Month: March 2017

This post contains major plot spoilers for the film “Get Out.”

Allison Williams, while making the rounds for Jordan Peele’s psychological thriller “Get Out,” has been as tight-lipped about the film’s twists as one might expect. Williams plays Rose, the white girlfriend of main character Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) who invites him home to meet her family, where events take a dark turn.

But she hasn’t just been hiding the dramatic plot of the movie from the public.

“I’ve also been completely lying to my friends and family about the premise of the movie ― for almost two years now,” she told The Huffington Post during an appearance on the “Here to Make Friends” podcast. “When my friends asked me what it was about ― this is how I said it in press, too; I basically did press as Rose, which doesn’t help the suspicion that I might just actually be a psychopath in real life ― I basically said, I bring my black boyfriend home to meet my parents, I assume they’re going to be totally cool with it, and then when he gets there, things start to go weird, and then it quickly becomes us against the world, and I have to choose between my family and my boyfriend.”

“Literally people I’ve known for my entire life, I was like, this is the premise of the movie… and then they’d get out of the movie, and they’re like: ‘I have to talk to you for two reasons. One, our friendship is over. Two, I loved the movie.’”

As those who’ve seen “Get Out” realize, Williams’s spoiler-free summary leaves out a major turning point in the film: when Chris, and the audience, realize that Rose is in on her family’s malevolent scheme to lure young black men to their home, hypnotize and entrap them, and transplant white clients’ brains into their victims’ bodies. Her charming, “woke” persona has all been a pitch-perfect performance, carefully geared to specifically appeal to her thoughtful, artistic boyfriend’s needs. 

Williams told HuffPost that she’d already been sold on the script by the time Rose appeared on-screen for the first time. The opening scene follows LaKeith Stanfield as a young black man walking alone in a white suburb, a scene Williams pointed out is reminiscent of the shocking killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012. “After I read that scene, I was like, ‘I don’t really care who Rose is, I definitely want to be in this movie,’” she said. 

She, like many in the audience, was caught by surprise when she first encountered her character’s psychotic turn. “I was reading the script, and I was like, ‘Rose seems great! She seems totally fine,’” she admitted, laughing. “Then I got to the end and I was like, ‘Now I have to play her. This bitch is crazy.’”

“A lot of white people don’t see it coming,” Williams told HuffPost. “And then they try to talk themselves out of it. ‘Maybe she’s been hypnotized too.’”

Check out Allison Williams’ full interview with Here to Make Friends on the podcast ― the discussion of “Get Out,” which is spoiler-heavy, starts at about the 40-minute mark:

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

There’s a scene from Jordan Peele’s new social thriller “Get Out” that’s hard to forget.

If you have seen the movie, it’s that scene.

Warning: Mild “Get Out” spoilers below.

If you haven’t seen it, it’s a brief scene in which the family’s groundskeeper comes barreling out of the woods toward the movie’s protagonist, and it’s terrifying.

On March 7, the film’s official twitter page decided to tweet a #GetOutChallenge to its followers:

The challenge asks fans to recreate the scene. And people have stepped up to the plate … and it’s kind of hilarious.

Now if only they’d make a Get Out Challenge for that creepy Froot Loops scene.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

In less than two months, a 12-year-old in New York has used her creative talent to raise more than $2,000 for the American Civil Liberties Union.

Sasha Matthews started her “Everyday Superheroes” project a little more than a month ago to raise money for the ACLU. She has been accepting commissions from people who want to be drawn as “everyday superheroes” based on their jobs or hobbies.

Sasha first drew her dad, photographer Scott Matthews, as a superhero. He spread the word on Facebook, and now the 12-year-old has completed 36 drawings and raised $2,298 for her project.

Sasha, who already has three published comic books under her belt, started this project as a response to President Trump, but explained that its purpose is also “to make people feel powerful.”

“I started doing ‘Everyday Superheroes’ as a Trump protest kind of thing, but it could really be about anything, any current event that you feel upset about,” she said. “People are feeling kind of sad and kind of powerless about a lot of different stuff, so drawing people as everyday superheroes means that they don’t have literal superpowers, just superpowers that are everyday ― like somebody was a baker, somebody really liked music.”

Sasha, whose superhero work was first featured on West Side Rag, encourages the people requesting a drawing to pay what they want. Most give between $50 and $100. Before she can create the drawings, Sasha asks people to send a photo of themselves or of the person (and sometimes pet) she is supposed to draw. She also asks them to answer three questions: “What are three of your favorite colors?” as well as “What is your special job, interest or hobby?” and “How do you feel about capes?” The second one is the most important so she can come up with their superpower. 

“For example, there was this person who really liked rock music and was a tambourine player so for that I searched ‘rock icon’ and ‘tambourine’ and I based the whole drawing off that question,” she said.

All proceeds from Sasha’s drawings will go to the ACLU. She told HuffPost it’s important to support organizations that fight for people’s rights. 

“I think it’s important because these types of organizations, and not just the ACLU, any organization that supports people’s rights and kind of gives people legal protection and better lives ― it’s important to donate to them and help those types of organizations succeed,” she said.

The ACLU shared some of Sasha’s creations on Instagram on March 2 to thank her for her donation. Liz FitzGerald, a spokesperson from the ACLU, told HuffPost that Sasha is proof that anyone can help fight for others’ rights. 

“We love this project because it shows that everyone has a role to play in fighting for our rights, not just lawyers who work at the ACLU,” she said. “Using her unique talents, Sasha has helped to educate people about the ACLU, raise money to support our work and remind all of us that heroes are among us every day. We’re thrilled that Sasha is standing with us.”

Scott, Sasha’s father, told HuffPost that George O’Connor, author and illustrator of the series Olympians, inspired Sasha’s project. He, too, is using art to raise money for the ACLU. Scott also mentioned that each drawing takes his daughter one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half hours. She “works really hard,” though, and is happy to take on more commissions. He told HuffPost he’s proud of his daughter for bringing some positivity to the world, especially the internet. 

“It just seems to make people happy, it seems to make people feel good,” he said. 

See more of Sasha’s “Everyday Superheroes” art below. For more of her work, head to her Facebook, Twitter or her site. Captions below were taken from her site.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Diddy is set to make his mark at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival with the premiere of his new documentary, “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: The Bad Boy Story.”

The film, directed by Daniel Kaufman, will explore the record label’s journey from its humble beginnings in New York to years of chart-topping success and influence on entertainment and fashion, according to Billboard. The introspective docu-flick will also feature rehearsal footage from the label’s special two-night reunion concert at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in 2016. 

“I am blessed to be introducing our film at the Tribeca Film Festival,” Diddy said in a statement sent to Billboard. “Tribeca brings the biggest names in entertainment and culture together with visionaries from across industries to celebrate the power of storytelling. There is no better place to share the story behind the Bad Boy movement and this unprecedented musical event.”

The collective’s sold-out two-night performance, which led to a 24-city tour, celebrated the label’s 20 years of hit music, and featured former Bad Boy artists Ma$e, Faith Evans, The LOX, Total, 112, as well as special guests.

The announcement of “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: The Bad Boy Story” follows the development of a separate as-yet-untitled documentary highlighting the struggles of Combs’ production super group, The Hitmen. 

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Somebody needs to give Tina Knowles Lawson a show.

Lawson isn’t just a purveyor of truth, she’s a comedian. Her Instagram page is already a hilarious reminder that Beyoncé and Solange’s mom is just like everyone else’s, but every so often, she blesses her followers with her signature gem: Corny Joke Time.

That’s right. Mama Tina loves delivering punchlines one would find on the back of Laffy Taffy wrappers ― some a bit more PG than others.

As cliché as these jokes can be on their own, Lawson tells them so earnestly, which makes these videos hilarious. She even cracks herself up (though we’re not totally sure that her daughters are laughing along).

Here are 14 corny jokes that Mama Tina turned into comedic gold.

1. When she talked about a couple of competitive vegetables

2. When she went to the most lit wedding

3. When her husband, Richard Lawson, was clearly over her jokes

4. When she brought the funny to the safari

5. When she revealed a women’s alternative ending to “Lemonade”

6. When she made an unlikely duo work

7. When she told a really awkward joke about a vasectomy

8. When she literally LOL’d at her own joke

9. When she shaded a cop

10. When she told this semi-raunchy joke

11. When she hit this spicy punchline

12. When she gave some valid legal advice

13. When she had to discipline her dog

14. When she called out the phonies

Her mom humor is too strong.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

RuPaul has some choice words for anyone who thinks we shouldn’t embrace diversity.

This week, TMZ pressed the world’s most famous drag queen, who was in New York City to attend the premiere of the ninth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” for his thoughts on the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the potentially history-making transgender rights case of Gavin Grimm. 

And, being RuPaul, his answer did not disappoint. He not only had some encouraging words for the LGBTQ community, he made it clear he’s fully confident that our society is beginning to embrace our differences ― and anyone working against that is caught in the past.

“Our best defense is our brightness, our love, our ability to have a spirit and dance,” RuPaul told TMZ. “That’s what we’re teaching kids to do ― you know we are moving forward into a place where the human race is expanding. The people who are against this kind of thing ― they are stuck in the 20th century. God bless them, but we’re moving this way, they want to go backwards. Fine! But just know that they are obsolete and they know it and this is their last ditch effort. We as human people on this planet are moving forward. Until then our best defense is to dance, sing and get excited ― get excited about life! And that’s what we’re going to do.”

The new season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” premieres on Friday, March 24 at 8 PM ET/PT.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

NFL player Michael Bennett said he was so inspired by Chance the Rapper’s $1 million donation Monday to Chicago Public Schools that he decided to make a difference in his own way.

Bennett, who plays defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks, released a statement Thursday that credits Chance for the work he is doing to uplift others. It also announces Bennett’s own pledge to support inner cities and help provide a better future for boys and girls across the country. 

“I was inspired by Chance the Rapper to ‘think bigger’ when he pledged one million dollars to Chicago kids and their school system,” Bennett said in a statement, according to ESPN. “So, I’ll be joining him by investing in the future of our youth. The system is failing our kids, and it will be up to the community and our leaders to help keep the hope alive by focusing on improving our education system and the future of our kids.”

“Any company that decides to invest in me, just know that you’ll be investing in opportunities and providing inspiration for these families ― many who feel unnoticed or go unmentioned,” he added.

Bennett, who also wrote an essay in support of the women’s strike on Wednesday, said he will be donating 50 percent of the proceeds from his jersey sales this year to programs and initiatives that promote healthy living in underserved communities. He also encouraged other athletes to join the cause. 

“I’m asking all professional athletes to join me by donating a portion of your endorsements this year to a cause of your choice,” Bennett said. “We can make a difference. It’s up to us to help plant seeds of hope and help fuel the future. Power to the people.”

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

On the night of Nov. 9, 2016, and into the morning of Nov. 10, Twitter was inundated with parents wondering how they would explain President Donald Trump’s unpredicted win to their children when they woke up.

Dan Kois wrote on Slate that morning, “I want to hide our ashen faces and give them the long historical view and say: It’s going to be OK. That would be hard, if still easier than being honest.” Kois, and the many others who wrote on the topic, seemed torn between his instinct to protect and his desire to be frank.

But for some parents ― particularly, those alarmed by police brutality against unarmed black teens ― protection and frankness don’t feel so opposed.

Which is why a book geared toward young adults that address state violence directly ― The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas ― is an important and timely new title. Its story follows 16-year-old Starr, a black girl who witnesses the shooting of her childhood friend by a police officer. Both Starr and her friend Khalil were rashly and wrongly judged to be connected with gang violence; for the remainder of the story, Starr copes with grief and guilt.

Thomas said the YA book is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, which began in 2012 as a response to the murder of Trayvon Martin. Today, New York Times Book Review editor Pamela Paul shared that The Hate U Give is the top title on the paper’s bestseller list for Young Adult Hardcovers.  

The novel’s success isn’t only commercial; reviewers are praising its story and its relevancy. Erin Keane wrote for Salon that the “sensational debut novel should be required reading for clueless white people.” On NPR, Weekend Edition host Lourdes Garcia-Navarro discussed the author’s exploration of activism today.

Acclaim ― both critical and commercial ― comes in for The Hate U Give in a time when diversity is still lacking in the literary world. In its 2015 survey of diversity in publishing, Lee & Low Books revealed that 79 percent of the industry identifies as white; at the executive level, that number is even higher. In its own 2015 survey of author representation in the media, VIDA revealed more of the same: of the women authors covered in publications such as The New York Review of Books, a startling number were white.

So, The Hate U Give’s ranking on the YA bestseller list is a heartening sign that parents of young readers are looking to educate their children about racism and activism. But don’t let the triumph spur inaction; other stories like this are still in grave need of a wider readership. 

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Hollywood has enjoyed a long tradition of telling stories about people of color while conveniently omitting actors of color to play their parts. But a casting call for leads Jasmine and Aladdin that’s making the rounds on social media suggests Disney’s live-action “Aladdin” remake will not fit that mold.

“These characters are Middle Eastern,” reads the announcement, which adds that shooting kicks off July in the U.K.

The Huffington Post has reached out to Disney to confirm the authenticity of the announcement but did not receive a reply by publication time.

In light of industry whitewashing criticisms and news that a November 2018 version of “Mulan” is set to cast a Chinese actress in the titular role, the studio is likely motivated to fill the roles of Aladdin and Jasmine with non-white actors.

That’s all good news for anyone who welcomes better representation of minority groups on-screen ― a classification that should cover all viewers.

While the announcement doesn’t necessarily mean that the “Aladdin” actors will be Middle Eastern themselves ― note the careful use of the word “characters” ― if successful, it indicates that two actors of color will be starring in a Disney feature.

Guy Richie is rumored to direct, Deadline reports.

“Aladdin” will follow the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” starring Emma Watson set for release March 17, and will join a number of other live-action remakes of Disney classics. 

“Mulan” aside, “Mary Poppins Returns” is set for December 2018 release with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Emily Blunt in the lead, and a live-action “Lion King” is also in the pipeline.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices