AB.com Rewind - Why Do (Some) Black Women Love Thugs.

[Editor's Note: I ran this post some 18 months ago, and strangely it still seems to get new reads (and comments) everyday. It's right up there with all those Karrine Stefans posts as the 10 most read in the history of AB.com. I have no idea what that says about the quality of this blog, but in any event, here's the post, reFreshed... for 09' (you suuuuuckas!). If you wanna weigh in, have at it.]

Before ya'll jump down my throat for this one, peep the post title again.

I don't wanna burn too much on this, since it's been talked about ad nauseum on enough other blogs already, but recently Lil' Wayne's 28th babymama, Lauren London (ATL, This Christmas, and uhhh... what else has she been in?!?) recently sparked a minor controversy with some of her comments in the (now deceased) lad-mag King Magazine. When asked the type of guys she prefers, she responded with these words of sage wisdom and whatnot.

KING: So you want a man who’s both honest and thug?

London: An authentic gangsta—that deletes about half the rap game off your list. I love guys who are street. I won’t even give soft guys a chance. Menace II Society is my shit! Caine was like my first crush. Actually, O-Dog was my true dream guy. I was in love with him, from that opening scene where he pops the convenience-store worker. He had me from that gunshot [laughs]. He was ’hood, and I loved that.

Never mind the fact that Caine ended up dead on a sidewalk at the end of the movie, London (who always seems a few footlongs shy of a Quiznos) presents a sentiment that I've heard from lots of other brothers over the years.



My life as a single guy is distant history, so I'm sorta pleading the fifth on this one. I can't say I ever experienced anything relevant to this situation because I'm not a thug, nor was I ever attracted to women who were attracted to thugs. But general reaction in the blogosphere from men has been that London's right, Black Women do like thugs and pass over more "positive" brothers, while many black women think Lauren's a bubblehead. In any event, since she's since gone on to procreate with an incarcerated goblin, I guess she meant what she said, and this clearly wasn't a shock quote just for show. I guess I give her points for "keepin' it trill" if nothing else. She's a ride or die chick, so long as those child support checks keep clearin'.

Anyways, I figure I'll leave this one up to you guys to debate.

Question: Does Lauren London have a point? Do Black women generally prefer thugs over more "upstanding" brothers or is she just speaking for herself? Fellas, assuming you're not a thug do you find Black Women go for the flashy and gritty a bit too often?