Thursday, October 25, 2007

The New Season of Run's House...


My Favorite Reality Show

Out of all the reality shows and tv that I watch period by far, I can say that Run's House is my favorite show. Unlike most reality shows that live off of shock and awe, this show can be pleasantly watched with the whole family in the room. I guess some people may tune in to see how rich folks live. I personally tune in because I love the way the family members interact with each other. It's good to see positive images of a black family on tv for a change. We've seen the Simmons family through a lot of ups and downs. We've seen Angela graduate from high school, Vanessa try to land acting gigs, JoJo become a young man, Diggy and Russy pull their comical antics; and we've seen Rev. Run and his wife, Justine, weather one of their roughest times when losing a baby. I thought for sure that the show would have ended behind the rough times, but they surprised us and continued on in such a way that could only make you love them more. Be sure to check for the new season of Run's House on October 25, 2007, on MTV on 10 p.m.

The Salt And Pepa Show...

My Mic Sounds Nice...
My Mic Sounds Nice...Check 1...
My Mic Sounds Nice...Check 2...
My Mic Sounds Nice...Check 3...

You know what? VH1 had shown so many sneak peeks of this show leading up to its first airing that we had seen most of everything except for the last 10 minutes of the show. So, if you missed the first show, you didn't miss much. Just go to VH1's website to get caught up. With this show, I wasn't too surprised about anything. Salt happily has settled down with her husband and kids. Pepa wants to recapture the good feelings that the group once felt at the height of their success. Spinderella is nowhere to be seen. VH1 tripped and fell. They are so wrong for not including Spinderella. But anywho more or less, I watch the show because it's like a comfort food. Salt and Pepa are of my time and represent important events in my life. My Mic Sounds Nice came out my senior year in high school. Push It came out when I was in college. Salt and Pepa's collaboration with EnVogue for Whatta Man came out around the time when I first started working on my first real job after college. Those were the days. Now I can be driving to work and hear one of those songs and can all of a sudden remember all the rhymes. Let's see what Salt and Pepa will be up to next week on their show. It comes on Mondays at 10 p.m on VH1.


Sunday, October 14, 2007

The "Why Did I Get Married" Movie Is #1!!!...



You Are Cordially Invited To Take Part In This Discussion...

There's been a lot of buzz about Tyler Perry's new movie for good reason. Why Did I Get Married is #1 at the box office this weekend pulling in an estimated $21.5 million. The second best thing to do behind actually seeing the movie happens to be discussing it with others who have seen it. However, if you have not seen it yet and don't want your viewing experience to be spoiled, turn away at this point.

Intro:
Going in to this movie, I had a very good feeling about it. I had enough of a good feeling to get off from work a little early to make it to the last matinee show of the evening on Friday. I could tell that the other people were just as excited as I was judging from the way we strangers easily held conversations among each other as we stood in line to purchase our tickets and movie snacks. Could we ever have imagined that the mastermind behind stage plays recorded on grainy VHS tapes would develop into a multi-talented force to contend with in the world of entertainment? I'm amazed how Tyler Perry keeps reinventing himself.



The Characters: Let's review a brief description of each character to bring us up to speed. Here it goes:

Dianne and Terry played by Sharon Leal and Tyler Perry: Dianne was the attorney who was attached to her work so much so that she barely had time to notice her husband. So when they mentioned that they had not done the "couple thing" in months, quite a few murmurs could be heard in the viewing audience. Terry was the pediatrician aspiring to add more kids to the family.

Patricia and Gavin played by Janet Jackson and Malik Yoba: Patricia was the pyschologist and book writer who was preparing to receive a very important award for her work. Gavin, the architect, was the loving and supportive husband. They struggled to deal with the lingering feelings of guilt and anger surrounding the accidental death of their child.

Angela and Marcus played by Tasha Smith and Michael Jai White: Angela was the hotheaded salon owner. I think everybody knows at least one person who acts like Angela. The Angela type is a loudmouth, in your face, won't back down, doesn't care who gets hurt, will get her point across first type of person. But she's not all bad. Her mouth and over the top actions sometimes come in handy. I personally like the way she NFL fullback-style blocked her hubby from carrying the luggage for the single chick who only showed up to make trouble for Sheila and the other ladies. Angela sent Trina's bag all over the ground rightfully so. For that, we love Angela. I just wished Angela had treated the hubby better. Speaking of him, he was the former football player who played the role of verbal punching bag for the first half of the film. He never could seem to get a word in edgewise between his current wife and his ex. But he managed to man up eventually. I guess he had to snap a little bit, knowing that his wife wasn't the only one creeping.

Sheila and Mike played by Jill Scott and Richard T. Jones: Sheila was a trail of tears from the beginning to the end of the movie. I've always wondered why some women take so much abuse over the years. Shux, I would have been done with her man when she got removed from the plane and was forced to drive all the way to the mountains. Her husband, Mike, was as verbally abusive as one could get. He acted like a schoolyard bully piling on the insults about Sheila's weight. Mikey really should have been bashed in the head with the champagne bottle much earlier or at least slapped one good time. He never showed a bit of concern about Sheila until they divorced and she married that cute Sheriff.

Trina played by Denise Boutte: What nerve of a sideline chick to join in on a couples' retreat?

Troy played by Lamman Rucker: Boy was he a relief to Sheila and to the women in the audience at the movie. He wasn't just a cutie. He provided some real sensible advice. He flatly let Sheila know that her low self-esteem and self-directed insults weren't particularly attractive. What can we say? She upgraded to the right man.




My Observations and Thoughts About The Movie...

I don't feel the need to beat around the bush. I can tell you right off that bat that I give this movie high marks. No, I'm not a professional movie critic. But I will explain my review of the movie. First of all, I felt like that movie was universal. It spoke to people from all walks of life no matter the race, culture, gender, age group, or economic status. And it wasn't a bonafide chickflick that men had to avoid like the plague. There was a little something in there for everybody. It doesn't matter whether a couple lives in a mansion or a shack, because anyone can have marital or dating-relationship problems.

The movie started out very calm and very unassuming of the fiascos that would rear their ugly heads as the movie progressed. It was quite refreshing to hear how four couples who met in college manage to come together for a reunion annually to improve their marriages. The characters were polished with their well-developed careers and well-to-do lives. These were some together folks living some together lives with the exception of a couple of people. Therefore, early on in the film it put us on track to view Mike and Marcus as the dogs and Angela as the loudmouth. In the flip of the script, Mike turned everything around and pointed out everyone's flaws in an attempt to take the heat off of his neck. Boy did he say a mouth full. By the time, they got up from the dinner table, none of the couples were talking. Nobody was left in the clear except that cute Sheriff. *lol* Everybody was mad. Even the goodie two shoes characters were left with bruised images. Was Patricia really all that together? Was Gavin really the supportive husband? How could Dianne keep that secret from Terry? And how could Terry have paternity questions? The movie left the audience wondering how the characters were going deal with their problems as extensive as they were.

The movie could have very well ended with Mike being knocked the fool out on the floor. But I think Perry wanted to do more than acknowledge that problems exist in marriages; he wanted to show how couples could explore solutions. Of course, a bunch of jaded critics may come along and dismiss this movie for wrapping up its loose ends as if this only happens in a perfect world. I beg to differ. Quite a few characters had to let their egos go and make themselves vulnerable to more effectively communicate with their spouses. If Angela could speak sweetly to her husband, it surely made it sound possible for the others to overcome their problems. For once I was glad to see that sisters and brothers weren't at each other throats. I'm just glad that the movie showed us in a more positive light, since many of us actually live that way. One thing is for sure. I plan to buy this movie when it comes out on DVD. Tyler Perry is winning me over more and more.

Let The Discussion Begin...

Pull up a chair and make yourself welcome. Post your review of the movie in the comments section. Did you like it or not? Are there any particular scenes that interested you? Did you have a favorite actor? What could have made the movie better? Or were you satisfied just the way it was?


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Reminder Note: The Salt and Pepa and The Irv Gotti shows will premiere on VH1 tonight starting at 10 p.m. EST.







Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Why Did I See That Movie???...



I Think This One Is Worth Seeing...

As with movies, I either can count on one hand how many times I go to the movies in on year or how many times I have walked out of a movie thinking why did I see that movie???...

Yeah, I make it no secret how I feel about wasting money. Going to the movies will take a chunk out of your wallet. The movie ticket itself costs about $8 or more. Plus add the cost of a small box popcorn which costs about $5. Then add on the soda at another $5. And then candy, if you don't buy it at the store. It can cost $3. Shux, that can add up to a little more than $20 spent for couple of hours. Shux, I think I do better by waiting until the movie comes out on DVD. At least I can watch it over and over in the comfort of my home for one low price. I can move forward and backward if I miss the dialogue. I can watch parts of the movie and come back to it when I feel it. Plus, as I watch the movie I can eat a full scale dinner or have nothing more than water which won't cost me an arm and a leg.

However, this time around I'm going to try to support Tyler Perry. I've seen some of his plays by tape, and never have seen any of his theater movies. And I wasn't really able to get into his tv show that he has on cable now. It seems like people have a hard time trying to move between tv and movies. Either they are good at one or the other. Very few people can excel at both. Bill Cosby and his tv shows have done very well and deserve spots in the Hall of Fame, but his movies have always sucked. Martin Lawrence's tv show was the best of his work, but his comedy skills seem not to take as well to his movies. So given Perry's lackluster tv show, something gives me the feeling that his current movie will be pretty good.

I have to admit that I only know a little bit about the movie. Janet Jackson and Jill Scott will be starring in it. And it seems that they along with a cast of other folks will be discussing a lot of relationship issues. No matter whether a person is married or not, in some way, shape or form, many people will be able to relate anyway in their own dating relationships. Or perhaps, some of us unmarried folks may get a chance to get a sneak peek into the married life. Maybe not. We'll see.

If anyone else sees the movie, let's discuss it next week. It will be very interesting to see how different people perceive it.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Does Keyshia Have An Attitude Problem???...



Ordinarily, I would have missed out on the news about Keyshia Cole, because I usually switch back and forth between the Tom Joyner Morning Show and Steve Harvey's. But anyhoo, while I was surfing the net, I came upon a celeb blog that mentioned the tension-filled radio interview 92Q from Baltimore had with Keyshia. Before listening to the interview for myself, I read the comments from others. Some said that she was ghetto, rude, unprofessional, and a whole host of other things. And at first glance, their assessment seemed on point.

Then I listened to the interview. I was left wondering whether we listened to the same interview. The way folks were talking, they made it seemed like she cursed them out and said some offensive comments. But that exactly wasn't the case. Yes, Keyshia was concise with her answers and vague altogether. But I didn't find her to be as rude as others pointed out. The crux of the whole flap seemed to be that she seemed not to want to be there doing the interview as DJ Mar.c Clarke indicated. I will say that he handled the interview for the most part right. He explained the importance of an artist needing to have the right attitude and how they depend upon their fans for success. But lawd have mercy was his lecture long. He drove home the point correctly the first time around, but kept driving, driving, and driving. *phew* *lol* And fortunately, Keyshia understood his point and apologized.

I never just see things from the surface though. Instead of thinking of this young woman is a ghetto chick as others have labeled her, I wonder what it is about our culture that doesn't understand the plight of others. I'm the kind of person who doesn't want to write off our young folks. I'm just not ready to do that. I feel that sometimes these young folks go through so much roughness and hard times in their lives that they honest to goodness don't know any better, don't know how to maneuver around tricky situations, and don't know how to articulate their feelings in a manner people can understand them. People living hard lives don't have the luxury of talking about what they feel. They just try to live the best way they know how. As far as Keyshia is concerned, from her reality show I found out that her mother has been in and out of jail and that she doesn't know much about who her father is. So, it appears that she and her sister have had to raise themselves, which speaks volumes. I'm not going to say that I grew up hard, because I didn't. One of my parents and their siblings grew up tough as orphans from a very early age. Other people just don't understand what it is to not know where you are going to lay your head at night or where your next meal is going to come from. So folks will just as easily just label someone ghetto and leave it at that. But I will say that I am very grateful for the folks who did help my family along the way, because I wouldn't be where I am today without them.

When people make comments about Keyshia being unrefined and rough around the edges, they don't take into account how blessed they are to have had a mother and/or father or grandparent or aunt or uncle to raise them in the proper way. Yes, I'm saying it. If you had structure in your life, that's a blessing, because those who didn't have it are having to play catch up after having 18 years or more. In Keyshia's case, she show that she cared by coming back to the interview and changing her tune. There is hope for her.

This blog entry really isn't just about Keyshia. It's about our youth. Could you imagine someone putting a test such as the GRE, GMAT, or LSAT in front of you without you having the benefit of having the appropriate lessons taught to you? Well, that's what we are doing to our young people when life tests them. No, I don't have the answers as to what we should do. I just hope we will try to be more compassionate, understanding, and patient with people who have rough childhoods. We just can't throw folks away.

I'm running late again. I have to run. Have a great day. : )

Monday, October 01, 2007

Come-Back Monday...

I hope everyone had a beautiful weekend before returning to work today. As for me, I had a quiet one. I really didn't have a choice, since I had the nerve to sprain my foot on Friday and not put ice on it until today.

Well anyhoo...I'm taking my blog direction from Pamalicious today. The last time I blogged I mentioned the upcoming reality shows that will be playing on VH1 starting October 15th. Well, in the comments Pamalicious mentioned Dawn Robinson and her husband's (Dre Allen) new reality show. I had seen it a few weeks ago, but they had taken the video off the net at the time. Since then, they've reposted it. Here it goes.

The Dawn and Dre Show...



Most people who remember Dawn Robinson remember her from EnVogue and Lucy Pearl. But I don't know much at all about her husband. I had to go to her My.Space page find out information about him. The whole point of this reality show is to document her comeback and his come up. It's unclear whether this show will be picked up by a network or cable channel to be honest. I wonder whether they can generate enough interest in their project. I hope so.

I was thinking that EnVogue never really got to make it to the big leagues, although they did get to experience a level of celebrity. They got to record maybe three or four albums and made appearances on tv shows. I think the lack creative control and the lack of leverage in their business contracts are the two things that got in the way of the their success. EnVogue is sort of special to me because they represent a time in my life when we were so young and had the world before us like nothing could stop us. Now they (the original EnVogue and Dawn as a solo artist) are out in their 40's trying to stage a comeback, which I hope they all can do. I just wished that they had been better off. I hope that we aren't all burned out and jaded by life. Who knows? *sigh*

LeToya Luckett...




LeToya Luckett's reality show called the H-Town Chick briefly appeared on BET last year right around the time she released her album. There was a lot of buzz surrounding whether she could measure up to Beyonce and measure up period. And all during her interviews last year, people kept asking her the same questions about Destiny's Child. Once people put you in a box, that's where they want you to stay. They wanted her to remain as one of the jilted Destiny's Child members. I mean really. That whole flap with the group happened more than seven years ago. What I do like about her is that she's moved on and has the right frame of mind to do it. She could have been consumed with bitterness. But it's better that she's concerning herself with her recording career and her Lady L Boutique, which sells House of Dereon clothing. In case you forgot what happened, here's LeToya and LaTavia's take on the situation:

LeToya and LaTavia



Honestly, I only heard two songs from LeToya's last CD. They seemed to be normal or what we would call average. It wasn't bad or anything, but I really couldn't tell who was singing the first single when I listened to it for the first time. She's going to have to develop a signature style to distinguish herself from the rest of the pack of singers out now. But apparently, she performed well enough for her CD to go platinum. I don't usually take word of folks on the internet? So, I checked the Recording Industry Assoction of America's web site and sure enough it stated that she went platinum. I guess that explains why she is back in the studio recording her second solo album. We all know that she doesn't have the full production crew behind her like other people have, but I hope she will be able to carve out a niche for herself in the industry.

Okay, I'm running late for work. Let me get going. Have a great day. :-)