Sometimes I’ve found it better to not jump onto social media and play “Jasmyne on the Spot” every time something happens. Unlike many, I don’t suffer from FOMO. We’ve all seen it—something goes down, and suddenly everyone’s a commentator, dropping hot takes like it’s a full-time job. But honestly, taking a step back and just watching things unfold can be a lot more rewarding. The initial incident can turnout to be just the appetizer. Whereas it’s the fallout that really serves up the main course–as is the case with Janet Jackson’s recent comments on Vice President Kamala Harris’ race.
Where to start?
For me, it’s the fact that Janet Jackson didn’t know that Kamala Harris’ father is Black. I mean, that bubble must be very thick she’s living in. This is basic information that’s been out there since day one. Harris has been very vocal about her heritage and proud of it—her Jamaican father and Indian mother. For Janet to act like she’s just now discovering this, and worse, spreading false claims, is just mind boggling to me. Not to mention the fact that no one on her “team” in that room for the interview intervened to clean it up knowing the sh-tstorm it would create.
If you’re not feeling well, if you’re grieving, having any type of mental anguish–stop doing media interviews and hand over your socials to your team until you’re better. Doing media interviews is a choice, not a necessity.
Sometimes it’s hard to reconcile your love and admiration for someone who’s been such a powerful force in your life with the reality that their views don’t always align with your own. Facts. I often wish I didn’t know the politics of some of my favorite artists because it’s hard to separate the art from the person. Ignorance can be bliss for a reason. We have to remember that celebrities–like politicians– are human and flawed, just like us—they’re not gods, even though we put them on those pedestals.
I think there’s a balance we have yet to strike as a society. We can still love these artists and the impact they’ve had on our lives, but we also have to be willing to acknowledge when they fall short and have those tough conversations. Because at the end of the day, blindly defending anyone does more harm than good.
Today’s younger generations aren’t so quick to let things slide–even if you are. If your politics don’t align or you’re caught in some mess, they’re ready to move on and cancel subscriptions faster than you can say “Control.” I get it, though. We live in a time where holding people accountable is necessary, and I respect that. We differ on how that should be done. I just need folks to not be hypocritical. We can’t keep making excuses for some and dragging others through the mud for the same or similar behavior. Accountability should be consistent across the board, no matter how much we love someone’s music or movies.
Fans need to be prepared to be disappointed in a whole lot of folks as we head towards November. A whole lot of our favorites are going to show us who they really are. It’s up to us to decide how we react when they do.
Now onto the apology that wasn’t.
When you wait, you get to see the whole mess unfold in all its messy, dramatic glory. Sometimes, the reactions are more revealing than the incident itself.
The news media reporting on an apology made on Jackson’s behalf coming from someone on her team, has left me with more questions than answers. While much of the focus has been on the (presumed authorized) announcement that the apology was unauthorized, I am questioning the media’s responsibility to verify the legitimacy of the apology before trying to be the first to report on it. And by verify, I mean beyond looking at someone’s LinkedIn page.
It’s not just about being first to the punch—there’s a responsibility to get it right. An unauthorized apology, an announcement saying it wasn’t authorized—it’s all just layers of confusion. And it makes me wonder: how much of this could’ve been avoided if someone, anyone, had just picked up the phone and asked the right questions before running with the headline?
At the end of the day, if the media can’t verify something as basic as whether an apology is real or not, what else are they getting wrong in their rush to break the news? It’s no wonder people are losing trust in the media. We’re not asking for miracles here—just a little more effort than browsing LinkedIn and hitting “publish.”
As far as Jackson and apologizing–when it comes to public apologies, if you’re going to apologize, do it quickly and mean it. Otherwise, just stand by what you said in the first place. If Janet Jackson wants to die on the hill of “Kamala Harris isn’t Black,” who are we to get in the way of that? She’s a very rich grown ass woman. One thing is for certain, and two things are for sure, she won’t be alone.
