Thursday, March 28, 2013

Kerry Washington And Scandal










I have been meaning to write about Scandal a long time now but since I did not have time to blog, it never happened. But, OH.MY.GOD, Scandal where have you been all my life.

I am a huge Kerry Washington fan and heard about some promotional work she did for Scandal, but not being a TV watcher; I did not start watching until the trail episode when I saw the "one minute" clip. I watched it back to back about ten times before going to ON Demand to not only watch that episode but the whole season 1.

The chemistry between her and Tony Goldwyn was so palpable and thick that you can cut it with a knife and I was hooked and my life has not been the same since.
To start with, mad props to Shonda Rhimes. I was already sweet on Shonda when I read about her taking Issa Raye under her wings by working with her to develop a new series(Oprah, this is how it is done)Then to find out she was behind Scandal made me respect her even more.

Shonda paid her dues and accumulated capital that she can spend on a show like Scandal being led by a woman of color. By being successful with Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, the powers that be knew she had the chops and the wherewithal to pull this off. So thanks to the TV gods, the casting and Shonda Rhimes for bringing Tony Goldwyn and Kerry Washington together because watching their love scene is better than any porn.

Each and every cast member bring something special to the dynamics of the show. I will be writing about all the individual casts, but today I am going to start with Kerry.

Kerry has been around for a while. I enjoyed her performance in Mr and Mrs Smith with my other favorite actress Angelina Jolie. That movie also had two leads whose chemistry was so palpable. I loved her in The Last King of Scotland and save the last dance, but most importantly, I have enjoyed seeing Kerry in Political shows and how intelligent, articulate and politically savvy she is.
I was very impressed when she coolly schooled a Republican Operative on Bill Maher's Real Time, her intelligence and grace shone through. You would have thought she was my best friend the way that I was hollering at the TV.

She clearly has paid her dues and was ready to embrace this opportunity once it came her way. It took almost 40 years for a woman of color to be a lead in a network series, here's hoping that it never takes that long again. An interviewer asked Kerry if she was under pressure for the show to do well and she said the pressure was on the audience to show that America was ready was ready to watch shows that reflect all our stories. Well Kerry, the Gladiators have spoken and the mainstream media is finally paying attention. Networks can not ever say that audiences will not watch a show a minority in the lead.
It is not often that you watch TV and see the exploits of a woman of color who is dynamic and successful professionally but cannot hold it together in her personal life, so thank you to Ms Washington and the Scandal crew for giving me life every Thursday with your antics at OPA and the Whitehouse.  The wardrobe will get a special blog, because that is shoe and clothes porn every thursday.
Kerry, you have arrived and I hope you continue be grounded like you have been all these years and hopefully Scandal runs for many many years.



Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Ann Curry Is Winning...Matt Lauer Is Not

Oh Matt, how the mighty has fallen! For those who believe in karma, this quite a swift retribution against "+"Matt Lauer who only a year ago was on top of the world having just signed a $25m a year deal and wanted Ann tossed out because he did not have chemistry with her.

Ann Curry the affable news woman who sometimes come across as awkward when interviewing celebrities but really shines when she is tackling serious news was made the fall guy for the ratings slide at the +Today show. Not only did they humiliate her in the public manner in which she was shoved out after 15 years at the +NBC, the NBC brass were using their friends in the media to force her to quit by disseminating unflattering stories about her and building up their new investment in Matt, oh man, did they ever misfire.







Who will soon forget Ann crying inconsolably during the few minutes that was allotted to her to say her goodbye and the way she recoiled when Matt Lauer tried to kiss her, I must say that was good TV though, the best and only unscripted moment on morning TV. But yeah, so they give this woman that has worked for them for almost 20 years a few minutes to say goodbye to the audience while Meredith Viera was given a week long good bye.

Well, for me and a few women that I know, we felt there was something ugly about how NBC treated her and I swore never to watch the Today Show again, apparently, many people felt the same way and their ratings have tumbled since then.

While Ann has kept a dignified silence through it all, Matt can't stop talking. Trying to get the public to stop hating and watch him again. The more he talks, the more he exposes the inner workings and back stabbings that is the mainstay of morning tv. This make for better viewing that the nonsense that they try to force feed their audience every morning.
Who knew that +Katie Couric who left on such a big fanfare to anchor evening news over at the CBS and could not cut it, wanted to come back to Today Show so that Ann does not get promoted. Who knew that the always perky Katie was a mean girl to Ann, making fun of her clothes. Say it ain't so, isn't Katie among the women in the media who are all about Girl's girl. Don't tell me behind that fake smile of Katie's there is a mean streak that will lead her to taunt her fellow woman in a workplace.

Oh Matt, please keep talking and letting us in as to how mean and nasty things are behind the scenes.
Now I promise to watch the Today Show again if you guys will talk openly about the shenanigans  and drop the syrupy we are family act.

Ann I hope you have popped your corn and enjoying watching Matt twist in the wind.

Angelina Jolie Giving Voice to Rape Victims

Angelina Jolie has teamed up with the British Foreign Secretary to raise awareness and help bring to an end the indiscriminate use of rape as a weapon of war in Congo.
This of course is not new for The Jolie who has tirelessly campaigned for the last 12 years to help give voice to to the voiceless, shine light at the inhumane and inhumanity perpetrated against the refugees who most government wish their existence remain in the dark.