Old School Friday: Smile

Heya! I'm working on that list below...but I'm back.
I seem to have gotten the prerequisite down which is not falling asleep as soon as I get in from work.

Now for an actual post. Thank you OSF for waiting out for me. This week's theme is smile...which of course made a million themes run through my head...all having to do with the word smile or being happy. Too bad the majority of songs are from the early aughties (or naughties...whatever we're calling them nowadays).

These songs are themed "Don't Worry." Cast your cares aside. Every little thing will be alright. "Be Happy!"






Sorry Daily Motion wasn't working with me...no actual videos.

HAPPY OSF!

Keep up with OSF here: http://www.conversationswithmarva.com/osf/ and link to participants here.

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.

Old School Fridays: Road Trip Songs

This one is a little tough for me. Growing up, road trips consisted of two tapes played over and over again: one was by the Grace Thrillers and the other was by the Grammy Award winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Trust me, "The Midnight Cry" is not exactly what you want to hear as a kid on 3 hour car trips in the rain and in the dark boonies. You will be convinced the world is ending that night.

Thankfully, I also went on school trips where we sang songs loudly in the back of the bus. Killing Me Softly and Fugee-la-la were faves, as was any reggae/calypso/soca song of the moment.


Yea...we were special...There's a joy singing songs that call for dancing, in situations where you can't dance.

Then I went to high school and met the wonder that was Billy Joel's Piano Man. But nothing beat listening to my team belting this song on the bus after tournaments.




Check out other OSF participants here.

Throwback Pop Culture Clip of the Week: Lil Bow Wow

Back to regularly scheduled programming. I gave you last Thursday off.

Since Bow Wow has been good lately: promoting Entourage, producing great photo shoots for King and appearing with nice young ladies like Angela Simmons, he's back in my good graces. I'll forgive the music and trip down memory lane. I'm barking with you.

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.

Old School Fridays: Neo Soul-Groove Theory, Zhane

It's that time of the week again. Old School Fridays! This week's theme is Neo-Soul, and I'm going to bring you some pre-1999 goodies.

A pre-solo career Amel Larrieux in Groove Theory's 1995 'Tell Me"

Groove Theory-Tell me
Uploaded by
SirDroopy

Zhane's "You're Sorry Now" I went with this instead of other tracks like "Hey Mr. DJ," "Groove Thang," and "Sending My Love," but they're all solid tracks you can google.

Zhane - You.re Sorry Now
Uploaded by mahdi1

I'll leave crazy Erykah for someone else to cover. That does my Old School Friday for this week, check out other Old Shcool Friday participants here: http://www.themarvalusview.com/osf/ .

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!!!

Old School Fridays:Favorite Male Singer

So Old School Friday came and gone, but I was lacking internet access. (How I survived this devastating affair? I actually interacted with people in person!) So in a very tired way I bring you a Favorite Male Singer. It's not going to be Michael Jackson. In an attempt to stick to semantics, I will also not include Boyz II Men,although it is obvious: I am a fan. And because I'm so late, I'm sure someone has taken Luther Vandross. It's also so hard to pick one favorite male artist. Before 1999, I don't think I was discerning enough to have just one. So here are three that come to mind right now.

For the entire minute he was around, I was a fan. Maybe cus' his sisters sang as well, and I like family acts.


Another. Sony BMG won't allow this to be copied and pasted. Since he also constructed one of my favorite soundtracks of all times, he gets double props.



Check out other OSF people here: http://mrsgrapevine.com/old-school-music-meme/

Throwback Pop Culture Clip: WB Saturdays, Earthworm JIM

Earthworm, Earthworm, Earthworm JIM

Continuing with WB Saturdays: here's Earthworm Jim. Some super fan has created a montage of the greatest moments. I saw AWESOME!

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

Old School Fridays: Social/Political Songs

Judging from the fact that I secretly burned one of my old professor's Black Power: Music of a Revolution disc collection, this Old School Friday is right up my alley. A younger, less wiser me of less than a year ago would have included Boys II Men's "Why Christmas" if only for the simple reason that I was convinced the lyrics were "It's gonna be a white Christmas. My brothers and my sisters...they don't have any toys."

1st up: Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes "Wake Up Everybody" The video with the actual performance, can't be embedded so here. And yes it was remade a few years ago.:



2nd. A song from the said burned disk. Ain't no Stoppin Us Now: McFadden and Whitehead. I really wanted this to be the graduation march song in the 8th grade.




3rd. West Coast All Stars "We're All in the Same Gang." I've featured it before, but its such a classic! Yea for Reebok giving away free videos.



CHECK OUT MORE OLD SCHOOL FRIDAY PARTICIPANTS HERE.

Throwback Pop Culture Clip: WB Saturdays

Next up on our trip down WB Saturday memory lane is Freakazoid. I guess every 16 year old boy's alter ego is a strange old man.

He runs around in underwear. Freak a me...Freak a you.
Back to editing for me. Enjoy!

Old School Fridays: Motown

Is it a cop out for me to use this song seeing as how they start with the word Motown? Yes. Do I care? No. I'm young...this is the Motown I know.




Other Old School Fridays participants shown here

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.

Throwback Pop Culture Clip: Happy Independence Day!

Apparently it's a holiday weekend out in the States, so Happy Independence Day! In lieu of Independence Day, I celebrated Guy Fawkes day back in October. Exciting I know.

This clip is from the Will Smith old enough to be a throwback film (before he got anywhere near the Scientology juice), Independence Day. I never watched it, not even when they played it on the bus ride to Philly in high school, so I couldn't really tell you what its about, but from the clip it sounds a whole lot like the premise to what September 11th became for the world. Except that the September 11th terrorists were not aliens from another planet.

I'll miss the fireworks.

Throwback Pop Culture Clip

It's Thursday and it's that time again. In honor of the Vogue Italia release and all the wonderful British tabloid coverage of black women, weaves, and hair loss I bring you Naomi Campbell with another lost soul, Michael Jackson. Poor Naomi has even gone and upset Nelson Mandela, and is now banned from his 90th birthday concert this week. Shame on you for upsetting a venerable old man.

Throwback Pop Culture Clip of the Week

I know, the My Favorite Scenes is basically my excuse for me to watch more television(and music videos and movies that are soon to be included). So this means my throwbacks are going to have to return to a point of relevance and not basically be more of My Favorite Scenes, because that would only overdo any sane person's love of the good old days. So as much as I'm tempted to bring you fifty clips of Family Matters I'll resist.
Today's clip is in homage of Bo Diddley, the jazz great who passed away on July 2. (NY Times Article here) And, since AOL Black Voices keeps reminding me that June is Black Music Month, its is fitting. Quite arguably without Bo, we Mickey Factz would not be "Rocking and Rolling with the Cool Kids," we would not "Party like a Rockstar," and I would not be Seeing Sounds at the end of the week because Rock and Roll owes a major debt to the work of Mr. Diddley and several other black musicians from his time period.



Also, Bo Diddley and Bo Jackson in Bo knows commercial(because I can't portray my youth):

Also introducing the NIKE tag, because its so relevant to U.S. Arts.Culture. and Entertainment.

My Favorite Scenes: Jail Time

Yesterday's throwback was not there because I fell asleep, woke up next to lappy with You Tube open. In honor of Sean Bell and the new Sean Bell track, I was going to post a clip of the "Mistaken Identity" episode of "The Fresh Prince" when Will tries to explain to Carlton that they were pulled over for Driving While Black.

So today, I bring you "My Favorite Scenes: Jail Time" where some of our most beloved characters have ended up in the slammer. So well its not all of the, but just a few of my faves.


A DIFFERENT WORLD: JUST ANOTHER FOUR LETTER WORD
(No clips found)In this classic jail episode, Ron and Dwayne end up in jail along with some guys from Virginia A&M after a racial scuffle.
Full description from http://epguides.com/DifferentWorld/season5.shtml:

Dwayne becomes jealous of Whitley's new beau, particularly after she leads him to believe they are sleeping together. Ron promises to take Dwayne's mind off the situation by taking him to the big football game between Hillman and Virginia A&M. Ron then sells his ticket to a scalper and spends the game in his car. Three white students from A& M walk by, and one of them decides to start trouble. Ron bets them on the outcome of the game, declining to mention that their quarterback is out with the flu. With Hillman winning in a rout early the fourth quarter, the guys come out and pay Ron without an argument. Ron taunts them and says that their team needs to recruit more black players. One of the guys wants to let it go, but his friends begin to spray paint a racial slur on Ron's car. Ron starts to fight them, and Dwayne comes out and jumps into the fray. They are all held by campus security, who threatens to have them arrested unless they explain what happened. Ron and an A&M student give biased accounts; each leaves out information to make himself look completely blameless. Whitley, Kim and Freddie show up and unsuccessfully try to get Dwayne and Ron released. Dwayne tries to attack one of the guys for his racist and sexist comments about Whitley. Rick, the student who tried to make peace, finally comes forward and explains what happened. He feels embarrassed by their behavior. The officer orders the A&M guys to pay for Ron's repairs and perform community service. He points out that Dwayne and Ron also judge people by racial stereotypes (although it is to a lesser extent), and has everyone return for further punishment the following weekend. As they exit the stadium, they discover that someone has finished painting the slur on Ron's car."

THE FRESH PRINCE: MISTAKEN IDENTITY
(Videos at end of post) On this Fresh Prince classic from the first season, Uncle Phil and Vivian leave on a weekend trip, and Will and Carlton get pulled over for "speeding" as they drive Mr. Firth's Benz to Palm Springs since they apparently match the description of car thieves.

SEINFELD: Series Finale
(Videos at end of post) After all the hijinks pulled by some of our favorite New Yorkers it all finally catches up with them as they land in jail and various cast members from the 9 years come to testify. There's no huge racial lesson here, but do know that life will catch up with you one way or another(esp. seeing as the infamous Puerto Rican Day Parade episode was only a few episodes before).

Enjoy!

Throwback Pop Culture Clip

Usher is trying to come on his new I'm grown and married steez. A lil reminder of where he's come from:



And soon another list of what I'm listening to now. Because I'm that fickle and my music tastes change that quickly.