For Colored Girls, For Goodness Sake
‘For Colored Girls, please for goodness sake do not be another Diary Of A Mad Black Woman,’ I thought on the train ride down to the movie theater where I was meeting up with almost 40 other women to see Tyler Perry’s adaptation of Ntozake Shange’s groundbreaking, powerful call-to-arms for Black women “For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf.” I can say, with relief, FCG is TP’s best Read more...
Black Girls Rock!
Honestly when I went to the Paradise Theater in the Bronx for the taping of the Black Girls Rock! Awards show three weeks ago my expectations weren’t very high. I had attended the last two awards ceremonies where previous honorees included cultural groundbreakers like Iman, Erykah Badu and Sonia Sanchez and featured uplifting performances by singers like Janelle Monae, Faith Evans and Bilal and I was quite impressed. But this was BET and I’ve seen Read more...
“For Colored Girls” Viewing & Discussion
Please join theHotness.com in collaboration with Real Colored Girls and BlackFemme.blogspot.com for a group viewing of Tyler Perry’s latest cinematic venture “FOR COLORED GIRLS” this Sunday, November 7th at the Union Square Cinema Stadium 14 @1:50PM (group discussion @ NYU immediately following).
Based on the groundbreaking and revelatory choreopeoem “FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF” by Ntozake Shange, the movie adaptation has fostered controversy and myriad responses. What better Read more...
Brand You: Colored, Crazy & Confused?
Even though I’m not a big fan of Halloween, I do find the dress-up, costuming aspect very interesting. It was kind of telling to go out on Sunday night and see the majority of little girls dressed as witches, Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz and princesses and then to see grown women as sexy nurses, sexy teachers and of course very sexy Dorothys. As little girls, our fantasy is to be really evil, really Read more...
Being Fierce vs. Being a Beeyotch
When did women start feeling like they had to be a mean girl or a bitch in order to get respect, in order to feel fierce? No doubt I’ve worked with and have encountered many successful beeyotches in my time, but the overwhelming majority of fierce sisters I know are generous, relatable, secure, approachable, and genuinely nice. Yeah, these women have their doubts, but they choose to dip their spirit in a pool of confidence. Read more...
Body Buttered Up
THE GOODS is a new section that I’m resurrecting to discuss beauty products, gadgets, style, accessories and home goods.
Two weeks ago shortly after getting settled into my hotel room in Miami, I had the most unsettling revelation. No, they didn’t have bed bugs and yes, they had HBO. I was horrified when I discovered I left my toiletries bag on the edge of my bathtub back at home. Four days without eye cream, Read more...
I ♥ My Hair!
Whip it, flip it, love it down! The love and appreciation for Black hair seems to be at an all time high and I couldn't be happier. From Willow Smith's exuberantly ecstatic video for her smash "Whip My Hair" to the "I Love My Hair" YouTube sensation from Sesame Street, there's an embrace of cornrows, afro puffs, ponytails, dreadlocks, twists, box braids and press & curls that hasn’t been seen since the "I'm Happy To be Nappy" movement of the 90's and the Black Power Movement of the 60's. Read more...Sophia Stewart: Mother of The Matrix
Last Monday I got into a very interesting discussion about Sophia Stewart– the self-proclaimed “Mother of the Matrix.” She is the woman who claims that The Terminator and The Matrix were both her ideas and that they were stolen by James Cameron and The Wachowski Brothers respectively. Wanting to find out more about her case I did some research on her earlier this year and stumbled upon her court records. I was flabbergasted. Not Read more...
MFON: Breast Cancer Fighter
I’ve written about photographer and activist Mfon Essien several times since I first interviewed her back in the fall of 2000. I hung out with her for most of that lovely afternoon in her living room. She was battling breast cancer, but that day there were very few signs of struggle or even weakness. We laughed, sipped tea and talked about what it meant to be sexy. For two young Black women this chat Read more...