Come Get Your Man: Rickey Smiley’s Dress Problem
Too many famous Black men are so fearful that they turn on the most vulnerable among us
Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.
Rickey Smiley’s contribution to the recent outpouring of stupidity from famous Black men on sexuality and gender is not the most brutish example, but considering the massive platform he has, it may be the most damaging. In a now-deleted tweet originally posted on Monday, the radio and television personality shared a meme that argued the U.S. vilifies Black boys and men for certain characteristics, such as having locs and wearing hoodies, but celebrates those same Black men and boys when they don attire deemed “feminine.” The meme concluded: “#SocialEngineering.”
Very few things remind me that a game show host is president of the United States better than the constant reminder that so many people think a meme is the best way to weigh in on nuanced, complex issues like depictions of Black men in mass media. No matter how absurd that sounds on paper, (and even worse aloud, FYI) y’all do it anyway. Not to sound like a Gulf Coast elitist, but I am fascinated by some of you daffy-ass people who share memes that would make most third-grade English teachers curse in…
