100 Issues for 100 Days: #90

#90: Double Feature



Today I went to see Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day and Precious.

After reading a lot about Precious and hearing everyone's viewpoint on the film, I was eager to see it myself. I was surprised by how many people were in the theater. Almost every seat was taken. The reactions were varied and there were definitely moments when people laughed due to the uncomfortable things that were portrayed on-screen.

After seeing the film for myself, I find myself at an impasse. I've seen most of Lee Daniels' oeuvre and from what I've observed the man makes detailed choices. So I wonder about the choice to intercut Precious' rape with shots of pig's feet and vaseline. Or to show a beaten Precious walking the streets with her second child beneath a "spay and neuter" sign. I don't think these were unconscious decisions so I wonder what symbolism Daniels is trying to evoke. Is Precious no better than a homeless dog that should be spayed? Is the juxtaposition of pig's feet and Vaseline supposed to be commentary on the stereotype of Black female rape or a reinforcement of it? As a film it did it's job. I connected with Precious, I felt her pain and cheered for her overcoming her obstacles and though the film started to tread closely to the "nice white lady" stereotypes, it was good. And Lenny Kravitz was in it looking scrumdiddlyumptious.

I also went to see Boondock Saints II, a sequel I've been waiting for for years. Boondock Saints is one of those cult faves that people either love or hate. I love it. It's a simple story: two brothers decide to clean-up Boston when the cops fail to do so and earn the name, The Saints because they leave coins on the eyes of their kills and arrange them as if they are being buried. But it's so much more than that. It's clever, there's gratuitous violence and it's raunchy as hell. Essentially it's every guys favorite movie. The sequel was just as good. It was cute and funny and full of gunfights. Although the story stretched itself too far in some places, it was entertaining as hell and set itself up for a third installment (please God let this happen).

I'm thinking about going to see it again (and that says a lot cause it's hard for me to get to theaters).

100 Issues for 100 Days: #84

#84: Smooth Like Chocolate

Rounding out my weekend of concerts was the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a Black bluegrass band. Much like Halloween, the image of bluegrass music has strayed far from its roots. Although most people think of rednecks and backwoods when they hear the banjo play, the truth is that the banjo is an African-American instrument that has many names across the African diaspora.

What makes the Chocolate Drops so dazzling is their ability to not only play a ridiculous amount of instruments but also their reverence for the history of bluegrass and it's African/African-American roots. Even the titles of their albums (Heritage, Colored Aristocracy) show their dedication to reclaiming bluegrass music for the Black community. At one point they took a bluegrass rhythm cut the meter in half to get a Charleston beat and cut that in half to get an R&B vibe going. How better to illustrate that bluegrass is part of the continuum that is Black music?

The show I saw was a family matinee and the performers were completely engaging as well as great educators. They taught the audience rhythms, rhymes, dances and the basics of all the instruments. During the Q&A, all one kid could say was "It was just fun!". It was a completely sweet moment.

I really enjoyed myself this weekend but this show was definitely the best way to cap off the performances I saw. I felt like this opened my eyes to something completely new. I've always loved ountry and bluegrass music but it seemed like an anomaly. In actuality, I was just being true to my roots. In my heart, I'm a Carolina girl and the Chocolate Drops definitely struck a chord with me.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #83

#83: Savion and Patience


Last night I got to see the wonderful and dynamic Savion Glover perform. I have to tip my hat to this man because he did two back-to-back shows (90 minutes each) and I don't think he paused more than five minutes the entire time. The show was all improvisation with him tapping along with a jazz quartet. The other thing i loved about the show was Patience Higgins, the horn player. Who can't love a name like Patience Higgins? I was also fortunate enough to go backstage and meet the performers who all gave me a wonderful dose of New York. The piano player was like a long-lost uncle and the entire crew was littered with Brooklyn and Manhattan
natives that made me miss home.

I know I joke a lot about Savion being my future husband (not giving up on that dream) but more than that watching him is divine. It's like watching precision and chaos connect in a perfect storm of awesome. And even more than that, in meeting him he exudes such a cool spirit. He also displays such a reverence and love for performers of the past, like each performance is a tribute to them. It was beautiful to behold. I've decided we just have to hang out again. Clearly, he'll fall in love with me. Cause I'm already in love with him. Patience.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #82

#82: Precious

UPDATED: Way more interesting analysis here.

The movie Precious opened in theaters yesterday. I've seen a lot of articles discussing the film and the book Push that it's based on. There are interviews with the author of the book as well as the director of the film Lee Daniels and his backers, Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. There's also a lot of criticism about colorism in the casting as well as the overall adaptation from book to film. I plan on seeing the film (Lenny Kravitz being in it kind of sealed the deal) and I'm trying to go into it with an open-mind but one of the comments that I read about the film rings true with me. When discussing the "I am Precious" marketing campaign for the film, one person commented:

I finally figured out that Tyler and Oprah actually DO think that abuse and exploitation are Black women’s natural state of being, likely because of their personal histories.

I am NOT Precious. If I was, I couldn’t be horrified by the story. If I WAS Precious, I would likely think that my existence was the rule for everybody. Why would I believe anything different?

After going to see Good Hair a few weeks ago, I have to agree with this statement. I get that it's often hard to separate the "art" and the "artist", but I'm tired of having certain people's experiences of Blackness foisted on me. I sat through Chris Rock telling me how Black women are high maintenance and willing to put harsh chemicals into babies' heads in order to have straight hair. Is it true for some? Yes. But that is not every Black woman's experience.

Similarly, I feel like Precious is just continuing a long line of portrayals of Black women as victims. We're not all Celie and we're not all Precious. As an artist is my story less valid because I've never been victimized? I'm not invalidating the homelessness that Tyler Perry experienced or the abuse Oprah Winfrey suffered but that is not the universal experience of Black folks.

When I say "I am precious", it's because I understand that as a person, my experience is valid, my life is worth living, and that I am only one of many who are equally precious. But I don't try to make the reality of my Blackness speak for others. A lot of people talk about getting past racism and victimization and I think part of that is understanding that these things are not okay. Rape, incest, abuse, division amongst color lines, internalized oppression; these things exist but they are not right, nor are they universal to everyone's existence. Yes, stories like Precious' happen every day but they are not the norm. They need to be brought to light but not glorified, not if we're trying to make sure these stories aren't needed one day.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #81

#81: Esperanza

Tonight I went to an SFJazz show. The artist was Esperanza Spalding, who is a wonderfully beautiful and talented bassist. The 23-year old is wildly entertaining and her performance was the epitome of casual and relatable even in a 1,000 seat venue. But mostly, she's just chill in that, I-wanna-hang-with-you way.

She has this song Precious which I love (also check out Cuerpo y Alma). My favorite part is the line:

But I'm not gonna sit around/And waste my precious divine energy/Trying to explain/And being ashamed of things /You think are wrong with me.

The first part rings so true. I'm not going to continue to waste my precious, divine energy on things that are weighing me down. And the second part, worrying about things that others think are wrong with me, is also just a waste of time. When she sang those words tonight it was all I could do not to jump up and shout "Yes!".

And although I've been complaining about my life being pretty dry, tonight was definitely an exception. I laughed and joked, and most of all I had fun. I think it's fitting that esperanza means "hope" because I definitely felt that tonight.

I also think I'm going to have to add her to the list of style icons. Her hair is to be envied and I loved her laid-back outfit (jeans, flats, white tank and oversized scarf). I suggest you check her out.