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    CopaNJAshley Velez
    7/03/18 6:58pm

    DJ was warming up the crowd for Big Daddy Kane concert in Brooklyn a few weeks ago, played R. Kelly. Women went wild, jammin’ like they never heard of the accusations. I was looking around like “ Is NOBODY troubled by this? Is EVERYBODY OK with this?” Made me heartsick. Ms. Lemieux, keep doing what you’re doing, and maybe add a stop in Brooklyn. Clearly, they need you.

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      Knewtothis111CopaNJ
      7/03/18 8:00pm

      Went to a Leela James/ Raheem DeVaugjn concert a few years ago and Raheem spent about 20 minutes right in the middle of his show performing R Kelly songs. I wasn’t a huge fan (was there for Ms. James) but I was still disappointed at his performance and the mindless reaction (dancing and joyful screaming) of the crowd around me. Why wouldn’t a crowd half filled with black women not find this offensive? I don’t even expect black men to care any more but I don’t get why we don’t care...

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      TPGCopaNJ
      7/03/18 9:40pm

      I just do not understand how Black women can continue to Step In The Name of Love and support that pedophile. Every time R. Kelly’s music comes on, I turn the radio station. I left the dancefloor with the quickness when a DJ started playing his music. I am in Chicago, where mofos continue to stand up for that fool. 

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    none shyAshley Velez
    7/03/18 9:43pm

    I have this weird problem with R Kelly. My 12-year-old son watched Space Jam with me and he loves “I Believe I Can Fly.” He starts singing it randomly, and will listen to it about once a week.

    It’s kind of difficult to know what to do with it. On the one hand, I don’t really want to tell him about this shit R Kelly has done... on the other hand, the song really creeps me out, and I’d rather he stopped listening to it.

    I’m uncomfortable outright banning him from listening to or singing a song that doesn’t have overtly offensive content in it.

    I’ve sort of resolved to wait it out for a bit, and maybe have a conversation about artist who do horrible things, and what it means to consume their art.

    Anyway, if anyone has some good advice here I’d really appreciate it.

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      cyanicnone shy
      7/04/18 12:39pm

      Your fault for introducing him to Space Jam in the first place.

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      borgohurisnone shy
      7/04/18 1:25pm

      Why not find a different version sung by someone else? Or record yourself and him singing it and listen to that. You could even change the lyrics and keep the melody.

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    BlackRabbitAshley Velez
    7/04/18 2:35pm

    The only reason R. Kelly isn’t persona non grata right now is because BLACK people (men and women) don’t care enough about BLACK women to drop his ass. Same reason Chris Brown is still making music. We betray our own. There are myriad reasons for it—we don’t respect black women (as Malcolm X said, the most neglected/ disrespected/ unprotected person in America is the black woman) and tbt we really don’t even respect ourselves as black Americans because if we did, we’d hold our public figures to a higher standard; we’d rather stand with trash black people than let their “important” black art be diminished in the eyes of white people; we’re reluctant to critique ourselves as a group and a culture because everybody else is always fucking criticizing us (and 99.9% of the time it’s unfair); etc. Some of the reasons are understandable, but they’re not an excuse. It makes me wonder if we would have stood by Cosby and Nate Parker if their victims had been black. And it kills me because we can do better than R. Kelly. There are so many talented black folks out there, but we still keep supporting garbage.

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      HanhBlackRabbit
      7/04/18 2:46pm

      Didn’t Cosby assault Black women as well? And aren’t the majority of most R & B artists, including R. Kelly,fanbases women?

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      HanhBlackRabbit
      7/04/18 2:49pm

      Also isn’t this a super simplistic reading of how celebrity and mass culture work? Once folks crossover into the mainstream they aren’t really reliant on Black people to support their art or athletic endeavors. Does it make sense to cut white folks out of the equation to fit your reading of the issues? See the failure of cancelling Kanye.

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    cyanicAshley Velez
    7/04/18 12:48pm

    Music’s impact on the mind can’t be minimized and dismissed. R Kelly like other abusers who are also musicians are culturally bullet proof because of their medium. He’ll likely remain wealthy for the rest of his life since he wrote and produced his own work. People will cover his songs and turn them into hits again.

    I’m more disturbed by the suppression of Cosby’s legacy. It will have an unintended boomerang effect on other historic black cultural media properties. All those who say they don’t care will eventually because it hasn’t hit their favorite yet.

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      Borealiscyanic
      7/04/18 8:47pm

      What is your point? That you’d rather Cosby NOT be brought to justice? Or R Kelly if possible?

      They are abusers of women and regardless of their art that shouldn’t injure them to consequences and some sort of voice and justice for their victims.

      You can separate art from the artist but in the case where the artist is still alive, people have every right and arguably a moral obligation to ensure they are not monetarily supported and that their legacy has a big fat ole’ asterisk on it at the end of the day. 

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    erindipityAshley Velez
    7/03/18 7:56pm

    The #MeToo movement, like everything else, too often has defaulted back to mens’ ‘internal struggle’ and how they feel about cutting ties with sexual predators. As if that’s what we all came to talk about.

    Less of the introspective thinkpieces, more focus on the victims.

    This woman is sharp.

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      FluffyRoxerindipity
      7/05/18 5:41am

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    KinjamanAshley Velez
    7/03/18 9:49pm

    I know this is wrong... But I misread the first sentence, and briefly thought that Lemieux had to become a prolific sockpuppeteer out of necessity...

    It made me smile.

    Then I read the rest of the article. Now I’m just angry.

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    BorealisAshley Velez
    7/04/18 8:51pm

    Is it possible to ban Sam Piddle? He’s spamming the comments like mad. 

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    FluffyRoxAshley Velez
    7/04/18 6:29am

    “It matters a lot to me because black women and girls matter and in the era of #MeToo and Black Lives Matter, it is incredibly frustrating to see how hard we still have to fight to get people, including people who look like us, to believe and affirm and understand that.”

    Just to add, the publications AAPF has put out shine a light on these issues.

    http://www.aapf.org/publications/

    If anyone has other/more recent resources, please link em up. 

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    Bunny Butt BunnyAshley Velez
    7/04/18 3:35pm

    THIS:

    “Where’s our energy for Harvey Weinstein, or for Woody Allen or for the father from 7th Heaven,” which I’ve heard a number of times. And of course, these people, like myself don’t even know the name of this person. So, we’re talking about a cultural icon like Bill Cosby and someone from a show that I’ve never watched my black ass life. But then I am being deputized to advocate against those men because I dare stand up against somebody who looks like me.

    There’s no racial duty that I or any other black woman should have to stand by an abuser. Sexually assaulting white women is not reparations for the murder of Emmett Till or Trayvon Martin. It does nothing to tip the scales. It’s disgusting. And I don’t honestly believe that people that say we shouldn’t critique the likes of R. Kelly believe that. I think that they see liberation as black men having the same access, the same privilege that white men do.

    whewwww and AMEN

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