Very Smart Brothas
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How Insecure Reminds Us of the Shitty Decisions We’ve Made (and Are Still Making)
If you’re one of those people who tune in every week to watch Insecure because Issa, Molly and Lawrence remind you of yourself or friends of yours, then last night’s episode did one of two things: It reminded you of all the dumb mistakes you’ve made when dating, or the characters reminded you of that…
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5 Things to Keep in Mind When Watching Today’s Solar Eclipse: The Black Edition
Hi. In case you’ve been living under a rock, you know that today, throughout this fine nation of ours, at various times, you will be able to see AT LEAST a partial solar eclipse. What is a solar eclipse? Glad you asked. It’s when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, partially blocking…
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How ’Bout This, Tina Fey: Give Us (Black People) the Sheet Cake, and You Go Confront the White Women Who Voted for Trump
I’m going to keep this short, because it’s Friday evening and I have shit to do.* I generally like Tina Fey. She is one of my favorite people in comedy. And I did laugh at her sheet-cake bit. Even if the premise was all fucked up—more on that in a minute—the actual jokes (aside for…
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If You Voted for Trump, I Don’t Give a Shit if You ‘Surely Regret It’ Now
I’m certain we’ll see more reflections like Julius Krein’s “I Voted for Trump. And I Sorely Regret It” in the coming weeks and months. This week alone, we’ve watched Fox News become of a bacchanalia of teary epiphany, and we’ve witnessed a parade of prominent Republicans twist themselves into logical origami denouncing Donald Trump while…
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How Trump Ruined My Relationship With My White Mother
Like most of America, I’ve had a week. Whereas Charlottesville, Va., touched off a week of necessary discussions, debates and arguments centering largely on our president’s ignorance and emboldening of the very real problems in America, I’ve had exhausting, draining and, ultimately, disappointing arguments about America’s race problem within my own house with my mother.…
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The Most Racist Statue in America Is in … Pittsburgh, and It’s the Most Ridiculous Magical Negro You’ll Ever See
There are times, like when watching footage of what happened in Charlottesville, Va., that racism bombards the senses like a virus, leaving your skin sore, your soul hardened and your spirit fatigued; a disillusioning, full-body wizening that disrupts, destroys and (occasionally) ends lives. And then there are times when the racism is so scenery-chewing and…
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White Power Is About White Victimhood, and It’s Everywhere
It’s been less than a week since the much-discussed Unite the Right white nationalist demonstration erupted in Charlottesville, Va., resulting in the tragic death of counterprotester Heather Heyer and the injuries of 35 people. We’ve since been inundated with commentary, reactions and subsequent statements from celebs, pundits, elected officials and, unfortunately, Donald Trump. For now,…
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Can Ben Carson Just Go Away and Watch NCIS Reruns on a Barcalounger Like Every Other 65-Year-Old Black Man?
I’ve tried very, very, very hard over these past few years, but I just can’t muster much anger toward Ben Carson for the ridiculous and dangerous things he says. Perhaps because he carries himself like a man who goes to Home Depot for the ambience and spends his days saying things like, “I have a…
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I Bought an Apple Watch 2. I Wasted $399 (Plus Tax) on an Apple Watch 2
I’m an Apple products guy. I’ve been exclusively an iPhone user since 2008 (I believe) when I chucked my T-Mobile Sidekick LX. My personal computers of choice are all Apples. There are three iPads in my home. I own an Apple TV, and when I’m hungry, I eat apples. We don’t play with our Apple…
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The 10 Best ‘Brown Liquor’ Songs of All Time
I didn’t learn how to drink alcohol until I was 33. That is not to say that I did not partake of an adult beverage before then, but I was well into the third decade of my life before I learned to appreciate the nuanced flavor of different wines and spirits. I then began to…