New Girlfriend?!

I've seen this commercial a million times. Perhaps it was Mechad Brooks abs or the humor of the situation that distracted me from noticing that "the girlfriend" is Gabrielle Dennis a.k.a. Janay. That's right Derwin's baby mama and the Melanie's nemesis is keeping Mechad Brooks is keeping Superman in check. New girlfriend? Yeah, right!

'The Game' Alum Get Their Own...

As we know The Game has sparked and continued success for many in front of and behind the camera.  And as the summer season gets underway, we are excited to see the premiere of two brand new shows showcasing some fan favorites.

Stacey Dash @ to take on Hotlanta

Single Ladies, a VH1 Romantic Comedy movie and series features fan favorite Stacey Dash (Camille Rose on The Game) as Val Stokes a strong but insecure and sensitive Fashion Mogul, looking for true love in Atlanta, Ga.  Val, wears her heart on her sleeve but she couldn’t get more divergent points of view than from her best friends, Keisha Greene and April Goldberg-Jenkins played by LisaRaye McCoy and Charity Shea respectively.  As an “…Urban, more colorful Sex in the City…” described by movie and series producer Queen Latifah, this Rom-Com offers a unique view, navigating love, relationships and sex in Hotlanta.

Queen Latifah Super Producer

Why should we watch?  “…Because it’s an authentic showcase of how women feel about the pursuit of love,” says the show’s star, Stacey Dash.  Creator and Head Writer Stacy A. Littlejohn explained her motivation for the series as “…a focus on the reality of love….relatable conversations, thoughts, choices and pitfalls…" that will be explored in the premiere and episodes to follow.  Single Ladies kicks off with an explosive, two-hour premiere on May 30, 2011, 9pm est. Series to commence weekly beginning on June 6, 2011 all on VH1.  Check it out, we certainly will be.  Check local listings for channels. 

Mechad Brooks aka Superman, Melanie’s scorned love interest also gets his shot to play the field, the football field that is, in the USAnetwork’s premiere of Necessary Roughness.  Based on a true story, this drama chronicles a suburban Family Therapist turned Sports and Entertainment Psychologist who resurrects her own career by counseling pro Athletes.  Tough love is the focal point of this drama that features another familiar “The Game” favorite, Dr. James Barnett (Melanie’s father) played by Gregory Alan Williams. 

Gregory Alan Williams as Coach

Williams is the coach that arranges for Pro-Wide Receiver Terrance, (Mechad Brooks) to obtain the counseling he needs to play the game he loves.  Necessary Roughness airs on USA networks on June 29.  Check local listings for channels and times.

Catching Up To Barry Floyd

Some of the funniest moments on The Game have included Tee-Tee. The cool, even-tempered, childhood friend turned personal assistant to Malik, Tee Tee.  Now that he's stepped out of Malik's shadow on screen, I'm sure we'll learn that Tee-Tee has a few secrets of his own.  That means we also get to learn about the actor that brings Tee-Tee to life-Barry Floyd.

It turns out that Floyd didn't arrive in Tinseltown with dreams of being an actor.  Floyd had dreams of working behind the scenes as a writer. It was when he was working as a production assistant on Girlfriends and was asked to stand in for an actor that he got the acting bug.  The producers liked him and the rest is history.  For more on Floyd, check out his story, here.

Source

Jumping The Broom Lands At No.3

The numbers are in and they're looking good.  Jumping The Broom took in $15.2 million at the box office this weekend, landing in the number three spot behind Thor and Fast Five.   There's no doubt that opening on Mother's Day weekend and wedding season kicking into high gear, were contributing factors that helped the film to hold it's own against the big-budget, action-packed releases.

Many of the theaters in my area and my hometown sold out!  This is great news not only for this film, but for those that are to come.  It sends a strong message to Hollywood: diversity needs to be...diverse.  Diverse in storytelling, setting and casting.

Have you seen Jumping The Broom yet?  We'd love to hear your thoughts.  What was your favorite scene?

Does Reality TV Keep It Real, For Real?

NeNe Leakes and Star Jones 

Network and cable lineups are filled with reality shows, with mostly female casts, that claim to be successful.  These women profess to be successful in their careers, relationships and motherhood.  To hear them tell it, they have it all: talent, love, money, education and yes, class.  It doesn't matter whether their credentials are law school or a stripper pole, these women engage in some of the most degrading, rude, and disrespectful exchanges with one another.

No class or racial group has gone untouched by the sting of "reality" television.  However, it seems that a slow, steady trend of showcasing these antics amongst black women has gone full steam ahead.