This morning, I was watching the Tyra show and her guests were women who bleached their skin. All of the women expressed a desire to look lighter so they can be “more beautiful”. However one woman even went as far as bleaching her young children and another woman was so desperate to be lighter skinned, she poured chlorine bleach on her face, which badly burned her (thankfully, her skin recovered and she suffered no permanent scars). Though much of the audience was shocked and disgusted, I found the entire show to be heartbreaking. Heartbreaking because in this day and age, skin colour is still an issue in our community. And even more heartbreaking because these women were told at a young age that they were ugly and not good enough the way they were. Sadly, they are not alone in their suffering. For far too long, we as black women have felt as if we are simply unlovable because we are born in the image that God made us…It’s a disease, a plague…
I felt myself relating to the women. Though I am on the lighter skinned side of the black spectrum, I have features considered “too African” and extremely kinky hair, which made me subject to ridicule as well (I speak of my experience @ the Associated Content article titled “Gateway to Beauty“). It was a long journey for me to begin to accept and love myself in the image God made me &
I hope that these women find their way to peace and self-acceptance as well.
My elation over Barack Obama becoming President of the United States has much to do with the fact that we have a First Lady in the white house who looks similar to my mother. Though there may be question as to whether Barack is really black or not (Another subject, another day. In short- I think the whole matter is retarded.), there is no doubt that Mrs. Obama is a strong, brown-skinned black lady who started off in the South Side of Chicago and is now considered a woman of the world. I think it is wonderful for our young children (especially our girls) to see Michelle’s image in the limelight because they can see themselves through her and what they have the potential to become. I know it means alot to this black girl who grew up in Southwest Yonkers…
Before this, there were few positive images of black women in mainstream society. We were the “Mammies” that took care of everyone else but ourselves. Or the “Sapphires” with loose morals and no respect for their bodies or themselves. And the typical image of a “strong black woman”? It usually came in an obnoxious, overbearing and graceless package. Michelle Obama changes all of that. By just being herself, she shows the world that a strong black woman is someone that can work her way up and become an accomplished professional, be a nurturing mother to her children and carry herself with dignity and grace as she chats up world diplomats during a fundraiser. Be a fiercely loyal partner who supports her significant others’ dreams while not letting go of her own. And the coolest thing of all she can make “everyday people” clothes look fashionable as hell…
Mrs. Obama is the quintessential “strong black woman” and believe it or not, one of many in the world…
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So what does Michelle Obama being First Lady mean to you?
Well, as we all know, today is George W. Bush’s last day in the White House. It’s been a turbulent 8-year relationship we’ve had with the guy…And well, all things must come to an end.
My parting words to the president (short & sweet):
And don’t let the doorknob hit ya where the good lawd splitcha! Hallelujah!
So any last goodbyes to Mr. Bush as he returns to Texas?
Yesterday, I discussed movies that we’re ashamed to love. Now on the flipside, today’s post is about movies you love to hate. You know, the kind of film where you often have fantasies of buying every last DVD copy of it…Only to toss them in a giant bonfire?
I am far from a movie snob, so my movie hate list is very short and sweet- only one film. That is 1998’s American History X.
Shocked and amazed that I detest such a critically acclaimed piece of work? Don’t be…Here’s why me & this movie will never be friends:
We meet Derek (played by Edward Norton), who comes from a nice working class white family in California. Mom’s a housewife, Dad is a member of the LAPD and all is well- until Dad’s offed in the line of duty by a black guy. Poor Derek becomes so grief-stricken over the loss of his father that he becomes a skinhead. Yeah. Driven by his new-found hatred for blacks and other non-white persons, Derek and his cue-ball crew take LA by storm, raiding supermarkets, protecting their turf (a basketball court) and all the other petty ridiculous things that thugs of every colour tend to do. Derek’s career as a neo-nazi was blowing up- that is ’til he’s locked up for curb stomping a black dude who tried to steal his car. Once Derek is brutally raped by his homies in the Brotherhood, he sees the error of his ways and decides to leave the skinhead way of life. A few years later, Derek is paroled & wants to get his younger bro & girlfriend out of the Aryan Nations. Girlfriend wasn’t ready to hear of Derek’s newly non-racist ways, so she kicks him to the curb. All alone, Derek faces even more tragedy at the end of the film when his brother is wacked by a black gang member in the school bathroom…yeah.
My main beef with American History X is this- The movie portrayed Derek and his neo-nazi crew as a bunch of soldiers protecting the white race from big bad darkies. Most of the black characters in the film (save the guidance counselor) were straight-up criminals who only targeted whites, including the dude that Derek popped. Let’s face it, even I had little sympathy for the moron when he met his ghastly demise. Another beef I had with the film is how as soon as Derek becomes “enlightened”, his younger brother is harassed & eventually killed by some random gangbanging punk (who was black of course) for no reason at all. It seemed to me that it was being implied that this was Derek’s punishment for becoming a “race traitor”.
A third problem I had with the film is the way that Derek was portrayed. He was seen as a good boy gone astray because his father was killed by a black criminal. As if there’s a legitimate excuse for him to have chosen the path of hatred. Newsflash- the average neo-nazi skinhead takes on that way of life because the hate just feels that damn good.
IMO, American History X is the ’90s version of A Birth of a Nation. Just another film in which white supremacy is highly romanticised.
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With my rant out of the way, what is your movie you love to hate?
We all have a movie out there that we hate to love…Complete with a horrendous storyline & obvious melodramatics that insult the intelligence of 6-year olds. However, like a trainwreck, we keep on coming back for more. Awesomely bad movies make great companions, especially on those cold, lonely nights when there’s nothing to do but stay home & order take-out or when you’re going through an awful breakup and just need to hole up in your couch to watch something, anything to distract you from the pain. Whenever you need to fill the time, that old standby is there…in the dvd shelf…Waiting to be dusted off…
Because I appreciate all things offbeat and just plain weird, there is an entire list of movies that I take deep shame in secretly loving…But the #1 flick that brings me the deepest shame ’cause of my love for it is the one & only Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970). Whose screenplay was written by none other than…Roger Ebert! O_o
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is just so brilliantly gawd-awful that it brings tears (of some unknown emotion) to my eyes…Yet, behind the cheesy storyline, the shoddy acting & the mother of all bad climaxes, there is actually a *gasp* moral to the story. So the is not completely all in vain…Cos you learn a lesson …or something.
So what is that bad film that you carry deep shame in loving so good? It’ll be our little secret.
As long as I’ve lived in New York, the one thing I can remember is how extreme the weather can get here. It’s very rare that we get to enjoy an actual Spring or Autumn around these parts, it just goes from Summer to Winter and vice versa…
Today, we face single-digit temperatures here in the Hudson Valley (so far it’s 7 degrees). With the wind chills, things will feel like 15-20 below zero. With cold like that, there is usually little-no relief from it. Despite my best efforts to layer up, I still get frostbite on my fingers, toes & ears. What is worse than the frostbite itself, is when the extremities begin to thaw because it’s quite painful. Ouch! Needless to say, I’m not a fan of winter weather.
I keep on saying to myself that I’ll own a home in Australia to evade those dreadful NY winters. One day I will…
Summers here in NY are strange as well. The heat is not so much the problem as it is the humidity. It could be 80 degrees out, which typically makes for a mellow summer day. Yet the high humidity can make 80 degrees feel like 95. Once you’re out of the house, you’re already dripping in sweat. It’s kind of gross. Only thing left to do is to go home and shower and stand over the AC…
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So do you have extreme weather in your back of the woods? Do you face burning heat in the Southwestern deserts? Or ice-cold weather in the great North? How do you relieve yourself from such uncomfortable weather? Or is there any relief at all?
Recently, I made the hard decision to resign from roller derby jeerleading, a hobby that I loved dearly. It broke my heart to do so, but a necessary decision…One that I thought long and hard over.
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What was the hardest decision you had to make recently? Why did you have to make it? Are you at peace with your decision?
The other night while I was brushing my teeth, I noticed in the mirror that my pearly whites was looking kind of er…off-white. Perhaps the years of excessive tea guzzling has finally taken its toll, but I was mildly disturbed @ the image looking back @ me…I don’t know about the rest of the world, but a mildly tinted grill is not the move.
So this morning, I made a trip up to the store and purchased a box of Crest Premium Whitening Strips. I am sans $30, but it is only a mere sacrifice for a guaranteed whiter smile in 7 days. *crossing fingers*
Do you have any over-the-counter vanity purchases you splurge on? Be it whitening strips, exfoliating scrubs, eye gel, or the cream that’s supposed to make stretch marks miraculously disappear without laser surgery? Why or why not? And has your product of choice given you satisfactory results?
In 9 days, Barack Obama will be sworn-in as the 44th President of the United States. His inauguration has generated so much interest, that an estimated 3-5million visitors are expected to drop by the nation’s capital for the event.
Do you have any plans for next Tuesday’s inauguration? If so, what are they? Are you making the trip to DC so you could be a part of history or would you prefer to watch Obama take the oath in the comforts of home? Are you dropping by an inauguration party or two (if you’re not throwing one yourself) or are you avoiding anything of the sort altogether?
As for me, I originally planned on going to DC, but thought better of the plan considering my serious aversion to cold weather & large crowds. Ergo, I will be watching the inauguration on TV…
Mrs. O.- A blog totally dedicated to Michelle Obama’s threads…If you’re a major fangirl of our future first lady, a fashionista or both, this is the place to be!
