…and the plot thickens.
Mo’Kelly is just going to stay in his foxhole and let the bullets fly overhead.
Syracuse professor Dr. Boyce Watkins takes issue with the “personal” nature of Joyner’s blog assailing Smiley and West.
Maybe…maybe not.
There is a lot of subtext to Joyner’s original text. It is LOADED. Nevertheless, here are Watkins’ thoughts…
_____________________________
My mouth hit the floor this week as Joyner (aka “The Fly Jock”), the man whose work ethic I respect like no other, somehow had the audacity (in a recent article) to compare Tavis Smiley and Cornel West to Mark Halperin, the MSNBC commentator who referred to President Barack Obama as a d*ck on national television. You no longer need to speculate as to whether or not Tom has a personal issue with Tavis Smiley, the cat fighting is now out of the bag.
While there is certainly room for Tom to disagree with Tavis and Cornel’s critiques of President Obama (it’s ok to criticize the criticizer), Tom’s comparison of Cornel and Tavis with Halperin is entirely off-base. Smiley and West have never, at any point, used such distasteful language and the kind of one-syllable thinking that Halperin used during his insult of President Obama. In fact, even Smiley’s critiques have grown more diplomatic and thoughtful through time, and I still look forward to any of the president’s senior advisors taking the time to explain why Smiley and West are wrong (note: when people can’t debate the facts, they avoid the issues and simply try to discredit you).
But it is Tom Joyner himself who has joined Halperin in the ideological basement by making comments that would be better suited for a high school locker room:
“I said I’d wait until something pissed me off so bad that I would have the words harsh enough to express what I was really feeling about him and his side piece – I mean side kick – Cornel West,” said Joyner.
Now, I don’t know what hood you’re from, but in my city, referring to a man’s friend as his “side piece” is usually a reference to his sexuality. Whether Tom is trying to imply that the relationship between West and Smiley is more than meets the eye, I have no idea. But this kind of remark has no place in print during such a critical point in the history of black American political discourse.
FULL STORY HERE.
The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and EURWEB.com. For the most recent posts of Mr. Mo’Kelly, visit https://mrmokelly.com. Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at [email protected].
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11 responses to “Dr. Boyce Watkins Slams Tom Joyner for Tavis Tirade”
That was weak….so much so that I won’t even post his jive comments to my blog. He is a nobody trying to get some name recognition.
Thsi kind of Bullsh*t- not just the back-and-forth about Pres Obama’s perceived lack of support for Af-Ams, but now also, the back-and-forth About the back-and-forth- is The Reason that Af-Ams Desperately Need Leadership at the National Level. To get dipsh*ts like these to stop making Us look like Fools, collectively.
I was disappointed with Boyce on this one.
When grown folks are arguing, it’s always best to stay out of it–especially when it does not concern you.
Tom Joyner is the moon, Boyce is the dog barking at it.
I wouldn’t say Boyce was barking at the moon, but I would say it would have been best to stay out of this one. This is obviously personal, WAYYYYYYY personal. I think if Boyce knew the back story he would’ve waited before jumping in at this time. It’s one of those fights that was eventually going to happen. And they’re fighting for reasons that aren’t public knowledge.
I can say this…
Tavis has only gone on TJMS for the past 3 years when he has something to sell, promote or hock. That “was” the extent of their rapport since he stopped doing his twice-weekly “advocacy radio” commentaries.
Smiley has made no effort to come in and address the public vitriol and racism levied against Obama on Tom’s show, only selling Smiley products, most recently another book a few months ago. That much is public and not a secret. Keep that in mind.
It’s one thing to have a “principled” (and I use that term loosely) criticism of the president, it’s another to avoid using the same platform in which you used to critique the president to also critique his detractors. There was no evenhanded nature or intellectual honesty in how Smiley was using the TJMS platform. So to me it’s less about what Smiley had to say and more about where he had to say it and who was nice enough to give him that platform. It was the “Tom Joyner Morning Show” not the Tavis Smiley Show, with special guest Tom Joyner.
It’s not necessarily how Smiley runs his business, it’s about Tom being used in the process of Smiley promoting his business.
Tom made Smiley a household name to Black people, not vice-versa. A lot of history is contained in Tom’s blog, having NOTHING to do with politics of 2008. Boyce doesn’t readily acknowledge that in his rebuttal. I don’t think you can effectively discuss this issue without acknowledging the specificity of the history.
This is NOT about President Obama. This is about feeling personally disrespected. The politics of Obama served as the reason for the timing of the blog.
If I were an opportunist I would be all over this in an editorial sense. But I know there’s so much of a personal undercurrent, it serves me no purpose to jump in…not at this point at least. I can’t talk about much of the personal stuff that I know and to write an editorial without thoroughly acknowledging it would be disingenuous on my part.
I have nothing bad to say about Dr. West privately or publicly. Nothing. This beef is between Tom and Tavis. It’s real, and really, really personal. This is not hype to pump up a radio show. It’s real. Dr. West is collateral damage through association and alignment.
My last word for now. I DO KNOW that if ANY MAN said a THIRD MAN was my SIDE PIECE publicly, if I didn’t respond publicly I would be as much of a punk as the insult alleges.
Part of the reason why I no longer work for Smiley is that I don’t allow certain people to talk to me a certain way…EVER.
Just sayin’…
Read into that what you will…
I didn’t know you no longer work for Smiley.
But that’s something we’ll discuss later.
I just feel that black folks need to stop arguing publicly–PERIOD. It makes all of us look bad. Whether it’s TJ or TS who started it, I feel that grown men have no business bickering like little children. This is not the time to take your ball home or throw a temper tantrum in the sandbox.
At the end of the day, we’ve got bigger fish to fry in our communities. That’s why I’m surprised at how all of this came about.
These are PROFESSIONAL black men resorting to these tactics. You and I would never do that. (Okay, we did about 3 years ago but you deleted that post) LOL!!!!
Boyce was on point. Tom “Sponsored by any corporation who will pay me, no matter who they are” Joyner has a nerve calling anyone a sell out & he was off the mark with his link between Smiley & West being responsible for Halperin’s comment. As if white men never jumped at the chance to be ignorant before those two started bumping their gums. Silly.
As for Joyner’s side dish comment, Boyce called that too. Thems fightin’ words.
I just don’t understand why Boyse took it upon himself to comment on what Tom said about West and Tavis. This was not his business. Why not let the 3 of them trash that out and not stick out nose where it does not belong. I just hope that Tom ignore Boyse’s comments.
More insight reading your last statement to Zack about Tavis. Thanks. Btw, did you get a chance to read the link I posted on your other blog concerning this?
Yes, I posted it here awhile back. There’s back story to that too. The short version is that Harris Perry has never liked Dr. West due to Princeton University hiring politics (she wanted a gig that went to West disciple) so she will NEVER co-sign on anything that West/Smiley will do.
But it is indicative of a growing resentment to any and all things Smiley. Like did you even know he had an event on CNN and released a book this year?
Probably not.
Blood in the water.
Chickens coming home to roost.
Reaping what you sow.
All that…
And just wait until the R. Kelly book is released…all hell will likely break loose. He surely won’t be going on Tom Joyner Morning Show to promote it.
Great response by Dr. Watkins. I too was totally shocked by this crap Joyner wrote. I no longer see him as a professional. As for Tavis only appearing on Joyner’s show to promote or sell stuff, that’s the only reason anyone goes on his show. Musicians only go on when they have a new CD. Comedians only go on to promote a show. Authors go on to sell a book. Tavis is no more an opportunist than all the others.
Vern, you are righ on point…..Boyce mind your own business…as we all should…They (the 3 of them) will work it out. These are times when we should support each other by during what is right for the USA as whole not just color…