Brought to you by: Across the Margin
The beginning of a series of discussions where the voices of Across the Margin convene to discuss pertinent topics (well…sometimes). An unabashed glimpse into the minds of some of the writers holding it down over here. This week they discuss Mos Def’s “Ni@@as in Poorest’, Saved by the Bell, Bret McKenzie, the Oscars, ‘What is the What’ by David Eggers, and a whole lot of NBA.
Sunday Night in America
PG: This is now a group chat.
Rau: I feel like part of Voltron.
MCS: Hold on…Gotta close a window. Listening to Young Guru talk ‘Ni@@as in Poorest’ vs ‘Ni@@as in Paris’…..
PG: Diabetics….
MCS: A must listen. He is challenging the whole idea of competition in rap….and how there is little need to perceive this song as a ‘dis’ song when Mos is simply using it as a platform to make social commentary….as he does.
PG: I agree with that. They are not necessarily conflicting songs.
MCS: Not at all.
PG: One celebrates black folks wealth and affluence and the ability to wile out, the other just points out that 75 % of black folk are still poor as shit.
MCS: Do I have to stop saying Mos? That’s my question.
PG: I think Yasiin would appreciate it. ((Mos Def (Dante Smith) retired his long-time performing alias at the end of 2011. He would now like to be known as Yasiin Bey.))
MCS: Done.
Rau: I don’t think they are conflicting necessarily, and I love them both, but I think that it’s hard not to see one as a reaction to another and the occupy movement, etc.
MCS: What occupy movement? That shit done gone MIA. Though Oakland may still be bubbling.
PG: Spring=occupy everything.
Rau: Occupy poor people.
PG: No one would care. Occupy Bed-Stuy, pix 11 would cover it exclusively.
Rau: WPIX? Man, that used to be the channel I rocked Charles in Charge, Saved by The Bell, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on. Best two hours of my life.
PG: S.B.T.B. is now on MTV2, just fyizzle.
MCS: I don’t know what to make of that.
Rau: If I’m ever a billionaire I’m gonna have George Lucas replace Screech.
MCS: Han shot first. He would use Jar Jar, be careful what you wish for.
PG: Kevin the robot as R2D2.
MCS: Your S.B.T.B. knowledge is so comprehensive.
MCS: I’m curious. Sunday Night….Oscars? All Star Game?
PG: Oscars.
MCS: Ditto, but eventually both.
PG: Snooze fest. I had company over that stayed till the end. Wrap it up.
Rau: I had Norovirus I think. But I watched the All-Star game in bed, sweating and crying.
MCS: I had Noro. Things got way too real.
PG: I actually only saw highlights of game. I thought I DVR’d it but I think it got trumped by a taping of R.H.W.O.A..
Rau: The introduction was awesome, super awkward.
PG: Derrick Rose is no clown.
Rau: When they came out from the risers under the stage? Yeah, Lebron and Dwight… fuck.
MCS: D Rose came straight faced like a grown man. Loved that. Bron and Dwight were cheese-ing so hard.
Rau: D Rose = John Conner.
PG: Rose talked about it last night on Game Time.
MCS: What did he say?
PG: “I can dance, but I was there to play ball”.
MCS: My respect just doubled.
PG: He is the truth….aka: John Connor.
MCS: And to get it out of the way. Bron making that pass to end the game instead of shooting is the most telling thing to happen in an all-star game I have witnessed in some time. It’s few and far between you see a reoccurring postseason storyline manifest itself in an exhibition in this way.
PG: I think its the dancing. I jest, but MJ never danced.
MCS: Depends what MJ your talking about but your right.
PG: Nor did Russell. But yeah, I got the feeling that it could be a preview: Durant vs Lebron?
Rau: The game was awesome. I liked the part where D Wade gave Kobe a punch in the face basically, and the post game interview where Lebron acted like he cared.
MCS: Bron goes out and plays hard in the All Star game. I don’t understand how he is going to take the All Star Game serious as a showman and yet refuses to use the ultimate platform the NBA has for showmanship….the dunk contest. I don’t get it.
Rau: I can say who I desperately want to see in the Finals, not what I think will happen. Bulls v. Wolves is my dream match up.
PG: That wolves team is kind of a dream in itself.
MCS: People are bugging about these Wolves. The reality is they are 4th in the Northwest and only a game above.500. I am not yet drinking that Kool-Aid.
PG: I hope Rubio does not shave/get haircut all season.
Rau: Beasley and D Williams scored almost 60 last night, if those two guys get it together 2nd half they are gonna be tough. They traded Milicic in for Pekovic. That’s a way better Yugo in my book.
MCS: You just put the hopes of a franchise on Beasley and D Will? I don’t think you really mean that. But who are these Yugo’s?
PG: I need to just memorize the names of the the bad guys from Superman 2 when we talk about these Yugos as you say, because I keep making that reference and it falls flatter than it should.
MCS: Kneel before ZOD!
Rau: You could simplify it and just call them Gene Hackman.
PG: Whats the big dude?
MCS: Ursa and Non are the others.
PG: So Non then.
PG: Ursa has a very stimulating S&M vibe.
Rau: No doubt!
PG: I hope to hell the Bulls beat the Heat if that’s what it comes down to which it must, right?
MCS: It will. Possibly my favorite part of the All Star game was when Iguodola is seen talking on the bench about how shocked he was Dirk and Love look at the ball when they shoot instead of the rim which he does. Loved that candid moment, and it is a great conversation piece.
Rau: Oh yeah, he was speaking with Deng. That was cool. I felt like they were the two outsiders on the East squad.
MCS: I agree. There were cliques for sure, and they were on their own.
PG: Deng is my favorite Dukie because I imagine him getting robbed at the end of ‘What is the What’, Is that wrong?
Rau: Fuck I love that book.
MCS: It is undoubtedly one of the most important novels I have ever read.
PG: For real, in my head I picture Luol Deng they entire read.
MCS: Valentino!!! ((Valention Achak Deng is the subject of David Eggers masterpiece ‘What is the What’, a moving novel which recounts the true story story of when Achak is separated from his family during the Second Sudanese Civil War when the Arab militia, referred to as murahaleen, wipes out his Dinka village, Marial Bai.))
PG: Yes!
MCS: For the record, I couldn’t love the rising stars game more. But how are Monroe and Landry in that? Watching their game one could assume they are both veterans who have been in the league for 11 years minimum.
PG: Greg Monroe is such an ole head.
Rau: Monroe is a stud.
MCS: Who plays way below the rim, that’s all I am saying.
Rau: Yeah, he can’t block shots, which is ridiculous.
MCS: He can maybe alter a few.
Rau: Fair enough.
PG: He’s like a 35-year-old Sam Perkins, or a 24-year-old Sam Perkins.
MCS: Sunday night, in retrospect, was a success in my book as one half of the geniuses who wrote ‘Bowie in Space’ now has an Oscar on his mantle. ((Bret McKenzie, of ‘Flight of the Concords’ took home the Oscar for Best Original Song for the song ‘Man or Muppet’ from ‘The Muppets’.))
PG: Wild shit…Bret!
Rau: Jemaine is definitely pissed.
MCS: And also the dean from ‘Community’ made use of what could possibly be the highlight of his career to poke fun at Angelina. I can get behind that.
Rau: That was awesome. Apparently she’s outraged which is also awesome.
MCS: The real problem with the Oscars….not enough Linsanity.
PG: The Ben and Jerry backlash is in full gear.
MCS: Fortune cookies. That was somebody’s brainchild. That happened.
Rau: They should let Barkley, EJ, The Jet, and CWEB host the Oscars next year.
PG: Brilliant. I would like to hear Sir Charles candid assessment of ‘The Help’ as some white rewriting of history.
MCS: And have Billy Crystal host the dunk contest. Wait, that’s an awful idea.
Rau: Couldn’t be any worse.
MCS: God, lets end it there…..
PG: One more point if I may.
MCS: Of course.
PG: Can we all just agree that ‘The Shaqtus’ has been an abject failure on ‘Inside the NBA’?
MCS: I had hoped for much more. He is a bump on a log.
Rau: Man, I think I can agree. I don’t want it to be true.
MCS: Do they have him sedated?
PG: He did enough over the years to warrant high hopes, but he may actually be retarded.
MCS: He was the funniest man in the game, without being a jester like Dwight Howard, for 15 years.
Rau: I saw him on Kimmel the other week and it was hilarious but he is not good on ‘Inside the NBA’. I think Kenny and Charles should have a sitcom where they are on the DL.
PG: Chuck looks at him with curious disdain.
MCS: I knew someone out there watched Kimmel.
Rau: I don’t watch it, I swear…but when I do it’s funny.
MCS: That doesn’t make sense.
PG: Kimmel kills apparently
MCS: Alright fellas. That’s a wrap.
