Okay, I should preface this post by saying I don't particularly listen to John Mayer or care about who he is. As a matter of fact, the entire situation would have flown well below my radar had it not been for my kid sister pining away for him to maybe one day acknowledge her existence as his most loyal follower on Twitter. She swears she is in love. Imagine my surpise, then, when this comes out within two weeks of said sister professing her undying love, affections and other attachments to this character. Sheesh. What am I supposed to do?!?!
Just to get it out of the way, I'm going to throw this question out there. Why don't folks know that "hood passes" are as quickly and as easily revoked as they are given out? Furthermore, those passes are only as good as the person that issued them. Why are folks so hype to be an "honorary black man" anyway? Black men reportedly get pulled over without cause, incarcerated at a higher rate and suffer the types of injustices I can only hope to never experience. It's not really a badge of honor to be able to tap into "black swag" and excuse yourself from the very real black burden. I'm a HUGE Jay Z fan, but him cosiging John Mayer at any point in time did not make dude any more or less attractive in my eyes. Apparently my sister didn't get that memo, though.
I don't know if she's up on the frenzy fueled by this article, but I know it's my job to guide her in a better direction. I can't say I'm offended, because, like I said, I don't find John Mayer attractive or acknowledge his existence much, but I can say I have a vested interest in building self esteem in young women of color.
I'm just about tired of the "black women are unattractive" weight piling up on our shoulders. Every month I read something about how black women are painfully single or black men are SO over black women and are exploring other ethnicities or black women are at the bottom of everybody's "To Do" list, even the white boys. I simply do not buy it. If it helps the rest of society feel better about themselves to continuously point out how undesireable black women are, more power to you good folks. I don't have the time or the patience to sit steeped in notions that are clearly contrary to what I see with my own two eyes.
Of course, at this point I could launch into the various topics of wearing relaxers and weaves or contacts and things like that in the effort to attain a beauty standard that is completely the opposite of black beauty. Instead, I look at the existence of tanning salons and "booty pop panties" and I just want my sister to know, in all her beautiful blackness, she does not need John Mayer to find her attractive if she is okay with who she sees in the mirror every day.
That man and his apparently racist genitalia have a right to their separate but equal preferences, and there really isn't much anybody can do about that. Nor should anybody really care. Mind your business! But do start putting more of your energy into loving you so it won't be devastating, or even mildly upsetting, when the rest of the world insists on trying to convince themselves they're better than you are.
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