Fig & Olive

As I geared up to watch a commentary on the latest female rappers’ music video I could not shake the feeling that it was a waste of time. It may sound strange that I would even watch such a thing but I *love* social commentary. I love to hear smart people analyze society including media. But as I began to listen to the first few minutes I had to stop myself, for what? Is it even interesting anymore? ‘Hyper-sexual video from female rapper’ —is it female empowerment or degradation? Is it… any of my concern?

As you know from the post I wrote before I took a long break from this blog, I’ve grown less and less interested in giving my own social commentary. While I’d like to think any Muslim speaking up against social issues is adding an important and increasingly unexpressed voice to the public discourse, deep down, whether impactful or not, I know it causes more self-harm than social good. The media is increasingly a garbage dump, we all know that. We knew that 20 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and still today.

I recall one of my teachers saying the same years ago, “I have to tell people how bad it is” he said making fun of people like me who feel the need to give our two-sense to the destruction happening around us, “They already know!” He chuckled, responding to himself. More recently he said, “The future is gated communities”. It’s a grim outlook but could anything be more obvious? Unless you’re equally outrageous —an “extreme conservative” to their “extreme liberal,” you have no voice in this new world. I’m not sure that means not to speak, but must we comment on every new piece of garbage in their trash bin?

When you smell something putrid —if it’s in your control to clean up, that’s what you do. If it’s not, you simply walk the other away.

Image credit here