One In A Million: Remembering Aaliyah

Today, August 25, 2011, marks the 10th year anniversary of Aaliyah's death. Aaliyah Dana Haughton was a popular R&B singer breaking through on the charts with her hit singles, albums and movies. She lived a very short life, and even so, she had a huge impact on mine. I looked up to her like a big sister. I remember when I was about 10/11 years old, I got her second album from my older male cousin. I begged and begged, and probably annoyed the crap out of my cousin for hours to borrow her album from him. He finally relented and even let me keep it. "One In A Million," yes she was. Aaliyah's Tom-boy style, mixed with belly tops and long black hair with the "side swoop", became embraced by so many girls idolizing her... even still today. She was soft-spoken, down-to-earth, "jazz-personality, G-Mentality," sexy, a great singer and dancer. She was one of the first female R&B singers you saw riding a motorcycle. She transitioned and matured gracefully, as was seen through each of her albums. Her debut album "Age Ain't Nothing But a Number" with hits like "Back and Forth" and Age Ain't Nothing But a Number," showed her as sweet, fun-natured, naive, and humble... even as a scandal broke that the well known singer and producer R.Kelly was having a relationship with the underage singer, 15 at the time. It was also rumored that they got married and it was soon annulled.

She was still admired by many, along with myself. If she would still be here today, I can only imagine how HUGE she would have become. Right before her tragic death, she had just released her third album, self-named title Aaliyah. On this album, she portrayed a much sexier appearance with more tight fitting clothes and heels. Songs like "Rock The Boat" and "Resolution", matched her gracefulness. Unfortunately, Rock The Boat" would also be the reason for her demise in the Bahamas, where she shot the video.

I have just about every single magazine with Aaliyah on the cover, from Honey magazine to Vibe. I watched just about every interview that she did. I learned every single dance that Aaliyah performed in her videos, from "Are you that Somebody" to "More than a Woman." I can vividly remember my younger cousin and I rewinding a recorded VHS over and over again to learn each move. I watched and learned several lines of her movies, including her debut movie Romeo Must Die and her last movie which came out several months after her death, Queen of the Damned, simply amazing! Although her role was short in that film, it was great. One could only fathom how many movie roles would have come after.

My childhood bedroom was filled with pictures of her, and to my family it eerily became a shrine of her after her death. I honestly loved Aaliyah, I didn't want to become a singer like her or do the things that she had done exactly. I indeed had my own different goals and a different path that i wanted to take. However, she was just so much of a great role-model that I saw as a person, she just seemed to be a great young woman.

The night of her crash, upon learning of her death, I cried and cried like a baby. I really felt like I lost a sister. When the video and clips from the making of Rock the Boat came out it was so surreal that those were actually her last moments before her death in a plane crash. She was truly an angel, baby girl as they called her, one in a million. She was in a category all on her own. After her, came others, such as Ashanti, Amerie, and Tweet... but neither would match her success as an artist.

R.I.P. Aaliyah Dana Haughton
January 16, 1979-August 25, 2001

Nivea Ad: Racist? Culturally Insensitive?

http://concreteloop.com/2011/08/cl-topic-niveas-new-advertisement-causes-a-stir-whats-your-take-on-it

Soooo... my sis Teley sent me the above link to an article asking me what were my thoughts on the Nivea ad that was posted in the Esquire magazine. We had a very interesting conversation via email about it, in which I will post.

ME:

Lol... So I'm going to post this on my blog by the way. I'm trying to be more social via blog network.

I don't see anything wrong with this ad. Is it his former bearded and full-haired head in his hands that he's throwing out to the birds? I think it is, I can't tell. But people are really becoming to sensitive with these marketing advertisements. Some are quite ridiculous and blatantly racist or prejudice. But if we have to sit down and ask the question, is it, then we are thinking way too hard.

HER:

I didn't know you had a blog!!! Way to go sis!
I can only speak for myself and I personally have a problem with it saying act like you give a damn, or re-civilize yourself. Is it uncivilized to have an afro? My cousins have natural hair and wear afros as their hairstyles daily, is it not acceptable? I didn't know there was such a hard double standard for men. I think everyone should be neat or groomed to an extent, but I don't agree with the correlation of afro or nappy hair with being uncivilized...

Not to mention how significant the afro is to black culture. Black power and all that jazz.

ME:

Omg so this discussion so needs to go on my blog. I originally started a blog during my school daze, sometime pre-Facebook. I simply began by posting some articles that I would write for school and I for some reason deleted them out of fear someone would plagarize my work. But now I'm trying to free up my time (one of the reasons I deactivated my FB and Twitter) and write creatively written opinionated stuff on whatever comes to mind, but I do need assistance * hint hint *. Like this article is going up ASAPy.

So I absolutely get what you are saying... What's civilized vs. the theoretically term "uncivilized"? However, how many tv commercials, magazine ads, billboards have you seen advertising countless products that magically turn a natural-head woman to a silky straight manifesto? For example, the very exaggerated Dr. Miracle commercial with the woman speaking to the unseen hair Doctor in the mirror about her unmanageable natural hair. Where is the outrage towards that? She felt as if she couldn't get a date or whatever with her hair as it was, and then once the doctor works his miracle, it is only then that she feels fab! Sooooo... Back to Nivea....I think if there was a white man who was doing the honors of tossing the head in this ad for this fine handsome guy, by the way, then we would have a problem. But it is not, it is only he, himself, that is basically saying good riddence to his former untamed natural-head. If this was a dark & lovely product, would people make such a fuss? I don't know who the makers of Nivea are. But honestly imagine you are a CEO at Teley Corp. and this guy comes in your office with the "before head" for an interview for a position with your company...would you hire him? I understand that he looks very Black power-ish... But in corporate America, that is a no-bueno. Not saying its right but you're not likely to go far. Women of course can get away with natural hair, dreds, etc. But men NO. At Hampton, all of the male Business, Accounting, Finance etc majors were Required to cut their hair, dreds, etc. They specifically taught them that if you want to get into a Fortune 500 company this is how you must look. Of course they added other aspects such as business attire being worn to class as well as interviews. So Nivea is just saying to our men what we should be telling them anyway. Look the part to get the part.

HER:

That's a verrryyy goood point "Look the part to get the part". So I guess that's a societal pressure to fit this mold of what's "appropriate". That applies more to clothing in my eyes. Look clean and polished and put together. Last I checked you have to have the skills too. But I never understood that, like I said before I'm an advocate for looking neat. So if his afro is combed And round and he's wearing a suit, what's the problem? I guess that's why I'm not the Ceo of my own fortune 500 company.

Don't get me started on dr. Miracles. B ut to each their own some ppl are in love with the creamy crack. And that's absolutely fine, I just wish there was more exposure to the other side. Like carols daughter products. Natural is beautiful. Doesn't always have to have such a negative connotation. Its all self hatred.

As far as your blog! Of course I'll help u though I have no idea what I'm doing. I read a lot of blogs tho. Gotta keep it interesting.

ME:

I totally agree with the need to advertise products like Carols Daughter more.

The next day, Nivea apologized and pulled the ad, which caused many to call the ad racist. I viewed the ad again and realized that it was definitely culturally insensitive and offensive, which stated "Look Like You Give A Damn. Re-civilize Yourself." Nivea is only one of MANY Large companies that have repeatedly posted ads and commercials of ignorance. One can only ponder how many of management hands have this ad been passed along without some objection.

http://concreteloop.com/2011/08/cl-topic-niveas-new-advertisement-causes-a-stir-whats-your-take-on-it

Single Ladies Finale: My take on Val

I love the new Vh1 show Single Ladies... its like the Modern-day Soap Opera. It shows successful women both white and black struggling with relationships. Although I watched the premiere, I missed a couple shows, so don't judge me, only my loose fitting opinions.

Soooo my mouth gaped wide open as I watched Val wake up next to Quinn. I saw that coming though with her heavy drinking the night before at the restaurant, in which she should'nt have even gone. It was just way too soon. He grew excited even as she quickly regretted the several hours before that she couldn't at all remember. When he proposed, I closely watched her face, she being so eager for a ring, she at first seemed thrilled that someone finally proposed to her, but not at all interested in the guy who proposed. At this moment I was thinking Damn she's getting what she wants but not with who she wants it with. Very contrary to being with Jerry who she loves, but he only wanted to commit without the official ring, wedding, and title. He is a 3x divorcee, which is very understandable. He obviously doesn't fear commitment, he just now wants one that doesn't come with a dead bolt lock that has to be hacksawed open if the relationship fails. Maybe divorce for him was very painful. After last weeks episode, I felt like Val was truly giving up a good man for a fairy tale. Who says that marriage is necessary in order to live "Happily Ever After"? Her man had very few flaws, he even begged to help her out with the clean-up after her party. What man does that? I deemed Val clueless after she broke off their relationship. I agreed with her intern and Derrick when they said she is a disaster when it comes to relationships. But then I retracted that statement, well just a tad bit, when Jerry agreed with her that she would be sacrificing her dream for him and resent him. There are some things worth settling for, but not ones where you have to force happiness. So back to Quinn, he proposes, Val looks dumbfounded. I'm sure she quickly thought about settling, maybe, perhaps, *knock at the door* oh gosh who may that be in the middle of getting proposed to in the nude she ponders. Well I might as well go see, since I don't quite want to give an answer to Quinn.<<< my words not hers. After peeping through the peep hole, I definitely wouldn't have opened the door. There would've been countless excuses that I would have chosen from to tell him after I had both got rid of Quinn and of course rid myself of shame. You're in your birthday suit under a sheet for God sakes. And you left a desperate naked man in your bedroom on one knee. Helloooo! Well, she really wanting Jerry, opens the door after clumsy bumping into it, making him aware that she is indeed home. He goes down on one knee while expressing his love for her and willingness to give in to her dream. Quinn please stay put. Jerry pulls out a small box and opens it up to a ring. Ahhhhhh Yes! Yes! Yes! Nooooo! Quinn walks out of the bedroom and appears behind Val. 0.150 seconds later, Jerry closes the ring box, gets out of stance and simply walks away without saying a single word. Whyyyyyyy. I hope you like my sound effects. Lol. Uhhh I can't wait until next season.

LSAT tomorrow "Jitters"

Tomorrow, I take thee LSAT. Yes the Law School Admissions Test. The one I have been studying for only many years for. I'm ready..., but I'm not ready. I wanna brag and boast all about how I am - this close to becoming a law student and an Entertainment Lawyer...but that would all be similar to the guy on MTV True Life who tattooed Notre' Dame on his arm and received a rejection letter the same day. (Sigh)... It's scary...spooky for me, because I know its almost pass or fail for me. I have quizzed myself on the test and I haven't received the results that I want. While checking the answers I got wrong, I, only then get the connection. I fully understand the idea of the tested questions, but when I go in again to quiz myself, I make the same mistakes over and over again!! (Sigh).

I have several people hoping and praying for me!! I've told many of my family members and friends about it, but I'm scared that they will in return keep asking me how I did, come time for me to receive my scores on March 2nd, and I will be sooo disappointed. I'm praying and praying and praying for the best. My friend basically interviewed me with questions, and just as I am blogging to you about my feelings, I tried to tell her...like if I don't call her with my results on March 2nd or 3rd or 4th or 5th... she should already know whats up!! I'm gonna be sooo hurt!! I don't think I will be able to try again and take the retake the test!!

Alrighty for now!! Here we go... less than 24 hours left to go!! :( and :)