It’s only the middle of the month, but November has proven quite challenging for the images of Black women in popular culture and the media. By “challenging”, I mean we’ve taken a full on public flogging, having our chastity, intelligence, desirability and humanity come into question. The assault – which previously would only come twice […]
“You can’t handle the truth!!!” It would appear that this was the case on the Bethenny Show, a program on TV that I wasn’t even aware existed until 2 days ago. I am familiar with Bethenny Frankel who is a product of one of The Real Housewives franchises. I never cared much for her persona […]
I was catching up on the Colbert Report this weekend. I like to watch the entire week of the show in one go on Hulu. This Thursday Stephen Fry was Stephen Colbert’s guest. The two have a mutual admiration and affinity for each other, which is always a pleasure to watch. Cable TV is generally […]
Dear (and I use the term loosely) Yvonne, I was going to title this “Open Letter to Yvonne Okoro”, but with the spate of celebrity open letters clogging the interwebs these days, I decided against it. Besides, nothing gets another African woman’s attention like a sharp “herh!!” thrown in her direction. I am not writing […]
One of my favorite things about blogging has been that is has given me the opportunity to meet some really wonderful people. Most of the relationships formed through the blog are digitized, of course, but every once in a while, at the confluence of magic and determination, my readers and/or fellow bloggers get a chance […]
I have come to the conclusion that Robin Thicke is a Kumasiano Borga. How can I put this in general terms for my non-Ghanaian readers to understand? Hmmm… I’ve got it. You know that guy – that ONE African – swathed in acid washed jeans, neck heavy and blistering with an overabundance of gold chains, […]
Unless you count Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo, I don’t remember the last time I watched a pageant show. I was completely put off the pageant world after the Caitlin Upton fiasco in 2007 in which the then Miss (Teen) South Carolina was asked to give answer as to why a fifth of Americans couldn’t locate […]
I wasn’t going to blog about Friday the 13th because I’m not a superstitious sort of woman. Ironically, I almost didn’t blog about anything at all today, because I was confronted early this morning with my greatest phobia on this 13th day of the month. But I soldiered on and grabbed my laptop and ran […]
I don’t have all the answers, and never pretended that I have. It must be incredibly boring to be a know- it-all, and most likely even more frustrating to live in perfect belief that you do know it all, only to discover through some mundane event (like tripping over one’s shoe lace) that you really […]
As you all know, Russell Simmons launched his All Def Digital YouTube page this week with The Harriet Tubman Sex Diaries as the debut skit. Hilarity – shockingly – did not ensue. People were pretty darn outraged. I’m sure Uncle Rush did not understand why, particularly since the skit was the “funniest thing” he’d ever […]
You’ll have to forgive me for the rather ineloquent title. Unfortunately, “Ultimate Douche Bag” is reserved for someone else whom I loathe with unbridled disdain and “bloody, sold out idiot” just seemed apropos for the moment. Because surely, this is idiotic. Have you seen this? This is Russell Simmons contribution to “comedy”: [youtube=http://youtu.be/akRu9oyJT9U] Apparently, Mr. […]
Ehhh, yes. Naa Adzokor. I sent you a tweet telling you how grateful or proud (I can’t remember which) I am that you have always stayed true to yourself. Ah yes, here it is. I wish I could say that my favorable estimations concerning your down-ness were borne from daydreams about you as a individual, […]
Eiii! It’s not me ooo. But if you do a Google search on my name, you might mistake this criminally inclined woman for yours truly. Allow me to explain. Last night I was indulging in my not-so-secret fantasy of becoming a Ghanaian script writer/call center operator. My obsession led me to Google Shirley Frimpong-Manso, whom […]
Heh. You this Idris Elba. You’ve come again, eh? Humph. I thought we had come to some sort of understanding after the Smart Water incident. Clearly, my words have fallen on deaf ears. I even tried to communicate with you using sign language, by my fingers must have encountered blind eyes as well. But you […]
Note: They’re still inbred idiots – and I by no means AGREE with their fanciful depictions of what happened that fateful night – but I understand them… and that is the point. This post contains graphic images. Be warned. There are some things that you just cannot unsee, no matter how hard you close your […]
This video has been making the rounds on social media over the last few days. This guy (whoever he is) just picked apart Zimmerman’s entire defense and all his claims about how the fight between him and Trayvon Martin unfolded, down to the minutiae. We all know George Zimmerman is a liar, and a proven […]
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and seeing, so I played it twice more. My ears were not deceiving me. Once again, Geraldo Rivera was blaming an unarmed teen for his violent, and apparently slow and painful death. Dr. Bao already confirmed that it took Trayvon Martin anywhere from one to three minutes to […]
I’m going to say some things on this post that are going to cost me some followers, some readers, maybe even some friends. I absolutely do not care. I’m going to say some things about White people. I’m going to say some things about Black people. I’m going to make liberal use of the f-bomb, […]
I’ve told you how I ended up at the university I went to, right? No? Well gather ‘round chil’run! It’s an amusing story, best told with brevity. My mother, as some of you know, was (and I think, still is) a militarized Black woman. She didn’t like White folk, but she learned to get along […]
I always wait too long to talk to my father. The last time we talked was – what? – two weeks ago? It’s to imagine I went a full two years without talking to the old man… “Yes… Abena Owusua. What do you want?” “Kwasi Gyekye. How are you this evening?” “Hmmm. I’m okay. My […]
I opened my inbox today and found a note from my favorite teacher. I was all at once excited. We have a pretty decent bond and have managed to keep in touch, even though I have not been under his tutelage in seventeen years. I tore into his message, which read this in part: Howdy? […]