Dellums to Hollywood:
Leave Glorification of Thug Culture to Us

Mayor Ron Dellums and several councilmembers have expressed their dislike of a pimp-glorifying HBO series that would be set in Oakland.

Hollywood producers Albert and Allen Hughes want to sell HBO television a series to be called "Gentlemen of Leisure." They dangled short-term jobs, hotel room rentals, and a few other goodies as bait as they seek a permit to film on the streets of Oakland.

Through his chief of staff Mayor Dellums said, "This project goes against our vision of Oakland as a 'model city' and does a disservice to residents and visitors alike." (Oakland Tribune, Dec. 21, 2008)

Councilmember Pat Kernighan wrote in an email, "Despite assurances that there would be economic benefit to Oakland, I have concluded it's not worth the damage, not only to Oakland's reputation, but to women in general." The office of councilmember Jean Quan reported her opposition, too.

Certainly, these stands are welcome are far as they go. Censorship is not an issue, since the producers have freedom of speech and no one proposes to take it from them – but they have no right to City cooperation. Produce what you want in a Hollywood studio, but don't expect Oakland to lay out its streets for you.

The producers' tax revenue argument is laughable. Drug dealers pay sales tax on the bling they buy. Should we encourage the drug business for that reason?

We must admit that Hollywood is sometimes an easy target for a bashing, deserved as it is in this case. The real question is, if the mayor and councilmembers are unhappy with thug culture, why do they give it official support and encouragment on so many other occasions?

• City officials had no problem with a drug rapper printing a card that paired announcement of his new CD with the official announcement of last August's National Night Out events.

• Dellums had no problem including an event featuring Mistah F.A.B. in the mayor's inauguration celebration. The rapper had issued his Son of A Pimp album on the drug-named Thizz Entertainment label.

• Councilmember Jean Quan has no problem fiercely defending the thug culture antics sponsored by the Youth UpRising agency, which welcomes pimp rapper Too Short as a "career counselor" to the agency's youth. Youth UpRising hired out youth members for E-40's hyphy CD glorifying sideshows, "Tell Me When To Go (Stupid)" and provided more youth for a magazine's photo shoot celebrating sideshow antics. The city council has showered Youth UpRising with millions of dollars of Measure Y money without one word of criticism of these activities.

Pimp rapper is a "career counselor" at Youth UpRising

It's no surprise, given Youth UpRising's conciliation with thug culture, that the agency hired a 22-year-old "turf dance" instructor, Daryell Barker, who was subsequently charged with sodomizing an 11-year-old girl. Barker was also charged with illegal possession of a sawed-off shotgun used to assault the girl. (Oakland Tribune, March 13, 2008)

On one hand Dellums, Quan and other city officials condemn a Hollywood project. On the other hand, the same officials give grants and jobs to gutter rappers and other assorted practitioners of thug culture. It's easy to condemn something when mere posturing is involved. But the same officials practice daily conciliation with thug culture when it cements ties with social program operators. Naturally, the poverty pimps help the officials' political career in return.

It's not only a cultural dispute. So long as City officials cozy up to thug culture, they surrender public safety on our streets before they even get started.