Aaron McGruder always had a knack for hilarious social commentary about very uncomfortable truths with The Boondocks (the comic strip and the TV show). Take “The Trial of R. Kelly” episode, for example. Through Huey and Riley Freeman, McGruder was able to illustrate the two different reactions to the child pornography charges against the singer. Huey wanted the crooner to be held accountable for the sexual acts he committed against a then-underage girl in a 27-minute tape. Riley couldn’t have cared less about the allegations against R. Kelly; he just wanted him to keep making music. It didn’t matter to Riley that there was video evidence of R. Kelly sexually assaulting a minor. In fact, he heaped a lot of blame onto the victim.

That episode aired in 2005, and not much has changed when it comes to the continued accusations against Kelly. But, amidst the increasing influence of callout culture and the aftermath of Bill Cosby’s conviction, Kelly’s supporters are a lot more vocal than they may have once been. In fact, they’re so defensive that they’re indirectly answering their own question: Why do victims take so long to speak out?

By Ta-ning Connai 

I use to love me some 50 Cent. Key words: USE TO. I know he got his start as one of the kings of Hip-Hop beefs, but now as a full-grown man with a bunch of kids and a whoooole lotta stuff to do, the beef he instigates on social media is RI-DI-CU-LOUS. Makes me wonder if 50 Cent will ever grow up, or will he keep acting like he's just a small dish full of loose pocket change?

The Power exec seems to take a peculiar kind of pride in trolling online conversations. The man who brought us “go shorty it's ya birfday" has taken on bullying like a sport and gossip like it's a part of his work out plan. And while most of his tweets had many of us cringing in disbelief, his most recent remarks about actor Terry Crews have many more saying, “Alright Curtis Jackson, ENOUGH!”

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Music mogul Russell Simmons © Lucas Jackson / Reuters

By Veronica Wells

If you’ve been even semi conscious in the past few months, it would have been impossible for you to avoid the news about men, in various industries, being accused of everything from sexual harassment to rape. Things have died down a bit now; but for a good two to three months there was a new name to add to the list of potential predators every week.

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Amid what's taken place lately in the media with all these men in positions of power being accused of various forms of misconduct; it has made me reflect upon myself and place my own behavior under the microscope. As an adult, I can say I’ve never compromised myself with placing a woman in an uncomfortable position. With that said, I’m not perfect neither. The recent climate of male sexual misconduct that’s been brought to light is damaging. I sincerely have empathy for the victims, women/men. And I hope there's merit to their claims. On that note, I’d like to bare my truth with you.

Continued from: Let's Talk About Rape, Baby