Kobe Bryant's Film Mentors Are Two Legendary Black Women

Kobe Bryant is the first professional athlete, and the first Black person to ever win an Oscar for Best Animated Short film. He took home the prize for his film, Dear Basketball. The film is based on a letter he wrote to The Players' Tribune on November 29, 2015, announcing his retirement from basketball. "The hardest thing for an athlete to do is to start over," Bryant said as he stared at his Oscar in shock backstage at the 90th annual Academy Awards. He described winning the award as a better feeling than achieving any of the five championships that he won during his career in the National Basketball Association. Bryant has always known that he's wanted to tell stories. However, moving from the court into film world was no easy task, especially considering the rhetoric that suggests athletes should simply shut up and dribble. "To be here right now gives me a sense of validation," the former Laker explained.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Franchesca Ramsey And Director Kaitlin Fontana On The Comedy Docuseries, 'Franchesca' (Sundance Interview)

Franchesca Ramsey is returning to her roots. The ever-poised and polished YouTuber is dressed in bright colors and sports and a bold lip in the midst of the grey and white background of Sundance Film Festival. The comedian, YouTuber, journalist, actress and producer has returned to the film festival for the second year in a row with her new comedy docuseries, aptly titled Franchesca (at least for now.) This isn’t the pilot Ramsey recently sold to Comedy Central, Franchesca is something else entirely. A short form series which premiered under Sundance's inaugural Indie Episodic section, Franchesca combines beauty and culture in the brilliant candid way Ramsey has mastered. Sitting with director Kaitlin Fontana, the women speak enthusiastically about the origins of the series. “It was really collaborative," Ramsey explained. “My manager introduced me to Kaitlin. They worked on a project together. I had a development deal with Topic to create something. We just weren't really sure what we wanted to do, but we knew we wanted it to be very different from anything else we'd seen. I loved the idea of exploring beauty and culture because that was how I got my start on YouTube. I started making videos in my bathroom, and it really came out of the fact that there weren't any natural hair videos. I needed help styling my hair and I didn't know how. I was just very fortunate that I built an audience because there wasn't anyone else doing it. Even though I wasn't an authority, I think people connected with my passion and my honesty.”

Fontana was also interested in making sure the series stretched and expanded further than beauty and culture -- examining some of the things Ramsey deals with on a daily basis as a Black woman in the public sphere. “I think that that's an interesting and important part about the pilot," she expressed. “Online abuse is something that Franchesca absolutely deals with. One of the first things she said in the pilot is, 'No I'm not going to deal with this today. I'm hanging out with my friend today.' I think that's such a part of women's lives. To compartmentalize so much of what we're doing.”

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Producer Datari Turner Talks Bringing 'A Boy. A Girl. A Dream.' To Life (Sundance Interview)

We’re taught to lean into to love — to let dreams and possibilities consume us. The paralyzing fear the comes with jumping in head first is rarely explored. However, Qasim Basir strips down the fairytale with his gorgeously shot A Boy. A Girl. A Dream. Omari Hardwick and Meagan Good stand at the center of the film as Cass and Frida, two strangers spiraling toward one another in the midst of an election night that would jolt the world awake. For producer Datari Turner who has worked in the entertainment industry for two decades, it was a story that he needed to be a part of. A day after the film premiered at Sundance Film Festival, I sat with Tuner on a hotel balcony overlooking the snowy mountains of Park City to chat about the film. For the Oakland native, returning to Sundance was like coming home. “I've had six films in the festival in the last seven years, and my company has produced 30 films,” he explained. “Q and I met here six years ago at a dinner that Ava DuVernay put together. I was here at the time with a film called LUV. Ava was here with a film called Middle of Nowhere. Omari was in Ava's film, and Meagan was in LUV. Q and I met, and we stayed in contact over the years, and always talked about projects. As a man of faith. I always feel like everything happens when it's supposed to happen. A year and a half ago, Q called, and he was like, ‘I’ve got a love story, and it's sort of in the vein of a Love Jones meets The Notebook.’ I read it and what drew me to the project was that it was about two people who had given up on their dreams. I read an article that said 8% of the people in our country are actually doing things that they love, and that really struck a chord with me. So many people move to LA and New York and Atlanta to pursue a dream, and then real life sets in.”

Love also drew Turner to the words on Basir’s page. “Obviously love makes everything work,” he reflected. "It doesn't matter what color you are, race, or class, you're either chasing love, in love, falling out of love, or wanting to be loved more. Love is the thing that we all deal with every day in some way. Those were the things that really drew me to it, and then the election happened.”

The election of Donald Trump was paralyzing, his victory ringing out like an atomic bomb that no one saw coming. “We had already been developing A Boy. A Girl. A Dream. and moving forward with the project before the election happened," Turner explained. “I would say, I couldn't really remember any time in my lifetime where the country had been more divided, it was just a really polarizing night. I would say in modern day history, it's probably the most polarizing night. Everybody had an opinion about it. Qasim, he was calling me during the night. He's like, ‘I can't believe this is really happening.’”

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Why Is There No Black Press At The Sundance Film Festival?

Sundance is the most prominent film festival in North America with thousands of films screening each year. This year, Black representation in the programming slate has been explosive. From projects like Sorry to Bother You, Blindspotting, Hale County: This Morning, This Evening, Two Dope Queens, Francesca and many others, there are so many projects to screen and write about — effectively putting them on the world's radar before many of them even receive distribution. However, as I stood in the press lines each day, or in waiting rooms before my interviews, I was one of the only people color. Aside from Black Girls Nerds Editor-in-Chief Jamie Broadnax, and her crew, Sundance seemed void of writers from Black publications covering the various films and events. But why is that this case?

On Sunday, the fourth day of Sundance 2018, I sat in a packed theater having just screened the forthcoming Netflix film, Come Sunday. The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Condola Rashad, Danny Glover and Lakeith Stanfield and tells the true story of Bishop Carlton Pearson, an evangelical megastar whose life-altering epiphany shifts his entire theology. The film stemmed from an episode of NPR’s This American Life. Though the film boasts almost an entirely Black cast, the director, writers and producers were all white. Both the cast and crew were on stage for a Q&A after the screening, when someone from the majority white audience blurted out, “We want to hear the people of color speak on stage, no more white people!" The crowd immediately quieted until Stanfield took the mic and jokingly broke the awkward silence. Up until that point, none of the actors of color has spoken.  As I chuckled to myself, I realized, that however uncomfortable that moment may have been, it raised several questions about Black stories and who gets to present and speak about them to the world.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Aramide Tinubu Moderates ‘Miss Sharon Jones!’ ‘Apple Talk’ w/ Sharon Jones & Director Barbara Koppl

WATCH THE APPLE TALK HERE

She’s been called the female James Brown, and if you haven’t heard her voice yet, when you finally do, your soul will recognize it. Grammy Award nominated soul singer, Sharon Jones (of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings) will be at the Apple Store in SoHo NYC with Academy Award winning director, Barbara Kopple on Tuesday, July 26th at 5PM ET.

The duo will be discussing the documentary “Miss Sharon Jones!”, which is set to debut in theaters Friday, July 29th. Clips from the film will be shown, and there will be discussions about Sharon Jones’ midlife rise to stardom, despite being continually turned away in the entertainment business.  We will also discuss her continued battle with cancer, her ongoing tour, as well as her new single “I’m Still Here”. I will be moderating the ‘Apple Talks’’Q&A, which will also be recorded for iTunes’ “Meet the Filmmaker” Podcast.

For more information, and to RSVP for the event, please click here.

Image: Apple

Vh1 Quoted Me In A Commercial For 'The Breaks'

Last month, I wrote a review for VH1's original movie "The Breaks" for Indiewire's Shadow and Act. Yesterday, I was watching a "Fresh Prince" marathon that was airing on a network and I noticed the pulled my quote for a commercial on the film. How amazing is that?!! Check it out here.

So NBD but that Indiewire quote at the end, "'The Breaks' is... well-acted, and speaks to anyone who ever had a dream." That's mine!!!!! http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/review-vh1s-the-breaks-is-a-hilarious-tribute-to-hip-hop-and-dreams-premieres-tonight-20160104 #casuallyecstatic #shadowandact #chocolategirlreviews #chocolategirlinthecity #VH1 #thebreaks #blackfilm 😁😁😁☺️🎞📺💻

A video posted by Chocolate Girl In The City (@midnightrami) on Feb 2, 2016 at 8:20am PST

Visiting the Curaçao Set for Ernest Dickerson’s Latest Feature Film 'Double Play' Was a Journey Rife With History and Understanding

History is often told through the perspective of those who are in power. So much of what is written erases the experiences of those who are marginalized in society. With his arresting and groundbreaking novel, “Double Play”; Curaçaoan author Frank Martinus Arion gave the world a unique view into the island of Curaçao and its culture. Nearly 45 years after the novel was first published, acclaimed Director Ernest Dickerson (“Juice”, “The Wire”, “The Walking Dead”) and Executive Producer Lisa Cortes (“Precious”) are bringing this story to the big screen. Using Curaçao not only as a backdrop for the story, but also weaving its traditions throughout this exquisite tale, Dickerson and his team have begun bringing this story to life.

Shadow and Act was recently invited to visit the set of “Double Play” in Curaçao where I spoke with Dickerson, Cortes, and the majority of the film’s cast.

tepping foot on the tiny island, which is recognized as a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the richness of the place is evident. The multitude of colors and faces shows a story of migration, enslavement, perseverance and settlement. On the journey to the set, we encountered both half constructed homes with crumbling facades, along with much larger buildings behind gates.  This paradox raises a number of questions and begs that Curaçao’s past be told.

“Double Play” is a story of an older gentleman named Ostrik, his return home to Curaçao after many years away, and his childhood reflections. Set around a daylong game of dominos played between Ostrik’s father Bubu and four of his friends, in 1973, Ostrik recalls the events that dramatically shaped his formative years. Black men congregating within competitive spaces is an age-old scenario. However, the combative nature of Curaçaoan dominos makes this setting all the more unique.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: E.J. Dickerson

'Underground' Sneak: Heroic Slaves in a Story About Freedom Rarely Told in American History

Last month I was invited to Memphis, Tennessee to screen the first episode of the WGN Americas’ upcoming series “Underground”. Stepping off the plane and making my way through the airport, I felt as if I had been jolted back in time. Memphis is one of those places that seem to be frozen in a specific era, steps behind other cities across the country; especially a city like New York. The evening I arrived, I made my way to Blues City Café, a restaurant recommended by my hotel concierge. As I walked along the deathly quiet streets alone, I realized this was one of those rare places that forced you to slow down and really absorb what was happening around you.

The next evening, I made my way to the press screening which was held in the National Civil Rights Museum. The museum is built around the former Lorraine Motel, where Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Walking up to the museum door, you see not only the balcony where MLK Jr. last stood, but also the room where his assassin hid. To say it was eerie is an understatement. I’d arrived at this particular place to see the first episode of a series surrounding the lives of slaves who lived on a Georgia plantation in 1857. Still, the ride that “Underground” took me on that evening was nothing like I had expected. Though I am anxious to share more of my thoughts on the first episode, I will wait until we get closer to the series premiere to share more.

Until then, here are some highlights from the panel of cast and creators, including, actors Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Alano Miller, Amirah Vann; creators, Misha Green and Joe Pokaski, as well as producer Mike Jackson and the museum’s Director of Interpretation, Collections and Education, Dr. Noelle Trent.

On Coming to “Underground”

Jurnee Smollett-Bell: The way my agent described it was as a TV show about slavery. It wasn’t until I read the script that I thought, oh I get it, this is not what I thought it was.  I wouldn’t have done this if it were something that we’ve seen before because it’s already been done and done well. What excited me so much about ”Underground” is that this is a narrative we haven’t seen.  The Underground Railroad is a paragraph in our history books and the name that they mention is Harriet Tubman.  And for me, it was incredibly exciting to see these stories played out. These are untold stories and voices that we have never heard from.

Alano Miller: I think I was with Jurnee on this because I thought, I don’t know if this is going to be possible.  But obviously the script is just amazing. I think what made me feel great about it is that it wasn’t about victims. This was a group of people who were taking ownership. They were heroes, they were revolutionaries, and they were trying to break the mold. I think that’s a story that we just don’t tell. We have to change the perspective of slavery in a sense that it is something that greatness is born out of, as opposed to, we are just beaten and destroyed. So with that, Joe and Misha brilliantly throughout the series, just keep building these superheroes up.

Amirah Vann: Going though this tour after having now done season one, I’m so proud of what we overcame. I feel too often when I was coming up, all I heard were the horrors. That’s the only thing that was echoing in my spirit and in my mind. This time around, having been able to do this series, I heard more of the heroic side of it. The same story was being told, but I was like, oh my God, we overcame that, we built that, oh they fought for that, and they believed in that. There was hope, and that’s a beautiful thing and I want to pass it on.

On Knowing the History of the Underground Railroad.

Misha Green:  I didn’t know much actually, like Jurnee said, there really is just a paragraph in our history books.  I knew that it was an amazing story, but, the more we started researching it was like, truth is stranger than fiction. We couldn’t make up the stories we were reading, the ways that these people were fighting back.  From the beginning we knew that this wasn’t about the occupation, it was about the revolution. And to know it was based in truth gave it a deeper meaning.

Joe Pokaski: I was a political science major, and all I knew about the Underground Railroad was that square you see. That was part of what really excited me about this project, was how ignorant I was to the experience. I remember thinking as a really stupid kid in junior high that if I was a slave I would just hook up with the Underground Railroad, and problem solved. What Misha and I learned as we researched, was that most slaves were either recaptured or killed; it was the hardest thing a human being could do. As a writer, you have to make up stories about people who are told they’re worthless, and put up against horrible odds. This is probably the most heroic story that has never been told in American History.

On the Key Themes In “Underground”

Misha Green: I think about what kind of world we are building for our children. I think that is definitely a theme that you see in the pilot and throughout the entire series; because I think that it’s something worth thinking about. And also, how active is you activism.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: seen at the First-Look Screening and Panel Discussion for WGN America's "Underground" at the National Civil Rights Museum, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015 in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Phillip Parker/Invision for WGN America/AP Images)

Movies My Parents Let Me Watch, But Probably Shouldn't Have

Movies were extremely important in my household growing up. My dad came to the USA from Nigeria in the late 1960s, and he watched films in order to learn about American culture. Because of that, and my determination to be more mature, there were movies that my parents let me watch at that I probably shouldn't have. I remember seeing sex scenes and drugs on screen, and totally not understanding what was happening. That was probably for the best, considering the fact that I was one of those kids who asked a ton of questions all the time.

At first, my parents were adamant about not exposing us to too much too soon; however, they got more and more lenient as we got older. And it's the same story in so many other households. As children, we were all too naive to truly understand what it was that we were watching — and sometimes our precociousness and curiosity led us to sneak up late to see quite a few films that we were way too young to see. That's childhood in a nutshell. So, for those of you who might have forgotten, here are nine movies that your parents may have let you watch, despite the super mature subject matter.

Dirty Dancing

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK_i5r1WJk[/embed]

I watched this film with my mom when I was about 10 or 11 years old. It's still one of my favorites, but, at the time, I remember being equally horrified and intrigued by all the humping on the dance floor. It took years for me to understand that Penny had a botched abortion; I thought for years that she was just ill or something. Luckily, I grew up and learned a bit more about life.

Titanic

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCy5WQ9S4c0[/embed]

My parents probably let me watch this because of the historical references and because it's a freaking MASTERPIECE. We were all quite uncomfortable during Kate and Leo's sex scene; however, what I remember most is being devastated by Jack's death. I'm sure my dad made me go to my room because I couldn't stop weeping.

Save the Last Dance

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhAxDeSxYbQ[/embed]

I begged for weeks for my parents to let me see Save the Last Dance. After all, it was set my hometown. They probably shouldn't have allowed it, though, because I remember being extremely fascinated by the very tame sex scene in the film. My friends and I rewound the movie a hundred times, watching it over and over again.

The Godfather

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY1S34973zA[/embed]

To my dad's credit, I don't think he was paying attention to the television when I watched The Godfather for the first time. I remember being both riveted and terrified that the Corleone family had roots in Chicago. I had to wait for years until I saw the rest of the trilogy.

Thirteen

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dad4-gQfhMs[/embed]

Ironically, the film Thirteen came out the year that I turned 13. The things the girls were doing in that film weren't even on my radar.

Patch Adams

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZqGA1ldvYE[/embed]

I'm pretty sure Patch Adams was the first PG-13 film I was ever given permission to watch. I don't remember it well, other than the fact that a woman dies in the film, and there was an epic shot of the late great Robin Williams' buttocks. Clearly, the film was way too mature for my grammar school sensibilities.

What's Love Got To Do With It (1993)

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbzbd2wUGao[/embed]

It took me a long time to see Laurence Fishburne as anyone other than Ike Turner. What's Love Got To Do With It? is a magnificent portrayal of Tina Tuner's rise to fame, but her abusive and volatile marriage to Ike Tuner is portrayed in all of its gory detail. It's not a film any child should be subjected to, even if they, like me, were sneaking up to see it.

The Color Purple (1985)

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d83NnlL83mc[/embed]

After sneaking my mom's paperback copy of Alice Walker's novel into my room and reading it in middle school, my mom gave in and let me watch The Color Purple with her. I didn't understand everything that happened to Celie, but what I did see was horrifying.

Though I'm pretty adult-ish, there are still some films that I wouldn't watch with my parents today, The Wolf of Wall Street definitely comes to mind. Luckily, when I saw a lot of these films for the first time, I was too naive to be embarrassed.

Image: Lionsgate

ABFF 2015: Creators, Producers & Showrunners Talk Breaking into the Industry, Staying Encouraged, Being Mainstream + More

Over the years, we’ve dealt with pushback against Black stories being told on the big and small screens. At this year’s American Black Film Festival, a panel of creators, producers and writers of some of the most riveting shows on television shared their experiences and words of advice as Black content creators. Panelists included, Janine Sherman Barrois ("ER," "Criminal Minds"), Chris Spencer ("Real Husbands of Hollywood"), Mara Brock Akil ("Girlfriends," "Being Mary Jane") and Salim Akil ("Soul Food the Series," "The Game").

Shadow and Act was present for the lively discussion. Here are some highlights.

On Becoming A Showrunner

Chris Spencer: I guess it just came to me. As an actor we are out there auditioning, and we are trying to impress people. They stopped liking me. I was working with the Wayans and Keenen (Ivory Wayans), told me “You need to create your own lane, your own empire.” So, I started writing. I started doing a lot of writing for comedians, whether it was their standup specials or if they hosted an award show. I wrote for Kevin Hart, Cedric the Entertainer, Mike Epps, Chris Rock, I was always one of the guys they would call upon to start writing. So I was fortunate that when I was writing for Kevin Hart and the 2012 BET Awards, I came up with this little sketch called “The Real Husbands of Hollywood”. It took off because it was brilliant.  It went viral, so people were taking that little itty bitty sketch and showing it to all of their friends, they were creating fake Facebook accounts, and fake Twitter accounts, and there were petitions to get the show on TV. So when it sold, I became a creator and then a showrunner, but it wasn’t as if I sat back and said that one day I wanted to be a showrunner.  My goal was to be Eddie Murphy.

Mara Brock Akil: I wanted to be a showrunner. I knew I wanted control of the story, and I found out later that the name of that person was called a showrunner. I got to meet my mentors, Ralph Farquhar (Mosesha, The Parkers) and Mike Weithorn (South Central, The King of Queens), and when I figured out who they were, I knew what it was that I was supposed to do. I just sort of marched toward that. It’s funny that Janine is sitting here because she was an integral part in my transition from being a production assistant (PA), which is like the entry level role for a writer. Janine was Ralph’s assistant. Janine and Ralph’s other assistants were the advocates for me. The were putting my script in front of Ralph and when I got three seconds with him I was able to pitch myself as a writer for South Central.  When I saw South Central, that was the kind of TV show I knew I wanted to write and I knew I wanted to be apart of. But you have to first take that first step. So I wanted to publicly thank you [Janine]. I know I’ve thanked you in person. I had help, is what I’m trying to say.

Janine Sherman Barrois: You came sort of right before that. I was going to say you helped me, because when I saw you and Gina [Prince Bythewood], I was like oh my God, I want to do that.

Mara Brock Akil: Yes, that was when we were doing South Central. So literally like, Gina Prince Bythewood (Love & Basketball) was at that table, Kathleen McGhee-Anderson (Lincoln Heights) was sitting at that table, Micheal Weithorn, Ralph Farquhar, Gary Hardwick (Deliver Us From Eva, The Brothers), they were all sitting at that table. And Janine, you were right across the way and we all had each other’s backs. Even Tracey Blackwell was a PA at the same time. Tracey Blackwell is now an executive at The CW. Tracey was an assistant to Tom Nunen, who was at UPN and Kelly Edwards was an executive. My point is, the advocacy for me came not from higher ups, but from people on the ground, my peers who wanted the same thing that I wanted, helped me to get Ralph’s attention.

Salim Akil: I was just hustling and grinding. I actually got a film made and it went to Sundance, and after Sundance, Showtime reached out to me and asked me what I wanted to do next. And that took awhile. I wanted to make another film, but I was broke. So when Showtime called, I had something I wanted to do next and they liked it. I was going to produce it and John Singleton (Boyz n the Hood) was going to direct it, but that never happened. So Showtime said, “Well, look, we have this show that we’re about to do called Soul Food.” They asked me if I would go in and interview for a writing position, and I did. And to Mara’s point, one of Mara’s best friends, Felicia D. Henderson (Sister, Sister, Gossip Girl), was the showrunner and I got the job and worked there. I think I started at the lowest point, like a staff writer position. Felicia sort of became my mentor so; she asked me at the end of the first season what I wanted to do. And I said, “Well, I want to direct next season.” She laughed at me.  But, sure enough as a story editor, I wound up directing two episodes and then Felicia left in the third year and she asked me what I wanted to do, and I said, “Well I want to run the show, since you aren’t running it.” She really was an advocate for me to run the show, and I wound up running it. That’s how I got into it. I just felt like it was management, but then when I got into it, I realized it was much more. It was fun.

Janine Sherman Barrois: I guess like I was saying, watching Mara, watching Gina Prince and all of these other people, I just said, “This is what I want to do, I want to do what Ralph Farquhar is doing.” I didn’t get a writing break on South Central, but I got a break because I was around people as an assistant. And from that job, I went on to assist different people and eventually got into the Warner Brothers program. Warner Brother’s has a writing program that finds talent and acts as a colander to business. So I was in that program, and from that I got staffed on Lush Life, a show from Yvette Lee Bowser when she was doing Living Single, and that only lasted about six episodes, and then I got hired on to The Jamie Foxx Show and I did that for two or three years. And after Jamie Foxx, I got hired on The PJs, and so I did that for a couple years. Then, I wrote a movie that got the attention of John Wells, who is one of the biggest television dramatic producers.  He was doing The West Wing and Third Watch at the time, and he hired me; and that was sort of my big break.  I spent the next five years on Third Watch, the next four years rising up to executive producer on ER and then my former boss who created Third Watch hired me as an executive producer on Criminal Minds. And so it is this sort of advocacy of people who have seen your work who fight for you, because you need mentors.

Continue Reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: ABFF 2015 "Life of A Showrunner" Panel

Apparently Some People Think TV Is “Too Black”

I’m an avid reader of Deadline. As a cinephile and TV lover it’s a fantastic resource to the goings-on in Hollywood. It’s how I learned that Bradley Cooper wants to direct and star in a remake of A Star is Born alongside Beyoncé. Unfortunately, information wasn’t the only thing to hit my inbox yesterday. Deadline’s TV editor Nellie Andreeva penned a piece entitled, “Pilots 2015: The Year of Ethnic Castings- About Time or Too Much of Good Thing?” I immediately found the title troubling. Right now there approximately six shows on networks with Black leads. Scandal, Empire, How to Get Away with Murder, Blackish, Being Mary Jane and Tyler Perry’s lineup on OWN. Seriously, that is all. We have watched nearly all-white television for well-over a decade and when we finally get television that looks more like America in general, Ms. Andreeva is offended? I won’t even get into her use of “ethnic” here because… ugh.

Continue reading at Blavity.com

Guess Ya'll Finally Learned Today

It kills me when certain shall I say, "mainstream" folks  wants to cry foul when someone calls them offensive and/or racist. They want to run around and talk about their Black or Latino BFF or their trip to Africa. But in their heart of hearts, many of them still view us (minorities) as others.  We will always be people unlike them; less human. To too many of them we are simply people to be made fun of; the brunt of their jokes. Now, I'm in no way condoning these terrorist threats or saying that hacking personal and private information is fine or appropriate. (Also Ms. Angelina please sit down with this I want to play Cleopatra bullshit. First and foremost you are WHITE AS SNOW (but I guess that didn't stop Ridley Scott and his trashy ass Exodus: Gods and Kings). But secondly, ma'am you can BARELY act on a good day. I enjoyed Maleficent but that's probably because I'm a six year old child at heart.

What baffles me is the fact that The Interview  got green lit in the first place. Literally MILLIONS of dollars went into this ridiculous ass film which would have probably bombed anyway, Meanwhile, Ride Along (which wasn't particularity good but still) made $134,938,200. And they were only trying to pay Kevin Hart $3 million dollars (which is pennies if you know anything about studio films and the amount of money that they typically pay leading men.)

I think that the first amendment should be taking extremely serious, I am able to say what I want and do as I please on this platform because of it.  But there is one thing that I do know, something that I think many minorities know in this country, something that those with white privilege can't seem to grasp is that all words, actions and reactions have consequences. You can not just open your mouth and say whatever you want thinking someone is going to respond favorably. Just like Black and people know we can't walk down the street an expect the police to treat us like human beings.  Just like women can't walk down the street and expect to be left alone. (SMH).

I disagree with President Obama here completely. Why would Sony release the film?  They're losing all the money on earth right now, why continue to bleed out? They are already completely humiliated and exposed why continue the circus. I'm even more exasperated I think at the fact that trash like this can be made and fantastic talented people with great scripts fantastic acting skills can;t even get a break.

I would say that the only way for people to see how absurd the film was is if the tables were turned, but we all know that Sony and Amy Pascal thinks that POTUS is simply a chicken eating, Friday watching coon. Some of the biggest bullies I've ever met have worked in the film and television industry. Likewise, though I love this country despite its numerous numerous faults America has continued to be one of the biggest bullies globally.  It's always been a game of whose dick is bigger. I guess we've all learned today that North Korea had the bigger dick, but not only that, they also have us by our balls. Like I said previously, feel free to do whatever you please, just don't be alarmed when someone lays your shit bare. Don't continue to create storms and expect it not to rain.

xoxoxo Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxox

 

PS. In an ironic twist of fate, Sony has hired scandal crisis expert Judy Smith. (Olivia Pope is based off of Ms. Smith.)

PPS: Did y'all know they even came for Denzel?!!!!

 

 

Black Like Me: On the 2014 Primetime Fall Television Line-Up

Growing up, I wasn't allowed to watch television on the weekdays.(My dad was African, reading was king.) Throughout elementary school I would sit on the school bus and listen to my friends go on and about what had occurred on any given show. (Did I mention we didn't have cable?......It was a pitiful existence.) I’d heard about the various cable shows of course but, I only had access to the basic networks and only on Friday evenings and Saturdays, if we were home.    

On the weekends, I was as thirsty as possible. Parched for some screen-time I often raced down the stairs  to beat my sister to the tv. I watched a ton of shows those blissful Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons of my childhood. After all, Black faces were aplenty. (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Matters, The Cosby Show, A Different World, Martin, Living Single, Hangin’ With Mister Cooper, The Steve Harvey Show, The Jamie Foxx Show, Good Times, etc.)

And as I got older, I got into more current shows like Moesha, Sister Sister, One on One, Half &Half, The Parkers, The Bernie Mac Show, Everybody Hates Chris, Girlfriends and The Game (pre-BET).

I watched a lot of other things too. However, I gravitated towards these particular shows because of the familiarity of the brown faces that appeared on screen. They looked like my family, like my Mama and them.  As Black people, we are not a homogenous group but there are moments, certain particularities that remain timeless and relatable.

As I moved into high school and then through college, Blackness had nearly vanished completely from both the big and small screens. Tyler Perry of course kept actors on the big screen, while period pieces and bio-pics, always found room for Black faces. (And yet as we all know, being restrained in these particular roles suffocates the black actor.)

Television however, was in even worse shape.  As I struggled with girlhood and then when puberty. I was desperate to find girls who looked like me. There was Breanna(Kyla Pratt) from One on One, Moesha (Brandy) and Vanessa (Camille Winbush) The Bernie Mac Show. However, those girls were just a bit older, a bit more refined, just a tad out of my reach.  We had Raven to go along with Lizzie McGuire, but was that enough? Not when you’re bombarded with images that are the antithesis of who you are.

I was constantly digging through the archives, working backwards to find old images of Angela Bassett or Erika Alexander. Their images weren’t always readily available; I had to be purposeful in seeking them out. It was as if we’d once again reverted to the 1960’s when everyone in a Black household went running to the television when someone Black was on screen.

Shonda Rhimes and ABC changed that first with Grey’s Anatomy(2005-) and then when she got us all together by delivering queen Olivia Pope in Scandal (2012-) And finally it seems other networks begin to follow suit.  Though it was a very short run, Megan Goode starred on NBC’s Deception(2013), and things have seems to go from there. As a television lover, I’m super excited about some of the things coming out.

I have argued with many about Black images on screen, Many people take issue with Olivia Pope’s position as a mistress, they feel that because she is one of the only Black women on screen she should be prefect (ala Claire Huxtable). However, I argue that the perfect image argument is even more tiresome then being called “chocolate” as I walk down the street.

But here’s what’s coming up in fall television.

MONDAY:

8PM EST Fox’s Gotham

This new series is a prequel to Batman. I’m not really super into the superhero world unless the man character is fine but Jada Pinkett is on TV again and that in itself is worth the look.

9PM EST Fox’s Sleepy Hollow.

Nichole Beharie is stunning; I’ve seen it for her since I was first introduced to her in Shame (2011). Though I ‘m obsessed with Buffy The Vampire Slaver and The Vampire Diaries, Sleepy Hallow isn’t necessarily my thing. Don’t get me wrong, I watched nearly half of the first season and its very well done but I guess being “grownish” I need something a tad sexier. Definitely worth the watch though.

WEDNESDAY

8PM EST NBC’s The Mysteries of Laura.  

Now this doesn’t exactly fall in line because Laz Alonzo plays Deb Messing sidekick in the show. But I shall excuse it because I live for Deb (if you haven’t seen Will & Grace then just give up on life now.) and hell I’ll watch Laz for an hour. I’m not mad at all.

9PM EST Fox's Red Band Society Based off a memoir, the story surronds a group of kids who bond during their stay at an LA hospital. Octavia Spencer stars as one of the nurses at the hospital. The story line feels a bit cheesy to me if I'm going to be honest, however Octavia can be great as long as shes not relegated to the role of "sassy" Black helper. We've seen The Help already.

9:30PM EST ABC’s Blackish

 Now, though I’m excited about this theoretically because I live for Tracee Ellis, I’m not really sure about this show. Maybe its because I feel away about Anthony Anderson, but I think the themes surrounding the show are definitely worth discussing. I’ll give it a look for sure. 

THURSDAY

8PM EST ABC’S Grey’s Anatomy

 The first of Queen Shonda’s Thursday night shows. Now I haven’t watched the show since Loretta Divine was still the Chief’s wife. I lived for it in high school but it just got to be too much for me.  Anyways’ the show is a multicultural spread . Plus there’s Jesse Williams so…yeah.

9PM EST ABC’s Scandal

Ms. Olivia Pope! When I first stumbled across this series fairly early on I knew it was something special. The fashion, the storyline, Kerry Washington herself, it was and still is all of the things. Don’t get me wrong, last season was a hot boiling mess but I’ll just chalk it up to Kerry being preggers and the writers trying to wrap things up in an eighteen-episode season. Anyway I’m still hype about it come back. (Also thank God they got rid of Columbus Short’s ridiculous ass.)

10PM EST ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder

Ya’ll Auntie Viola has her own show. She slays in general (I just saw her in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby and she was the best part of that entire fiasco of a film.) I don’t know much about the series other than it looks amaze and Dean Thomas from Harry Potter is on it but that enough to draw me to the tv.

I would say that overall, the current fall line up is not looking too shabby. It's looking much better than last year that’s for sure. I will say this however, as Viola Davis said recently, this marginalization of Black people on screen has got to stop. We shouldn't have to go seek out premiere networks like HBO, Showtime and Starz to see images. They should be ever present ever available, just as we are in real life. Images reinforce the fact that we are real, that we are human and that our existence is just as relevant and just as valuable as others.   

xoxoxo Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxox Will you be watching?

“Hey Black Girl" Part II: Thoughts on the "Dark Girls" Documentary

In my previous post I discussed my personal experiences growing up with very dark skin so now I want to get into the actual Dark Girls documentary.  In spite of my irritation with the trailer two years ago, I really enjoyed the film itself. It was very well done and I’m actually horrified that it took so long to be distributed to the public. I found that the experiences were enlightening, and the directors were sure to gain insight from a vast number of people.  Everyone from  white men who dated darker skinned women to Black people globally whose cultures were riddled with their own issues concerning skin color (skin bleaching and the like) put in their two cents. I think what stood out to me the most in the film were two things.  One was how the disdain for dark skin was passed down from generation to generation. And secondly as always  was the opinion of Black men concerning darker skinned Black women.

I’ll address dark skin as its perceived throughout the generations in the  Black American community first.  I think that what we teach our children has the most profound impact on who they are as people. I believe that because my parents instilled in me that I was beautiful no matter what did a great service for me as an individual. If we as a people continue to hate ourselves, and our children pick up on it then of course this problem will continue to fester into the next generation and the next.

 I’ve written before that the ignorance that permeates in our community is a large part of what continues to ail us. (This can be seen when we consider education, sexual health, sexual preference, health in general and so forth). It's something that we have to unlearn so that we do not continue to foster it.)  I think once we begin to consider things that make a person great despite their physical appearance then we will begin to move forward. In the documentary, there was the cutest little chocolate girl talking her skin with her mother.  I honestly found myself rather irritated the entire time. The mother, was a lighter brown woman who essentially said that before she had her daughter she never considered the plight of darker skinned women. I can’t fault her for that, but what I can fault her for was the fact that during the duration of the documentary her daughter barely looked into the camera. She at the age of seven or eight was already ashamed of her appearance. I don’t care what anyone says, that’s not something that just learned from the outside world. That's something you pick up at home before you interact with others. The older generation and those who are having kids especially, need to unlearn their own prejudices and ignorance.

Now on to addressing Black men. Actually, I won’t address Black men, instead I’ll address Black women of all colors, sizes and so forth. I’ll specifically address myself because I’m also guilty. We as women, need to STOP allowing men to define our beauty and how we feel about ourselves. Its really that simple. Once we begin to do that a lot of these fuck boyz (definition from Crissle )will no longer be a factor in our lives. Its really disturbing that as women we have allowed them to define who we should be, how we should look and so forth when quite frankly a vast majority of them are no where near up to par. (Now that was a partial read to Black men I realize that not all of you fall into this category so I choose to address those of you who are).  As I’ve repeatedly said, your preference is your preference but do not shame or look down upon Black women who do not fit into whatever standard that you’ve molded for the woman that you want to be with. Ok that was my read. LOL

So anyway, the Dark Girls documentary was well done. Honestly its nothing that many of us “dark girls” haven’t thought of or considered before but its something that I believe everyone should see. In order to see any change we must first change our behavior as a people.

Xoxox Chocolate  Girl  in the City xoxoxoxo

Ps. If you are not subscribed to Kid Fury and Crissle's podcast The Read. You haven't lived. I recommend listening at the gym. You'll get the best work out of your life.

http://sofurious.com/category/the-read/

Milk & Honey Series

So if you don't know already, I'm obsessed with Black film and television its just kinda my ish :). So I don;t just like the stuff that goes mainstream, I like to get my hand on the more obscure stuff. So looking at my the Concrete Loop. I ran across this web series produced my Idris Elba (let's all take a moment and pause as we think of how beautiful the man is), anyway, Idris back this film company called brown paper dolls which was started by three black women from Chicago :).  So so far their are only two ten minute episodes to the series. I watched both at the same time and overall I thought it was kind of dope. Since the episodes are so short, the first episode was kind of confusing for me but, after I finished the second episode I got a better grasp of what was going on. The series thus far is really about these black women just trying to navigate their way through life & love while following their dreams. I loved the act that these women were like women I've come across in my life. They had on flyy ass outfits, they were beautiful and I could relate to some of the things that they had to say. I would say if you have about twenty minutes to spare its definatly worth looking at. Debbie Allen is in it :)

Idris said: “I decided to get involved with Milk + Honey because of the strong demand for content that is relatable and authentic” states Elba about his involvement with the project, “Brown Paper Dolls has an intuitive way of displaying positive images of women throughout the series.”

Milk + Honey Episode 1

Milk + Honey Episode 2

Give it a looksie, its some nice man candy on their too:)

http://milkandhoneyseries.com/

xoxoxox Chocolate Girl In the City.

My Thoughts on the "Dark Girls" Trailer

So, I don't know if you've heard, but there has been a lot of buzz surrounding this upcoming documentary by Bill Duke and D. Chassin Berry entitled Dark Girls. Watch the Trailer As one of the darker black women that I know I feel like I have some authority on the topic. Let me start off by saying, I understand what they were trying to do when they made this documentary and I also understand that these are only a few clips from a much larger film. So let me get into how I feel so far, I really really wanted to like this trailer and feel inspired by it, I really did. Instead I feel upset and somewhat insulted by what I saw.  During my childhood, I will go ahead and say it, one of the biggest insults that got thrown my way related to the how dark my skin was. From what I can remember it was mostly about how dark my hands and feet were compared to my classmates and other kids. I think being called a "burnt duck" because I was also rather thin and had glasses is probably the biggest insult that I can recall.  Because of incidents like this, I can say that I have had the experience of others trying to make me feel bad about myself, because of their own personal ignorance and hang ups. However, as the women began to talk about how their parents (their mother's especially) also felt that their dark skin was somehow inadequate or unclean I began to lose interest. (Some people should never have kids). I realize that many of these thoughts and feelings have been historically ingrained into the Black community and the result is a rather large chunk of color struck Black people. However, one thing that my wonderful parents ingrained in me was how beautiful I was as a person inside and out and how beautiful my skin was as well. I suppose I never personally had a problem with my own skin color, instead it also seemed to bother other people. I remember once in about seventh grade, a boy asked my why I always wore so many bright colors when I was so dark. ( If you know me you know that I love my bright ass colors.) I suppose that comment made me feel some type of way because  I began to wear only dark colors for the remainder of the year until I stopped and considered things for myself. I came to the conclusion that I loved color so I was going to wear it and I felt silly for letting someones rude comment influence me.  When it comes to dating Black men (which I must say are the only men I have yet to date), I am mostly approached with lines that have to do with the color of my skin. My personal favorite was "Aren't you afriad all that chocolate is going to melt in the sun?" Sometimes fools even just shout CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE!!! at me as I go down the street.  I can go ahead and say that I suppose it is and exotic attraction for some men which is cool. (Its that same thing when men like multiracial ambiguous looking women.)  However, others are just creepy as hell and have a dark skin fetish (which trust me is GROSS). It seems to me though that most me are just attracted to women in general and have no regard or preference for skin color etc :). Others may just simply have a preference for lighter skin women which is also cool because  if he's not looking at me then I'm certainly not looking at him. Instead of just stating this fact, the film directors had to show a clip of this ignorant buffoon saying that dark skin girls look funny besides him, and he likes light skin girls with long hair don't care. To which I would have politely responded "Negro please, you have on a five-doller hoodie from the beauty supply store", but that's neither here nor there. He could've just said he preferred lighter women. What his fool ass failed to realize is that beauty does not come in a certain shade or with a certain hair length or texture, there are plenty of unattractive and attractive people in all categories.   For example once, this fool at my school who is right about my skin tone grinned up in my face and told me that I was, "the most beautiful dark skin girl he had ever seen." Apparently he expected me to somehow be grateful and happy that he'd looked my way. Instead, I gave him my signature side eye and look of disgust and I promptly walked away.  In the Dark Girls trailer the women go on to say that though men might approach them it was always on some sort of down low type of thing. This is the part where I was most insulted and annoyed. I feel that it is each individual person's responsibility to build up some adequete self worth and self esteem for themselves. One woman talked about how some dude she talked to, would only meet her after school and around the corner and how she was never in public with him. Personally, I feel like thats what you chose to accept and with any woman if you allow a man to treat you any type of way, then he will. So in that I'm sorry I cannot understand why they would allow themselves to be treated any less then they are worth. I do realize that self- esteem is also an uphill battle for most ( I had my own struggles in puberty and even at times in high school) but, we are all human beings here so being treated like one is the first step. (Also poor self- esteem is never attractive). The trailer goes on to discuss how the subject of hair length and even texture is also a subject that can be talked about when discussing skin color. Like I discussed in my previous blog Hair my own hair was always somwhat of a sore subject with me and it is something that I have to personally work on. However, hair length has nothing to do with the color of your skin, many Black women simply do not take care of their hair properly and the constant manipulation into different styles is also harmful at times. All of the really long haired Black women that I peronally know have actually brown to dark-brown skin.  The trailer then went on to show this ignorant broad who was absolutely ridiculous.com saying that "natural hair looks unclean." I'm not even going to waste my time being annoyed, I shall simply blame her lack of education and not comment any further. The trailer ended with a woman discussing racism among members of the Black commmunity which I agree is a big problem.  Admitly, we like to hate on one another and that becomes problematic when our children are still picking the white doll from the Brown v. Board experiment sixty-plus years later because they feel that white or lighter skin is better. Once we as a people stop buying into that foolishness then other poeple will too. I also wholehardly disagree with the woman who says that we in the Black community have no tangible connection to one another. If you are Black and you don't claim it  then that seems like a personal issue to me. However, the rest of us can watch Black films and television shows and even comedy specials and at once have an intimate understanding of the content and subjects because of our collective memory and experiences. (Secretly, when I'm lonely for Black people at school (which is about 3% Black) I watch episodes of Soul Food the series).  Like I've said everyone has their prefereces and there is nothing wrong with that, but as a beautiful dark skin black woman with some decent self- esteem I'm not going to pretend that I have problems getting men or that I somehow feel less than because of my skin tone.  (If dark skin Black men are seen as some of the most beautiful people in the world, then their feminine counterpart should be right there with them.) If you want to buy into the fact that its harder because you are darker then by all means go ahead and sit at home alone, or let men treat you any type of way. The only person that you are hurting is yourself.  I really hope that the documentary is much more well rounded and less sefl-deprecating then the trailer because thus far, it seems like a pity party that I will not be attending.  Anyway as my mama use to say, "Good Black Don't Crack". Watch the trailer and let me know what you think. xoxoxox Chocolate Girl In the City

Love Jones

Basically my favorite movie of all time. As a Cinema Studies student I study films and television and trust me when i say there are some films that if i never saw them again for the rest of my life it would be entirely too soon. SMH i mean seriously have you ever had to stare at the same image from an hour as the camera slowly panned out. LOL Im not spending a ridiculous amount of money at NYU to fall asleep in class. Anyways back to the best movie of all time. I literally could watch this movie every single day and never grow tired of it. This may sound pathetic but I will go ahead and admit that I spent this past Valentines Day alone in my NYU dorm chowing down on Mexican Food and watching the film for the millionth time. It was a fabulous time. Anywhoo if you're interested and I hope that you are peep the review below and then if you haven't seen it NETFLIX that bad boy ASAP:

Love Jones

In describing her experience with Black Cinema, Black female filmmaker Julie Dash (Daughters of the Dusk) said, “…some people assume that because they’ve never seen or heard of something then no one has…it doesn’t exist.” It seems to me that according to Hollywood, Black people don’t even like one another, which means there is certainly no room for love and romance between them. What is so brilliant about Theodore Witcher’s first and only film is the authenticity that he brings to the screen regarding the lives of urban young Black people; an authenticity almost never seen in Hollywood. According to the scholar Amiri Baraka, “Witcher apparently wants us to recognize these verbal exchanges and their accompanying bodily attitudes with a contemporary performance–oriented African American culture.”

Using black and white photographs of Chicago’s still very racially segregated South Side, Love Jones opens, immediately thrusting the viewer into the urban space of Black Chicago in the 1990’s. Darius Lovehall (Larenz Tate) meets Nina Mosley (Nia Long) in a neo-soul poetry café. Neither individual is too much focused on their love life; their careers seem to be at the forefront of their consciousness. But alas, we humans typically succumb to the desires of the flesh. Initially, their relationship is not really a “love thang”, though the sex is good; Nina and Darius realize their connection is a bit more than causal.

What I find most interesting about the film is that initially, Witcher allows his characters to step out of their traditional gendered roles. Nina approaches Darius outside of the poetry café on the night that they first meet. Despite the fact that he is with a group of his mostly male friends, she boldly checks him out, giving him the once over, typically reserved for the male gaze. Darius on the other hand, though masculine in his assertiveness, is also depicted as extremely sensitive. On their first date, he’s attentive and caring to Nina, even cooking her a cheese omelet the next morning. However, as their relationship continues, the couple reverts back to their traditional gender roles, which makes for the main conflict and tension in the film. Witcher has enough confidence in his material and in his audience to allow us to watch the relationship deteriorate, moving from the new and exciting to the mundane and emotionally unbearable.

The only major issue that I have with the film is that during a hiatus with Darius, Nina goes out with his homeboy Hollywood. Really?! Witcher loses me for a moment here. Nina reacts as if she does not realize Wood has a sexual interest in her and she’s simply being led to believe that they are just “chillin”. Witcher in this instance strips Nina of any redeeming qualities that I so related to, she’s suddenly pathetic and ridiculous seeking any male attention that comes her way. Nina is not even framed as if she were trying to get revenge on Darius, which would have made the most sense to me.

Otherwise, the film is near perfection, Lisa Nicole Carson (Ally McBeal), Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy) and Bill Bellamy (How To Be A Player) add brilliant humor and dialogue. Larenz Tate (Menace II Society) is at the peak of his career and Nia Long (Soul Food) is stunning and wonderful as always. The Chicago backdrop versus the typical New York or California one is also a refreshing and welcomed change. The steamy sex scene alone, with Maxwell crooning in the background, makes my lower regions tingle, and makes the film worthwhile in itself. Love Jones may never be a place you’ve ever been, but it will not leave you disappointed.

Physics this shit ain’t. Love…passion doesn’t make sense. It just is.

Citations

George Alexander, Why We Make Movies: Black Filmmakers Talk About the Magic of Cinema (New York: Broadway Books, 2003), 237.

Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr. “Muzing New Hoods, Making New Identities: Film, Hip-Hop Culture, and Jazz Music” Callaloo, Vol. 25, No. 1(2002): 318