Musing on The Window Seat Video



Earlier today, I was on the phone with Bacon Grits, chit chatting,planning my outfit, my day, flirting, and he asked me I had seen the Window Seat video?? I continued looking for my fuchsia leggings, turned it on, put him on speaker, and continued to chat.? I sat down in front of the computer half way watching, listening, and then I noticed, “Erykah Badu is stripping?”

Then I tell him, wait, is she going to get naked?

He says, oh you haven’t seen it, wait until the end.

We both sat there quiet as I listened, and watched. Absorbed.

The Evolving tattoo? **Done.

The awesome lace undies. ***Fancy drawls #somuchwinblackgirlwin.

Keep in mind that I have been bumping Turn Me Away (Get MuNNy) for the last four days. The fact that she says “Let me be your robot girl” had me in the air, as I have been on some #blackgirlsarefromthefuture since I got reacquainted with Janie and Their Eyes Were Watching God in January.

The video struck me for a few reasons.

First, American culture in general and pop culture specifically has never been a hospitable place for nude Black women. Let alone nude Black women making high concept music and music videos.

When I saw the video, I tweeted:

“When was the last time you saw a Black womens body and sensuality centered FROM her perspective in Pop Culture? ***waits.”

“Real Spit. Window Seat is THE embodiment of Vulnerable y Fearless. Given the historical treatment of Black womens bodies in pop culture. +And American history. Window Seat feels like a lightweight Corrective for “Venus Hottentott” and thousands of nameless video vixens.”

The second reason that video hit me in my gut because some of my work is on Black Women’s sexuality and pop culture. THIS was the first time that I saw a self possessed Black women express her sensuality, within in pop culture.

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Think about it like this. If you watch Beyonce’s Video Phone you may feel interested in the costumes and the dance moves. However, watching Window Seat you feel propelled forward. #blackgirlsarefromthefuture. Full stop. You sit there wantig to know what happens next. The distinction is the level of both intimacy and vulnerability that one performance has that the other lacks.

As I watched Erykah Badu, I thought of all the semi-nude and might as well be nude women in rap videos whose names we will never know, and if we don’t know their names, why should we care about them and who they are.

And don’t give me that “no one is putting a gun up to their head” to be in a video shit. People Love saying that, but d boys that sell crack “just need to feed they daughter.” Miss me with those. Our choices are limited to our options.

The third reason is that the video reminded me of Renee Cox’s work, in its fierceness, boundary pushing and its centering of a Black woman.

Renee Cox Yo Mama 1993

As I wrote this piece, I remembered that Erykah Badu tweeted a week or so ago that she had done one of the most scariest things in her life. I noticed the tweet and kept it moving. I now wager that, that experience must of been this music video.

I thank her for this, because it is the ultimate in being both vulnerable y fearless, which many of you know are two principles, I try as hard as possible to live by, and that I encourage others to do as well.

Other Reading Posts on Black Women’s Bodies:

I Know Why Zane Sells

Michelle Obama and the Black Female Body

Black Women Property Twice

Buffie the Body is Venus Hottentott

Why is it that we see nude and semi nude Black women so frequently yet this video hits us somewhere else?

Thoughts on Window Seat?

Badun’em is a Verb

Basquiat, is one of my favorites, along with Frida, Renee Cox, Kara Walker, Faith Ringgold, Michelle Wallace, Klimt, Rothko , Chuck Close

There is something liberating about being around someone who is clear that “everyone has a right to be who they are.”

Last month, while speaking to Supreme, we got into
it about the impact that Erykah Badu had on both Common and
and Andre’s careers.

He was being incredibly insistent that SHE changed their music steez up for the dark side.? This sounded like that Oh Word post from way back when.

In and of it self the post was harmless, BUT given the history of how in heterosexual relationships if the man gets sprung, women and general and Black women specifically are portrayed as objects just short of witches, I said something when this post intially ran.

Back to Supreme. As a producer AND a fan he was insistent that:

a.) It wasn’t until Erykah that Common and Andre started
“dressing funny.”

“How you go from jeans and a t-shirt to knitted caps and
a smedium shirts?” he asked.

Looking back, first of all Common ain’t rocking nothing
that Marvin didn’t rock in the late 70’s.

And I am looking at the phone like, Um you my crush, BUT,
I am not going to be taking too much of this. Lols.

And, where is the these negro’s agency? As if Erykah Badu had
the power to “make” a grown man dress any old kind of way.

Supreme eventually conceded that the issue wasn’t how they dressed, but the fact their their music changed while dating or after Ms. Badu.

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I was like, “That’s bullshit, because as an artist you have to allow OTHER artists room to experiment and grow.? Besides you are one of the most eccentric negros I know, hence why I stepped to you. How are you going to confine an artist to the style that they started with? As an artist YOU know we can’t do that to ourselves.”

Lastly he conceded that, according to Questlove, the music that came out of Electric Lady during the late 90’s and early 2000’s was just on some other shit, and this had to do a lot to do with Electric Circus and The Love Below, Voodoo and a few others.

It was an awesome conversation. Who beefs over soul music and artists transformation?

A couple of weeks ago Josephine and I turned Badunem into a verb,
to capture what happens when we:? a.) do us b.) we (try to) practice radical acceptance c.) stay fly and in the air d.) Are accelerators for other peoples artistic ?ish, and our own work as well.

Being an accelerator for other peoples artistic shit is incredibly valuable.? Artist are dangerous because they have influence over people. Anyone who influences people has the power to change the world.

I had always known it, but I had no idea how it would impact
my relationships with people.

I mean, cats want to come along, get they artistic charge and scoot. I now realize that these are? delicate, promising and nefarious waters to navigate. Honestly, I always suspected it about myself, but didn’t realize it’s value to others.

The gift and the curse.

As far back as 2001, I was in my early 20’s dating a scientist, who had a function at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Muckety Muck Upper East side steez. We attended a wine and cheese reception. I had been working as a production assistant or admin when I could, BUT what I really wanted to do was work at HBO. My heart was set on it. Well, at this reception there was an original Chuck Close. As I stood there talking to these esteemed, old money seventy something white lady, my then partner looked at me with appreciation and said later, I am glad you were here, because I don’t know anything about that art stuff.

Inactive artist’s walk around stifled. They know they want to pursue something creative at 21, but they ignore it. At 31 the calling is still there. At 41, it just scratches at you on the inside unless you can drown it out with something else, or you finally answer it.

As a self identified artist and one who believes that everyone has a right to be who they are, I am trying to get a handle on what this means to how I go about the world, and how I interact with people. The gift and the curse.

Do you believe that everyone has a right to be who they are?

Has this impacted your relationships, if so how?

Meet any eccentric beings lately

It’s All in a Name


Sweet Jesus + Moi on my born day

You and I both know that I am really good at naming people, places and things.

Well. Way back woo, Hot Momma Leo said that she didn’t think that a jawn really liked me, because he didn’t have more than one nick-name for me. I just looked at her like she was crazy. But, looking back, she had a point.

There is something to be said for naming another person and naming yourself, for that matter.

Once upon a time, Filthy called me necakes, intimate and fitting. First I was like necakes? Country shit. Then I was like, okay, it seemed natural and I just started answering to it, lols.

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You never forget the moment someone starts calling you something OR when you start reffering to someone as something.

Peace to Supreme for showing me what it means to be a working artist. The ugly and the awesome.

#springissprungandImspringyintheairwithpossibilities

Name anyone lately? If only in your head? Lols.

3.23.10 Fresh Stuff Around The Web

Unemployment is the New Black T. $24, Digital Gravel

@JdGreenSoul gave me a shout on Twitter today saying “Hey girl, this reminded me of your crush.” SHE CAN SANG!? I was like word? Listen Here. Crush Pt. 1

Danny can write her ass off. She modest. But damn if I wasn’t glued to the screen when I read it. I knew she took photos. But ummph! Renaissance bear.

“I don’t want to be anyone’s saint or sinner. I don’t want to be a Queen or a Jezebel. I don’t want to be The Strong Black Woman ? archetype nor do I want to be the victim that needs constant saving. I don’t want to be put into a binary role (“we either n***as or kings/we either b*tches or queens”). I want to just be. And I feel by continuing to create these self-portraits, I can show that things like solitude, melancholy, beauty, sensuality, sexuality, joy, tension, anger, tenderness, sadness and everything in between all exist within black women. We contain multitudes like everyone else and deserve to be treated as such. Not simply as problems that need to be solved”

Adrienne writes one of my most favorite blogs. Honest, introspective and just good money.

“in the many arenas of work i am engaged in now, i am very observant and appreciative of those people who prioritize getting the work done over getting a title, or to be the leader, or to win an argument. i appreciate those who have a high degree of self-awareness, are skillful at asking questions and listening, and are open to the learning we are in the midst of.”

Kev Brown has an awesome video up about how he got put on. The genealogy of an artist always fascinates me (who knew who, who got put on, the turning point, who got dissed etc.) and he is just a good story teller in general.

Its inspiring in that it reminds me? of how artists are fans as well AND that that independent grind is really rewarding, but a grind just the same. Enjoy.
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Don Will’s High Fidelity is out today. $8 bones @ Amazon.

Fresh.Stuff.Around.The Web.

Include any awesome links you have come across lately.

I am really interested in Art.? Music+Words+Flicks.

(Haven’t done one of these posts in? a LONG time. Feels good. Like a 2006 era jawn, no?)

#Intheair #Nosideeye

Side Eye Wins

I have an “expressive” face, so humans get the side eye
on the reg.

I got back from Bk? Thursday and was having a bite to eat with Slow Dynamite. As I was getting up to leave this Negro, asked me twice,
“How was Brooklyn?” I kept it even. “Bk was awesome, hung
with people that loved me, fed me. The business.”

“Lets check in.”

I’m like we been sitting here all this time, now you want to talk about it when I am getting ready to leave. Hmmp.

#sideeyenegro

He asked one more time, and I was like “Blood, you got something
to ask, do it directly, feel me?” Negro trying to check in and see
what happened while I was gone. I’m like, direct questions get direct answers. But I hemmed and hawed with the answer because I wasn’t sure what his intentions were. Feel me?

I’m like, okay, you neutral, now you nosey, what part of the game is
that? Ummm hmm negro.

On one level I understand, on another level, its like dude, really?

I understand that all this ‘ish is a process, but the hot and cold
ain’t cute. Plus you know how just be “running” into somebody. I realized yesterday that negros RUN into each other, but we ain’t made no plans in a hot minute. Granted I been busy but shit, Negros get E’s for effort. Feel me? Umm hmmp.

Good things come to those who wait, just don’t let her be in the air too long.

Last night I mentioned to SD that Josephine and I be Badun’em. At the time, I had no definition. Looking back, a working definition is that: a.) we do us b.) we (try to) practice radical acceptance c.) stay fly and in the air d.) We are accelerators for other peoples artistic ‘ish. (I have known this for a while, but I am just now accepting it.)

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Oh and I was out reading for my papers on Saturday, and #SideeyeJoseph showed up to the spot, get this, with his wedding ring on. I just met dude. And honestly, we have a lot in common on some social justice art shit. But, you don’t just roll up, on your first time hanging with someone AND NOT disclose that beforehand. You look suspect. I looked at his hand, and tried to remember the married jawn.? He was mid third sentence I was like “Blood, is that a wedding ring?”

“Yes?”

“So you are married?”

“Yes”

“Does you wife know you are out with pretty Black girls?”

[I’m wrong for that but shit man, the writer in me LOVE’S bueno dialogue, plus most people would be too uncomfortable to say something, and I needed to read his body language to asses the response.]

“What are you intentions?”

“I thought you saw it already, I had not mal intentions.”

“Ummp.”

Truth be told. I could have? seen it but it was mad late the last time we ran into each other. In some ways I think we met for professional reasons because he knows some things about Black kids and education that I can totally plug into. But daggumit, for first impressions. Feel me?

In the mean time, Bacon Grits playing me hella close.
Like here is butter>.< here is toast. Ummm hmmm.
Shows interest. Pays attention to everything. Listens.
Ummm umm. Grits. Dare I say even a weee bit too close at times.

I got beef with feeling like I am being surveilled. That’s that East Oakland. I mentioned it, we cool.

I got these two assignments due, my knee getting checked on Thursday (Marathon 2011 Baby), I think, and I am trying to swing a consulting gig AND a UN gig this summer (Pray for me). Ummm hmmm. Life is, ahem, robust.

If I? get this proposal done early, I’m popping up to Philly. Umm hmm. Grit’s? ain’t Grocery’s and awesome bookstores.