So Summer’s Eve has a new marketing campaign for their line of “feminine” washes and deodorants called “Hail to the V!” And, just to be clear, that “V” is for vagina! If you visit their website you can take a quiz to “ID the V” and get your hands on a “Vagina’s Owner’s Manual.” In case […]
Category: Film & TV
Hateration, Holleration
I’m not trying to be the grammar police, but I really think some words just need to be retired. Take, for instance, “swagger,” or simply “swag.” I mean, once a word becomes connected to a scent that your grandfather used back in the day, it might be best to let that go. (Sorry, PawPaw). “Hater” […]
Sex, Scripts, & Single Ladies
I’ll admit it. When VH1’s scripted dramedy Single Ladies premiered a few weeks ago I had very low expectations–so low, in fact, that I forgot it was even coming on that night. It wasn’t until I logged on to my Facebook and saw a bunch of statements like, “OMG!” “He said what?” “Stacey Dash is how […]
Arielle Loren Asks “Is Beyonce the Face of Contemporary Feminism?” My Response
We need to be clear about who we are trying to be equal to. In her blog post Arielle Loren asserts that most women do not identify as being feminists even if they share its core ideologies, that there has been a shift in the contemporary agenda for women’s equality and that women are tired of rhetoric […]
Ode to Dark (Skinned) Girls
My melanin proficiency has often led to color complex(ion) issues brought on by my country (rural) upbringing in a community (and country) fascinated (via the hegemonic influences of beauty) with my yellow-skinned sister with looooooooooooooooooooong hair and generally ambivalent with me (and my dark skin and short/er hair). They (the adults and other children in […]
Musings on (the day after) Mother’s Day
Happy Mother’s Day to CF’s Asha, Sheri, Rachel, Whitney & Chanel! Happy Mother’s Day to all Mamas! As a graduate student, with a penchant for procrastination, I watch a lot of reality TV. In particular, I watch a lot of shows on Bravo that point out the hardships of being rich, white, and woman in […]
Nene vs. Star: Black Women & The Vulnerability of Anger
The first season of The Apprentice brought with it an impressive black woman (Omarosa Manigault) who deconstructed her brilliance to pacify an audience that seeks (if not requires) black women to fit a particular prototype on television. Omarosa embodied what Patricia Hill Collins would designate the black lady, a black woman whose intellect and success […]
I Will Follow – A Movie Review
My bestie Yolo and I decided to see the movie I Will Follow after hearing rave reviews from friends. We were a bit taken aback because the movie was well… good! There were queer characters not caricatures, complex family dynamics, and emotional tenderness. We liked it so much we made a video blog documenting our […]
Really Regis?!
Dear Regis Philbin, Please watch this video of YOU, Regis Philbin, co-host of Regis and Kelly, SMACKING NICKI MINAJ’S ASS! I’ll wait… No I won’t, min 3:40 Other Crunk women of color have waxed poetic about this so I won’t belabour the point. It doesn’t matter that her last name is Minaj or that she’s […]
On #ForColoredGirls *Spoiler Alert*
I got to see an advanced screening of Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls promoted as a fundraiser for Sistersong and Sisterlove, two of my favorite social justice organizations and collaborators in a campaign called Trust Black Women. Before the film, Loretta Ross, black feminist warrior activist, described their work to get billboards taken down in […]