Madame Noire | Black Women's Lifestyle Guide | Black Hair | Black Love

Source: Vibe.com

Since Whitney Houston’s death, we’ve heard from Fox’s president about plans to continue with the sequel to “Waiting to Exhale,” and even Angela Bassett and Loretta Devine have spoken out about the project, but the one person we haven’t heard from is the author of the original book, and sequel, “Getting to Happy,” on how she thinks things should proceed.

The Huffington Post recently spoke to Terry McMillan about her forthcoming projects and when they asked her about a “Waiting to Exhale” sequel without Whitney Houston or her character Savannah, she said she’s not sure what’s best:

“Myself and [screenwriter] Lori Lakin Hutcherson wrote drafts for the film and then Whitney passed away and so now the studio is trying to take a moment to think about how best to proceed. They’ve made it crystal clear that they want to proceed, but it’s just a matter of how. I have mixed feelings about which way might be best to tell the story. I have critics who feel like they are casting directors, and they know more about what should happen. You have no idea. People have said that we should just kill off the Savannah character, or have her go get a job somewhere and move out of the state. I mean, all kinds of things. And then I have people who think they have in mind who should play Savannah. And right now I’m not in a position to be an advocate one way or the other, with the exception of the fact that it’s hard to imagine the story without the Savannah character in it.

“Even though I know how other people may feel the opposite. I feel terrible about Whitney, just like everybody else, but there’s a part of me that also feels that she would want the film to go on. That’s just my gut feeling. And it has nothing to do with me not having an allegiance to her or respect for her. I just have a feeling that Whitney would love from heaven, to sit up there and watch who else can do the character.”

Oprah’s name is one that has been thrown into the mix as a possible replacement for Savannah, and Terry said she’s not for or against that possibility—although she did mention another possible option.

“Someone told me this and I said, ‘Oh, really?’ I mean, I don’t have any thoughts one way or the other. I love Oprah. I know that I heard that she would like to be able to act again. When she would possibly have the time, who knows? But I haven’t thought that far, because again, I am not a casting director. That is not my area. I mean, I also love Viola Davis, but we’re not there yet. I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that Whitney is no longer here with us.”

Terry definitely threw another interesting possibility into the mix. Could you see Viola Davis as Savannah?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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theprayingwoman

Nobody is perfect and we all learn the best lessons from our mistakes. This is why we should all be proud of our pasts rather than ashamed of it. I’m not encouraging you to air your dirty laundry out to the world, but I am suggesting that you never deny nor discount the importance of your less glorious moments. Especially with the intent to disguise who you truly are.

As women, we place so much emphasis and pressure on ourselves to be perfect, even though we know it is impossible. Nonetheless, we continue to walk in shame of our past which inevitably holds us back from living the future we deserve. Instead of dwelling on the wrong decisions or events that occurred back in the day, think about how it shaped you as a person. I can almost guarantee it made you wiser, stronger, and better prepared for adversity. Yes, the mishaps in our pasts are unfortunate but it’s the lessons and outcomes that are the real blessings. When we ignore or become embarrassed by our pasts, we are shaming the person we are today.

While many believe the past is the past and should be left there, I believe we should look back every once in awhile and say thank you to the place we’ve moved on from. Pay homage to the pain and misery you endured so you can celebrate your joy and happiness with more appreciation. Sometimes the pain from our past is not even our fault, which makes it extremely difficult to let go and forgive. Trust me, I understand but I still encourage you to embrace it regardless and let it be the stepping stone to your amazing future.

Woman to Woman… If you don’t know where you came from you will never know where you are going – be proud of your past!

Want to talk to me Woman to Woman or have a topic you would like addressed? Email me at rhooks@madamenoire.com or follow me on twitter @rashanahooks

dictcradio.com

Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’ anthem might have given some folks a hint, but for a few Hollywood couples that song gets put on mute!

These famous pairings aren’t bothering with the paperwork and the bells and whistles of a wedding. They are living in love and it works just fine for them.  Let’s take a look at the couples who don’t need to put a ring on it…

Read the rest of this entry »

From StyleBlazer.com

In case you have been living under a rock, natural hair is the way to go. Whether you prefer it for its protective hair-styling options or for the kinks, coils or curls, natural hair is here to stay!  Some of our favorite celebrities have jumped on the bandwagon, often by doing the BC (‘big chop’ to you non-naturals) and have been rocking natural hair in ways we absolutely love. Check out these au natural’ celebs who have ditched the creamy crack for curling custard instead.

For the fab photo gallery, visit StyleBlazer.com.

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What does it mean to act like a lady but think like a man? There are a myriad ways to respond to that question. Maybe it involves putting your career and business before a relationship. Or maybe it means downplaying the rules that govern how women are supposed to act when it comes to dating.  These following women definitely defy the stereotype of the typical female. They are both serious about their business and seriously think outside of the box when it comes to their love lives. In other words, they exercise the freedoms and attitude that are typically afforded to men.

Madonna

Madonna is the quintessential alpha female and has definitely upped the standards for women in the entertainment industry.  and the A-type personality of a woman who pushed herself into world domination as a pop star. She gets what she wants and she knows how to do it with panache and finesse. And, oh yeah, her romantic life definitely reflects a woman in charge. She’s been married twice and after her last divorce from Guy Richie, she didn’t slow down her romantic life. The 53-year-old is dating 24-year-old dancer Brahim Zabat. How’s that for thinking like a man!

Source: People.com

Tyler Perry is a good man to know. I’ve always admired him for keeping the people who started out with him gainfully employed in his movies and television shows but even TP’s rich friends get all sorts of perks when you roll with him.

The NY Post reports that Gayle King recently told Vanity Fair magazine how last summer, Tyler Perry pulled up for a lunch in a “gorgeous Bentley” and when Oprah told him she admired it, “he sent her the same exact car.” But that’s not all, Gayle said:

“I called Tyler and told him how amazing that was because nobody ever does anything like that for her, on such a grand scale, and so, the next day when I got home, there was a Bentley in my driveway!”

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In the latest issue of O Magazine, Oprah pens an open letter to her younger self. She also appeared on the cover with an adorable picture of the 20 something year old version of herself. While Oprah is full of wisdom, she’s not the only one. We know our readers and followers have some insight too. We know this because they have enough sense to read Madame Noire. So we asked them, if you could say anything to the younger version of yourself what would it be?

Check out a sampling of the responses below:

@tendeRoni1023: I’d say Dear Veronica, your Dad is right. Boys all want one thing & grown men want it too. Grown men just do more to get it.

@Dmarielle22: Dear Younger Self, Slow down, smell the flowers, LISTEN TO MOM, love yourself first, & give love to ALL. NEVER give up!

The Huffington Post

Oprah’s stepping outside of her traditional cover box more and more this year. On the upcoming May issue of O is a picture of Oprah at current age of 58 next to an image of herself at 21, and inside the media mogul shares what advice she would give to her younger self. Addressing the “beautiful brown-skinned girl” she was at 19, Oprah wrote this:

“You’ve spent too many days and years trying to please others and be what they wanted you to be. You will have to learn that the wounds of your past — rape, molestation, whippings for ‘stepping out of place,’ and not being allowed to show anger or cry afterward — damaged your self-esteem.

“Even then you understood that success was a process and that moving with the flow of life and not against it would be your greatest achievement,” she added.

At 19, Oprah was spending her days as the youngest and the first black news anchor at Nashville’s WLAC-TV, a time she says would forever change the trajectory of her life, and one that she struggles to not be overshadowed by her relationship with a boyfriend named Bubba.

Oprah’s reflective letter will appear alongside those of 17 other famous individuals who wish they’d known then what they know now, including “The Help” actress Octavia Spencer, who wrote.

“Hello Traveler,

As you make your way along life’s tumultuous highways, it’s important to note that you should always carry a map, have plenty of fuel in the tank, and take frequent rest stops.”

The May issue of O will be available April 10. What would you say in a letter to your teenage self?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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From TheGrio.com

In 2007, a then-junior Senator Barack Obama’s campaign for the White House took off when the one and only Oprah Winfrey endorsed his candidacy for president. At the time, the Oprah endorsement was seen as a game changer, helping the fresh faced Obama secure the middle class, white, American suburban female vote. White soccer moms all over American flocked to Obama at a moment where the relatively unknown politician from Chicago needed to secure that stamp of approval from the rest of Middle America. With Oprah came immediate legitimacy.

President Obama recently joked about that pivotal Oprah endorsement at a fundraiser saying, “And then, there is my good friend, Oprah, who very early on, when I was still running, just decided that she would support this guy with a name that nobody could pronounce,” Obama said, “And just like books and skin cream, when Oprah decides she likes you, then other people like you, too.”

For more about whether O decides to support O, visit TheGrio.com.

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by R. Asmerom

All eyes have been on Oprah since she left her legendary talk show to launch a new cable channel which embodied the brand that she’s cultivated over 25 years, and it’s certainly been a rocky start for her OWN network. Or, at least, that’s what the news media has been so consistently communicating since OWN’s original CEO, Christina Norman, was fired last May over low ratings and Oprah took the helm.

Nearly a year later, and within the past month, OWN has cut 20 percent of its staff and cancelled The Rosie Show, which garnered 200,000 viewers a night in its short lived stint on the air.

It all seems dismal from the outside, for those reading the barrage of headlines reporting on what seems to be OWN’s imminent failure. But what may seem like doom, maybe just simple growing pains, says Keith Clinkscales of Shadow MediaWorks.

“If you look at the ratings of Oprah’s channel against comparable women’s channels at their same age of birth so to speak – Bravo, Oxygen, possibly WE – you’re going to see comparable ratings but because there is an O in there, the expectation and demand is a little bit higher.”

Although Norman was fired due to ratings and was criticized for not balancing the positive, uplifting programming with more entertaining programming that would attract a wider audience, Winfrey has yet to turn things around under her leadership. In an interview with CBS’ The Early Show, Winfrey admitted that she didn’t expect the immense challenges that came with her new career. “The idea of creating a network was something that I wanted to do. Had I known that it was this difficult, I might have done something else,”she  said. “I didn’t think it was going to be easy, but if I knew then what I know now, I might have made different choices.”

What Winfrey’s challenging journey affirms, however, is not that she can’t make a successful network happen but that launching a cable network is one hard business, according to Clinkscales. “I think Oprah is going to be fine,” he said. “Oprah will find a way to deliver her brand of quality in a format that works with her network. The thing to keep in mind is that she has 75 million homes with this network, and they have their bumps and their grinds.”

With OWN continuing to tweak and re-arrange their content offerings in hopes of finding a profitable path, Winfrey’s experience in cable is sure to lend insight onto the plans of Sean Combs aka Diddy and Magic Johnson who both announced the launch of cable networks through the Comcast Diversity Program. Comcast Corp. agreed to bring more ownership diversity to its channel offerings when it merged with NBC in 2011.