Taylor Hicks, Taylor Hicks, Taylor Hicks!

I started to tune American Idol out a while ago. But with Mr. Hicks, somehow, I’m back in… 

 

YOU decide.

So. The people at South Park have been taking some heat for an episode of theirs. First Isaac Hayes quit. Now it’s been dropped from Comedy Central. The show in question is called “Trapped in the Closet”. I downloaded it from this site and watched it. (Under “What’s going on now”.)

I haven’t seen South Park in years. But I think the controversy is really interesting. And FWIW, the episode was funny. And a wee bit disturbing. Especially if the “This is what Scientologists actually believe” segment is accurate. 😕

“This Too Shall Pass”

A couple of years ago I signed up for Yolanda Adams’ mailing list. They sent me a note today. I didn’t pay attention at first. But God gave me the good sense to give it a second look.

The message contained a link for Yolanda’s latest video, “This Too Shall Pass”. (It’s also available on her site.) What a blessing!! This song couldn’t have come to me at a better time.

I attended a funeral earlier today. It was for someone who used to be very close to me. I loved her dearly. And though we live(d) in the same small town, I haven’t seen her for a few years. All I could think coming home from the service is, “What is wrong with me?”. Too much time was wasted, and now it’s too late.

And then there’s my career. After a few months of working as a substitute teacher, I believe it’s time to move on. I would love to have my own classroom. I pine away for it. Dream about it.

To compound matters, I live with someone who seems dedicated to harassing me about my conviction to remain true to myself. No one wants to hire me, supposedly, because of my short, nappy, natural hair.

The animosity that I have come to endure is from someone who has never been in the interviewinterviews with me. She has no idea of the anxiety that I feel.

I have an interview tomorrow for a position. Do you know what I’ve been doing? Studying, as though in preparation for an exam.

And pass or fail, I am confident that over 50% of my responses will sound intelligent.

I’m so glad I listened to “This Too Shall Pass”. Because one day, when I’m hired and this time is over, I shall laugh at the pain. For now there are moments when all I want to do is cry. And I’m tired of those.

I need to get beyond this place. Beyond where I am professionally and personally. Not having a steady job can be nerve-wracking. For, I know that God is carrying me. Yet when I fall on hard times, I feel as though I am about to break. And I’m tired of feeling so fragile.

The Gospel

The movie “The Gospel” has become my latest obsession. Yesterday I spent (wasted?) hours online, transfixed by the film’s trailer…Which looks better on Yahoo movies than the official site, btw….Its soundtrack features “Victory”…An incredible single by Yolanda Adams that should be played LOUD…It permeates my soul…And brought tears to my eyes when I first heard it…

It also seems to have an okay storyline.

While investigating, I noticed an interesting trend.

There’s a marked difference between the so-called-professional and real-people reviews on Yahoo.

I honestly can’t say anything concerning the quality of the production. I haven’t seen it yet. Regardless, there’s are certain things that I know to be true:

People are crying, dying for decent God-centered stories to be told on the big screen.

The Lord is real. Not only for me, but millions of individuals the world over.

My only hope is that it’s a good movie, and not one of those Waiting To Exhale Because I Got a love jones in tha’ Hood after meeting the Best Man who had a bag of Brown Sugar after a game of Love and Basketball* movies

*That Fantasy Movie Title was taken from a post written by Someone I Can’t Remember… Back in the days of the Fametracker forums. The topic was those stereotype-laden so-called “black” films.

We’re shooting a pick-cha*

*props to the thread on the old Fametracker forums. May they RIP.

Springtime in Toronto. You know what that means?

Movie mania. 🙂

A few weeks ago, every weekend at UTS they were shooting the Antonio Banderas flick, Take the Lead. They didn’t like the school’s steps, so they put a false front on them. There were New York Post boxes, etc.

I’ve never seen so many NYC cabs in one place at once. Even when I visited New York.

About an hour ago I went to Hart House for a workout. I passed row upon row upon bloody row of trailers. Apparently they’re shooting a television series called Beautiful People. I couldn’t find it on the IMDB, but if you click on the link provided and scroll down, you’ll find some information.

The University of Toronto‘s campus is a producer’s paradise. The architecture is gorgeous. I remember once I was walking with a friend and we noticed a group of people preparing for a wedding. She made a comment about the oddness of someone getting wed on school soil.

My thoughts?

Our campus is freakin’ gorgeous. I wish I had a digicam–I’d post pics.

Mind you. Some of the buildings are fugly. But a good 80% of what I’ve seen has been absolutely splendid.

But as I was saying… *sigh*

At this rate, I’ll be tripping over camera cables all summer.

Screw the Vote? Oh, the *irony*…

I recently visited Screw The Vote. At first glance, all I could say was “The hell…?” And then, “Oy vey.”

I don’t mean to sound too judgmental. I love the CBC. As for this Vote program, I missed the television special. Mind you, I didn’t mean to. My favorite rock star, Sam Roberts, was in one of the promos. But somehow it slipped my mind. It never occurred to me to catch up on things until yesterday.

That said, I hope the television special was successful. I hope it did a better job than the show’s web site. Because as it stands, the site has me concerned. As my beloved Sam said, “This is reverse psychology, isn’t it?” Sam, honey, I know it’s supposed to be, but…Don’t get me wrong. I think Screw the Vote is a fantastic idea. And for the CBC’s sake, I hope it pays off.

In theory, I understand what the CBC’s trying to achieve. In fact, I applaud their efforts. They’re hoping that young Canadians will see the wit, irony, and cynicism behind their Screw the Vote campaign. They want people to realize that if they don’t step up, step out, and vote (dammit!), then they’ll have no one to blame when they don’t get the political outcomes that they desire. (I’m thinking of issues such as education, health care, etc. Hell, every aspect of our infrastructure.)

But what the CBC and others are toying with is this: In the eyes of many, not voting is a perfectly viable option. Sure, you’re not subverting the system: You’re not voting for the underdog–which could be seen as better than not voting at all. But the jaded attitude that some of us have, the apathy…I think it’s grounded in a legitimate mindset. Sadly, although the CBC may have wanted young voters to “get the joke” with Screw the Vote …In all likelihood, they may have found that many of us agree with their slacker sentiments.

The CBC might have tempted fate in their attempt to appeal to the other side. Because like it or not, the “other” side’s got some teeth.

Too many politicians make campaign promises that they cannot keep. Sometimes they have good intentions. Most often, though, it seems as though said politicians are just talking tall in order to make it into office. There’s plenty of corruption and dishonesty. (And I’m not naive. I know that no one can be an angel at all times.) Still…Consider our culture’s political myths: Ideally, we’re supposed to be able to look to our politicians as paragons–honest folks who have the public’s best interest at heart. However, time and again, these ideals have been shattered. People have been looking for a model of political virtue that is not there. They’re tired, and beyond fed up.

And if you’re wondering, yes, I do vote. I voted in the last provincial election. But to this day, part of me questions my intentions. Overall, I have faith in our political system. Yet I have doubts about the whole electoral process. I still wonder whether or not I have realistic expectations.

I don’t know about you. But in an argument, I like knowing that my opinion will at least be heard. I don’t like supporting someone who doesn’t seem to care about my wishes and may deceive me. And, ultimately, I don’t like getting involved with anything that makes me wonder if I’m wasting my time. That, Dear CBC, is why (young) people don’t vote. And quite frankly, I can’t blame them.

A Little Reality

Goes a long way.

Right now I’m thinking about the way that happenings in the media can cause you to examine their real-life implications.

The Apprentice continues this week. Last week, of course, they fired Omarosa. I didn’t watch her departure, but believe me, I’d been waiting.

Like Dubya, Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth is one of those people who I hope is decent in real life. Because her televised persona has me reeling.

I think the people @ Black Enterprise got it right:

“…there is a large and growing contingent of black women professionals, including The View’s Star Jones, and many of the female employees at BLACK ENTERPRISE, who believe that Omarosa’s behavior projects the most negative stereotype of black females in corporate America: angry, conniving, defensive and impossible to work with”

It is sad to say, and it is something that I don’t care to discuss in great detail right now. But people like Omarosa are dangerous. Never mind how they behave as individuals. When their behavior is broadcast in the media…

Arrrgh!

As I said in the Television Without Pity forums:

“‘I think of my mother, my aunts and cousins, my friends, and myself…Hard working (Strong Black) Women* doing our best to stay afloat. And then I think of Oma, and I want to give her a shake.

[One of the reasons I dislike Omarosa is because of t]he fallout that I knew would come as a result of her behavior. When I think of all the media sheep who were watching her and are now dumb enough to have lowered their expectations and narrowed their minds, along the lines of unspoken statements such as, “So. This is how a black woman behaves on the job…'”

Because of our culture, people from marginalized groups (i.e. minorities) who are thrown into media environments where they are among mainstream groups (i.e. Caucasians) are seen as “ambassadors” or accurate representatives of their “people”. You can use the explanation I gave, juxtaposing any contrasting groups–women among men, young people working with older adults. I don’t care. Naive consumers suck up these images, often heralding them as accurate. I don’t need the kind of representation that Omarosa brings.

*mocking Omarosa’s public claims that her failure on The Apprentice depended from the fact that people resent her being a “Strong Black Woman”. She failed and was eliminated because of her behavior. No more, no less.