Black Girls Rock !

Black Girls Rock is Moving !!!!!

2008-11-29T21:46:00.000-05:00

For the last few weeks I've been working on moving the site to its own domain. I'm finally finished and I hope you come by and check it out HERE !

Gerard Butler : Who Really Lights His Fire ????

2008-11-28T14:17:00.000-05:00

My girl Selena sent me this link of Gerard Butler and a "friend."

Ladies, do check this out...LOL.

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Who Really Loves The FULL Spectrum of Black Female Beauty ?

2008-11-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

I could do without some of the musical selections, but enjoy the pics ! Let's see: mocha girls - check
brown girls - check
light brown girls - check
weaves - check
perms - check
kinky natural hair - check
curvy girls - check

Hhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....it's a GREAT day to be a Black girl with options !

The Meaning of Michelle

2008-11-23T20:46:00.001-05:00

Robin Thicke - "The Sweetest Love"

2008-11-19T19:13:00.001-05:00

I LOVE Robin. He continues to show US his love and support. Robin knows who his fans are and he makes sure WE are represented. My, my...what a novel concept that *some* so called "R&B" artists can't seem to grasp. Oh well...their loss. Check out the HOTNESS of Robin and model Jessica White !

Stand Up in the Face of Evil

2008-11-10T11:15:00.001-05:00

By now, most of you have already read about the brutal murders of the Pietrzak’s. I really can’t say any more than Evia and others have so eloquently and passionately expressed about this HATE CRIME. I will say that it sickens me when the anit-BW squad rides in to some of the pro-BW sites and tries to “explain” the legal definition of a HATE CRIME with the express purpose of down-playing what happened to this beautiful couple.

No one likes to think of the worst possible thing happening to them, but I think it’s in every BW’s best interest to do exactly that. I remember years ago when I took a self-dense course, the instructor’s assistant (who “plays” the attacker) was pretty scary to me. At the time, I couldn’t understand why the instructor chose a man who was so physically imposing. I will never forget during one of the “exercises,” the assistant had to “choke” me from the front and I totally flipped out and started crying. The “choking” was very “real” in that the assistant applied pressure to your neck and actually made you feel what it was like to be choked. The assistant said to me, “never, ever cry…that’s what they want…your tears and pain.” My stomach is literally in knots as I type this, because the memory of it is still so “real.” What that class was trying to teach me and the other women there was to feel what it would be like to be attacked, so that (Heaven forbid) if it actually happened, we would not be shocked or stunned, but could actually react and GET AWAY from our assailant. My point is we need to face down the fear and BE PREPARED to defend ourselves. After that class was over, I did the one thing you are never supposed to do: I STOPPED practicing the self-dense techniques I learned. This very day, I am going to rectify that.

I want to encourage every woman reading this to find a self-defense program in your area and START TODAY. Please look into any and all methods of self-defense. If money is an issue, please call your local Police Department (Community Safety or Community Outreach division) and ask if they have a program teaching self-defense to women. If you want to get a group of women together to support each other and continue practicing after a class, go to meetup.com and start one. Just DO SOMETHING to protect your self today.

PREPARE, PROTECT, AND PROSECUTE.

Our New First Lady & The First Daughters : Black Girls Rocking The White House !!

2008-11-04T23:47:00.000-05:00

I truly believe that Michelle Obama, simply by being herself, will forever change the image of Black women in this country. Too optimistic ?? Perhaps, but oh I have a feeling !!

Swirl Society : Making News & Going Places !!

2008-10-30T10:08:00.001-04:00

I was thrilled to see the dating site, Swirl Society, exclusively for Black women and White men making news on a *gasp* "Black news" site. Times are a changing !

Los Angeles, CA (BlackNews.com) - Interracial relationships are viewed as a positive step towards smoother race relations by some; as "sellout" behavior and a denial of racial heritage by others. Interracial marriages more than doubled between 1980 and 1995. Black/White marriages increased an estimated 96% overall, with marriages between of Black women and White men increasing 171%.
Swirl Society was formed specifically for Black women and White men. Too many times other sites offering similar aspects over time become spammed, cluttered and to be honest far too expensive and no longer have a singular purpose. According to Shon Anthony of Los Angeles, "Swirl was formed out of an idea to find happiness for Black women and White men looking for the same thing."

In today�s society, online dating has become as integral part of North American culture as the Internet itself. However, as the modern equivalent of traditional dating services, (internet) dating has had to overcome the stigma of "lonely hearts" and other negative images. Though interracial dating sites are not the only way to meet singles of other ethnic groups, they have certain advantages. There in lies one of biggest advantages of using a specialty interracial dating site: you can browse hundreds of personal ads of people with the same interest, which is to date someone outside their own race.
Swirl Society is a site where White men and Black women can feel free and safe to email, talk to and date. It�s a colorful world out there, so why limit yourself.
Miss Anthony's short term goal is to inform "Black American women to know there is a place out there to meet nice decent men from here in America as well as other parts of the world that are interested in them." Swirl Society is a place to chat, post on forums, write their own blogs, create events and express themselves through the profile page features and a lot of other features.
Anthony wants everyone to tell a friend and pass the website on. According to Shon Anthony, "I want Swirl Society to become a credible trusted site without interruptions, confrontations or negativity, its all about finding your true love." Source

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www.swirlsociety.net

I LOVE the goals Ms. Anthony has set for her site !!

The Hudson Family Tragedy : Why I Didn't Want to Post on the Subject - Exhibit A

2008-10-27T14:20:00.001-04:00

Blogs all over the internet are discussing and dissecting every crumb of information available about the murders of the Hudson family. I knew it was best for me to not post on the matter because I have rather strong and judgmental opinions about some of the information that has been released about some of the parties involved. However, I also knew that it wouldn’t be long before some ignorant people used this tragedy to further their “Black Women Love Thugs” agenda. Without further ado, I present Exhibit A :

There is a glorification in the Black community by Black women to date these thug scumbags and try to dismiss good brothas out there.

I don't even have the energy today to go into how postal the above statement makes me. *ALL* Black Women are NOT looking for thugs. Take the wheel...I'm done.

Updated : Reader goldenah (Bless her) has the perfect response to this :

We can't win for losing.

A guy kills a family and it's the black woman's fault. So every wrong deed committed by a black man is our fault? Who in the world would desire a people who don't have a responsible bone in their bodies?

Anyone who can count knows there are more black women than black men. Yet, we are coached to accept any black man in every shape or form, working or non-working, and even share them.

Reject the inappropriate ones and we are accused of being too fussy. Take them in any form, and we all "love 'em thugs."

That's stupid.

This social issue is then compounded by black men who assume they are "good," who upon facing some rejection, bitterly complain that all black women want thugs.

"Good" must mean illogical thinkers.

Apparently, these guys lack the ability to realize that not all black women would, should, or even could find them attractive. Above all though, who we want, who we end up partnering with is really none of their business.

How is it that we can accept that not all black men want us, but these guys are unable to understand ALL black women aren't there solely for their selection (or denigration)? Isn't this typical black male chauvinism, narcissism, selfishness, and vanity?

No matter who we are or what we do, we are supposed to wait (often in vain) for them.

These guys seriously, and I mean seriously, need to check themselves.

Lisa Bonet : Exhibit A to Starting Over

2008-10-16T10:15:00.000-04:00

In our pro-Black Girl & IR circles, we talk a lot about encouraging young BW to explore all their options when looking to find a Quality man. However, I just want to point out that it's never too late for ALL BW to find a Quality mate and start a family. I realize that Lisa Bonet is not typical in that she is a celebrity. But what's important is the fact that she is 40 and by the look of these photos, happily beginning another new chapter in her life. My message is: it's not too late to have the life you want. If you can't conceive your own bio-kids, there are always other options: adoption, surrogacy, marrying someone with children, fostering, mentoring, etc. What YOU decide to make of your life is in YOUR hands.

Bonet and her boyfriend of two years, actor Jason Momoa, have 14-month-old daughter Lola. The actress also has 19-year-old daughter Zoe Kravitz with rocker Lenny Kravitz.

Bonet, 40, has no plans to find out whether a son will be joining the two daughters.

"When my friends ask me, I say, 'I really don't know,'" she says. "I love the mystery and I trust the mystery about it. It adds a whole other component at the end." Source

Why Such Hate for the Real Housewives of Atlanta ?

2008-10-08T10:04:00.000-04:00

The level of hate and vitriol spewed by *some* “urban bloggers” for the Real Housewives of Atlanta is simply amazing to me. With lines like “from hos to housewives” and “gold diggers”..just WOW. I totally expected this behavior for the MSM (Main Stream Media) and they have not let me down. I know it galls some of them to no end to see Black Women with money living excessive lifestyles. There have been chants of no-class and Atlanta new money versus Atlanta old money; but in this economy, money is money. But back to “urban bloggers,”… Is it really necessary to try and dig up dirt on the Atlanta Housewives and do mini exposes? What exactly does this accomplish? Personally, if I wanted to review the show and felt that the women were acting uncouth or their emphasis on material things was irksome, I would stick to those points and leave the personal insults about their “weaves” or other trivial insults out of it. SMH

I did not watch the premiere last night because I’m simply not interested in the concept. However, I wonder if the other Real Housewives received the same level of venom for marrying well, spending lavishly or being materialistic from the MSM or *some* of the “urban bloggers”?

Hollywood Minute : "The Visitor" - Now Available on DVD

2008-10-07T22:55:00.000-04:00

A deeply moving drama built around longtime character actor Richard Jenkins, The Visitor is a simmering drama about a college professor and recent widower, Walter Vale (Jenkins), who discovers a pair of homeless, illegal aliens living in his New York apartment. After the mix-up is resolved, Vale invites the couple--a young, Syrian musician named Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and his Senegalese girlfriend (Danai Gurira--to stay with him. An unlikely friendship develops between the retiring, quiet Vale and the vital Tarek, and the former begins to loosen up and respond to Tareks drumming lessons as if something in him waiting to be liberated has finally arrived. All goes well until Tarek is hauled in by immigration authorities and threatened with deportation. His mother, Mouna (Hiam Abbass), turns up and stays with Vale, sparking a renewed if subdued interest in courtship. But the wheels of injustice in immigration crush all manner of hopes in post-9/11 America. Vale soon realizes his unexpected capacity for anger over Tareks plight, and the positive changes to his personal life that emerged from a deep involvement with his friend and Mouna, might be the only legacy he takes from this experience. Writer-director Thomas McCarthy has created a wonderfully measured story about change and renewal, and put it all on the shoulders of Jenkins, a largely unheralded but masterful performer whose time for renown has surely come. --Tom Keogh Source

Tyler's New Studio

2008-10-06T16:51:00.000-04:00

The studio was described as “amazing!” My source said the studio blew his mind. “This [party] was so elegant and sophisticated and high end. You wouldn’t understand how much money he put into this thing!,” gushed my source.

“When they get a load of the magnitude of [the studio], people are going to be flocking here and not going to Hollywood to film movies! That’s what this man has done! My mouth literally dropped when I went out there and looked. He had fire works going off. You would have thought it was like the World Series! He had lights throughout the woods reflecting on the lake.” Source : Sandra Rose.com

Photo Credit : MediaTakeOut.com

Well, I suppose everyone has forgotten about Tim Reid's New Millennium Studios.

Hollywood Minute : Lisa Bonet as "Recurring Guest Star" - Life on Mars

2008-10-06T16:03:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure how long this series will last, but here it goes:

ABC is getting ready for the release of its new series, "Life on Mars" which will hit the small screens on October 9 with the release of the show's promotional video. The footage is exceptional for its inclusion of Chris Cornell's brand new single "Ground Zero" which will appear on his November 4 solo album "Scream".

Lining up Jason O'Mara, Harvey Keitel, Jonathan Murphy, Michael Imperioli and Gretchen Mol as the main cast, "Life on Mars" is a cop drama adapted from the successful British series of the same name. The first episode is titled "Out Here in the Field" where NYPD Detective Sam Tyler is trying mightily to understand what's just happened to him and how he can get back "home" .

He finds himself in 1973 in the cultural hotbed of New York City during the tumultuous times of the Vietnam War, Watergate, women's lib and the civil and gay rights movements - without a cell phone or computer - suddenly hurtled back in time, ripped from 2008 after being hit by a car while chasing down a criminal. Source

Gretchen Mol has to be the female "lead"...ugh.

Chris Rock : Suffering From a Case of Damaged Negro-itis

2008-09-30T13:49:00.002-04:00

Image via WikipediaImage via WikipediaImage via Wikipedia

Click Below to Watch :

Chris Rock Opines On Interracial Dating

Why would I repeat such trash here you ask ? I think it's important to know what our slanderers are saying about us so that we can work to refute them. As always, make your pocketbook line up with where your support is...and clearly my pocketbook will NEVER line up with Chris Rock and those of his ilk. Evia has a great discussion going on about Reciprocity.

Be sure to check out the comments of the Jezebel readers. These comments in particular jumped out at me:

Doesn't this fall under the "funny because it's true" category though? I can understand why people would find it offensive, I can...But I'm a fat girl, and I absolutely get hit on by black men far, far more than my skinny friends do. Sure not ALL black men like bigger white girls, but I found this bit hilarious. Especially the part about knowing you've put on a few when more black guys start hitting on you. It's kind of true for me, as someone whose weight fluctuates!

But then, I just love Chris Rock, so I am clearly biased. (Pinky says: hhmm...sounds like a "Becky" if I've ever heard one.")

I'm sorry, but I'm just over this stereotype. I'm a black woman, who is engaged to an awesome white man. I've dated every race and ethnicity under the sun, but I think it's mainly been white men and women in my dating history. This joke is just old and played. (Pinky says: Child, yes, these jokes are played out.)

I'm a white guy and my girlfriend is black. We certainly don't look to the media or the mainstream for positive reinforcements or to validate our relationship; but I was hoping CR might have something funny to say on the subject. Overall it was pretty weak; (and sadly he didn't point out that plenty of same-race relationships fail), but seemed to go to point to shore up material for his screed against black women (who seem to suffer from having opinions, etc). I was bored and disappointed. (Pinky says: THANK YOU !!!)

i had an 8-year relationship with a black man and as a white woman, i gotta say i can totally laugh at this (even at myself, when rock says "black men will get with anyone"). in college i put on about 10-15 pounds and a black man i worked with approached me and said i had put on some weight and i was "looking good". i was mortified, i thought i looked terrible. it's funny that he thought quite the opposite. (Pinky says: SMH)

I saw him at a small place here in New York before the show at the Apollo, and that bit above did NOT go over well with a large table of black women. The bouncer even came over to them at one point to tell them to be quiet. I have to say, he just seemed angry, and some of the jokes were really dark and not that funny. I am one of the least PC people ever, but there were a few times when I was like, ummmm.... really? (Pinky says: Oh, do tell, some Black women didn't sip the Kool Aid at his show ?) Source

Clearly Chris is suffering from delusions if the thinks *every* Black woman does not want a White or other non-Black man. There are still some Black women who are "down for the cause" and holding out for a "brotha;" ( SMH) but, in my opinion, those numbers are not what they used to be.

News for Chris and those of his ilk :
1. White and other non-Black men are SEXY & Black women DO want them.

2. The White or others don't have to look like Brad Pitt, Becks, etc. to be hot. Everyday guys are the business as well !!
3. Black women with older White and other men aren't with them for a "paycheck."
4. Black men are NOT the sexual gifts to woman-kind. Please check out Sara's place for a more detailed conversation on this !!

True Blood: Tara & Sam --Ladies, What Do You Think of This Scene ?

2008-09-26T19:33:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Selena for pointing out the discussion over at http://www.racialicious.com/2008/09/24/true-blood-tired-stereotypes/#more-1941

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Nollywood Minute : "Through The Glass"

2008-09-26T18:54:00.000-04:00

Whether in Nollywood or Hollywood, it is rare to find women, especially Black/African women, in executive film roles such as producers and directors. Nollywood A-list Actress Stephanie Okereke bucks the trend with the debut of her first film called "Through the Glass," in which she wrote, produced and directed. "Through the Glass" is about phobias we have in entering committed relationships. It also cuts to the core by addressing some of the reasons we have such phobias, for example, childhood pain. Okereke recently released a trailer of "Through the Glass" and the response has been lots of excitement and buzz! Amidst all the excitement, Ladybrille caught up with the A-list actress for an exclusive all access granted on the making of "Through the Glass." http://www.throughtheglassmovie.com/ source

Thanks cool_splash1 !

Declare Yourself !!!

2008-09-21T17:37:00.000-04:00

Making Out Is Legal

Thanks Samantha !!

Lakeview Terrace : Open Thread Discussion

2008-09-20T17:25:00.001-04:00

If you've seen the movie and want to discuss it....this is the place !!!

Personally, I'll say it was MORE than I expected and it did NOT disappoint me.

If you haven't seen the movie and don't want to be spoiled, don't read the comments..LOL.

UPDATED to add : Lakeview is #1 at the Box Office !! Source

Hollywood Minute: "Pride and Glory" - Opens October 24, 2008

2008-09-19T23:07:00.000-04:00

Eye on :

Carmen Ejogo

A saga centered on a multi-generational family of New York City Police officers. The family's moral codes are tested when Ray Tierney (Edward Norton), investigates a case that reveals an incendiary police corruption scandal involving his own brother-in-law (Colin Farrell). For Ray, the truth is revelatory, a Pandora's Box that threatens to upend not only the Tierney legacy but the entire NYPD. Source

Note to Jeff Immelt : Kick Rocks or Explain Yourself

2008-09-18T10:10:00.000-04:00

Well, well, well....when little Jeffy took a ride on the diversity bus over to the
Black Corporate Directors Conference, here is what he had to say about race "off the record":

At the panel, O'Brien asked Immelt about diversity at NBC Universal — primarily, its lack of it.
Immelt responded, according to our tipster, that he hires who he is "comfortable with." He followed up that statement by listing, in order, the "type" of people he trusts. And they are:

1) White Men
2) White Women
3) Black Men
4) Black Women

Now our favorite "Black In America" smear ring-master of ceremonies, Soledad O'Brien, was the panelist who posed the question to Immelt and in keeping with the confidentiality "rules" of the conference, Ms. O'Brien can't / won't confirm or deny the statements made and in what context they were made.

I'm not one to casually throw around the word "racist," so I would REALLY like Mr. Immelt's camp to respond to this story.

Source

BET: Always Reaching For The Lowest Common Denominator

2008-09-17T16:00:00.001-04:00

I would have been on the floor in fits of laughter if I were this interviewer. I mean really, does ANYONE believe R. Kelly ? Oh wait...there are those who still love his music and those women who were falling out and showing their "love" in the courtroom during his trial. I couldn't even make it through the entire video; I just HAD to hear him say “When you say teen-aged girls, how old are we talking?” in response to a question about whether he likes teen girls. If you dare to watch (without wanting to throw up) just fast-forward to the 5:40 mark. video/story via Bossip

A "New" Mo'Nique Covers Essence Magazine

2008-09-15T15:06:00.002-04:00

I think it's wonderful that Mo'Nique is making new decisions for her health. However, will the women for whom she spoke/represented now follow her lead or feel abandoned ?

Weight loss and her fab new look:
“We should all want to live healthy lives because we don’t want to be in a
position where there are things we can’t do and places we can’t go. My
husband said to me one day, `I want you for a lifetime.' Then it clicked
that my weight had become a major concern. I wanted to be around for my family."

Oh Dear....The "DL" & HIV

2008-09-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes my Google news alerts can be the debil...yes, I meant to type "debil."

I know some will accuse me of "Black man hating" or "pushing an IR agenda" for bringing up this article, but oh well. Information is power...that's my ONLY agenda in bringing this up. J.L. King, author of "On the Down Low: A Journey into the Lives of 'Straight' Black Men Who Sleep With Men," is back with a novel and CD.

Please go HERE to read the article in its entirety; the following are key points that jumped out at me immediately :

King also plans to talk to Metro Detroiters about how down-low behavior contributes to the high rate of HIV/AIDS among African-American women. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2003, black women accounted for 67 percent of all new AIDS cases among women, compared to 15 percent of new cases among white women. Two years later, the CDC cited "men on the down low," or men who are bisexual but don't disclose that behavior to women, as the main reason for rising HIV infections in black women.

"I know people get tired of hearing about it. I get tired of the death threats because I talk about the down low. I get tired of accusations that I'm destroying relationships between African-American men and women. "But African-American women still are getting infected by heterosexual behavior. It's important for us to continue to talk about the down low, down-low behavior and sexuality. Until we get to the point where we can talk about it in our homes, in our community, in our churches, we're always going to be talking about STDs and HIV rising in the African-American community. We'll continue to get the numbers from the CDC saying the numbers are going up."

Four years after his book release, King gets about 500 e-mails weekly from women pleading for help after learning of their husband's or boyfriend's secret sex lives. King says women come to his forums crying they are afraid to have sex, get married or share intimacy. He encourages them to be fearless, but armed with information -- and condoms.

I think the true indictment here should be the homophobia in the Black "community" that drives this behavior "in the closet." I also think this information is important because I get tired of certain folks trying to deny that this DL business exists and is contributing to the rising rates of HIV among some Black women. CNN did a fabulously lousy job of reporting on this with their "Black women are the face of AIDS" smear campaign.

Source

Black Women are Making Money and "Giving" It Away

2008-09-10T08:42:00.000-04:00

Please go HERE to read this groundbreaking ING Foundation Survey about the finances of Black women.

Most Black women are confident in their ability to achieve their financial goals, but obligations to others combined with a tendency to spend are complicating their saving and investing efforts, according to the results of a nationwide survey released today by the ING Foundation.