Pimpin' at the Oscars

Okay, for those of you who don't know, Three Six Mafia will be performing "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" on the Academy Awards. It's nominated for best song. They are performing the song because they wrote it, and because Terrence Howard claims that he cannot get his horrible accent back in time. Three Six promise to make it squeaky clean. I don't mean to hate, but I don't know if I want them on the Oscars. I can barely wrap my head around that statement. It just doesn't seem right. Three Six...on the Oscars? Wow! Great, now my city will be permanently known as the land of Crunk. I am not pleased with this image for my city. We do not all ride around on spinner tires sippin' sizzurp (codeine mixed with cough syrup), and we are not all obsessed with "bling bling". That crap makes it look like the African-Americans in my city are all materialistic, simple-minded bumpkins. That's crap! If anything, this lets me know that I have to continue to support the filmmakers like Keenon Nikita, Rod Pitts (www.pittstopproductions.com), and others who show the other side of Memphis. This is not to say that side of Memphis doesn't exist, but that is not my Memphis. Memphis is as rich and culturally diverse as any other great metropolitan city. We have the artist's hangouts (Midtown), The poetry spots (Precious Cargo, Java Cabana, and Java, Juice and Jazz) and venues that encourage and support artists who may not get radio play (Full Moon Club, Hi-Tone, The Complex). It is my fervent hope that this side of our city can be shown. To those who share in my outrage, support your local musicians and support local movies that show other sides of the city. The most I can hope for is some kind of balance, if not on the radio, then at least at the movie theatre. Be easy, readers.