Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Nicki Minaj's Cousin's Friend Can't Blame Bloated Balls on Covid Vaccine According to Fauci

Photo Credit @nickiminaj
Since the beginning of the global Covid-19 pandemic, misinformation has plagued efforts to keep the disease in check, especially when it comes to the vaccines that experts across the world have lauded as our best chance to control infection rates, reduce mortality and get the different strains in check.

Myths have spread across the internet like wildfire about them and in some cases have been perpetrated by its biggest personalities — including celebrities,  pundits, politicians and other influencers with large followings.

Former presidential candidate Kanye West called a coronavirus vaccine “the mark of the beast” in an interview with Forbes and said those pushing it “want to put chips inside of us, they want to do all kinds of things, to make it where we can’t cross the gates of heaven.” 

Freshman Rep. Madison Cawthorn, (R-N.C.) implied the vaccine effort was a way to build the infrastructure to confiscate people's guns and Bibles.

But recently rapper Nicki Minaj, whose previous attempt to "break the internet" fell somewhat shy of the mark, tweeted something so egregious about the covid vaccines currently in production, that it forced the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, to come out and personally debunk it Tuesday in an interview on CNN:

Internet experts and other bystanders quickly piled on to the statement by the "Chun Li" rapper who had been explaining to fans why she didn't plan to attend Monday's star-studded Met Gala previously in the thread.

They want you to get vaccinated for the Met. if I get vaccinated it won’t for the Met. It’ll be once I feel I’ve done enough research. I’m working on that now. In the meantime my loves, be safe. Wear the mask with 2 strings that grips your head & face. Not that loose one,” she tweeted, before recommending that people get vaccinated and saying she would eventually do the same because she has to go on tour.

Several commenters claimed that her cousin's friend had most likely injured himself and or contracted a venereal disease. 

MSNBC's Joy Reid  was more direct, scolding the star for putting out spurious theories to her fan base.

You have a platform, sister, that is 22 million followers, OK? I have 2 million followers. You have 22 million followers on Twitter," Reid told Minaj. "For you to use your platform to encourage our community to not protect themselves and save their lives, my God sister, you can do better than that! You got that platform -- it's a blessing that you got that! The people listen to you -- and they listen to you more than they listen to me!"

"For you to use your platform to put people in the position of dying from a disease they don't have to die from, oh my God, sister. As a fan, as a hip-hop fan, as somebody who is your fan, I'm so sad that you did that, so sad that you did that, sister. Oh, my God," Reid added.  

So, what did Dr. Fauci have to say about the veracity of Minaj's claims? Replying to CNN's Jake Tapper who asked him “Is there any evidence that the Pfizer, the Moderna, or the J&J vaccines cause any reproductive issues in men or women?” The doctor said, “There’s no evidence that it happens, nor is there any mechanistic reason to imagine that it would happen. So the answer to your question is no.”

So, it appears for now at least that everyone who had concerns raised by Minaj's story can relax, well perhaps except for her cousin's friend and his now very famous balls. 

No comments:
Labels: , ,

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Jordan Brand Pledges $1 Million Dollars to UNC's Ida B. Wells Society to Support Diversity in Newsrooms

Michael Jordan Photo Courtesy Nike

NBA legend Michael Jordan may have a degree in geography, but in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 murder by Minneapolis Police and the ensuing chaos and societal strife generated by it the basketball player turned billionaire businessman believes that it is organizations dedicated to ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education that will determine the direction of the future.

So, instead of increasing its map budget or funding a professorship, the University of North Carolina alumnus, who returned to get his degree following his hall-of-fame career, announced that he and his eponymous Jordan Brand will donate $1 million to UNC's Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting to help diversify newsrooms. 

In a press release shared by the school this past Thursday, it says the grant originally announced in May, will boost the program's efforts to increase diversity in the field of investigative journalism with outreach efforts aimed at aspiring young journalists of color: 

With the help of the Black Community Commitment grant, the Society intends to expand its existing internship program for college students and recent college graduates, partnering budding talent with major news organizations like The New York Times, the Miami Herald, ProPublica, the Associated Press and the USA Today Network around the United States.

The Society also plans to launch an All-Star Investigative Summer J-Camp, starting in July of 2022, that will bring students from majority-Black and Latino and historically disadvantaged schools together for an immersive, multidisciplinary training program in partnership with an historically Black college. 

Diversifying Investigative Reporting - Ida B. Wells Society + Jordan Brand from Here At UNC on Vimeo.

The school is just the latest recipient of a windfall from Jordan Brand, since the star who famously avoided controversy throughout his career made a pledge to make a commitment to the black community part of his company's DNA.

It was an action taken in direct reflection on the George Floyd case as well as the Black Lives Matter movement. 

I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry,” said an unusually outspoken Jordan in a statement following Floyd's death. “I see and feel everyone’s pain, outrage and frustration. I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country. We have had enough.

“I don’t have the answers, but our collective voices show strength and the inability to be divided by others. We must listen to each other, show compassion and empathy and never turn our backs on senseless brutality. We need to continue peaceful expressions against injustice and demand accountability. Our unified voice needs to put pressure on our leaders to change our laws, or else we need to use our vote to create systemic change. Every one of us needs to be a part of the solution, and we must work together to ensure justice for all.

“My heart goes out to the family of George Floyd and to the countless others whose lives have been brutally and senselessly taken through acts of racism and injustice.

No comments:
Labels: ,

Monday, September 13, 2021

Historic VMA Win Makes Blue Ivy Carter the Youngest to Ever Take Home the Award

Blue Ivy Carter Photo Credit @beyonce
With a father that hustled his way from the murderous streets of the Marcy Projects to musical fame and later rare black billionaire status as a businessman and a mother who is arguably the worlds reining pop music diva — Blue Ivy Carter came into the world with a lot of expectations foisted on her. 

So, far the oldest of Jay Z and Beyoncé’s brood, has proved them inadequate. 

Sunday at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, the nine-year-old became the VMA’s youngest winner ever, adding the Moonperson to an already impressive collection that includes a Grammy and a BET Award. 

Carter got the award for her credited work on her mother’s song “Brown Skin Girl,” which appeared on The Lion King: The Gift album and won for Best Cinematography at the VMA’s. While it is nowhere near her mother’s record 30 MTV wins, it’s impressive nonetheless considering the previous record holder was then 17-year-old Billie Eilish.

The win also continued a series of remarkable wins for both Carter and the team that began when she became the youngest BET Award winner thanks to the song at eight and earlier this year when she became the second-youngest Grammy winner when “Brown Skin Girl” was named best music video.

No comments:
Labels: , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Slider[Style1]

Trending