I refused to watch the entire half-day long service, because my personal opinion is that no matter who you are or were in this life, it only takes 45 minutes to an hour to lay someone to rest, anyone and everyone. As a woman of God, Aretha knew God was no respecter of persons, not even hers.
A few songs, some scripture, a eulogy, and a lot of filmed (on-film) tributes for the Family to view later on in private was good enough. They could have picked and chosen which tributes they wanted to share with the public on a dedicated ARETHA FUNERAL YOUTUBE CHANNEL, but we also know Ree used to compete with Whitney Houston, so that four-hour funeral of hers back in 2012 had to be challenged this day, LOL.
Besides, “ReeRee” earned it and all of the accolades, but I didn’t have time to watch it. Figured it’s all on film for some time in the future...
I only heard about the Bill Clinton gawking, the white anger about Louis Farrakhan and Bill Clinton sharing the dais, the Ariana Grande ho-show (she should have asked someone about appropriate dress in a Black church when you’re in a pulpit and not performing onstage) and all of the other controversy that tends to be a habit with human beings.
Back in the day, singers and performers were morally conscious and dressed for success, not to highlight some men’s raunchy lusts.
HOWEVER...
But what some folks don’t seem to understand about Aretha Franklin’s BLACKNESS is that she not just a singer and pianist and performer, she was also a Civil Rights Activist who once even offered to bail Angela Davis out of jail back in the day. She wasn’t in denial about the racism, wasn’t afraid to speak out about it, and wasn’t even afraid to speak out about the intra-racial KKK/KinKillinKin that still reigns in Black America to this day.
LOUIS AND BILL ON THE DAIS
Thank God Trump wasn’t invited to THAT funeral, either!
Louis Farrakhan is not the LITMUS TEST for every Black person in America, so it was the decision of her family to invite him there and that is exactly where he belonged — Ree loved him and that’s all there is to say about. We cannot disparage a man for telling the truth, so anything he had to say about Aretha, he has his own platform on which to speak and didn’t need to be the “controversial superstar” of her show.
She had a Pastor who told the truth Farrakhan would have told anyway, and all things considered, I doubt she would have had a problem with a word he said — it was not a time to soothe achy-breaky white tears, it was a time to reflect on the truth about her life.
Neither the Pastor nor the Franklin family owes ANYONE an apology for his take on the celebrating of HER WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE AND NOT JUST THE PIECES THAT MAKE SOME FOLKS FEEL BETTER ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE.
ARIANA’S OUTFIT — JUSTLY DONE
Just as an FYI, Black people don’t put on revealing stage costumes at homegoing services, Ariana … we dress for the occasion and dress appropriately. A clue would have been the classy way in which Aretha always dressed — be like Aretha, child, and put your clothes on.
And for those who watched the service looking for something to talk about and saw what appeared to be Bill Clinton gawking at Ariana, let’s just say this — better Clinton gawking than Trump sitting there trying to grab her P*.
[ Trump has no moral compass whatsoever in the sight of the Lord God, so chances are he’d have felt Ariana up right in front of everyone and dared anyone to say a word about it, even Grande herself. ]
THE GOODEST BESTEST NEWS OF ALL — OBAMARIFIC: STILL
President Barack Obama made the right decision, considering the scheduling conflict due to the deaths of John McCain and Aretha Franklin during the same season … he’s always a politician first in America, and considering ALL THINGS, President Obama is even more of a man than Donald Trump could ever hope to be.
Anyone who Trump is associated with would do well to uninvite him to their funerals, as well.
Thank you, President Obama — we still love you, and always will. You are a whole and COMPLETE man of God/Jehovah and of Allah and of Yahweh Most High, not just a partial one.
We know you loved Aretha, as well, and we know that she would have understood.
REST QUEEN … you would have loved them four outfits they dressed you in, and that sendoff, and somewhere … as a Believer in the same God as you … I think you were watching it all anyway.
-30-