Drumroll please… the five lip gloss winners are: Pisces, Nerd Girl, Naadza, Tysha, and Kaara! I’ll be contacting you this week for address information. The giveaways are going to keep coming, so keep reading, y’all!

And Kaara and BerryBrowne, I got my makeup bag as part of a set of three at Ross. I found these near the “cosmetics” section and I know the set didn’t cost me more than $10. I sure hope you have a Ross near you, that store is my weakness. And oh my… this week is shoe week! I’m so there. The last time I went to Ross, they had an even cuter leopard print makeup bag set, and they get new shipments in every week. Here in Miami, new shipments on Tuesdays. It’s a little sad that I know that. Moving on.

Speaking of leopard, I finally saw the video for Beyonce’s Kitty Kat. I’m not feeling the song, but wow, that makeup. It’s giving me Halloween inspiration. What are your thoughts on the leopard eyeshadow, bellas? Vassup, or ich don’t think so?

I say big, big respect to Beyonce’s makeup artist. The looks in these videos are beyond fierce. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Beyonce’s music, but I kind of like the random, lower budget, quirky videos she’s recently released. At least they show a little range of character. I also appreciated the Jamaican dancehall style in the Get Me Bodied video. She even threw in a little dutty wine at the end, but Beyonce still doesn’t have anything on Keiva the Diva. Or this dude.

Awww, man. Last week’s episode of Scrubs made me bawl like a baby. If you missed the show, spoiler alert. The final scene with Carla was absolutely heartbreaking. Aloma Wright always brought sass, smarts, and sweetness to her role, and although she was a peripheral character, I always enjoyed Laverne. I am such a sucker for a well written television show, and I have a lot of respect for consulting producer Angela Nissel. She’s one of my inspirations, as a writer and as an afrobella out there doing big things in Hollywood. And weep not for Aloma, she’s in a movie that I’ll be writing more about soon!

Howard Stern is having the Best Week Ever.

I can proudly say that I’ve never listened to Don Imus‘s show. Combatitive shock jocks aren’t really my thing, I’d rather listen to Jill Scott on my way to work. But I am curious about what’s going to happen here. So now he’s been suspended for two weeks. If he eventually gets fired, I predict a move to satellite radio. But my predictions don’t always work out — Star and Bucwild aren’t back on the air yet, are they?

The most surprising thing to me about this whole controversy is that Don Imus has seen School Daze. That reference really knocked me for six. Really — is this the kind of man you can visualize sitting still through the Good and Bad Hair sequence at Madame Re-Re’s salon? (Wow — when’s the last time you saw that? Tisha Campbell was the BUSINESS back in those days).

It’s amazing to me that these issues are still percolating. Still relevant. Still happening.

Don Imus’s comments got me thinking a lot about how WE represent ourselves as a people. I’ve been called nappy headed before, I’m sure many of you afrobellas have. My hair is kinky, curly, nappy, and thick — and it’s beautiful. Say it with me — nappy is beautiful. Natural is beautiful. So where would a white, cowboy hat wearing loudmouth like Don Imus get off using those kinds of terms as an insult to describe a team of strong, black, athletic women? Where would he get those ideas from? How can we prevent this kind of offhanded racism from rearing its ugly head again? It is up to us.

Until we as a community stop dividing ourselves along the same lines that Spike Lee revealed way back in 1988, and start recognizing and celebrating ourselves as the beautiful, intelligent beings that we are, there won’t be change in the right direction. We need to show each other love, and respect ourselves. It starts with you and me.

COMMENTS

1969 says:

April 10, 2007, 9:48 am

I agree Afrobella. We need to check ourselves. Some of the images, videos, lyrics, etc...that we deem okay for our children to listen to are NOT ACCEPTABLE. Until we change what we choose to represent our people, we are going to continue to have Anglo's that feel saying these phrazes is okay or funny. Shame on Imus, yes. Shame on us also.

Niki says:

April 10, 2007, 9:56 am

Yes, we do need to check ourselves. We have to stop throwing around the word "nappy" like it is an insult--no wonder a lot of us have complexes about our hair! And no, I never pictured Don Imus & crew pausing to watch "School Daze" , but color me suprised. These comments were racist and sexist as well--would they comment on the relative attractiveness levels of the men's title winners? On a much lighter note, Beyonce's makeup game is always fierce, so props to her makeup people!

BlackHoney says:

April 10, 2007, 10:01 am

I sometimes think we are too assimilated into mainstream culture. Some things are just not appropriate to say. Did you the conversation on Rev. Al's show? Man please.

tribalsun says:

April 10, 2007, 10:04 am

Obviously, idiots like Imus are more impressed with plantation semantics (words such as Nappy being twisted and used to insult and divide people when the word itself is not really an insult at all)than we are. Spike Lee is definitely speaking to US when he points out the issues --caused by traumatic events in our collective history -- that divide us. But because media is media, and everyone has access to it, there are those who watch it and dont get it, and then think they have license to use it to insult us. Tom Joyner used to say on his show "this is not for you." (it was funny) Bottom line is, I dont listen to Imus either, and thank goodness for that. I too would rather listen to Jill Scott on the way to work.

Ms. T. says:

April 10, 2007, 10:36 am

People like Imus will never change. I mean they will apologize to save their jobs or whatever but they will never truly feel it in their hearts. So since they aren't going to change, we need to focus on changing ourselves, coming together as a community, and using appropriate languge with each other. We need to "RESPECT OURSELVES" whether they do or not.

alwayzalady22 says:

April 10, 2007, 11:02 am

well, imus told us where he got it from...he said something along the lines of 'black men refer to women and black women as hos all the time', so evidently, he thought it was acceptable for him to do as well. ::shakes head:: i understand the boycott and march on NBC, but how come we aren't also marching on def jam, rocafella, bad boy, or interscope? anybody else find it funny that no rapper has come out and commented about this situation? but can they really do that without being called hypocrites? i wonder what goes through snoop's head when he hears people like imus citing rap/'hip-hop' culture as his source when he makes ignorant comments...i mean, does this give NOBODY in the game any type of pause? or is the money so great that they don't care about the collateral damage that is the self-esteem of young women? this is absolutely disgusting, and it's really time for us to WAKE UP! p.s. just for shits and giggles, is the imus flap being discussed on 106 and park? i wonder if luda and ice cube are still mad at oprah for not having them on her show...cuz you know our girl isn't afraid to ask them a hard question or two...truthfully, they couldn't handle it, and they'd be wishing they were never on in the first place if she ever had them on...

edw says:

April 10, 2007, 11:02 am

I sooooo second that Ms. T.!

Amn.eris says:

April 10, 2007, 12:25 pm

Amen, Amen! We have to start our this dialogue in our own community. Until we put enough pressure on those who degrade us, it will never change. Preach on @alwayzalady22

Nerd Girl says:

April 10, 2007, 1:06 pm

I won! I won! I have never won anything (non academic) in my life! Thanks so much Afrobella - I appreciate it and am probably waaay to excited, but I just can't help my little Nerd-girly self :) As far as the whole Imus issue . . . I've never been one who thinks speech should be censored, period. The man said it, he probably meant it, and no apology that he spews forth will negate any of that. I refuse to believe that he thinks it okay to refer to women as "hos" because "black men do it all the time." What black men is he hanging out with? That is pure fallacy! I do think that it is important that we not refer to ourselves in any manner that we would not allow someone else to. Nerd Girl - yes. Anything that I deem negative or derogatory - definitely not. Peace!

1969 says:

April 10, 2007, 1:17 pm

alwayzalady22.....Preach on sista!

tiffruther says:

April 10, 2007, 1:18 pm

Personally, I am MORE insulted with the lack of his immediate firing. 2 weeks suspension, PLEASE if he had been Black his butt would not have been able to go back to his desk to clear out any personal emails from the computer he was sitting at just minutes ago, his swipe card would have been immediately deactived and he would have been ESCORTED to the door!! The higher ups should recognize fire Don and the Program Manager too. It may not be right that we "talk" amongest ourselves using what some would say is a loving term (I grew up in the late 70's in was nothing to hear "N", please...back in the day we were just not offended). Many races laugh at their own "racist among themselves jokes" but, if I am NOT Jewish I don't believe I can throw down on a Jewish joke without another Jewish person (who maybe standing in the same circle with me), not have a problem with that joke Mr. Imus, time to pack your bags and go home!!

flygyrl72 says:

April 10, 2007, 1:24 pm

Alwayzalady, I'm w/ you! But still, I'm hot as hell about the whole incident. Because, a couple of years back, Imus's sidekick got FIRED for making mean comments about Kylie Minogue when it first came out that she'd been diagnosed w/ breast cancer. Now, you mean to tell me, that you'll fire dude for making mean comments about a WHITE woman, but then, you just suspend this stupid mofo when he comes all out his ass, making the most racist derogatory comments imaginable?! No, he knows better, & his ass needs to be given the boot. I think we should pressure the advertisers to pull their ad revenue, that'll make them fire him, quick fast... Seems like, when it comes to insults against us, they always try to make some kind of excuse or tell us we're overreacting. I had to put one of my White co-workers in check today about the whole damn incident...off w/ his head, I say!

Tysha says:

April 10, 2007, 1:44 pm

Thanks Afrobella, Much Respect!

BLESS says:

April 10, 2007, 2:16 pm

I've never been a fan favorite when it comes to speaking out about how rappers "degrade" women because I've always said they are not referring to every Woman or every Black Woman period. I've been known to say that we as Women have got to be more proactive in our concept of self worth/self esteem. We have to stop being so REACTIVE. Why wait for someone to call us names before we decide that we have to do something about not only the way society sees us but how we see ourselves? You know I think speaking about this issue here on afrobella is like preaching to the choir. Because those of us that are of this mind are already here. We should be "taking it to the streets" so to speak. I may be way out of line here (which I usually am once I say that. LOL) but I'm guessing that Don Imus has a thing for Black Women and he doesn't want to admit it. I mean why else would he have been watching School Daze (and it's apparent that he's watched it MANY a time because that's just not something you remember like that fully unless that's part of your VHS collection. Plus, he'd actually gotten it mixed up with Do The Right Thing so you tell me who has a collection of Spike Lee videos)?

AppleDiva says:

April 10, 2007, 2:57 pm

I do not like when people drop verbal bombs, and then want to rectify the situation with an apology. That does not cut it. Think before you speak, keep your mouth shut, or take the ridicule. On the flip side, the Staple Singer dresses were niiihiiice!! Loved it!

Adrianna says:

April 10, 2007, 3:09 pm

I'm guessing that if rappers are allowed to get away with saying garbage like that why not Don Imus ? Until we all gather together to fight sexism and colorism in our own community we invite racist white man to say sexist and racist remarks to us.I doubt they will fire him the guy has been saying anti-semitic things and he was still on the air.

BlackHoney says:

April 10, 2007, 4:21 pm

Thing is I hear rappers say ho all the time in songs but I have never heard the term "nappy headed ho" in a rap before.

Emily says:

April 10, 2007, 4:39 pm

BRAVO! BRAVO! I love the video and hearing the Staple Singers! MAN!! Now that was music! As a side note, here it is 2007 and its a shame that we still have "bigots" like this. And yes he is a bigot no matter how much he apologizes. However, it goes beyond race and color, its whats in your heart. We hear people from all walks of say and do negative things, some are just given more attention than others. This person said what was in his heart to say. From "rappers" to "the Klan" to "opressors of love, life, and liberty", "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth shall speak"....remember we were are already fore told these things....enough said.

Monica says:

April 10, 2007, 6:55 pm

Honestly, I'm not mad at Imus at all. I'm mad at us. I've said this a million times. We've got to stop puttting disrespectful, irresponsible images out in the media. People will not respect you until you respect yourselves. Imus, Snoop, Dr. Dre, Ludacris, 50 cent, Game, etc all have something in common: calling black women hos or bitches. 50 cent, Ludacris, Snoop have called more black women hoes, bitches, chickens than anything else. Yet, we stay silent. We need to check ourselves before we check others. Charles Barkley said black women are smelly. Wesley Snipes said black women are loud, don't read, and act ignorant. Yet, black women stay silent. I'm more upset at the disrespect black women receive from black men, than anything else. PS Al Sharpton DOES NOT speak for me.

Nic says:

April 11, 2007, 1:28 am

No excuses ladies. Black men put it out there like that. And lots of our women chimed in. And yes here comes Rev. Al. Every day my peace is disrupted by the offensive language of some ignorant black male who seems to think that he cannot complete a sentence without the use of "bitch", "ho" or "nigger". I didn't hate Kramer and I'm not hating Imus. I'm hating the music industry that perpetuates it. We have to fight it ourselves because clearly men aren't strong enough to fix the mess they made. And the Rev. Al's only in fighting stance when other races call us out. Rev. Al lives in NY just like I do. I KNOW that he hears what I hear. Anyway it's not even about him. In my way I am fighting. But the fight is gonna take more women. Please don't support that music. Don't buy their fashions. Don't answer to 'ho. Hold the men in your life accountable.

jerseybred says:

April 13, 2007, 2:02 pm

Don Imus assumed what he said would be funny, he never thought it would get this far. I'm shocked he was fired(I dislke the taking away of one's livelihood)but I am at a loss to think of another solution-but do you notice how the other 'news' is trying to slip under the radar b/c of this story. NAPPY was a bad word to me as a child but now that i'm older it's a compliment--to everyone who ever called and thought of my hair as NAPPY--THANK YOU,

jerseybred says:

April 13, 2007, 2:03 pm

And Beyonce's eye make up is hot!!!!

SuperDivah86 says:

May 1, 2007, 2:14 pm

I love Bey's leopard eye shadow too!