As painful as Mondays are, I always love sitting down with a bowl of cereal and blogging. Can we say sanity check?
Let’s get it!
Hot Mess #1: Nate Parker and his rape scandal
Okay, so I actually have all the feels when it comes to this latest story about Nate Parker. In case you missed it, Parker was in the news a few months ago for his film, The Birth of a Nation, which tells the story of rebel slave, Nat Turner. After Sundance, The Birth of a Nation was purchased by Fox Searchlight for a whopping $17.5 million, putting Parker on the road to Hollywood A-lister.
It wasn’t until recently that news of Parker’s troubled past came to light. Back in 1999, Parker was accused of raping a female student while studying at Penn State. His alleged victim then went on to commit suicide in 2012.
As a woman, I couldn’t be more disgusted by the idea of any man getting away with rape. As a Black American, however, I question the timing of this story being published in outlets such as Variety. The Birth of a Nation was set to perform incredibly well come October, and now its fate is somewhat up in the air as people debate whether or not to support Parker and his film.
Look, I’m not saying that we should not discuss Parker’s past. I am saying, however, that I hope that people will understand that The Birth of a Nation is much bigger than its individual contributors. Hollywood has not always been the biggest supporter of Black narratives, especially narratives that don’t include a “white savior” and include a Black uprising. If The Birth of a Nation performs well at the box office this fall, then it will only help to show film executives that there is a true market for this type of storytelling.
Anyways, I could go on forever about this topic and probably write an entire essay about my feelings on both Parker and the movie. For now, I’m going to switch gears and show some love for another Black film that has no controversies surrounding it.
Hidden Figures, a movie about Katherine Johnson, an African American physicist who made significant contributions to NASA, stars Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, and Octavia Spencer, and already looks A-mazing. 🙂
Watch the trailer here —> Hidden Figures
Hot Mess #2: Ryan Lochte for just being a mess
Ryan Lochte has never struck me as the brightest star in the sky, potentially not even shining at all…
Last week, the media reported that Lochte and a small group of American Olympic swimmers were robbed at gunpoint at a Rio gas station. When interviewed, Lochte claimed that the robbers pulled out guns and even placed one to his forehead.
Long story short, all of the details from the “robbery” turned out to be one giant lie. Video footage shows Lochte and crew vandalizing private property and getting into a fight.
Needless to say, Lochte and the others are now paying for their poor judgment. Sponsors including Speedo and Ralph Lauren have dropped him. #AMess
Hot Mess #3: Gabby Douglas and her haters
U.S. gymnast and Olympic champion, Gabby Douglas, just can’t seem to catch a break. From her bad hair days to her “attitude” during the Rio Olympics, Gabby has given her random social media haters one thing to comment on after another.
Now, I’m not going to lie. When I was watching Gabby watch her teammates, Simone Biles and Aly Raisman, compete in the individual all-round for gymnastics, I thought her attitude was trash. At one point, all the girls in the stands were clearly cheering for their U.S. teammates, while Gabby sat with a sour face.
Yup….
Even though I’m not really here for Gabby’s attitude, I’m also not supportive of the major hate she’s received her entire career. I mean, come on. If Ryan Lochte can be a complete idiot and be defended by NBC reporters, then Gabby Douglas can be left alone.
Hot Mess #4: Donald Trump for playing the white savior
In the latest of hot mess events, Donald Trump attempted to gain Black supporters.
The Republican nominee stated that the Democratic Party has failed African American communities and that Blacks have nothing to lose by voting for him…
I’ve already mentioned how important it is for us to get rid of the white savior storyline, so you already know how I feel.
No more comments on Trump…
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Hot Mess Mondays 