Morning Inspiration

GREAT morning my beauties and handsome peeps! I hope you're all enjoying your week thus far! Here is today's quote:

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~Thornton Wilder

I have a quick anecdote to share with you all. Yesterday I was on the train and one of the women behind me LAID HANDS on my hair. My hair was neatly tucked into an, admittedly interesting, high bun. On hot days, its my usual 'do. I'm very protective of my personal space and it severely alters my mood when someone intentionally infiltrates my personal space with wanton disregard for how it might make me feel. Those of you who know me personally know how protective I am of my hair. For those of you who do not know me personally, know that I am very protective of my hair. Typically, I am not a germa-phobe but when it comes down to people around MY hair, I get shifty. Anyway, I said that to say this: After addressing the GROWN woman by telling her she should resist putting her hands on a stranger's hair, I exited the train station to see a terrible car accident. The driver appeared to have lost control of her vehicle after getting a flat tire and then crashing into a meter in the metro parking lot. Her entire front end was on the pavement as she consoled her shaken children and held back tears. I quickly whispered a prayer of thanks to God because a few seconds prior I was actually pretty upset.

Always be grateful for what you have. Pay attention to the signs around you that things could always be worse. Sometimes we are allowed to see certain things so that we can be reminded of how GREAT our lives are. Take the time, RIGHT NOW to appreciate who you are and what you have. If you haven't adopted this into your daily routine, the time is NOW to change that. Make time for what matters. Make time to give thanks. If you can show gratitude for what you already have, you will show the laws of attraction, God, etc., that you can handle and you deserve to be blessed with more.

Today's Song Choice: Verse Simmonds-Boo Thang

Spread Love!

Happy 53rd Birthday Michael Jackson!!

Today we are celebrating what would have been the 53rd birthday of the one and only King of Pop,  Michael Jackson. 

What better way to celebrate the KANG than to take a music break and enjoy some of his greatest hits? Here is a list of my favorites:

P.Y.T


Dirty Diana


Smooth Criminal


The Way You Make Me Feel






Happy Birthday MJ! You are loved and missed!!

Liar Liar! Pants on Fire! 5 Famous "White Lies"

White Lies. They are the kind of lies that are considered harmless or even beneficial. They are the lies everyone finds themselves telling every once in a while. We all do it, so don't bother denying it because I won't believe you. Don't waste your breath. Even Honest Abe told a white lie or two. Why do people tell white lies? Because sometimes stretching the truth a bit is easier than telling the whole truth. Perhaps the whole truth is a long story and the white lie is less than a sentence. Its the easy way out.The Cheese Institute at the University of Wisconsin recently did a study on white lies and found that 85% of white lies told are actually stretched interpretations of the truth. Ok I totally made up that study but I wanted to sound official.

White lies make the world a better place. They are ok as long as they don't cause any actual damage or don't break any criminal codes or laws.

Here is my list of the top 5 white lies:

1. I'm on my way. I have to admit, mostly women tell this lie. We use it when we're getting dressed to go places, mostly on dates. What we really mean is we haven't gotten in the shower yet but we want you to anticipate our arrival. So when we answer the phone call knowing the reason you called is to find out where we are, we make sure to tell you we're on the way. If you wanna trip her up, ask her what she's wearing. She probably hasn't even chosen her ensemble yet. If she can't answer the question, you might as well find a way to preoccupy your time for the next hour until she ACTUALLY leaves her place. We don't have to use this with our girlfriends unless they are anal about always being on time. Even so, our girlfriends have already labeled us the "late friend." What does this mean? It means we are usually the girlfriend in the group known for being late so we get told to arrive by a time that is an hour earlier than we actually need to be somewhere just to make sure we arrive on time. Oh thats just me and my girlfriends? Oh thats just me? Ooh ok.

When I use this white lie, I try to balance it by making sure I arrive looking breathtakingly fabulous. I hear you judging me for my confidence, gone head and judge me.

2. "I don't usually do this". Ok this isn't a white lie. This is a big lie. Why? Because the only people who use that excuse are the people who ALWAYS do what they claim they don't usually do.  Oh you don't usually "toot it and boot it" on the first date? Well why are you wearing crotchless undies? Consider this a formal request for additional human. Its the cousin to "I've never done this before"

3. I have read and agree to the terms of use. Keep it 100, family. We don't always read every single thing we sign. Sometimes we don't want to hold up the people behind us and sometimes we just don't f*cking feel like reading it. Before law school, my John Hancock was signed on so many unread terms of use. I must admit going to law school has changed that for me. Much to the chagrin of everyone who wants me to sign somethin I take time to read each make term. I do this even when they try to explain the major terms to me.  Nothing like trying to cut through the yellow tape of trying to cancel your contract to teach you a lesson about reading ish before you sign it. Oh you signed your name saying you read all 25 pages and you agree to the terms of use? I can't help you.

4. I'll call you back. Do you know how people say weed is the gateway drug? This is the gateway lie. It is a gateway lie because it is a lie told by people who know d@mn well they aren't going to call you back. Chances are you were rambling and they couldn't get a word in edgewise so they needed a quick and painless way to get your selfish self off of the phone. They told you this lie to save your ego but it teeters on the border between "white lie" and "actual lie." The people who tell this lie could also have an incoming call from someone they would prefer to talk to. I know I have done it. Its easier to blurt out "Hey I'm gonna call you back in a few" than it is to say "Hey this person I have been waiting to call is actually calling now and I prefer to talk to them so buh bye." I know I'm known for my blunt antics but even I am not that cold. This is a white lie because although it is possible conversations with said person are likely to last for hours and could go through the night it is also possible that it wont. If it does not last long, you may get your call back.

5. We're just friends. This is one white lie that can cause a lot of collateral damaage. Yea you're cool with being "just friends" in public but behind closed doors the two of you behave more like a couple than Hov & Bey. She cooks. He cleans. They swing from chandeliers and bang major pots and pans into the wee hours of the night. All of your friends think you behave as a couple but to save face the 2 of you continue to refer to your obviously sexual and intimate relationship as a "friendship." Be careful with how you tell this white lie because it could end up violating the tenets of white lies by causing actual harm.

It was all good just a week ago. I know I left out a few. Do you think the ones listed are white lies or actual lies? What are some of the most common white lies you have told/heard?

Morning Inspiration

Great Morning beautiful people! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. To those affected by Hurricane irene. My prayers are with you all. Here is today's quote:

"Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; its holy ground. There's no greater investment." --Stephen Covey

One thing I have learned on my journey of self growth is that I have to be patient with myself. I am so used to always being the best at everything that it feels strange to have been thrown into the "training" pile again. Let me just put it out there about where I used to be: 
I HATED to make mistakes.
I hated to make mistakes in front of people even more. 
I hated not knowing how to do certain things.
I hated not feeling like I have earned my "keep" enough to have an influential say so. 
I hated starting over. 


I have had to learn NOT to be so hard on myself. Why? Because sleepless nights were starting to show up in photos in the form of bags under my eye. I had to learn to give myself time to grow and learn new procedures and ways of doing things. In the event that you find yourself in the same boat I'm in, remind yourself to be patient. You may be a fast learner but don't knock yourself if you're not the work wiz kid at the end of your first day. Continue to invest in your self growth and allow your mustard seed to grow. Give yourself time to make progress and allow yourself to make mistakes. Don't be afraid of new beginnings, embrace them. Embrace the opportunity to make mistakes. Continue to build up your reputation so that people know you are professional and serious. Don't ever allow yourself to get discouraged! Take time out each day to give yourself praise and focus on what you have accomplished thus far. Stay Strong! You can do whatever it is you set out to do! 

Today's Song Choice: Adele-Someone Like You <----because I LOVED her VMA performance!

Spread Love!

BREAKING NEWS: Beyonce is Pregnant!!

Ok so I know there are people still devastated by Hurricane Irene and our country's economy needs help and blah blah blah but let me enjoy this moment. She hasn't released a formal statement and Solange is yet to issue a statement via her Twitter (like she usually does) but I'm gonna go ahead and say this is good to go. Beyonce is PREGNANT! I have been a Bey Stan Fan since her days as the lead singer of Destiny's Child and she has NEVER had any sign of a belly pudge. She showed up at the VMAs glowing and she posed holding her new baby bump. I'm going to be an auntie! lol


It appears Jay-Z did give a clue that an announcement was coming through his verse on the Watch The Throne song, New Day. Take a Listen. He said: 
Sorry junior, I already ruined ya
‘Cause you ain’t even alive, paparazzi pursuin’ ya
Sins of a father make yo’ life ten times harder
I just wanna take ya to a barber
Bondin’ on charters, all the shit that I never did
Teach ya good values, so you cherish it
Took me 26 years to find my path
My only job is cuttin’ the time in half
So at 13 we’ll have our first drink together
Black bar mitzvahs, mazel tov, mogul talk
Look a man dead in his eyes
So he know you talk truth when you speak it, give your word, keep it
And if the day comes I only see him on the weekend
I just pray we was in love on the night that we conceived him
Promise to never leave him even if his mama tweakin’
Cause my dad left me and I promise never repeat him
Never repeat him, never repeat him

**Update** At the end of her VMA performance, Bey opened up her sparkly jacket and revealed that she was indeed wearing maternity pants and confirmed her pregnancy by rubbing her very obvious baby bump. The moment was almost surreal. The camera then panned over to an overjoyed Jay-Z and his reaction confirmed that he had indeed ruined the fantasies of many men. Jay has confirmed saying "We can't wait for the baby." Yay! Congrats to the Carter-Knowles clan! Let it be known I would quit whatever form of employment I have to be a nanny. Gone and judge me.

In Case You Missed it: 24/7 Mayweather vs. Ortiz

In his portion of the special Floyd shows up his new boo thang, curses at his father and demands for him to leave the gym. Ortiz has an interesting part too. I'm no boxing fan, but Floyd's personality sure does make it interesting.

Onward & Upward: Alpha Phi Alpha Holds Private Ceremony @ Memorial

On Friday, as the threat of Hurricane Irene still loomed off of the east coast, thousands of men from the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity gathered at the memorial for a private tribute to King. The men were clad in their colors of black and gold, as they gathered to pay their respects to their legendary  brother and to see the fruits of their labor. Alpha Phi Alpha is Martin Luther King Jr.'s fraternity and the oldest Greek-letter fraternity for African Americans in the country. The organization conceived and pushed for the King memorial.


Sidenote: Today is SUCH a beautiful day. I wish people had a little more faith and went ahead with the official dedication ceremony. 

Funny to Me: Pastor Joe Nelms Teaches Us How to Pray

Like I said, its funny to me

MUSIC NEWS: Beyonce Releases Video for "1+1"

Beyonce dropped the video for her most recent single "1+1."This is my favorite song from "4" and I'm just GIDDY that the video finally dropped. Enjoy!



I must admit, the video isn't my fav as I think she could have done more with the song but its not like I watch music videos regularly anyway. The subpar video doesn't affect my love of the song. I'll still bump "4" on my iPod.

Did You Get the Memo? 6 Memos No one Should Ignore

Did you get the memo? Its one of the most annoying questions a co-worker, or anyone can ask you. There you are sitting at your work area minding your own business and that annoying co-worker no one likes decides to come over and bother you. They don't know how to have a conversation about things outside of work so they do what they know how to do: talk about work. It urks my nerve. Why? Because there is no way you didn't get the f*cking memo but they decided to ask you anyway. Do you know what else is annoying? Of course you do. Its people who ask the question to make you look bad. "Oh you didn't get the memo that we don't send memos anymore?" D@mn you to hell.

After being asked the question several times over the past few days I started thinking about all the memos I wish I could ignore. These memos include the memo that you're supposed to show up to work on time and also that one about doing work while you're at work. Maybe work isn't for me. *Searches for careers that vacay for a living* This thought process led me to think about all the memos everyone should read. These are memos you should read in their entirety and hit "reply all" if you have any questions or concerns. They are the memos you should have to sign off on saying you have read and understand them.

1. The "We don't wear crazy designs on our jeans anymore" Memo. I did not think this memo was still relevant but I have seen way too many grown men wearing jeans with tigers and colored stripes on them. Its time to show brands like Coogi and Red Monkey that their designs are no longer relevant. The same goes for the makers of Baby Phat and Apple Bottom jeans. People shouldn't have to read your bottom as you walk away. Organize a bon fire and encourage people to bring their "booty design" jeans to burn them. Hire a DJ and provide free pizza. It takes a village. Stick with a pair of high quality dark wash jeans and keep it moving.


2. The "S/He's just that into you" Memo. This is the memo that requires people to be honest about their relationship situation. It is mandatory that you read this memo because understanding your place in a relationship is imperative to the survival of other loving relationships. Not recognizing that s/he just isn't that into you will lead you to voice complaints like "there aren't any good women" or "all men are dogs." To avoid these situations, take a moment to realize whats really going on. He takes days to answer your text messages and only responds to your phone calls when he thinks it will help him get the nookie. She ignores your phone calls but finds time to tweet and update her social networks. He doesn't check on you and even forgets to call you on your birthday. She makes up excuses for why she was unavailable to respond. He's never bought a gift and gripes about paying for your meal at Chick Fil A. She claims she doesn't have time to do things with you outside of the horizontal polka because she's "busy." He claims he has a very tight schedule that quickly opens up after midnight or when he wants the cookies. I applaud you if the two of you have a mutual agreement to be friend's with benefits. Outside of the FWB situation, take off your blinders and stop being delusional. Stop making up stories about him/her wanting to be more than a biddy. Stop making excuses. No one in the world is that busy. Stop calling and texting someone who isn't putting forth the same effort to stay in contact with you. He's not into you. She's not into you.

3. The "The end is near" Memo. Nations are at war. Natural disasters are occurring at record magnitudes. Yesterday the DC, Maryland and Virginia area experienced a 5.9 magnitude earthquake. I know my Cali folks are brushing it off as insignificant but I think its worth noting. Maybe I have watching too many end of days movies or maybe my father's speeches that the end is near are finally getting to me but I'm starting to believe it. 

4. The "I Know the Reason You're Single" Memo. There was a rumor yesterday that Will & Jada Smith were separating. I didn't believe it for one minute because I just saw an interview Will did where he made it clear that divorce was not an option for them. He was so adamant about his point and he always has been. I also had no reason to believe the false reports, which had no solid evidence to back them up. Shame on you In Touch weekly! The media has been coming down on single black women and black love for quite some time now. Frankly, I'm sick of it. Mattafack, I hope everyone who beats up on black love goes to purgatory. We get it, black love and black women are fascinating. The problem is,  the media wonders why we are single more than we do. I don't wake up in the morning and think "Damn I'm still single, maybe I should be miserable" but if I read all of the stories I'm pretty sure I would be. I don't go through my days miserable because I'm not in a committed relationship. I love myself too much for that. I use my time as a fabulously single woman to get to know who I am and to stay on track with my goals. We should all stop clicking on websites and buying magazines that talk about it. Stop making it a big deal and it wont be. Most of those stories are overgeneralized and sensationalized anyway. Leave black love alone. 

5. The "Don't Be An Eyewitness" Memo. Unless you are a lawyer or a member of law enforcement you should not interact with news reporters. Why? News reporters have a 6th sense: finding dumb people to be eye witnesses. Lets say a random freak accident occurs and leaves four people seriously injured. There were 10 people directly in the path of the crane but six of them avoided injury. Reporters will sift through the crowd of 1 million articulate folks with post graduate degrees to find the your cousin with the GED who only came with you because you promised him free pizza. His syntax is off and when he gets excited, he curses and farts a little. Now the cousin you dragged to the 1 million educated people summit is in rotation as an eyewitness to the freak accident. If you see a news reporter approaching you, it won't end well. Just...smile and walk away.

6. The "Posting Nude Photos Won't Make You Famous" Memo. One quick perusal of the Twitta or Facebook shows me how out of touch I am with the younger generations. Apparently, they think its ok to post partially nude photos on social networks. I'm not sure if all of them think it is going to make them famous but I know most of them are doing it for some kind of attention. What they fail to understand is just like money, all attention isn't GOOD attention. Once you post something online, its going to exist forever. Even after you delete it. Thats right, FOR-EV-VER! If you post the nakey pics, own up to why you're doing it. Your photos didn't leak. No one hacked your phone. No one stole your laptop. You posted the pics for some airtime hoping to break into the entertainment business. There's nothing wrong with that except for the fact that you continue to find money on your nightstand after the 1st date. If you're a habitual nude photo sharer, stop wondering why men approach you with offers to pay you for sex. Don't wonder why you are single. Mattafack, don't wonder anything just stop doing it. Kim may still be riding the coat tails of her sex tape but that doesn't mean you should take her place in the accidental sextape industry. If you want people to see you nude, I'm pretty sure there are people willing to look.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I have missed a few. What memos do you think people should read?

MUSIC NEWS: Lil Wayne Releases Vid for "How to Love"

Weezy just dropped the video for the latest single off of his upcoming album, The Carter IV called How to Love. If you listen to any form of radio, I'm pretty sure you have heard the song. Peep the video below.




What do you think? Does the song and video deserve a WOOT or a WOMP?

::singing:: See you had a lotta moments that didn't last forever. Now you're in a corner tryna put it together. How to looooveeee. 

Vogue Italia Apologizes for “Slave Earrings” Feature

Source. 


While we were griping about the Nivea ad, Vogue Italia attempted to slip under the radar with the sale of their "Slave Earrings." Yes, you read that right they decided it was ok to sell earrings called "Slave earrings." Whats ironic about it is the earrings don't resemble anything a slave, or any other person who does manual labor, would wear. 

The magazine blames their choice of words on translation issues, but are you buying that? I know I don't. Similar to my critiques of the Nivea ad, Vogue needs to also take some responsibility for not employing-or employing and not taking seriously- people who could have properly translated the ad. The people involved with the Vogue Italia brand should have known better. 


I really hate to feel like the racist police. 

Vogue Italia has issued a formal apology for running an online feature about gold hoop earrings that they dubbed “Slave Earrings,” calling the text a “really bad translation.”

The magazine found itself in hot water when the article, which was published earlier this month, circulated on Twitter.  Along with the “Slave Earrings” headline was a description that formerly read: “If the name brings to the mind the decorative traditions of the women of color who were brought to the southern Unites States during the slave trade, the latest interpretation is pure freedom.” Ultimately, the publication removed the text all together and replaced it with the published statement, “We’ve decided to remove the article from the site to prove our good faith and show it wasn’t our intention to insult anyone.”  Still, the “Ethnic Earrings” headline remains on the site along with the original gallery of earrings.

Franca Sozzani, editor-in-chief, issued an apology for the earring description that sparked outrage in commenters and said that it was all a language misunderstanding. "We apologize for the inconvenience. It is a matter of really bad translation from Italian into English," she said. "The Italian word, which defines those kind of earrings, should instead be translated into 'ethnical style earrings'. Again, we are sorry about this mistake which we have just amended in the website." 

I do remember when Vogue Italia's 2008 Black Issue, which featured only photo shoots of Black Models. The issue has become their best selling issue to date and they STILL managed to make this misstep. Will it ever stop?   

Morning Inspiration

GREAT morning beautiful people! A special shoutout to everyone on the East Coast who experienced their first real earthquake yesterday. Sh*t scared you didn't it? Don't deny it. One thing it did do was put things into perspective for me. With that said, here is today's quote:

If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.  ~E. Joseph Cossman

A few weeks ago Facebook got the brilliant idea to show you the status you posted a year ago to the date. Most of my statuses were about school and whatnot so it helped me put things into perspective about what I post nowadays. Does it matter that last year I was making flash cards at this time? Does it matter that I posted how awesome my friends are? To me, those things are still relevant because they are part of what has shaped me into the woman I am today. From now on, I will keep that in mind when I decide to post something.

Now for today's message: Always do your best to keep the things that bother you into perspective. Is there anything you can do to change it? Will it matter next year? Will it matter tomorrow? If your answer to any of those questions is NO, my advice is for you to let it go. There is no need to walk around stressing about something you have ZERO control over. If there is anything you can do to mitigate the stress it is causing you, do that and then move on. 3/4 of the things you are stressing about won't matter a few weeks from now so don't allow it to steal your joy today.

Today's Song Choice: Ashford & Simpson-Solid as a Rock. RIP Nick Ashford. A legend who will love on thru his legendary contributions to the world of music.

Spread Love, Family

BREAKING NEWS: East Coast is hit with a 5.9 Magnitude Earthquake

It looks like we all survived. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers as the East Coast deals with the devastation and aftermath of today's earthquake. Ok, I'm kidding. It was more unnerving than damaging and was definitely scary for an East Coast native like myself.  I thought the building was going to collapse. Thank God for building codes! Also, since cell phones were down for about a 1/2 hour thank God for Twitter and Facebook. 


I think most reactions were, "the ground ain't supposed to move!" Things might have fallen off of the shelves and it only lasted roughly 15 seconds (it felt like FOREVER) but no major damage has been reported. Below is a photo of all reported damage:

This isn't the first quake to hit the area since I have lived here, but I slept through the 3.6 magnitude on July 16 of last year. I know what I felt today and I don't want to feel it again. At first I thought it was construction, then I thought it was a bomb and then I realized it was an earthquake. My first reaction was to text my friends to confirm it but I realized my cell phone wasn't working so I did what anyone else would have done...I tweeted "Earthquaaaaaakkkeee!!!!!" and ran into the doorway of the bathroom because thats what the movies told me to do. I stayed there until it appeared the tv would fall off of the dresser so I moved it and ran back into the doorway. I don't know how you West Coast natives deal with the ground shaking. At least when a hurricane hits we have some sort of warning. 


Let's hope there isn't an aftershock. #DCEarthquake2011 (yes, I know the epicenter was in Virginia.)

Funny to Me: LaLa Anthony Encourages Women to "Take Back The Perv"

LaLa Anthony is the latest celeb to take part in a hilarious skit with the people at Funny or Die. LaLa Anthony was not happy when she found out that of all the perverts in the world, only 10% of them are women. In her skit LaLa and a team of women hope to "Take Back The Perv" as they demand their right to be perverts. 

LaLa gathered a few fellow pervs and decided to start a campaign to find more female perverts who aren't afraid to flash their privates in public, read porn or do a whole host of other freaky things. Peep the skit below:

Take Back The Perv with La La Anthony from La La Anthony

I'm with you LaLa! More women should become pervs! *giggles*

The Fall of a Dictator, Ghadaffi's reign is over?

Source 

Recent developments in Libya show that the 42-year regime of Col. Muammar Gaddafi may soon come to a tragic end in a matter of weeks or few months from now. This is because the rebels have taken over Tripoli the national capital without much resistance from the troops loyal to the incumbent president.



Al Arabiya also quoted him as saying no negotiations are under way between the rebel leadership and the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, on Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, one of the leader's sons now being held by the rebels. An ICC official said earlier talks were under way with the rebels on transferring Saif al-Islam to the war crimes court.
The ICC in June issued arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his son and Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi on charges of crimes against humanity after the UN SecurityCouncil referred the Libyan situation to the court in February. 

Rebel National Transitional Council Coordinator Adel Dabbechi confirmed Saturday night that Gaddafi's younger son Saif had been captured. The International Criminal Court in The Hague confirmed he had been held and said he should be handed over for trial.

Gaddafi's other son Khamis was leading a military force towards central Tripoli, Al Arabiya TV said on Tuesday, citing rebel sources. The Dubai-based channel said the forces departed from Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound.

Gaddafi's eldest son Mohammed Al-Gaddafi had surrendered to rebel forces, Dabbechi told Reuters. In a television interview, the younger Gaddafi said gunmen had surrounded his house, but he later told al-Jazeera in a phone call that he and his family were unharmed.

The fighters swept into the heart of Tripoli and crowds took to the streets to celebrate what they saw as the end of Muammar Gaddafi's four decades of power, but a government fightback was reported as dawn broke on Monday.

A column of hundreds of rebel fighters and pickup trucks carrying rocket launchers moved through the Libyan capital towards the central Green Square on Monday, a Reuters reporter in the city said.

The rebels in the column were shouting "Allahu Akbar!" or "God is greatest!" 


Abdul-Jalil, has said no one knows the whereabouts of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Al Arabiya reported.


Libyan rebels have captured Muammar Gaddafi's son Saadi, Al Arabiyah television reported on Monday, citing the head of the rebel National Transitional Council Mustafa Abdul-Jalil.

Two other of Gaddafi's sons, Saif and Mohammed, were also in rebel hands. 

Talented Generation Asks, Was Nivea's "Re-Civilize Yourself" Ad Racist?

In case you have been living under a rock I'm pretty sure some of you have heard about Nivea's "re-civilize yourself" ad. I understand I'm a little late on this one but it was hyped up over the weekend and judging by the 40 page views I got on Saturday and Sunday the majority of you don't check TG on the weekends. At the risk of beating a dead horse I have to give into the urge to share my 2 cents. 


Caveat: Generally, I'm  happy person. I get along well with others and I love spending time around other happy people. I am easily excited and I consider myself a pretty simple woman. There isn't much that a red velvet cupcake and butter pecan ice cream can't solve. I said that to make sure you all understand I am not typically an Angry Black Woman (ABW) but it is within me. I consider my ABW to be a tiny facet of my personality that takes over me in Bruce Banner to Incredible Hulk fashion when I get angry. The Nivea ad made me see red. I have to admit, I was oblivious to the ad but when I saw it I was immediately angered. I missed the premiere of the ad because I was trying to enjoy the last few days of summer. Sue me.  Do you see what happens when I take a day or 2 off from keeping abreast of current events? Now do you see why its hard for me to take a break? I always miss the good stuff. That was one long arse caveat wasn't it? 


Moving on. 


Everything was copastethic until I was prompted by a friend to like Nivea USA's page on Facebook. I took time to read the responses to the ad just to make sure I wasn't tripping. Sometimes women can be irrational and I try not to become that way. The floodgates opened and everyone took advantage of the platform to voice their opinions. I know some of you are saying the reactions are a bit extreme. Indeed, some of them are. I read posts from people who claimed Nivea was implying black people had no brain and should be sent back to Africa. Now thats just ridiculous. I also read posts from people who claimed African Americans had become too sensitive and expected too much from companies. Those people also claimed Afro Americans, referred to as "you people," should be happy white America has accepted us as much as it has and to stop complaining. YIKES! White America claimed the ad wasn't racist and attempted to compare the ad using the Afro American model with the ad using the white model saying white people weren't upset by their ad. I was astounded to say the least. Below is the ad featuring the white model. 

I find it interesting that it is always the 2520s proclaiming we live in a post racial society. According to them, America no longer treats people differently based on the color of their skin. Their arguments would be valid except for the fact that Americans still treat people differently based upon the color of their skin. I would like to believe that racist people are the exception and not the rule. I would also like to believe that I can go to the Cracker Barrel and not be seated near the kitchen but I like to live in truth. Racism has taken on a new face and become an institution. Racists may not call you a n*gger to your face but they will hire a less qualified white person over a black person. I am not saying everyone does this. Remember we are talking about racist Americans, not ALL Americans. Let's be clear here: I want us to stop pretending like racism and racist people don't exist. They do exist. Do I think we should go around screaming racism every time something bad happens to an African American? Hell no. I want us to stop doing that because I believe it dilutes the power behind the term. It used to be that being labelled a racist was a genuine fear for racist people. They feared being "outed" as racist and did not want to be associated with other racist people. Now once people are called racist they issue an apology and continue on in their racist ways. They don't even go to rehab and blame their behaviors on alcohol. They don't always resign their position and they don't always face public scrutiny. 


Back to Nivea's ad. I think the ad has racist undertones. At first I thought, "they must be doing an entire campaign about re-civilizing yourself" and then I realized I was wrong. Someone at Nivea thought they should create this image and circulate it as an ad. I have trouble believing NO ONE at Nivea stepped up and warned the company about this kind of backlash. I guess they missed the entire memo about the astounding number of African American men and women who are choosing to go "natural." They picked the wrong memo to miss. I immediately thought 2 things: (1) Either Nivea does not have a diverse staff or (2) if their staff is diverse, they don't employ enough diverse people with the power to make sure ads like this never see the light of day. 


I won't go so far as to say Nivea would be bold enough to use a black man in an ad obviously aimed at black men and be racist. Given the billions African Americans spend on cosmetics this just wouldn't be a smart business move. I think the ad is in bad taste. I am concerned because I know there are still people who see African Americans as savages and it sends the message that the only way to be civilized is to look like the "civilized" guy in the ad. Nivea implies that afros are a bad thing. That is wrong. The ad implies people who wear afros are uncivilized. I don't even wear an afro and that  bothers me. I don't want children who have afros or anyone else to be made to feel ashamed or like they cannot be accepted because of the way they choose to wear their hair. 


One of my colleagues said the problem is not so much the ad but it is also the dude who posed. I agree with that to a certain extent. Given the state of our economy, I'll give dude an "I need a pay my bills and sh*t" pass. Does this mean you should sell your soul to make a buck? Heck no but I understand you gotta do what you gotta do. I also understand you should have some knowledge of how your image and your likeness will be used. He might have just posed and cashed his check without knowing exactly how his image would be used. I can't fault him for that. 


Amid the upheaval the ad caused, Nivea decided to wise up and pull the ad. In true corporate PR fashion they issued a 1/2 assed apology saying,

“We are deeply sorry to anyone who may take offense to this specific local advertisement. After realizing that this ad is misleading, it was immediately withdrawn.”

Although they agreed to pull the ad, the damage is already done. Pulling the ad is akin to printing a retraction in a newspaper: no one cares about a retraction. 


NEWSFLASH: If companies and other entities are still making these kinds of missteps, WE DO NOT LIVE IN A POST RACIAL SOCIETY! Maybe they thought since America is post racial it is ok to create ads like this. I don't give a d@mn why they thought it was ok. What matters is it serves as another example that African American consumers are STILL misunderstood and companies are still dumbfounded as to how to appeal to us. 


Ads like this are the reason we need to make sure our kids learn about their history. We may forgive but we should never forget. Don't ever allow a company you support to disrespect who you are and what you stand for. 

Morning Inspiration

GREAT morning beautiful!! Happy first day of school to all the parents, students and teachers. Remember this is not the time to get a break, it is a time to pay attention. Get involved with your school. Here is today's quote:

If evil be said of thee, and if it be true, correct thyself; if it be a lie, laugh at it.-Epictetus

I come to you all today with a heavy heart and since I don't believe in sharing when you are angry I will just leave it at that. Every once in a while a situation presents itself to me and angers me to the point where I cannot think straight. In light of the situation, today's lesson is brought to you by the letter R for research. Research before you form an opinion about something. Research before you decide to open your mouth and voice said opinion. You won't always be around people who will correct your ignorant behavior so you must take the initiative to both censor and educate yourself. If there is something, or someone, you do not know much about censor yourself. It is best to keep your opinions to yourself than to risk sounding like an idiot for discussing something you don't know much about. On the flipside, if you discover someone spreading inaccurate information about something you are passionate about it is your responsibility to address them. I'm not saying you all should be confrontational or go around being the rumor police but you should address them and the rumor. If you choose not to address it because you think someone else will, you are only adding to the problem. Spreading lies is an injustice to everyone affected by them. If you discover an injustice, do something about it!! Don't wait around for someone else to protect what you're passionate about. Obviously they don't care based on their actions.

If you don't fight for yourself, no one else will fight for what you believe in.

Today's song choice: Juicy Fruit-Mtume

Spread Love!

Funny to Me: Affion Crockett Does Dave Chappelle, Manny Pacquiao, Drake, President Obama, Russell Simmons & Tiger Woods Impersonations From His New Show

Affion (I can call him that because we're friends, in my head) and his impersonations have a special place in my heart. From his Deuces spoof to his take on Officer Ricky, he keeps me laughing. I wish him the best in his new venture. Word on the curb is that it premiered on Fox a little under a week ago. I didn't watch it because...well I don't watch Fox. The format of Crockett’s half-hour program resembles Dave Chappelle’s Comedy Central hit “Chappelle’s Show,” with Crockett serving both as host and star. IF you haven't removed Fox from your TV lineup I'm sure it will be funny. I'll catch the reruns on Hulu or Youtube. All the best Affion!

Morning Inspiration

GREAT morning beautiful people! TGIF! Feel free to do a lil dance because I know I hit the jive this morning when my alarm clock (and Jesus) woke me up today.

"Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." 
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well I guess you all could say I am officially BACK from my vacay. I did take an extra day off just to recoup from everything taking a week off allows you to do. As you can imagine, adjusting back to my "normal" life was difficult. There is just something about going from a beautiful getaway in a place where I can forget my worries to a back office where I have to answer to people that I can't force myself to look forward to. I don't always dread coming back from vacay, I just always dread coming back from vacay. Seriously, I'm thinking of pitching a show but I won't tell you all my idea because I don't know you like that. Just kidding. Wait, you came here for inspiration didn't ya? I shared my anecdote in order to tell you to forget about the happenings of yesterday and start today anew. In case you didn't catch that, yesterday is a metaphorical reference to anything that happened in the past. You caught that didn't you? I'm proud of you. That argument you and your best friend had on Monday? That happened "yesterday." That disrespectful email you received last year? That happened "yesterday" too. Let all of the bullsh*t go and continue to prosper in your own life. The things those people did to you are there karmic energy to deal with. Just like J Hud sings about in her weight loss commercials, its a new day. Even if you end up doing something you wouldn't prefer to do today, appreciate the blessing of an assignment. Respect that others would like to be in your situation right now by resisting the urge to complain. Begin today and every other day in high spirits and with a mind filled with optimism. End today the same way.


Because they don't hand out trophies for getting out of bed, get up and enjoy today's song choice with me: Kelly Clarkson-Break Away.

Spread Love!

Morning Inspiration

GREAT morning beautiful people! I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend. I know I sure did!

“Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.” -Winnie the Pooh

Many of you who have been reading my blog since I started my blogging journey know about my struggle to relinquish control and enjoy taking time off. This past weekend I took a vacay to South Beach and realized how stressed I was living at home. I took time to clear my head and I realized just how much stress I was allowing to rest on my shoulders. To be honest, the biggest reason I was able to take a REAL break and actually relax was because I left my Mac charger and couldn't find my phone charger. I found myself in a beautiful hotel suite with my beautiful friends but I had a dead computer and a dead phone. Essentially, I had no choice but to put on a bikini and sit on the balcony to take in the beautiful sites. The photo above is actually one of the few photos I captured during my wonderful experience. Because of what I realized in the past few days, I am here today to challenge all of you to give yourself a BREAK. If you can afford it, take a day off and take a cruise to nowhere. Heck if you can afford it, take a few days off and go to the Caymen Islands. Sign up for airline price drop alerts and go to a random place where nobody knows your name. Do something you wouldn't normally do and allow yourself to really let  yourself go. I know its only Monday and Mondays are already tough to get thru but I promise you if you do this for yourself it will be a priceless experience. I know you may not care but Beyonce says she took a year off and it wasn't until she finally took time off that she realized how much she managed to accomplish in her career. We may be a few millions short of a Beyonce-type experience but we are still people who work hard and deserve a break. We spend so much time pushing ourselves to be great and I admire that about all of my colleagues but sometimes it is worth it to just drop everything and get away.

Take time to appreciate everything you have and everyone you have. Don't wait until it is about to be taken away from you before you appreciate it.

Today's Song Choice: Adele-Rolling in the Deep
Spread Love!

Bare with me...

Being the genius that I am I did a speedy packing job and left my mac charger at home while I'm 1000 miles away on vacay. Regular posting will begin again on Monday. Have a FANTASTICAL and MAGNIFICAL weekend!

SPREAD LOVE!!