politics from the eyes of an ebony momI had to do a double take this morning when I saw the name Antoine Dodson and a link to a tory in the Daily Caller. Dodson gained fame via the Internet when he recounted how a burgalar tried to break into his home. His rant was released via autotune and the rest was history, but why would the conservative website be quoting him a year after he came on the national scene. Read the linked story and share your thoughts.
I have got to give a shout out to Antoine Dodson. Dodson came to the nation’s attention when he boldly spoke out against a man who attempted to rape his sister. Dodson did not buy into the “stop snitching” mentality. He told what he saw and he did it with a sassy attitude. What has impressed me about Dodson is he has controlled his brand. Yes Dodson is a brand and he is making money off his name and his antics. When his rant was turned into a rap he got 50% of the profit. He is now selling a Antoine Dodson Halloween costume for 29.99 and he is also the spokesperson for a company selling a sex offender locater app for smartphones. So often i have heard people say there are geniuses in the hood but they rarely get the opportunity to showcase their acumen. Dodson has been given that opportunity and he is making the most of it.
These days you can not get away from Antoine Dodson. He is the latest youtube sensation. He rescued his sister from an intruder and his animated interview was so lyrical that it was set to music. Yesterday Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker devoted her column to him, “Taking a viral road to Fame.” Parker said “Nobody’s laughing about what happened, least of all dodson and his sister. But both admit laughing all the way to the bank about what has transpired since. With the help of the Gregory Brothers and that undeniable something that causes a moment to become a movement, dodson has taken a lemon and made lemonade franchise.” When I first saw the video I really wondered why would the station give this guy so much air time, but a friend of mine pointed out what he did took bravery. In this “Stop Snitching” culture most people are afraid and retreat when they are victimized, but not Dodson. The sad thing is the attempted break-in turned into a breakthrough for Dodson and his family, and that is a good thing, but there are thousands of Dodsons walking around and unfortunatley for them their sob stories are not nearly as lyrical.
Antoine Dodson was a hero. His sister was about to be attacked by a rapist and he ran the guy off. So it was logical that he would be interviewed by a the local news, but Dodson turned out to be that guy. The guy that makes you cringe as you watch his eyewitness report turn into pure entertainment. The local affliate heard complaints from some of their viewers. The viewers asked why would the station air the footage. The station stands by their decision to air the footage and Dodson has become the darling of the Internet. Tee shirts are being sold with his image, ringtones have been produced and there is even a rap version of his antics on youtube. So the question is should his performance have been left on the editing floor?
