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A few things on Superman Returns, which I caught last night.

1. The joint is long as hell. But if you take a five minute nap, do it in the beginning or you’ll be kicking yourself.
2. Brandon Routh does an amazing imitation of Chris Reeve. I cannot tell if he has improved as an actor since One life to Live, but he did a pretty good job.
3. This is a classic movie and classic Superman through and through. They didn’t try to update him or make him “cool”. He’s true to the Superman in the comics, in Smallville and in the first two Superman movies. Aside from that, this is a movie for people that enjoy well-rounded storytelling.
4. People were applauding all through the movie and at the end. Which didn’t happen at X3.
5. Furthermore, at the end, one of the cats that was making snarky comments during the movie said “That shit was way better than X-Men,” which goes to prove that cats from the hood still dig a traditional, iconic superhero.

Thumbs up!

It’s fucking gel, man.
I genuinely enjoy India.Arie’s music, but unlike a lot if you, I’m a little done with the whole “I’m here, I’m natural, so deal with it” schtick. It’s like Mo’nique and her “beautiful big girl” shit. After a while, you’re kinda just like Is this all you got? Get some new material, lady.
That being said, I am fully capable of admitting what an important song “I Am Not My Hair” is. See, at first I wrote it off as another one of her Bohemian Power Anthems like “Video”, but this song really resonates, mainly because muhfuckas are afraid of black hair. And not in a “Oh Mr. Negro, your locks are so thick and scary” way. It’s more like a “If I allow you to express yourself in this manner, you’ll have way too much power.” This is clearly some Sampson and Delilah type shit.

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This isn’t a piece slamming Babyface. He’s an enormous talent responsible for a lot of the hits I grew up on. But damn him for his belated use of such an overused phrase. I’m with Fresh on this one; this shit has reached overkill.
I am now officially anti-”grown and sexy”. Not because I’m neither. I’m kinda grown, and my sexiness has never been called into question. For me, the phrase’s usage marks a certain kind of desperation. The thirty- and forty-somethings are declaring that they are indeed relevant and “cool”. They have no need for the baggy-clothes-wearing, disrespectful youngin’s. They question the media’s obssession with youth. They listen to smooth R&B and have “dress to impress” parties.
In about five more years, I’ll be right there with them.
But let’s be real. People are always looking for some way to define and validate themselves, and you’d think “grown” folks would denounce these kinds of trends. Make no mistake, our older brothers and sisters are just as influenced by pop culture movements as the rest of us. And I suppose “grown and sexy” is a lot more enchanting than “young and promiscuous” or “seasoned and preserved”.
Let’s just let Face’s declaration be the deathknell. The phrase is tired. I’m grown and sexy, you’re grown and sexy, we’re all grown and sexy. Whenever I see those words on a club flyer, I immediately think I need to bring my pillow. It’s gotten so out of hand there’s a stigma attached to it. I’m begging my black people to just make it go away, ok?
I get it.

Most of us were excited when we learned that not only was Desperate Housewives adding a black family to its canvas, but that it would be headed by none other than the fabulous Alfre Woodard. But now I’m starting to wonder if it was even worth it. Her presence on the Wisteria Lane has very little impact on the lives of the other families. Although I love the idea of having a spooky, gothic storyline and having a mysterious neighbor on the block, the show has done very little to integrate her storylines into that of the other moms and wives.
That’s been one of the main issues if DH this year and why ratings aren’t what they were last season. There was a huge umbrella storyline last year involving dead narrator Mary Alice Young and it affected everyone on the canvas. There was a certain kind of unity and cohesiveness in the storylines, and the mystery of Mary Alice made it all the more immediate. Now the mystery has been solved and we’re left with… Caleb?
Caleb, I’m sad to say, doesn’t interest me. His plotline is way too isolated. Even though the Applewhites have interacted with the other characters (namely the Van de Kamps), the writers have done very little to link everything together. That’s not to say everyone on the show needs to be connected by some deep, dark secret, of course. But why should we only be interested in the Applewhites every other week as opposed to every episode like everyone else? There’s nothing innovative about the way this story is being executed. Most of the people I know are only into it for Mechad Brooks’ superior torso.

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No Frontin’ recently posted a list of forthcoming hip-hop releases for 2006. While NF maintains that “This isn’t a comprehensive list, just a list of stuff I’m interested in”, there are some items that stood out to me.
Bubba Sparxxx: The Charm
I am the only person I know that owns both Dark Days, Bright Nights and Deliverance and I love them both. Bubba’s latest, “Miss New Booty” follows “Wait (The Whisper Song)” and David Banner’s “Play” and borrows heavily from both courtesy of Mr. Collipark. (Have you seen the video? This, coupled with the track, is the joint the FCC warns parents about. But the video knows that, and that’s what makes it hot.) In the track, he sounds like a ghost bursting out of a child’s closet (“boogedy-boogedy boo!!”) and it should scare the white shit out of unsuspecting ears. But I love the track, and so far the response at clubs and parties has been pretty favorable. I’m looking forward to Bubba’s third and with the help of Big Boi and longtime collaborator Timbaland, he should do respectable numbers this time around.
Clipse: Hell Hath No Fury
It took forever for Lord Willin’ to be released and Exclusive Audio Footage never saw the light of day. While I think Malice and Pusha are respectable MCs, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t into it for the Neptunes’ production. Beats by Chad and Pharrell have become something like trading cards and every impending single is a must-listen until we’ve pretty much gotten sick of it. I’m still, however, waiting with breath that is bated.

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