[caption id="attachment_785192" align="aligncenter" width="1068"]<img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/maxwell-feat.jpg" alt="" width="1068" height="639" class="size-full wp-image-785192" /> WENN[/caption]
Like most Black women, I have an affinity for Maxwell’s music. His songs were, in many ways, the soundtrack to the ’90’s, literally and figuratively. In college, I remembered spending my good money, the little bit that I had, to attend one of his concerts on my birthday and I remember being struck by the very first note on his long awaited album <em>BLACKsummersnight</em>. But somewhere along the way, my love for Maxwell faded. If I had to pinpoint it, I would trace it back to right around the time he showed up on social media.
You see, Maxwell is one of those few celebrities who doesn’t come off as charming and alluring online as he does on those records.
I recall my friend making <a href="http://madamenoire.com/197020/evening-eye-candy-maxwell/">Maxwell “Evening Eye Candy”</a> for <em>MadameNoire</em> years ago. She featured several pictures of Maxwell from back in the day, when he had that signature fro of his and a couple from more recently. When she tweeted the link out, she wrote something like,
“<em>Maxwell with or without hair? We love both!”</em> S
he thought it was a compliment. I thought it was a compliment. Most of our readers thought it was a compliment. Maxwell did not. He responded to the tweet and the article celebrating his attractiveness saying something to the affect of:
<em>“Can we move on from the hair thing? Focus on the music.”</em>
Mind you, this was in 2012, when he hadn’t given us any new music to focus on since 2009.
That next year, he went in on fans who asked him why they <a href="http://madamenoire.com/290122/maxwell-goes-all-the-way-in-on-fans-asking-why-he-doesnt-show-black-women-on-his-instagram/">never saw any Black women featured on his Instagram page. </a>Personally, it’s not a question I would have asked but still a valid one, seeing as how Black women have supported Maxwell’s entire career. He responded:
<blockquote><em>“sick if[sic] som of you chiming in on my friends and Insulting them with racists comments you know nothing you assume everything and you should know better and worship is for GOD not me so sit down”</em>
<em>“I don’t give a f**k I’m putting ever[sic] type a girl in my Instagram go f**k yourself if you’re a racists[sic] a**hole!!!!</em></blockquote>
Sadly, it wouldn’t be the last time he lost his cool over a fan’s opinion.
Yesterday, Maxwell tweeted about Black History Month. He’s since deleted many of them, so we’ll have to rely on screenshots.
First:
<img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Screen-Shot-2017-02-09-at-9.13.01-AM.png" alt="" width="468" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-785184" />
Let’s just pause here, shall we? I was so confused by this tweet because I can’t recall the Black community ever excluding someone from Black History Month because of their shade. No one has ever looked at Lena Horne and said because she could pass a paperbag test, she wouldn’t be honored as one of our heroes. Never. There are far too many people of biracial, multiracial ethnicities for us to exclude someone because of genetic background or shade.
But I’ll let Maxwell continue.
<img src="http://madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Screen-Shot-2017-02-09-at-9.16.22-AM.png" alt="" width="540" height="603" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-785185" />
It was this tweet that had people scratching their heads in confusion and then lashing out in anger. Folks assumed that Maxwell was attempting to include White folks in Black History Month. And that just won’t fly.
The response was swift.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">That's definitively not what month it is man <a href="https://t.co/1TyQuNrqvy">https://t.co/1TyQuNrqvy</a></p>
— Daniel José Older (@djolder) <a href="https://twitter.com/djolder/status/829448200494931969">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Deleted but hey...hey. You're not gonna have me out there looking like a RTing non existent tweets chump. <a href="https://t.co/yU1yfTL4mS">pic.twitter.com/yU1yfTL4mS</a></p>
— Daniel José Older (@djolder) <a href="https://twitter.com/djolder/status/829456399944015880">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_">@_MAXWELL_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/djolder">@djolder</a> If I recall correctly all former president's moms were white?</p>
— Page 30 (@onpage30) <a href="https://twitter.com/onpage30/status/829454244294057988">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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During his brief exchange with Maxwell, Daniel José Older learned that the Black women who had been engaging with Maxwell were blocked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_">@_MAXWELL_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/djolder">@djolder</a> If I recall correctly all former president's moms were white?</p>
— Page 30 (@onpage30) <a href="https://twitter.com/onpage30/status/829454244294057988">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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One of these women Maxwell blocked, had this to say.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">OKAY so I been putting this off for a long ass time but Maxwell is fucking CANCELLED. Im sick of this shit.</p>
— The Unorthodox Duck (@GeauxGabby) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeauxGabby/status/829452484280188928">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">You been fucking white hoes for all these many years & they got you All Lives Mattering for the past months and now this? Pass. <a href="https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_">@_MAXWELL_</a></p>
— The Unorthodox Duck (@GeauxGabby) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeauxGabby/status/829452730771070988">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is why ya last album went triple paper clip! Because the ancestors not playing that Kumbaya bullshit. FOH <a href="https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_">@_MAXWELL_</a></p>
— The Unorthodox Duck (@GeauxGabby) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeauxGabby/status/829454837364486144">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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But Maxwell didn’t just block her, he marched into her Direct Messages with this to say.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="und">😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 <a href="https://t.co/DbNYrsPFJe">pic.twitter.com/DbNYrsPFJe</a></p>
— The Unorthodox Duck (@GeauxGabby) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeauxGabby/status/829462403129671680">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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And that’s when Unorthodox Duck went clean off.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">LMAO okay so first off sis...WHAT?! <a href="https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_">@_MAXWELL_</a></p>
— The Unorthodox Duck (@GeauxGabby) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeauxGabby/status/829462507643400193">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Secondly, you, on a public platform, all All Lives Mattering <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BHM?src=hash">#BHM</a>, a time where we specifically celebrate people LIKE you...<a href="https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_">@_MAXWELL_</a></p>
— The Unorthodox Duck (@GeauxGabby) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeauxGabby/status/829462712757391360">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">...and are mad as fuck that you were corrected on the matter? <a href="https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_">@_MAXWELL_</a></p>
— The Unorthodox Duck (@GeauxGabby) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeauxGabby/status/829462896518234112">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">3rd, sis, ya album sold enough to tile a bathroom and you been in the game since before your edges receded. <a href="https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_">@_MAXWELL_</a> <a href="https://t.co/CDvFgZhNcX">pic.twitter.com/CDvFgZhNcX</a></p>
— The Unorthodox Duck (@GeauxGabby) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeauxGabby/status/829463405245370368">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In summation, while you are relaxing on that river by the sea, remember our elders who paved the way for you to be there. <a href="https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_">@_MAXWELL_</a> <a href="https://t.co/rdG13rPlNC">pic.twitter.com/rdG13rPlNC</a></p>
— The Unorthodox Duck (@GeauxGabby) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeauxGabby/status/829463961435303936">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Also, your original beef was with <a href="https://twitter.com/djolder">@djolder</a> but you thought b/c Im a woman you cld boss up & try me. Just a like a hoe <a href="https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_">@_MAXWELL_</a></p>
— The Unorthodox Duck (@GeauxGabby) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeauxGabby/status/829466656267202560">February 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Maxwell responded by digging through Unorthodox’s archives to find a tweet where she spoke about her admiration for his gift and talent.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"now you know . . . this isn't opinions this is press this is fame but i love you as i love all you mentioned below.." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/blackhistorymonth?src=hash">#blackhistorymonth</a> <a href="https://t.co/9y9H4LJHr3">pic.twitter.com/9y9H4LJHr3</a></p>
— MAXWELL (@_MAXWELL_) <a href="https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_/status/829484219374006274">February 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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She responded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Why would I be ashamed of this? I BEEN a fan. That's HOW I know the album is piss. Nobody said he couldnt sing. Poor thing <a href="https://t.co/i0dIo6nwQv">https://t.co/i0dIo6nwQv</a></p>
— The Unorthodox Duck (@GeauxGabby) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeauxGabby/status/829499174743851008">February 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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And then finally, speaking with a level of clarity, Maxwell shared this.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"it's about all the shades of black that's what i meant that what mean.." 🙏🏾 <a href="https://t.co/MTOI0lHU1e">pic.twitter.com/MTOI0lHU1e</a></p>
— MAXWELL (@_MAXWELL_) <a href="https://twitter.com/_MAXWELL_/status/829506159002349568">February 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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All of this is a hot mess. Did Unorthodox perhaps take things too far saying she was tired of him f*cking White hoes? Sure. But Maxwell should have blocked her and kept it moving. Hopping in her DMs to call her a b*tch was out of order.
As someone noted, Maxwell was just celebrating the Women’s March on Washington just to call a woman a b*tch on Twitter.
I understand feeling like you’re being personally attacked on social media but Maxwell has to take responsibility for the indecipherable quality of his original message. <em>No one</em> knew what the hell he was talking about. And instead of explaining himself, he called a Black woman out of her name. And to Unorthodox’s point, the insult was particularly poignant since we ain’t seen him with a Black woman—friend or romantically- since Kerry Washington starred in his video. I work on the internet and I understand how the mean and nasty comments can cause you to act outside of yourself but when you’re a public figure, calling your fan base out of their names when your words will live on <em>forever,</em> is just not a good look.
<i>Veronica Wells is the culture editor at MadameNoire.com. She is also the author of </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bettah-Days-Veronica-R-Wells/dp/1535549866"><i>“Bettah Days.”</i></a><i> You can follow her on </i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/veronicarwells"><i>Facebook</i></a><i> and Twitter</i><a href="https://twitter.com/VDubShrug"><i> @VDubShrug.</i></a>
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