Flashing Lights 2.0

While I have very mixed feelings about Kanye West... My sentiments about his new video are sure....



I appreciate the whole "everyday day life as a photoshoot motif", it says so much about pop culture and most importantly the mentality of many females today. The storyline is unfortunate yet so true to life. Living in NYC, for a while that seemed to be the main topic of news of for so long. The City Business bureau even clamped down on the issuing of liquor licenses to new venues in response to young women going missing after a night of wild partying.

there is so much i can say on this topic, but check out the video and tell me what you think.

There is a God....

For those of you (ie: me) who missed Ailey's annual Holiday series at City Center,

Here is your second chance....
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is having 8 performances at BAM from June 3rd to the 8th.
Some tix are still available, but the good ones are going fast!
On the program there is the The Golden Section, Masekela Language, Pas de Duke and omnipresent Revelations.

Thank the Heavens, cuz i didn't think i could wait till November for my Ailey fix (particularly Revelations).


In the famous words of Miss Sophia, "I knew dey was a God!"

Work really can make you sick !!!

Well according to this article by the New York Times.....

Sickened by the Office (Really)!!

Its called Occupation Asthma.... and yes I suffer from it.
(I don't know about you... but this picture alone makes me queasy)

Haring reBorn

Strolling down the Bowery tonight, on the way to Whole Foods of course, I stumbled across this artsy throwback
This is an original mural by Keith Haring still in the damn wall !!!
How amazing is that?!?! One could only pray to have that kind of artistic impact on the world.

If you don't know about Mr. Haring, READ SOMETHING DAMMITT!
If you're practicing unprotected sex GET SOME CONDOMS
And you can thank the Deitch Project for this throwback.

Culture Approved Goings Ons!

Here are some Culture Snobette Approved Happenings in NYC to check out:

ART BITCH

Jeff Koons on the Roof @ MOMA
running till October 26 (weather permitting duhh..)


Costume Institute @ The MET Present Superheros: Fashion and Fantasy
From May 7 to September 1
...you get the idea.

HELLO BROOKLYN

So Since Gentrification has got everyone jocking Brooklyn's tip, enjoy some of the perks:

The Brooklyn Flea
Held in the yard of Bishop Laughlin, the flea market is rapidly becoming the "IT Post Brunch Spot".

Then hit up the Brooklyn Indie Market in Carrol Gardens


Then head over to the Promenade and your life's worth...


Pending you don't jump over the railing.. Head to the IFC Theater on 6th and West 4th, to see a flick about a Micheal Jackson and Marilyn Monroe falling in love at an Artist Commune....


Actually they're impersonators, not as authentic but way more freaky. The movie entitled "Mr. Lonely" is directed by Harmony Korine, the Nut Job that wrote KIDS, back in the early 90's.

(I HATED KIDS)
Either way, it's time to get off the couch, for spring has sprung!!

On a side note.... I sure know how to pick 'em

Shout out to Junot Diaz, Author of The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao, who received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for 2008.




Ya Girl sure can pick a winner. Today Pulitzer authors...tomorrow Lotto Numbers!

Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls....

Close, but not exactly what I had in mind.

The Genius City of New York is so supportive of the arts, that it almost makes me misty eyed.
A few years ago we were graced with the Gates of Central Park by Christo and Jean-Claude.





So for the Summer of 2008 NYC will be getting their very own Waterfalls.

From mid July- October the Public Art Fund in conjunction with Olafur Eliasson, will install 4 man made waterfalls along the East River.
Here are the projected images of what the 'Falls will look like.






For more info on the Waterfalls
And Check out Olafur Eliasson at MOMA's PS.1

And while we wait for them to arrive, let this TLC video take you back to the summer of 1995

Is it something in the Water??

What in the world is going on?!?!

First there was Eliot Spitzer and Ashley Dupre,

(Spitzer discussing his manhood)




Then there was David Patterson and his God-Knows-How-Many Woman

(His wife looks like shes about to slap him)



Now Sharpe James and Tamika Riley....



And have you heard the charges...

1. Mail Fraud
2. Misapplication of Federal Funds
3. Tax Fraud and Evasion
4. Finally...Section 8 Housing Fraud

Does no one respect the Holy Union of Marriage? How about a Public Position???
Not even a little bit...
These folks are reckless!

Finally...The Blue Box in BK !!!!

Finally Ikea comes to BK!!


Never mind what this says about the current state of Brooklyn's Imminent Gentrification...
Genius Swedish design for Cheap?!?! I'm all for it, dammit!!
Yes, I'll be one of those fools lined up in the parking lot hours, maybe even days before it opens...

June 18 is the big day. Let the count down begin!!

Book Report Time

Growing up I always dreaded book reports despite the fact that I was obsessed with reading.
For someone who loved the entire process of reading (IE:Shopping for a new book, Picking just the right one, Getting into the story line and characters, The ultimate pleasure of finishing the book and The agony of ending a really good read); Book reports meant that I had to squeeze a marvelous love affair into a page or two of chicken scratches with a cute conclusion. Torturous, I say.

But now that I'm older I look at book reports as a sort of advertisement or sometimes a warning label for the books that changed the way i view life and for the books that made me question my shopping instincts, respectively.

So here are a few of the books I've been thumbing through lately:

The Beautiful Fall by Alicia Drake
I didn't quite finish this book, maybe this isn't the best book to start with... Either way Drake's book examines the rise of Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. The book tracks their humble beginnings in the fashion design world from young apprentices to the height of their decadent 70's mogul days. A must read for anyone interested in Fashion, Semi-Biographies, and Glamorous Parisian Life.

The Private Lives of the Impressionist by Sue Roe
One of the classes in my final semester of college was an art course about the Realist, Impressionists and the Post Impressionists. The class truly opened my eyes to Impressionists art, and this book provided the insight to lives of the artists that I craved. Roe's book shows the real inspirations behind some of the most notorious Impressionist paintings (for example: Le Dejuener sur l'herbe, Olympia, and Monet's Water Lilies series). This book will increase anyone's interest in 19th century French Art and shows the true meaning of the term "Starving Artist".


The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
This is the most recent book I've read, actually I'm in the final pages of it as I type.
I really enjoyed this book and will forever be grateful to it for keeping my company as my flight from London to New York was delayed for 3 1/2 hours. Diaz's writing style makes this book an easy and immensely entertaining read. Diaz frequently slips from proper English to Spanish slang in his prose in a witty and charismatic manner. I love his style of narrative and anachronistic story telling. Definitely Culture Approved.

A lil' Liquer in the Morning

Have you ever heard of Shirley Q Liquor?
The other night, whilst hangin' in an East Village Bar (much to my Mother's dismay), my Dear friend Hakim put me on to this comic.
I thought her shit was funny, i'm sure the 3 Coronas I had helped me come to this conclusion.

Upon further research, I found out that Ms. Liquor is actually Charles Knipp,
a gay white man. Knipp performs in Black Face and Drag to become Shirley Q Liquor, an ebonic speakin' Southern Black Mother of 19 chil'rens, that collects her welfare on the 1st and 15th, repectivley. Shirley attends the Mount Holy Olive Second Baptist Zion Church of God in Christ of Resurrected Latter-Days AME CME, she enjoys Cold Malt Liquors ("It works Everytime!") and Menthol Cigarettes.

Ms. Liquor has been the center of controversy for quite some time. Her shows have been boycotted, her appearance protested and some show dates cancelled. In particular there is one Black Female that is not impressed with Knipp's act, Jasmyne Cannick. Cannick's campaign to shut down Knipp demands more for Black Women and Black People in general.

While watching Shirley's clips on YouTube, I found myself laughing at her/his antics. One of the clips entitled "Church Slave" was particularly funny and quite true in its comments about Black Female Churchgoers.
In some ways I felt guilty for finding Shirley funny, but would the jokes have been alright if Knipp was actually a Black Man?

And to add to the equation... what of Tyler Perry's Madea? Is his Angry Black Woman Caricature acceptable simply because he is Black?

Check out this clip of Shirley Q Liquor and leave me some feedback and commentary dammit!!

Jet Laggin'

Hey Snobbers,
I know its been a minute seen I've posted anything on this poor forsaken blog...
But like a Jay-Z farewell album, ya know i'll be back soon.


(Disclaimer: Culture Snobber does not support Jay Z's tired-ass career (his best work is about drugs, the exact same topic as his first album), nor American Gangster (I know glorification when I see it;... I do have a Bachelor's in Media Studies dammit!!)

So I arrived in London this morning. (super excited, any who knows me, knows that this I where is come to cheat on Brooklyn...sorry BK. It's not you, it's me. I just gotta do me. Truthfully, it's all them damn Condos popping up, but whateva...) And after jet laggin' my tired backside around my family's house, I decided that it was time I pick up my lovely little blog.


I'll be keeping you guys updated about this trip, my cultural findings, possible complaints and new obsessions. This week is shaping up to be something official!!
New Museums, Book Reports (i'm probably the only excited about that one), Restaurant Reviews, and Field Trips Galore and UK Culture with a Capital C!!



London's Calling and Culture Snobette is not afraid to pick up!!


And PS: My UK Cousins are NOT HAPPY about BET being in the UK. See y'all I come from good stock, all The Dyers know what time it is!!

l'Homage: Part Une

So I was supposed to start this segment of the blog a while ago... but i'm just getting around to it now.

Anyhoo, I watched MAHOGANY the other night starring the fly-ass Diana Ross and her smoooove co-star Mr. Billy Dee Williams.

Now while Mr. Williams is more known for his thespian endeavors (Lady sings the Blues, Star Wars & 227); I first met him as a little girl growing up in Brooklyn as

"MR. COLT 45"

( Side Note: A can Billy... a Can!! couldn't spring for the WHOLE 40 oz. )

As a curious youngster I did not understand Colt 45 nor did i get why it "Worked Every Time", but none the less, this image was forever embedded into my memory along with countless episodes of the Price is Right and the taste of Quarter-Waters.

PS: the kicker for me was the not-too dry, not-too greasy jheri curl he rocked...
Every woman loved them some Billy Dee in the 70's and 80's. Even my mom liked Billy and she didn't even like me.

I guess it really did work everytime...if it ain't broke then don't fix it!!

So now they're exporting their nonsense....

Hey Snobbers,
So apparently someone goofed up let BET
(supposedly Black Entertainment Television, But i beg to differ) start broadcasting in the United Kingdom.



I will keep my opinion of BET to a 3 word minimum (my libel charges are still pending.)
I DESPISE THEM. PERIOD







Watch out UK Negroes...Debra Lee and Bob Johnson are coming to corrupt your youth, have your daughters dancing like strippers, and have your sons acting the fool.

You've been warned. So please turn the the TV off, invest in books, and family togetherness time.

And if you're having second thoughts or don't find my humble argument convincing enough, watch this clip of The Boondocks, The Hunger Strike Episode, that was banned because of its scathing yet true critique of the network.

Boondocks - Hunger Strike (Banned) | Videos > HipHopDX.com

Shameless Plug

Next Week Saturday..
no, you don't have work the next day
no, you don't have anything better to do

Yeah, the Flier is hot
Yeah, it's gonna be packed with cool people (but not too cool to bust a move)
Yeah, The DJ is official (Sure Shot .....IE: not somebody's cousin)

GLAD WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION.
SEE YOU NEXT WEEK .

Respect your Elders....

Teyana Taylor and Dionne Warwick

Is it just me or do kids not look like kids anymore...



As i turn another year older (well, it was a week ago), take my word for it: Trying to grow up quickly is like putting on your fliest dress ( or Freakum Dress to all my Hootchie-Phi Sisters ), getting your weave re-did, a fresh set of tips and rushing your ass out of the house to a party at like 9:15pm........ and the shit is wack!! And of course its wack darling, cuz u ain't supposed to be there that early. So take ur time and you'll get to the jumpie just in time to rush the floor for "All About the Benjamins", (super random, but i'm sure you get the point)

Don't worry I'm seeking professional help.