Well, folks, I’m back with a few pop culture nuggets! Nothing like sharing some exciting news and updates. This week we have a range of topics including BASL representation, Black hair care, comic book teaser alerts, and Adidas footwear.
Making HUGE moves for the BASL community…Right on time for its July 4th release on Max, fans of the acclaimed film Sinners will be able to watch it two ways: by 1) streaming the exact theatrically released version, and 2) choosing Sinners in Black American Sign Language (BASL).
Nothing like the perfect cocktail for your hair…Just in time to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the popular “Girlfriends” show, Tracee Ellis Ross is turning mixology into hairology through her PATTERN hair care line. Described by Ross in a press release, “Hair cocktailing is a common practice in our community—we layer curl gels, creams, oils and more to create a personalized formula that works best for our own hair.” As noted in Essence, with almost six years on the market, PATTERN’s very first commercial gives air to a wash day ritual Black women almost instinctively do.
The series casts a stellar, dynamic voice cast including Winnie Harlow, Cress Williams, Patricia Belcher, Larry Herron, Adam Gold, Lynn Whitfield, Jacques Colimon, Jona Xiao, Gary Anthony Williams, Zeke Alton, Steve Toussaint, Anika Noni Rose , and Isaac Robinson-Smith. It will be the first series of Phase Six of the MCU.
See the teaser trailer below, set to stream on Disney Plus August 27th:
Looks like Samuel L. Jackson is making his mark in the shoe game, as he lends his voice to a new Adidas Originals Superstar Campaign. The campaign is set to honor the timeless silhouettes of Adidas through storytelling. This teaser marks the first installment in a multipart campaign featuring a cross-generational roster of creatives. In a statement from the brand, “When icons wear icons, culture moves.” For a brief history of the Adidas Original Superstar shoe, see here.
Whether you have a Thanksgiving routine with your family or want to start some new traditions check out this Turkey Day watch list…
Network Television
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade [8:30 AM- 12:00 PM/ET, on NBC]
The 2023 National Dog Show [12:00 PM/ET on NBC]
Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions [12:30 PM/ET on FOX]
Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys [4:30 PM/ET on CBS]
San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks [8:20 PM/ET on NBC]
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Streaming Networks
**Netflix
Rustin: Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.
Best. Christmas. Ever!: After a twist of fate brings their families together for Christmas, Charlotte sets out to prove her old friend Jackie’s life is too good to be true.
The Killer: After a fateful near miss, an assassin battles his employers — and himself — on an international hunt for retribution he insists isn’t personal.
Leo: A coming-of-age musical comedy about the last year of elementary school as seen through the eyes of a class pet.
**Hulu
The League: The dynamic journey of Negro League baseball’s triumphs and challenges is told through previously unearthed archival footage and interviews with legendary players.
Quiz Lady: A hilarious and heartfelt comedy starring Awkwafina and Sandra Oh as estranged sisters forced to cover their mother’s gambling debts, set out to get the cash the only way they know how – by turning Anne (Awkwafina) into a bona-fide gameshow champion.
Season 5-Fargo: In this anthology series inspired by the 1996 film, each season follows a mostly new cast of characters who get involved with murder investigations in different Midwestern towns, with seemingly unrelated crimes sometimes being connected in some way.
**Disney+
Dashing Through the Snow: After a traumatic experience, Eddie Garrick, a social worker, no longer believes in the magic of Christmas. At the request of his estranged wife, he brings his daughter Charlotte to work where a magical adventure begins for them.
The Naughty Nine: Mischievous fifth grader Andy finds himself without a visit or presents from Santa on Christmas morning. Realizing he must have landed on the “naughty list” and feeling unfairly maligned, Andy pulls together a team of eight other “naughty listers” to help him execute an elaborate heist at the North Pole to get the presents they feel they deserve. Along the way, the group comes to realize that the very best way off the naughty list is to redirect their unique talents for good — instead of mischief.
Season 2-Loki: The second season of the American television series Loki, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name, sees Loki working with Mobius M. Mobius, Hunter B-15, and other members of the Time Variance Authority (TVA) to navigate the multiverse in order to find Sylvie, Ravonna Renslayer, and Miss Minutes.
**Max
Blue Beetle: Jaime Reyes suddenly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab. When the Scarab chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he’s bestowed with an incredible suit of armor that’s capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.
The Gilded Age: The Gilded Agefollows a young woman who moves in with her old-money aunts and quickly gets entangled in the social war between them and their new-money neighbors. In a world on the brink of the modern age, will she follow the rules of society or forge her own path?
Rebuilding Black Wall Street: A six-part docu-series focusing on the ongoing reconstruction of the Greenwood District of Tulsa, which was destroyed in the 1921 massacre.
**Paramount +
Good Burger 2:Dexter Reed and cashier Ed reunite at fast-food restaurant Good Burger with a hilarious new group of employees.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves: American Western television series based on the life of the first African American Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River, Bass Reeves
Milli Vanilli:The story of Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, featuring interviews with the real singers, record executives, the producer mastermind behind the deception and exclusive interviews with Rob and Fab.
Apple TV+
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving:Peppermint Patty invites everyone to Charlie Brown’s for Thanksgiving, even though he’s going to see his grandmother; Snoopy decides to cook his own version of a Thanksgiving meal with help from his friends.
Lessons in Chemistry:In the 1950s, Elizabeth Zott’s dream of being a scientist is challenged by a society that says women belong in the domestic sphere; she accepts a job on a TV cooking show and sets out to teach a nation of housewives way more than recipes.
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**In Theaters
Wish
Thanksgiving
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
We are about half-way through February and trailers keep coming in!! This past Sunday during Super Bowl definitely dropped a few treats for us. Check out some of them below:
Final Season-Wu-Tang: An American Saga (Streaming on Hulu February 15th)
Luther: The Fallen Sun (Streaming on Netflix March 10th)
AIR (In theaters April 5th)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (In theaters May 5th)
I just love when a new series effortlessly draws you so that you gotta come back for more! I know it’s early but I’m hooked! Check out below for more of my thoughts on The CW’s “Naomi”…
And don’t forget if you have something in mind that you would like for me to “share my 2 cents” make sure to sound off in the comments!!
Episode #2: “Unidentified Flying Object”* (directed by DeMane Davis)
*Friendly reminder the new episodes of “Naomi” debut Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET on The CW and if you miss it you can catch it the next day via The CW app.
Not only do you get Dr. G’s 2021 Faves, but I had to make sure I gave you a bonus list! Check out Black Future Feminist Intern Jaya as she offers her two cents for 2021!!
Here is a list of my favorite things that came out and/or discovered for the first time this year. These are things that I discovered that really stuck with me through this crazy year. So for my final post of 2021 here are a few things that got me through this year and here’s to a new year!