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Malcolm-Jamal Warner Tackles a Classic Sidney Poitier Role
There’s a moment (or 10) in Todd Kreidler’s adaptation of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner when Malcolm-Jamal Warner forces you to forget all about Sidney Poitier. The thought is blasphemous, of course—heretical, even—but true nonetheless. Warner takes Dr. John Prentice, the character originated by Poitier, and makes him his own. “I definitely watched the film…
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Scandal Recap: Who’s the Bad Guy, Again?
Have you ever played that game where you try to one-up Scandal’s writers’ room and come up with the craziest thing that could happen next? No? Good, because you’ll lose. Every. Single. Time. In last night’s episode, “YOLO,” our favorite Washington wunderkinds put on their white hats to ride in and save Olivia’s mom, the…
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How to Be Black on Black Friday
Black Friday’s gotten a pretty bad rap. Whether it’s “the High Holy Day for the state religion of overconsumption,” as one commenter wrote on the New York Times’ website, or just the starting line of the holiday rat race, the “black” in Black Friday is more ominous than awe-inspiring. So why not take it back?…
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‘Scandal’ Recap: A Thin Line Between Love and Hate
After last week’s gut-punching episode, you’d think Scandal might want to cut us a break. You know, give us a chance to catch our collective breaths. Why not try a very special musical episode? Or even a “Where are they now?” recap of the gladiators who mysteriously went missing? What ever happened to Olivia’s old…
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Scandal Recap: 10 Shocking Twists
Wow. Just wow. Last night’s episode of Scandal was packed with so many scream-worthy twists I’m sure most of you are hoarse. Today I can’t even whisper the word “gladiator” without feeling faint. Just when you thought Olivia Pope had the “My Family’s Secrets Are Worse Than Your Family’s Secrets” contest on lock, here comes…
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'Scandal' Recap: Between a Rock and a Heartache
Admit it. You were more than a little disappointed when it turned out that Olivia’s mom wasn’t Whitley Gilbert. How awesome would that have been? Still, despite the glaring omission of A Different World-meets-Scandal mashup that “I love the ‘90s” afterschool specials are made of, this week’s episode of everyone’s favorite melodrama was all about…
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It's Handled, Gladiators. ‘Pope’ Is a Verb
(The Root)—It was bound to happen eventually. After two-and-a-half seasons of melodramatic conquests, the natives out there in TV land have been sufficiently immersed in Scandal-ese. Fans of the hit show have relished in having their own shorthand—simple phrases like “It’s handled” and “gladiators in suits,” to name a few—an instantly recognizable patois that sets…
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'Scandal' Recap: 5 Best Quotes About Olivia
(The Root) — Turns out Mellie got it wrong. “Flyovers” and “trailer trash” aren’t the only ones who fall for a push-up bra and a mic. Olivia Pope’s a sucker, too. Stuff the president in a penguin suit, put him in front of a podium and the girl’s a goner. In this week’s episode…
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'Baby Love' Writer on Muse of 1st Novel
(The Root) — Almost halfway through Rebecca Walker’s haunting debut novel, Adé: A Love Story, I realized that dog-earing was a fool’s errand. Every sentence was a gift. Every new paragraph packed with colors, scents and italicized sounds I had to see, smell and hear again. Soon the book’s pages were more bent than not.…
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'Scandal' Recap: Last Night's 10 Best Quotes
(The Root) — There’s nothing like a nice, juicy Cyrus Beene quote. Pretty much everything the cheeky chief of staff says can be applied to any real-life situation if you try hard enough. To wit, if someone cuts you in line at the coffee shop, just stick them with a snarling, “You might be animal,…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
