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The Netflix documentary Tell Them You Love Me is a truly bizarre trip to WTFsville

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(Spoiler alert: This article comprises ALL spoilers.)

I had no intention of watching “Tell Them You Love Me” a documentary that appeared on Netflix and recently gained attention from my social media community. But I kept seeing people I do know talking about someone named “DMan” and the way annoyed they were that somebody mispronounced it, which must have been virtually unattainable, so I Googled it and, well, here we’re. I watched Tell Them You Love Me and I’m so indignant about so many things on this documentary that when it ended I wanted to fight the air. One of the primary characters within the documentary, Dr. Anna Stubblefield, relates this story to Alice in Wonderland and he or she couldn’t be more right because many of the story is WTF, very similar to Lewis Carroll’s classic.

“Tell Them You Love Me” is about many things without delay: caregiving for the mentally challenged, cerebral palsy, sex, neglect, literature, white people, facilitated communication (and whether or not it’s real), Jesus, consent, deception, white savior, not listening to black women, and the list goes on. At its core, it asks the viewer to grapple with one query: Do you suspect that this white woman, academic, and practitioner (Anna) truly believed that she helped Derrick Johnson (aka DMan)—a mentally challenged, nonverbal black man with cerebral palsy—unblock his communication, intelligence, emotional, and physical desires? Is she a sexual predator because DMan was unable to consent to the sexual relationship she believed he was having, thus making her a liar and rapist who exploited DMan for his own twisted pleasures? He’s actually someone who recurrently breaks the road, but is he a criminal?

Spoiler alert: the court found the latter and sentenced her to 12 years in prison. She was released after two years of appeals, and it doesn’t appear that New Jersey will retry the case.

But let’s leave the ballistics alone. DMan (this nickname means a lot to anyone watching) was born with cerebral palsy, is non-verbal, and was diagnosed with severe mental retardation early in life. His mother and brother Jan maintain him. While John was pursuing his Ph.D. at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, he met Anna, who was doing work that John thought would help his brother. Then there was the element of facilitated communication. Communication made easy is a approach to helping non-verbal people communicate by supporting their hands while writing words on a keyboard or letter board.

Anna met DMan, helped him communicate, helped him express very deep, compelling thoughts and feelings, fell in love with him, risked every part for him (she got married, also to a black man) and went to prison. When DMan’s family had enough (we’re getting to that), they examined him and experts determined that it was all a lie and that Anna was an imposter who was communicating with one another and using DMan for her sexual pleasures.

I got bored watching the documentary at the start. Derrick (via keyboard) told Anna that he wanted to be called DMan, like DEE-man (allegedly confirmed by DMan’s mother, Daisy; the documentary doesn’t show her confirming this), but Anna couldn’t stop calling him Deman ( like Duh-MAN) and it really annoyed me. Every time Deman spoke, I got nervous; CALL THIS MAN BY HIS NAME. DMan was what one other teacher called him when he was younger.

This is one in all the primary the reason why I believe something is fallacious. Apparently one time at school (Anna told DMan to take an African-American studies class at Rutgers) he told her to stop speaking on his behalf. I’m supposed to consider he had the means to correct her for speaking poorly on his behalf on political issues, but let her mispronounce his name perpetually? But at the identical time, if he cannot clearly share his thoughts, how did he even tell her to call him DMan? You will see? This is very confusing.

Anna and DMan supposedly began a romantic relationship because Anna fell in love together with his mind, but I’m confused because… they should have spent an excessive amount of time together. At one point, DMan informed his family (via Anna via keyboard) that he drank red wine (though previously he only liked beer) and was vegan, which might have set off any alarm in my soul. The moment that upset his mother, and the moment where I consider the family was negligent, was when Anna stopped DMan’s mother from playing gospel music within the automotive due to DMan’s classics. This was a bridge too far for his mother, they usually probably became suspicious at this point.

Except they allowed DMan TO CONTINUE working with Anna. Things allegedly turned romantic and sexual. And then the family stepped in, pressed charges, and Anna ended up in prison.

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Look, this documentary is crazy. Or each thing shared within the document from Anna’s perspective is a complete and utter fabricated lie – every part ever typed on the keyboard utilized by DMan was written down; within the document they used “his” typography and e-mails sent between Anna and other people involved in his care – and he or she really is a threat to society (as her ex-husband assures) and a sociopath who took advantage of a disabled man OR DMan’s family didn’t want to accept the proven fact that he was able to every part he supposedly achieved: love, intelligence, expression… humanity.

Ultimately, the family separated Anna from DMan and had him evaluated by experts who determined he was completely incapacitated for nearly EVERYTHING she said happened and every part he wrote. It seemed that Anna was the sociopath they believed her to be, a perpetrator of sexual violence who unlocked his sexual desires, which then became a problem for his mother, who continued to be his guardian through all of it. His mother’s frustration with this seems to me to be the actual explanation for what ultimately led DMan’s mother to file criminal charges. For Daisy, Anna raped a mentally disabled man. The courts agreed.

It’s really sad. It seems very likely that Anna used DMan and manipulated him for years to create a strange version of a success story and went too far. She spent YEARS working with him; patience and the long game really prove the sociopathic approach. What I mean is that Anna and DMan had clear disagreements based on DMan’s archived comments on his keyboard; Was she arguing with herself and never realizing it? Anna also tried to get DMan away from his mother and into her own living space; for 30 years of his life, his mother took care of him across the clock. Somehow he was able to move out on his own? Anna might have real help, and DMan is not what everyone hoped he can be, despite his disability – this should be hard on his family.

The documentary is wild. How you are feeling depends largely on whether you suspect in the thought of ​​facilitated communication, which many leading scientific communities have rejected. And even when that happens on this case, with experts saying DMan is incapable of what Anna claimed, much of this story is bullshit. The family let him stick with Anna for much longer than they need to have, but Anna is truly dangerous.

There is so way more to this document that needs unpacking; even the legal proceedings are disturbing. It’s unattainable to watch this without concern and ultimately feeling sad for everybody involved, including the community of people that consider in and depend on facilitated communication to help their families. It’s just bad throughout.

Ultimately, I hope DMan is okay.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Kendrick Lamar Releases Surprise Album ‘GNX’; group chats are going crazy

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Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com

There are few things more exciting than receiving an infinite barrage of text messages at the very same time in numerous group chats. This normally implies that something vital has happened in popular culture. Well, the exact same thing happened about noon on November 22, within the yr of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, higher often called Kendrick Lamar, released the album “GNX”, nod towards Buick Grand National Regal GNXa rare muscle automobile released in 1987 – which also happens to be the yr Kendrick was born.

“GNX” is coming to the tip of what has been a banner yr for Kendrick Lamar. From epic diss records geared toward Drake, to creating the largest song of his profession (and a Drake diss track) on “Not Like Us”, to the “Pop Out” concert streaming live to tell the tale Amazon Prime, Kendrick won this yr. He even received seven Grammy nominations, mostly for “Not Like Us.” And this victory will proceed in the brand new yr. In September, it was announced that Kendrick would stay Super Bowl 2025 headliner will happen in New Orleans. This announcement sparked some controversy and comments from several New Orleans legends similar to Juvenile and most notably Lil Wayne, who felt disrespected; Kendrick immediately refers to this topic within the opening song of the album (all stylized in lower case), “wacced out murals”.

The thing is, Kendrick didn’t sleep for many of 2024. And then, while the remaining of us were minding our own business, listening to other albums that had just dropped, like Ice Cube’s “Man Down,” I began receiving text after text… and I knew that would only mean that something vital happened.

At this point in my life (and possibly even yours), Kendrick Lamar releases are a drop-everything-and-listen event. I immediately went to the streaming service, launched “GNX” and pressed “Play”.

I need to admit that the primary time I heard the album I used to be a bit confused. Kendrick has probably never been more popular or famous; if there was ever a time to drag a Kanye West and release his own version of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” – an album largely produced as Kanye’s best and most representative of Kanye’s greatness – now could be the time. “GNX” has a far more modern West Coast vibe and is certainly more for his die-hard fans than anyone who just began gaining attention due to his beef with Drake. Maybe that was the purpose; possibly not.

Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com
Photo: Dave Free

Either way, I can imagine that folks whose favorite lines are “OV-Ho” won’t be immediately thrilled. I wasn’t immediately blown away (though very amused by how sensitive Kendrick is to what people say about him on social media, well, everyone), but as is all the time the case with Kendrick albums, repeated listens are likely to correct any immediate monotony that I even have about his projects. For example, now that I’ve listened to it just a few times, I can not wait to listen to black college bands playing “tv off” style, which seems like a cousin of “Not Like Us.” The Shoot, Bayou Classic, which also takes place yearly in New Orleans on Thanksgiving Day, stands out as the first time we hear a band playing “TV off.”

Since the album didn’t come out long enough to be reviewed, group chats and social media were abuzz with immediate reactions. This is the a part of music releases I really like, where everyone seems to be listening to the identical thing, offering premature takes that will not even delay the following day. I’m not different; I’m sure I’ll say something about this album that can sound silly by Monday. Shoot, I can have already done it. But that is what happens when great artists release music. We spend time with others after which we refer to them, analyze them, criticize them, praise them, destroy them and let all our prejudices fly free. Love it.

It’s value noting that certainly one of Drake’s diss tracks that did not appear during last summer’s fracas was titled “The Heart Part 6,” and was an apparent try to usurp Kendrick’s pre-album practice of removing a non-album song titled “The Heart.” Well, Kendrick has a song on his recent album called, you guessed it, “The Heart, Pt. 6,” which I feel will probably be released soon Drake. Good job, Kenny.

Argue.


Panama Jackson theGrio.com

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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New music this week: Tyla, Lola Brooke, Coco Jones and more – Essence

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Happy Friday, people! Whether you are drinking a warm beverage or preparing for a fun-filled weekend, this week’s latest music releases set the tone. From sensual R&B melodies to powerful hip-hop anthems, these songs have something for everybody.

Coco Jones leads the pack along with her seasonal album, and Tyla offers a heartfelt change of tone with “Tears.” Miguel’s smooth “Always Time” and Jorja Smith’s tender “Stay Another Day” showcase R&B at its finest, while Lola Brooke and Killer Mike turn up the warmth on “Go To Yo Head” and “Warryn’s Groove,” respectively. Today’s list also includes music from Eric Bellinger, Coi Leray, Blxst and more.

Below you possibly can read our list of latest products.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Serena Williams is cutting short divorce talks for a second time after the couple reunited and put months of rumors to rest

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Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian are still doing well despite months of unconfirmed divorce rumors.

On November 17, Williams and the Reddit co-founder took a walk down memory lane and tested one another by asking questions on themselves and their family in a recent promotional ad. The couple ate a few of their favorite meals and meanwhile checked their glucose levels using Hello Lingo, a glucose monitoring device.

Nearly five minutes into the recording, Williams tested her husband’s memory by asking, “Who said I love you first?”

Ohanian, who shares two daughters, Olimpia and Adira, with the tennis legend, responds quickly by saying, “Mmm,” before writing his answer on the board.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian recall who said “I love you” first amid divorce rumors. (Photo: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)

“It’s like ‘The Newlywed Game,'” Williams said, writing down her answer, referring to the mid-Nineteen Sixties show “The Newlywed Game,” which tested couples who had been married for lower than two years to see if how much they learn about their relationship. amplifier.

Both Williams and Ohanian turn the board over to reveal their answers and, quite shockingly, they received two different answers. Ohanian wrote that Williams said it first, but Williams claims it was Ohanian.

“Come now. Are you going to lie about this? he declared to Williams, who responded with a laugh: “I said I would be honest.”

“That’s not an honest answer,” Ohanian continued. “I still keep in mind that phone call. Oh, you realize I felt the same, but you certainly said it first.

Williams joked: “My glucose levels were high. I ate some ice cream, my glucose level was too high. Then I tell this guy and I feel like saying things I would not normally say. The moment ended with Williams replaying how she told Ohanian those three special words.

Of course, there was no shortage of reactions from fans who showed their love for the couple and how well they interact of their normal element.

One YouTube commenter he wrote“It’s great to see Serena and Alexis in this normal environment, they are so lovely and have great charisma. I love them even more now and I feel great chemistry between them.”

Someone else said: “I liked this part. They seem to really like each other.”

However, as rumors swirled about problems of their marriage, one fan was confused by the video shared on Instagram.

“I thought I read that they got divorced?” he wrote one person in Williams’ comment section.

Someone else also addressed the rumors, writing: “Where are the haters who said divorce was imminent? Sometimes people will be crazy. Seriously, how are you going to even start assuming things like that about people you have never met?

This summer, fans began speculating that Williams and her seven-year marriage to Ohanian were in trouble after they noticed she hadn’t posted from him on her social media pages in some time.

Moreover, Ohanian was noticeably absent from the June premiere of the documentary “In the Arena: Serena Williams” and was also absent from her side at the Met Gala in May.

But they got back together this summer after they attended the Paris Olympics with their daughter Olympia in July.

Among the many viral moments spent with the Ohanian family, she organizes: umbrella for his wife and the European commentator – who didn’t realize he was her husband – and called Ohanian Serena’s “umbrella holder”.

The tech guru reacted to the moment hilariously by snapping a photo of himself holding an umbrella over himself and his daughter.

Ohanian joked, “I am also a personal Olympia umbrella owner. Sidebar: You all set the bar too low for me and celebrity daddies only get flowers for *admitting* they have kids.”

The proud dad is probably also Adira’s personal umbrella holder.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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