culture

The Buzz’s item of the week is money, but a Coogi isn’t so bad either.

100 years strong, the NAACP has a new chief in Ben Jealous. Adam Serwer of American Prospect offers a closer look at the man and the task ahead: The Other Black President (Is it just The Buzz or does Mr. Jealous kind of look like Vince Vaughn?)

Awards shows: Are they obsolete? If not, how can they be made more relevant? Currently accepting answers in the Comments section…

You’ve got to be kidding. The Buzz’s Take: McDonald’s is more influential than the New York Post could ever dream, yet we’ve not taken to the streets. The lesson? Apparently, don’t get injured in the course of saving someone’s life if you’re broke and no one has ever heard of you. Awesome.

Might not attract crowds. And that’s a significant enough fact that it deserves recognition from Oscar & Co. At least one guy thinks so. Listen Up, Oscar The Buzz’s Take: World-class titles and nicknames have been part of The Buzz’s repertoire for years, so there’s no argument on this end of things.

While some are trying to bail out the United States, other are looking to bail on. So sayeth Forbes: World’s Friendliest Countries The Buzz’s Take: Now exactly who these friendlies are friendly to is another question entirely. But since we live in a post-racial moment, it’s probably completely cool.

Read the washingtonpost.com Live Online discussion on MARDI GRAS NOIR with The Root’s Chandra Thomas. ***** This Mardi Gras, as my hometown continues to recover from the devastation of Katrina, we have another reason to rejoice. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Zulu krewe parading through the streets of New Orleans. Zulu is the…

Venus and Serena Williams have said little regarding fellow tennis player, Shahar Peer, who was banned from a tournament in Dubai because of her Israeli passport for “security reasons.”As superstars in the sport who have themselves faced discrimination, why haven’t they said more? Should they? ESPN’s Jemele Hill looks into the matter further. Williams sisters…

Backwater blues have caused me to pack up my things and go Backwater blues have caused me to pack up my things and go ‘Cause my house fell down and I can’t live there no more —Bessie Smith, “Backwater Blues” As tourists travel about downtown New Orleans and the French Quarter for Mardi Gras this…

Chris Brown and Rihanna got in a physical altercation. There have been varying points of view on how to classify what took place. The pondering of a friend got The Buzz wondering about the culture of violence in Black America. A friend opined that a physical altercation between a white man and white woman is perceived…