The Iron Table
The Iron Table
Unmasking Media Influence: A Discussion on Society and Entertainment
Who decides how our culture should be? And why is it that wealth has become more important than cultural identity in our society? This is the kind of introspective discussion we, your hosts Bryant, Keith, Danny, and Steve, will have in today's episode. Exploring our personal experiences - we'll share how these encounters have reshaped our perspectives, leading us to question the societal shift in values and its impact on us all.
Imagine living in a world where the media didn't dictate societal norms or create cultural expectations. Sounds surreal, right? We often underestimate the media's power in shaping our perceptions, and that's what we will be dissecting today, inspired by Malcolm X's powerful quote about media manipulation. The objectification of women in the entertainment industry, the pressure to maintain appearances, the ignored talent of artists who don't fit the commercial mold - these are some of the issues we'll be addressing. On a deeper note, we'll analyze the representation of the African-American community in the media, pondering why it allows itself to be misrepresented. Our historical exclusion and the desperate need for money and attention, perhaps?
As we move towards the latter part of the discussion, we'll highlight the importance of what we consume, especially in music. Have you ever considered how the devilish influence of music and entertainment subtly shapes our thoughts and actions? It's time we did. And as we wrap up, remember the virtues of truth and accountability are always free and within reach. All it takes is a conscious decision to embrace them. So, sit back, tune in, and remember, sharing it with others is the best way to support our podcast.
Welcome to The Iron Table.
Welcome to the iron table, where iron sharpens iron, so should men sharpen men. I am your host, Bryant Gadi, and I'm joined by my brothers Keith, Danny and Steve. We are your waiters, your short-order cooks, serving of pride in a unique way.
Bryant:Today we are serving our main dish accountability with a side of truth. Sometimes we might laugh, sometimes we might get deep, but always we will use respect for self and each other. This isn't that discussion designed to make you forget about your troubles. It's desired to help you remember who you once were and will be leaders. So come, pull up a chair, sit for a while, for truth and accountability is always on the menu. We bring you to our program already in progress. Welcome to the iron table, where iron sharpens iron, so should men sharpen men. It's a new day. A new day calls for some change. No longer can I be selfish and believe that I am the only person at the iron table. I've got my brothers here. They bring a unique perspective, but one thing that we all care about is accountability and truth. So I'll let my brothers introduce themselves and then we'll just get right into it, in no particular order.
Steve:Danny Keith Steve.
Bryant:All right, all right, it's no particular order. No, as always do some housekeeping. Of course we own nothing except for the clothes on our backs, but we're willing to share the best that we have, those songs that we use that we don't own. We appreciate the artist for using it only to honor their talents and their gifts. So now the housekeeping's out. It's been about two and a half weeks since we all got together. Real quick, just a recap on what's been going on. I went to my first marriage seminar and it was great.
Danny:I learned some things.
Bryant:I learned that getting married that I asked for and then I asked for all of it, and that being a priest of the home doesn't mean that you lead out in worship, because anyone can do that, but biblical times the priest would have to offer sacrifice and they would have to say that they're sorry to God, apologize to God on behalf of the village, even if they did not do anything. And as husbands sometimes we have to play that role Someone was smiling. Sometimes we have to play that role, even if we didn't do anything. We might have to say it's our role that God gave us to kind of lead out, to be the house band, to keep everything together. So sometimes I would say that I'm tired, but God never puts upon us more than we can bear. So that's kind of the big ticket thing that's happened since the last time I saw you guys. Who's next?
Steve:Okay, I'll jump in and say that I have, in the last week, been focused on entrepreneurship through something called make more offers challenge Guy by the name of Dr Myron Golden Absolutely mind blowing. Anybody has heard of Myron Golden. You know that he's otherworldly in the space of biblical knowledge and wisdom that translates into business, entrepreneurial pursuits. That's been the highlight since I've been at the iron table.
Bryant:Okay.
Danny:Our resident male therapist.
Bryant:I mean, if you ain't got no say that means you don't see anybody.
Danny:Well, I will say it has been a very trying last couple of weeks.
Danny:There definitely some ebb and flows when it comes to a lot of my couples that I've been seeing a lot of a lot of hurt going around to, but there's a lot of also a lot of birth when it comes to relationships and marriages as well.
Danny:So definitely a lot of dynamics going on with that too. A lot of things that I'm seeing a lot of a lot of consistencies that I'm seeing in a lot of marriages, especially a lot of marriages that are kind of going on the downward spiral. I'm coming away with it like at a certain point in time when you've reached that apex. Sometimes it's a little bit too late to bounce back from certain things too as well, and that's not to say that you never spend the block, as they said again, but sometimes you have to kind of let go and then regroup and however long that takes to do it whether it be weeks or years then do it. But sometimes we fight so much with trying to keep it and keep it that we do more damage. So just some things I've been kind of thinking about over these last couple of weeks, especially with my couples.
Keith:Cool what's up, and we are definitely in the season of I'm glad there are opportunities for people to go in and get it Even just a marriage workshop or seminar. We are definitely in the season where I think people are recognizing how much help they really truly need but having the resources or knowing where to go. That's why I'm going to, even with the work Danny's doing, I know it's beneficial, it helps. I don't think they always know. Again, you didn't go knowing what you're going to get out of it, and that's the hard part, because sometimes we want to know what we're going to get out of something before we get there. We want to know what we're going to eat, but sometimes it's not until you get there that you realize, man, this is. You know, I learned something new today, like you said.
Bryant:Cool, cool. Well, we're just going to jump right into it. This is the last time we talked of being receiving a lot of text messages from one of you guys I won't say which one. It wasn't me. We'll see it could have been you.
Danny:You stand up, so I'm just going to put the question out.
Bryant:So I'm just going to put the question at the bottom. So it says when did our culture lose its identity and care more about making money than image? You know again, when did our culture just lose its identity and cared more, and cared more about making money than the image? And I think about it. Not only was it the text messages in some of the videos that I care not to see again, but I think about music, because music was one of the big things in our culture. You had Motown. You know, if we're all from the Detroit area and has lived there for a while, motown was big Barry Gordy, he and his team.
Bryant:They produced a certain sound from Philly. You got that Philly sound, but it was music that was about love, togetherness, I mean just uplifting the community. When they talked about love, you know he was a baby. I was wrong and I'm trying to be right. I'm doing this. There was a group that I was listening to and I sent you all a picture, low key, you know and they talked about baby, just stay. And you know I was thinking. I wish it reminded me of the songs I'm sitting there just doing like this, you know, just just snapping and moving. You know saying girl, don't go, please stay. You know, stay awhile. But now, not only does music sound the same, but it's. I mean what? What is it to the window, to the walls, now, I know that's not new, but so the sweat, sweat drips off my. I mean, wow, you know, it's nothing, that's nothing.
Bryant:Imagination. That's nothing. And see, that's the thing is that that's all. That's the worst. I'll listen to. I'll let you talk about if it's worse than that. But when? When did our co? Why? Why is it our culture, the one that is willing to self-degrade? Just you know? When do we stop caring about pride, about, um, that we were important once kings and queens, you know, across the, across the sea, um, that we were leaders, influential uh individuals in education and and technology and and uh science, and I mean even in music and media, to now, where we're just the and we're the laughing stock of all culture and as we're trying to tell our young people man, don't do that, nah, I want to be on TikTok, I want to do this and that, and it just it. Say it, it is depressing. So when did it? When did it start?
Steve:I'm going to jump in and be and say that, um, for, for me, I know, like um many who also have pointed out, that the ones who are financing this industry they don't usually have melanated skin. Um, yes, the influencers, the rap stars, they, you know, they, they get their fair share. But when you look at those who are the, the, the big moguls, um, they, who are making the most money pushing this kind of music um upon our, um, you know, into our ears, they are absolutely positively, I think, doing it with a level of intentionality. You don't see any other race having music as hmm, raunchy as our music and, um, I don't know, I going back to.
Steve:I think it's a conspiracy a, C, O and Spirits.
Danny:Oh snap, I can go get my. I can go get my 10 for a hat.
Keith:Now Put it on, okay, cool Listen this always been a what I'll call it a and a b side of society, of culture. That's not new, but never has it been celebrated and as profitable as it is today. It's always been around. What was it around?
Bryant:in the seventies. Oh, it was a seventies act or personality, where it was raunchy.
Keith:If you go back and look at some of those words, they were there, it was there, it was just a blemando. Rick James Was Rick James in the seventies, oh my.
Danny:God. He's in the seventies. Was he raunchy?
Keith:No, yes, oh, he was. That just tells me how much you don't know. He did have any eyes.
Danny:He had a song saying what was the song he? What did he say? She was only, was it. She was only, was it 17?.
Steve:Oh, only 17. Like six to like she likes it.
Keith:Yeah, that was the chorus that was the chorus. Yeah, he was talking singing about how it is this young girl. So it's always been around. It's always been around. This is nothing new, but we we've reached the time in our, in our culture, where it is celebrated to have the worst parts of what I'll call the chitlins of our culture.
Keith:The throwaway pieces have become, have become the main course. We we've reached a place where we actually celebrate and and and, almost worse than almost we worship things that are not healthy. We're eating garbage, and to our kids it's great, but we know better, and our parents before us well, when we chose different things, they knew better. There's a different way, or there's, we get in the scraps and so, but again, why is it like this? Oh yeah, and so, like you said, in this conspiracy, they know we worship not just our pastors and preachers and other leaders, but we also worship our entertainers, and so those who control the entertainers or plant the entertainers control the people.
Keith:So I can go on all day about this, but we look at certain, but then we, like I said before, we look at certain female artists and I can't name you one besides her that I could say, yeah, I can go listen to her catalog, or my daughters can listen to that catalog, and I could walk out the room and feel safe that you know no song is going to come on. That's not going to be something I would not want her to listen to, or even myself, for that matter. But but it's, it's finances, the people, the people who are financing this, are making a lot of money.
Steve:Malcolm X said, the media is the most powerful entity in the world, has the power to make the guilty look innocent, innocent look guilty, controlling the minds of the masses. And if you, if you look at the concept of meeting, you look at the people who are at the top and what it is that we know that they're doing, I think that, yes, there's more to it, but you can't deny that the power structure that exists knows exactly what, that there's always a level of intentionality. Nothing is accidental, and I just think that it goes without saying that we're being, you know, george W Bush, fool me once. Shame on you.
Keith:You said fool me once. Shame on you. Fool me again, Just don't fool me.
Steve:Yeah, we've been duped. We've definitely been duped, because now you get more views, the more raunchy you are.
Keith:You won't get any play if you clean Like, if you don't have some nastiness, some old craziness, nobody's really got it and you got it and show skin, because you can't just have raunchy lyrics, you have to show look, look at that All he brings a certain type of individual to.
Bryant:You know if, for the young ladies that are doing it, it only brings a certain type of man, and that's the man that it might look shiny in the beginning, but in the long run it's going to leave you by yourself. So if you know what the end will be, why even start? Well, who told? Them that you are only worth what your outer appearance is or what's how dirty all of society from birth.
Keith:That's all they're told. Women have it so much harder when it comes to their physical appearance than men ever will because we typically I'm gonna be honest, we don't typically care. Women dress for other women. Yes, women dress, you know, some women dress to get the attention of men, but women dress oftentimes to appease or to not be talked about or to be pleasing. We typically don't care. We will rock the same suit and with a different type or different like. We don't have the burden of being too fat or ugly, even as old, even as male and female actors, age actors versus actresses, you know, you get to Sean Connery's out of the old actors. They, they, they still get roles as a, as a female lead is hard because there's not many. That mean, you know, everybody's not a. What's the lady? My male stream everybody's not a real or assistant Tyson.
Keith:Everybody's not going to get that Angela Bassett Right. Everybody's not. And and she looks, she still looks young. If Angela let herself you know as she you know I don't know if she's had work, but let's say she allowed herself to look older she wouldn't get the call back. She may or may not get the callbacks that she does. She gets beat because of how our society looks at women and how hard it is for them. So it is not only the the need for them to continue to have a status of beauty, but they have to look young. And then they have to show it. They have you can't, you can't just have it. You got to show it now, like we want to see it, and you got to deliver, and that's how you get your likes.
Bryant:But that's not telling, that is just well.
Steve:I want to get even, even to the big screen. Remember when Denzel and Holly Berry one there there are cats, and for it. And what they won for them on me me me while Denzel Washington put on one of the greatest performances of all time. In my contacts of all time, that thing right there. But now we, if you, if you play this little, I'm not going to get censored, but to me you can't ignore. Say bad cop, you can't ignore it, like even what Holly was doing on screen. It's just like really, really.
Steve:And then when they have me for being like, come on man, you see, oh, in Spiracy, that's just saying to be to be to be honest with you.
Danny:when I never saw was it Monsters ball? I never saw it at all. I know she wanted for, but I never saw it and everybody was going to talk about it. It was years, years ago till I finally saw it. Then, when I finally saw those things and I knew that's what she wanted for, I looked at her so different that I could never see anything else that she acted in again. It made me lose respect for her to be understanding that. You read this, you read this script and you said this is going to be okay, this is okay for me.
Keith:You said what you said what you said, what my knee to when she wanted for precious right for playing a terrible mom, an abusive, terrible I mean haven't there?
Bryant:but no, because even the first Oscar win that was a lady who played a maid right. Supporting actress.
Keith:Yeah, and that's when for us, with it, could one of four playing the butler, denzel play? Denzel played a bad cop, but you got like you said, you got all these. He has a catalog of all these awesome roles, even glory. Well, yeah, I mean like awesome roles that he has been in and this is where they choose to honor his work. So I say the same thing about the day as a relation to our culture. I see the same thing about the music industry. We have all. Have you flipped? If you look under the rocks and under the dirt, there's some great artists out there. I had to go digging but there's. But you would never know that these artists exist because they don't get tonight, they don't get the marketing, they don't get the, they don't get the discussions. They're they're not put it, they're not putting a lot like like these, these raunchy people, and the reason why is because they know ranch sales is going to make them.
Danny:But but here's the thing who is it that we are trying to appease? That's the real question. Are we trying to appease our, our community? Are we trying to appease those who don't look like our community?
Steve:I think that's a chicken or egg discussion, Honestly, because I think that the media has created a culture and environment where certain things are valued now, and so now those things that are valued become what? Especially the those who aren't as educated. But it gives them something to strive towards. I can get famous if I can do this. I can make a bunch of money if I go out there and do that. Oh, I can do that. I can take off my clothes and show my little, you know. I think that it goes without saying that that's one of those. What came first a chicken or the egg? Are we chasing something? Go ahead.
Danny:But, but I? But I ask that because we are the only culture that we're okay with this. There's no other culture that would be okay with some of the things that we have done in the limelight at all. You know, whether it be award shows, whether it be just regular music or whatever it is, there's no other culture in the world that that is old at their culture is just okay with this. So, even though it sells, we are the only ones that we're okay with it.
Danny:There's certain things that we have done in award shows that let's just say, if somebody Jewish did it, it wouldn't have been a community. The first thing you probably think, there you go, they wouldn't have done it. But if they had done it, the Jewish community would have put them not only in check but they would have had to prep. All that stuff is because they there's like a checks and balances and other communities that we don't seem to really have, you know, because again we are trying to appease somebody and it's not us, you know it's. It's. It's again, and I'll I'll be the one to admit that I'm the one that has been sending all the text messages, scratching my head, all this stuff, because over the last couple of days I have just been seeing so much on TV that it's like now it's like I hope people aren't getting really comfortable with these particular ideas.
Danny:Let's just take, for instance because it's not just music, it's a lot of things in our culture that we're okay with either being subpar or the second hand we're the rap, we're always going to be the robin to the bat. We're never kind of like the, the at the leadership with certain particular things. Let's take some like very simple, for instance. Let's let's take comics, right, brian, you kind of know comic comics kind of much like Marvel and DC and all that stuff, right? Oh yeah or no.
Bryant:Yeah, no, I know.
Danny:Who is? Who is the smartest person in the Marvel universe?
Bryant:Could that be? You mean good or bad?
Danny:It doesn't matter anybody.
Bryant:Her mother is a banner. Let's say banner. I'll start with banner. No, no, no, no. Is it the black Vulcan you know from the 80s? No, Okay.
Danny:It's a girl called. She's on the list, she's on the top 10. Actually, there's three black women in the top 10. Right so, Shuri Riri. But then there's a girl called Luan. I can't think of her name, Luan, but I've not heard full name but it's a series called Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and this little black, exactly, Exactly.
Keith:Is that on the sea?
Danny:No no.
Steve:That's on the dark way.
Danny:So when y'all got my, when y'all got my text message, the last text message, I was watching the cartoon earlier today. But so she's the smartest one in the Marvel Universe, right, sometimes people go between her and Richard Rives right from the Fantastic Four, but she has been because she is, because she's like maybe I think, seven or eight or whatnot, but she is the smartest in the whole entire Marvel Universe Seven or eight years old, exactly. That's why they go, don't quote me on that.
Danny:She's not. She's not older than 18. Let's just say that, right, she's still in either elementary or middle school, right, the smartest one, right? So in all of these particular. So I was watching the cartoon and whatnot and I knew a little bit about her because I read the comic books and whatnot. But in this new cartoon that came out, there is something in there that was showing that, hey, you know what? She was going into her friend's house and it was the big to do about this particular episode. But one of her friends has parents that are two fathers, right, the two gay fathers or whatnot, right? And I start to look at this as like this is a show on Disney XD, right. And I'm like, why do kids need to know that First of all in comic books? Why do we need to know this period? Whether it be homosexuals or heterosexuals, I don't care. And I went to go look further into this and I looked at the cartoon. It says this is one of the first cartoons that is supposed to be very community friendly, right?
Steve:So they're pushing not saying genders, but what do you mean by community friendly? What do you mean by community friendly?
Danny:The L. I wanna make sure I get the letters right. So the LGBTQ and all the rest of them is supposed to be that friendly, so where they're putting in a lot of stuff in there to just say, hey, this is what it is, X, Y, Z, right. So I'm thinking to myself, what other shows or cultures would they have been okay with? I'm not saying this right or wrong, but why is it that us? Why our stuff gotta be what it is, that we use to push certain things out there. That's not fair. Again, let me give you something else too. How many times have you seen HIV commercials? I see a lot of them.
Steve:Who they show A lot of prep. I know you can hear me who they show.
Danny:Who they show.
Bryant:It's usually a black person. And they're doing those commercials like if you don't wanna be detected, take this so that they're like are you no longer having to tell somebody that you're HIV positive because you're undetectable now?
Danny:Exactly, but who do they show and who do they not show? Who do they not show?
Bryant:No, they show a black and brown community and they don't show them.
Keith:No, they don't show other communities, but you have to keep in mind why do they do that? We are again. Look at history we are the most influential group on this planet. Melanated people are the most influential group on this planet, especially those of us who are blessed to be here and have the liberties that we have in the country that we live in. So the influence that we have on other cultures, what I've seen this happen several times and I'm sure you guys have too, when you hear the hardest rap music you've ever heard in your life, pulling up at a red light and you look over and it's not one of us.
Steve:Oh yeah, they got the music playing now.
Bryant:Right, they know the songs better than I do. I'm just trying to say but if we're so influential, why are we still allowing this stuff happen? Well, that's not Because we're the binding.
Danny:I understand the finances.
Bryant:The finances, have the money to start it, but if we say no and we keep withhold our funds and not pay for that, then no finance. Or would finance that foolishness?
Danny:So why are?
Bryant:we still paying to make ourselves look stupider.
Danny:Because we are the only ones that will do it. So everything that I was telling you guys about, put another culture in that scenario. They would not allow that. They would not say hey, you're not going to misrepresent me for something, I'm not going to be the scapegoat for all of this. Either you be fair in it or don't include me at all. That's not fair. We are the only culture that will just say OK, we see it and we're just OK, it is what it is, we're fine with that.
Keith:I think part of it is that up until the last few couple of decades we've been excluded from everything for so long. We are just so happy to be at the table that we tolerate anything.
Danny:And I said are we really at the table?
Keith:We're not. Are we really at the table? We're not, because we're told if we do these things, if you take your clothes off, we're going to put you at the table. If you've seen these raunchy lyrics, we're going to put you at the table and all you're doing is debilitating yourself and your culture, your community, if that's what we have. Like I said, I understand that there will always be this side of our community, of the human experience, but where is the balance?
Bryant:None, there is none. I think it's in balance because, if you think of, we're the only culture that is desperate for money.
Steve:Attention. And money. Yeah, because we're so impoverished. I think that that goes without saying. I'd be curious to ask you guys is our affinity to degradation in media because we're underperforming these other areas of life? And this is the one where you know what Can't? Nobody do it like us.
Bryant:Because no one else is doing it, would we?
Steve:be in a position, if we were better educated, if we had more financial, if the wealth gap wasn't what it was in our community, would we be as excited to go and sell our soul to these different?
Bryant:I think if we as a community started square one, ground zero with any other community everyone starts with zero that we would be one of the top five, without question, because we do have bright minds, we do have creativity, we're the mecca of a lot of things, but somewhere, because we're having to play catch up, we've lost the original identity that we had before slavery, and I was going to say it's not even just before it's post.
Keith:That's part of it, but I think there's more to it, because, again, I'm big on identity and knowing where you stand, like figuring that part out.
Keith:As a person, as a culture, as a couple, whatever it is, you got to figure out what your identity is, but I think that there's a lot that goes along with that, because I think our not. I think, just as with any particular person, our culture, our identity is influenced by things around us, subcultures within the community and things outside of it. Again, I say this all the time and I continue to beat on it because I just had to have a conversation with someone about this the reason why everyone celebrates sports in our community we tell all of them.
Keith:We tell all of them man, go play sports and the family will show up. They're not ready to keep, they won't show up?
Danny:No, they won't, they're just holding on.
Keith:He won't sneak until he's an adult. I want to play football. I want to play football, and a lot of times it's a lot of. That is because that's the only thing that's ever made him feel seen. That's the only time that this young man has been supported. People came out to celebrate him. But if I say, hey, we got a spelling bee, lil Johnny's going to spell it. Let me know how he did. He's going to be in the science fair. It's like OK good luck, johnny.
Danny:Don't get me, don't get me on sports.
Bryant:I know people who won't even like sports. I'm going to hear his story. Don't talk about it, come on.
Danny:This is something you think so much of that transcends a black or white culture, especially when we're talking about sports, and this something that can be used when we're talking to. I hate to sound like the, the, the Caesar, from you know from, from planning of the apes, and I'm just looking at everybody like y'all okay with this. But again, a lot of times when I go to sporting events I'll just sit and look and I'll and I'll listen and I'll just see, like my girl took me to my first college game and I just and I was in Michigan State Stadium I'm just looking at like the call, I'm whispering to her like look, all this money around us, all this money, all this, all this money and all these fans, which is short for what? The fanatics? What's the definition of a fanatic exactly, you know? So my thing is it there?
Danny:There's so much even deeper rooted when it comes to sports in our in our society, that a lot of people don't really understand of how it kind of goes on, where it began a long time ago, back in, you know, back in the Roman days, where you know, to make sure that people did not rise up and overthrow the government. What they say? What they say, well, give them bread and circuses. Right, guess what? They gave them food and they gave them circuses. Those circuses was pretty much the Roman Coliseum, where people were getting killed. Guess what? What are we doing now? No, people are getting killed or fanatics for things that we are not a part of. So those little victories that we see in sporting events where we say this is my team, oh, we won. No, you did not. You're not a, you're not a part of that, you're not getting any money. But because we are partaking in that, if there's spiritual energy that comes with, hey, this collective feeling that we're having that we actually did something. So, the little things that we do in life, those maybe those victories that we don't think that we're getting, we're getting that energy from looking at these victories of these other people going on the field right, and at that point in time we, we're okay, we're not thinking about any other stuff, we're not thinking about higher, higher thinking or anything like that, because we're so concerned.
Danny:I've heard people I'm sorry you got me started, so I'm gonna say it I've heard people rip off stats of people were long gone, of players, just. Oh, I remember what he was in when he was in high school and college he had these stats. This is how much he waited, this is what the 40 he did. But you can't tell me nothing else about this world that you live in. But you understand about all these stats, about this man that was running on the field with some pig skin running around playing for millions, but you don't know nothing else. So when you get back to the whole conspiracy, and how is it like that energy that we are spilling into just giving you for spirits and being fanatics? You know, and I got nothing against athletes or anything like that, but when we go so far so they're such their heroes no, come on man, they play, they play in for millions, not the heroes are these police officers.
Danny:The heroes are these teachers that have an idea with these, these bad little kids, that in school these heroes are people that are dealing with data problems every single day. But to put on the moniker of an athlete being just such a hero, and they face so much adversity on the field, they're playing a game for millions.
Keith:I'm maybe, and so I'm your hero now yeah go ahead see.
Steve:The whole objective of entertainment is to what people is exactly it's to put them into a state of mindless, just absorbing what's happening out here, and it's always just look at the root words. With this stuff it's coming from this same place where it's almost like this concept of a diversion. So, in order to win the wars, oftentimes you know an enemy or perceived enemy. Well, we'll do something over here to get your attention over there, and then he comes in blindside you over there, and so there we go whole idea of entertainment, the media.
Steve:I think that that's what's really happening. I mean, as people of faith, I can't say that, that there is not a very sinister and intentional aspect of in high places, entertainment's been weaponized it.
Keith:Entertainment's necessary sometimes, yeah, sometimes it's necessary. Sometimes, after dealing with so much, after trying to figure out so much, you need a minute to go be entertained. Nature is entertaining. I watched two squirrels chase each other the other day, detach from life for five minutes while they would chase each other and we screaming your head out okay that was before a short period of time, where now it's become that way of life.
Bryant:It's it's flip-flop. Entertainment has become life, and life has become just what?
Steve:VR game, something that you bring up game that's a whole another big. You don't think that that's a bear?
Bryant:now hold on where we're all about gaming that much.
Steve:I'm just trying to tell you.
Danny:It's all in the same don't get me started, don't get me but you know who said that GTA video, I think only one car was taken out of that video, just one car.
Bryant:Only saw one car in GTA 6. Everything else was jiggles.
Danny:You saw, you demand, man, so they go into another vice. You see, get it. And they had vice in the net, you see, you see. But here's the thing, though. What you just said, what you guys were talking about, goes back to the reasons why they say give them bread and circuses, because they, they said specifically, if we don't give, if we don't take their mind off of, then put it on something else, they will start to slowly understand what we've been doing to them and rise and Revolt and take over.
Keith:They're going to wake up.
Steve:Yeah, pacify diversions and you know Mindless activity.
Keith:Why go to the? Why go to the extent like, again going back to our culture why go to the extent of the diversion? Why can't we just have a bunch of games and a bunch of shows and a bunch of? Why does it have to be the most raunchy?
Danny:Because, slowly we've been getting the Sensitized, you know man, they getting a little bit too creative right now, but here's here's one thing that they don't tell people about, though. When it comes to certain things like that, there are certain people that have to put this stuff together, and there's so many people that are in that industry, and, specifically, there was articles done on Mortal Kombat that were the either game designers or the people that had to do the research for this stuff. So the research came into it, where they had to watch a lot of the patient depictions of People getting killed, things getting killed, the amount of blood that spills out of a body, all the, all the things that go into what happens when you dismember somebody and now their brain is like they have to see psychiatric help because they've been, they.
Keith:They had to see it. The same thing happens with the adult entertainment industry, where they there was a documentary on I think it's on Netflix that talked about how these people who had to work with one of these adult websites, how they had because the adult website kept getting sued For the content on their sites. They had to have people on the sites monitor them For underage, young ladies and for you know, random whatever. So they had to watch this content every day, all day and Again desensitization, health issues, ed or erectile dysfunction, like. But they caused a lot of psychological issues having to see this content Every single day for hours, did it?
Bryant:In a study? Did it also say that for, like those who are watching like watchdogs, that they also kind of fell into the either that vice and Would later like say if they were monitoring child porn? Those individuals who are constantly scouring the web trying to find, were they also themselves?
Keith:I Know people who had to monitor that stuff. Yes, they're affected. Yes, they're back. You don't see images like that and it don't like CPS worker. Same thing. You don't see images like that on a regular basis and it doesn't take a toll on you unless I'm not saying take a toll, just a toll, I'm talking about like you like, started become a perpetrator or disseminate.
Keith:Yes, when I say take a toll, it could be, it could be one way or the other. So there are some people who can be tripped up by or desensitize Again, and especially when it gets to that because of 16 is, in a lot of stages, the age of consent. So again, it's the argument that you know, you see, things with the 16 year old is on the line is technically, you know, but again, child porn. So, yes, you, you hear the argument from people. So, yeah, there are some people get sucked into the wormhole but but, on average, seeing those images every day of people being violated or harm, yes, they, it definitely has an impact.
Danny:But you know what, going back full circle to this as far as with us, and why we do it, and going kind of looking at it, at even a spiritual, spiritual realm of it too, you know that the, the devil, will put stuff in plain sight and laugh at you and show you what you can become In certain particular things. When has Hollywood ever shown Black people at the height of what they could be? Think about that they have, oh, they have, but when have they did? They've done it recently, the last four or five years.
Keith:There we go, there we go.
Danny:Now, what was it? No, what was it about Wakanda that made them so much different from everything else in the universe?
Bryant:Because they didn't need any other country. They were so sufficient. And they and they cut themselves.
Danny:They cut them and their people off from the influence from around the world. Now, when else have? When else have? We almost did that, I'm ready to no, no we almost did that before and it was destroyed. Oh, that was black wall street that was in.
Bryant:Was that Tulsa Oklahoma? It was someone Oklahoma and they they burned it down. We've been shut.
Danny:We've we've been shown glimpse of how Great we can be, and it's like to say, the other races and cultures are not great. But we have been shown glimpses of what we can be, what we can do, and we choose not to do anything of it. And that's where I was just so mad with people just Liking the first Black Panther movie. So much, so much, and I'm like, well, why do you like it? Why do you like it? Well, it's the first time we've seen black people, let's say, but Look a little bit deeper in the message that is showing you, that is telling you, and like, a lot of times, hollywood shows you Some, some things to you know, that can come to be later on, but again, we're looking at what's the first time black people been shown on the screen in this, in this light, what not? But Coming to also think of no, but think about this, though. Thank you about this. When has it been shown that African-American people Are in a certain particular light? Right, we show people that. So what kind let's take, what kind of? They black, they not African-American. They have acts. Right, we got. Let's just take the new Spiderman. What not new spider-man, but the black Spider-man. Right now, morales, he got it. He's. He's African-American and mixed with, he's mixed right. There's nothing that just says, hey, you know what pure African-American family.
Danny:There is one movie and I think, keith, you did see it Black African-American mom, african-american man now um a dad, um African-American kids Living in a black city or whatnot. There was one thing on Netflix and I don't even know if it's even still on there anymore, but it it did just that. It was about a black African-American, black dad superhero, and I don't know if it's still on there or not, and I think what was it called? Super dad or something like that. You remember the keep it. I was asking you had you seen it or not?
Keith:Yeah, it was something like a bounty hunt, no I forgot.
Danny:Yeah, that's right.
Keith:He was. He was like a bounty hunter.
Danny:Right, yeah, never, I've never, never, I've ever really shown in our pureness as African-Americans. If in other things the greatness were shown, and hey, you know what, you were great when you had Direct roots to Africa, when you spoke with the accents, when you did off, that's when you were great. You're not great here like the. You know the. What was zamunda Right and coming to a black and coming to America, guess what you? You a king and you a prince over there. But here we're gonna dictate what it is that you be and you're never going to be able to realize your full potential.
Keith:That's what I was going back to identity, why identity right now plays such a big role. The identity we are giving our young people is insufficient, it's not enough, and it's a lot of part because we don't know, or a lot of culture, and so we're being told again by people who do. We're letting other people decide our identity for us and it's it's impacting us in ways that it's going to hurt us Going forward in a long term, because I agree 100 with you, steve this is bigger. This is bigger than just one, one or two artists that are ranching. This is, this is this is across the entire culture.
Bryant:And I know we can talk about this, it's. We're gonna have to make this a part two because we are too our time. Our time is up Real quick, any parting words?
Steve:Yeah, I would just encourage people to actually listen to the lyrics that you sing like read them, no, seriously, but actually just stop. Do a google search of a song and read the lyrics and I promise you shocked. What some of the things that you're saying to yourself. And then, if you are a person of faith, line that up With what it is that you say you believe and then tell me what place it has. That's all I got.
Keith:Brian, go listen to rick james. No, okay, don't listen. Read.
Bryant:No, I know that, I know the song, you know? No, it's not. I can hear him how I'm saying it too.
Keith:It's a couple, it's a few of them. But yes, if I piggyback on what Danny said, you know we gotta be mindful. I know that sometimes that beat is meant to the devil know what he's doing, that that beat Grab you. So but be be mindful of the, the food you give to your body on a mental, spiritual and physical level.
Danny:Um, words matter okay, and I'll piggyback on on both of having a clear understanding of the, of satans or the or the devil's job. Before he was the devil, or before he was satan, he was in charge of what?
Keith:Music. Entertainment there we go. Entertainment, there we go.
Danny:That. That in of itself would kind of get you to understand like oh okay, I see why certain things are happening the way they are. So we know better, we should do better.
Bryant:All right, all right, I regain my big spoon status.
Bryant:I remember that I regain my big spoon status. Um, but as always, fellas, it's been, it's been real. Um, you know that we all got to check out. So Until another two weeks, uh, this has been the iron table. We're glad you stay with us for this long. The bill oh, we tore that up, for truth and accountability are always free. You want to leave a tip? Sure, we take your money. But what's even better is if you share this with someone you know, for there's always room for more At the iron table.
