Lisa Durden

For weeks and weeks and weeks, ABC had been teasing the 20/20 exclusive interview of Bruce Jenner with Diane Sawyer. The build up was juicy!! And for those who know me know, I’m addicted to television so I MUST tune in!! Specials like this are must see TV, so I literally schedule them in my calendar because I don’t want to make a mistake and miss it. I was ret ta go!! I was set ta go!! And bam!! Murphy’s law hit!! I had to work that night!! Yes, Friday, April 24, 2015, the same night as the premiere of the 20/20 exclusive interview of Bruce Jenner with Diane Sawyer. DISASTER!! When I found that out I screamed Nooooooowah!! I was so distraught, earlier that day, I wrote a plea on Facebook that went something like this, “OMG!! I'm gonna miss the #BruceJennerABC Exclusive #DianeSawyer interview tonight at 9pm on #ABC. DISASTER!! I won't be home in time to see it; I'll be moderating a film panel. Heeeeeelp!! What to do!!?? What to do!!?? What to do!!??? Can you Millennials tell me where else I can see this??? Hulu?? Netflix?? Where!!?? Where!!?? Wheeeeeere!!?? Y'all know I'm addicted to television and I MUST see this #BruceJenner interview TONIGHT or I'll die!!! Ok, I'm being dramatic. LOL. No, I won't die but I need my fix!! I'm jonsing!!” LOL. A lot of people responded with suggestions but it turns out that none of them were able to advise me on how to watch the interview on Friday. So I was forced to watch it on Hulu the next day. I wasn’t happy about it because I love to tweet during the show as I watch, but oh well, I had to get over myself. LOL.

The interview was two hours of pure perfection!! Diane Sawyer asked the tough questions and Bruce Jenner answered them succinctly with a smooth, smile!! I really enjoyed their exchange. It was very comfortable and familiar. There was no pretense or pomp and circumstance. Bruce had a glow about him! Bruce appeared very self-assured! I really got the feeling that he was happy to finally be free!! I’m buggin that a lot of people are asking, why now?? I say, about time!! People need to understand something, Bruce Jenner is 65 years old and men in his time COULD NOT have entertained the thought of publically transitioning to a woman because our culture wasn't ready yet!!" Hell, we’re not ready now!! Yes, there were a couple of mavericks who did it. But to get sexual reassignment surgery back then was not only barbaric, it would have also been professional suicide for Bruce; especially because he was ‘The World’s Greatest Athlete!!’ His face was on the cover of Wheaties boxes!! Let's face it, people expected him to be a “man!!” Whatever the hell that means!! Sexual reassignment surgery?? NOPE!! IT WASN’T HAPPENING!! 

I more than understand why Bruce Jenner lived a double life as a man when his soul, heart and mind was a woman. I totally get it!! What made me sad was that he struggled with this since he was a little boy. Over the years he’s been sneaking on women’s clothing to feel normal!! To feel happy!! Even if for a brief moment. He even stopped and started hormone therapy intermittently over the years but abandoned the process because he felt very conflicted and guilty as he looked into his young children’s eyes. He just didn’t want to take them though that kind of pain. That’s admirable! Now his kids are grown and Bruce is ‘doing him!!’ YAAASSS!! And I’m loving it!!

Most of his 10 children are supportive of his transition. Four of his biological kids spoke to Diane Sawyer and they all were relieved to FINALLY know why their dad had been acting strangely over the years. One of his sons shared a recollection from his childhood where he was so afraid of his dad turning into a woman that he began crying about it. Although his two biological daughters, Kendall and Kylie, didn’t make an appearance, they did send a statement professing their love and support for their dad. He said that #KimKardashian even gave him style tips. LOL. WOW, having that kind of unconditional love is essential and rare!! AWESOME!! However, Bruce did share that Khloe is having the hardest time with it. That’s understandable as well. It’s great that Bruce isn’t tripping about it. She will come around organically and when that time comes, he said he will be ready to have that conversation with her.

There was no stone unturned in this interview. Bruce even explained how sexual orientation and gender identity are not the same things. I get that but I must admit, I still wanted to know, once she completes her sexual reassignment surgery, who she will date; a woman or a man?? It's was a bit disappointing that Bruce didn’t share what her name will be once her process is complete. So for now I will continue to call her Bruce. But the next time we see her, she will emerge as a woman; wearing her cute, little black dress!! Her last words were, “I’m saying goodbye to peoples perceptions of me. This is not me!!” To that I say, Good For You Bruce Jenner!! Good for You!! 

As many of you may or may not know, I’m the host of my self-titled talk show called The Lisa Durden Show where I discuss pop culture, politics and social issues. And watching the Bruce Jenner interview reminded me of an episode I did called, “Who’s Killing The LGBTQ Community.” Where I invited a panel of young people on to talk about their struggles with gender identity and the dangers they face living in a heterosexual world. It was eye opening!! So I’ve provided the link to the entire one-hour show for y’all to watch because it’s very apropos.

Welp, “You have entered MY WORLD!! Where I tell it MY WAY!!”

 Image/s via eonline.com, zap2it.com and radaronline.com

They need to do random drug testing for teachers if they want to prevent DISASTERS like what happened in Orange, NJ!! Cause in my opinion, the teacher at Forrest Street Elementary School in Orange, NJ, Marilyn Zuniga, must be SMOKED OUT, for having her third grade class write get-well letters to Mumia Abu-Jamal, who is in prison for life in Philadelphia for allegedly killing officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981. Who the hell does that?? Who would think to have little 8 year olds write prisoners because they’re sick in the hospital?? I’ll tell you who, NOBODY!! Nobody in their right mind is that stupid!!  IT'S A NO NO TO DO THAT WITHOUT PARENT'S CONSENT!! This brainless bimbo, even had the brass balls, to tweet about the letters!!?? When I saw that, it made my #BrainBleed!! Is she serious!!?? She really needs to lay on ‘several couches!!??’

Of course parents were OUTRAGED when they found out that their child wrote some man in prison WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT!! I don’t blame them!! I would be too!! If I were a parent and found out that the teacher had my child write Jesus in jail, WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT, I’d still be the first one in line demanding her resignation!! Class assignments based on one’s beliefs is NOT academic!! The fact that it never entered Zuniga’s mind that she was crossing the line, is frightening!! It’s mind blowing!!! It’s quackery!! A five year old would know that that kind of bootleg curriculum is a no no!! Which tells me that her thinking is very flawed! Very warped! Very irrational! Very dumb!! Again, signs of either a mentally unstable individual or a drug addicted person. For now, I’ll take drugs for 500 please!!

I am black!! So yes, I am very aware that there is a segment of my community who believes that Abu-Jamal is innocent. At this moment, my blog post is not about taking a political position or stance on whether he is or isn’t a “cop killer.” For the record, the words “cop killer” sickens me!! Cops lives ARE NOT more valuable or important than civilians lives!! In my view, killing any human being, for no good reason, concerns me!! I’m also aware that there are thousands and thousands and thousands of innocent people in prison. Especially black people!! Trust me, I totally get it!! Maybe Mumia is innocent?? Maybe Mumia is guilty?? I have no idea. I wasn’t there. We can save that discussion for another time and place. But for now, as Oprah says, “what I know for sure” is, there’s no place for politics in the public school system!! Period dot com!! That’s teaching 101!! And for Marilyn Zuniga to be pushing her personal politics on a group of unsuspecting 8 year olds,WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT is just WRONG!! It’s highly INAPPROPRIATE!! IT’S A FORM OF BULLYING!! If she was a professor and these were adult college students, would I be mad as a parent?? Yes!! Would I be concerned as a parent?? Yes!! But if my adult child, made an adult decision, to write a get-well letter to a person in prison, I would certainly respect their decision, although I wouldn’t like it.

The coup de grass was when Marilyn Zuniga gave the get-well letters to Johanna Fernandez, a colleague of hers, who’s a professor at Baruch College in New York, for her to deliver them to Abu-Jamal. Both of these mindless ‘mothercluckers’ must be smoked out!! These crackheads must get high together!! Do they not REALIZE that there are far reaching ramifications, that these children WILL face over the course of their lives, for writing and signing their names to those letters to Mumia; that only time will tell?? SMH!! Marilyn Zuniga, You Need To Learn; NOT Teach!!

 Welp, “You have entered MY WORLD!! Where I tell it MY WAY!!”

Clearly Aaron Hernandez smokes weed!! Because NOBODY in their right mind would blow a friend’s brains out because you don't like the fact that they are speaking to your enemies. Who the hell does that?? Does this stupid 'motherclucker' know you aren't the boss of grown people!!?? Who raised this miscreant; a pack of wolves!!?? Anywhoo, this monster has been found guilty of 1st degree murder of his frenemy Odin Lloyd and rightfully so!! To make matters worse, this narcissistic, nut job is gonna appeal!!?? Ok, whyyyyyah?? This bonehead needs to lay on several couches!! OMG, IS IT ONLY ME??

When I posted my thoughts on Facebook, my bleeding heart friend, Keith Gupton, tried to convince me that #AaronHernandez didn’t know any better because he had a dope fiend for a mother and a disappearing act father as parents. Well, I guessed the man wasn’t raised!! Trust me, I totally get that the family and environment you’re brought up in, has a lot to do with how your life turns out as an adult. Some people break the cycle of sickness!! Some people don’t!! However, the violins are NOT playing!! Don’t cry for him Argentina!! Lets be real clear, a lot of people had no father in the home and were raised by a crack addicted mother who turned tricks to make ends meet, but they don’t go around blowing peoples brains out for no good reason!!

Keith even tried to throw in the ole, “he has mental illness defense.” Really Keith, Really?? Ok, for those of you who may agree with that, I’ll run with it for argument sake. Read this statistic and weep!! Every year, about 42.5 million American adults suffer from some form of mental illness but most of them don’t go around murdering people for no good reason. NOPE!! So let’s get back to my original thought, Aaron Hernandez MUST be on drugs!! I’m sorry, only a person who’s mind has been altered by illicit drugs would do something that irrational!! I bet if he were given a drug test they would find the culprit!! #Weed, #Coke, #CrystalMeth, #Heroin, #Crack; either way it’s all wack!!

Then my boy Keith tried to say that being from the hood and running with gangs when he was a kid, could also be why Hernandez’s behavior is out of control!! I hate when people throw in that, “they had a bad childhood” defense as a means for us to some how empathize with the perpetrator, rather than the victim. THAT REALLY MAKES MY #BRAINBLEED!! First of all, I AM an around the way girl!! Yes, I’m from the hood too!! I’m from the hood of Newark, NJ!!! And I still live in the hood of Newark, NJ. I know exactly what it is!! So folks can save that, “I’m from the hood” sob story for those middle class folks who care to listen!! Because I’m not!! Of course, I am aware that there are better opportunities if you grow up in the suburbs. Yes, I am aware that there are better school systems in the suburbs. Yes, I am also aware that there are more kids from the suburbs who go to college and get hooked up. Ok, aaaand!! Again, most people from the hood don’t go around shooting their “homies” in the head!! We really don’t. I don’t own a gun!! I’ve never owned a gun!! I don’t wanna ever own a gun!! I’ve never seen a gun! I’ve never shot a gun!! And I don’t ever plan on shooting a gun!! PERIOD!! Oh, here’s a news flash, I’m from the hood and so are most of my friends and they don’t do guns either. Yeah, really!! So I have absolutely no patience for stupid ‘mothercluckers’ like Aaron, who GOT OUT of the hood, became the $40 million dollar man and don’t have the good sense to stop his ignant a_s from hood behavior!!

'Cluck' gangs!! They're not family!! They ain't nothin but a gaggle of punk a_s fools, who prey on other punk a_s fools like themselves, to forge a sick, twisted, dysfunctional, bond, in order to turn around and terrorize the neighborhood!! The bottom line is, they really ain't “ish” individually. Sorry, I’m not impressed!! They can all take a long walk off a short bridge!! Of course I don't expect little wayward boys to know that. Because they don’t have the self esteem to see through the hype. Aaron Hernandez however is a grown a_s man!! With a grown a_s career!! As a grown a_s professional football player!! On a grown a_s NFL team!! What the hell was he doing running around with his “homies” like he is still some little street kid with no direction and no purpose!!?? And the fact that this inane drone is still “about that life!!” That hood life!! Tells me he ain’t ready yet!! As my father always says, “experience is NOT the best teaching, LEARNING is the best teaching!!”

NO, Aaron Hernandez didn’t’ kill his frenemy Odin Lloyd because he had a troubled childhood!! NO Aaron Hernandez didn’t kill his frenemy #OdinLloyd because his mother was a crackhead prostitute!! NO, Aaron Hernandez didn’t kill his frenemy Odin Lloyd because he had an absentee father!! Because if that were the case, a whoooooole lot of at risk youth from the hood would grow up to be murders and that’s just not the case!! Aside from a possible drug problem, the only other reason I can think of is, Aaron Hernandez killed his frenemy Odin Lloyd because he had an “S” on his chest and thought he was invincible!! His star status as a professional athlete was his religion!! Or maybe he thought he was above the law!! Who really knows?? But as Oprah says, “what I know for sure” is, now he’s exactly where he belongs, his new hood, Cell Block H!!! LOL. Here is the first line from my jailhouse letter to him, “Aaron Hernandez, You Are A $40 Million Dollar Fool!!

Welp, “You have entered MY WORLD!! Where I tell it MY WAY!!”

Image/s via Abc7chicago.com, Usmagazine.com, cnn.com

Did y’all watch that Barbara Walters #ABC2020 interview with child rapist Mary Kay Letourneau, her victim and now husband Vili Fualaau, Friday, April 10, 2015?? Well I did and IT MADE MY BRAIN BLEED!! For starters, I was pissed from the teaser, because ‪#‎LaraSpencer is referring to what #MaryKayLetourneau did as, "having had an affair with #ViliFualaau?? And falling in love with him?? This kind of soft journalism, makes my 'motherclucking' #BrainHemorrhage!!  NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!! YOU CAN'T HAVE AN AFFAIR WITH AN UNDERAGED CHILD!! NOR CAN YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH AN UNDER AGED CHILD!! IT'S RAAAAAPE!!  Not a relationship!!

First of all, if #MaryKayLetourneau were a man, THAT BABS INTERVIEW WOULD HAVE BEEN TOUGH, TIGHT AND FILLED WITH WORDS LIKE RAPE, CHLD MOLESTER AND PEDEPHILE!! Nobody would have let a man "live" before, during or after his prison sentence. He would be treated like a monster!!

Second of all, this marriage would not, could not, have happened!! Our society would have fried him and buried him alive!! Or, he would have still been chilling on Cell Block H, in his orange jump suit!! Am I right!!??

It you missed it, watch my VLOG!! I tell you what I really thought as I was watching this train wreck!! Oh, please subscribe to my YouTube Channel and also share if you care!!

Welp, “You have entered MY WORLD!! Where I tell it MY WAY!!”

Image/s via Heidi Gutman/ABC & Alan Berner/AP Photo