Posts

Showing posts from 2016

4 Ways I Can Totally Relate to "Awkward Black Girl" by Issa Rae: Book Review

Image
I borrowed Issa Rae's book " The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl " from my friend's 13-year-old daughter, and couldn't help but feel a sense of joy that at such a young age  she would walk away with the gift of knowing that an "Issa Rae" existed .  I knew that at her age--during her first year of high school--or at my age (25 years older), that we could both receive valuable lessons from the writer and creator of the new HBO series " Insecure ." The book is great.  I knew it would be great from the moment I heard about it last year. Let me backtrack, from the moment I heard about Issa Rae herself from  a few friends who insisted that I "HAD TO" check out her work , I knew that I would like this woman. I knew that whatever she had to say was something that I would most likely relate to because I, even at the age of 38, definitely knew that for the majority of my life (and still, currently?)  I was her and she was me: an awkward

The "Gilmore Girls" Reunion Was Awesome

Image
The latest installment in the Gilmore Girls saga, "A Year in the Life" was outstanding. Brilliant, even . I enjoyed every minute of the four-part series. What a great trend we've stumbled upon lately, thanks to our friends at Netflix: revisiting old television shows, bringing beloved characters up to the present time , and completing the circle. Unexpectedly. It's a nice treat. This particular special juuuust came out on November 25, and it definitely didn't disappoint. It was everything a Gilmore Girls fan could want, with all of the eccentric characterizations and Stars Hollowism's that you could dream of. It made me laugh, it almost made me cry (I was close, though!), and it for sure gave me all the warm and wonderful feelings of joy, and great soundtrack music that I came to expect from this program. If you didn't like the show originally, chances are you wouldn't appreciate the additional four episodes that we old school fans

6 Black Male Journalists That Fascinate Me, Lately

Image
Black male journalists: there are many. Across mediums. Across genres. Across disciplines, and of various generations. But these six in particular have been main sources of news, information, jokes, and entertainment for me for the past year. To say they have fascinated me isn't to say that I agree with all of their perspectives or personas 100%...but this fascination led me to tune in , to YouTube them, Google them, and to stay up-to-date on their musings and declarations. 1) VAN JONES He is the black man of the hour . The voice of passion, the one tugging at our heart strings, and the winner of the pre- and post-election coverage, as far as I'm concerned. He moved everyone with his tearful "whitelash" statements after Trump was declared the winner of the media war, and he has continued to speak logic, fact, and with a very rare sincerity that is hard to come across on television. The brother is extremely likable , to say the least. And intelligent. Raw, an

Masai Ujiri's "Giants of Africa" Documentary at TIFF

Image
God bless Masai Ujiri. I knew that I had to see the documentary based on the Toronto Raptors' president's organization " Giants of Africa " as soon as I heard it would be featured at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year.  As a fan of the Toronto Raptors , one can't help but be proud to see how in just a few years the team has transformed into a powerhouse within the NBA. The fan base has expanded exponentially, media coverage, merchandise, awareness, and overall excitement for the Toronto home team has been electrifying to say the least. Basketball lovers around the world have witnessed the phenomenon that is "Jurassic Park," and viewers outside of our country have taken notice of the Raps in a real way. Masai is a huge part of this change , and this energy, and his influential hand has touched more than just the world of professional sports. Giants of Africa--the organization--is exactly what people in positions of

Nick Cannon's "King of the Dancehall" Movie at TIFF

Image
It ain't Shottas . It ain't Dancehall Queen , and it ain't The Harder They Come . Slightly closer to Belly , and very far from Cool Runnings . That being said, writer/director/producer Nick Cannon went hard with his movie King of the Dancehall , released on September 11 at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). No: he doesn't speak with a Jamaican accent (phew!), and yes: the movie is thoroughly entertaining. This film was definitely electric and definitely gave viewers an inside look at Jamaica and the world of dancehall music and movement. I will give Nick Cannon credit where credit is due: this is a good movie. And it's funny! In fact, just minutes into the movie I was wide-eyed and excited to hear dancehall music through the speakers of the Scotiabank Theatres in downtown Toronto. I was pleased to see images of Jamaica, beautifully arranged, and I was thankful that the 35-year-old American superstar took the time to visit, study, and communicate the