Coonery...at Essence???

The following blog is based upon a blog post that can be read in its entirety here

So, it seems that the breakout of coonery has spread to the media outlet of Essence Magazine. Now I know that some of you who did not take the time to read the link are probably in disbelief that Essence the magazine that has been empowering Black women for decades would stoop to the level of BET's coonery in an effort to sell magazines. Even as a man I know Essence to be one of the few readily accessible sources of positivity in the black community. The artists that perform at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans are ones who do not reduce themselves to a level of "niggardry" in their art and the Essence Fest also has empowering seminars and a job fair in addition to the concert that is the primary reason for those who come to New Orleans to be in attendance. Essence's blog posting entitled "A Man's World" is no doubt designed to give black women insight into the inner psyche of the black man, a quest that has been going on since the beginning of the human species and far exceeds race, geographical area, and many other socio-economic factors. So in helping the woman on this journey, it would be beneficial to either have an expert on the discussion topic, or just an average guy, right? And that is where I am quick to throw the proverbial red flag and review this being considered coonery. Essence would have us believe that the average black male or expert on the black male in America believes in the "jump-off."

For those of us who aren't privy on what a jump-off is, it is synonymous with what we in New Orleans call a "booty buddy" or a relationship that is entirely based upon sex. While I'm not going to be a hypocrite and pretend that I've never had a jump-off, I am concerned of the message that this post sends out to the general public. Basically Jozen Cummings' point in this whole posting is that women should not take offense to being the jump-off because it takes a lot of work in keeping the jump-off happy. Again I am not going to act like he's not telling the truth, but I'm not sure that this is the right message for Essence to convey. I've read some of Cummings' other blog and have realized that this ignorance probably comes from him being employed by VIBE. In the era where the black man's name has truly become mud, where most women think that he is truly concerned with himself and his insatiable desire to smash any and everything that walks, is it appropriate to have a man co-sign to this? Did BET drive all of our media outlets crazy and now we must perpetuate every negative stereotype that is prevalent in the Black community?