2018

***Atlanta is back for season two, ROBBIN SEASON and we couldn’t be more excited. While not a traditional recap for us, Nicole and William get together each week to talk out the great, the innovative and the utterly bizarre of the latest episode. All the spoilers ahead.***

William: I would say that at least we got a break from the gut punches of the past few Atlanta episodes, but there were some parts I was genuinely terrified of what might happen next. Especially for how the last episode taught us that the worst can in fact happen in this world. But I’m guessing that you felt similar to how I felt during the Barbershop episode, that “my god I’ve lived this before.”

Nicole: The episode wasn’t ostrich egg creepy, but–and this is a big but–there were parts when it felt dangerously familiar. I was saying a prayer to the patron saint of please-don’t-rape-these-women and biting my cuticles.

William: Yeah….so, I felt real peril when Nadine was basically too fucked up to move from the gummies and Van left her to get water…and then when Van was downstairs with the Drake’s assistant’s cousin or whatever. But we skipping ahead. How did you feel about the outset of the episode? Van and her girls trying to see them some Drake?

Nicole: I liked that the episode was named “Champagne Papi” and they alternate between calling him Drake and Aubrey. Identity is so slippery and contextual. Van in this episode isn’t Van the teacher or Van Earn’s girlfriend or Van Lottie’s mom. In fact when these identities are brought up, her girls shut it down. So the question of who this Van is in this episode is large. That’s she on a literal search makes me all the more excited. Ostensibly her search is for a picture with Drake, but we know it’s not.
The reason for the Drake hunt isn’t because she’s a fan (she never actually says that she is) but to beef up her IG so it’s not all pictures of Lottie, “chicken,” and Earn.

William: Right. She could give a fuck about Drake outside of what his fame can do for her public presentation. She’s actually more excited about meeting Drake’s…grandfather than she shows about anything else connected to him. I also think it speaks volumes that she spends about 85% of the episode looking either determined or annoyed or both EXCEPT when she finds the wardrobe. She’s in complete isolation, basically playing dress and runway in a gorgeous, but again, empty bathroom. If that didn’t give a potent insight into Van’s personality, I don’t know what does.

Nicole: She went to the party in the velvet crop wraparound dress and leaves in… a bomber jacket and pants.

William: Right?!?!

Nicole: And I’m still not sure who Van is. There’s definitely insight but…

…there was a second when she was contemplating having her picture taken with a cut out of Drake. Like really, really contemplating it. She decides against it (thank you, thank you) but for a second there was a question in her mind. The thing I think about as a user of Instagram and as someone who follows about 3 celebrities on IG is who is Van taking these pictures for. When Beyoncé posts sets of 3 (go look, it’s always 3 to create the horizontal spread) photographs taken and touched up by professional photographers, it makes sense. But who is on Van’s page? She not like her triflin’ social climbing friend who got her into the party. Who on her page is surprised to see pics of Lottie? Who on her page will believe a Drake pic? What will it change?

Who is the intended audience? And now I return to the moment she’s watching someone mess in Earn’s hair on IG. This reality she’s constructing is in large part for him, right?

William: Well, for him or to…compete with him. Which can be the same thing and possibly not. I mean, we don’t know if Earn’s purpose for posting some woman all up in his natural on IG is just to do it for for Van’s benefit, but it does say or attempts to say that he has a life either separated or independent of Van. I think Van wants to be able to say that definitively. And if she feels that way of at all, I think her IG is a manifestation of portraying that publicly. Who is it for is a good question. But it could also be for her, not wanting to think about Earn but going to her IG and seeing nothing but things that represent him in some fashion. It could very well be a recognition on her part that her life may not have incorporated many things outside of him.

Nicole: I think in that particular Venn diagram there is a lot of overlap; it might just be one circle.

If they wanted to show that she was out living life then her looking fine AF (she was) at a private party in a mansion (also facts) would get that point across. Why are you thirsty for a pic that makes you look like a groupie? But ultimately does she does anything?

William: Yeah…Van did look right. No disputing that, haha. Can we talk about the huge sigh of relief when we found that Nadine was with Darius after she disappeared?

Nicole: Darius for the win.

William: I honestly felt like that was the safest person for her to be around in that moment, including the girls she came with (one of which basically forced her to take the gummies in the first place. The setting of them sitting on the stones in the pool talking about the fidelity of reality was kind of perfect too.

Nicole: I’m still mad at the one who left the party with nothing but a text to the group chat.

There was just so much.

William: But…you know that one friend exists within each ecosystem. At least one.

Nicole: Van got too many of them. Homegirl from the first Van-centric episode (which leads to her getting fired) is definitely that friend as well. We didn’t even address the intro to the episode when she’s out here hawking discount codes and putting her phone is an entirely disinterested Van’s face.

William: Do you think Van having too many of those friends is a realistic portrayal or more of a “this is what men think women friendships look like?”

Nicole: That’s a hard one.

Honestly, I think women might be more inclined to keep a friend around past her expiration date in hopes that she might could be reformed, but that’s some young woman (not talking years, either) shit.

William: Fair.

Nicole: That gets (you) phased out.

Especially if one or more of y’all got kids. Nah, what we are not doing is ruining my one night out because you don’t understand loyalty. The real is that Van could’ve gotten raped. Nadine could’ve gotten raped. (All of them could have, tbh, but I mean that the circumstances were there: alone, in the company of suspect people, unable to consent). This chick is just like “Here, here is our friend. Imma go socialize with people I think can help me…. do…. what exactly?”

Nah.

If we are still talking performance, and Glover always is I’m convinced, we never see her out of character. But to answer your question–or the one I imagine you asking–no, we haven’t seen real friendship between women on the show yet and I’m not sure we will.

William: And of course, we have to talk about Tami. In the lounge. With the white woman. It was at all times, hilarious, and kind of cringe-worthy, and potent, but also, fucked up? Like, I don’t know where to start with that scene.

Nicole: I’m still processing that. There was no answer that woman could have given that would’ve been okay.

William: None-whatsoever.

Nicole: Because she pulled out receipts from community theater and ol’ girl was like FOH with that.

But my dude apologized.

William: Yeah, the apology has SO many layers to it.

Nicole: You got the decoder ring on this one?

William:I mean…I don’t even know fam. So, basically Tami breaks off Sabrina The White for being White and also the girlfriend of a dude that Tami digs. Like, that’s it. She ain’t out here doing no overt shit, she ain’t out here pushing white feminist agendas in her face. She really just existing. Existing in a pretty elevated place of privilege, but still, just existing. Tami attacks Sabrina, Sabrina defends herself and still doesn’t say any problematic shit. But again, she gotta defend why she is with someone. She stays longer than I think is expected of her for someone that was attacked out of nowhere, and her dude, apologizes. Is he apologizing for having a white girlfriend? Is he apologizing for Tami’s disposition? Like, he understands why Tami would be pissed? Or is he just a pacifist that is apologizing to cap a conflict? All of those can go in so many directions. And Tami is high and probably at least a little tipsy at this point. But I get the feeling she would’ve had a pretty identical attack if she were completely sober. And while its fucked up, I’m only like 58% mad at her about it.

Nicole: Sabrina has had this conversation before. Dude has given that exact apology before. Whatever argument the two of them scurried off to have or awkwardly not have, they’ve done that before, too.

William: Is that just the cost then?

Nicole: Of being a stereotype? I think so.

As you said, none of it is overtly problematic. She asserts that she’s loved him since Day 1, but in that moment she’s a stand in for all the white women who haven’t done that and have come in during Act II to reap the benefits.

Is it right? I mean… [trails off], it’s understandable.

William: Welp. Anything else you pull from this episode?

Nicole: So…

Van’s last words of the episode are “Drake’s Mexican” and I don’t know if that’s her being high and confused or if in this Justin-Bieber-is-black-universe Drake is in fact Mexican.

William: Haha, I think it’s both. In addition, that so much had happened that it just dawned on her that she a conversation with a Mexican man who she assumed to be his grandfather. All of which based upon her hearing “abuelo.”

Nicole: This episode wasn’t as tense (for the most part), but we got layers on layers, regardless.

Last question from me: who got robbed?

William: I would say Van got robbed of her chance to “socially climb” by getting a picture with Drake, but I feel like her stumbling upon the jig, not succumbing to it and living her best life down in that gorgeous bathroom means she came out ahead.

Nicole: She also ganked somebody for a jacket and pants.

William: So, next episode looks like Al in alone in the woods…I’m kind of terrified already.

Nicole: I’ll light a candle today just to be safe.

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The post Atlanta – Robbin’ Season Recap: But Who That Picture with Drake Really Impressing Doe? appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

Last month, Wendy’s changed the game by releasing a five-track mixtape that ruthlessly takes aim at its two biggest haters, McDonald’s and Burger King. On the project, which is titled “We Beefin’,” the restaurant’s famous red-head mascot, aka “Queen Wendy,” proclaims itself as “fast food’s first lady” over trap-style beats. The clever marketing ploy also features album artwork of the chain’s signature square burger patty.

“Rest in Grease,” one of the most popular songs on the EP, takes direct shots at McDonald’s with the lyrics: “You’re No. 1?That’s a joke/Why your ice cream machine always broke?/Why your drive-through always slow?/Why your innovation just can’t grow?”

Wendy’s took it a step further by dedicating an entire song bashing its burger rival’s mascot Ronald McDonald called “Clownin’.” On the track, the artist raps, “You hide from funk / That’s prolly why you go paint your face / My meals are great, people lining up like every day / Leave you in shame, make you run back to Cirque du Soleil / That’s cold game / But what you expect from tryna play / Won’t say no names but you a clown / Get it, OK?”

Another track, titled “Holding It Down,” takes jabs at Burger King with lyrics: “The problem is you didn’t recognize I give no clucks / So wrap it up, turn these chickens to rubber ducks / And BK, don’t think that you got away / You copied my old menu and put it out on replay.”

Since its release on March, 23, the innovative branding strategy has been well-received by social media users. Here’s why:

1. It’s creative

The diss EP goes beyond traditional marketing avenues and gimmicks. Rather than saturating consumers with more advertisements, the project allows Wendy’s to reach its audience through a new medium that gives the company an edge over the competition.

2. It speaks to millennials

The lyrics on “We Beefin’?” speaks the language of young people by using trendy terminology and capitalizing off the entertainment value of rap battle beefs. Plus, it meets the demographic in spaces that they frequent: Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play.

3. It capitalizes on the power of hip-hop as a marketing tool

The mixtape taps into hip-hop’s global multibillion-dollar market, which is often used—and misused—by mainstream corporations. Back in the ’90s, for instance, Sprite collaborated with rappers like Grand Puba and Large Professor for its iconic “Obey Your Thirst” campaign. Amazon also recently collaborated with rap’s reigning queen, Cardi B, to push its brand.

4. It caters to the growing black buy power

According to a 2015 Nielsen study, African American households earning at least $75,000 are growing rapidly, while black Americans make up about 20% of the U.S. population. Black buying power cannot be neglected and denied. Rather, it’s a smart move for companies to tap into this market. Pepsi and Doritos, for instance, featured high-profile black entertainers in a series of Super Bowl ads in an effort to reach the audience.

5. It’s on brand

The Wendy’s Twitter account is notorious for its sassy and snarky clapbacks at haters and for trolling competitors. “We Beefin’?” brilliantly personifies the account’s witty personality as a rap savage.

Listen to Wendy’s “We Beefin’?” mixtape here.

The post In Case You Missed it, Wendy’s Dropped A Mixtape Roasting McDonald’s and Burger King appeared first on Black Enterprise.

Italy’s new parliament is now the most diverse it has ever been. It has more women. It is younger and for the first time ever, it will have a black face occupying one of its seats in its parliament. Nigerian-born Tony Iwobi made waves around the world last month after his electoral triumph made him the country’s first ever black senator.

“After more than 25 years of fighting as part of the League’s big family, I’m about to start another great adventure. I’m ready, friends,” Iwobi wrote, going on to thank his party leader Matteo Salvini and his other fellow party members.

There’s just one issue: the new black immigrant senator’s election promise was to stop “the invasion of immigrants” in Italy.

FAR RIGHT WINGER:

Iwobi is a member of the far-right League, formerly the Northern League, whose regional policy “was succession from the rest of Italy.” According to the Local, the party has threatened to take Italy out of the euro and the European Union. Its leadership thinks Islam is incompatible with Italian values. It fiercely opposes immigration and has promised to expel thousands of illegal migrants in Italy.

In February, one of its far-right supporters shot and injured six immigrants of African descent in an attack that was deemed racially motivated. Yahoo News even went as far as to describe Iwobi as “the black face to Italy’s far-right” movement.

Iwobi, who moved to Italy on a student visa in 1976 was born to a Roman Catholic family of 11 in Gusau, Nigeria, in 1955. He worked several odd jobs like plumbing, garbage collector, and in construction while earning a degree in accounting and computer science. He now runs an IT security and services company in Spirano, where he has lived for the majority of his 42 years in the country.

HIS TOUGH STANCE ON IMMIGRATION:

Just days after his election victory, one of Italy’s famous black footballer blasted the 63-year old on social media for his stance on immigration.

“Maybe I’m blind or maybe they haven’t told him that he’s black yet. Disgrace!” Mario Balotelli wrote of Iwobi on Instagram.

Balotelli, who is now 27 years old, was born in Palermo, Sicily, to Ghanaian immigrants and was given to foster parents at the age of two. Because his foster family didn’t officially adopt him, Balotelli had to wait till he was 18 years old to be granted Italian citizenship.

”It’s an absurd law which needs to be changed. He was born and raised in Italy but had to suffer the humiliation and hardships of being considered a foreigner,” said Silvia Balotelli, his foster mother said.

Reforms proposed in the Senate in December to make the process easier was vehemently opposed by Iwobi.

“Why should the children of foreigners become Italian just like that? It’s not right,” Iwobi was quoted in Il Giornale, Italy’s right-wing newspaper.

Jean-Léonard Touadi, a Congolese-born journalist and politician with Italy’s center-to-left Democratic Party said Iwobi suffers from “Stockholm’s Syndrome”

“He acts as a mouthpiece for the anti-African proclamations of his own jailers,” Touadi said.

The post Italy’s First Black Immigrant Senator Doesn’t Really Like Immigrants appeared first on Black Enterprise.

#Beychella is the name of the show now. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter made history by becoming the first black woman to ever headline Coachella and as usual, when the Queen comes to perform, she comes to win.

BOY BYE #beychella pic.twitter.com/3XtnOER0pA

— Yoncé Hub💧 (@theyoncehub) April 15, 2018

👑 #Beychella #Coachella pic.twitter.com/o2KQPE4ZpS

— BEYONCÉ LEGION (@Bey___Legion) April 15, 2018

#Beychella pic.twitter.com/6Pi53owJ3K

— Yoncé Hub💧 (@theyoncehub) April 15, 2018

Now, I’ll admit, I do not care about Coachella overall, but looking at the lineup, this was one of the few times I thought it might actually worth it to go. Watching clips of Queen B slay in her shorts and a bright yellow crop-top sweater was enough to make a girl cry tears of jealousy. Lord only knows what will happen when Cardi B takes the stage tomorrow.

(via The Root)

It’s like Black History Month in April <3

• Yesterday, Troop 6000, New York City’s Girl Scout troop specifically for homeless girls, held its first cookie sale at Kellogg’s by Union Square. I actually attended the cookie sale and not only did I get several boxes of Samoas, it was awesome to see these young girls getting to have fun and participate in this tradition of selling cookies. (via Jezebel)
• Like many A Song of Ice and Fire fans, I have been extra peeved at the series leaving out Lady Stoneheart and it appears that George R.R. Martin shares our frustration. “That was probably the first major diversion of the show from the books and, you know, I argued against that, and David and Dan made that decision.” (via i09)
• Milos Forman, director of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Amadeus, has died. He was 86. (via The Hollywood Reporter)
• Our man crush every day, Donald Glover will be pulling double duty on SNL both hosting and then performing as his rapper persona Childish Gambino. (via CNET)

What artist would you brave Coachella to go see?

(image: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella )

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