As a part of my usual mourning routine I found myself browsing the usual string of websites: Youtube.com, Facebook.com, and Worldofwarcraft.com along with a few others. However, today was markedly different from most other mornings. Worldstarhiphop.com (which in simplest terms if a Hip Hop Youtube) managed to catch my attention more than it usually ever does with one of the featured videos listed at the top of the front page. Oddly enough it was of a familiar rapper who garnered most of his popularity in the 90’s, but he was the star of a workout DVD. Lil’ Cease Hardbody is the name of the workout DVD and it caught my attention for a very different reason.
For the clip that was shown most health enthusiasts or gym bunnies won’t find anything they don’t already know like the back of their hand. However, with the man giving out the tips it’s obvious that the target audience isn’t someone who already knows exactly what they’re doing. The people who will get the most out of it are indeed that of the urban community. A few common sense factoids and a label comparisons are underrated in how far they’ll go to improving a community which has rampant health issues, most of which generate from the diet that has been undertaken.
Personal experiences in growing up in an urban community comprised of mostly African-American and Hispanic people shows that healthy food choices are somewhat of a rarity. Between the greasy pizza shop at one end of the street where I grew up, to the greasy Chinese takeout store right around the corner, not much thought seems to be put into what goes into the community’s proverbial stomach. The problem also lies in the fact that this unhealthy food is so easily accessible. There aren’t any health food stores in my old neighborhood, so the option to go pick up some organic food isn’t there, but this doesn’t mean that smart decisions can’t be made.
As far as smart decisions go, some may laugh whereas some may dislike the stereotype, but during the course of the clips he compares Sugarless Kool-Aid and regular Kool-Aid. Obviously Sugarless Kool-Aid is better, but there’s also the universal fact that people have convinced them that the healthier choice just isn’t going to taste good or their children won’t drink the sugarless variation. A great majority of people will simply pick up the normal variation without so much as a second though, which ultimately leads to whether or not the person truly wants to make a better decision.
While Lil’ Cease was personally informing me of anything I wasn’t aware of, it was the message he was putting out (whether to preach or to simply share) to a culture that generally lacks a “be healthy” mantra is what was impressed me. Don’t expect a squeaky clean pie chart from the DVD, Lil’ Cease doesn’t hide the fact that he’s from Brooklyn with his attire or his choice of words, but for those who are used to hearing it, it’s undeniably something to consider.
Reference:
- uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HQqT9AutpT0 (Beware of raw language)
