The Prodigal Sun

Youtube randomness making my day

Clients are getting on my nerves today. So I am taking time off from working to randomly surf the web and tv to cool off cause I have been cussing people out all day.

I missed Barrack's speech tonight because of rehearsal and I FORGOT TO TIVO IT! And the new director is changing all the staging so I have to basically learn all new stuff a month out from the show. Today has been WHACK!

So... here are some clips I saw today that made my smile. First is JHud singing the national anthem at the DNC. Jennifer is here to stay as a vocal powerhouse performer. She sang the hell out of that song, without oversinging. She didn't ghetto-ify it with a million runs... She didn't hoot and holla all around the stage. She just sang the hell out of the anthem with a key change and some high notes and its one of the best versions of the national anthem I have ever heard. Loved it.

And this other clip is of Jesse Mcartney... Random... yes. I know. I am not a Jesse Mcartney fan or anything,(no. really. I'm not.) but I was surfing someone elses blogs, and they had the clip up and what made me stop and watch it was that he was singing T-pain's 'Buy you a drink'... teeny pop Jesse McCartney singing a T-Pain song? lol I had to see it to see what he would do with it. Pretty much, he did the song without a vocalizer effect cause his voice is naturally that high and nasal-ey but honestly, he didn't do a bad job. It actually sounds ok when you listen to it. But when you open your eyes and see bubble gum pop teeny bopper singing about being 'in the bed like... uh, uh, uh...' I had to bust out laughing... lol But it is always interesting to see the ripples caused by Black culture reflected in the 'mainstream'...

And as you know... I am loving Solange. Not just cause I dig her album... but I am digging her personality too... I ABSOLUTELY LOVE that Solange does not give a fuuuuuuuck... lol If you haven't heard her album, she actually has a song on it called Fuck the Industry, in which she speaks on how the entertainment industry is slow to reward individuality. But that is not even what I am talking about today. She was on the Early show and basically cussed out one of the producers in her first few seconds on air. Apparently, right before she went on, some producer says thru the earpiece to ask Solange about JZ's club closing, after they convinced her that she was to come on the show to discuss only her album. So she starts off the interview checking dude... even though the audience doesn't hear him, and it was said off air... but guess what? SOLANGE DOESN'T GIVE A FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! FUCK YA'LL BYTCHES! I AM GON'BE SOLANGE! lol The confusion on the interviewers face is priceless... she is like... umm... huh? lol But I give her credit cause she recovers quickly and gets the interview back on track.

Here is the clip:

Here is Solange explaining the clip... but standing by it at the same time... FUCK YA'LL BYTCHES! "LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME ALONE!" (that is an actual quote... lol) I AM MOTHAFUKKIN SOLAAAAAAANGE! lol too funny.

Ok.... I feel much better. *sigh*

Michelle Obama - Bad Mamma-jamma

I wanted to say Michelle Obama is a Bad Bitch... but it might be interpreted the wrong way. A bad bitch is a woman that is so sharp that you can't fukk with them. They seem almost flawless.Even the flaws that they have, work for them. So while I mean it in a good way, I dont want to run into trouble directing the B word at such a classy lady, so let's just say that Michelle Obama is one bad mamma-jamma. That speech she delivered last night was FIRE! It addressed so many things that needed to be addressed and was executed so well she had the entire country eating out of her hands.

First and foremost, she humanized herself. Up until now, if you have never been to an Obama event, you may have never heard her speak publicly. So all you may have heard about her was that she was 'strong' which, in the minds of non-Black Americans, is always followed by 'angry' if you are talking about a Black woman. The US is so wrapped up in stereotypes, that an educated, opinionated Black woman is AUTOMATICALLY viewed as angry. And that is how she was perceived until last night.

Last night, she related to all Americans. She related to Black folks. She related to working class white folks. She related to middle class America. She related to the young and the old... and she even managed to relate to handicapped people with her stories of her father's MS.

She had a chance to address the sentiment that she was Anti-American... which was ridiculous.

She even managed to give a head nod to Hillary Clinton and relate to all the people who supported Hillary by showing that she can fill that role too. She is a strong female with a history of public service and ethics geared toward the underserved... just like Hillary.

Ultimately, she showed the Michelle that was there the whole time... but now America finally got to see it. That speech was a HOME RUN! She is sharp, intelligent and will make a fine first lady. She compliments Barrack. And I was such a proud Black man watching my TV last night that I wanted to sing the Negro National Anthem or something... I CAN'T WAIT TIL BARRACK IS PRESIDENT!!! YAAAAAYE!

If you missed the speech... here is a part of it.

Entertainment drama...

Hey everyone...

I know its been eons since I have sat down to blog... but I just haven't felt motivated to write.

But another reason I havent been blogging much is because I have landed a lead role in an off-off broadway gospel theater production that is going up in September and October.

I have been in rehearsals for a couple months now, but I never mentioned it before this because, until now, I wasn't really feeling this production. It was kinda whack... The writer/producer is a new young writer, and kinda amateur-ish in how business is handled. The director was a nice guy, but kinda crazy... like need therapy or short hospital stay kinda crazy... and the stagemanager was sexually harrassing the women.

In addition to all that drama, the director was not good. He let us make up our own staging, and then edited what we did. In other words, he didnt direct us. It may seem cool at first since you have almost total freedom, but when you consider that there are 6 people on stage and everyone has their own idea of how the scene should go, and each wants to make their character stand out and shine... and it becomes total chaos.

I felt like I didn't know what the hell I was doing. The scenes looked random... it was so whack that I didn't even want my fam to come see it. Basically, I was only doing it to get some practice at my acting skills. And if something better came up, I would have taken it. Since I am just starting to professionally act, I need to get my practice where I can.

The initial drama came to a head when the director told us that he had considered suicide the week before... And that was the last straw, and the producer/writer of the show fired him... (a week after he fired the stage manager for following one of the actresses home...)

And that is when I learned what a difference a good director makes... Our new director was PHENOMENAL! The show looked great, I loved way the show was going and now I am ready to invite the world, and even agents to come and checking out my acting chops.

But... the drama doesn't stop. The writer/producer starts ego tripping and wanting to tell the new director how to do her job, she cussed him out, and he fired her. The young director/writer who is producing his third production, was telling a 30 year theater veteran that her scenes weren't theatrical enough... that she wasn't handling the actors right... blah blah blah... and now... we are back at square one.

I am so worn out, and drained from this whole thing... but I have invested so much time and energy into this that I dont want to pull out now. But I DONT want to go on stage and look whack in front of my fam and friends.

We have a new-new director... a month out from the opening... and I am really trying to hang on cause despite his inexperiene, the young writer/director means well.  And the cast is all made up of all people trying to break into show bizness... so leaving at this point would fukk everyone over.

I just have a month left. And if this new director is good and the show continues where the last one left off... I will tell you guys so you can come see it. If not... you won't hear a dayum thing about it... lol

Entertainment is DRAMA... both on and off the stage and screen... I guess I am paying my dues.

Anyway... since it has been forever since I have blogged, I will mention other randomness...

I LOVE... LOVE LOVE LUH-HUH-HOVE... the Tide Talking Stain commercial... It's one of the funniest commercials ever. When the stain starts screaming in the end, I laugh hysterically every time I see it... If you havent seen it... check it below. TOO FUNNY!

Also, I am loving Solange. I was hearing leaked tracks over the last year and was telling folks that they are sleeping on Solange, but no one wanted pay me any mind... But now she is coming up, and peeps are jumping on the bandwagon... She will make it out of Beyonce's shadow yet... just watch.

In other randomnes... I truly feel that this whole retro 80's crap is out of hand... I HAVE SEEN FIVE PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 30 WITH JHERI CURLS!!!

Who knew that they still make Jheri Curl Products?!?  In 1984, 5 people with Jheri Curls may not seem like a lot, given the millions of people living in New York. But in 2008... that is a ridiculously large number! Where the hell are they buying the relaxer? Where do they buy the activator? What hairdresser even offers such services? Are they doing it themselves? So many questions... I am so confused. I just truly hope that does NOT catch on. In 1984... Jheri Curl was the bomb. In 2008... not so much. Boo.

SEKSHUL CHOKLATE!!! He sing so lovely don't you think?

Who would want to go back to this? ugh.