Old School Friday: Yep, I know all the words

This week's Old School Friday is a song that people will be surprised you know. I'm random and don't think I really surprise people anymore. At first I thought Journey, "Don't Stop Believing" then realized that everyone knows that song and I just joined the party late in life.

While I don't know all the words to this one, it was a favorite of my elementary school years. Yes, random I know. But who doesn't love Adam Sandler?



Bonus Songs:
Christina Aguilera before she became super famous. Definitely my favorite song straight through high school, much to the chagrin of my friends.



A good friend was obsessed with this song. There was no choice but for me to learn all the words before my Billy Joel phase sophomore year of college.



For more Old School Friday, rules and how to join in on the fun check out href="http://www.conversationswithmarva.com">"Conversations with Marva"

Old School Fridays: Disco

In my world, Saturday morning is still Friday. This week's OSF is posted around disco. First thought to my mind was a very special episode of Family Matters(yes I really loved that show) that did not get picked up in the My Favorite Scenes: Guest Music Star Edition.

Aunt Oona from Altuna,played by Donna Summers made sure we all got in the "Last Dance".


Another favorite Disco moment from my childhood comes from memories of my family's record collection. Yes, I mean records---not CD's , not tapes.
Because Disney is always right there when you need it.






Check out the other Old School Friday participants here.

Black Disney Princess Update

Peep this trailer for the Black Disney Princess movie from the good folks over at Bossip/Livesteez. Where did that reject Song of the South fly come from? Come on Disney you've done the random black sidekick for Disney's heroines before. Neither Harry Belafonte's Sebastian or Eddie Murphy's Mushu was that frightening. The verdict is still our because the movie's not done yet. Well at least Anika Noni Rose and Jenifer Lewis are working. But still, this movie is officially getting the side eye treatment of the week.

And I promise this is not becoming the Disney Blog. I wouldn't have a big ol pic from Bebe's Kids if it was.

Happily Never After: The Struggle for a Black Princess in the Disney Culture.

While browsing That Black Girls Site I noticed an article on Disney' s search for a black princess. I had previously spoken about Disney's struggle with princesses and my excitement for Maddy in this piece about American Girl ("American Girl Movie. A Playlist and An Apology"). Apparently my dream is never going to come true. According to this piece it has been reported that the princesses' name has been changed to Tiana, she's going to get with some non-black dude, and they will live in a fictional land. Well for one this disproves my theory that non-white Disney princesses are all localized in order to deal with the issues of ethnicity. Don't they owe the South one after the horror of Song of the South?* However, it does bring up other issues that are too numerous to mention.

I can talk all day about race, cartoons and children's programming as its something that I've wondered about since the days of Doug and the Puzzle Place (really the Funnys and the Beets were white, everyone else included rich lil Bebe was funky colored). But I won't.

Instead I bring the past which I may be looking at through rose colored glasses. HBO used to do a great series that was also available for purchase called Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child. The stories were "politically correct" and featured a range of races and ethnicities for the characters. There was this one Caribbean one that my family watched and laughed at over and over. Robert Guilliame narrated and there was quite the cast (voices) of minority actors (Magaret Cho**, Raven-Symone, Sinbad, even Pauletta Washington). The stories were really good with a little moralistic lesson as well as not demeaning the life of women. Apparently the episodes still come on in the morning. If you subscribe to HBO Family check it out: the schedule's here.

Here's a very short clip from "The Princess and The Pea:"



Also a Wikipedia article including links to the IMDB and HBO website. If you're really interested you can buy some episodes on Amazon.

*At 20 years old after seeing the movie the year before I went to Disneyland to try and ride Splash Mountain. It was sadly closed. Still that was a great way to spend senior year Spring Break.
**Crazy as Magaret Cho may be you have to admit she rocks hard for the kids. This and C-Bear and Jamal were the ish.

Can Maddy the black princess help erase Disney's past?

stolen from Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_15677_9-most-racist-disney-characters.html


Is it a problem that I love lists like this? I actually purchased Ego Trip's Big Book of Racism and still think it's one of the greatest books ever? Do I secretly like racism because I enjoy humor about racism? Am I contributing to white hegemony by buying the Disney image

Sorry, I couldnt resist putting the crazy psuedo-academic questions that over ran my college experience. That's another thing I also like to make fun of...hahaha

For more humor please check the other list's on Cracked....and also cop your own copy of Ego Trip's book, your life will be better for it.