Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Move Over Tea Party. Here Comes the Malt Liquor Party

Move Over Tea Party. Here comes the "Malt Liquor Party."

Although, Michelle Bachman recently announced that she is reppin' the Tea Party in the next election, a NC activist is starting the "Malt Liquor Party."

Tired of the negative images of African Americans in the media, Paul Scott aka the "TRUTH Minista" is calling for a "Malt Liquor Party" to fight back.

The reason Scott chose the name "Malt Liquor Party" is because next to watermelon and fried chicken, malt liquor is most used to stereotype Blacks.

Not only have 40 ounces of malt liquor been the main staple at the racist college theme parties where Frat boys put on blackface and mimic black stereotypes but recently Fox News commentator, Eric Bolling caused quite a stir when he accused President Obama of "chuggin' 40's" instead of taking care of business on the domestic front.

Scott has also accused Snoop Dogg of being Pabst's "Blue Ribbon Pimp" for promoting the new Kool Aid flavored, Colt 45 malt liquor called "Blast."

Scott says that the Malt Liquor Party will attack the negative stereotypes of African Americans in Hip Hop and the media and, also, educate black youth about the dangers of substance abuse.


For more information contact (919) 451-8283 or email info@nowarningshotsfired.com website: http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com

Monday, June 27, 2011

As a Dogg Returneth: Colt 45's Controversial Comeback

As a Dogg Returneth...
Colt 45's Controversial Comeback

Min. Paul Scott





Many African Americans of my generation have fond (or not so fond) memories of getting up on Saturday mornings to watch our favorite Hip Hop video show, only to be scared out our wits by the sight of an angry, giant blue Schlitz Malt Liquor Bull bustin' through our tv sets. Even today, if you ride through any 'hood and yell out the window the familiar '90's ST Ides Malt Liquor jingle, "just hit the corner store, you know what I'm lookin' for..." I guarantee that some wino in the alley is gonna yell back, " ST IDES!!!!" There was even an evil scientist who came up with the diabolical formula to mix malt liquor with gen-sing, call it Phat Boy and pour it into giant bottles with graffiti on the label. However, thanks to the tireless and thankless work of grassroots activists, for a decade, the blatant advertising of cheap, high powered malt liquor to the "Hip Hop generation" virtually, disappeared.

Fast forward to 2011, as the folks at Pabst Brewing Company are amped up to send another generation on a one way trip to Alcoholics Anonymous.

The company has launched its latest monster piece, "Colt 45 Blast," a 12% high octane malt liquor that comes in a variety of fruity flavors that would put the makers of Kool Aid to shame. The marketing scheme that Pabst is using is pretty much the same that the malt meisters of the past have used; grab a rapper with questionable morals and a bunch of video babes and, bingo, a match made in heaven (or some other place.)

Pabst has launched a major marketing campaign staring the Doggfather, himself, Snoop Dogg. Ironically, it was Snoop who was one of the first rappers to appear in liquor commercials almost two decades ago. He has a history of getting people to join him in the game of "get to' up 'till you throw up" . So, to borrow from the scriptures, in 2011," the dog has returned to his vomit."

Unlike the marketing schemes of the early 90's, in the 21st century, liquor companies have gone high tech. There are Colt 45 Blast Youtube, Facebook and Twitter pages set up that will deliver the latest booze news straight to your child's smart phone.

One may ask how, in the wake of the Four Loko controversy, can a company come out with a product that so blatantly, targets underage drinkers. The answer is quite simple.

Nobody cares.

Quiet as kept, when dealing with black youth issues, many people follow the sage wisdom from "The Godfather," "they're animals anyway, so let them lose their souls." And if you can make a profit in the process, so be it.

By the owners of Pabst own admission, Colt 45 has been known, primarily, a 'hood drink and as long as they keep it ghetto, they do not have to worry about those underage drinking crusader organizations throwing a monkey wrench in their program. Most of these organizations only seem to get MADD (pardon the pun) when alcohol abuse starts affecting middle class white kids at college frat parties.

I can remember on more than one occasion, going to an anti-teen drinking event and loudly proclaiming with a 40 oz bottle raised in a gesture of moral indignation , " In the name of the 'hood, I have come to warn thee of the plague that is about to come upon thy children" only to receive the classic "deer in headlights" look from a crowd who saw nothing wrong with a rapper bragging about malt liquor giving him super sexual prowess but thought some darn talking Budweiser bullfrogs signaled the coming of the Apocalypse.

Only when Bifffy and Buffy, start passing out in the middle of English Lit 101 will it become a problem. Which brings us to the proverbial question "if black kids start falling out in the 'hood do they make a sound?"

I think you know the answer.

What is, also, problematic is the liquor industry's uncanny ability to buy off voices of dissent within the African American community. Any time you start cutting checks to Hip Hop radio stations, Hip Hop magazines and start sponsoring (Black) cultural festivals, you can almost guarantee that your favorite Civil Rights leaders won't say a mumblin' word.

So, where does that leave the community activists who are going to be the ones picking up the pieces when the Colt 45 Tsunami floods the hood with alcohol? What can be done?

Community activists must demand that the neighborhood stores where their children go every morning, before school, to pick up honey buns and orange juice for lunch not stock the product in their establishments. We must also ask our local Hip Hop radio stations not to take the blood money that will have our children dancing down the road of destruction all summer long. Also, black organizations must not accept the 30 pieces of silver to have a malt liquor company sponsor "cultural" events that are supposed to be promoting the health and the well being of the community.

Finally, Hip Hop fans must stand up and tell Snoop Dogg and the legion of other rappers who will come behind him not to be "Pabst Blue Ribbon Pimps" putting poison in the 'hood.

We must not look for politicians nor underage drinking organizations to solve this problem. No one is going to save us but us .

As former malt liquor promoter, Ice Cube, once said in a classic line from a popular gangsta flick.

Either they don't know, don't show or don't care what's goin' on in the 'hood."



Paul Scott is a minister, activist and lecturer based in Durham NC. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com Website http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Why I'm Mad at MADD

Why I'm Mad at MADD:


Min. Paul Scott



It's been over 100 days since that faithful March morning when I called the reporter at the Wall Street Journal to tell him about a nefarious plot that I stumbled upon to push high powered malt liquor to our children. Yet, more than three months later, most anti-teen drinking groups have continued to ignore the two ton drunk elephant with a flower pot on his head blasted in the living room. There has been no real outcry about Blast by Colt 45 Malt Liquor.

When I say outcry, I'm not talking about polite little letters" kindly asking that the good, wholesome, community oriented folks at Pabst Brewing Company to kindly remove Blast from store shelves or else we are going to write you another letter." No, I'm talking about letters that convey moral outrage, not a minor irritation.

Most of the dialogue outside of the usual thorn- in- the- side grassroots activists has gone like this:

"Gee, kind sir. If it does not bother you too much, will you stop putting Blast in our neighborhoods."

"NO!!!!"

"Okay sorry to have bothered you...."

See, so far Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the rest of these groups have done just enough so, when some kid OD's off of Blast they can say, "hey, we gave it a shot. "

We have also heard next to nothing from the habitual "grant grabbers" who do just enough to serve as resume material for the next time they have to apply to their friendly philanthropic foundation for another hand out. It has been my experience that many of these nonprofits won't even pick up a telephone unless Mr. Grant is on the other end.

This is especially problematic in North Carolina....

Don't believe me? Google "North Carolina against Blast by Colt 45" and see what organization's name pops up.

I'll wait.........

OK. I rest my case.

See for these types of groups, the joy (and money) is in the hunt.

I wish I had a dollar for everyone of these heroes for hire who have told me stuff like:

"See, we don't actually fight against the targeting of our kids by the liquor companies...We put on big elaborate conferences to discuss what the companies are doing..."

Well, OK....huh?

Well while these groups are working on next year's conference on the beach, grassroots activists have been working their butts off trying to keep this poison out of the hands of our children.

What is really ironic is that while MADD and the rest of the groups that oppose drunk driving have been twiddlin' their thumbs, Pabst has sent a pimped out, Skittles colored, Blast Truck (no doubt pumpin' Snoop Dogg songs) on a cross country tour to promote the liquor.

(If there's any justice in the universe that Blast truck will get totalled by a drunk driver with an empty can of Raspberry Watermelon Blast in the passenger seat....)

Surely, these groups see the irony in that...Or maybe not.

As the saying goes, " none are as blind as those who refuse to see. "

Min. Paul Scott can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com