Sunday, June 28, 2009

Let Me Show You the Way To Go


Goodbye, Michael. You will be missed and not soon forgotten. Had a brief crush on him as a young girl, that lasted maybe a month, and I soon realized the chances of us hooking up, were slim to none. I had my own love affair with music and dancing and my own journey to take in the biz. Won a contest on "Dancing Machine" and can still keep up on the dance floor. Did hook up with MJ and family, but years later on a professional level. Interesting how things happen. He won't be replaced. The music biz doesn't have that depth of talent or one who would be king. We have a Prince. Long live the King.

My people, there is a lesson in all this: reading, writing and arithmetic are the branches to the learning tree. Heed those words and you won't end up $400 million in debt, lonely, surrounded by enablers, self-loathing and too fragile to face a cruel world. And if you aspire to make it beyond that one little weak tune you call a hit, be on your game. Rise above. Have a strong work ethic, perfect your craft, remember that you're only as big as your last hit and cream rises to the top. Don't believe the hype, don't screw people, build solid relationships and to thine own self be true.

Been busy checking for news for the digest. Loads of peculiar things going on. It's a weird time-- Usher files for divorce amidst allegations of his wife cheating, his kid not being his kid and looking to another to be his queen. Hmmm...I say the skeletons are yet to be fully out the closet.

BET continues to be the worst excuse for a network--EVER! Do I blame Viacom for jackin' it up or Bob Johnson for not having the balls to be a cut above when he had it and sold it off? Yes! Tradition of lousy craptastic shows just keeps rolling on. Jeez. BET awards should be interesting with folks scrambling to pay tribute to Michael Jackson. Please let it be a retrospective in video, I don't think I can take 3 hours of off key singing, lousy dancing and crotch grabbing.

PETA attempts to swat at Obama for killing a fly. WTF?! Please. Flies are annoying, pesky creatures that eat shit. Shoo, be gone PETA.

Summer's here, school's out and kids are going wild. What happened to the Summer Mayor Youth Programs of the past that gave young folks jobs and something to do? What's up with kids beefin' and killin' each other over ownership of a crackhead? What's wrong with kids not having any respect for life or death, so much so they'll barnstorm a funeral, fight in the parlor and overturn the casket for the body to fall at the deceased boy's mother's feet, only to declare: "It ain't over" ??? My people, have you no shame? Cue music: "Who's bad?"

Tiny and what's her face get a reality show. What's up with that? And what's with I Love New York's show? Is her 15 not up? If it wasn't, then her wack show should have sealed that fate. And since when did Justin become our spokesperson? He's cool and funny, but don't we have some other folks we could call on to rep at Black award shows or to speak for us? They don't call Kanye to speak at the Country Awards on behalf of white folks, so why do we need someone to speak for us at our shows? Just an observation.

Michael--you gave us great moments, memories, hope, aspiration, laughs, conversation starters, controversy, reflection, lessons and for me--a passion for performance and production. Thanks.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Just curious


Yet another uneventful week in the land of Black folk. Obama continues to wow and do his thing. I still get misty-eyed when I see anything that covers that eventful day back in November 2008.

So I just have some observations as I go about life in the hood.

Again, why did Wendy Williams get a TV talk show? And who the hell is the fan base that the TV exec is banking on to make this a hit? And why do I want to watch it? Please refresh my memory.

And why can't we have another Black male supermodel? Tyson was too much? We can only have one? I'm done with Make Me a Supermodel--until next season (!)

And who the hell told Kanye he was special, intelligent and our poster child for all things hip and cool? Go Pink on declaring him: " a waste of skin"! Do they not have a censor for Hip Hop artists? I need to deploy the dumb-ass -rapper-need-to- put'em-in-check police squad. Jeez, watch your mouth. And don't believe your own hype. Your lyrics ain't that tight or deep, so what makes you think anything else you'd have to say would be worth listening to?

And what happened to summer jams? We need an anthem.

And when did toothless thugs start rockin' pink? Not mad at a brotha in touch with his feminine side, but thugged out and saggin' in pink ain't cute. Hold a fool up with a pink water pistol? Powder-puff slap a fool in the face? What? I don't get it. And then try to get at a woman? Oy.

And where have all the Black folks gone on TV? VH1's Charm School? And why are we still asking the same old tired questions: "Can Black women and white women communicate"? Of course any intelligent woman can communicate with another regardless of ethnicity or race. Skanks and trailer trash can't talk to anyone. Case closed. Next topic.

ESSENCE Music Fest-- who goes to this and do we not have any artists other than the same ole tired ones that keep singing the same ole tired songs to pick from? Time to bring Tea Dances and rooftop parties back. Cruisin' around the park and backyard BBQs.

Black People: We're just not cool anymore. We've been swaggerjacked.