Monday, September 27, 2010

Tracing outside the lines

I read a review in the New York Times for Ntozake Shange's newest novel "Some Sing, Some Cry". If you haven't read Shange's work, you should. She's a celebrated playwright, whose scripts are also fascinating and intriguing novels. Her newest novel, which I'll report back once I read, is a story through 7 generations of Black women. The critic from the Times explains in her review that the voices of the women become merged together and this complied with what she calls "soap-opera drama" takes away from this critical exploratory of the Black woman's life through history... We'll see, if this is true.

I'm very excited to read this novel because it's a topic that I've always enjoyed to read and write about. I have read many novels that are written for/about/ and by Black women. In many novels the reader can feel a tension in the narrative through the character's need to define themselves as a woman and as a person of color. Often this is reflective of the author's struggle and balance to be viewed as a voice in the literary canon as well as maintain authenticity to the Black community.

Authors create characters that can exist in both worlds, but the identity of the Black character, becomes generalized in an innate bias lens the reader has with Black novels. Since the Black community is viewed as a whole, anytime you read a book or novel about them the identity markers disappear and the individual character is lost. It's interesting because when you read books like: "Eat, Pray, Love" or one of Emily Giffin's series,  as a reader you don't gather the characteristics of the heroine and make a general list that would explain the Caucasian race, so why do readers do this with Black novels?

One idea that I've considered is that the Black woman is diverse in personality, vitality and spirit, but  Black women hurt from the same pain. It's consequences and life situations that bores this burden of being so unique, yet so categorically similar. This ties back to Shange's novel that traces through generations one underlining pain that feels so different in each woman. This could cause a blur of identities. Some might say, "aren't all women like this? Don't we all have the same hurt?" I can definitively tell you, NO.

Black women deal with an internal struggle -- accepting the self with a stake in two worlds; essentially, she has to trace a picture of herself outside lines that are already drawn. The structure looks similar, but can exist on its own with just enough space to be different.

Monday, September 20, 2010

How much is that worth?

First I would like to say I appreciate a solid ad campaign as much as the next writer, but Mastercard your priceless-ness is becoming affordable. How can a person living in New York miss the ad campaign painting the subway and bus stations asking consumers to "sign up for a priceless New York experience". At its beginning,  the ad campaign had what Malcolm Gladwell would call 'stickiness'; the ability for culture to pick up a concept or fad and embed it into society as a way of life, but frankly times have changed and anything built with adhesive can fall off with the heat from the next hot slogan.

Maybe it's the whole process of becoming an adult, but I've learned everything costs something. The most sacred relationships can be torn apart by monetary value. It makes you think, what are you worth to someone? Do you ever turn down an expensive dinner or drinks out because it's the end of the month or pay day is too far away, and you think "it's not worth it". To give kudos to the ad campaign, these moments are priceless -- put it on your Mastercard!

Unfortunately, people and credit cards have limits. People are considered valuable by the contribution we can offer. Additionally, since we are also a comparative culture you can always find value in how the person measures up relative to something else. Even a relationship is subject to this price branding. Love is the eternal supply and demand example. If you give someone all your love and the demand for it isn't there, you lose. And the reverse rings true -- if you demand love from someone and they don't have enough to give you, you lose. Is there a 401-K for love? The love with a spouse, love one, sibling or parent ... Can you store all the love that you have with someone in the event you have a falling out? In which case you'll have a fund that you can draw from stocked with memories and evidence of that once solid love? Now that would be something to invest in!

Speaking of investments Mastercard, I beg you let the ad giant come up with something new for you in regards to a new ad campaign ... Use the promotion of giving away a priceless experiences in New York as a PR initiative. I'm surprised there wasn't a change in direction especially with today people are putting a price on anything! Unfortunately, nothing is priceless but maybe you could take a spin on the priceless concept, and tell consumers : Yes. It's worth it.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Two Faces in the mirror

I know. I know. It's been a while since I've written you ... the thing is, I've been struggling to concentrate my thoughts into a coherent piece for you to read. There have been a few ripples in the pond these last few weeks (to say the least) and pretty much my mind has been completely saturated with thoughts the only thing I could viably say I was feeling was confused. 

And on top of everything, my Internet and cable was turned off for like a week (don't ask); I was restricted to watching episodes from Sex and the City. Does any one else wonder why Darren Star's portrayal of New York, lacks people of color? The closest thing they come to are cab drivers and they don't have sex in the city - they live in Brooklyn. Frankly, all popular TV shows are like that or the women of color are asexual. Grey's ... Dr. Bailey - you can't see her as sexy, Christina Yang, she's too angry and focused to be sexy. The thing is I think women of color are too sexy for TV. That's right, we have too much to offer and some writer from a top tier journalism school has yet to figure us out. 


OK, OK, so you tell me to watch Girlfriends? First the show was canceled by popular demand and second I refuse to believe that every black woman can be classified within the following stereotypes; too hood for prime time TV, successful and non-marriage material, the light skinned confused one that doesn't know what she wants so settles on not settling, and finally the pretty one that loves herself too much she realizes no one can match her.  Are these women the mirror TV show of Sex and the City "in living color"?? Or is the whole premises of female television founded in the underline fairy tale of happily ever after? I'm not going to even mention the abomination of Lifetime movies. *Although as a side note, I have been known to watch one or two on a hyper sensitive weekend...

 And if you for a minute  take this theory of women television to be true, wouldn't the male counterpart of Sex and the City be ... Entourage? In this television fantasy the men never marry, or commit to anything, except making themselves better. At the end of each fantasy the women get to be with their men and men fall deeper in love with themselves. I agree that as a form of vicarious living this is true.

 The female characters being a identification point for ourselves. However, I fall victim and witness to  women in our real lives letting them become saturated with men and the thought of men or dating or marriage or a combination of this list. Here's a real life example, I knew a girl in college who's boyfriend was in medical school her fourth year. Every Thursday night in preparation for his visit she would give herself a bikini wax, deep condition and a manicure/pedicure. On a day to day basis she was always drop dead gorgeous, but I couldn't help but wonder if one Thursday she would forget one of her primping details and he would notice...? Honestly, how truthful and substantial is a relationship if her week was built off growing enough hair to wax on Thursday...


I know as women we aren't all like my friend from college, nor do we embody the "Carrie, or Joan" from the characters on women television; but again, I point out that for both men and women the characters allow us to see the value in feeling accomplished in the eyes of another AND ourselves.

When you look in the mirror you have two faces looking back you (no you're not drunk) but you're seeing yourself as in your simplest form. This is the person that knows they pick their nose or purposefully slams dishes in the morning out of spite for their still sleeping roommates. The other face is you of course, but it's the person you want people to see. No one wants people to know that they have a checklist by the door of things to remember before leaving the house. Or the blemish that is harder to hide, when left uncovered would reveal why you hate mother's day or tell the story of why  your prayers never change because you still have hope for people in your life that have failed you.  The combination of these perceptions makes you your own, the sacrifice or giving into one of these parts loses the whole. Although you successfully hide these things from people it's all apart of one. I journey to say first see yourself in the simplest form stick with her (or him) for a while, before primping and putting makeup on the other.

Now, for a special note to my male readers: love your lady as much as you love yourself... who knows you might find someone that loves you even more than you do.

Write to you soon ...
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