Tag Archives: keri

Watching Tv While Black – The Empire Scandal

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Ok I get it. The Cosby show is no longer on television. Serious allegations are swirling around someone many considered the nations dad. Positive representation of African Americans are almost non-existent. The Oscars are too white according to most media outlets and Iggy Azalea and Macklemore are stealing Hip Hop. OK I GET IT!!

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The truth of the matter is that all forms of media are influential and have an effect on our psyches. With that being said, I have a confession to make.

Hello ….My name is Precise and I watch Scandal and Empire. 

Now that I have confessed to the world one of my deepest darkest secrets allow me to say that even though I watch these shows I am STILL a BLACK MAN and an Awesome guy.

For some reason there is a divide in our community. Those who label themselves “conscious” have a total disdain for these telvision shows and feel like they are setting black people back 100’s of years.

Many black men have decided that these shows are for women, and if a man watches them his masculinity is questionable.

WTF?

Look…some of you take yourselves much to seriously. I agree that the portrayal of black people on television leaves a lot to be desired. Around the world we are viewed a specific way because of what is being fed through the media. It is important for us to take responsibility with regards to this.

Shonda Rhimes and Lee Daniels have taken some of this responsibility and boldly share a narrative of our lives that is complex and interesting.

I don’t know about you but I like to peel back the layers of who we are. It’s interesting and our experience extends past the history of slavery and civil rights.

We all have complexities and quirks. Just because I’m black doesn’t mean I should have to watch Eyes On The Prize  and Hidden Colors Vol 1, 2 and 3 all the time.

I like watching television with my 5k friends on Fb and sharing reactions in my status. I don’t post “spoilers” contrary to what some people (my sister) may think. Wendsday and Thursday nights are cool. It gives us the opportunity to come together and share something, even if it’s just a television show.

–Precise

What do you think about Empire and Scandal? Do you feel these shows are horrible or great? Let me know in the comments. 🙂

Ladies love Mixtapes by Precise produced by Tye Hill and D.J. Thunder was recognized as one of the BEST RELEASES of 2014 

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Django Unchained – Spike Takes A Stand

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People who have known me for quite some time know I am a huge fan of Spike Lee. Most of my favorite movies are Spike Lee joints. In my opinion Spike Lee does amazing work when it comes to filmmaking. He also does an amazing job at telling the story of African Americans from all different facets of life. So when I was watching an interview he did with Vibe earlier this week the interviewer asked Spike if he would speak on the new Quentin Tarantino movie Django Unchained his response resonated with me.

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He said: “I can’t speak on it …I’m not gonna see it. I’m not seeing it. All I’m gonna say is it would be disrespectful to my ancestors to see that movie. I can’t disrespect my ancestors. Now that’s me. I’m not speaking on behalf of anybody but myself.”

I respect Spike as a filmmaker. I appreciate his candor. He rarely ever holds his tongue. I understood his response. I understand the seriousness of recognizing our ancestors and honoring them. His response almost compelled me to take a similar position. However I was intrigued and wanted to see how Quentin Tarantino would approach this story of a slave getting revenge.Image

There will be NO SPOILERS in this review. If you are expecting some super political extra emotional movie about the African Holocaust/Slavery, this is definitely not the movie for you. Quentin stays true to form. He delivers the story of Django in the form of a spaghetti western. What’s most interesting about this film are the moments when the audience is left to decide if they should laugh or be offended. Leonardo De’Caprio and Samuel Jackson play their parts to perfection.

ImageI appreciate the way Jamie Foxx approached the character. There is a sense of dignity that he manages to maintain in the midst of this film that makes it quite believable. I couldn’t stop looking at Kerry Washington without thinking about Olivia Pope…HA!.. Sorry…I wonder how she is gonna help Huck out of this latest jam…….ANYWAY…Overall it was a very good film but the depth of my experience was realized after the movie was over.

As I walk out of the theater there is this feeling of…”What did I just watch?” Another thing that I noticed was the eye contact I was getting from other black men as if they had felt the same way that I did. I could tell who just saw Django by the look they had on their faces.

The story of The African Holocaust/Slavery in ImageAmerica has NEVER truly been dealt with. I know why Spike Lee feels the way that he does. Ultimately this is a movie. The last person I would expect to tell the story of The African Holocaust/Slavery properly would be Quentin Tarantino. With that being said I look forward to Spike Lee providing us with something that will speak to the hearts of the world, evoke change and restore the sense of dignity we have lost in our community. It is up to us to tell our stories.

We were free before freedom was given to us.

Oh Yeah…I give “Django Unchained” 4 stars out of 5. 🙂

–Precise

I want to know what you think? Did you see the movie? Are you going to see it? Leave a comment below.

Buy/Listen to The Hit Single “Take Our Time (Right Away)” produced by Tye Hill from the soon to be released Ep “Ladies Love Mixtapes”Â