Things to Think About

-Dr. Boyce Watkins regarding Jay-Z’s decision to stop using the word “bitch” after the birth of his daughter. (via zombiemovies)

Wait.

Wait.

Why are we reblgging this? What are we trying to say here? That we agree with this Dr. Boyce Watkins whoever the heck he is? Because I think that is a load of crock. Especially to agree with this. :|

Excuse me?

I understand Jay-Z not only contributed to but assisted in the cultivation of this culture. But he is acknowledging it was wrong, too. I don’t think you can fault someone that it took until the birth of a daughter to change the way they see the world. Sometimes, that’s what it takes - to be in those shoes and see the world the way a father does.

The way it I understand it, it’s not that he’s exempting his daughter, but that he’s choosing to stop using the word. Which is not bad. Why are we viewing this negatively? This is a GOOD thing, for someone to have changed his views and to give up that word. In a more hopeful vein, you could pray his choice affects his fans!

You can’t say someone cannot change because of what he’s done before. Isn’t that the point of change? Isn’t that WHY we change? I just.

afljdflajdlfjadljfaldjf

So many incoherent feelings right now.

PEOPLE LEARN AND PEOPLE CHANGE AND THAT IS WHAT SHOULD MATTER IN THE END. :|

(via alohomorashlie)

- No one is saying it’s bad (or impossible) that he changed.
But he and other people that profit from marketing sexism need to realize what they have done (or are doing), and changing their mind after years of feeding into it does not magically make whatever they fed into disappear. Change needs to happen now, not when it’s convenient. 

If no one had made this type of commentary, if all Jay-Z got were backpats, what would the message be? That it’s OK to get rich off of misogyny as long as you eventually apologize or change? Should people think it’s alright to make their living doing and saying awful things to/about other people, eventually change their mind, and be let off without any criticism at all? How many people would take responsibility for their actions if the idea of eventual change was a “get out of jail criticism free” card and they could get rich in the meantime? Why is it so bad to call people out when they have done just that? To learn from mistakes of the past (whether your own or someone else’s) you have to acknowledge and take responsibility for them, not ignore or write them off because the changes are in a positive direction.

The change he made was good, but the damage has already been done and he’s being called out on it. And maybe, just maybe, if people see this reaction instead of just “good job, Jay-Z!” they will better understand that change needs to happen sooner instead of later. Because “later” is often too late. And if someone’s really changed, they will understand why they’re getting criticism for being the way they were.

(via rararamyeon)