What Next for Eric Brewer?

Supposedly, former Chicago Bulls rebounding great, the cross dressing Dennis Rodman, said to sports announcer Marv Albert (after the latter was allowed back into broadcasting after being convicted of biting a prostitute on the butt) as he ran past the announcer’s table, “Don’t worry Marv, we all got a little freak in us.” Which brings us to now-disgraced East Cleveland Mayor (but not for long) Eric Brewer.

Anyone who knows Brewer has the same opinion: He is among the brightest individuals you will ever meet in your entire life; and many have also stated that he is among the most complex. Well, we certainly know the latter to be true now. “Complex” is a vast understatement.

The ironic thing is, judging from the absentee ballots cast before the release of the racy and startling (to say the least) photos, Brewer was about to be unseated anyway. Gary Norton was leading him by a two-to-one margin in those votes, and historically little changes at the ballot box. Clearly folks in East Cleveland were put off by Brewer’s bruising political style; I know that many in the field of journalism felt that he too often went over the top, in spite of the fact that he certainly knows his way around the English language and possesses research skills that are second to none. Nonetheless, his penchant for recklessness is what got him into this current pickle. If the photos are indeed of him, how the hell did he lose control of the images and allow them to go public?

No one can ever un-ring a bell, especially in the age of the Internet. What’s out there is out there forever and ever, Amen. Moving to another city and changing his name might work, but if I were him I wouldn’t count on it. Enemies tend to follow you wherever you go.

The trick, then, is — how can Brewer take this lemon and make himself some lemonade? With his brightness, self-confidence, and consummate communications skills, if anyone can turn this kind of minus into a plus, it has to be Eric Brewer … provided he doesn’t trip over his own anger. Right now Brewer is looking to place blame for his demise, and rarely do wounded people look into the mirror; they blame everyone around them for their problems. In this case he has accused his opponent for mayor, Norton (in cahoots with some disgruntled police officers), of releasing the photos, and is threatening to sue TV news outlets for showing the racy images. But don’t hold your breath waiting on that to happen. TV station lawyers would have him wearing his ass for a hat in court.

What is more likely is that he will go back to what he knows and start up another newsmagazine that he can use to blast everyone he can think of … which, while might be temporarily satisfying, but is exactly the wrong thing to do. Brewer could get rich off of this fuck-up if he plays his cards right. Stories like Brewer’s, where someone is alleged to be a cross dresser, is akin to watching a train wreck … you say that you really don’t want to see it, but there you are, peeking through your fingers … you can’t take your eyes off of it. And it seems as if the whole world is peeking right along with you. As of last count, the story had 500,000 hits on the Internet (that’s going viral folks) and was talked about by virtually every late-night comic. Brewer can capitalize on this15 minutes of fame if he moves swiftly and deftly.

Besides writing a book and erecting a website, as one experienced TV producer recently said to me, Brewer needs to develop a cable TV show where he debates with himself. Yes, a debate between his two personas. Stay with me here: He comes on dressed in a suit and tie and takes a position, and then, on a split screen, appears in drag debating with his other persona. Don’t laugh, the technical part is easy to work out (the characters are just filmed at different times and put together side-by-side) and, just like the train wreck, many people would watch. He could feature other cross dressers on the show talking about whatever. The content really doesn't matter since spectacle triumphed over substance somewhere earlier in this decade, around 2002.

Still laughing? Then think about this: Drag queen diva Ru Paul? is a millionaire with a hit show currently running in other markets. The thing is, does Brewer have big enough balls to do it? According to some of the photos that I’ve seen that were not released to the public, someone sure has a gigantic pair … but the question is, were they Brewers?

Electioneering on Steroids

Mailers are arriving in homes in my neighborhood regarding Issue 3, and, while it’s more commonly known as the “Casino Issue” not one word is mentioned about casinos or gambling. Instead, the mailers (featuring only images of black people, which make me wonder if mailers featuring only white people are going out to other neighborhoods) say things like “You Have the Power,” or that “You Can Take Charge,” suggesting that we black folks run something other than our mouths in the State of Ohio.

When and if Issue 3 passes, then we’ll see where the real power lies. Will blacks be offered any positions in the gleaming new gambling palaces … other than cooks, waiters and cleaning staff? If the sordid history of hiring minorities in the hospitality industry is any indication, no; with few exceptions, we’ll be left out again.

Possession of real power by minorities would preclude that from happening.

From Cool Cleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier's From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available again in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author by visiting http://www.frombehindthewall.com.