Here’s a great story in the Miami Herald on Sean Taylor’s death. Finally, we’re at the point where people are writing things that definitely link to the murder. Very good.
Now, this is one of many stories that should make a few of you stop and reevaluate some things. Check this part, about Eric Rivera, one of the alleged culprits…
His Myspace.com profile shows a love of money. Four photos show thick wads of cash — one photo depicts him lying on a bed covered in money with the caption: ”dis how i sleep after a good day.”
Here’s a little message from Bomani to a lot of you MySpace fans, particularly college students. Actually, there’s no need to narrow it, because just as many MySpace pages that fall into this discussion are from grown folks that should know better.
Chill out with putting all that ridiculous stuff on your MySpace pages. If anything happens involving you, whether it be that you get caught in something illegal or something happens to you that’s beyond your control, the first place people are going to look these days to get information on you is to MySpace. The craze got to the point where everyone had a MySpace page, so it’s an easy place to get a starting point on researching someone. You don’t even have to be a third-degree black belt in Google-Fu anymore. You’ve just got to be able to manipulate the search on Myspace (which, it should be noted, isn’t very difficult).
So if something happens that’ll put you in the public eye, you can bet all you’ve got that the news story about you will make reference to your main picture showing you bounce a stripper on your lap with a blunt in your mouth. Your username, “Slangin’ dis pipe like a real nigga should,” will be used as a reflection of who you are. And, of course, “I got it for the cheap, hard or soft,” will make it into the first three paragraphs. And ladies, the ones with the album full of money shots? Don’t think for a second that won’t be blasted.
The interesting part is something The Duell mentioned to me once. The most fascinating part about MySpace is that the pages typically don’t reflect who people are. Instead, it’s a look at who they want to me. Few of us are self-aware enough to truly build a representation of who we are. The ones of us that are, quite honestly, are usually insufferably self-absorbed. But we’ve all got our fingers on the pulse of what we’d be if could, the notions and ideas that we think are cool or right or noble or smooth or powerful. Most folks are more familiar with their dreams than their lives, and MySpace lets you see what a lot of folks would like to be when they grow up.
Well, that little glimpse into your mind could wind up being more than just something to play with on the Internet. In most cases, they don’t even really say who you are. But they’ll dictate who are if push comes to shove, if you get my drift.
EDIT: This moron’s MySpace spage just takes the cake. He’s too stupid to apply to any rule you could come up with.
Jason Mitchell was arrested in October and charged with driving with a suspended license for a third time. He posted his jail booking photo on his Myspace.com profile.
Bo’, I think that some of our people, both young and old have completely lost touch with reality. I don’t think there’s any one place to point the finger, however, I could think of a few.
We often talk about how impressionable our youth are and yet we support so many negative images of blacks in the public eye. (Yeah, I know that parents/guardians are supposed to be kids role models, but for most kids we know that is not the reality).
We cheer on musicians and athletes who portray themselves as gangsters and pimps, then wonder why our kids, who spend hours watching BET and playing violent-themed videogames, act the way they do. And before you start calling me names, think about all the black musicians and athletes that this year alone have caused themselves to go down in flames. (T.I, Michael Vick, OJ and the list goes on).
It’s time to wake up black people. We must stop trying to live in some fantasy world and get back to good old-fashioned reality. If we don’t we will be the cause of our own demise.
peace always,
strong
“The ones of us that are usually insufferably self-absorbed.”
You really think so? I’d think someone who was truly self-aware would realize just how selfish they are – which we all are to some extent – and actively fight against becoming increasingly self-absorbed.
There’s absolutely nothing that could ever possibly be on, or connected with, MySpace that justifies the level of this conversation. The real problem is that retards like that are allowed to express themselves at all.
Kirk wrote: “There’s absolutely nothing that “could” ever possibly be on, or connected with, MySpace that justifies the level of this conversation.”
Kirk, that’s the problem; change your “could” to “should”… For whatever reason, that shit pile of a website is one of the most omnipresent and unfortunatley relevant entities of our day.
strong, it ain’t just black people who need to wake up. That level of thinking is plaguing all of society.
I thought MySpace would fade into oblivion once the majority of people started setting their profiles to private (’cause then it seems one could just as well use e-mail). Eh.
Your statement, “more people are familiar with their dreams than with their lives” is simply lovely and true.