JC230

1/10

Spike Lee has never met an abusive black man he won’t platform and mythologize. Kobe, MJ, now Tyson… and there’s still a Jim Brown doc on the docket. I can’t speak on that one yet, but even with my disdain of the MJ docs this one takes the cake as the worst. The Kobe doc was about one game and Kobe’s views on his work, not him as a man. Not for me, but not revolting. The MJ docs dipped their toes into defending the man, with little asides about the media frenzy while steering from the worst details but focusing on propping him up as a saint rather than denying allegations. This? This dives right in. This is Tyson’s public rehabilitation. This is him ‘taking accountability’ only in the ways that look good and props up his comeback story. He demands grace while offering none for his ex wife he admits he ‘socked’, that he says in his memoir he hit so hard she bounced off the wall. And he paints her as a bitchy gold digger while the crowd cheers. He was just 22, you see. She was 24 but she’s just a demonic bitch don’t worry about her. And somehow even worse than that? When he tries to discredit his rape victim- a crime he was convicted of- by saying she accused someone else of rape shortly before. This would exonerate him, he said. Because it’s just ridiculous a woman could be raped twice in a short time frame. Something’s suspicious here. The crowd cheers. My jaw dropped. It’d be one thing if he owned his mistakes. Was truly sorry. Then there could be a discussion about rehabilitation, about redemption, and does that mean getting a stage like this? That could be something. A conversation, at least. But I’m not convinced Tyson regrets a damn thing, not really. It all brought him here: once again in lights, people hollering and cheering, all eyes on him. It’s so clear he didn’t write this material, either. His wife is doing damage control, and he’s doing a performance. And not a good one. I leave this recording sickened and tempted to give up on this watch altogether. My opinion on Lee has never been lower. Rancid, disgusting trash. I hope Tyson and Paul kill each other in the ring and for legal purposes that is a joke.