Reactions have been pouring in, left and right, on Outkast rapper Big Boi's Twitter page after he shared a polarizing meme that chastises mothers for the way children are being raised, on Sunday (May 29). The posting splits two photos which compare one as a representation of mothers in the 1970's with another depicting a sexualized representation of mother's today. The photo on the left is that of actress Esther Rolle cooking in her role as Florida Evans on the classic Black sitcom "Good Times", while the one on the right is of an unidentified young Black woman sitting backwards in a thong. Both images capture what is inferred to be the woman's child watching them in action.
Of the various other tidbits of content his handle has displayed over the weekend, including a retweet reading "Strip clubs, Waffle House, and crab legs" over a picture of him in the company of partner Andre3000 and Kanye West the day prior, the 'mothers' meme has by far captured the most attention, garnering nearly 700 retweets and over 500 likes by press time. A great many of those reacting, however, expressed disappointment in what the beloved emcee had chosen to espouse with the meme captioned: "...AND WE ACT LIKE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH THESE KIDS".
While some defended Big Boi, citing his lyrics on such songs as the classic "Jazzy Belle" to point out that he has in the past distinguished "h*es" from a "natural woman", there were those who took initiative in balancing out his critique, with such respondents as blogger Feminista Jones bombarding the comments section with images of successful Black women who counter the stereotype. Others put him on blast, presenting him with a slew of contradictions.
Several responses spoke to the absence of fathers from the lives of children, with one follower posting a meme displaying two blank photos side by side with a caption reading "Fathers in the 70's vs Fathers now". Others directed their criticism directly at Big Boi, hinting at him being a hypocrite with references to him fathering a child outside of his marriage and recent arrests over possession of ecstasy and Viagra. But an equally prevalent sentiment has come in the form of confusion from a female fan base that has generally looked to Outkast as an alternative to some of the more sexist material in the genre.
"Big Boi really just ruined my holiday," wrote Super Ceej. "I feel so hurt and betrayed...."
Source: thegrio.com | Photo Credit: Splash News
