How'd Wanda and Sheneneh Miss The List?

Wassup, Y'all!

A little story over at ABC News caught my eye the other day when I was checking out something completely unrelated (that's why ol Ty can never get anything done...). It presumably highlights the Top 20 'Whitest' and 'Blackest' Names and I already found some *big* holes in the southside list. To start with - how's ABC even going to front and put together a 'Blackest' names list without including those southside staples Wanda (In Living Color) and Sheneneh Jenkins (Martin)!?...

First let me hop up on my soapbox right quick. ABC News! How are you gonna leave out all my westside and eastside homeys? Y'all need to take a quick trip to Cali to figure out that it's no longer a black and white country (actually it's never been a black and white country but I digress...). Case in point - Exhibit A - Selma Hayek. Funny su nombre didn't make the list. Get a clue ABC.

And what about the eastsiders? Y'all just caught that 'Oh Snap' glossy of Aishwayra Rai a few posts back but what about up-and-coming eastside shortys like Kim Yoon-Jin from 'Lost'? Hey ABC News - you guys ever talk to ABC Entertainment? KY-J is on one of the hottest shows you guys offer! I did say 'get a clue', right?

Anyway, Molly and Jake weigh in as the top northside girl and boy names while over on the southside, Imani and DeShawn take top honors. That southside list still seems suspect to me as hood rat names like Moesha, Punkin, Laquisha and Unique are nowhere to be found. For that matter, what happened to those preppy northside names like Paisley, Brittany, Agatha Anne?

I joke but the implications of a 'black' sounding names are anything but funny. The list of names actually came from a study that determined that job candidates with resumes which contained black sounding names where less likely to get a callback vs. their counterparts with white sounding names. Hmmm...that would be a situation I would consider *JACKED UP*. First it was 'driving while black', now you can't even 'job search while black'. But something tells me that those same black sounding names end up on all kinds of direct mailing lists that advertise currency exchange promotions and liquor store sales, though. That's whack and jacked.

So what's in a name? Sounds like plenty to me when it comes to the ease of hooking up a gig that will let you stack a little paper. So now here's the answer to the big question - 'Ty, is your name on the list, homey?' Y'all know better than to ask that - you know I had to represent despite the financial impact to my future endz (the reasons for my current basement living arrangement should be crystal clear now so stop sweatin' me about it).

Sometimes you just have to keep it real, y'all. That's also why I'll have a 'Donate a Dollar To Tyrone' link up shortly...

Peace@Least,

Tyrone