When the Village Voice published an interview with Jim DeRogatis, a journalist who covered the R. Kelly child pornography case, I didn't want to read it. I assumed that the article would highlight Kelly as the victim. You know, the victim of these children or even better these fast girls. To my surprise, it was the opposite. DeRogatis gave us a peek into how deep the psychosis goes for Robert. I'll just say it. He's a sick person.
Prior to reading the article. I did look at his video called Cookie because this was the return of Kels. Its not different than most R&B videos. Women walking around in maid uniforms with garters. They are all there for Kels. He begins to sing.
Cookie, cookie, cookie, I'm a cookie monster
Break your back, crack it open like a lobster
Ayyy, I kill the p_y, dig a (grave)
She grab the wood like grippin (grain)
I told her put it in my face
Let it rain, let it rain (rain)
There's a reference or two to Oreos and more about having lots of sex with Kels. As someone who has grown up on Prince, explicit lyrics don't phase me. Its really about context. Knowing that this man enjoys the company of girls, the lyrics change for me. They disgust me. Its hard for me to detach the man and his music but I've learned through reading many comments via social media, its very easy for many. This is the man who called himself the Pied Piper of R&B. Oh the irony. The Pied Piper promised a town he would rid them of their problems with rats. The Pied Piper led rats to the water to drown. The towns people decided not to pay for the Piper's services. Angered, the Pied Piper returns, dressed as a hunter, and lures the children of the town to follow him into the mountain never to been seen again. After reading the article by the Village Voice, we know that Kelly has very typical traits of a pedophile. He lured girls into his web. He abused them. He is the Pied Piper. Maybe he knows himself better than we think he does.
What comes with trying to sort through what to do with R Kelly and his celebrity is trying to understand when will we get serious about violence against women and girls and specifically black women and girls. I recall Dream Hampton tweeting a couple of years ago about more black girls being accosted by black men than black men by the police. The response was amazing with women sharing stories about being approached by adult men when they were girls. Recently, #fasttailedgirls tweets have demonstrated once again, black girls have been shamed and abused with limited protection. What will it take? Who will hear us? I feel like I'm a broken whistle. My soul is tired.
I am an abused black girl. I buried the sexual abuse in my soul. Many black women have done the same because our cries have no place to be heard. Our cries come in the form of bitterness, issues with our sexuality, emotional eating, substance use/abuse, and depression. We mask ourselves with mantras. We constantly demand respect. We scream it.
R.Kelly and other abusers need help. They need mental health treatment. They need to acknowledge the pain they've caused others to our children. We need to stop protecting predators in our communities, in our homes. We become a part of the monster. We become a part of the abuse when we do nothing. I truly want to know, who will hear us when we cry?
Prior to reading the article. I did look at his video called Cookie because this was the return of Kels. Its not different than most R&B videos. Women walking around in maid uniforms with garters. They are all there for Kels. He begins to sing.
Cookie, cookie, cookie, I'm a cookie monster
Break your back, crack it open like a lobster
Ayyy, I kill the p_y, dig a (grave)
She grab the wood like grippin (grain)
I told her put it in my face
Let it rain, let it rain (rain)
There's a reference or two to Oreos and more about having lots of sex with Kels. As someone who has grown up on Prince, explicit lyrics don't phase me. Its really about context. Knowing that this man enjoys the company of girls, the lyrics change for me. They disgust me. Its hard for me to detach the man and his music but I've learned through reading many comments via social media, its very easy for many. This is the man who called himself the Pied Piper of R&B. Oh the irony. The Pied Piper promised a town he would rid them of their problems with rats. The Pied Piper led rats to the water to drown. The towns people decided not to pay for the Piper's services. Angered, the Pied Piper returns, dressed as a hunter, and lures the children of the town to follow him into the mountain never to been seen again. After reading the article by the Village Voice, we know that Kelly has very typical traits of a pedophile. He lured girls into his web. He abused them. He is the Pied Piper. Maybe he knows himself better than we think he does.
What comes with trying to sort through what to do with R Kelly and his celebrity is trying to understand when will we get serious about violence against women and girls and specifically black women and girls. I recall Dream Hampton tweeting a couple of years ago about more black girls being accosted by black men than black men by the police. The response was amazing with women sharing stories about being approached by adult men when they were girls. Recently, #fasttailedgirls tweets have demonstrated once again, black girls have been shamed and abused with limited protection. What will it take? Who will hear us? I feel like I'm a broken whistle. My soul is tired.
I am an abused black girl. I buried the sexual abuse in my soul. Many black women have done the same because our cries have no place to be heard. Our cries come in the form of bitterness, issues with our sexuality, emotional eating, substance use/abuse, and depression. We mask ourselves with mantras. We constantly demand respect. We scream it.
R.Kelly and other abusers need help. They need mental health treatment. They need to acknowledge the pain they've caused others to our children. We need to stop protecting predators in our communities, in our homes. We become a part of the monster. We become a part of the abuse when we do nothing. I truly want to know, who will hear us when we cry?
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