As the convergence of pop culture, social media, and real life happens, so will the opinions be shared, especially about people in the public eye. Claudia Jordan recently decided to weigh in on the debate sparked by former NFL linebacker Channing Crowder on if Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson is “square.”
Jordan took the time to explain the history of Black male nobility and chivalry versus the “ratchet” posturing prevalent today.
“Russell Wilson to me is a throwback to how Black men used to carry themselves before we got ratchet,” Jordan said on her podcast “Cocktails With Queens.” “Before we started praising the lowest of the low. Before we started like, thinking it was cool to be dumb and ignorant and purposefully misspeaking, misspelling, sounding ignorant and dumb.”
Debunking The “Square”
Jordan was adding her perspective to the prevalent take that Russell Wilson’s image is too pristine, a trait that former Miami Dolphins linebacker-turned-co-host of “The Pivot Podcast” Channing Crowder called “square.”
In an April episode of his podcast the former Dolphins linebacker said:
“If Russell didn’t have that bread Ciara wouldn’t be with him. Ciara, she has a good situation. You don’t leave Future and get with Russell Wilson. It’s a type. Everybody has a type… and I love him on the field but he’s f**king square.”
Crowder added later that he thought Wilson was a “goofball,” and he could not understand why R&B chanteuse Ciara would leave famous rap artist Future for Wilson.
Wilson’s Positivity
Even Kevin Hart made fun of the Russell Wilson positivity brand in a recent episode of his “Cold As Balls” show with former Wilson teammate, DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks.
Hart pressed Metcalf looking to find the chinks in Wilson’s good-guy persona. However, Metcalf’s only story about the two having an argument once resulted in more confirmation of Wilson’s undying happy outlook.
Although Jordan’s statement is too far-reaching across Black manhood, as not all men subscribe to the Church of Future, she does have a point about perspective. Too often, the month’s flavor culturally dictates the tone and tenor. For African-American men, the rap tag has been ubiquitously placed. However, with so many subsets of the music genre, Future might be today’s leader, but he certainly isn’t the only one.
Follow The Leader
Often, athletes that are peaking follow the leader of the new school in music in music and entertainment, and Future is one at the top of the list. Jordan walks a thin line between classism and general professionalism, which loses the impact of what she is trying to say.
Women like her seek men of purpose and good character, not caricatures. It is easy to forget that whether the words bellowed or the actions taken by Future are actual or not, they feed into an entertainment product. The world is at an all-time high of life imitating art, even when the art suggests it is a narrator of life.
The Honorable Route
However, Jordan’s counterpoint to Channing Crowder’s is that men should be expected to be more than just cool. Wilson’s positivity in the face of media scrutiny, bravery as a Black man, and taking the position of a family man on one of the most public platforms is honorable at the highest level.
Claudia Jordan wants men to do better, which is a noble request on a moral level. Just ask Russell Wilson if he intended to be the symbol of whatever that means first, because it appears he is merely himself.
