Essay 583

Uncivil actions in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• A Manhattan judge is allowing New York’s hip-hop radio station Hot 97 to let rappers visit the studio, but posses will be prohibited from joining them. The landlord of the building where the station is headquartered originally sought to ban rappers from the premises, leading to various legal actions (see Essay 572). The ruling features other restrictions, including advance notice for rapper visits and an armed security guard to be paid for by the radio station. Look for a countersuit to be filed by posses.

• A New York Court of Appeals ruled against P. Diddy, requiring the music mogul to pay over $19,000 per month in child support. Wonder if he’ll also be prohibited from bringing his posse during child visits.

• Cingular Wireless is taking heat for offering a ringtone that is nothing short of racist. Here’s what it said: “This is la Migra (slang for Border Patrol). Por favor, put the oranges down and step away from the cell phone. I repeat-o, put the oranges down and step away from the telephone-o. I’m deporting you back home-o.” A Cingular spokesperson said, “Needless to say, we deeply regret and apologize for it ever being [available on the Cingular Website] in the first place. The ringtone is blatantly offensive.” Talk about raising the bar.

• The Census Bureau released figures showing Hispanics continue to be the country’s fastest-growing minority segment. But the numbers are increasing via births here versus immigration. “Hispanics are here, and they’re part of our future, and they’re a large part of our young population,” said a demographer at the Brooking Institution. “They’re a part of America because they’re born in America.” Hope Cingular can keep up with the demand for ringtones.

• Whirlpool Corp. announced plans to cut 4,500 employees from its Maytag division. It’s about time. That damn Maytag repairman has been sitting around doing nothing for decades.