the issue of white male dominance in the media. White men are always presented as being suitable partners for women of all races. However, black men, Hispanic men, Asian men, and Native American men are viewed as the other. People can say that “oh this is just a television show no big deal.” Television is a powerful medium that shapes, forms, and creates messages through images. For some people television is actually a learning tool. Television in some ways is an educator it teaches people which kinds of relationships are palatable. Television can also be deleterious it can promote racism that grows and thrives like a cancer. People need to discern and read between the lines and obtain critical media literacy. I believe the subversive message Hollywood is sending is a negative one.

The racist message Hollywood is sending is that whiteness is better and that the only men good enough for women of colour are white heterosexual men. I think this is incredibly racist and offensive on many levels. We hardly ever get to see an Asian American male actor as “the main guy”. We don’t think of Asian American men as the guys women desire, fantasize about, and want as boyfriends or husbands.

However, I think it is a very big deal I call it the Halle Berry effect. Has anyone noticed that the minute an actress of colour gains some popularity she is quickly paired with white men on television and in the movies? Look at Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry, and Lucy Liu the minute these actresses of colour crossed over into the mainstream, men of colour were no longer acceptable as love interests. Don’t worry Beyonce Knowles will be paired with white male actors very shortly in the next few years.

On the television show “Ugly Betty” also on ABC all the women of colour are paired with white males. It is also interesting Salma Hayek a Latina woman is the executive producer of the show. My question is why is there no diversity? Is Hollywood trying to say heterosexual men of colour aren’t good enough for women of their own races? Or is Hollywood simply fostering the pernicious racist and sexist images?

I think there is a white male fantasy in Hollywood that women of colour need to be saved by white men. The cultural production of television shows consistently promotes this distorted fantasy. I also believe some heterosexual women of colour believe this fantasy and don’t have a problem with it. There is a dangerous precedent about this racist imagery because it treats heterosexual men of colour as inferior due to race. The fantasy is crafted and drafted by white male screenwriters, paid for by white male producers, and green lighted by white male studio executives. The other stereotype that is presented in pop culture is that in order for women of colour to “advance in Hollywood” they need to have a white male love interest.

Now I am not saying interracial romance between white men and women of colour should not occur in television and film. All I am suggesting is why isn’t there more diversity? Why aren’t men of colour on television presented as loving, nurturing, sexually attractive men? When was the last time you saw an Asian American actress in a high profile role on television besides ABC Lost with an Asian American man? I think people need to pay attention to the social constructions of race, gender, and sexuality, when watching television.

We need to be cognizant of the fact that Asian American men are being treated very unfairly in pop culture. I not suggesting “Cashmere Mafia” won’t do well I am sure it will. However, I just think it is kind of derivative that Hollywood is still promoting and fostering the same deleterious, pernicious ,and racist representations and stereotypes.

Senator Barack Obama Wins In The State Of Iowa

Senator Obama has won in Iowa he won 36.37% of the vote, John Edwards was second with 30.47%, and Hillary Clinton was third with 30.15%. I am really surprised because the state of Iowa is 95% white and they voted for the African American man. The Clintons are tough and they are definitely going to go after Senator Obama but I think he’s ready for anything.

The issue now is the American south. Let’s be real my dear readers everyone knows  some southern voters will never vote for Obama because he’s a black man. Also some white southern voters won’t vote for Hillary Clinton because she is a woman and a feminist.

Could John Edwards slip through? I am wondering? Nobody is really paying attention to Edwards but he had a very strong second place finish in the state of Iowa. I wonder if the Clintons will go after John Edwards now he is also a threat to them and not just Obama? Senator John Edwards seems to be carefully planning his campaign. The media are focusing on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton but shouldn’t the media pay attention to Edwards as well?

After all, Edwards is a white American male and some in the south may view him as the candidate with the best chance to reach a larger spectrum of voters. People will not admit this in public but people do have private prejudices they may fear Obama and Clinton. Some people may think to themselves John Edwards is considered the least non threatening to their prejudices and values and they could cast their votes in his direction?

What does Senator Obama have to do to win the American south? I think it was smart that Senator Obama did not join the protest for the Jena Six last year. Senator Obama has to appear as though he doesn’t just support black rights because he needs the white American votes. If Senator Obama went to the Jena Six march he could of lost some support from white American liberals.

Hillary Clinton is a polarizing figure some people like her and some people don’t. Senator Obama is black and for some white Southern voters won’t vote for a black man. The independent voters are also a very important group the three candidates for the Democratic party nomination need to focus on. In the American south John Edwards has a lot of support and he’s a white male. Hillary Clinton will have to go after the female vote she definitely is still in this race that’s for sure it is far from over.

Now of course Senator Barack Obama has a long way to go. Senator Obama just won in one state. It is a very positive sign that Senator Obama is for real. John Edwards had a very strong second place finish though and Hillary Clinton I am surprised she is in third place.

I believe the young African American voters in the eighteen to thirty four demographic will be paying close attention to this and they will vote. Even if Senator Obama doesn’t become the win the Democratic party nomination he has done a very important and powerful thing. Obama has demonstrated that black people if we believe in ourselves we can make change. United States needs change ASAP.

Link to article: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23005980-38198,00.html

Book Review: Small Changes Big Results A Twelve Week Action Plan For A Better Life

Let me tell you dear readers after a year of lying to myself about feeling tired and lacking energy I realized I had to confront my fears. During my life on this planet I have always had a love hate relationship with my body. I know how to lose weight but the struggle I have is keeping the weight off. I remember when I was young in my mid twenties a few years ago and I could eat anything I desired and not gain a pound.

I am an emotional eater when I feel depressed I eat, when I am lonely I eat, when I feel sad I eat. I definitely don’t want to be in the situation where my health is compromised. The quandary is I love food I love to eat. The problem was for the longest time I didn’t know when to stop.

I remember when I was a kid in the 1980s I used to watch Golden Girls all the time and this is when I fell in love with cheesecake. I know it sounds funny but I remember watching Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia say “I’ll get the cheesecake” . Sometimes I imagined I was sitting at the kitchen table with the Golden Girls and eating a slice of cheesecake. It was so exciting seeing the Golden Girls eat cheesecake I told myself I simply had to have some! I just love cheesecake but I also realize it can pack on the pounds. I mean does low calorie or low fat cheesecake actually exist?

I realized I not only had internal issues but also external issues. I dreaded looking in the mirror and seeing how much weight I had gained in the past year. Instead of waiting until 2008 to start exercising again I decided in early December 2007 to begin my exercise program. So for over the past month I have been working out and now I’m starting to get sick of it. One thing my friend told me on the phone the other day is that I have a tendency to give up when things get tough. It is true I realize this is one of my main weakness. I chicken out if life gets hard or if it will take a while to reach a goal.

Ever since December 4th 2007 I have been exercising at least four to six times a week. I started off working out for twenty five minutes and now I have increased the intensity to thirty five minutes on the treadmill. I also lift some weights. I have broad shoulders and I remember even when I was young I never was a thin person. I don’t know if I will reach 150 pounds I used to be that thin around ten years ago. The smallest I have ever been in the past five years was around 170 or 175 pounds. I am not a tall man in fact I am average height. I am five feet eleven inches tall so I am not a tall person.

Last month I began reading a book called “Small Changes Big Results” by Ellie Krieger. One section of the book I liked was when Krieger says to write a “dear me letter.” A “dear me letter” is a letter you write to yourself discussing the issues you have with your body image, food, and the goals you want out of life. Krieger’s opinion is that you need good mental health to balance the physical exercise.

Krieger is a dietitian and her book is very well written and also makes a lot of common sense. Krieger says to start a food and exercise diary. A food and exercise diary is really simple it can be a notepad or just a journal. You have to track your progress to see how many times you workout during the week and also the food you are eating. You can pick up and notice patterns that are either helpful or harmful. Krieger doesn’t say to stop cold turkey completely because that won’t work. All Krieger is saying is eat the right foods and cut down on the bad foods. Krieger isn’t a drill sergent and her writing is not patronizing or pretentious either.

Krieger is very realistic she says the problem people have with exercise isn’t the motivation but keeping up with the cardio workouts. I love this advice because I notice when I write down the specific days and times I have exercised that it motivates me. I am now counting calories and reading labels. I have been working out for a month and I do see progress but I am still working on reaching my goal. I definitely see a difference I have lost weight and I have a long way to go.

I don’t eat fast food anymore I also realize that too much starch and potatoes are poison. I am eating more fruits and vegetables as well. I think the struggle I have is and I know this will sound  foolish is  I didn’t know exactly what to eat? I just eat whatever I want. My metabolism has changed and now I have to modify my eating habits.  Krieger’s book makes an excellent argument that I have to learn to train myself to only eat when I am hungry and to stop when I have eaten enough food.

NPR: Tell Me More Is A Great Show!

Last year I discovered NPR Radio one day while surfing the internet. I am impressed. NPR has a better in depth analysis of the news then the mainstream USA media outlets. One show that I listen a lot is called “Tell Me More” hosted by Michel Martin.Michel Martin’s show is broadcast from Monday to Friday on NPR Radio. Michel discusses a lot of issues important to the black community but she also focuses on many issues like self help, health, politics, and entertainment.

Let me just be honest in Canada the radio stations generally ignores black Canadians. There is one black radio station in Toronto but it is total garbage. There is no talk show format on that particular radio station and they focus on a very young demographic. There are some university radio stations in Canada that are kind of interesting.

The only time Canadian radio discusses black people is when something negative occurs. What about regular black people that are making a difference in this world? I like “Tell Me More” because the program does focus on regular black people that are working hard to achieve. “Tell Me More” is wonderful program because Michel discusses black achievement. So often in the media the focus on black people is often from a very myopic and racist perspective. Thank goodness for the internet! I am so happy that I found “Tell Me More” because I want to listen about black issues that are important to me.

One of today’s topics on “Tell Me More” was about Oprah and Bob Johnson the former owner of BET. Ms. Martin and her guest Dr. Juliet Walker discuss Senator Barack Obama and the Oprah connection. Dr. Walker talks about the hypocrisy of some female Oprah fans that don’t want Oprah to support Barack Obama. Ms. Walker makes an excellent point nobody makes a big deal about Barbara Streisand supporting Senator Hillary Clinton.

The second guest Alvin Hall talks about money management. The third guest sociologist Bertrice Berry talks about New Years resolutions. The fourth guest Alice Smith is a promising young African American singer. Alice Smith discusses her debut album “For Lovers Dreamers & Me” was released on a major label Epic records. Smith has a kind of folk rock sound she reminds me of a mixture of Janis Joplin, Sophie B. Hawkins, and Tracy Chapman. Smith is definitely not R&B and this is so refreshing. Smith loves rock and roll and country music. Ms. Smith is breaking boundaries about what people think is “black music”.

The question is will the music industry allow Smith to breakthrough the colour barrier? I find it interesting that white singers such as Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone, and Robin Thicke are praised for singing R&B music. I have listened to Winehouse, Stone, and Thicke and they are good singers. There seems to be a fascination in society with white people that can sing so called “black music”. However, when black singers such as Alice Smith and Rissi Palmer are crossing music genres and do not sing “R&B” they don’t receive the same kind of media attention. Why is there a double standard? So whites can appropriate black culture and profit off it but when black artists attempt to do the same thing they are scorned? I don’t get it. Also, will the black media give Alice Smith the support she deserves? I thank Michel for giving Alice Smith an opportunity to showcase her music.

I really like “Tell Me More” because the topics are so diverse and Michel just has a very charismatic, engaging personality she just draws listeners in. If you would like to listen to any of the NPR programs just go to NPR website http://www.npr.org

Link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17759813