I'm Not Drinking the Kool-Aid

Things I think are overrated.  In no particular order:

Chicken: I'm just over it. It doesn't excite me regardless of how it's prepared.  Give me a piece of fish or a short rib any day. 

 Carrie Mae Weems Black Woman With Chicken 1987

MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick: I wore the same brownish burgundy lipstick, MAC X-S, for 15 years.  My friend Charli encouraged me to be more adventurous and I'm currently wearing a variety of red, pink, and purple shades.  I was introduced to Ruby Woo by a former co-worker of mine who is a beacon of fabulosity. I really wanted to love it; Tracee Ellis Ross raves about it. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me. I love a matte red lip, but this formula was just too drying and the color was too blue-based and bright. 

Scandal: I recently learned that my father has never missed an episode of this show. If the updates on Facebook and Instagram were not enough to convince me to give the show a chance, the fact that Dr. John Cardwell is a fan convinced me to give it a try.  Unfortunately, I can't stand it! Are we as black women so desperate to see ourselves on television that we ignore the fact that Olivia Pope is having an affair with a married man?? A man who in her words "cheated on [his] mistress with his girlfriend." Regardless of her beauty, intelligence, and political influence, she is, as my students say, a "side chick."  On top of that, she runs around cleaning up after The President's messes. She yells, bugs her eyes, and over emotes like a jezebel/mammy hybrid. Plus, I would take Remy Danton over Harrison Wright any day!

Cupcakes from Crumbs and Magnolia Bakery: These cupcakes aren't worth the calories. The icing is too sweet and the cake isn't moist enough. You should not have to throw away the top half of a cupcake in order to enjoy it. Too much sugar; too little butter. Better treats can be found at Make My Cake or Tonnie's Minis. Hopefully Tonnie's Harlem location will reopen soon. 

http://www.makemycake.com

Twelve Years a Slave: I didn't get a chance to see this in the theaters; I can count the number of adult movies I've seen since I had Chloe on one hand (and by "adult movies" I don't mean porn). Anyway, based on the reviews and awards show press I was expecting to be blown away. Don't get me wrong, it was a "good" movie. It held my attention and it could be an excellent teaching tool (I disagree that it is too violent. Slavery was too violent-not the film).   The cinematography and score were excellent. However, I wasn't moved on an emotional level, and I'm still trying to figure out why. It bothered me that Solomon was willing to fight a white man when his ego was bruised, but participated in Patsy's beating and didn't seem to have a hard time leaving her behind.  What I do know is that halfway through the movie I was waiting for Brad Pitt to show up and save the day. Sometimes, we just want to be the hero in our own stories.

(What on earth would we do without Brad Pitt?)

If you want to be moved by a movie about slavery watch Haile Gerima's 1993 film Sankofa.