DIVALICIOUS!!!

True Divas in action
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Diva Duet - Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle turn out Carnegie Hall.
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The Legendary Original Diva - Miss Marian Anderson - her Ave Maria brings me to tears.
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My all time favorite - the incomparable Ms. Leontyne Price. Sheer perfection in her farewell Aida performance at the MET. When mother hit that final note, the hairs were standing on my arms. Also, one of the most gorgeous faces ever!!!

GIRL OF THE MOMENT - SESSILEE LOPEZ

This girl's career SHOULD, and I stress should, get a huge boost from her recent brilliant cover and editorial work in Italian Vogue. This was singularly one of the best photo spreads in recent fashion history. This girl embodies the true essence of a model. Her transformations from page to page were legendary. Her expressive face and movement of body literally leap off the page. When I say this girl has face, honey, I mean this girl has rock-socking, stop traffic, jaw-dropping, cheek boned, mocha skinned, almond eyed, motherfucking face, dammit. Learn it!!!!!

The thing that is so amazing to me is her striking resemblance to 80's iconic runway supermodel and YSL/Versace muse, Amalia:

Amalia serving lame' realness with fellow African diva, Iman.
Giving arms and attitude for Versace.

LAUGH RIOT

One of my favorites:

Now I love me some Sheryl Underwood, but her political views are rather questionable at times. But all in all, this country chick is a real hoot!

LIGHTER, CAMERA, ACTION.....

Now I love me some Bey, but baby girl, what in the hell is going on? Beyonce Knowles has a new campaign with L'OREAL Feria hair color and it seems as though they found a blonde, Swedish woman named Inga to fill in as a body double for Baby Bey. Now I love creative expression and artistic freedom as much as the next fashion designer living in NYC, but, come on now! If that photo were any lighter, you would only be able to see Bey's corneas.

Now this is the thing, we do not know if Bey and Mama T have photo approval as a clause in their contracts. This may ALL be the fault of L'OREAL. Bey never struck me as a person that hates her blackness - just as a girl who likes blonde hair. Does the love of blonde hair, light, skin, straight noses and light eyes speak to a deeper issue? I actually believe it may. It still amazes me that Americans are still stuck on this damn color issue. Blacks and whites in America can still have the field/house slave mentality when it comes to color. Amazingly enough, blacks all over the world experience this phenomenon - the lighter you are, the more beautiful you are, the less threatening you are, the smarter you are - the closer you are to being white. Many have embraced this as their own ethos. Sad.

Many blacks in Europe, Africa, South America and the Caribbean have ingrained, deep-seated issues with self hatred fostered by our collective and individual histories and by images of beauty in the media. I think it speaks volumes that far too many blacks (of myriad backgrounds) question the beauty of an Alek Wek or an India Arie, when the beauty of their lighter peers is instantly absorbed into the collective conscious. Now don't get me wrong - this is NOT hateration for my lighter sister and brothers. I think my life is actually enriched by acknowledging the beauty in ALL people, no matter if they are white, tar black, high yella, short, fat, skinny, bald, unbeweavable or have polka dot skin and striped hair. I do not want to cut myself off from any of God's beautiful handiwork. The real kiki of it all is that beauty truly does come from within - the outside, including our skin and hair, is all drag.

I love Bey in all of her blonde fierceness - I just hope that her Blonde Ambition isn't sending the wrong message to all the little Lakeishas and NayNays out there. I hope that these little girls (and boys too) - no matter how dark, nappy headed, broad nosed, big bootied or thick lipped they may be - will see the absolute perfection in their beauty. I hope they realize that GOD made them exactly how they are and that He only makes masterpieces. Their true beauty lies in their hearts, minds and spirits. When we can truly embrace that, we won't see our fellow man as ugly or as less-than.

A couple of years ago, Kiri Davis, a young black NYC high school student, created a film that documents the horrible stereotyping that we as blacks do to ourselves and that this form of self hatred starts with our small children. Please watch:

Now my take on it is that L'OREAL isn't thinking about the Coretta-Scott-King-ness-of-it-all, they are thinking solely about the coins. Corporate America and the American media could care less that a seed of self hate may be planted in a little colored girl in the projects in Fort Green, Brooklyn because all she sees is 'the other', never herself. In fact, it is that seed of self hate that will grow into a raging monster that cannot buy enough weave, perm, Ambi and hazel contacts that will keep these guys rich and keep her poor in the richness of her true self.

A LIL' TOO MUCH

Now, baby, I have seen it all............



Girlfriend was just trying to save face - you know she must have been humiliated. Child, she came up out of her wig................the girl in the too-tight yellow shirt tried to save her, but it was too late...ROTFL....LMAOOOOOOOO..........................

TAKE THAT TO THE BANK

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I have to say that right now, I am having a nice little love fest with the one and only Miss Tyra Banks.

I have followed this woman's career since I was in college at Parsons and she had just started walking the runways of Paris. She made a huge splash during her premiere season in Paris booking 40 odd shows in one week - unprecedented at the time for any model, black or white. Tyra has done what NO OTHER MODEL in history has ever done - she's built an empire as a supermodel, actress, tv host and big shot producer.

One of her hugest successes is the iconic AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL. It doesn't matter that most of the girls would never have a chance in hell of getting booked by anyone on Seventh Avenue - what matters is the drama, the humor, the ridiculousness and the dream that she provides every week.

To top that off, she launched her hit eponymous talk show. She has become the de-facto esteem-booster for young, female America. Her appeal spans all races and economic groups and it is her intelligence, humor, wisdom, her self deprecating humor and yes, her beauty that keeps 'em coming back for more. It is actually her corny side that I love the most - I love the fact that she may pick POPEYE'S chicken over Le Cirque. She embodies an accessible, Americana glamour that folks just love. Tyra can serve face, hair and drag with the best of them, but she truly is one of the great natural beauties of our time. Skin, bone structure, almond eyes, bee stung lips, and body-ody. Werk sis.

Years ago, I hung out with Tyra at a pizza joint in the village and was invited by her to a party celebrating one of her Sports Illustrated covers. What struck me then, and is consistent now is the humble, funny and sweet spirit that is at her core. I look at her with the same pride and giddiness that I felt when Halle won her Oscar or when Barack won his nomination. She really inspires me, gets me to thinking, makes me laugh and I can truly say that I am so proud of her and her accomplishments.

Here is a clip of Tyra's cover and editorial shoot for the September issue of Harper's Bazaar where she channels Michelle Obama, soon to be first lady of the U S of A:

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Coal rimmed, swan neck - Erykah Badu meets Gloria Vanderbilt serving plantation couture
Italian Vogue - July 2008
Shot by - Steven Meisel
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Big hair, bodacious bod
Covering the New York Times Magazine, June 1, 2008
shot by: Ruven Afanador

LORD, PLEASE DELIVER US!!!!!

Yesterday I was at brunch and was surrounded with a horrifying chorus of "LIKE". When did this word so profoundly begin to fill our speech?! I catch myself saying it sometimes and I say to myself "Self, you betta remove that word from your lips in the name of JESUS!!!!!" I absolutely hate the way that it sounds coming out of my mouth. Now I have friends that say it and it sounds kinda cute - but coming out of the mouth of a big ole' black man, well, it is just not cute at all! The girls on both sides of us at the restaurant easily used LIKE about 7 times per sentence. I had thoughts of THE LIKE DEMON possessing them and taking control of their tongues. I was expecting their heads to spin around and for them to start projectile vomiting pancakes.



I remember when the Valley Girls trend originally exploded in the 80's but who'd-a-thunk that over 20 years later, that crazy twang would pop up on the tongues of seemingly ultra-modern New Yorkers? I think it has something to do with the suburbanization of America, even our major cities. I also think that this trend was bred and spread in the colleges of America - kids from all over the US packed up their backpacks, birkenstocks and the word LIKE and descended upon NYC like locusts. Let's not forget the suburban meccas of Long Island and New Jersey and the influence they wield on NYC (even though New Yorkers would never admit it).

Well, at this stage, I should do one of those crazy self help tricks like snapping a rubber band on my wrist every time I say the word or by eating a small piece of Irish Spring every time the word escapes from my lips. Maybe that isn't severe enough. I wonder if there is a 12-step program for this malady - LIKE-Anonymous, maybe. In any case, keep me in your prayers that I am delivered. Like, thank you.