culture

When you are the fastest man on the planet, you can eat whatever you want — even boatloads of McDonald’s chicken nuggets. Usain Bolt revealed in a newly published memoir that during his two-week stay in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics, he consumed roughly 1,000 chicken nuggets, according to excerpts published by the New York…

(The Root) — The Best Man Holiday is one of the most anticipated films of the 2013 holiday movie season. Building on the success and storylines of audience favorite The Best Man, director Malcolm Lee reassembled an all-star cast to take another shot at creating cinematic magic with the sequel to the 1999 smash hit.…

Editor’s note: This is the first of three in a series. (The Root) — In 30 years, America will look very different than it does now. According to analysis of census data, by 2043 white Americans will no longer be a majority. But an equally significant population milestone will arrive in 2020. That is the year in which the…

A Massachusetts woman was reportedly fired after racially insensitive images surfaced online of her sons dressed as Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman for Halloween. Caitlin Cimeno reportedly posted photos of her sons, William Filene and Greg Cimeno, with the caption: “Happy Halloween from Zimmerman & trayvon (insert smiley face emoji here),” according to a piece…

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the most formidable Democratic presidential candidate, who could “vanquish” the Tea Party in 2016, Sen. Charles E. Schumer said Saturday, according the Washington Post. Although Election Day is more than three years away, Schumer is the most senior Democratic lawmaker yet to call on Clinton to run for…

If he behaves himself, former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) could be released from federal prison Dec. 31, 2015. The Associated Press reports that the release date is listed on the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. The calculation is based on whether he receives the maximum reduction of 54 days a year for good…

In an opinion piece at the New York Post, author Charlotte Hays laments the apparent rise and glorification of so-called “white trash” behavior in popular culture, particularly on television shows like Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Asking if the depictions are the new normal, the author of the newly released, When Did White Trash Become…

Before Kerry Washington’s portrayal of Michelle Obama on Saturday Night Live last night, no one had played the first lady during her husband’s presidency, Buzzfeed reports. The last time Michelle Obama was portrayed on the show was in 2007, when she was played by regular Maya Rudolph. “I feel like it’s been years since I’ve…

Michael Arceneaux writes at Clutch magazine that Kanye West has transformed from a so-called conscious rapper into the average Internet troll, willing to say anything to get attention. Lord knows I have tried to be patient with Kanye West as it’s becoming ever so clear that he can’t play spades at most peoples’ tables given he’s not…

At ESPN, Jason Whitlock tackles the notorious angry outbursts of Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys. His “inability to control his emotions is not a racial issue,” he writes. “It’s a family dysfunction issue.” The largely well-intentioned defenders of Dez Bryant are primarily driven by concerns related to race and racism. They’re misguided, and perhaps so are…