In my cases, the chances would be slim and none, because they'd probably be in First Class, while I'm riding in steerage.

It's pretty amazing when you really think about it. How many of us colored folks can ramble off names of white folks in the entertainment industry from the majors to the minors? Most of us.

Now, when you turn that around, how often do you get blank stare at the office from whites when you mention non-A-listers like Lalah Hathaway, Sanaa Lathan or Boris Kodjoe?

Well, an office other than yours, of course.

So, let me fill in the blanks:
Everybody else on the plane was white?

And when you said, did you see Rick Fox, they went, Rick Who?

Ok, the first is more likely than the second, but have you considered the fact that a flight from New York to Los Angeles is full of New Yorkers and Los Angelenos, two of the world's demographic groups most invested in not being impressed by anything at all?

Just some thoughts to expand the discourse.

Clyde

Must admit that I have a more difficult time differentiating between different White folks than Black. Supposedly, 'cause of this "they all look alike phenomenon," eye witness accounts in criminal cases actually carry less weight in court when the witness and suspect are of different races.

Side note: I'll bet those folks are generatin' some good-lookin' offspring.

>> In my cases, the chances would be slim and none, because they'd probably be in First Class, while I'm riding in steerage. >>

Word.

They wouldn't go unnoticed on a flight from NYC to LA if they were sitting in coach with other black folks. And if there were any other black folks in first class, they probably just didn't want to bother them. But on a plane full of white people -- no one would care. Some would probably be even be bothered that there were black people in first class.

Now that's real talk . . .

But I got a little story:

The other day, Spike Lee was hanging out at the Hard Rock Cafe at Times Square in New York. Yes, Mr. Do the Right Thing was standing outside and chillin' -- by himself! Black folxs swarmed like bees around him wanting to get a picture with him. He said yes to some but had to say no to others because it was getting waaaay too crazy.

I was standing there smiling at him and we started joking around about the fuss he was causing in the heart of NYC. I said to Spike, "you are the king of New York." He replied: "I'm not the king, Bloomberg's the king" and he started laughing sarcasticaly, like, fuck that nigga Bloomberg.

It was pretty cool talking shop with Spike.

Anyway, during the ruckus, a group of white people -- they looked like tourists -- came up behind me. A spokesperson for this group asked me, "why are all of these people bothering this young man?"

I looked at her like, "Don't you know who that is?"

After a brief pause, I told her that it was Spike Lee.

Her response: "Who is Spike Lee?"

Only in New York, folks. . .

Now Trent, that's real talk. And did you know that with all the money Bob Johnson has - there are both Black People and White People who don't know who he his.

I was watching BET 25 with an of color acquaintance who is 25 or younger - and this person asked me why they were feting dude and I was like, "you don't know who that is?" and they were like, "no, i don't should i?"

I think that people who pay attention to media and etertainment etc. are a very different class of people in general. The average person would not recognize half of the people that most of us who blog or journal would.

*insert mile-high club joke/fantasy starring Boris and Rick!*

Song? Song?

Wow.

This is funny. Boris and Nicole and baby came to the opening of a recent photo exhibit I was in and Nicole had the crazy lookin', mafia body guard shadow her. That dude wasn't playin. The crowd was mixed and most of the people knew both Boris and Nicole, (expecially Boris) but taking from this story I guess she brings her bodyguard to certain places where she anticipates being recognized.