I’m Just Sayin’…Rick James & The Chappelle Show Were Wrong
Hello, lovelies! It’s time for another installment of I’m Just Sayin’. It’s been a busy week, am I right? All this tea being spilled, I’m feeling extra hydrated.
The Chappelle Show. If you don’t know it, you need your pop culture card snatched and burned, honey. There were so many iconic sketches. From The Mad Real World to Trading Spouses, I was laughing so hard each week. But, my absolute favorites were the Charlie Murphy Real Hollywood Stories. Timeless. Hilarious. Iconic. It gave an insider’s view on the batshit crazy world that is stardom.
Rick James was my absolute favorite. I love Prince but the recklessness that was Rick James, plus the commentary he gave with each sketch, rocketed him to the top of my list and taught me one valuable lesson:
Now, let’s fast forward to this week. I’m taking a bit of a detour but stick with me.
Jussie Smollett.
The Empire actor captured the attention of the world when he claimed to have been attacked by MAGA supporters in Chicago after a Subway run. The alleged attack was racially and homophobically motivated. Now, I’m not going to go into every single detail because we all know what happened. If you don’t then #spoileralert, shit’s about to get weird.
This week, or last, who knows anymore…the Chicago Police Department suspected that something was wrong with Jussie’s story. I mean, I could tell you that. If you’re still lost, let me give a quick review of why this story never made sense.
- Who the hell goes walking in the middle of the night in Chicago for Subway? We are living in the age of Uber Eats and Grubhub. You couldn’t order in? And, did y’all know that Subway was open late? I didn’t.
- The MAGA supporters…that are racists and homophobic…but happen to watch Empire and recognize you in the dark? Are you kidding me? I watch Empire and live twenty minutes outside of Chicago, and I wouldn’t recognize Jussie Smollett in the middle of rush hour.
- The letter. The letter with the magazine cutout words…with crushed up white powder that turned out to really be aspirin…it seemed like a bad movie plot to me. The last time I heard of someone doing that, it was in the late 90s, early 2000s.
- The actual attack was always suspicious. Who the hell walks around with a rope to make a noose? On one of the coldest nights of the year? I mean, hello! The temperature has been fluctuating between 0 degrees and -50 degrees with the windchill. Ain’t nobody voluntarily going on a walk! Plus, everybody knows that you’ll get robbed out here, not just blindly attacked.
With that being said, color me unsurprised when the info came out that led to him being charged with a class four felony: making a false report. When it dropped that he was involved in the creation of his own attack, everyone was like:
Then the actual reason came out: he wanted more money and fame. Now, I could use this time to give Jussie the dragging he deserves. Instead, I’m trying to stick to my 2019 goal of finding a lesson in everything. So, here it is:
Jussie Smollett is all of us.
Don’t close this article! Let me explain.
The internet and stardom are weird places. As a public, we have a lot to do with it. We thrust little known people with minimal talent on a pedestal only to turn our collective backs on them when something new and shiny comes along, or we throw stones at them until they fall.
Every day people are selling their souls to go viral. From twerking on Snapchat to half-naked pics on Instagram to beefing with celebrities on Twitter, everyone wants to be an Internet star. I mean, look at our current president. In the trending obsessed climate of Hollywood, everyone knows that all it takes is one scandal to propel you from the D-list and straight to the top. Talent and hard work are becoming more and more meaningless.
Which brings us back to Jussie Smollett. When Empire first came out, he was an instant star. Everybody loved the character Jamal. He was the one we rooted for because his daddy was an ass.
But, as the show went on, his shine became a bit dimmer.
Taraji P. Henson has always stolen every scene she’s in as Cookie. Bryshere Gray went from being the baby brother, Hakeem, to brilliantly portraying Michael Bivins in The New Edition Story. And, nobody upstages Papa Lucious, played by Terrence Howard.
Most creatives have this feeling of self-importance. We think we’re special and everyone should see it because…it’s obvious, duh! Most of us have people around us that can snatch us back down to reality.
When I was nominated for Book of the Year and thought I was hot shit, my mother reminded me how I had no rhythm and shouldn’t dance at any after parties. #ShotsFired #MomsAre Ruthless #ButMamaImmaStar.
Obviously, Jussie didn’t get the memo that he wasn’t so important and special. No one told him there would be valleys on this journey and that he should be grateful for what he has while still striving to go further in his career.
Personally, I can empathize with Jussie. When everyone around you is getting them coins and basking in the limelight while you’re in straight-to-DVD movies and short films, yeah, you’re going to start feeling some type of way.
But, how he went about it though…not good.
At this moment, it’s important to note, that Jussie is maintaining his innocence and sticking to his story. However, it’s just as important that I note, this man is crazy.
You hired your personal trainer and his brother to “jump” you, tried and failed to get it on camera, phone records show that y’all were in constant contact, and you paid them off by PERSONAL CHECK!
Bruh…watch some Discovery ID, Law & Order, Cops, something because you are a bad criminal.
He has literally set back two movements by concocting this Lifetime movie of an assault. For what? More screentime and checks? That’s B.S.! People are really dying out here, really fighting out here, really hurting out here and he used that pain, suffering, and trauma to capitalize.
So yeah, I’m here for the dragging he’s getting and the trial that will be coming because you know that’s happening. I refuse to believe that he will pass up the opportunity to plead his case on the stand just like he didn’t pass up the opportunity to break out those acting skills on national television with Robin Roberts. Jussie wanted the spotlight, and he’s about to get it.
But, while you’re out here giving Jussie the business, take a quick look at yourself, and you’ll find that what I said before is true.
I’m just sayin’…Rick James and The Chappelle Show were wrong. Fame is the most dangerous drug of them all.
Phoenix Williams is an award-nominated author based out of Illinois. In her words, she writes books and talks shit. For more Phoenix, click here.
