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THE BLERD BINDER: A letter to the haters of HBO’s “Watchmen”

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Exciting, Insightful, and Incredibly Strange. These are the words I choose to describe HBO’s “Watchmen” series. HBO made the right decision in picking this material to adapt. Comicbook- and graphic novel-based material has shifted from campy and bright one-off stories to prestigious complicated narratives that take hard looks into our society. This is in part due to writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbon’s original “Watchmen” graphic novel.

Published

5 years ago

December 24, 2019

Oakland Post

Episode Three introduces use to an older version of one of the original comic book characters, Laurie Blake a/k/a Silk Spectre. Laurie has become an FBI agent on the Anti-Vigilante task force.

How is “Watchmen” so far?

By Noah Washington

The Blerd Binder covers nerdy news for the Black nerds of the world. We welcome all as we talk about subjects ranging from Movies to Music and Tech to Toys.

Exciting, insightful, and incredibly strange. Those are the words I choose to describe HBO’s “Watchmen” series. HBO made the right decision in picking this material to adapt. Comic book- and graphic novel-based material has shifted from campy and bright one-off stories to prestigious complicated narratives that take hard looks into our society. This is in part due to writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbon’s original “Watchmen” graphic novel.

This version of “Watchmen” has been adapted into a TV show set years after the original events of the graphic novel.

When the HBO series first aired, I wrote a commentary on it and what I thought.

Now, we are a little more than halfway through the series. We now know more about Watchmen’s created world and have heard more reactions to the series so far. I will go through the highlights of the episodes as well as my thoughts on them.

(NOTE: If you haven’t seen Watchmen, there are spoilers ahead for what has happened in the series so far through episode 5. You have been warned).

I am going to begin by addressing the hate that the show has gotten.

Generally, reviews of HBO’s “Watchmen” have been great, but certain fans of the original series have review bombed the show by leaving a one-star rating on the show’s Rotten Tomatoes website. This is in part due to the heavy racially motivated nature of the show. With this said, I’ll remind you, the reader, that the original comic was set during the cold war and looks at superheroes as “fascist dictators.”

The original “Watchmen” series was also a reflection of the then current nature of society. The reason that these viewers are upset is that the HBO show has decided to focus at least a part of the series on a marginalized group: African Americans.

I was talking with a White, colleague and he told why he believes some viewers don’t like the current adaptation of the material. “White people are tired of being reminded of all the shitty things that they have done,” he said.

I have a few feelings on this quote. I can empathize, because I wouldn’t want to be reminded of every bad thing that my ancestors have done. However, I amazed at how people can be so oblivious to the [racist] actions that are still occurring in today’s society.

So, please be open-minded to where creator, Damon Lindelof is taking the series. After all, he created “Lost” and “The Leftovers” so the series is in safe hands with him.

I have one thing to say to the haters of the show that coincides with the feelings marginalized people have whenever anything is created by us and marketed to the masses: “If You Don’t Like My Story, Then Write Your Own.” (Also the title of episode 4 in the series.)

Moving on to the actual look back on the episodes so far, we begin with Ep. 2, “Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship.” The episode title is a reference the 19th-century painting by George Catlin which is seen near the end of the episode. This can be seen as an allusion to the fact that there is an unsuspecting “war” happening in Tulsa.

The episode begins during WWI with the German army dropping propaganda for the “colored” soldiers, suggesting that they should question why they are fighting for the American military when they are blatantly treated so horribly. They suggest that if they were in Germany, they would be treated with the same respect as everybody else.

Episode Three introduces use to an older version of one of the original comic book characters, Laurie Blake a/k/a Silk Spectre. Laurie has become an FBI agent on the Anti-Vigilante task force.

The opening scene is her taking down a Batman-like vigilante by staging a robbery. This could be seen as a, “What if Batman existed in the world of Watchmen?”

The lore of the show grows in this episode as it is revealed that Nite Owl is in prison and that Laurie kept her time as a vigilante low key to her FBI colleagues and her relationship with Dr. Manhattan a secret.

This also shows how emotionally compromised Laurie has become as she picks a rookie FBI agent to accompany her just because she wants to sleep with him. A very unheroic decision.

We now go back to episode four, “If You Don’t Like My Story, Then Write Your Own.” We are introduced to Lady Trieu, a trillionaire geneticist who is building a giant clock.

She buys a farm from a married couple with a baby that she genetically engineered. It is such a tension-filled scene that you could scrape it off the walls. An object then proceeds to land at the farm.

This scene is then connected to Adrian Veidt, played sadistically and brilliantly by Jeremy Irons. Veidt is also using clones on the uninhabited island that he seems to be trapped on (more on that later).

The episode also contains a mysterious masked man called “Lube Man” as he slathers himself in an oily liquid and then proceeds to slide down a rain vent.

Episode Five, “Little Fear of Lightning” begins with Wade, a young zealot. It’s 1985 and Wade is trying to convince people to repent as the world is going to end at midnight. This is the same night as the original attack on New York by the giant squid in the comic book.

This traumatizes Wade into his adult life as he now counsils people who were affected by that night. This shows a side of superhero movies that has more recently been explored in superhero mediums like “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Captain America: Civil War,” How do the actions of Superheroes affect the lives of everyday people they’ve pledged to protect?

As the episode plays out, we get a sense of the larger conspiracy as it is revealed that Senator Joe Keen is a member of the white supremacist group The 7th Calvary.

Senator Keen shows Wade a video revealing that Adrian Veidt was the one responsible for the attack on New York and proceeds to reveal his plan (which the audience doesn’t get to see). This prompts Wade to assist Keen by setting up Angela to be arrested. Is this a way for us to see an older Nite Owl?

There is so much more that happens in the series that I am not going to get into, here. If you have access to HBO, I strongly implore each of you to watch the series for yourself. The series’ history lessons alone will make the viewing worth it, in addition to the fact that it will be a very entertaining hour of your life spent.

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn, Pressley, Scanlon, Colleagues Urge Biden to Use Clemency Power to Address Mass Incarceration Before Leaving Office

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America. Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country.

Published

6 days ago

November 21, 2024

Oakland Post

Read the letter here.

Watch the press conference here.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) led 60 of their colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to use his executive clemency power in the final months of his presidency to reunite families, address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration.

The lawmakers hosted a press conference earlier today to discuss the letter. A full video of their press conference is available here and photos are available here.

“Now is the time to use your clemency authority to rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “The grant of pardons and commutations and the restoration of rights will undoubtedly send a powerful message across the country in support of fundamental fairness and furthering meaningful criminal justice reform.”

Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America. Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country. The extreme use of incarceration has resulted in one in two adults having had an incarcerated family member. People of color are disproportionately put behind bars, along with individuals from low-income communities, LGBTQIA+ folks, and those with disabilities. The bloated prison system reflects and emboldens biases that undermine the ideals of our nation and diminish trust in the rule of law. Mass incarceration attacks the most vulnerable Americans, thereby destabilizing families and inflicting intergenerational trauma.

In their letter to President Biden, the lawmakers praised the President’s efforts to create a fair and just criminal legal system by pardoning people convicted of simple marijuana possession and LGBTQ+ former servicemembers and urged the President to use his clemency powers to help broad classes of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers. The lawmakers also outlined the fiscal toll of the growing mass incarceration crisis.

“You have the support of millions of people across the country who have felt the harms of mass incarceration: young children longing to hug their grandparents, people who have taken responsibility for their mistakes, and those who simply were never given a fair chance,” the lawmakers wrote. “These are the people seeking help that only you can provide through the use of your presidential clemency power.”

Joining Representatives Clyburn, Pressley, and Scanlon in sending the letter are Representatives Joyce Beatty, Sanford Bishop, Shontel Brown, Cori Bush, André Carson, Troy Carter, Yvette Clarke, Jasmine Crockett, Valerie Foushee, Al Green, Jahana Hayes, Steven Horsford, Jonathan Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, Henry Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Robin Kelly, Summer Lee, Jennifer McClellan, Gregory Meeks, Delia Ramirez, Jan Schakowsky, Robert Scott, Terri Sewell, Marilyn Strickland, Bennie Thompson, Rashida Tlaib, and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

The lawmakers’ letter is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union; Center for Popular Democracy; Last Prisoner Project; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Death Penalty Action; The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls; The Faith Leaders of Color Coalition; Second Chance Justice of MCAN; JustLeadershipUSA; FAMM; The Episcopal Church; The Bambi Fund; Free Billie Allen Campaign; People’s Coalition for Safety and Freedom; Prophetic Resistance Boston; and Families Against Mandatory Minimums.

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Tennessee State University Set to Debut the First Division I Hockey Team at An HBCU

THE AFRO — “I am incredibly excited to embark on building this program, supported by God, my family, TSU students, alumni, and all those eagerly awaiting this moment,” said Duanté Abercrombie, the head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey team, in a press release courtesy of TSU Athletics. “I firmly believe that one day, TSU will be recognized not only as a powerhouse on the ice but also as a program whose student-athletes leave a profound legacy on the world, enriched by the lessons learned at TSU.”

Published

6 days ago

November 21, 2024

admin

By Mekhi Abbott
Special to the AFRO
mabbott@afro.com

Tennessee State University (TSU) continues to break ground on a historic journey to become the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to field a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey team. Alongside some assistance from the National Hockey League (NHL), the NHL Players’ Association and the Nashville Predators, the TSU Tigers have already named their official head coach, unveiled their jersey and received their first official commitment from a student-athlete.

TSU held an official press conference to announce the plan in June 2023. Their first official season as a sanctioned Division I program is planned to commence in 2025-26. On April 18, TSU named Duanté Abercrombie as the head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey team.

“I am incredibly excited to embark on building this program, supported by God, my family, TSU students, alumni, and all those eagerly awaiting this moment,” said Abercrombie in a press release courtesy of TSU Athletics. “I firmly believe that one day, TSU will be recognized not only as a powerhouse on the ice but also as a program whose student-athletes leave a profound legacy on the world, enriched by the lessons learned at TSU.”

Abercrombie was raised in Washington, D.C., and was mentored by hockey legend Neal Henderson, the first Black man to be inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. Abercrombie attended Gonzaga College High School and graduated from Hampton University, where he was a track and field athlete prior to retiring due to an injury. After college, Abercrombie briefly played professional hockey in both the New Zealand Ice Hockey League as well as the Federal Hockey League.

After his career as a professional hockey player, Abercrombie moved onto coaching, including stints with his alma mater Gonzaga and Georgetown Preparatory School. In 2022-23, Abercrombie was a member of the coaching staff for NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs organization.

“We are no longer doing club play in 2024-25. We are going right into D1 play for 2025-26,” Nick Guerriero told the AFRO. Guerriero is the assistant athletic director of communications and creative content at Tennessee State.

On Jan. 19, TSU got their first official commitment from an ice hockey recruit, Xavier Abel. Abel played at Drury University and scored 12 goals in 34 games, including three game-winning goals. Abel was recruited by Guerriero.

In July, the Tigers got their second commitment from forward Trey Fechko. In October, Trey’s brother Marcus Fechko also committed to Tennessee State. Since, the Tigers have also signed forward Greye Rampton, goaltender Johnny Hicks, Grady Hoffman and four-star forward Bowden Singleton. Singleton flipped his commitment from North Dakota to Tennessee State. Guerriero said that TSU has a “few” other recruits that they are waiting to announce during their November signing period.

“I think it’s important to invest in these unorthodox sports for Black athletes because it allows Black children to have more opportunities to play sports in general,” said Zion Williams, a 2024 Gettysburg College graduate and former collegiate athlete. “The more opportunities that children have, the better. They won’t feel like they are boxed into one thing or sport.”

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HBCU Champions Advance to Postseason Play

WASHINGTON INFORMER — From HBCU football teams, to the University of the District of Columbia’s soccer program, and Howard University’s volleyball players, athletes are still working to capture titles and garner bragging rights in their various conferences.

Published

6 days ago

November 21, 2024

admin

By Ed Hill | The Washington Informer

As the semester quickly winds down, several teams at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are hoping to find success in the postseason.

From HBCU football teams, to the University of the District of Columbia’s soccer program, and Howard University’s volleyball players, athletes are still working to capture titles and garner bragging rights in their various conferences.

South Carolina State proved all the prognosticators wrong by winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season title after being picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll.

As a result of their success, defeating the Morgan State Bears 54-7 on Nov. 16, the South Carolina Bulldogs now qualify for the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Dec. 14 in Atlanta, kicking off at noon and streaming on ABC.

However, another game between Jackson State and Southern University must happen a week before the big matchup in Atlanta, before the Bulldogs (8-2, 4-0 MEAC) know who they’ll be going against.

The Bulldogs, who have one game remaining on the schedule against Delaware State on Saturday, Nov. 23, will square off against the winner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) title game between Jackson State and Southern University on Dec. 7.

The Southern Jaguars (7-4, 6-1 SWAC) won the West Division, while the Jackson State Tigers (9-2, 7-0 SWAC) captured the East Division and the two will now meet up on Jackson, Mississippi at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, kicking off at 1 p.m. and streaming on ESPN2.

In the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championship game, it was Virginia Union University that defeated rival Virginia State 21-17 for the title in Salem, Virginia, on Nov. 16.

Virginia Union University celebrates after defeating Virginia State University, and winning the regular season CIAA title in Salem, Virginia, on Nov. 16. (Courtesy photo)

It was the Virginia Union University Panthers’ second straight CIAA title, avenging a 35-28 loss to the Virginia State University Trojans on Nov. 9. The Panthers (8-3 overall, 6-1 in the CIAA) got an effort of 178 yards rushing on 32 carries and a touchdown from Jodo Byers.

Virginia Union will open the playoffs with a road game at Wingate in Wingate, North Carolina on Nov. 23, with kickoff at 1 p.m.

In the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAC) championship, it was Miles College (9-2) overwhelming Clark Atlanta (7-3), 53-25 in the title game. The Miles College Golden Bears piled up over 430 yards of total offense, giving them a NCAA Division 2 bid as they host Carson-Newman on Nov. 23 at 11 a.m.

Miles boasts one of the top defenses in the country in Division 2, having forced 33 turnovers.

University of the District of Columbia Soccer Team Defeats Molloy

In men’s soccer, the University of the District of Columbia defeated Molloy University in the East Coast Conference (ECC) championships final on Nov. 17.

The University of the District of Columbia men’s soccer team celebrates after winning the East Coast Conference championship game on Nov. 17 (Courtesy photo)

Mustafa Tahir scored the game-winning goal in the 100th minute. It was Tahir’s third game winner of the season.

The Firebirds (8-7-4, 3-4-1 in the ECC) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division 2 tournament against the No. 7 seed Post University. on Friday, Nov. 22. UDC enters the game on a four-game win streak.

Howard University Volleyball Dominating in the MEAC

Howard University is one of the hottest women’s college volleyball teams.

Howard University’s volleyball team has been on fire at 21-5 overall and undefeated in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. (Courtesy photo)

The Bison (21-5 overall, 14-0 MEAC) went undefeated in league play and are on a current 15-game game win streak headed into Friday’s tournament in Dover, Delaware.

The final is scheduled for Sunday at 8:30 pm on ESPNU.

Howard is the top seed, and they will be looking to capture their sixth tournament title and NCAA bid in the past nine years.

The Bison boast one of the top players in the country in junior outside hitter Rya McKinnon, who is headed for an unprecedented third straight Player of the Year honor.