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WWE’s Uneven Attempts to Reach Black Fans – Andscape

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Pro wrestling has all the time had an advanced relationship with race, largely due to its history of using stereotypes and derogatory portrayals of athletes. For a long time, World Wrestling Entertainment, America’s largest pro wrestling company, has exploited offensive themes of black wrestlers in its programming while stifling the recognition of a few of its most talented black stars. In recent years, the corporate has showcased talents comparable to Kofi Kingston, Bobby Lashley, Bianca Belair and more, awarding them championships and mainstream attention for his or her efforts. However, there remains to be unrest amongst fans who proceed to demand more representation higher up on WWE cards. Last week, the corporate openly responded to these concerns by incorporating Black culture into its shows and tipping its hat to WWE’s most loyal Black fans. The results show how far WWE has are available Black representation and what obstacles lie ahead.

The first sound you hear while watching WWE’s October 5 premium live event in Atlanta is Future rapping the lyrics “my b— with it too” from the album “GTA” from his album with Metro Boomin. As the song plays over the State Farm Arena speakers, WWE announcer Michael Cole recaps the show’s matches and cuts to a video skit featuring WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and WWE Hall of Famer and the corporate’s Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque having Metro Boomin as an envoy series. The live event was hosted by Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair and Naomi, a triumvirate of Black female wrestlers who’ve develop into a number of the sport’s biggest stars, often gaining popularity with their Black Girl Magic brand of wrestling.

The event felt like a celebration of the Black fans who were there the idea of WWE’s popularity and current viewership and revenue growth – just take a look at all of the hashtags and comments on social media for a given episode , or . However, Bad Blood was not without justified criticism from Black fans. The show didn’t feature any black wrestlers in any matches. Cargill, Belair and Naomi are the one Black wrestlers to perform at top-quality live events in months, and there was no Black singles champion on WWE’s major roster throughout 2024. Black wrestlers have also been absent from major feuds within the WWE company.

The juxtaposition of a live event that brought together black fans in a black city with black entertainers from that city while there have been no black wrestlers within the ring was too obvious to ignore. At the post-WWE press conference, Levesque, WWE’s chief creative officer, was asked in regards to the lack of black characters within the series. His answer it was disappointing.

“I don’t see a difference in anyone. I don’t see color, I don’t see nationality, I don’t see any of that. I just see talent. I don’t see any difference between men and women. I see talent,” Levesque said. “We tell stories about these talents, how they handle them, how they can represent them and how we can develop them. I don’t follow all this. I do what’s important and what’s best, what’s best in storytelling and what’s best delivered, and that’s what happens. It is no different than the men and women who are the main events. Whatever the biggest stories are, that’s where we’re going to go.”

Next up athlete Jacob Henry (left) with Paul “Triple H” Levesque (right) backstage during an event on the Paycom Center on September 27 in Oklahoma City.

WWE/Getty Images

The response was immediate and justified. Levesque’s use of the “I don’t see color” trope was as lazy and dismissive a response as possible. Not seeing colours is just not seeing the experiences that make us who we’re. And not seeing color in an industry that relies heavily on degrading characters due to color of their skin is an insult.

If you squint, you may see the problem in highlighting Black talent from a WWE perspective. Some of this was down to bad luck: the corporate’s next big black star, Big E, in 2022, he suffered a profession-threatening broken neckderailing his profession and leading to the demise of his group The New Day. So much of the corporate’s television time is taken up by The Bloodline storyline, led by Roman Reigns and his Samoan brothers, leaving a live broadcast that does not engage them or the wrestlers of their ecosystem at a premium. At the identical time, there was an exodus of black talent from WWE, with wrestlers comparable to Ricochet, Lashley and MVP leaving the corporate and moving to rival AEW. However, it’s also a mirrored image of their dissatisfaction with being a component of WWE and the way they were treated by the corporate.

Still, Levesque’s comments stunned the corporate into realizing they needed to send a greater message. So on October 8, WWE opened the printed at showcasing every black champion in the corporate — Women’s Tag Team Champions Cargill and Belair, Champion Trick Williams and NXT North American Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan — stand within the ring at the identical time. Friday featured a women’s tag team championship match between Cargill and Belair and the tag team of Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson. This can be the primary time 4 black women competed for the tag team championships in WWE history, which was confirmed on-air by the announce team.

Bad Blood and Levesque’s follow-up to the disastrous press conference was an excellent-faith gesture from an organization that understands it must do right by its black fans, even when it has stumbled to this point. At the very least, the willingness to truly embrace black viewers is a step in the best direction for an organization that has long insulted black fans without even fascinated by trying to fix it. Still, WWE has a great distance to go to get to a spot where more black faces are more visible in major events with championships at stake. With a flood of black talent and an organization that could be very aware of the necessity to highlight that talent, it looks like it’s only a matter of time before black wrestlers return to the highest of the cardboard, however it needs to be an urgent goal that WWE needs to prioritize to ensure that potential stars to develop into mainstream players.

DavidDennis Jr. is a senior author at Andscape and the writer of the award-winning book “The Movement Made Us: A Father, a Son, and the Legacy of a Freedom Ride.” David is a graduate of Davidson College.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Jessica Simpson’s ‘creepy’ new look outraged fans as Eric Johnson divorce rumors intensify

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Singer Jessica Simpson has a new look and outlook on life that has fans calling her unrecognizable. The 2000s pop star and her husband of 10 years, Eric Johnson, are reportedly going through a marital crisis that has sparked rumors of an impending divorce.

Simpson and the retired NFL player have been married since 2014 three children: daughters Maxwell, 12, and Birdie, 5, and son Ace, 11.

Mr. and Mrs. spent a decade together experiencing the best of highs and the bottom of lows, which included the “I Wanna Love You Forever” artist’s battle with alcohol addiction and a dramatic 100-pound weight reduction.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 29: Jessica Simpson attends the 2023 Footwear Achievement Awards at Cipriani South Street on November 29, 2023 in New York City. (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Footwear News via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 29: Jessica Simpson attends the 2023 Footwear Achievement Awards at Cipriani South Street on November 29, 2023 in New York City. (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Footwear News via Getty Images)

This is her second marriage after her divorce from 98 Degrees singer Nick Lachey.

She raved about it last yr People that “when I met Eric, I felt like it was more nurturing. Everything was more supported. Everything seemed so simple.” Now, new reports say that the couple has lost the spark they usually are at a crossroads regarding the longer term.

“Jessica’s goals are to stay married and repair a relationship that has gone stale,” the alleged source said Page six. An insider noted that “Eric was an amazing father. He was by her side on her sobriety journey and was able to handle all of her ups and downs. He was her rock.”

Despite the “difficult situation”, the couple is claimed to be on the identical page with regards to coping with their problems before the vacations. “He wants her kids to do well, and she still loves him and he loves her… They’re both aware that things have to change if they’re going to make this work.”

Jessica Simpson and her husband Eric Johnson spotted without their wedding rings as the singer faces scrutiny over her new look. Photo: Jesssicasimpson/Instagram.

However, conflicting reports from TMZ they maintain that the split prompted a friend and member of Simpson’s team to contact two different divorce lawyers. The claims come days after she and Johnson were spotted individually in Los Angeles, without their wedding rings and the artist, who shared a post signaling a new starting.

“Interviews in my music room in Nashville where I discovered my special magic. “This comeback is personal, it’s an apology to myself for enduring everything I didn’t deserve,” Simpson wrote in a Nov. 12 Instagram caption. post.

– Yes, I called it some time ago. We love you. Stay strong,” a fan commented. Another follower said: “I just hope she doesn’t have to pay child support, it’s killing me!!!!!!” Simpson is the founding father of an eponymous billion-dollar clothing and footwear brand that has helped her amass a $200 million fortune.

The same day, paparazzi caught Johnson walks around Los Angeles. However, the marriage ring on his finger was noticeably missing.

More than a couple of fans have expressed concern concerning the “scary” change in her appearance following the separation reports. “Jessica obviously had Botox, but she’s still beautiful! I bet he’ll get a divorce!” read one such comment.

Several he asked“What’s wrong with Jessica’s face?” “Jessica looks AMAZING. She should have let her natural beauty shine,” one person said. Some speculations about her facial changes include Botox, fillers, and Ozempic.

A viewer joked: “She doesn’t even look like her.” However, when fans zoomed in on a photograph of Simpson together with her sister, Ashlee Simpson Ross, they concluded that each women “have acquired completely new faces.”

Someone else speculated that her sobriety issues can also be an element. “Alcohol didn’t help her,” one person said. November 1 marked seven years of sobriety. Another user shared: “I noticed her mouth is so full she’s slurring her words a bit.”

On September 15, Johnson celebrated his forty fifth birthday – a day that his wife had publicly celebrated in previous years with a loving post. This yr, nevertheless, Simpson took the freedom of writing a sweet message. In fact, her husband was last praised on her Instagram page in a 2023 birthday tribute to him.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Chloe Bailey’s sultry dance music video faces criticism as fans call on her to ‘stop pushing’ a sexy image

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Things get interesting when Chöle Bailey puts on a leotard.

The singer’s latest song Instagram post on Friday, November 15, featured a sexy dance video dedicated to her latest single, “Nice Girls Finish Last.”

In the clip, Bailey dons a tight black leotard, sheer tights and high heels while dancing alone to her single in a dimly lit studio. Her caption, “It feels good to move again,” didn’t exactly prepare fans for the seductive moves they were about to see.

Chloe Bailey attends the 2024 BET Awards at the Peacock Theater on June 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
Chloe Bailey attends the 2024 BET Awards on the Peacock Theater on June 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

Throughout the video, Bailey flawlessly spins on the ground and demonstrates the moves related to the song’s exciting lyrics:

“Nice Girls Finish Last” is the most recent single from Bailey’s second album, Trouble in Paradise, which was released in August this yr.

Shadow Room shared the singer’s video and most agreed; hearing Bailey sing the lyrics is at all times welcome, but seeing her undressed gets boring.

“I need a branding team because it’s not working,” one person said.

This fan recognized Bailey’s potential as a complete package. “She can sing, she can dance, and the body is shaping… there is still a disconnect and I don’t know why!”

One follower quoted, “The over-sexualization of her image since she went solo is just weird and unnecessary.” One person responded in agreement, “That’s pathetic.” Another went further, wishing the singer would “stop hypersexualizing everyone.”

This person’s opinion shared the opinion of others, questioning the singer’s “authenticity”. “I think it just never feels like the authentic her that she can be. I just always feel like she’s performing in a way that’s not “her own.” She is beautiful, sexy in shape and incredibly talented. But we can’t seem to connect with her authenticity.”

“I know it sounds crazy, but she gives me virgin energy 😂,” said one commenter from the far left. But one other offered a more reasonable perspective. “This is what happens when you protect your children in religion. They meet the real world and go crazy.”

Another follower said the “Boy Bye” singer should listen to her fans. “She still doesn’t see what her fans have been screaming about since day one of the Bus It Challenge.” You’re too talented to be so hypersexual. I’ve never seen such a large fanbase demanding restraint and more modesty from an artist, and he or she continues to push for it. There is a real disconnect. It was cute, but will he sell those records? I do not know, we’ll see.

Since her solo appearance, Bailey has been criticized for her seductive appearance. She’s been raising the difficulty for the reason that debut of the risqué visual for her single “Have Mercy,” which caused a stir. Especially for fans who felt her image was too different from that of her Disney princess sister.

As the world reveled in the fantastic thing about her curves in 2021, Bailey sat down with “The Real” co-hosts Adrienne Bailon and Loni Love and talked to them about her journey into her sexuality and individuality.

“It’s constantly on my mind, and while I may seem confident most of the time, on the inside I don’t feel that way,” she said.

She explained further. “I have to remind myself that as long as I’m authentic and myself, you know that’s all that matters. People say I do too much, and maybe I do, but I don’t do it on purpose, it’s just the way I am. You can’t please everyone. Some people will like me and some won’t. It’s okay. I love everyone, I send love to both of them, they talk, so that’s good!”


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union ignore their baby’s birthday after throwing an extravagant party for daughter Kaavia

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Gabrielle Union fans defend her against critics accusing her of not including Dwyane Wade

Fans can not seem to miss the void in Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union’s picture-perfect family photos, in addition to the absence of the previous NBA star’s youngest son, Xavier.

On November 7, the Wade family’s baby girl, Kaavia James, celebrated her sixth birthday. Photos from her big Barbie-themed party within the backyard of their Los Angeles home were posted to Instagram 4 days later. There are loads of posts from this eventful day comments marveling at her parents’ obvious love for her.

“You should plan for another baby!!! I just love it,” wrote a fan. Another said: “From the photos and videos she posted, you can really feel how much she loves and adores her dad. It’s so sweet and whole.”

Gabrielle Union's fans are defending her against criticism accusing her of not inviting Dwyane Wade's son, Xavier, to their family gatherings. (Photos: @gabunion/Instagram; @aja_metoyer/Instagram)
Gabrielle Union’s fans are defending her against criticism accusing her of not inviting Dwyane Wade’s son, Xavier, to their family gatherings. (Photos: @gabunion/Instagram; @aja_metoyer/Instagram)

But for a 3rd person, this completely happy moment was a reminder that Xavier isn’t shown attending vacations or special events with the complete Wade family. An outraged person wrote: “It’s crazy that his other son was never shamed by YALLL!”

It has been well documented that the actress and the retired NBA star form a blended family unit, with Union serving as an additional mom to her husband’s children, Zaya and Zaire, and his adopted nephew, Dahveon.

Wade welcomed two older children together with his first wife, Siovaughn Funches. Funches and the Chicago native were married in 2002 but separated in 2007. Their divorce was finalized in 2010, and a 12 months later, in 2011, Wade gained sole custody of their children.

Xavier’s surprise addition took place on November 10, 2013. The news hit the press shortly thereafter. The former Miami Heat star and Union briefly split after three years of dating when Wade impregnated former “Basketball Wives” forged member Aja Metoyer. He alleged that unbeknownst to the general public, the 2 had been friends for a while.

Union and her longtime love reconnected shortly after checking out she was expecting their third child. The former Miami Heat star has since publicly revealed that telling Union about his “broken baby” was the toughest thing he’s ever done – “harder” than losing to the San Antonio Spurs within the 2014 NBA Finals.

“Yes,” Wade replied. “Man, listen, let me tell you, I wouldn’t have made it through this moment without her.” Wade proposed to Shannon Sharpe on “Club Shay Shay” in September 2023. “It’s been a tough time for me, bro.”

However, this didn’t prevent them from getting married in 2014. Due to the “Deliver Us from Eve” star’s struggles with infertility, they were unable to welcome their only biological child, Kaavia, together through a surrogate until 2018.

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union have received criticism for not publicly celebrating their baby’s birthday ahead of their daughter Kaavia’s birthday party. (Photos: @kaaviajames/Instagram, @aja_metoyer/Instagram)

However, as he celebrates his birthday and shares loving posts, there isn’t any public appreciation for Xavier on any of the A-lister’s social media. Metoyer rarely posts details about her son online and has chosen to not share footage she recorded of his birthday party.

Instead, on her Instagram Story, she shared a friend’s video of the 11-year-old blowing out the candles on his cake as family members gathered around him within the kitchen. The co-parents gathered earlier to have a good time Xavier’s 2020 birthday.

Wade and the “Perfect Find” star got here under fire in early November when their young son was apparently excluded from the revealing of a ballista statue outside the Kaseya Center. The couple never commented on these rumors.

At least one person he theorized“How do people not know if the child had other plans with the mother? This is a random question. Let these people live in the family the way they want!”

For a moment last 12 months, fans almost convinced themselves that Xavier can be shown more public recognition after he was spotted on the court during a Lakers game together with his dad. Around the identical time, rumors of a rift between Wade and Union intensified.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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