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entertainment Movie Review

Friday: Movie Review

Stephy Says 💋 if you follow me then you know that movies is not my thing & there’s a plethora of movies that I have not seen.

But there may be a glimmer of hope. A couple of years ago, I want to say 2018 (don’t quote me on that), but I finally sat down & watched the classic movie Friday.

In case you may be in the same boat as me or hiding under a rock like I was until recently & have not seen the movie, I’ll give you a simple synopsis, movie deets, & backstory.

Friday was released on April 26, 1995 & directed by F. Gary Gray. It’s listed rating is rated R for adult language, violence (🙄🙄 there’s no real violence), drug use (weed, bud, THC, Mary Jane, marijuana, sativa, loud, etc), & guns/slight sexual innuendos. So basically, hide ya kids, hide ya wife.

The movie is placed in the comedy/drama genre (I’ll tell you how I feel about that later). Its release had a quite impressive profit as it reached 27.5 million dollars in the box office. Length wise, Friday is less than 2 hours long so if you have time to watch Harry Potter, you probably could have watched Friday twice by the time HP was over.

Movie overview:

Basically, it’s Friday & Craig (Ice Cube) got fired for “stealing” on candid camera. His best friend Smokey has a habit he can’t support. He owes the local “drug dealer” (Big Worm) money that he doesn’t have & drags Craig into his bum behaviors, incriminating Craig & risking both of their lives. That’s his broke best friend right? No judgement here. The way I see it is we all have had a broke best friend & if you haven’t HAD the broke best friend then YOU are the broke best friend lol (I digress).

Did I mention that the rent is due & Craig doesn’t have the money for that either? Plus he is trying to peep at shorty ’round the way but his girlfriend is aggy & cockblocking & the crackhead is begging. His daddy is pressuring him to catch dogs while blowing up with bathroom & going through a can of bathroom spray. As if this isn’t enough, Craig & Smokey found out that Janet Jackson doesn’t look nothing like she used to. Deebo is blacking eyes. Big Worm’s employees spraying bullets. The pastor is sexing & flexing with Mrs. Parker; and add a little skinning, grinning, & sinning on top of that. Craig (a N**gaz with Attitude) finally decided he wasn’t going to keep running (he was straight outta Compton). He had big balls & fought Deebo. It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the do & Deebo got knocked tf out.

All of this on Friday. How you get fired on your day off?

Cast overview:

The movie had quite a few legends & well known & well loved actors in it such as John Witherspoon, Ice Cube, & Chris Tucker to name a few. Here’s a more extensive list of some of the cast & characters:

*disclaimer: this is not the entire cast* (RIP Deebo [Lister] & Witherspoon)

Famous quotes:

Here’s a few quotes you may have heard or even said yourself:

“You got knocked tf out!” -Smokey
I got mind control over Deebo. He be like “stfu”. I be quiet. But when he leave, I be talking again.” -Smokey
“Y’all ain’t never got two things that match. Either y’all got Kool-aid, no sugar. Peanut butter, no jelly. Ham, no burger...” -Smokey
“Lord have mercy! The Lord is my Shepherd, & He knows what I want!” -Pastor Clever

Here’s my honest review:

Don’t revoke my black card but, I was not impressed. To be quite frank, I was not entertained nor was I amused. I don’t recall laughing but maybe once throughout the entire movie. Perhaps, my humor is dry compared to others because a few things must have flown over my head. I guess it was just dumb humor, but I was told, that was the point of the movie. I don’t know if the movie really had a point or if I just missed it altogether.

It came across as a stoner movie & I absolutely cannot relate. For everyone that told me you watch it, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I am highly disappointed. I would not watch it anymore. It didn’t hold my attention, & I found myself becoming occupied doing other things. It’s just not my taste in movies. I love a good comedy & a gut wrenching laugh, but I just didn’t get that with this movie. I’m Ice hard some say it’s better when you’re high. If that’s the case, that movie is as good as it’s going to get for me. I’m in a no smoking zone.

I would rate it a one or two star overall.

⭐️ or ⭐️⭐️

The movie quality was low, but in my opinion, the low quality made it more relatable & realistic. The characters were casted with each role in mind & I believe the cast embodied their characters. There was just a disconnect for me…

I know, I know.

Gif courtesy of tenor.com

At least I can partake in the “yeen gotta lie Craig” & “bye Felicia” conversation now. That should count for something right? Or am I completely banished from the black community? Can I at least still come to the cookouts?

Apparently, I am one of the very few that feels this way because IMDb ranked it 7.3/10. Rotten tomatoes gave the movie 78% while the audience score was 91%. It must have been better than I thought because there were sequels : Next Friday, Friday After Next, & Last Friday. The 1st was a dub for me sooo with that being said, don’t count on me to watch the other Friday movies. I’ll pass…kinda like Craig & Smokey did that joint.

Stephy Says 💋, clearly I don’t know nothing about movies lol

What I do know is, “You win some, you lose some. But you live, you live to fight another day.”

Stephy Says 💋, “I’m through with this 💩I was just 🐂💩‘! And you know this, man!!!”

As always, LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE, & SUBSCRIBE ✨

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My 2 Cents

A BLACK Face In White Collar America

Stephy Says 💋, it’s BLACK HISTORY MONTH so let’s discuss real black issues. 

We often shine a spotlight on racism in regards to police brutality, but let me accentuate where we see it most. Allow me to call your attention to where the biggest racial divide lies but is discussed in a whisper rather than with a bullhorn. Let’s focus on an area where racism exists, but we are forced to “accept it” without dispute due to life’s circumstances. Financial, home, & personal responsibilities restrict us from defying our superiors.

RACISM IN THE WORKPLACE

Get a job they say, but let’s talk about how difficult it is to thrive in Corporate America, an office setting, or a career with underrepresentation of people of color. Let’s explore how our assertiveness is falsely identified as aggressive.

“Does my haughtiness offend you? Don’t you take it awful hard ’Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard.”

Let’s discuss the complaints that have been made for HR to take affirmative action but we’re brushed off as us being sensitive–“I’m they didn’t mean it that way.” Let’s bring to the forefront the policies & procedures that are strategically implemented by corporations to create indirect racial tension accompanied by what they believe to be inconspicuous discrimination. 

Is it required of us to dim down our blaring confidence for those who are uncomfortable with self love? Are we supposed to overlook or pretend to be oblivious to the mistrust of our superiors, Executive team, or directors when a task is given to a person lighter in skin tone? A task in which, we are more than capable & equipped to complete. A task in which we have been thoroughly trained & qualified, if not more qualified than our counterparts to accomplish. Are we not supposed to acknowledge when a project was initiated by us, but seized from our grasps & completed by another just to ensure we don’t receive the credit? Do we turn a blind eye to the substantial differences in salary even with equal experience or degrees? Are we supposed to neglect the subtle hints of anticipation for them to find flaw or error in order to validate their misinterpretation? Is it expected of us to ignore the lack of training & inaccessibility to the tools needed to warrant success in our position? Do we dismiss the blatant difference in task/job preparation while we are taught the bare minimum to complete our jobs in effort to make certain that we do not overachieve? Are we required to consistently maintain a particular vernacular to display our level of education while others merely speak in colloquial terms? Must we have to prove ourselves worthy daily just to sustain a stable career? Do we just look in the opposite direction & disregard the apparent disdain? Do we deafen our ears to the condescending tones used in conversation towards us? They place us in these constricted choke holding situations, yet expect us to breathe easy enough to thrive. 

Mrs. Maya Angelou asked this:

“Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells Pumping in my living room.”

HUMAN RESOURCES IS NOT HUMANE

Let’s be honest.  Realistically, half of the jobs we qualify for, we are never even given the fair opportunity of an interview, yet the companies wear the EEO badge with honor; all while concealing the truth. Certain names, regardless of certifications, credentials, degrees, or experience will never slide across the desk of the HR director. The cycle seems to remain the same amongst African Americans. The application will get lost in the shuffle, & the job will be given to a less melanated person with only half of the required or preferred credentials. Do our degrees not hold value? Do our achievements not merit reward? Or does the race associated with the formal education counteract the intelligence? Why it is that White Collar America misperceives correlate being black with being ignorant? We are considered to be unsuitable for positions simply by the check we place in the race box. Preceding employment, Black Americans face hiring discrimation and involuntarily relinquish jobs most likely traced back & attributable to race. During my research on this topic, it was discovered that experiments and studies have exhibited that resumes submitted with a more “black sounding name” received significant fewer callbacks for interviews for employment than those with more “white sounding”/ Caucasian names, even when the individuals had indistinguishable credentials. Continuing with my research, it confirmed my beliefs & turned them from an opinion to a fact. In a scholarly written by Dina Gerdeman, it was discovered that even when business organizations, corporations, & business firms use terms such as “pro-diversity,” or “equal opportunity employer,” or  phrases like“minorities are strongly encouraged to apply,” masses of minority applicants conjure up the wrong idea that it’s safe or acceptable to disclose their race on their resumes—only to be declined later for the job. Lisa Bryant, an educated & degreed black woman, discloses that companies are most likely to recruit & employ individuals that they believe mirror their core values, reflect their culture, and who they can be comfortable with, but also look like them; which in most occurrences, those people are white. Even after hire, we are placed into a competition that we weren’t even aware we signed up for, as if the job market isn’t competitive enough in itself. Our work ethic can be the best in the company, but the sad truth is –we never measure up. Perhaps, the measuring tool of success are different. As a black American, we have to make twice the effort to receive a quarter of the appreciation & gratitude.

It is expected for us to change our image, our clothes, our speech, our tone of voice, our disposition, our statue, & our dialect just to appease those around us that are apprehensive & uncomfortable with our existence.

Racism extends beyond Black Lives Matter. It expands beyond blatant police brutality and Ku Klux Klan lynchings. Legally. segregation “ended” years ago, However, segregation still discreetly lingers in places it may be least expected. It stretches into the Human Resources Departments of major corporations and paramount firms. It drives unethical business actions and decisions.

Being a black face in white collar America is equivalent to the knee of a cop on George Floyd’s neck. WE CAN’T BREATHE.

Regardless of what people of color endure, I wouldn’t want to be any other race. Being black is a BIG FLEX 💪🏽! “And that’s on Mary had a little lamb.”

Maya Angelou said it best: “You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise.”

Happy BLACK HISTORY MONTH❤️💚🖤💛

Stephy Says 💋 LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE, & SUBSCRIBE ✨

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entertainment My 2 Cents

Stand Back, Stand By—The “PROUD” Boys

Stephy Says 💋 Donald Trump & the Proud boys, you have really outdone yourselves this time. Never in the history of America has a president been banned or blocked indefinitely on social media; probably because they knew how to conduct themselves as leaders & adults. I’m still fairly young & have only lived through a few presidents so I grabbed a supporting quote just in case I may have been wrong. 😁
“This is the first time in history that the social media accounts of a head of a State by Facebook has been suspended.”
On January 7, 2022, Wavy 10 News released the report that Mark Zuckerberg, owner of Facebook & now Instagram announced that these platforms have extended blocks on Trumps accounts, indefinitely–or at least for the remainder of his term. At some point in the same day during this fiasco, Trump turned to Twitter to unleash his opinions & a few choice words to whoever was willing to give up their precious time to read them. It seemed as if Twitter wanted no part of the shenanigans & many of tweets were deleted for violating community guidelines. Along with removing tweets, Twitter added a disclaimer “this claim about election fraud is disputed” in regards to the false reports of the Election Process.
via Twitter Feed January 7, 2021

Via Twitter feed January 7, 2021

Breaking News: 01.08.21–Turns out that Donald Trump has permanently been suspended from Twitter.

Source: The Associated Press

03/31/21 UPDATE: CNN announced that 45 created his own website after being banned from social media

Stephy Says 💋 Again he’s the ONLY president to be banned from social media

https://www.45office.com

Editor’s note: This post was originally published [January 9, 2021] and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness. 

It kind of makes me wonder–when Trump said “stand back & stand by,” what exactly did he mean? If you watched the debate, when the conversation of racism was brought to the forefront, Trump made a comment regarding the Proud Boys & for them to “stand back and stand by.” To me & many black viewers, this sounded like an order & a threat. While he won’t admit to the comments, members of the Proud Boys that watched the debate deemed his comment as both “historic” & an “endorsement.”
“Proud Boys – stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what… Somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem.” –Donald Trump during the presidential debate Above information cited from BBC.com.
Remember the disgust American citizens had about Colin Kaepernick silently & respectfully kneeling during the National Anthem? Do you remember the backlash he received while exercising his American right? His silent protest resulted in him in losing his multi-million contract with the NFL because of how it “misrepresented” them. Disrespectful. Disgraceful. Unpatriotic. These are only a few of the words used to describe him.

How about the looting, rioting, & protest in 2020 that people described as “unnecessary” after the recorded murder of George Floyd while in the hands of the police?

I saw numerous of relentless social media posts, opinion articles, interviews in publications, etc. condemning those involved. Trump supporters called them animals & according to Donald Trump, they were “thugs.” Even during peaceful protests, they were spit on, shot at, sprayed, & gassed. Turns out that when the Proud Boys & Trump supporter throw over the Capitol, those same opinions have turned hushed. I have yet to see a post, hear an opinion, or read an article that condemns them with the same measures that BLM was condemned. I don’t see the ridicule, the outrage, the disdain during this riot.

 These terrorist thugs successfully bombarded the Capitol, a highly secured government agency, breached security, & dismantled the furniture without so much as a scratch; yet BLM protesters were met with a fully armed police team carrying air rifles, tear gas, &face shields. The racial divide is obvious.

Apparently, I’m not the only American that feels this way.

CNN released an article revealing that the sports world also sees the difference in handling the two riots.

The article quotes NBA player Jayson Tatum during an interview,

RG3 tweeted, “The difference in the treatment between races in America is on full display.”

Boston Globe displayed a chart comparing the number of arrests made during BLM protests to the number of arrests made during the Capitol riots. The results are unsurprising.

Soure: http://www.bostonglobe.con

I’m sure this riot has been & will continue to be negatively compared to BLM protests. Comments will most likely be made that BLM did the “same thing.” I can agree with the facts that both groups of people dismantled public property, however, the reasons fueling the protests are unparalleled.

BLM had a CLEAR objective & agenda–a cause. The protesting was a reaction to police brutality & the killing of unarmed black Americans with unjustifiable cause. For lack of better words, The riots were a cry for help, the statement being made was this– as a culture we are tired & unheard. There was a message in the mess. Whether individuals chose to see or hear the message, the point was loud & clear.

Bedsides being objective, the 2020 protests were international. The movement was supported across the world because everyone in the world recognized the agenda & the injustice of the “American system” EXCEPT Donald Trump, racists , & the Proud Boys.

Let me reiterate, as aforementioned in an earlier post, I did not necessarily agree with the rioting & looting, BUT I definitely understood it.

I normally try to see thing from other points of view, think using their logic, & understand other people’s perspective (I got that word tatted on me).

However, this makes NO sense.

THIS IS WHAT ENTITLEMENT & WHITE PRIVILEGE LOOKS LIKE!

For those that need a definition:

Entitlement: the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.

This commotion & uproar is completely different than BLM. Simply put, the riot taking place at the Capitol is a flat out temper tantrum. They are behaving like wild animals & children. Spoiled brats. And let’s not even mention the costumes…what was the Viking supposed to be doing??

Honestly, did they think that Trump would NEVER lose? He should be used to losing by now, he’s lost many wives , plenty of businesses, & half of his marbles.

  • Unlike BLM protests, this is an isolated riot to ONLY Trump supporters. No other countries are standing with the Proud boys. There’s no cause for this type of behavior other than being sore losers. They are behaving like my 8 year son that accuses the game of cheating every time he’s losing.

    • Viola Davis tweeted a meme of Peter Parker in the car with a MAGA hat on using a skin tone card to determine how to word his actions.

    Viola Davis made a valid point, Terminology seems to differ as the skin tone becomes lighter. The verbiage is contingent upon race not action.

    This is the type of hypocrisy & double standards that keeps this country set back & stagnant.

    If individuals can just walk into the Capitol so easily, breach security, & overthrow it, I wonder if America was ever really as safe as they tried to make us believe….

    Update: Donald Trump has broken yet ANOTHER record.

    Trump, your whole goal in presidency was to Make America Great Again. This is the country you created , you must be proud.

    Happy reading!

    Stephy Says 💋 as always, LIKE, SHARE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE ✨

    Editor’s note: This post was originally published [January 9, 2021] and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness. 

    Categories
    Brand Strategy Business Branding Tips

    Top 5 Epic Fails of 2020

    Stephy Says 💋 if you are reading this, congratulations you have unlocked a new achievement 🎮🏆 ! You are now in level 12 of the twisted real life version of Jumanji.

    I’m sure majority of you can agree that 2020 has definitely been one for the books. We have endured deaths, losses, & stress. It seems almost as if we have lost and failed ALL year.

    Soooo, with that being said, let’s keep that same energy & keep the failure momentum going.

    Just kidding, stop here. Unclench your teeth. Relax your shoulders. Stop shaking your leg. Inhale. Exhale. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Breathe.

    Ok, now that you have sort of, kind of, maybe tried to relax. Let’s continue…

    2020 is the year we spent most of the year masked & quarantined 😷 (*clearing my throat here*). This year relentlessly revealed the cracks in my business & unapologetically exposed me as a small business owner. 

    Let’s review a recap of my top 5 2020 business fails!

    Maybe, you can identify some of the same mistakes now while there is just enough time left in this year to create a strategy and revised approach for the 2021 business year.

    Here goes nothing:

    1. ❌Poor Time Management

    Out of 24 hours in the day, I may have squeezed in about 30 minutes to an hour to nurture my business. Honestly, what relationship do you know that can effectively grow & continue to successfully sustain from that little amount of time? How many times have you been in a relationship & heard, “you don’t ever have time for me?” Well, that little voice would be my business talking to me.

    Confession time: I was presented with multiple opportunities to invest time & money into myself, my brand, & my business. Rather than revise a business plan, research competition, or evolve my brand, I napped. I snacked. I spent countless hours on TikTok (don’t judge me). I binged watched Criminal Minds on Netflix. I was “busy,” but doing nothing except wasting valuable hours that I could have been sending emails, networking, or marketing.

    Needless to say, time was not of the essence for me, which resulted in me remaining stagnant for longer than I wanted to. 

    Time was slipping away. The hours became days, days became weeks, weeks became months, and suddenly it’s December and the whole year is gone. I can’t believe I let time slip away.

    After all, time is an illusion right? WRONG! Time is valuable, make it count! These are moments you can NEVER get back.

    Ironically enough, I published a podcast episode titled, “New me, who dis?” with a list of ways to make the best use of your time during quarantine (turns out that I ended up doing the exact opposite).

    I knew exactly how to fix my poor time management. All I had to do was prioritize and set deadlines–which leads me into my 2nd 2020 epic fail…

    2. Dismissing Deadlines

    Procrastinators unite! TOMORROW

                I would always make a point to buy a planner in the beginning of every year. This year was no different. When I first bought the planner, I organized my busy life as a business owner. I mean highlighters & sticky notes galore. I had different color pens to signify different types of projects, a color map, and key layout at the top of the planner. I meant business! Then I noticed that the colors in the planner slowly began decreasing. The sticky notes were fewer. The “to do” task list was short. I wasn’t writing reminders to myself, dates passed with so much of a blur that I couldn’t keep the days of the week straight. I promised clients I would research information & get back to them. Months later, there was still no text sent or phone call made. There was no excuse. This was just poor business.

                This was when I realized I needed to set deadlines. The thing about setting deadlines is that in order for them to be effective, they must be realistic & attainable. I failed miserably at this also.

    I’m a procrastinator by nature. So in addition to deadlines, I needed to set reminders. If I don’t have deadlines, I’m not going to do it. That’s plain & simple.

    Here’s where I failed.

    I set deadlines, BUT because it was MY business, I dismissed them, postponed them, cancelled them, and rescheduled them until “I felt like it.” I was starting to use the word “eventually” a lot more than I needed to. This attitude set me up for failure most of the 2020 year.

     A light bulb hit me & it dawned on me that while working as an employee; I don’t get the opportunity to dismiss deadlines. Furthermore, I worked extra hard to make sure I completed the tasks before the deadline even arrived. This is the same work ethic, attitude, & investment I realized I needed to place into my own business.

    Deadlines keep you focused. They hold you accountable. They make you responsible. They provide structure to a hectic and busy life or schedule.

     Deadlines may also add pressure and make you fee rushed. This is why deadlines should be attainable, evenly distributed to prevent you from being overwhelmed.

    Deadlines made me feel like I was watching the shot clock. But….Life is not a race! Right?Sike! That is complete BS! Everything about life is a race. As adults, we constantly have to race the clock: alarm clock, time clock, biological clock, etc. We race against age because at certain ages our biological clocks start ticking. We race against traffic. We even race for parking spots lol. Life comes with all kinds of races: political races, cultural races, relationship status races, educational races, etc. There’s always something to do or somewhere to be by a certain time.

    The great part about the race of life is this: it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a slow & steady race, but we have a way of adding extra stress & overloading ourselves without any structure or boundaries.

      This brings me to my next failure…

    3. ❌I Never Said No

                I constantly overloaded myself with projects, tasks, and “to do’s” that I could’ve easily delegated or avoided all together. I had a problem saying no. Maybe, it was due in part to the pandemic, and it increased my empathy & sympathy. I don’t know, but whatever it was, the results were the same. I overextended myself to the point of exhaustion. Emails were sent with bare minimum details. Projects were done half-heartedly just for the sake of saying they were completed.

      I was pouring from an empty cup and expecting the quality to be the same as a full cup. I learned rather quickly, “you cannot pour from an empty cup.” It’s okay to say no, respectfully. It’s okay to be unavailable. It’s okay to take a mental break. It’s okay to refer to another business if your schedule is overwhelming.

    Saying yes do often quickly brought my next epic fail to my attention…

    4. ❌One Man Band

              I cannot do it all by myself. I have a huge fear of revealing my thoughts, ideas, and upcoming projects with others due to some fraudulent “friends” in the past snatching my ideas & passing them off as their own. This caused some self diagnosed form of PTSD in my business mind. People are a trip to say the least, and you really see their true colors once you become a business owner. The cut throat & back stabbing made me selfish to the point that I didn’t share anything with anyone until after it was over & the move had been made.     

                The problem with this approach is when building a business; you have to be open to building a team. Moreover, you have to trust people. This was my biggest barrier. You have to trust them with your ideas, your business, your reputation, your personal life, and your brand. In short, you have to build a family.

    Take Chadwick Boseman for example. He was a part of a team that he could trust with him life, even until death. This is the type of team business owners need. Kicking it old school here but, there is no I in team.

     After overextending myself, I I was not octomom with 8 arms, & I had to come to the reality that there was no possible way that I could successfully run a business single handedly. I had to have a circle of friends to assist me in making my dreams become a reality.

    I had consumed myself with scheduling appointments, writing projects, conducting interviews, hosting podcasts, working full time, marketing, branding, and standing frontlines as an “essential worker” during the pandemic. I was becoming burnt out when the simplest answer was always available –ASK FOR HELP.

    Knowing when to ask for help is vital to business growth.

    My 5th & final epic fail was this…

    5. ❌Stop & Go

    Along with my other business characteristic flaws, being inconsistent is another one. I have a bad case of stop & go. I would have sporadic bursts of energy where I felt like Superwoman and could whirl through clients’ needs without so much of a blink; followed by days or weeks of no umph or enthusiasm at all.

    For weeks I would plow through projects without breaking a sweat & then not have the desire to want to do anything else until the burst of energy was back.

    The inconsistent led to a roller coaster of peaks & valleys in my insights. My charts & reports were confusing to look at because of the audience inconsistencies, but who could I blame? My audience responded to me. They arrived when I arrived, & when I abandoned my business, they did too.

    As a business owner, consistency is key. The commitment to service consumers consistently must outweigh the lack of enthusiasm. Consistency is a what drives sales, analytics, insights, & traffic to your business.

    Trust me, I know how hectic life can be, & there are times that consistency just isn’t possible. If this occurs, inform your supports & consumers so they are aware. My other mistake was inconsistency without informing. People are more willing to support what they understand. I learned quickly that inconsistency can come across as unprofessional. Stay strong! If you need a mental break, let your people know so there will be no gray area or misconception that you are wishy washy.

    This concludes my therapy session 😁

    Let’s quickly recap what we have learned!

    1. Manage time wisely.

    2. Set attainable deadlines.

    3. No is not a bad word.

    4. Ask for help.

    5. Keep going!

    As you can see, 2020 showed me my flaws. I embraced them whole heartedly & have already started developing a strategy to keep me from making the same mistakes in the next year.

    After reading this post, I hope you are doing the same!

    Stephy Says 💋 as always, LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE, & SUBSCRIBE ✨

    Happy reading!

    Categories
    entertainment music/entertainment My 2 Cents

    👳🏾‍♂️Cancel Nick Cannon??

    Stephy Says 💋 the news of Viacom CBS firing Nick Cannon came as a complete shock although, with the way the increasing racism & hate towards the black community on the rise, it probably shouldn’t have.

    Zeewiththetea posted the original statement made by Viacom following the termination of Nick. (P.S. Stephy Says 💋 I know yall think yall like The Shade Room, but follow ZeewiththeTea 🐸☕️ for ALL the tea. Tell her Stephy said it 💋).

    Viacom’s Statement

    It almost seems as if Nick’s had a target on his back dating slightly back from the scandal & being wronged by NBC America’s Got Talent (in which they then did the same to Gabrielle Union 🙄). Now let me add, I didn’t read any full articles or listen to the entire podcast (mind your business). However, if he did say something wrong, was is really so wrong that he had to be fired from the entire company!? I understand that he was fired for anti-semitic speech, but is this really any different from any form of hate speech? Must I speak on hate speech the black community has faced for centuries?? OK, that’s another conversation for another day. Go read Black Lives Matter.✊🏽🖤

    Consider this, on July 16th, while watching The Nightly News, Donald Trump’s niece reported that his family “regularly” used anti-semitic slurs. But, “they” STILL haven’t canceled the so-called President? Make it make sense. Mary Trump’s story can be found here on Business Insider. It’s ironic how this interview aired just one day after the news of Nick Cannon being fired for the very same thing. How was this any different from Nick besides the color of the person performing the action?

    “President” Trump

    Even after long & thoughtful apologies for his entitled opinion, Nick Cannon is still being drug by trolls on social media. However, the same trolls STILL see refuse to acknowledge racial slurs, hate speech, or racism against the black community.

    Besides Viacom, Nick’s talk show has been pulled from the 2020 line up according to Daily News. If you ask me, this is OVERKILL!

    On the bright side, some good news is –Nick Cannon will continue to be the host of The Masked Singer according to CNN news.

    I need the black community to STAND behind Nick Cannon. Diddy started by inviting Nick back “home” & offering a place for him on RevoltTv, a “truly BLACK OWNED” business. Let me say this 🗣 I STAND with Diddy!

    Nick continues to face backlash not only from individuals outside of the black race, but also within the race which led him to gut wrenching tweets that obviously show his pain. Stephy Says 💋 imagine putting your career on the line, lose your career, then be turned on by the very same culture you were protecting. Nick has rooted & spoke for the black community when we didn’t have a voice loud enough or a platform big enough to speak for ourselves. Long before now, “our people” having been calling Nick Cannon “lame” or “whack.” I remember having a conversation with one of my FB friends about how much Nick is underappreciated, underrated, & overlooked. Our people have been degrading him for years, so honestly this comes as no surprise, but with everyone else seemingly being against black culture–I assumed we could rally behind Nick. I guess I expected too much….

    As expected, Nick has received love & support from the Wild N’ Out crew. Justina does not say many words, but the 2 she says (LOVE YOU), clearly speaks volume. Conceited does not say any words, but did post a pic of him & Nick with the crown emoji. The love & support continues from DC Young Fly following this outrageous incident. Emmanuel Hudson stands by Nick & offers support & love. In fact, Eman went on an entire rant about how our people crossed Nick. Hitman Holla speaks up for Nick & vouches that he spoke no lies. In his tweet, Hitman says “NO LIES DETECTED.”

    While Hitman, DC, & Eman take moments to speak up & protect Nick, Chico Bean, B. Simone, & Radio Big Mack have been fairly quiet on Twitter considering the incident. Karlous Miller uses this serious situation to gain a few laughs per usual, However, Nick’s tweets touched a nerve in Karlous as he tweets:

    “they done convinced my boy that he offended a whole community. I can’t believe this fucking shit.”

    Make no mistake. –we know that Karlous rides for Nick even after all they have been through.

    Not to mention, I’ve been waiting to see a statement, tweet, status, or something from Colin Kaepernick to see if he will ride for Nick as hard as Nick was riding for him. (Remember the WNO episode that Nick wore a Kaepernick jersey instead of the traditional WNO gear?)

    If you remember the Azealia Banks WNO episode, then let’s talk about how ignorant she is acting in this situation. She is actually rejoicing & celebrating the fact that Nick was fired & had the gall to make this statement, “Azealia Banks voodoo is working.” At this point, call DC to roast her again ‘cuz I’m siccud. She posted a video on Instagram: view it here.

    Stephy Says 💋 let’s talk Nick Cannon’s accomplishments :

    Wild N’ Out is one of the most successful shows on the MTV Network. Nick used his platform without discrimination & opened his stage to other races, religions, sexual orientations, & cultures. Tim DeLaGhetto gives his appreciation to Nick for the chance to grace the Wild N’ Out stage.

    When Nip died, Nick took it upon himself to continue the legacy of Nip by using his platform to continue the Dr. Sebi documentary. Surprise, surprise….he also faced negative comments & remarks for wanting to do this as well.

    Nick Cannon is more than an entertainer & producer. Nick is a philanthropist. A risk taker. A mogul. A cultivator. But above all, he’s HUMAN & he deserves a little grace. I mean really, how many of individuals do you know that have said things that they had no business saying? To lose so much due to “sensitivities” of those on the receiving end while the killers of Breonna Taylor roam the streets….but THIS is Amerikkka.

    01.28.21 UPDATE: Nick Cannon’s daytime show has been revived.

    02.04.21 Update:

    Variety.com says, “Nick Cannon, ViacomCBS Reunite for ‘Wild ‘N Out’ After Host Makes Amends for Anti-Semitic Comments

    04.08.21 update

    USA Today reveals headlines:

    “Don’t call it a comeback: Nick Cannon unveiled as Bulldog on ‘Masked Singer,’ returns as host next week.”

    Editor’s note: This post was originally published [July 15, 2020] and has been updated frequently for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness. 

    Happy reading ✨ Stephy Says 💋As always–LIKE, SHARE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE ✨