Dont you know that you cannot go around bemoaning any outlandish behavior on the part of the young black male. You should know better than to disagree with black males having to: Stay in school, pull up their pants, dress like a man, act like a man, respect their elders or anything else positive. If you do so you will be called an idiot by people who do not want any standards for the black male and who will attack anyone who has expectation for them.

Those same people will move out the hood and cross the street when they see a young black male coming their way because those males are dangerous animals with no guidance. Perhaps you didnt know better so I am going to let you slide this time but next time you better not write anything about black youths insinuating that they act or dress with any level of civility.

Firstly, you do not seem to understand that gender roles and predominant gender associations are socially constructed and changing over time. There is no such thing as an “intrinsically masculine” or “intrinsically feminine” fashion, hair style, or worldview. Did you know that it was common for boys to wear skirts in the early 20th century? Most people don’t, because most people do not bother to do the homework.

Secondly, you contradicted your own thesis in the middle of the article. At first, you bemoan the conformity of young men who try to “fit in” by adopting a socially prescribed image, yet later on you blast those who adopt a “nerdy” image because it “isn’t fly” (in other words, not the norm)?

And thirdly, your Tyler Perry analogy is ill-conceived because if you did your research you’d know Mr. Perry writes and directs his own movies. Nobody “gave out” the Madea role to him — he crafted it with his own pen!