Very Smart Brothas
-
Is Cold Weather Racist?
This morning, after walking my dog, I went back outside, popped open the trunk of my car and removed some workout items that were still in there from my trip to LA Fitness Wednesday evening: a sleeveless hoodie, a white T-shirt, a pair of white socks and some gray shorts. I usually don’t like to…
-
Milo Yiannopoulos’ Editor’s Notes Are Absurd, Hilarious (and Depressing) Proof That White Men Get Too Many Chances
I’ve spent much of Thursday afternoon combing through the manuscript of Milo Yiannopoulos’ Dangerous—which Simon & Schuster submitted (with editor’s notes intact) as a rebuttal to Yiannopoulos’ lawsuit against the publishing house for canceling his book deal and shuttering the book. The contract, if you recall, was very publicly voided after a recording where Yiannopoulos…
-
2017: The Year Liberal White People Reminded Us That They’re White, Too
Any time capsule attempting to capture 2017 would definitely include an acoustic cover of “Bodak Yellow,” an American flag with a Colin Kaepernick figurine kneeling on it, a clip of the sunken-place scene from Get Out and an Apple watch, just in case someone in the future discovers a reason for it existing. But the…
-
10 Songs That You Just Gotta Listen to All the Way Through to Hear the Musical Magic
In 2016, Netflix released a documentary titled The Art of Organized Noize about Atlanta’s legendary Organized Noize Productions. The trio, consisting of Patrick “Sleepy” Brown, Rico Wade and Ray Murray, is responsible for creating the sound that put Atlanta on the national hip-hop map through iconic groups Outkast and Goodie Mob. While discussing how older…
-
How Do You Feel About Kool-Aid?
My parents raised me to be a Christian, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that we were practicing Christians. I mean, we were Christians, technically, but Christianity, in our house, felt like more of a benevolent and perfunctory directions guide than any sort of edict. I was taught to pray before every meal—a ritual I still…
-
Why So Many of Us Are So Willing to Be Led by ‘Ain’t Shit’ Men, Explained
He is your least favorite Facebook friend’s favorite “educator.” He also recently joined an exclusive club with Omarosa Manigault Newman. The Niggas Without Jobs Who Still Somehow Got Fired This Month Club. They meet every Tuesday at Bruegger’s Bagels to play Connect Four. He didn’t get fired, per se, as much as he’s currently under…
-
5 Videos That Really Should Be Better, Like SZA’s ‘The Weekend’
Last week, SZA dropped a video for “The Weekend” (see below at your own risk of boredom), one of the standout tracks from her standout album, CTRL. This video is basura. It’s four straight minutes of bad art. I call it bad art because the Solange Knowles-helmed video was clearly created to be artsy and…
-
Dear Companies That Produce and Sell Shit, Would It Kill You to Add Some People of Color to Your Packaging?
On a recent trip to buy some gifts for my own and other children for Christmas, I decided to venture to the beads-and-bracelets-and-shit aisle of a Toys R Us near my home. This is my go-to aisle when I need a random gift for my daughter or her classmates when we’re on the way to…