princessyennenga

[princessyennenga]

Huh. So LaThoma is getting a big come up as a fitness guru as per the Today show. Right at 04:00 we learn that she will appear in a segment at a future date on the Today show's third hour.

I mean I don't particularly like her, but she doesn't get under my skin. Maybe that's because I know her type--very strategic about the kind of man she marries and not shy about making the absolute most of it. In some video running up to the wedding, she did say her parents were married for like 30 years or something and laughed about how her mother put her father through the ringer. I guess her mother taught her well chile, 'cause he already look wrung out. But let's continue. It's Thomas Grant Gustin's life and ultimately he picked her.

I'm not mad at a woman getting a check. There's worse things than being a PhD in physical therapy, marrying an actor, getting those contacts and now getting on national TV? Huh.

[princessyennenga]

This is an amazing woman.

Opera singer Measha Brueggergosman in Clemenza de Tito

[princessyennenga]

[princessyennenga]

I don't know how many times I survived myself without telling anyone.

-V. J.

[princessyennenga]

Grateful for 'Black Lightining,' But Sometimes ...

While it's a let down to see a Black-led superhero show get cancelled, there were a number of things about "Black Lightning" that put the writing on the wall almost from the start for me. Meaning the Akils' heavy handed creative choices.

1) An exhausting hyper self-awareness. Yes, the titular hero is Black and so are most of the people in his world. A lot can be communicated visually, musically, directorally and with skillful, subtle acting. But the writers apparently didn't trust in the other parts of the ecosystem to portray Blackness. The dialogue just had to make constant and sneering references to Black skin, lips, hair, slavery, Jim Crown or Black Jesus, and on and on. Here's my far out theory: This is Peak TV, supposedly, and we have different attitudes about casting. Did the writers double down on affirming the characters darker tones to preempt extreme colorism if there is ever a movie or reboot? (The mom from Raising Dion, anyone? Aunt Viv? The history of television, except the Bow's mom from Black-ish.) It leads me to point #2:

2) THE VITRIOL around Blackness!! OMG I hated Tobias Whale for his villainy, but his incessant invectives about Black skin, Black lips, Black hair and Black life in general?? And how was he like that when his sister was a dark-skinned Black woman? He wasn't the only one, but he was THE WORST. How does this show go out of its way to highlight dark-skinned Blackness and then constantly insult that?

3) Constant name dropping as a way to set up context around a character. I'm no siddity, so I got tired of Googling high-end name brands every time the writers wanted to tell us that Tobias is a criminal with 'refined taste'. We know he got money, he's a gangster and his place is sick!! Unless those brands paid for content sponsorship, I was over it.

4) Some of these plots were so convoluted and GRITTY! Yes, the Akils brought their own spin to a superhero show to the CW. But sometimes the stories and the violence were so raw, and the stories moved at a hyper speed, that it weighed the show down. Tobias Whale literally ripping out Khalil's spine, and it twitching and crawling on the floor next to him?? Beyond way too much. So much unnecessary explicitness, and my finger was on the remote trigger to flip away when that weird guard was strip searching Lynn and told her to open her legs. Nah son! Were the comics like this?

5) The episode names. I guess it was based on the graphic novel concept? Cool. But was there a way to condense the episodes into fewer books? At some point, I just wanted to know the episode number and title to refer to it on streaming in an instant. Dassit!

But here's my biggest: Why Jefferson and Lynn had to squabble for practically the entire run of the show? It was plain annoying. And what does it say about the portrayal of marriage on TV? That if you're not separated and arguing you're boring?

It's a shame because I liked the show for a number of reasons. The music slapped. The fight scenes were superb. The Jefferson home was elegant and Annessa's loft looked good. I loved a world-class scientist named Lynn!!! And the show was woke.

But a lot of those other issues did weigh down the show. This is also the second show from the Akils that I got into and they botched the ending. They just didn't stick the landing and there was ultimately no good reason for the writing and the mouthful dialogue to go this way.

[princessyennenga]

"This was the best Killer Frost episode"

Forget the "misunderstanding" about whether this was supposed to be a BLM episode or an episode about police portrayals or whatever. If "The People vs. Killer Frost," from its story arc to song choices, caused this much confusion on what it was about, then clearly Eric's failing up staff misunderstood the assignment.

AND if "the best Killer Frost episode" couldn't even hit the broad side of a barn with its messaging, plus the ratings tied with series lows, then maybe -- perhaps, ya think -- it was a mistake to send an inferior actress and a shoddy character to do a WestAllen job.

https://tvline.com/2021/05/05/tv-ratings-prodigal-son-season-2/

[princessyennenga]

Iris is going to trample Barry to get to her baby and hug her again! 

You were protecting me. I get that now. I’m so sorry for the way that I treated you. Both back then and when I first got here. You didn’t deserve that. 

[princessyennenga]

Zack Snyder: We need to highlight Iris West’s beauty with a short, curly bob, a lemony green top, and blue nail polish. 

DCTV: On it! 

[princessyennenga]

It’s warming up and WestAllen is getting out of town for some much needed vacay!  

[princessyennenga]

So pretty!

[princessyennenga]

“If you live for people’s acceptance you will die from their rejection.”

— Lecrae

[princessyennenga]

I guess Iris quoting Joe was supposed to be the proxy for her actually having a therapeutic talk with him, since they haven’t talked in forever. It’s cute or whatever ... 

[princessyennenga]

Certain audiences want all the marbles. Heaven forbid that a Black girl, even a light-skinned biracial Black girl, should find her happiness in the good-looking Bridgerton gene pool. 

Ok OKAY so having just finished season 1 of Bridgerton, (which I overall really enjoyed! lots to love!), but I had to say something about a thing they did which I’m seeing way too many people apologizing for and that is (Spoilers below)

Keep reading

[princessyennenga]

@hulklovebot: Hey I’m pretty sure you didn’t do much research into Black film before posting this and tagging T’Challa x Nakia in your complaint. What I’m saying us your frustration at all this romance in male dominated superhero films is entirely misplaced as far as Black Panther is concerned. And I’m also really sure that you cannot name more than 5 Black male dominated superhero films — because there haven’t even been that many!

The other thing here is that if you were to do a Black filmography you would hardly find much as far as Black love interests in the leading roles. You’d find Platonicsville, or older couples whose love is positioned as “cute” or they’d be tucked way in the back, usually with the light-skinned or biracial woman positioned as the woman love interest. That’s because as far as white Hollywood is concerned no one wants to see Black people in love. They are just now recognizing that Black women have been multi-dimensional for a long, long time, capable of our own ambitions, capable of heroics and being very much desired and loved.

So if you find 5-7 scattered minutes of romance in superhero movies sooo cringe, I can’t change your mind. But take a second look. The people you and your wet blanket are mad at are the whites. The Blacks haven’t even had enough representation in this area for romance to be tiresome, much less trite.

hey it’s pretty tiring having one (1) main female in a male dominated superhero movie that almost always becomes the main character’s love interest. it’s tiring! a female in a superhero movie shouldn’t have to fall into a love interest position with the main guy!! you can have female and male friendships!!! you can have a male superhero who is still single after their movie!!! there doesn’t have to be romance in a superhero movie!!

[princessyennenga]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lupita Nyong'o (@lupitanyongo) on Sep 8, 2020 at 6:07am PDT

Do yourself a favor. Stop over at Lupita Nyong’o’s Instagram page and absorb her heartfelt tribute to Chadwick Boseman. It beautifully represents who he was as a living soul in that elevated and evolved tone that reminds us of how graceful and grounded a person Lupita is, but also for me, was reassuring that Boseman was worthy of the love, and the honorific of ‘king’ that we gave him. Danai Gurira asked, ‘how do you honor a king?’ Nicole Beharie called him a light bearer and a griot. They wrote magnificent tributes. But this one sounds like it could have been delivered at a service. In a very classy turn — that’s so Lupita — she gave the last word to his wife, to remind us of who is among the most shaken by this shocking loss. You will find that this last word underscores the essence of who Boseman was. Leave it to a queen to honor him, a king, and to do it in a way that helps us manage our grief. I thank Danai, Nicole and Lupita for being so generous with their gifts. This is how you honor a king.

[princessyennenga]

I don’t if anyone has shared this but I just found it on fb and it made me 🥺

REST IN PARADISE KING 👑

credit: IG:_courtney_luv

[princessyennenga]

eddie j. shellman and virginia johnson performing as the leads in creole giselle