THE WIRE HAS BEEN TAKEN DOWN II or how the gay shall lead them

"Money don't have no owners, only spenders."
Omar Little, whose profession is robbing drug dealers on HBO’s “The Wire


That was just one of the many, quick-witted phrases uttered by one of those most dynamic, layered and feared characters on television in the last 20 years. Omar Little was played subtlety and nuanced by Michael K. Williams. This character caught the eyes and gathered a quick fan base with his Robin Hood M.O. of robbing from the drug dealers of Baltimore or the rich (at least as far as the hood was concerned). Omar was built of the stuff that makes legends. This man walked the streets West Baltimore wielding a shotgun with the gait of Clint Eastwood in a Sergio Leone spaghetti western. And as Eastwood his presence struck fear in all around to the point, where people yell, “Omar coming!” and the streets clear like a level 5 hurricane was coming to town.

Then there was Felecia “Snoop” Pearson, hitman and ‘muscle’ for the Marlo Stanfield drug empire. Nothing may have been more bone-chilling, as the non-chalant manner in which she shopped at Home Depot with a sales person for a nail gun in the season 4 opening episode, “Boys of Summer”. It was so scary because throughout the conversation, you didn’t know if she was man or woman and you felt this nail gun was to be used for more than nailing a support beam. And it was, as she and her partner in crime, Chris used it to reseal a makeshift row house tomb, in which they placed their victims. The actress -- Felecia Pearson -- and the character are of the same name. It’s hard to divide the artist from the art, because before her television debut, Felecia had done time in prison, for manslaughter.

As I’ve read the many, threads online about the ending of this television series, I’ve found that these two anti-heroes, who both met untimely demises in The Wire’s final season had rabid fan followings. Many begged for Omar not to be dead, even after they saw him, dead as a doornail, atop a morgue slab. Yes, there are those who theorized that it was not Omar that took the bullet to the head, but his older brother. Far fetched? Yes, but this proves how deep a character, that was only to be on the show in the first season, can touch a nerve. Snoop, with her thick, Baltimore patois, may has uttered the most “G” last words ever (“How my hair look Mike?”), seconds before she took one to the back of the head. There are so many “R.I.P.” and “I will miss you girl” in the online threads, it’s hard to pick a specific one. All I can say is, “I’m happy to finally see these two openly gay characters have such enormous followings. Yes, gay, two of today’s most feared television characters were homosexuals. Many a “thug-life reppin’ fools”, after watching an episode of The Wire were acting like little boys imitating their sports heroes, “I’m Omar!”, “No, man, I’m Omar!”. Those calls were brought to a screeching halt after Omar tenderly, kissed his stick-up partner and lover Brandon in the first season. Then the homophobia kicked into Millennium Falcon hyperspeed. You’d hear people say, “Man, I dug Omar, but then he did that gay stuff. I ain’t like that.” Nobody is saying you were taking Omar to the “No-Tell, Motel” and giving him the heat, if you say you like his character. His homo-thugness (and I might stress fake homo-thugness) can’t come through the television and rub off on you. These homo-phobic thoughts continued on until Omar was brought back in season 2, but many couldn’t resist Omar’s charm or words that were never tainted by profanities and his old school, gangster code of ethics-- you never going after a man on Sunday or he would never ‘do dirt’ on a “civilian” (one not in the drug game). And while the show always maintained and showed that Omar was man, who loved men (without showing it for exploitation), he as still revered by “WIRE” fans off all demographics. Snoop’s sexuality was never put out there, but it was just implied. Just as her ‘muscle’ and hitman partner Chris, whose personal life was implied and that’s all because with such a large cast to service you can’t always get into personal lives unless it’s part of the plot. Through the seasons, I have met WIRE fans, in the black community, who are churchgoing and as I said, thug-life repping and all in between. I find it ironic in a community that is known for it’s rampant, homophobia has embraced two homosexual characters like they have an “S” or a “bat symbol” on their chests. Then again, these characters are also both cold-blooded killers, which makes me think. Does having the ability to kill without fear or repercussion make Omar and Snoop’s sexual tastes more palatable? If Omar, as well spoken as moston the show, were an attorney, would his fan base be as big? If Snoop were a teacher at the deteriorating middle school in season 4, would we feel the same about her death? I mean Detective Kima Greggs is an open lesbian, but I have yet to find the official Detective Greggs website online. I’m going believe or hope that we are evolving as a community. Even if it’s not true, it helps me sleep easier (that’s bullsh**, I’m going to sleep like a baby no matter what).

These two, nefarious Baltimore hoods will never be forgotten. I myself will never forget Omar or Snoop. In addition, I will probably have to go into a detox facility to stop referring to Omar and Snoop like they are real people.

Now follow me to freedom!

OH BUSH, HE’S A SENIOR

Do you remember, when you were a freshman in high school? You had some apprehension, about your appearance, about being in a new place, facing the unknown and facing those then imposing giants called seniors. You would see this extremely geeky, guy and he comes up and knocks your books out of your hands. You know you can take this son-of-a-bitch but he says, “I’m a senior”. The only reason you don’t pummel this bastard is because he is a senior and there is always the threat of the respected seniors backing him up and subsequently beating your ass, so you back off. The creepy bastard then slinks off laughing under the thin protection, that he gained only because of time. He waited for years to get here and nothing else. No captain of the of the football team, no student body president, not even a smart kid, who will eventually become Bill Gates—no just a geeky kid with a rich and powerful dad.

Well, the geeky senior, George Bush just spoke minutes ago to the Economic Club of New York about the economy. Within five sentences he said, “the U.S.A was the economic envy of the world”, “there will be ups and downs in the market”, “we have had 52 consecutive months in job growth and that’s a record” and “our economy is obviously going through a tough time”. Then out of nowhere, “W” brought in the ideology that is a favorite of his administration by saying, “and then there was the attacks of September 11th, 2001, which many of you saw first hand (this man has a talent for stating the obvious). In most cases, this behavior would be called schizophrenic, but for now I’ll just call it “geeky senior” behavior. George W. Bush is in the backstretch of his high school career (see the presidency), he has gotten his final grades and he is just fucking with freshman (see Americans) because he can. And the freshman he’s really getting to are those, who were stupid enough to have voted for him not just in 2000, but 2004. Those freshmen who didn’t vote for him give him his respect, but Bush wouldn’t dare fu** with them for fear of retaliation. I hope the new freshman think carefully, when stepping into the voting booth in November. Because there’s another senior (pun very intended), named McCain, who’s waiting to push over a few freshman lunch trays. I’m damn glad this school year is almost over.

Now follow me to freedom!

HOES, IN DIFFERENT AREA CODES

I really don't have anything new to say about the dumb ass, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, that hasn't been said so far, except today's entry title. He's a jacka** and I can't call his wife all that strong for standing behind at his press conference, because most women I know have expressed wanting her to beat Spitzer's a** down. They just can't comprehend why she is sticking with a mfr, who spent 80K of their money on a hooker. I've recently heard some television pundits trying to understand why Spitzer would do something like this and some people expressed 'that's what's handsome men of power and wealth do -- they cheat. I dig the power and wealth view, but you couldn't pour pretty on this man, if supermarket were selling it for a dollar a gallon. Is it me or does this guy look like a that troll guy with the breathing issue from the Lord of the Rings trilogy? Have you all seen the 22 year old woman he was hooking up with? One Ashley Dupree. The generosity of women doesn't surprise me, but what money can buy in this economy does. The dollar is not dead!

Now follow me to freedom!

EXPERIENCE, NOT EXPECTED

JOB TITLE: President of the United States (POTUS)
DEPARTMENT: United States government
LOCATION: Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT: Full Time (unless George W. Bush)
HIRING RANGE: $400K - $450K (more if in Republican cronies pocket)
JOB DUTIES: Leader of the free world
QUALIFICATIONS: calm demeanor, ability to lead and think under pressure, no previous experience as president needed, but helpful if possible.


That is the advertisement for the job that will be vacated and filled in November after the 2008 presidential election. One word that’s recently been put into heavy rotation, in the fight for the Democratic Presidential nomination is “EXPERIENCE”. It’s usually coming out of Hillary Clinton’s mouth or from one of her campaign commercials. Mrs. Clinton, who I had a lot more respect for early on in this race, has stooped to Republican style politics and becoming a fear-monger by playing the image of a sleeping little girl in her campaign commercial, while a haunting voice asks, “Who would you want answering the phone, if a call at 3 in the morning comes?” Well, for one if it’s in my house, it’s me, because I’m going to curse the son-of-a-bitch for calling me at that time. But in the White House, if America is at def-con 5, I want the person, who can think clearly and make an educated decision without killing people, if possible. I felt that Hillary had the potential to be one of those people, but daily she erodes at her character and reputation with these Roveian-style tatics. She and her campaign steadily speak of who has the experience, well I’ve got news for you Hillary, NO ONE has the experience. Until you are sworn in as POTUS, you do not know what it is like to be the POTUS. Living in the White House, appearing abroad for the POTUS and sleeping with the POTUS (or not sleeping with him), does not make you the POTUS. It makes you someone who lives in the White House, appears abroad, yada-yada-yada, you know where I’m going with this. I am by no means trying to belittle Mrs. Clinton’s accomplishments in this world, but her claiming that she “played an integral role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland because she attended a conference in Ireland is like me claiming I chipped in 13 points and 7 rebounds in the 1982 NCAA championship basketball game between North Carolina and Georgetown, because my father and I attended the game. Then again history may prove me wrong, when if I go to North Carolina to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the game with Michael Jordan and then security might pull me off the court. Mrs. Clinton’s claim of her having foreign policy experience in Northern Ireland has been denounced by former Clinton administration assistant secretary of state, Susan Rice. Rice said, “She was present, but she did none of the heavy lifting”. I have heard of lying on your resume, but damn, that’s not like saying you worked at a Wendy’s in Baton Rouge, that’s saying you helped bring peace to a whole fricking country. I’m thinking somebody’s going to be able to vouch about what kind of worker you were and what you did. I can just imagine that phone conversation, “Hey this is Rose calling from BEST BUY in Torrance, California. We’re looking at hiring a Hillary Clinton. She says she worked for you at Wendy’s in Baton Rouge. She says ‘she helped in developing your new breakfast menu items and the training modules for new employees’. Then Frank, the Wendy’s manager angrily replies, “What?! It took her ass four months to make a good batch of fries.”

Now I’m not saying that you didn’t have the ability to develop menu items and training module, but be able to back up your lies, sister. Which brings me back to EXPERIENCE. Hillary has all of two years more experience as a U.S. Senator than Obama, that’s it. I don’t know where this 35 years of service comes from and nor will I take time to comprehend it. Being in ROTC, on the lacrosse team or in the Future Leaders of America at Wellesley College do not count as enough experience to be POTUS. George W.Bush had experience. He ran the state of Texas and you see what that’s gotten us, more blood on America’s hands, two ongoing wars, a trillion dollar debt and all of the world’s comedians thanking God nightly for him having two terms. I must also mention that I recall a man in 1992, who had very similar qualities to Barack Obama and all naysayers said he was a bright-eyed, dreamer and supposedly had no EXPERIENCE to hold the office of the presidency. His name was William Jefferson Clinton, her husband and he is considered one of this country’s greatest presidents or maybe she has forgotten the 90’s. I suggest that she and Bill talk more, because communication is the key to any good marriage. Bottom line, the only people, who know how to be president are the people who have held the office and sadly, George W. Bush is in that number Hillary and you are not (sobering thought isn’t it). Until you’re in the hot seat, you’ll never know what you will do, when the pressure is on. Archie Griffin is the only man to win back to back Heisman trophies, but he had a fair NFL career at best. Terence Trent D’arby was touted as a musical genius to replace Prince – it never happened and back to my favorite example of what experience means (or doesn’t mean) -- George W. Bush. Do you recall September 11, 2001? Three words, MY PET GOAT.

Now follow me to freedom!

MARY ANN, MARY JANE... OR BOTH

Throughout history there have been time tested discussions that people of title, to people of the streets have debated. Tupac or Biggie. Coke or Pepsi. Shaq or Kobe. But my favorite has always been Mary Ann or Ginger.

If you don't know of this argument, it speaks of the two single women, who inhabited the fictional island in the sitcom Gilligan's Island. Ginger was the drop dead gorgeous, Hollywood actress, who used her sexuality and the implied promise of sex to get all the men to do things for her, while she did nothing. Mary Ann was the middle America, farm girl, who held nothing but old-fashioned values and a talent for cooking all the daily meals for seven people and making coconut cream pies. Well, I was always a Mary Ann man, but today I think many other men, will too.

On February 29th, 69 year old actress Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann, was fined more than $100 after pleading guilty to reckless driving and being found with marijuana in her car. She was also jailed for five days. The arresting officers say that she was coming from her own surprise birthday party and that they found half smoked 'roaches' in the car and Mary Ann told them that they belonged to some hitchhikers she picked up earlier--- hitchhiking? Didn't that go out after the slasher movies became popular? But I can't be angry with her. She could've easily been like Kobe Bryant and shifted the blame to someone else (recall his mention of Shaq in the Colorado debacle), "Oh those joints... those are some roaches that Tina Louise, I mean Ginger keeps roaches in her car all the time." But Mary Ann didn't do that, she 'manned up' (so to speak) at 69 years old and quietly did her 5 days. Now to all my Ginger fans out there, who do you want by your side? A 'dick-teasing, wanna be sex symbol, who could do nothing but refer to scenes she did with actors and change into all those outfits she brought for a three hour tour or the Nebraska farm girl, in the skin tight shorts, who can cook, clean, hold the weed and keep her mouth shut, when the heat is on? I am one to believe that many are now 'rolling' with Mary Ann in more ways than one.

Now follow me to freedom!

THE WIRE HAS BEEN TAKEN DOWN

"All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward." Ellen Glasgow said that and so did the writers, actors and directors of HBO's epic television series THE WIRE.

From start to finish, we saw that as much as things changed, they stayed the same. This was a cop show with no peers. While THE SOPRANOS showed everyone that good, cutting edge TV that didn't talk down to it's audience could be created. THE WIRE upped the ante and dare I say, perfected it. THE WIRE told not the story, but the epic tale of how "everything is connected" in the drug game in Baltimore and essentially, urban America. This was a Greek tragedy that told the story from all points of view --- from the streets (that deliver the drugs to the people), the docks (that delivers the drugs to the dealers), the school system (that supplies the drug workforce), the media (that supposedly covers the drug epidemic) and last but not least government (that's supposed to be trying to stop the drugs). All these entities were indicted on the show with extreme objectivity and you found yourself accepting a usually harsh or uncomfortable reality of life by the end of an episode. This discomfort factor is probably the same reason the show has not had the success of THE SOPRANOS. THE SOPRANOS, while realistic had a still glamorous and seductive feel to it. THE WIRE was a giant, floor to ceiling mirror held up to society for it to look at itself-- warts, moles and all.


It showed us insights to people that were easily seen as disposable pieces of the human condition. The dope fiend we see on the corner begging, the child gunman in the newspaper or the drug dealer on the nightly news were finally given faces, personalities and hearts. Bubbles was a heroin addict and a man that dealt with his demons daily, even though he was trying to con you or rob you blind. Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell-- something like the Ron Howard and Brian Grazer of drugs in West Baltimore-- Avon was a true to the streets drug dealer and Stringer was a drug dealer, who wanted to use their illegal doings to become a legitimate businessman like The Kennedys (i.e. - rum running). Wallace (from season 1), Michael and Dukie were all innocent children, forced to make adult choices, even if they were ready or not. Omar, the gay stickup man with his code of the street ethics, robbed only drug dealers and "no civillians" (his words not mine). These people were not painted in black and white, no we truly saw the many shades of gray in these people-- and I stress people. Because that's what they were. In the past these two dimensional, stock black characters have passed through cop shows and viewers have said after an hour of TV viewing, "yeah, that's how it is and that's how they are". THE WIRE took them and made them whole, while never sanitizing them or giving them fairytale endings. It gave you a real ending as the creators David Simon and Ed Burns gave to us in the series finale. We saw a cycle of change over these past five seasons. We saw Sydnor become the new McNulty, DuQuan become the new Bubbles, Michael become the new Omar, Slim Charles become the new Marlo and so many more as evident in the montage in the finale's final minutes. Now the machine hasn't changed but the players have, but at least now we know why the players are who they are. I know they say television can't change society, but if enough people watched THE WIRE, I surely think it changed their views.

Now follow me to freedom!