Barack Obama is Cliff Huxtable

This is soooo something I would have done. In case you needed any more proof:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Barack Obama Is Cliff Huxtable
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Economic Crisis

And for all my Brooklyn and Queens darlings, Happy Brooklyn-Queens Day!

Old School Friday: New Edition

First off: Happy Black History Month!
The appropriate new cover/banner will be coming soon.

Okay, down to Old School Friday business. Today we are doing songs by New Edition or members of New Edition. I have a tendency to utilize this group often, and in all actuality one of few popular mainstream songs I can recall knowing at 3 or 4 was Poison. (Another is Iesha by ABC, a Ne-BBD derivative). I had no idea how to pick just two. I'm not even going to do my favorite, "Is This The End?" Before my sister got her best of New Edition CD from one of those Columbia House memberships, I was much more familiar with songs by members of New Edition than New Edition themselves. This was mostly due to TV. So I bring you two songs and their corresponding Family Matters moments, because I was apparently raised by TGIF.







Skip to 7:20 for a typical mini singing moment on Family Matters



Skip to 1:55 for a guest star moment



Goodness, they never stopped: really was their demographic watching TGIF that often?


I actually miss Being Bobby Brown. That ish was hilarious and I have no shame in my tv show choices.
Happy OSF! Check out other participants here: http://www.themarvalusview.com/osf/

Haul,
The Queen

Old School Friday: Theme Songs

Yes this is the Saturday edition of Old School Friday!
This week's theme was tv theme songs which is right up my alley. But I'm taking myself away and NOT going to do any of my favorite shows, since they get mentioned so often anyway. I've actually been having a lot of tv theme song conversations with friends this week...but that's besides the point.

I'm in a space mood right now, but was never one to watch Star Trek....those weird shaped heads frightened me. Instead two sitcoms focused on the human fascination with space.

Why this show even existed? I'm still yet to understand.
Homeboys in Outer Space


For the longest time when I was little, I was convinced that if I could connect my index fingers perfectly, I could pause time and go about my business. It never happened


And one award show moment that will always stick out for me




Happy Old School Friday! ...on Saturday


*So obviously the greatest theme of my era was The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Does anyone remember when they did that One World concert and Will Smith performed the theme song frm that show and everyone in all seven locations knew the song. That's power!


Other OSF Friday participants here: http://www.themarvalusview.com/osf/

HAUL,

Kim

Twin Booty is a Thing of Beauty

Once in a while an academic decides to take hair dresser and barber shop conversation and turn it into a topic worth of discussion. As someone who's taking a fair share of Media and African and African American Studies courses, I am well versed in the art of turning something you said at dinner into the most superfluous paper or article ever read. Sociologists and Anthropologists do not seem to be interested in stopping this practice soon, but it is always nice to know that there is some legitimacy to the arguments you and your friends have been having for years.

In one of the better pieces I've yet to see on the significance of the behind in today's culture, Myra Mendible puts together a decent summary of the place the buttocks has had in society. (http://www.alternet.org/sex/117518/?page=entire) It reiterates a lot of popular discussion, places some emphasis on the similarities in the Hispanic and Black behinds.

---Okay, I can't keep the farce up for much longer. Body issues really aren't my realm of intellectual discussion. Really the first thing that came to mind when a friend sent me this peace was the "Twin booty is a thing of beauty," rap by Cold Dog (played by the one and only Flex Alexander) on an episode of Sister Sister....and then Sir Mix -a-lot and then Venus Hottentot. Apparently my mind works it's way up the cultural ladder and also backwards historically.

The conclusion leaves me a little uneasy. While we have seen slight progression in terms of body types and acceptance in the USA, I don't see a movement. Also, of all the "ethnic" features the but tends to be one of the most celebrated and the one that "ethnic" people have little issue with is their butts. Beyond the brazilian butt lifts casually referenced in the articles, there was a huge craze of Jamaican women eating animal feed in an effort to increase their buttocks size.

I have no conclusion to this piece. It's not that I don't have a dream for female equality, it's that some conversations are better left for the dinner table and Sociologists. I'll just be around to nod, object and insert a personal reference and pop culture moment.

If you walk out that do', don't come back no mo'


HAUL,
The Queen

ps thanks to nai for the link.

The Cup is Half Full

The city girl cynic in me tends to want to see the worse in every situation and recognize that it's there. Still, amongst my friends I've become one of the more positive thinkers. When I first saw this commercial I wanted to go into a diatribe on all the things wrong with it, but no one was awake to listen to me. So I quieted my heart and accepted the underlying message.

Optimism. Pass it on.

That's Just Messed Up!

From a "Why lie, I need a beer" sign to "Barack, the Magic Negro" some things are just messed up. Really there's no other way to describe it.



You would think I would save my posts instead of doing a massive post dump. I think I'm tipsy off some apple juice and Nutella, so my brain juices are flowing (blame it on banana, gave me potassium; blame it on the glass, got me being crass; blame it on the mid id id id day snack...) .

Welcome to That's Just Messed Up!

As I sit writing cover letters and letting the television watch me this week, I was distracted by a commercial for Nip/Tuck. In true advertising by intrigue style the commercial plays almost like a music video at first to the song "Flashing Lights." Pause.

Video can be watched here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAu-OaMOuWI

Am I the only one thinking that's just messed up? I have no idea how long creative has been working on this commercial and thinking that the song's content would be a good background for a plastic surgery makeover show. But can we show a little respect and sympathy? It has been less than a year since Dr. D. West (Kanye's mom) died after a plastic surgery operation (it's been said that there was possibly an infection or not enough rest time after surgery) and we're already using his songs for commercials. This is not precautionary. It's just messed up.

How messed up do you think this is? Have you spotted anything messed up recently?

Happy New Year!!!!

In my head the "it's a new day" fitness center commercial is playing. After sleeping through the pivotal turn of midnight moment, I still feel great.

But as we send out the old, check out the" 2008 Rap-Up" from Skillz. It covers a good portion of urban pop culture for the 08 as well as national news.

Rotflmbo @ "A-shoe-sinnated" and Frankie being the real star of The Keyshia Cole Show...

In true Vanity Dark style, here's a holiday appropriate tv clip to start off the year remembering. The last part of the final episode of Living Single. What a way for a show to end!




Wishing you a Healthy, Prosperous and Dancehall New Years!
HAUL,
Kim

Saturday line ups suck so much!

Ever stay in on a Saturday night and try to settle into a good television routine. You can't. Thankfully there are House and Law and Order re-runs before the wonder that is Suze Orman telling me all the stuff I can't afford and SNL. (Does Mad TV even exist still?)

Once upon a time....

Throwback Pop Culture Clip; New Show Openings

So Ugly Betty just started and there is a new opening for the show. I don't like it. New openings used to cause excitement. Remember the Cosby Show? Even in syndication the different seasoning openings are something to look forward to.

I bring to you the revamped opening for Sister Sister. The twins straightened their hair, became "cool" and the WB11 continued to be the post-Fox source for Negro entertainment, before UPN took over that mantle.



Okay so the song is annoying, but see the evolution...feel the change.

Top Gender Benders on TV : I Want to Work for Diddy and Changing Society

On last night's episode of "I Want to Work for Diddy" (VH1), the reality competition to work for Sean "Diddy" Combs, Laverne-the resident transgendered contestant was eliminated. In a battle for what seemed to be the integrity of her identity versus exploitation versus the public's comfort--Laverne did not fare well in the heat of the battle. Kimberly, also known as Po-Prah managed to stay in the battle despite her annoying ways because she knows how to play a game. I can't wait to see her in future reality shows where they use old contestants.

Laverne isn't the only gender bender to pop up on television recently. In keeping with the classification of two sexes and their socially constructed genders, television has been showing more and more people not conforming to the roles. America's Next Top Model now features a transgendered contestant, Isis, and on Project Runway an episode was dedicated to drag queens with RuPaul as a guest host. I guess times are changing, because when I was growing up RuPaul was quite the scandal even though there was a talk show. Today Andre J has become a celebrated [hot mess] personality and Ms. J teaches all the girls how to stomp on the runway on ANTM.

"To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar" gives a laundry list of definitions in the beginning--running through all the trans terms and ending with drag queens. Film has long portrayed transgendered folk, but television has done it quite differently making lots of noise within the last few years.

With much less ado, I present top Gender Bender moments on television, in no specific order. These aren't all transgendered, transexual or tranvestite moments...just gender bending.


UGLY BETTY:
Following Christian Siriano's celebrated turn on Project Runway where he popularized the phrase "Hot Tranny Mess" he appeared on season 2 of Ugly Betty using his phrase on Alex/is, the transgendered sister who revealed herself on the season finale of the first season.



THE RUPAUL SHOW
RuPaul had a talk show on VH1 back in the late 90s and a bevy of guests appeared including the Backstreet Boys. One of the many performances on the show.


DIRTY SEXY MONEY
ABC's show about the rich that did not live up to the hype, but is more than watchable is all about the twist. So it's nothing unusual that the politician son played by Billy Baldwin has an extra-marital affair, the twist is that the affair is with a transexual, played by Candis Cayne and offering just that much more drama.


BOSOM BUDDIES
Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari helped define an era with this show about two men who dressed as women in order to live in the Susan B. Anthony apartments. They didn't care what you said then and Tom Hanks surely doesn't care now.


THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MIRIAM
Call me close minded, but the premise of this UK show is just wrong. Men vied for the attention of a women all to find out in the final episode that Miriam was born male. I admit I'm a little surprised the U.S. has not copied this idea yet.


ALL MY CHILDREN
This favorite ABC soap opera has been on for years and although a family favorite, I can't say I really follow it. I knew about Bianca, but I also found out there's a transgendered character named Zoe.


There are other noticeable moments, seen on shows like the L-Word and Ally McBeal. For the full list of transgendered moments offered by Wikipedia click here. See below for a bonus!

Black Men like to Dress like Women

So okay, not just black men do this obviously. We already have a clip from Bosom Buddies and we all remember that episode of Saved by the Bell when the guys dressed up as girls--or at least I do. But let's admit--black men like to dress like women.

THE FLIP WILSON SHOW
I'm sure theres at least one interview out there questioning the morality of Flip Wilson's Geraldine , where the answer is "The Devil Made Me Do It!" In fact that should become the slogan for cross dressers everywhere. As one of the mainstays of his show, Geraldine did skits and interviews and won the hearts of many fans.


MARTIN
Comics are known for playing roles of the opposite gender, and Martin Lawrence is no exception. After Flip Wilson did Geraldine and before the Wayan's brothers became white chicks, there was Shenehneh.


FAMILY MATTERS
I reference this show way too much. As it Steve Urkel wasn't enought, they made him also share the role of his female cousin , Myrtle Urkel.



What gender bender moments on television stick out for you? Let me know!

Michelle Obama Dances Better Than Barack!!!

As if there was ever any doubt. Michelle for first lady!

Throwback Pop Culture Clip: Anamaniacs, GoodFeathers, Pinky and the Brain

It's the last of the WB cartoon clips. This week I pull from the Anamaniacs, to show not only Yakko, Wakko and Dot; but also some of my other faves: the GoodFeathers and Pinky and the Brain! Enjoy!!!

Make Em Say Huh: Better Black Television Network launch/BET and Tropic Thunder

"All dancing is not shucking and jiving"-Me

So browsing blogs, I note Average Bro's latest post concerning Percy Miller's latest venture, the Better Black Television Network (BBTV).

I was reserving judgment on the channel. After all, Silkk Tha Shocker is the host of one of the shows. I've never been able to indulge in TVOne, but it always seemed like a great deal to me, because they show sitcoms basically all day. I love sitcoms. However the BBTV has swayed me by including a show dedicated to black history. It's called "My People" and examines "the struggles of a few that changed the lives of so many." Since BET is nowhere near producing programs like this right now (BETJ maybe, but not BET) I have to congratulate Mr. Miller and give him a salute.

As we discuss BET, I also have to ask why oh why they are giving Tropic Thunder so much support. The movie's use of blackface has not stirred much controversy. In fact, more people are perturbed about discrimination against the disabled population. But I have to question why BET is so active in supporting the film. By sheer luck I watched "106 and Park" twice within a week. Besides losing brain cells, I also was privy to see multiple episodes dedicated to promoting the film. Terrence assured the crowd on the first day that the blackface was not wrong, because if it was they would have been all on it. I have no intention of paying to see if he speaks the truth. I'm still too upset that Radar Magazine has used this to usurp my dissertation two weeks before its due.

Check my coverage of The Miller Boys here: http://vanitydark.blogspot.com/2008/02/im-still-here-miller-boys.html

Watch a little ol' school No Limit. You've come a long way Percy!



HAUL,
The Queen

Stereohyped ponders What Happened to the Black Sitcoms

This question has been around since my family actually had a subscription to Ebony. See here for the piece.

http://www.stereohyped.com/what-happened-to-americas-black-sitcoms-20080813/

Steppin' The Movie. Every Black 90s star you could want

No Explanation: Just Joy!
Thanks to Nai for putting me on a few months ago.

Move On.Org Advertisement for Obama Channels the 90s: RIDER STRONG!

This made me laugh out loud tonight as I sit, watching Comedy Central. Wait for it.
RIDER STRONG IS ALIVE (I was so busy laughing I didn't notice till a friend pointed it out. Thanks Sophie)! This boy has met the world after childhood acting. It also beats McCain approving a commercial comparing Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.

They're so two years ago anyway.



I so want some mid 90s TGIF right now.

Lets all remember those Brain on Drugs commercials from the 90s.


Those and those wonderful NBC "The More You Know" advertisements saved my childhood*




*Plus parental guidance and an extra dose of Jesus.

Throwback Pop Culture Clip-Wayne Head: Actors and Their Cartoon Selfs

"The Party's Just Begun!"
Somewhere in doing research for my dissertation and watching Hollywood Shuffle, I remembered the joy that was the WB 11 Saturday morning cartoons. Sometimes ABC just didn't do it for you. Keeping in line with the rest of this weeks posts and my homage to comics in character form with Robin Harris in all his Bebe's Kids glory on this season's cover, this week's throwback is Wayne Head. This wonderful little cartoon, based on the wonder that is the Wayans family, was definitely a favorite of mine. I'll keep going with the WB toons in later weeks.






Wayne Head was in the same multicultural vein of CBear and Jamal but a little less Hey Arnold and probably a bit more like Fat Albert. And since we're paying homage to comics in cartoon form we can't leave out Bill Cosby who's done it to himself not once, but twice. Unfortunately there are no appropriate Little Bill video clips online. They are all a little warped and perverted.




That's it. Enjoy your day.

New Project Runway

Running thoughts:
Excitement! and Color beyond the tan guy! Joy!

Well let me not get too excited I've only seen five minutes of the first episode.

Did that girl just say she'd be the first African American to win Project Runway? Do you not remember Michael Knight?

How much did LVMH pay for that product placement? We know yall werent drinking Andre champale , its alright.

Aerosmith+Lauryn Hill + Michael Jackson: I'm intrigued girl, I'm intrigued.

Ooh a Brooklyn Guy, Big Up.

Black women and Asian man, yall need to stick together. But dude you seem a little annoying.

Oh goodness, there are so many parents on this show. See kids arent a hindrance to the dream.

Why is Eva Longoria interrupting. I already suffered through Over My Dead Body this week. She needs to let me be until the enxt season of Desperate Housewives.

Why is the LG tv ad so long and why did it seem like an almost interesting tv show or movie? I so know that actress from somewhere.
Kimberly go do some unpacking! Okay!

More thoughts on everything later.

My Favorite Scenes: Talent Show Redirect

Doing my usual internet procrastination, I came across this blog entry which basically did all of my homework for me. idd it so well I've gone from a C student to an A+. Click here for a link to "What Would Thembi Do?" and her article on The Black Sitcom and The Talent Showcase. It fits right in with my references to Eddie Winslow, Aunt Rachel, Tia, Tamera, Roger, and Marcus singing at every chance they got in the last My Favorite Scenes.

My Favorite Scenes: Guest Singers Part I

This is a topic that has no ending. Every show has repeatedly used guest musical stars as a method of cross promotion. However some episodes will remain with you forever. This will obviously have to be part one of the series, because really I could place every episode of New York Undercover under this title and at least one special episode from every season of The Cosby Show. So let's get the party started. As usual, clips at the end if they can be found. There are also several little Michael Jacksons in here.

Of course there are my requisite A Different World references (of which I probably won't be able to find an online clip). But for me three guest star episodes stand out. One of them is of course the En Vogue episode where the talented girl group are incorporated into the script as Mr. Vernon Gaines's nieces that Ron then uses in his night club performance. Then there is the Gladys, Gladys Knight episode. Whatever happened to the opera singer, she could blow? The third is when Kriss Kross performed in yet another classic episode concerning youth violence following on the give back to your community theme propagated by Sinbad's community center. The episode name is "Original Teacher" and yes at one point in my life I considered wearing my clothing backwards "because inside out is wiggedy wiggedy wiggedy wack."


Fresh Prince also had its share of stars even though they didn't always sing. It also is the number one example of lets ignore my career outside of this show. So besides for the fact that it starred Will Smith, Jazzy Jeff and little MJ #1 Alfonso Ribiero, the show produced by Quincy Jones also brought in a few characters. Who can forget the episode where Tevin Campbell comes and sings for Ashley Banks' birthday. She swoons, faints and then ended up in half of his videos afterwards. Then good ol' Philly boy Will of course knows all of Boyz II Men because everyone in Philly knows each other. Vanessa Williams was also on an episode. She mentioned Saving the Best for Last and gave birth to a baby. There was no singing. Sadness. Of course Tatyana Ali's singing career began on the show as well. Sigh, that boy was playing with her mind.


Then there was Family Matters. The place for relatively unknown stars to go and remain relatively unknown. Besides for their constant references to current musicians like Bobby Brown and their 10 second rendition of My Perogrative (which made the show relevant then, but super dated now), I remember two distinct performances. One was by Seal and another was by Portrait. The Seal episode deserves its own, My Favorite Scenes reference: the I'm a teenager sneaking out to a really cool club/music performance even though my parents already told me no. The Portrait episode is also a recurring theme: performance at a school concert. We also can't forget the many times that Eddie Winslow and Aunt Rachel (of Tony and Dawn fame) got an opportunity to sang and Urkel did something like singing and Carl and his friends did a rendition of old jammy jams (it was his h.s. reunion episode that taught me the intricacies of the Mash Potato). There was also that time that Shanice and Eddie had something strange ocurring. So that brings the count up to three. Should also be pointed out that little Ricky was a scary miniature little MJ and I think probably looks just as creepy now.

Sister Sister, with its bevy of shows dedicated to Roger, Tia and Tamera's singing abilities also had its fair share of singing guests. Of these three stand out in my mind. The Brian McKnight Episode, where Tia develops a crush on him as he plays her teaching assistant. Maybe not as much singing as it was playing his song in the background. Tia and Tamera, always open about their faith, also did an episode using Kirk Franklin. Of course they were in the choir, but we can't blame them. There's also another favorite scene reference that emerged with the prevalence of 90s stars having dual careers: the let's forget I have a job outside of the show. Roger, also known as Marques Houston, f.k.a. Batman of Immature/IMX fame outside of the show performs on the show as part of his teenage boy band group. The girls swoon. No one admits that Roger and Batman look exactly the same. It also serves to note that this was probably one of the few jobs that Kid could get post House Party (also serves to note that Immature was in the last installment of House Party ..the black 90s is all one big 6 degrees, which yes starred Will Smith). Sister Sister also took both sides of the rap game showcasing some man that disrespected women in one early episode and then the Goodie Mob/Cee-Lo in another episode. They also went to Freak-nik...not what you generally think of your wholesome teen show.


Following his older sisters, Tahj Mowry also had his own vehicle: Smart Guy. While this show had its fill of never to be realized potential (Omar Gooding, Essence Atkins, Tahj Mowry, and Jason Weaver) it also had its singing moments. How could you not let little MJ (Jason Weaver was in The Jackson Five movie as little MJ) sing? There's also the Destiny's Child episode where they do their rendition of Amazing Grace and Beyonce explains to Marcus (Jason Weaver) that she spent Thanksgiving in a airport eating a turkey sandwich. I failed to shed crocodile tears.
A DIFFERENT WORLD

(Go here for full episode: http://youtube.com/watch?v=oYW5f6JVSrY)


I didnt reference this one of The Boys, but since I can't find Kriss Kross I'll supplement.

Family Matters



And I can't find the Seal episode, so here's New Edition. I think they had a love affair with the group and its fall out:


and the Tracy Spencer Episode:


FRESH PRINCE


Tatiana Ali in TC vid


Sister Sister
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Smart Guy




So yes, this episode of My Favorite Scenes is far from over. There will be plenty more, including more My Favorite Scenes cross references. We haven't even gotten to Queen Latifah/Khadijah and Living Single of the horrible nature of Joey Lawrence and Blossom yet or Moesha. How could we be done?

And now for some more six degrees: Thelma Hopkins (Aunt Rachel) of Family Matters would later play Essence Atkin's father's baby mama on Half and Half. The new (and wacker) Aunt Viv on The Fresh Prince is married to Ray from Sister, Sister in Real Life. Of course Tia, Tamera, and Tajh have all starred on each others shows, and were all on Full House. About half of these people are going to be in the greatest resurrection of the black 90s sitcom in soem movie about stepping that I swear me and my friend dreamed up back when drumline came out. If only we wrote a script.