I am Glad This Article Was Written

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

(This article, that is)
If you don't watch Real Time With Bill Maher, this post will probably be lost on you.

A few weeks ago Bill's guests were Mos Def, Cornell West and Christopher Hitchens. I was excited to see that lineup since I like all of those guys individually. The academic achievements of the latter two speak for themselves, but I've always found Mos Def to be of intellectual merit too. His music is thought-provoking and good for hip-hop, and he's always impressed me when I've heard him speak.

Then he ruined it all on that episode. I'm pretty sure he was high, which didn't help raise his level of articulation or thought clarity. Nor did it help him think before he spoke. It also seemed to adversely affect his realizing that he bombed everytime he opened his mouth, and when the crowd laughed at him, he took it as laughter of encouragement.

The result was he became the intellectual roadkill of Hitchens, and to a lesser degree, West, who didn't have his best showing either, as this article mentions as well. (same article as linked above).

Stanley Crouch pulls Mos Def's card for bringing something other than intelligence to the Real Time table, and I was glad to hear it. I can't say I disagree with him taking West to task either, but that is more of a black-guy-feeling-let-down-by-a-fellow-black-guy, so I don't think anyone is dying for my white buns to chime in on that topic.

If I am mistaken, and you are dying for me to champion the black cause, you know my email address!