I'm losing track of how many times I've said, "You can't make this stuff up," but here's one more to add to the list.
Fox News published an article earlier this week with the headline "Watch: Ilhan Omar delivers heated, profanity-laced attack on President Trump."
The problem? The only profanity in the entire "attack" was the president's own freaking words, quoted from his own freaking mouth and tweets.
Someone must have pointed out the obvious, because Fox News has quietly updated the headline, which now reads "Watch: Ilhan Omar uses president's words to deliver heated, profanity-laced attack on Trump." But it's not like adding "uses president's words" in that spot clarifies that the only profanit were president's own words.
(BTW, you can still find the previous headline cached in a Google search—see screenshots below—or on Way Back Time Machine. See how everything lives on the Internet, kids?)
Want to know what an actual profanity-laced attack on the president would look like? This: "President Trump is an a**shole who knows precisely jack sh*t about government and wouldn't know human decency if it hit him in the f**king face." If someone said something like that, a news outlet could justifiably call it a "profanity-laced attack."
But nothing even close to that happened. In a response to Trump's attacks against her and her colleagues, Omar didn't use a single swear word that was not a direct quote from the president. Here's the "profanity-laden" part of what she said:
"This is a president who has said 'grab women by the p——. This is a president who has called black athletes 'sons of b----es.' This is a president who has called people who come from black and brown countries 'sh--holes.' This is a president who has equated neo-Nazis with those who protest against them in Charlottesville."
All the president's actual words. Receipts here, here, and here.
Now, we all know that most media outlets have some bias, and some have more than others. It's no big secret that Fox News is in the business of making progressive lawmakers look bad. But this is more than a bit of bias—it's a blatantly dishonest headline and designed to mislead an ignorant audience.
The unfortunate truth is that most people don't read past the headlines of articles. (I guarantee there will be people commenting on this very post on Facebook without reading it first. Happens every time.) So when a headline is that misleading, it's a problem. I wouldn't even call it "clickbait," as most Fox News followers won't click to read the whole story—they will simply read the headline, imagine Omar spewing her own profanities at the president, and feel righteously justified in calling her evil. Even though that didn't happen.
There's no excuse for this. Someone quoting a person's own expletives is not a "profanity-laced attack" on them. Not in any universe—even the one in which people believe Fox News is "fair and balanced."
Honestly, I'm not sure how The Onion even stays in business anymore. The truth has truly become stranger than fiction.
Do you remember what you did with your first real-job paycheck? I mean that check that was the answer to all your prayers. You could finally afford rent, groceries, and happy hour. Maybe you were able to put a down payment on your dream car. Maybe you bought your first house or bought that Fendi bag you'd been eyeing since childhood. (Was that just me?)
Spending that first major paycheck is both a moment of celebration and a way to acknowledge your hard work. It's a dream realized. It can also be the biggest mistake of your life. (And that's okay. Life is about making those and moving on to bigger and better from the lessons).
When I got my first nice-sized paycheck that was over $1,500 after taxes, I spent it on an overseas trip. I'd never been allowed to travel abroad in my teens and in my 20s, I spent the bulk of my paychecks on my half of the rent (Roommate life, anyone?) and coping mechanisms for burnout. (Think lots of Hennessy, four-day-a-week club nights, 7-nights-a-week eating out, a few emergency room visits, a couple of run-ins with toxic boyfriends, and impulsive shopping at Century 21, Forever 21, and H&M.)
Let's take a look at how our favorite Black women in sports, music, and entertainment spent their first big paychecks, if not just to remind ourselves that they, too, are human and have the usual feelings of power and vulnerability when receiving a large lump sum:
Kerry Washington
The UnPrisoned star also shared with The Hollywood Reporter that her first purchase from the proceeds of one of her first major acting gigs to buy a laptop, hoarding the per diem cash she was given during her time shooting Save The Last Dance--her second movie role, ever---under a mattress.
Issa Rae
Actress, producer and entrepreneur Issa Rae told Buzzfeed Celeb that she bought a Tesla with her first big paycheck after getting a major role. She also told US Weekly that after buying it, she got into an accident a month later and was without a car for a whole year.
Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland reportedly did what many of us do when we finally get our hands on a nice sum of money: splurge, especially on things that we didn't have easy access to in childhood. She told Instyle that she bought groceries that her mom used to tell her were "too expensive" and had a party where everyone enjoyed the food and had fun. (Same, sis. Same.) She further talked about the lessons she learned from buying a 5-bedroom house after becoming a millionaire at 20.
Enjoying the fruits of her Destiny's Child labor, she recalled that the home was "too big" and that she was "too young" to buy such a home. She'd later make informed choices about how she spent her money and used credit cards.
Serena Williams
Both Serena Williams sisters have always acknowledged the valuable money lessons they learned early on from their father. When Serena got her first check, she reportedly took it straight to the bank, rolling up to the drive-through (as if it wasn't $1 million!) She also said in an interview that she wouldn't just go pick up her check and the tour directors at the time had to eventually come and give it to her. Talk about discipline!
Regina King
Regina King is the ultimate legendary actress who has range (from 80's classic 227 to '90 cult favorite Boyz In The Hood to iconic western The Harder They Fall) and looks damn good after decades in Hollywood. She told The Hollywood Reporter that when she got her first big paycheck, she invested in something many of us promise ourselves when we've gotten to a certain salary or status: a car.
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Featured image by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
The Great Report
2020 Global Report Sheet
