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https://madamenoire.com/1211350/nude-barre-underclub/

Underclub, a designer underwear subscription service, has collaborated with  Nude Barre, a Black-owned company that supplies nude-toned underwear for women of color. The companies have come together to bring us an essentials pack, which includes one seamless thong and one seamless bikini, in eight different shades. The skin-toned colors available include mocha, tapioca cream, lycheetini, cocoa, caramel, Irish creme, peach melody and Bohemian princess. The two-pack is priced at $32.00 and is available from extra small to an extra large.

Each month, Underclub offers new designs and styles of underwear to fall in love with according to the subscriber’s size and taste. They believe in using their platform and voice to highlight the beauty and value of diversity across colors, shapes and sizes. Underclub currently delivers XS-4XL underthings to people who identify as female and male.

Nude Barre was founded in 2011 by former New York Knicks dancer Erin Carpenter. Due to the obvious void, she decided to launch Nude Barre to provide women of color with underwear that was their actual nude shade.

“All throughout my career, I could never find nude hosiery and undergarments that matched my skin tone and many of the costumes I had to wear demanded that you have nude undergarments,” she told us during an interview back in 2017. “So on a weekly basis, I was dying tights, shoe, etc. and I knew there were others like me who wanted nude undergarments. Not being able to just go out and find your skin tone included in products on the market can really affect you over time. It is beyond frustrating.”

In the earlier days of Nude Barre, Carpenter found herself getting people to understand that there was more than one shade of nude.

“When I first launched it there was a lack of understanding that nude should not be one shade<” she said. “That it is not okay–we live in a global world! Even when I was pitching to stores it was like reeducating someone. And it is not just Black women who need these shades–all women need the variety of nude shades.”

The brand also offers flesh-toned bralettes, tights (for children too) and masks. Prices range from $22 to $35.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/wandavision-season-1-episode-3-now-in-color-recap/

Opening sequence is in color and all the characters are dressed in 1970’s attire. The Brady Bunch comes to mind while I watch. Dr. Neilson (Randy Oglesby) confirms that Wanda is indeed pregnant, but Vision is very concerned at how quickly she is showing. Wanda does all she can to keep him from revealing that she has only been pregnant for 12 hours. Vision asks that Dr. Neilson doesn’t tell anyone that they are expecting. Herb is acting strange by trimming a brick fence… When Vision returns inside, Wanda is bigger. 

Wanda is nesting while Vision reads over what happens during a pregnancy. The pregnancy is quickly developing, and Vision estimates that the baby will arrive in three days. Goodness. The two parents prepare for their child when suddenly, Wanda has a Braxton Hicks contraction. While they work on the breathing, their kitchen appliances begin to act out. Then the electricity goes out. Vision suggests he checks on the neighborhood; the whole block is out. Wanda is concerned that the neighbors might know it is her fault and points out that it seems that the Westview community is always close to finding out their secret. Vision thinks that it seems to be more than that, that there is something wrong here, but a glitch goes back to Vision stating that he is anxious, too. Wanda must prefer this instead, or is it the people watching it that prefer it?

Unexpectedly, Wanda goes into labor. Vision ends up near the ceiling, but Wanda helps with the breathing exercise before her water breaks and showers the house. Pure chaos, but they are a cute couple. 

Commercial break is for a luxury bath powder named Hydra Soak, complete with Hydra’s brand logo and everything. These clues make me want to fight someone. Can’t Hydra just die already? Don’t answer that. I know the answer already. 

The water eventually stops, and Wanda is able to dry out their room. She instructs Vision to call the doctor, but the phones are down so he goes out and runs to get the doctor. Wanda hears a strange noise from the crib but the doorbell rings. Geraldine comes over to borrow a bucket because the pipes burst in her house. Of course she notices the coat Wanda put on but not the baby bump. While Wanda searches for a bucket, she deals with contractions that make her change her coat type and scream out. Geraldine offers to help and finds the bucket quickly but is oblivious to how a bowl of fruit is barely hiding a baby bump. Just before she is about to leave, she brings up her temp job, but Wanda notices a stork behind her. Wanda keeps Geraldine talking while she magically tries to get rid of it. 

When the stork gets too close to being seen by Geraldine, Wanda tosses an orange at it and it ends up running behind the couch. Geraldine, however, breaks character and questions what she heard, but Wanda states it is her ice machine. Geraldine goes on with her story and doesn’t feel the stork picking at her pants leg before it runs off to the crib. Of course, Geraldine’s story ends with her getting a promotion and needing office supplies that are stored in Wanda’s spare room aka the crib. When she walks in, the stork is back on the wall. Wanda rushes in with a vase to hide the pregnancy, but that doesn’t work out. Another contraction arrives, causing her to drop the vase. Geraldine is surprised by the pregnancy, too. 

Vision catches the doctor outside his car trying to fix it then carries him back to the house. Geraldine helps Wanda through her labor while the house is freaking out. A big push stops everything and brings a little boy. Vision arrives to find Wanda with child in hand. Geraldine asks the doctor to help her in the kitchen, so the two parents can be alone. Wanda asks if Vision wants to meet his son as himself, finally agreeing to Tommy. After a moment, Wanda screams out again. Vision checks and sees another baby coming. Another push brings another baby boy. Dr. Neilson confirms that the babies are healthy, then is walked out by Vision who hopes that the doctor can make his trip. But Dr. Neilson states that he probably won’t go on a trip because “small towns are had to escape.” Vision finds this strange for a moment, then greets Agnes and Herb, who are whispering to each other about Wanda. Agnes asks Vision if Geraldine is inside with Wanda. I wonder what they know. 

Geraldine and Wanda are inside marveling over the twins when Wanda mentions that she is also a twin, had a brother named Pietro, then begins to sing a song in Sokovian. The singing seems to affect Geraldine. She asks Wanda if her brother was killed by Ultron. Wanda is shocked by the question. Agnes and Herb mention that Geraldine is new to town and has no family or home. Inside Wanda questions Geraldine on what she said about Pietro, but Geraldine deflects, stating something different. When Geraldine offers to watch the twins, Wanda suggests that the woman leave, then notices the necklace that Geraldine is wearing. She questions what the symbol is and who Geraldine is. The babies cry in the background. Herb struggles to tell Vision what is happening and Agnes stops him. Agnes decides to dip and Herb goes back to being friendly. 

When Vision rushes back inside the house, he asks Wanda where Geraldine is, but Wanda’s explanation is that Geraldine had to rush home. Geraldine is thrown out of the town of Westview and is greeted by a helicopter and several cars. She seems to have landed near a base of some type and nearby is the force field(?) around Westview. 

I’m not sure why I didn’t consider Geraldine to be a spy, but it seems that she is working for the very organization that has Wanda. I can’t say for certain, but if Wanda is able to toss Geraldine out of the town, then she must have an idea of what is going on to her. I must also mention the community is also very aware, too. Now what could the symbol that Geraldine was wearing possibly mean? Of course, we will find out in time. I am so glad that they didn’t drag out the pregnancy but goodness, two kids are gonna be a handful. Especially if they age as quickly as the pregnancy went. Let me be honest, this episode took me for a loop. I have no concrete theories on the chaos that is ensuing. Geraldine just better be on the right side of things in the end. 

https://blackgirlnerds.com/playing-big-mo-an-exploration-of-community-care-andrene-ward-hammond-from-showtimes-your-honor/

Written By: Jeanine T. Abraham

BGN got comfy on Zoom and had a deep conversation with native New Yorker, Andrene Ward-Hammond (Big Mo) from Showtime’s hit limited legal series, Your Honor. 

You’ve got over 77 credits. You’ve worked on everything from The Vampire Diaries to Queen Sugar. (I’m not even mentioning films.) What about working consistently on TV gives you the most joy?

Being able to pay my bills. [Laughs.] It lifts the weight. Also, there’s so much joy in being able to do this thing that I did not think could sustain me. I love acting so much that I just want to work. 

I’ve gotten sick a couple of times. About 14 years ago, I had a tumor and it almost took me. I was working a 9-to-5 without health insurance. The doctors wouldn’t work on me because my tumor wasn’t at the point where it could kill me. “Just give it a couple of months,” they said. It was at that point that I was like, You know what? I could do this 9-to-5 day job and still not have the joy that I want, or I could do what I wanna do and just throw caution to the wind. I could die tomorrow, doctors are telling me they can’t help me without insurance…so what is all of this for? 

I quit my job with nothing else to fall back on and started teaching kids improv and acting with my business partner. It was just like, “Yeah, let’s just try it. What’s the worst that could happen?” And now, here I am doing the job I love. More than anything, I’m grateful.

I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad you’ve got the good SAG/AFTRA insurance, and I’m glad you didn’t give up. Because the world needs your talent.

Thank you. Me, too.

It’s difficult to book work when experiencing that state of dire need. How much did your community factor into your success?

You have to have people behind you to support you. I had some family that didn’t support me. They didn’t even believe I could start my own business. They were like, “Oh, well you have a kid, maybe the best course of action is…” But, I’ve always had at least one friend who was like, “No. We are going to get it done. Tell me what you need.” When I was doing the work, it’s funny how other people found and supported me. If you want support, you have to do the work. Do the work, and people will find you and support you in the process. Those times when I felt I couldn’t do it anymore, there was at least one person saying, “Uh uh. You came this far. Pick it up. You can do it. Get it done.”

Let’s talk about Big Mo. I gotta admit, I wasn’t happy around another TV show with Black drug dealers, but how you brought Big Mo to life drew me in. What was your process in finding this rich and unexpected character?

When playing a character, you can never go into judgment. Specifically for Mo, I want her to be understood. She’s like one of many women in communities that are avid protectors of the entire community. That characteristic lives in me. You’re not going to just come up to my people and say anything and think that I’m not gonna say anything back. That’s who Big Mo is. Sometimes it feels unfortunate that she’s packaged in this “drug dealer” kind of setting, but think about access to resources and the type of community you’re in. We’re talking about people who are working minimum wage jobs, and even if you have only one child, the idea that you don’t have enough to feed your kids. Big Mo is that figure in the community who you can go to when anything happens. Big Mo is watching, she’s always there, and she sees you. She saw something in Eugene [Benjamin Flores Jr.] that she knew that he needed, and she was there for him. You probably don’t like how she set it up for him, but she’s there, she sees her community, and she’s gonna fight like hell for it. And her stillness is everything. 

I absolutely love the choice of stillness to amplify Big Mo’s power.

Yes. The idea of how we are stereotyped as Black women being loud, very boisterous out of pocket. This is not what you’re gonna get from Big Mo. That’s what I love about her. We don’t often get heard in our stillness. It kinda reminds me of Madam Vice President, you know with, “I’m speaking…I’m speaking.” Right? I don’t have to raise my voice for you to hear me.

The toothpick, I love it. Was that your actor’s choice or was that written in the script?

The toothpick was in the script, but what I was to do with it was my choice. It’s perfect for Big Mo. It’s so disrespectful as a person to come in there with a toothpick in your mouth. Your mom would have knocked that thing out of your mouth. I mean, unless you’re the man of the family.

What are your thoughts on how Big Mo deals with the patriarchy of this system while owning her power among men?

We don’t give enough credit to women and how much we have to carry. Big Mo is the power within her community, and she resides right there among the big boys. Jimmy [Michael Stuhlbarg] thought he could do whatever he wanted because Big Mo is a woman, and for him to just go in there and get checked, I love every bit of it.

So often in scripts, the craft of being Black is often missed. What in Big Mo reflects the cratiness necessary for her to thrive in this world?

Black people have to play chess when it comes to existing in this society because of the expectations of who we are. Big Mo plays the long game. She uses strategy. She’s brilliant.

Did you love shooting in NOLA?

Yes. I’ve shot several projects there and it’s fantastic. The food of course, and they take care of you. For communities of color down there to be so financially deprived, they protect you. That’s what I love about New Orleans. I was just held in this nurturing community.

How is Your Honor relevant in our current moment of social justice?

There are a lot of Black and Brown babies going into jail because of lack of finances, and there aren’t enough folks around to advocate for them. The show is triggering because it’s reality. This isn’t fixed overnight. We see the injustice in real time.

What is your life’s philosophy as an artist?

I think we are all artists. Find your gifts and explore them, share and enjoy them. These small components make us better people, in a better world.

Lose yourself in the world of New Orleans and don’t miss Andrene Ward-Hammond’s outstanding work as Big Mo in Showtime’s limited legal series Your Honor developed by Peter Moffatt starring Bryan Cranston. Sundays at 10:00pm EST.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/gg-townson-as-cheryl-salt-james-laila-odom-as-sandra-pepa-denton-in-the-lifetime-salt-n-pepa-movie/

Salt-N-Pepa details the journey of Queensborough Community College students Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton as they enter the world of rap and hip hop, after recording a song for their friend Hurby Azor. Salt-N-Pepa made a huge impact as one of the first all-female rap groups, changing the look of hip hop and being unafraid to talk about sex and share their thoughts on men.

The movie follows the group as they become the first female rap act to go platinum and experience ground-breaking success with multiple awards, including a Grammy award –  paving the way for all female rappers to follow. The film will feature performances of Salt-N-Pepa’s greatest hits, including: “Let’s Talk About Sex”, “What a Man”, “Shoop” and “Push It”.

Salt-N-Pepa will premiere Saturday, January 23, 2021 at 8 PM EST/7 PM CST on Lifetime.