culture
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‘Been Around the World and I, I, I’: Why a Nomadic Couple Is Heading Out on a Wedding-Engagement Tour
Antoine Kinch hopped onto an ottoman in a swanky New York City rooftop lounge to toast his fiancee and thank their family and friends for making it out to celebrate his and Shaunte Otey’s wedding engagement. Kinch, a 37-year-old engineer, spoke giddily about how he was marrying a longtime friend and a woman whom he at…
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The Stars Sizzle in Red Fashions for a Cause
There was some serious hotness on the fashion runway Thursday night as a stream of stars came out blazing in red gowns to symbolize the fight against heart disease. The Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection was presented by Macy’s in the tents at Lincoln Center to raise awareness of the disease nationwide. The…
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Scandal Recap: Billion-Dollar Baby
Thursday’s episode of Scandal was laced with excellent quotes, major changes in plans and plenty of unanswered questions, like, what was the plan when you proposed this auction, Olivia? And why is Andrew still alive? Olivia’s friends suddenly decide that they should bid for Olivia in the auction. I’m not sure why it took them so long to think…
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Your Roomie Had a Right to React the Way She Did When Your Boyfriend Moved In
My best friend and I were living together when I met my boyfriend. When I became pregnant, he started to stay over every night because I got off work late and he was concerned for my safety. She started to become very distant and eventually moved out. After she left, she called to say that…
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No Shade (Well, Maybe a Little), but Fifty Shades Doesn’t Get BDSM Quite Right
Kink is going (sort of) mainstream with the release this weekend of the movie Fifty Shades of Grey—based on E.L. James’ book of the same name—just in time for Valentine’s Day. The three-volume book series quickly garnered a huge following for its taboo plotline of BDSM (bondage, discipline/domination, submission/sadism and masochism) between lovers Christian Grey—the wealthy…
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Journey of You: Hill Harper – Looking Back While Moving Forward
For years, fans of Hill Harper were used to seeing him as a medical examiner-turned-detective on CSI: NY. Often referred to as “Doc” by his TV show colleagues, that role of a medical professional isn’t too far from his family’s real-life story. Both sides of Harper’s family have medical backgrounds. His maternal grandfather, Doc Hill,…
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Valentine’s Day: Death to the Drugstore Teddy Bear
Last week I walked into a CVS pharmacy and was struck by the annual Valentine’s Day gift selection. I wasn’t taken aback because I saw anything new or unusual. To the contrary, I was struck by the realization that drugstores across America have been peddling the same janky, hacky combinations of tired teddy bears holding heart-shaped…
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How About Someone Black as ‘the Most Trusted Man, or Woman, in America’?
The fake-sack, kill-him-softly, no-pay suspension of NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams was enough legally sanctioned and blatant white privilege to last us a lifetime of “say what.” Chickens came home to roost, as the saying goes. As a result, maybe NBC executives could do a bit of paradigm shifting by simply giving a person…
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Empire Recap: The Lyons, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Last week a single rose prompted Cookie to order a hit. Even Suge Knight told her to rethink her life choices. That rose is still causing trouble. Lucious invites Cookie to dinner at a fancy restaurant, takes her by the hand and leads her to … a family gathering to announce his engagement. What? This…
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6 Rules That’ll Help Keep Parents From Reaching Their Breaking Point
Parenting isn’t something you can teach yourself overnight or even over 18 years. No two days, weeks or months are ever the same in a parent’s life. And let’s not forget, if you’re a parent to several children, what may have worked for Jason probably won’t work for Alicia. One thing many parents face when…