On The Vine: I’m sorry Ms. Jackson
About a week ago, while I was doing my best to escape “the world,” cafe hopping through the streets of Paris, Jane Campion, the acclaimed director of the Oscar-nominated rumination “Power of the Dog,” stood on stage at the Critics’ Choice Awards and through an oblivious smile gave a prime example of intersectionality, white fragility and the often casual racism of white allyship so common particularly when relating to Black women.
“It’s absolutely stunning to be here tonight amongst so many incredible women,” Campion said, accepting the award for best director. So far, so good.
“Halle Berry, you have already done my speech and really killed it, I loved it. You’re absolutely brilliant. And Venus and Serena, what an honor to be in the room with you ... you are such marvels, however, you do not play against the guys, like I have to.”
As pearl clutchingly cringe worthy, bordering on infuriating, as Campion’s tone-deafness was, she was upstaged this week by the tour de force put on by GOP senators in the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson.
These confirmations often veer toward performance. But watching as Jackson, who stands ready to be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, is tossed volley after volley of irrelevant, misconstrued, petulant, issue-baiting nonsense is beyond infuriating. It’s a farce of the lowest order.
Senators Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham and Marsha Blackburn know exactly what they are doing. All the world’s a stage, and this confirmation hearing coming in the middle of debates around critical race theory, LGBTQ+ identity and social progress — read another way: attacks on black, brown, queer and poor people — provides the perfect opportunity, apparently, to beat the drum of a leftist evil coming for “American values” by positioning Jackson as an arbiter of such evil.
Jackson, as she is required to be, is ungodly qualified and unreasonably graceful. She is better than she has to be to serve on the Supreme Court — clearly — better than we deserve her to be, but hopefully just as good as she needs to be.
Beyond the block
Republicans turn Ketanji Brown Jackson hearing into a political circus
For The Guardian, Ed Pilkington writes:
At 2.54pm on the second day of Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings that will determine whether she takes a seat on the US supreme court, the solemn proceedings took a nosedive into farce.
Ted Cruz, the Republican senator from Texas, turned theatrically to an outsized blow-up of a children’s book, Antiracist Baby by Ibram X Kendi. Pointing to a cartoon from its pages of an infant in diapers taking their first walk, he asked Jackson: “Do you agree with this book … that babies are racist?”...
Here she was, aged 51, with almost a decade’s experience as a federal judge behind her and, if confirmed, the history-making distinction of becoming the first Black woman to sit on the nation’s highest court ahead of her. And she was being asked whether babies were racist?
There’s honestly more, and increasingly flummoxing and dangerous questioning that occurred summarized in this article.
Gotta read this too...
Sen. Booker speaks to the love that brings Jackson to the verge of the Supreme Court
What we actually learned from Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing
Opinion: Biden blocked the first Black woman from the Supreme Court
Around the block
‘Walking while Black’: Kansas City man feared for his life during Independence arrest
The Star’s Robert Cronkleton tells the story of Justin Layton, who recently filed a lawsuit against Independence and several members of its police department alleging his civil rights were violated when an Independence officer stopped him for “jaywalking.”
A collage of photos hang on the wall of Justin Layton’s downtown Kansas City apartment, but instead of showing happier times, they illustrate the result of what he calls the worst nights of his life.
There’s photos of him being arrested and beaten by police, of him lying in a hospital bed and closeups of wounds he says he suffered at the hands of police. Next to those are photos of his son, his mother, his sister and other family with the words: “My life matters.”
They tell “The Justin Layton Story,” he said during an interview this week.
“That’s a story of police brutality, ‘jaywalking,’ ‘Walking while Black,’ discrimination and excessive force,” he said. “You mix it all together and you got the Independence Police Department.”
More from The Star...
Social justice group reignites call for Mayor Garner to request DOJ probe into KCKPD
An 18th & Vine renaissance: Boone Theater and Black Movie Hall of Fame to join revival
Kansas City Parade of Hearts artist disheartened after sculpture is damaged
Kansas Senate passes bill banning transgender athletes from women’s sports
Angry moms: Disney film’s menstruation talk not appropriate. Period. Are they right?
The Star’s Lisa Gutierrez tackles backlash to Disney’s new — and incredible, if I dare say — Pixar film “Turning Red,” which acts as an adorable commentary on puberty and female friendship.
The film follows 13-year-old Chinese Canadian Mei Lee, who, when she hits puberty, it’s revealed turns into a giant, furry red panda when strong teenage emotions overcome her.
Mei freaks out the first time. Her mother, hearing screams in the bathroom, assumes it’s because “the red peony” bloomed. She grabs up a box of assorted sanitary pads and stands at the ready with ibuprofen and a hot water bottle.
Brief references to menstruation in an animated film apparently are a bridge too far for some parents, because “Turning Red” has kicked up heated debate.
Angry moms say online that menstruation is too mature a topic for young audiences. Some say the movie should come with a warning label because it’s “not appropriate for children.”
The film, now streaming on Disney+, is rated PG, which means parental guidance is recommended because some material might not be suitable for kids.
Other parents, though, applaud the film for breaking a stigma that needs breaking by normalizing the conversation about puberty and menstruation because “the biological reality of little girls should not be a taboo,” as one Twitter user said. It’s the reality, actually, of every woman.
For the culture
The 94th Academy Awards are this Sunday and, if you haven’t been following, there have been plenty of nuanced conversations around substance and context of some of the nominees, as well as the show itself.
Personally, I’m in the bag for CODA. But here’s some reading ahead of the ceremony and other pop culture on the horizon:
Backlash may have pushed ‘West Side Story’ star Rachel Zegler invite to Oscars
‘Licorice Pizza’ made Asians a ‘punchline.’ And the fallout is bigger than the Oscars
Michelle Yeoh Finally Loses Her Cool: “What Have I Got to Lose?”
Push on
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This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 12:13 PM.