culture

In 2012, at a time when many felt as if R&B had fallen off, Frank Ocean was our savior. Channel Orange felt like love on a warm, summer day. Not only was the music on point, but it was different and inclusive. Revealing his first love with a man and lyrics such as “You’re running…

We love family. They’re always there for us—asking for money or needing a ride to the airport or … never mind. Cookie has been talking a lot about family unity. In “Rise by Sin,” family matters cause all the problems. When Lucious reluctantly took in his batty mom, Leah Walker, in the last episode, he…

A mother’s love is said to be one of the purest forms of human love. For her, the loss of a child is unimaginable. In 2014 Lesley McSpadden faced tragedy on the world stage with the death of her 18-year-old son, Michael Brown. The fatal police shooting ignited protest across the country—and sparked a rallying…

It’s not all mistresses and murder with Scandal. While the soapy political drama frequently takes us deep into the world of make-believe, Scandal is also known for its plucked-straight-from-the-headlines plotlines that tap directly into the zeitgeist, the most noteworthy of which may have been the Ferguson, Mo.-inspired “Lawn Chair” episode. Indeed, in the midst of all the over-the-top…

My boyfriend of four years finally proposed six months ago. Now he refuses to discuss wedding plans or set a date. He wants to go to premarital counseling. I want to start planning the wedding. Should I force the issue or be patient and wait until he is ready to discuss the wedding? —Anonymous I’m…

Once upon a time, pretty long ago, I used to manage a nightclub in Washington, D.C. At this particular nightclub, Liv (RIP), we had a rotating list of parties throughout the week. On Friday nights, we had gay night. This was always typically a good night for us for a few different reasons: 1) Gay…

I was late to the Love Jones train. Now, being late to things isn’t something that’s particularly uncommon with me. I think I was the last person on earth without a cellphone (didn’t get one until 2002), I started binge-watching Game of Thrones last spring, and I didn’t realize the Weeknd was just one person…

“I promise, I’ll be worth the wait,” a then-20-year-old Janet Jackson cooed to ’80s heartthrob Taimak as they nuzzled on a city rooftop, contemplating the next move in their fictional black-and-white video romance. The year was 1986. “Let’s Wait Awhile” was the fifth hit single from Jackson’s breakthrough solo album, Control, which would confirm her…