gotta do some things...
See ya next week!
White Chocolate (Live)
Rick Astley is about to go on tour. He's considering U.S. dates.
George Michael is doing his last major venue tour, his first in the States in 17 years! He says this is it for him, as far as the big hits/big shows go. It starts June 25th.
Save your allowance, buy tickets and relive your glory days :
George Michael is doing his last major venue tour, his first in the States in 17 years! He says this is it for him, as far as the big hits/big shows go. It starts June 25th.
Save your allowance, buy tickets and relive your glory days :
love jones
I watched 'love jones' this weekend. I watch it about once a year, or so. I don't really buy movies too much. I own a few. Most came in gift bags. I can't really watch too many things over and over again. My repeat viewing list is small:
Sparkle
Cooley High
The Women
The Goonies
All About Eve
Fame
There are a few more, but you get the point. I didn't realize it until this viewing of 'love jones', but I know much of the dialogue. I was saying it along with the actors. Being honest, maybe I watch the movie more than just once a year.
I saw the film at a screening with some friends from Hampton who'd just recently moved to L.A. to pursue entertainment careers. We were still all so new here, that we were actually excited to be at an exclusive screening. I remember leaving the theater and all of us having this feeling like we'd just seen the best movie ever.
There have been plenty 'pretty black people' films - "The Brothers", "The Best Man", "The Wood" etc. To some degree I think they all had some element of reality and connection to true feelings. I believe "The Best Man" was probably to some degree the best of that bunch. "The Best Man" though, was still a commercial flick, with commercial ambitions. Taye didn't really embody the spirit of a writer. Nia Long's B.E.T. producer character was based on farce. A B.E.T. producer would never be pressed about booking an author on a show. The film was good, but it wasn't grounded. "love jones," even with its now obvious flaws, was.
I was not and have never been a poet in Chicago, but those characters looked and spoke like people I knew. My issue with most "pretty black people" films is that everyone is in a Benz and is at the "top" of their field. It's like the cinematic version of bling. "love jones" was about people who were smart, but who didn't need to prove it. They were beautiful, without it being part of the plot. They were driven, without being pressed.
Still, looking at "love jones" with thirty-something eyes is different. When I watched it the first time, I was rooting for love to win out. Darius was a good, if not mature, man. Nina was beautiful and vulnerable. I remember, even then, having some problem with the idea that Darius would let so much time go by. I figured that if he ran after the train to catch her, why wouldn't he just get Nina's number from her friend Josie? I figured though, there wouldn't be a movie if they did everything that made total sense.
But now, in my thirties, I wonder if Darius and Nina really belonged together. Her living in New York is a real problem. Sure, he's a writer and could move, but he was rooted in Chicago. Leaving home is not an easy notion for most people. Even with his new book, would he be making money at the same level as Nina who was now a photo editor at a major magazine. My twenties brain didn't think about that. My thirties brain does.
I also wonder how this film avoided the critique that Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have it" faced. Many critics loathed Spike depiction of his main character Nola Darling. They felt that the character could only exist in a man's brain and that no woman would behave in the way Nola did. "love jones" is so beautiful, you don't even notice that Nia makes insanely bad choices. She ends a relationship and immediately enters into a new one with someone who basically stalks her by showing up at her home uninvited. She then tries to get reaction from her new lover, by going to live with her ex lover in New York, who she really doesn't love. She then comes back to Chicago and dates Darius' friend without much pause. What was she really going through? In a way, looking at it now, I still root for the ending that I know is coming, but my thirties brain feels that Darius can do better.
I know, it's just a movie, but art makes you think. Watch it if you haven't in a while and see if you still feel the same way you did as when you first saw it.
Your thoughts? Comment Below.
Sparkle
Cooley High
The Women
The Goonies
All About Eve
Fame
There are a few more, but you get the point. I didn't realize it until this viewing of 'love jones', but I know much of the dialogue. I was saying it along with the actors. Being honest, maybe I watch the movie more than just once a year.
I saw the film at a screening with some friends from Hampton who'd just recently moved to L.A. to pursue entertainment careers. We were still all so new here, that we were actually excited to be at an exclusive screening. I remember leaving the theater and all of us having this feeling like we'd just seen the best movie ever.
There have been plenty 'pretty black people' films - "The Brothers", "The Best Man", "The Wood" etc. To some degree I think they all had some element of reality and connection to true feelings. I believe "The Best Man" was probably to some degree the best of that bunch. "The Best Man" though, was still a commercial flick, with commercial ambitions. Taye didn't really embody the spirit of a writer. Nia Long's B.E.T. producer character was based on farce. A B.E.T. producer would never be pressed about booking an author on a show. The film was good, but it wasn't grounded. "love jones," even with its now obvious flaws, was.
I was not and have never been a poet in Chicago, but those characters looked and spoke like people I knew. My issue with most "pretty black people" films is that everyone is in a Benz and is at the "top" of their field. It's like the cinematic version of bling. "love jones" was about people who were smart, but who didn't need to prove it. They were beautiful, without it being part of the plot. They were driven, without being pressed.
Still, looking at "love jones" with thirty-something eyes is different. When I watched it the first time, I was rooting for love to win out. Darius was a good, if not mature, man. Nina was beautiful and vulnerable. I remember, even then, having some problem with the idea that Darius would let so much time go by. I figured that if he ran after the train to catch her, why wouldn't he just get Nina's number from her friend Josie? I figured though, there wouldn't be a movie if they did everything that made total sense.
But now, in my thirties, I wonder if Darius and Nina really belonged together. Her living in New York is a real problem. Sure, he's a writer and could move, but he was rooted in Chicago. Leaving home is not an easy notion for most people. Even with his new book, would he be making money at the same level as Nina who was now a photo editor at a major magazine. My twenties brain didn't think about that. My thirties brain does.
I also wonder how this film avoided the critique that Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have it" faced. Many critics loathed Spike depiction of his main character Nola Darling. They felt that the character could only exist in a man's brain and that no woman would behave in the way Nola did. "love jones" is so beautiful, you don't even notice that Nia makes insanely bad choices. She ends a relationship and immediately enters into a new one with someone who basically stalks her by showing up at her home uninvited. She then tries to get reaction from her new lover, by going to live with her ex lover in New York, who she really doesn't love. She then comes back to Chicago and dates Darius' friend without much pause. What was she really going through? In a way, looking at it now, I still root for the ending that I know is coming, but my thirties brain feels that Darius can do better.
I know, it's just a movie, but art makes you think. Watch it if you haven't in a while and see if you still feel the same way you did as when you first saw it.
Your thoughts? Comment Below.
Luvs It!! (Toccara Goes Nuts)
Watch this b4 Vh1 takes it down.
"I ain't gonna sugarcook shit." - Toccara, "Celebrity Fit Club" 2008
I wonder if sugarcook, is anything like sugarcoat?
Your thoughts? Comment below.
"I ain't gonna sugarcook shit." - Toccara, "Celebrity Fit Club" 2008
I wonder if sugarcook, is anything like sugarcoat?
Your thoughts? Comment below.
I Can't. (My People, My People)
Who doesn't love shrimps? (courtesy of whatwouldthembido.blogspot.com)
Denounce This, Denounce That
Finding a church home is difficult, at least for me it's been. I didn't grow up listening to fiery sermons and then coming home to a delicious soul food meal. I didn't go to church growing up (gasp). It's complicated, but my parents, grandparents aunts and uncles did go to church, but living in the northeast through the turbulent civil rights era, they like many other blacks, didn't find the voice they needed in church. A good portion of my family converted to Islam in the late sixties and seventies. It spoke more to the daily life struggles they faced. I grew up in a morally centered, but decidedly non-religious household - then came Catholic school.
I spent junior high and high school under the guidance of the Christian Brothers Association and the Sisters of Charity. We were required to attend mass weekly and even the funerals for church parish members. I can remember sitting in the pews with my yellow shirt and Scotch Tape plaid tie for the funeral of a stranger. It didn't make sense to me, but I did love mass. Most old Catholic churches are beautiful. It always felt like stepping back in time. Granted, I'd watched too many horror movies and was often unnerved by some of the ceremony that takes place in a Catholic service. I wasn't an altar boy, but I wanted to be. The gowns were cool. I did however volunteer to do readings whenever possible. I loved being on stage even then.
Still, with the thrill of public speaking, the fun of C.Y.O. and all of the pageantry, the church itself didn't speak to me. In college, there was a non-denominational service. It was fine. I mean, it didn't really ever inspire me. It just made me feel like I was good Christian to show up. I could look down on the people wearing sweats as I walked back to my dorm on a Sunday. Heathens. Truthfully, I didn't even really go to chapel to hear the service. I went because I liked to sing...not in the choir, but afterwards with my frat brothers. We'd meet on the lawn, sing our hymn and then gather at Old Country Buffet, or some other all you can eat chain.
I moved to LA after graduation. I think it's required that all black people attend West Angeles Church upon moving to L.A. They reserved rows and had a separate entrance for celebrities. One of my first times attending, the Pastor gave a shout out to Salt-N-Pepa. No lie. I got saved there. Not because of Salt-N-Pepa, mostly because life is rough out here and I was an emotional wreck. I needed something. After walking up to the altar, all the newly saved people were escorted to a side room and ministered to individually. I was sitting next to Tiny "Zeus" Lester. He had gotten saved too that day. It's hard to accept God as your Savior with "Debo" sitting next to you.
I tried a few more churches, because I just wasn't connecting with the words, or the community of the different churches I attended. I ended up at an LBGT church. It scared me the first time. They did this thing where the shut off all the lights. All I could think is, "I don't know these people." It took me almost a year to go back and for a while, it was okay. Then two things happened - Easter & rent. I went to the church on Easter and as expected, everyone was in their finest. The drag queens were in full on Easter suits and hats. All of a sudden, I felt like I was in a bad dream. Then as service went on, I realized that every week, the same thing happened. The congregation would be whipped into a frenzy about all the things they DIDN'T have - a relationship, a job, a car, new clothes and rent; always the rent. I realized that this had been a problem with most of the churches I'd attended. They don't spend enough time on joy. It's all spent on misery. Maybe people give more when they're hopeless.
I finally landed at my current church. It's small, quaint and sparsely attended. It's positive without being disillusioned. It diverse without seeming "tolerant". It works for me.
So, having gone through all of this, I'm wondering how exactly does Obama now denounce a pastor of a church he's attended for 20 years? Granted, do I agree with everything my Pastor says? Of course not. At the core though, I can stand by the principles of the church. There is absolutely no way, that an intelligent and thoughtful man such as Barack Obama sat in a church for twenty years without believing in its core values.
I'm not saying I disagree with some the tings I've heard his Pastor say, I just have a problem with Obama denouncing him. I understand why he has to do it, but it just doesn't hold water for me.
"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," he said. "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant. Because the stuff we have done overseas has now brought right back into our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost." - Rev. Jeremiah Wright
Who hasn't heard someone say something similar to the above quote? I suspect that if Malcolm X was alive, he'd be saying something very close to that and Malcolm's on a postage stamp now. I have to believe that while Obama may not share that exact view and may not have worded things that way, he wouldn't have this man as an advisor if they were not on the same page. Is Obama quietly militant? I don't know about you, but I don't have a problem with that.
I do have a problem with the uncertainty. The is the second religious misstep to me. The first was his association with Donnie McClurkin. I believe that if we weren't giving Obama a pass, these associations would be taken more seriously. I'm not looking to run the free world and I've been discriminating about the voice of my religious and spiritual leaders. I suspect Obama has done the same. Sure, he can denounce Rev. Wright, but what does it really mean? Does it mean he made an uninformed choice, or that he has to hide something behind his back until the coast is clear? I can't wait to find out.
I spent junior high and high school under the guidance of the Christian Brothers Association and the Sisters of Charity. We were required to attend mass weekly and even the funerals for church parish members. I can remember sitting in the pews with my yellow shirt and Scotch Tape plaid tie for the funeral of a stranger. It didn't make sense to me, but I did love mass. Most old Catholic churches are beautiful. It always felt like stepping back in time. Granted, I'd watched too many horror movies and was often unnerved by some of the ceremony that takes place in a Catholic service. I wasn't an altar boy, but I wanted to be. The gowns were cool. I did however volunteer to do readings whenever possible. I loved being on stage even then.
Still, with the thrill of public speaking, the fun of C.Y.O. and all of the pageantry, the church itself didn't speak to me. In college, there was a non-denominational service. It was fine. I mean, it didn't really ever inspire me. It just made me feel like I was good Christian to show up. I could look down on the people wearing sweats as I walked back to my dorm on a Sunday. Heathens. Truthfully, I didn't even really go to chapel to hear the service. I went because I liked to sing...not in the choir, but afterwards with my frat brothers. We'd meet on the lawn, sing our hymn and then gather at Old Country Buffet, or some other all you can eat chain.
I moved to LA after graduation. I think it's required that all black people attend West Angeles Church upon moving to L.A. They reserved rows and had a separate entrance for celebrities. One of my first times attending, the Pastor gave a shout out to Salt-N-Pepa. No lie. I got saved there. Not because of Salt-N-Pepa, mostly because life is rough out here and I was an emotional wreck. I needed something. After walking up to the altar, all the newly saved people were escorted to a side room and ministered to individually. I was sitting next to Tiny "Zeus" Lester. He had gotten saved too that day. It's hard to accept God as your Savior with "Debo" sitting next to you.
I tried a few more churches, because I just wasn't connecting with the words, or the community of the different churches I attended. I ended up at an LBGT church. It scared me the first time. They did this thing where the shut off all the lights. All I could think is, "I don't know these people." It took me almost a year to go back and for a while, it was okay. Then two things happened - Easter & rent. I went to the church on Easter and as expected, everyone was in their finest. The drag queens were in full on Easter suits and hats. All of a sudden, I felt like I was in a bad dream. Then as service went on, I realized that every week, the same thing happened. The congregation would be whipped into a frenzy about all the things they DIDN'T have - a relationship, a job, a car, new clothes and rent; always the rent. I realized that this had been a problem with most of the churches I'd attended. They don't spend enough time on joy. It's all spent on misery. Maybe people give more when they're hopeless.
I finally landed at my current church. It's small, quaint and sparsely attended. It's positive without being disillusioned. It diverse without seeming "tolerant". It works for me.
So, having gone through all of this, I'm wondering how exactly does Obama now denounce a pastor of a church he's attended for 20 years? Granted, do I agree with everything my Pastor says? Of course not. At the core though, I can stand by the principles of the church. There is absolutely no way, that an intelligent and thoughtful man such as Barack Obama sat in a church for twenty years without believing in its core values.
I'm not saying I disagree with some the tings I've heard his Pastor say, I just have a problem with Obama denouncing him. I understand why he has to do it, but it just doesn't hold water for me.
"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," he said. "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant. Because the stuff we have done overseas has now brought right back into our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost." - Rev. Jeremiah Wright
Who hasn't heard someone say something similar to the above quote? I suspect that if Malcolm X was alive, he'd be saying something very close to that and Malcolm's on a postage stamp now. I have to believe that while Obama may not share that exact view and may not have worded things that way, he wouldn't have this man as an advisor if they were not on the same page. Is Obama quietly militant? I don't know about you, but I don't have a problem with that.I do have a problem with the uncertainty. The is the second religious misstep to me. The first was his association with Donnie McClurkin. I believe that if we weren't giving Obama a pass, these associations would be taken more seriously. I'm not looking to run the free world and I've been discriminating about the voice of my religious and spiritual leaders. I suspect Obama has done the same. Sure, he can denounce Rev. Wright, but what does it really mean? Does it mean he made an uninformed choice, or that he has to hide something behind his back until the coast is clear? I can't wait to find out.
White Chocolate
White Soul use to be interesting. We had Hall & Oates & Teena Marie. Now we get Joss Stone (put some shoes on) & Justin (who can I mimic next?). Enjoy these pioneers.
Jane Child (Loved the braids and the chains)
Child is best known for her 1990 hit song "Don't Wanna Fall in Love", which peaked at #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for three weeks in the spring of 1990. She was known for her eclectic fashion style, which included spiked hair with long braids and wearing a chain linking a nose ring to an earring. Child is now currently working on her fourth record, as well as several side projects, including movie soundtracks. (wiki)
Human League
The Human League are a British synthpop/new wave band. Formed in Sheffield in 1977, they achieved great popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s. They have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s and 90s and up to the present day. (wiki)
Doobie Brothers
They were in one of my favorite episodes of "What's Happening." Rerun was recording their live show with a cassette recorder the size of a Honda Civic and got busted.
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock group, best known for hit singles like "Black Water," "China Grove," "Listen to the Music," "Long Train Runnin'," and "What a Fool Believes." They have sold over 22 million albums in the United States from the 1970s to the present.[1] The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004. (wiki)
Okay...this is totally off topic, but I can't mention "What's Happening" and not post a "Bubblin' Brown Sugar" photo.
Robbie Nevil
Nevil's self-titled debut album in 1986 gave him a string of Billboard Hot 100 hits, although his subsequent albums were not as successful. He is best remembered for the song "C'est La Vie," a #1 dance hit that spent two weeks at #2 on the Hot 100 in early 1987. (wiki)
Dino (5 points if you remember him)
Dino then became a singer, first as part of the musical group Esquire, and later as a solo artist recording song hits during the late 1980s, including "I Like It", "24/7", "Summer Girls" and "Romeo." In the initial up-swing of his career Dino performed in theme parks such as Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California with other artists such as Sweet Sensation and Linear. (wiki)
Sweet Sensation (I know they are NOT white)
Dino's bio reminded me of them, so I looked this song up. This was the jam. It reminds of the days when people in videos looked like kids from your neighborhood.
Sweet Sensation was the name of a female dance music trio from the Bronx, New York, who specialized in freestyle from 1987 until 1991. Group members were Betty LeBron and sisters Margie and Mari Fernandez. (wiki)
Okay back to white people...
Jon B. (Justin who?)
By the age of eighteen, Jon B. was shopping demos around when he caught the attention of Tracey Edmonds, then President and CEO of Yab-Yum Records. He was contracted as a songwriter for Edmonds and her husband, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and wrote songs for After 7, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Color Me Badd and others. In 2006, Jon signed with Arsenal Records, part of the Universal Music Group. In November 2006, Jon released Holiday Wishes: From Me To You. The album is a collection of both original compositions and his covers of Christmas classics. He is currently working on a new album, entitled Back To Love. A "Greatest Hits Live" album is also in the works. (wiki)
Your Favorites? Comment below.
Jane Child (Loved the braids and the chains)
Child is best known for her 1990 hit song "Don't Wanna Fall in Love", which peaked at #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for three weeks in the spring of 1990. She was known for her eclectic fashion style, which included spiked hair with long braids and wearing a chain linking a nose ring to an earring. Child is now currently working on her fourth record, as well as several side projects, including movie soundtracks. (wiki)
Human League
The Human League are a British synthpop/new wave band. Formed in Sheffield in 1977, they achieved great popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s. They have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s and 90s and up to the present day. (wiki)
Doobie Brothers
They were in one of my favorite episodes of "What's Happening." Rerun was recording their live show with a cassette recorder the size of a Honda Civic and got busted.
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock group, best known for hit singles like "Black Water," "China Grove," "Listen to the Music," "Long Train Runnin'," and "What a Fool Believes." They have sold over 22 million albums in the United States from the 1970s to the present.[1] The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004. (wiki)
Okay...this is totally off topic, but I can't mention "What's Happening" and not post a "Bubblin' Brown Sugar" photo.
Robbie Nevil
Nevil's self-titled debut album in 1986 gave him a string of Billboard Hot 100 hits, although his subsequent albums were not as successful. He is best remembered for the song "C'est La Vie," a #1 dance hit that spent two weeks at #2 on the Hot 100 in early 1987. (wiki)
Dino (5 points if you remember him)
Dino then became a singer, first as part of the musical group Esquire, and later as a solo artist recording song hits during the late 1980s, including "I Like It", "24/7", "Summer Girls" and "Romeo." In the initial up-swing of his career Dino performed in theme parks such as Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California with other artists such as Sweet Sensation and Linear. (wiki)
Sweet Sensation (I know they are NOT white)
Dino's bio reminded me of them, so I looked this song up. This was the jam. It reminds of the days when people in videos looked like kids from your neighborhood.
Sweet Sensation was the name of a female dance music trio from the Bronx, New York, who specialized in freestyle from 1987 until 1991. Group members were Betty LeBron and sisters Margie and Mari Fernandez. (wiki)
Okay back to white people...
Jon B. (Justin who?)
By the age of eighteen, Jon B. was shopping demos around when he caught the attention of Tracey Edmonds, then President and CEO of Yab-Yum Records. He was contracted as a songwriter for Edmonds and her husband, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and wrote songs for After 7, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Color Me Badd and others. In 2006, Jon signed with Arsenal Records, part of the Universal Music Group. In November 2006, Jon released Holiday Wishes: From Me To You. The album is a collection of both original compositions and his covers of Christmas classics. He is currently working on a new album, entitled Back To Love. A "Greatest Hits Live" album is also in the works. (wiki)
Your Favorites? Comment below.
Race/Gender/Sexuality and the Vote
As we all know and are probably tired of discussing, race and gender are the dominant focus of this Democratic primary season. Everyone's asking why did things have to take this polarizing turn. Couldn't it just be about the issues. My question is, "When did race and gender stop being an issue?"Truthfully, I've gone through this race/gender/sexuality voting angst every year for the last seven, or eight years. It's not so much about politics, more so when I watch "American Idol."
I've been an "AI" junkie since the first season. I went to the first live taping and interviewed Kelly, Justin and the crew backstage. That first season, I was so emotionally invested in Tamyra Gray winning; I had somehow equated her victory to redeeming Shirley Chisholm's run for presidency in 1972. When Tamyra, arguably the best singer, went home with a fourth place finish; I felt that America was sending a clear signal that they would not have a black woman be their "American Idol". The following year, I dialed in for Ruben Studdard like my right to vote depended on it.
In talking to my friends, a few people seem insulted by the insinuation that they'd be voting for Obama because he's black...but aren't we, even if it's just a tiny little bit?
If you're black and reading this, close your eyes, imagine the finale of "America's Next Top Model." There's a good white model and so-so black model "standing before" Tyra. Who do you silently root for?
Truthfully, the only time we seem to NOT root for the black contestant, is if they are totally unacceptable (Omarosa). I'm not saying the decision is always easy. I've watched many a finale with uncomfortable mixed feelings - Do I vote for the white gay guy, or the sister from Houston? It's enough to make you throw out your TiVO.
I wanted Syesha (I know the spelling is wrong, but even the CORRECT spelling of her name is wrong) to go home on "Idol" last night. She irks me. She's black, pretty and good singer, but she irks me. I think Obama's message of change is really working, even in facets of life that he didn't intend. I feel free to be irked by Syesha. It doesn't come without some judgement. I mentioned that I wanted her eliminated to a few people and I was questioned if I had racial identity issues. Even though she wasn't eliminated, I was fine, because my 2nd least favorite went home, David - the "straight" nude gay bar stripper. Again, judgement. I think I was supposed to go light a candle in West Hollywood today for him. I didn't.
I'm just saying, let's get real. Yes, we make informed choices. Those informed choices happen to often lead us to people, who look like us. It's okay. Sometimes that choice is about qualifications, sometimes it's because someone looks like your cousin and they're qualified enough.
Keith Olbermann on Geraldine Ferraro
Keith is pissed. Meanwhile, Tavis is busy crying about Obama being unavailable for his "Fix Black People" conference.
My thoughts...yeah, Geraldine needs to sit her ass down on this one. I do think we have to be careful about pulling the racism "card". I think it was warranted this time. My problems was with her use of the word "lucky." I think it's driving some people nuts to see black folks supporting Obama the way we are. I am admittedly surprised. I thought memories of Bill Clinton on "Arsenio Hall" would help Hillary carry our vote. Have you noticed the dismissive language that's used when discussing the black vote? They barely give Obama credit for a win after certain primaries. Interestingly, when the media speaks of the "critical Hispanic vote", it's some sort of golden prize to be coveted. It means more. No one seems to notice that their voting has been almost as unilateral as ours.
Folks get away with saying too much, all because they haven't used the "N" word. Watching the Clintons' talk about Obama being the VP as if he was in 2nd place is equally belittling and insulting as Geraldine's comments. It reminds me of the various jobs where my intelligence and skill were appreciated until I expected to be given proper credit and titles.
My thoughts...yeah, Geraldine needs to sit her ass down on this one. I do think we have to be careful about pulling the racism "card". I think it was warranted this time. My problems was with her use of the word "lucky." I think it's driving some people nuts to see black folks supporting Obama the way we are. I am admittedly surprised. I thought memories of Bill Clinton on "Arsenio Hall" would help Hillary carry our vote. Have you noticed the dismissive language that's used when discussing the black vote? They barely give Obama credit for a win after certain primaries. Interestingly, when the media speaks of the "critical Hispanic vote", it's some sort of golden prize to be coveted. It means more. No one seems to notice that their voting has been almost as unilateral as ours.
Folks get away with saying too much, all because they haven't used the "N" word. Watching the Clintons' talk about Obama being the VP as if he was in 2nd place is equally belittling and insulting as Geraldine's comments. It reminds me of the various jobs where my intelligence and skill were appreciated until I expected to be given proper credit and titles.
Read This - (The Sweet Hell Inside)
This insane primary season is stirring up many issues that have nothing to do with the presidency. One of the more interesting discussions, at least pre-South Carolina primary, was the alleged division between middle-class and working class blacks. The media asserted that educated black people supported Obama, the less educated did not.
That may, or may not be true, but we all know that those cultural/social divisions exist. I also believe that many of us, middle-class, or not, believe that "white folks ice, is colder." So, after Obama won in Iowa, it was all of a sudden okay to vote for him...because they did.
That may, or may not be true, but we all know that those cultural/social divisions exist. I also believe that many of us, middle-class, or not, believe that "white folks ice, is colder." So, after Obama won in Iowa, it was all of a sudden okay to vote for him...because they did.
"The Sweet Hell Inside," a book that I stumbled onto at my favorite book store, Eso Won, is a historical account of the Harleston's; a family of freed slaves in South Carolina that achieved great affluence. They were part of the "high yellow" upper-class. Their wealth started with a gift from their former owner and grew as they invested in careers in business and the arts. They had tailored clothing, chauffeurs and servants of "darker skin."
The Obama - Clinton battle reminded me of this book. I wonder if much has changed.
Your thoughts? Comment below.
Move Your Body
I decided to take it back to Essex Catholic parties w/ DJ Crunch on the wheels of steel, Club 88, Scott's Manor, Zanzibar - Jersey heads know what I'm talking about.
I can still remember hearing "Move Your Body" for the first time. It was a high school party, the DJ played the song a couple times back to back and we left drenched in sweat...the good ole' days.
http://www.myspace.com/housemusicgodfather
And "Someday" is one of my favorite songs ever. Clifford Scott's band used to wear this out at football games.
http://www.myspace.com/cecerogers
Then we have "Brake 4 Love".
Before thuggery was the norm, this is how we got down.
What underground classics were your favorites??? Frankie Knuckles? Jomanda? JM Silk?
Wait...I gotta drop one more. Touch - "Without You".(Satega, I know you're loving this, send me some music!)
Comment Below.
I can still remember hearing "Move Your Body" for the first time. It was a high school party, the DJ played the song a couple times back to back and we left drenched in sweat...the good ole' days.
http://www.myspace.com/housemusicgodfather
And "Someday" is one of my favorite songs ever. Clifford Scott's band used to wear this out at football games.
http://www.myspace.com/cecerogers
Then we have "Brake 4 Love".
Before thuggery was the norm, this is how we got down.
What underground classics were your favorites??? Frankie Knuckles? Jomanda? JM Silk?
Wait...I gotta drop one more. Touch - "Without You".(Satega, I know you're loving this, send me some music!)
Comment Below.
Give Big, or Go Home
Oprah's latest production, "Oprah's Big Give," premiered tonight. I am by no means, a cold person, but these, "let's bring out all the neighbors to watch someone get a new car" shows don't really sit well with me. When I've watched "Pimp My House", also known as "Extreme Home Makeover", I often wonder, who's gonna pay the taxes, the light bill and the landscaping costs. The show would make more sense to me if people were given higher paying jobs along with the McMansions.I've been confused about how you pull off a show like "Oprah's Big Give." It's basically "Flavor of Love" for charity. Now, I know Oprah walks on water ( I am not being sarcastic, she really does, my friend worked at Harpo), but I thought that it would be hard, for even Oprah to get away with judging and eliminating people for not being charitable enough.
Full disclosure - I tried watching it from the beginning, but Oprah was doing that thing where she yells and extends a word, "The Big GIIIIIVVVVEEE!" Then I watched some of the audition footage and looking at people talk about how much they love to give was a bit hard to stomach. At least with "American Idol", you can root for someone. It's hard to sit at home and say, "Umph, she sucks at giving." After a few moments of , "I love people, I love giving and I just want to save the world...so please pick me Oprah." I accidentally (on purpose) hit the remote and landed on "Family Guy". I was torn.
So after watching "Family Guy", I turned back to "Oprah's Big Give" and the teams were in full swing, giving their hearts out. I was feeling pretty jaded. I'd seen all of this before. Then Chante, a homeless mom, was givena car, a place to live, some cash and tuition for her kids. Sweet. Even though I think the idea of a charity competition is ridiculous, I loved seeing that woman's life change. I thought to myself, this isn't so bad.
Then the judging started. It was mildly humorous to watch the judges walk the fine line of being critical and complimentary. I mean, what can you say to someone who's just tried to help another human being, even if they failed at the attempt. I think what's missing in the show is the acknowledgement that trying to help someone is often as meaningful as being successful at it. The whole process seems to be the antithesis of what Oprah is about.
A contestant who helped a woman raise funds, find a location, and secure musical instruments for a charitable program, was told that she could have raised more money. Seriously? What I witnessed when the charity was presented with the gifts, was appreciation. The idea that the contestant somehow failed, is beyond me.
I've heard Oprah say that giving what you can is the most important thing. It could be a dollar, it be a million dollars. I agree. I don't understand why this show isn't reflective of that spirit. Years ago, I was at church in L.A. that was raising funds for a new stadium (yes, stadium) to hold services in. They had different color envelopes in the pews. One color was for giving less than $500, the other was for more. While my brain processed the multi-color envelopes, a famous award winning actor's family was ushered onto the pulpit holding a "Price is Right" sized check for several million dollars to donate to the church. I wondered what color envelope they used. Ultimately, I decided not to use either envelope, I figured I'd give my dollar to someone who appreciated as much as the "Price is Right" sized check. This show feels a little bit like that for me.
Who knows? Oprah's good about surprises. Maybe she'll do the appropriate thing and reward all of these contestants at the end of the season for all of the good work that they did instead of awarding one "Big Giver."
Your thoughts??? Comment Below.
I Can't. (Valerie Bertinelli)
Okay, I'm running late for church, but I had to write this. I wake up, turn on the TV and I see the 186th promo for Valerie Bertinelli's new book, revealing 'shocking' secrets. Seriously? Is it still 1989?She already rocked the nation on Oprah by revealing that she (gasp) had an affair and then she turned the world upside down by disclosing that she (gulp) kissed a girl. This quote is on the Oprah site about Valerie's choice to divorce:
Leaving Eddie wasn't an easy choice, and Valerie says it took years for her to come to grips with the idea. "We were all very raw from 9/11, and you heard all these stories of people coming together. They hated each other and they were back together and divorces weren't happening anymore," Valerie says. "And I'm like, 'Am I the only one in the world that wants out now because of 9/11? I'm not going to live my life if it's that tenuous. That's not how I want to live my life anymore.'"
Eddie Van Halen, Valerie Bertinelli...and 9/11?
I Can't.
Seriously, she needs to stop it. I'm happy she lost the weight, but now she can go on to QVC. By the way, she can take Robin Givens with her, who's still doing interviews about her relationship with Mike Tyson. I'm sure there's a food processor, or hair care line that would love to have them both.
Your thoughts??? Comment Below.
Law & Order
Does "Law and Order" actually have a writing staff? It's on television 99 times a day and I admit, about thirty years ago, I enjoyed the show. I think they take the 'ripped from the headlines' thing too far now. They've reenacted Anna Nicole Smith, Puffy & J.Lo, Britney. Those episodes looked more like MadTV skits, than an a serious drama. The epsiode tonight is about the horrific execution style shootings of three Delaware State College students in Newark. Maybe beacuse I've never felt emotionally connected to any of the news stories they've ripped off before, I'd never been offended. Tonight, I am. I think playing out the death of these kids for entertainment value, is pretty low. Is it just me?Random note - I think I saw the guy who played "Jesse" on Fame as one of the shooting suspects.
Your thoughts??? Comment Below.
The 1st of the Month
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (1999, "1st of the Month")
I strove to always have more, be the best, be surrounded by the best, so of course, I went to Hampton University. I have a friend who told me a story about 13 years ago, of how she worked and paid for college herself. I asked, if her parents were dead. Her parents were in fact alive, but they made all of their children pay for their own college educations. I wasn't certain, but at the time, I was pretty sure that qualified as abuse. I don't recall any of my classmates working through Hampton, but I'm sure that someone had to have had a real job---I guess.
But now, here I sit now with my two degrees and my own business, feeling 1st of the Month anxiety. I'm not feeling it from the side of a person who doesn't want to be in a crowded barber shop with "those people". I feel it as someone who could use a government check. Stat.
"Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up. It's the first of the month, so get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, cash your checks and come on."
It's been almost a decade since those eloquent lyrics were harmonized by Cleveland's favorite sons, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. I spoke briefly to a friend last night, he was pissed that he had to work on Saturday morning. Saturday, if you don't know, is haircut day for 87% of the black men in the country. Not only wasn't he going to be able to beat the crowd by arriving at the shop early in the morning...it was also the 1st of the month. The horror.
I grew up where we didn't do anything on the 1st of the month. There was no supermarket, no banking, mall, car wash, haircut, the list could go on. I don't think I fully understood when I was a little kid, I just knew that what ever happened on the 1st, must have been pretty damn bad.
Granted, I hate crowds and lines, honestly, I'm not really into a lot of human contact, so I could understand people avoiding places because it may be busier than usual. The 1st of the month thing is a bit more than that, I think. I think it's about not being out with "those people." It's classist, but oddly, most of the people who worry about being around the 1st of the month crowd, aren't too far removed.
Remember the kids who got 'free lunch' in school? I mean, there had to have been a better way to handle that. I recall kids getting teased because they got into line with a little ticket. I learned very young, poverty sucks. I used to clutch on to my little dollar proudly as I paid for my tater tots. The dollar was a defense shield from all of the rabid bullies making fun of the kids with the "free lunch" tickets. The result of that...constant striving.
I strove to always have more, be the best, be surrounded by the best, so of course, I went to Hampton University. I have a friend who told me a story about 13 years ago, of how she worked and paid for college herself. I asked, if her parents were dead. Her parents were in fact alive, but they made all of their children pay for their own college educations. I wasn't certain, but at the time, I was pretty sure that qualified as abuse. I don't recall any of my classmates working through Hampton, but I'm sure that someone had to have had a real job---I guess.
But now, here I sit now with my two degrees and my own business, feeling 1st of the Month anxiety. I'm not feeling it from the side of a person who doesn't want to be in a crowded barber shop with "those people". I feel it as someone who could use a government check. Stat.
Let me be honest, I'm a bit crazy. I take risks, I choose to do what feels right and I live my life for myself. I have and could be running an agency. I could be working as a reporter. Hell, I could be doing any number of things. I've chosen to write and perform. Those two things don't always equal up to making ends meet. Don't get me wrong, I'm okay with that. I've traveled, performed, gone through celebrity trash cans for the National Enquirer - I've lived, but it's not always so perfect.
There's this new Hampton website. It's basically Myspace, for alumni. Everyone looks good, happy and fulfilled, just like when we were in college; except 10lbs heavier. I was an overachiever in college, not academically, but socially. I knew everybody and nobody at the same time. This alumni site is reminding me of that. On one hand, seeing old friends doing great things, with families, is amazing and inspirational. On the other hand, it's a reminder of the 'all things, to all people' person that I used to be.
I've been writing personal essays/blogs for years, I wanted to share that on my profile, but then all of a sudden the burden of being who people expect me to be, came over me. I write about my success, but I also talk about my struggles, my flaws, my mistakes. I write about my world view, my relationships, race & politics. In the real world, that's been okay, but being surrounded by shiny, happy people with 2.5 kids, you start to feel a bit like the kid with the 'free lunch' ticket. I've been admiring my friends' family photos, but haven't put a picture of my partner up on the site. Am I really 'doing okay' as I've said 100 times on people's comment boards if I haven't just instinctively done that?
That 1st of the Month thing isn't all about crowds, it's about not subjecting yourself to people who on some level, you think you're better than. I've been through some rough patches, but I've never really been systematically poor. I have, though, been on "social" welfare before; hiding my "free lunch" ticket behind my back so no one would see. I suspect, I'm not the only one. It's understandable why we hide our "tickets". The thing though, is that I think we'd be a lot more interesting and connected if we didn't.
Your thoughts??? Comment Below.
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