Poor People Need Help?
FOX - home of the any reality show you can imagine from matching wits with children to animals finally getting pissed and mauling a mafucka - has decided to play on these harsh financial times and the generosity of the holiday season with it’s new show Secret Millionaire. Do you know what it’s about? Can you guess? That’s right!
It’s sort of like Joe Millionaire in reverse and with more real (homely) looking women. Daddy Warbucks and trophy wife - or age appropriate wife with a great pre-nup - get a $200-150 budget for week and are set up in some urban shit hole or trailer park depending on whichever they can fit in. The episode I saw had a Latino family in Watts, LA - Brown and Black blend in the ghetto, yet violently clash ironically. The producers follow them with cameras but tell folk it’s a documentary about living in the hood. This also creates an artificial bubble of safety, since there are witnesses and cameras don’t fence at the pawnshop for very high.
Wouldn’t you know it, these rich folk just so happen to meet some neighbors that are making the best of their life without Jacuzzis or a walk-in closet that features a 24-hour hot stone masseuse? Sometimes they just so happen to come upon a community group that gives support to others for free, which is something rich people never do for each other being so tangled in the root of all evil. Implicit in their education is the presumption that these places are NOT actually full of rappers holding cellulite beauty contests, nor mulleted sister-fucking clansman with boundary issues.

Funny thing: the Latino couple I saw were self-made rich - husband was at least, but not reached a mid-life crisis yet so still on bargain wife number 1. They’d come from a similar area to Watts, but dude was like he’s not from here so none of his barrio streetwise applied. Really? Weren’t you near this level 10 years ago?
After a week of seeing how the peasant folk live, a steady malnourishing diet of ramen noodles, dollar menu and raccoon croquettes (variant with choice of shit hole) moves them to tears. The flavor of tarragon is but a mere memory and they’ve got rashes from wiping their own ass wrong without a decent bidet. Their jewel-encrusted hearts grow three sizes too big and they realize: “Wait a sec, Muffy. We have money. Let’s … sh- … sh- … share some with these surprisingly human-like people.”
Here comes the real shocker. On the last day, they visit all of their new best friends and reveal that they’re actually millionaires. Dun-dun-duuuuuh! To make up for the deception they give them or their organizations tens of thousands of dollars if not an even hundred grand. Get ready for it - the poor folk forgive them with a hug and tears!! Icing on the deception cakes: “Take care, Shaniqua. We’ll be back, you guys are real friends.”
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
Can’t you just see Cooter at the next cocktail party? Shirtless with an elbow patched tweed jacket bitching to executives about how Friend of the Court is rougher than the stock markets. More likely, young Tyrone gets to serve Christmas cookies at the holiday party and gets to take the leftovers home.
Look, your Dominus is not without pity or charity in his heart. I’m glad these poor folk are getting some help, especially in these strapped times. I’m glad these rich folk are getting into the Obaman spirit of not being such greedy bastards. Don’t try to tug on my heartstrings like this whole thing was spontaneous. Know why I don’t think we’ll be seeing any secret Black millionaires?
A. They’ve been there and done it and don’t need a hood refresher.
B. They’re busy on the road with their basketball team or on tour promoting they’re new album.
C. If a camera is following a Black man through the hood everyone assumes it’s on Cops and flees.
I must say that I approve of domestic charity over the loot that third worlds gets: having your child bought by an aging celebrity and all that fancy air dropped jasmine rice. Charity begins at home, or more likely that greasy urban sprawl between your suburban manse and the downtown office.












