Entertainment
Beyoncé’s unrecognizable transformation is under fire from critics who say she’s trying too hard to stay relevant
Critics aren’t “madly in love” with Beyoncé’s latest transformation, and so they’re letting it’s known.
In the past, the Grammy-winning artist has used Halloween as a way to pay tribute to among the notable figures in Black history. This 12 months was no different. On October 31, Queen Bey posted a carousel of photos on Instagram dressed as “Nasty Gal” singer Betty Davis.
Beyoncé wore a zebra print jumpsuit, black and white boots and a big dark afro as she recreated the duvet of Davis’ 1975 album This Is It.
In one other post published on November 1, Beyoncé returned with two recent Halloween costumes. Paying tribute to Prince and his “Purple Rain” co-star Apollonia, Beyoncé shared a series of photos in dark hair, high boots and a horny lace bodysuit.
In the caption, she wrote: “Purple nasty.”
Wearing short, curly hair, a ruffled white top and a purple jacket, Beyoncé got into character along with her poses while holding a purple guitar paying homage to Prince’s iconic instrument. As for her tackle Apollonia, aside from her black catsuit and purple thigh-high boots, the “Naughty Girl” ditched her blonde braids in favor of huge, black curly hair to mimic the Apollonia 6 singer’s look.
Of course, many individuals gave Queen Bey their props for easily creating iconic styles. But others weren’t so approving.
Extra TV shared Halloween photos on its Instagram accountwhich prompted a lot of his supporters to express their opinions. One user wrote: “This gives me the necessity for attention. These shots look very thirsty. She used to look more like TISHA CAMPBELL. THEN APOLLONIA.
Another user said, “I feel like he needs more attention,” and a 3rd commenter shared a GIF that read, “He needs it so bad.”
A fourth person wrote: “I’m trying to be relevant,” while a number of naive others simply felt she didn’t do the prince justice.
However, not all comments were bad. “I love it!” shared by one fan, followed by one other who wrote, “She killed it!”
“I’m not a fan but I really like it,” one other person said.
Beyoncé had the chance to perform with Prince on the Grammys in 2004, 12 years before his tragic death. They performed a medley of their songs corresponding to “Purple Rain”, “Crazy In Love”, “Let’s Go Crazy”.
In 2012, she he said Giant that she was “afraid” of working with Prince.
“Walking into rehearsals, I was just overwhelmed, nervous and star-struck. We exercised for an hour every day for a week, instead of six hours the day before. It was very smart, it was Prince’s idea – I think he knows people are impressed because he’s so amazing. I felt really comfortable and when it came time to do it, it was second nature.”
Entertainment
From LL Cool J to Victoria Monét – the world reacts to the death of Quincy Jones at the age of 91
The world woke up to the news of the death of renowned music producer Quincy Jones over the weekend. He was 91 years old.
Music experts equivalent to LL Cool J and Victoria Monét, in addition to fans around the world, shared touching tributes to the legendary producer and songwriter who, over the years, produced Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” “Off the Wall” and “Bad” and music for movies and tv programs 70-year profession.
“You were a father and an example at a time when I really needed a father and an example. Mentor. A role model. King. 👑You gave me opportunities and shared wisdom. Without you, music wouldn’t be music,” LL Cool J wrote in the caption Instagram post which included a photograph of Jones holding several Grammy Awards.
He continued: “My condolences to the entire family. I love you. Rest forever in the sweetest music. #ripquincyjones one of one.”
After startup her post on X with five heart emojis, Monet wrote: “this is one of my biggest inspirations! Quincy, I love you so much!!! Your legacy will live forever 😢 Heaven has certainly been improved because of you.”
“Abbott Elementary” star Sheryl Lee Ralph sent: “Rest in peace and great game Quincy Jones! What a life well lived.”
IN long tribute to X playwright Jeremy O. Harris posed the query, “What couldn’t he do?”
Harris continued: “Quincy Jones, literally born at a time when the limits to the size of a black boy’s dreams were unfathomable, taught us that there is no such thing as a limit. His contributions to American culture were limitless. First black person nominated for an Oscar for best rating. First black person nominated twice later in the same yr. Producer of undoubtedly the biggest albums of the twentieth century. EGOT. The father of several incredibly talented children and the godfather of musicians around the world. CRUSH QUINCY.
He added: “It fucks me up. I wish I could have told him how much he meant to me, reading about him when I was a teenager in Virginia. When I was in Tokyo, I heard stories from people like Makoto Ozone, a Japanese jazz musician, about his mentorship. He was a model of how to live art.”
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Ghanaian-American singer Ammarae sent“I thought Quincy Jones would live forever. What an incredible loss. RIP to the greatest to ever do it!”
Written by actor Colman Domingo entry on X “He asked: Where are you from? Philly, I replied, his eyes lit up and he talked about the Uptown Theater. I was very excited to meet Mr. American Music himself. I literally knelt down because he was the king. Thank you to Mr. Quincy Jones for giving us the right sound.”
Reverend Al Sharpton as well as“I’m saddened to hear of the death of Quincy Jones. Today we remember a real giant – a cultural icon whose transforming influence will proceed.
Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, announced that the iconic music producer died on Sunday, November 3, at his Los Angeles home surrounded by his family.
According to his family’s statements, including: Billboardthey said: “He is truly one of a kind and will be greatly missed; we take comfort and great pride in knowing that the love and joy that were the essence of his being were shared with the world through all that he created.”
The family added: “Through his music and boundless love, Quincy Jones’ heart will continue to beat for eternity.”
Two days before his death, the father of seven sent a sweet birthday tribute to one of his daughters, Martina Jones.
“Happy birthday to my Tina Beena @martinafotos1!! 🎉. I’m so proud to be your dad! Hugs tight, I love you forever 🫶🏾💜,” he wrote in the caption Instagram post which included a photograph of the two posing together.
In addition to Martina, Jones is survived by daughters, actress Rashida Jones, Jolie Jones Levine, Rachel Jones, Kidada Jones and Kenya Kinski-Jones; son Quincy Jones III; brother Richard Jones and sisters Theresa Frank and (*91*) Jay.
Entertainment
Malcolm Washington and the cast of “The Piano Lesson” about family and the creation of historic black cinema – Essence
(Photo: Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Netflix)
Filmmaker Malcolm Washington and the cast of the Netflix series – Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Deadwyler and John David Washington – discuss the importance of family, healing together and letting go of generational fears.
August Wilson’s historic film adaptation of Washington, D.C. has turn into a family-friendly cinematic endeavor. A theatrical release on November 8 and on Netflix on November 22 signifies that filmmaking is outwardly an inherent gene in the Washington family’s DNA. Denzel Washington, two-time Oscar winner and Malcolm’s father, produced the film and starred his other son, John David. “My mom is a pianist,” says first-time director Malcolm Washington. “She couldn’t play the piano for a long time. She had a strange relationship with the piano and that became very powerful in the story.”
In 1990, Wilson’s play won the Pulitzer Prize for its dramatized narrative presenting a realistically complex portrait of family life for Black Americans in Mississippi and Pittsburgh from 1911 to 1936 during the Jim Crow era. The successful 2022 Broadway version of Wilson’s work starred Jackson as “Doaker” and John David as “Boy Willie.”
“He was so generous” – John David talks about working with Jackson, who played many of the roles of August Wilson. “He has 40 years of experience with this text alone.”
Jackson’s repertoire of characters in cinema tends to convey a palpable sense of armed masculinity and toughness. Doaker could be very much the latter, which adds depth to Jackson’s varied game. From taking over the role of “Boy Willie” at Yale Theater School in 1987 to playing the quiet “Doaker” on Broadway in 2022, Jackson’s return gave him an entire recent perspective on these harrowing characters. “When you adapt, you have to lose a lot of things because you’re going beyond the original material and expanding the scope of the script itself,” Jackson states. “People and places will come together, and Willie is the engine that drives this story, while Doaker is the unwavering spirit.”
Next to him, Jackson was the headstrong Deadwyler, who took on the role of consciously protective mother and daughter, Berniece. Her character makes it her life’s work to take care of the most precious family heirloom, the piano that stood of their front room day by day. This piano was stolen from the Charles family by their ancestors’ slave owners, the Sutters. The instrument is a manifested vessel of blood, cultural and generational heritage, and knowledge that has outlined a family’s lineage; despite living in times that attempted to erase their each day existence. “When we were shooting the movie, my mom came on set and I saw her play the piano for the first time in years,” Washington recalled. “I haven’t heard this since I was young, it touched everyone and got everyone emotional.”
Black music and spirituality have been intertwined for hundreds of years, and Wilson’s raw play shows how collective trauma and the refusal to face fear can hinder a family’s healing. John David’s fiery portrayal of Willie shows that the pursuit of opportunity doesn’t all the time equate to true manhood and a fruitful legacy. His siblings’ conflicts with Berniece cause tension to mount in the family home, causing unexpected, terrifying ghosts to linger and resurface. “I think about stories and how important they are in keeping us connected across generations,” Deadwyler says, sitting next to John David. “I have a set of earrings from my grandmother and it speaks to how possessions can contribute to folklore in creating a family.”
When it involves collaborating with esteemed Black performers who’ve had illustrious careers on stage and screen, Deadwyler goes back to pure basics. “It’s an education,” Deadwyler describes his craft. “Art is a spiritual endeavor. It’s a political and personal endeavor, and doing it with serious people makes it all seem real. Filmmaking is meant to change who you are, and in turn, possibly change others, as well as create a rich conversation within the larger community.”
Growing up in Los Angeles, Malcolm Washington credits movies like these with giving him the artistic dimension to tackle his first film project. His directorial debut is all about sparking conversations and letting emotions run high. uses dialogue as a dynamic tool while moving the audience without clear directives or resolutions for the Charles family. It focuses on character relationships that leave audiences reeling – “the material found me when I needed it most, and I’m grateful it did,” Malcolm explains to me.
“Malcolm has a very clear vision,” says John David of witnessing his brother’s first directorial appearance. “He has always been a director I am a fan of. He was an artist I admire and someone I was ready to spread my wings with… and he took off.”
When adapting from stage to film, the creative collaboration of Malcolm and his family knew they’d to succinctly tackle confronting scenes related to grief, acceptance of loss and familial uncertainty. “My approach to the house, where most of the film was shot, was to chase dynamism,” Malcolm details his directing techniques. “I really wanted a camera that was moving, wandering and dynamic, speaking to the subtext of the scenes, able to communicate what was between the lines and sometimes working in opposition to the lines, something that would represent the subjective experience of the film and reach inside the characters.”
Although the dialogue Wilson had originally created was of great value to the filmmaking, Malcolm focused on allowing his multi-talented cast to take a relaxed approach to bring the organic performances to life. “I wanted the cast to find a rhythm that felt good for us as a whole, so we would break through the kind of stiffness that can sometimes come with a sacred work when we are so afraid.”
In this case, viewers can follow the events in the Charles family home as tensions rise when Berniece touches the piano keys. She and the piano are a tethered source and conduit for a lot of of her family’s invisible guardian angels – their ancestors. Earth, wind, fire and water are seasonal because despite the fact that family and community dynamics may change, nature will all the time remain, but the most significant thing is when everyone comes together.
When Willie’s dad shows him the land and notes that it’s the land that may take more,” Washington continues. “His father puts his hand on his back and I remember my dad doing the same thing and putting his giant hand on my little back.” This idyllic, easy scene is the quintessence of the essential story that Malcom creates, which goals to firmly root and ground Black people in the family despite confusion and troubles. The full gathering of the Charles family in the final minutes is conflict, climax and resolution – together they only archive their presence through memory. “I will never take for granted the love that goes into a project. Sacrifice required from everyone, from top to bottom,” Washington says.
Entertainment
Donald Trump’s grotesque performance with a microphone provokes a reaction from disgusted viewers
Many persons are outraged that the forty fifth president and current Republican presidential candidate appeared to simulate a sex act during his rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Friday, November 1. Social media users called him all the pieces from “disgusting” to “sleazy” and asked where his right-wing religious supporters were – the identical supporters who often see him because the savior of the nation.
The former reality star was upset because his microphone wasn’t working properly and didn’t sound clear.
A video of the event shows him complaining concerning the issue, which he said disrupted his hour-long talk time.
“I’m not asking for much. I’m not asking for much; all I ask for is a good microphone,” he said, adding that if he fired the person chargeable for the setup, people would think he was a bad person. He kept saying, “I do not even need a stage. I do not care.
Continuing, he mentioned that he had spoken at several other rallies and that, along with his microphone being cut off, it had strained his voice. He also noticed that the advanced team had positioned the microphone stand too low, forcing him to lean over to talk. At this point, he began stroking the microphone stand and opened his mouth in an “O” shape, appearing to simulate an explicit act.
Reactions on social media were swift.
The full clip is even weirder.
WHY IS TRUMP FELLATING INTO THE MICROPHONE?!
— Millennial snowflake 🇵🇸 (@Teh_Snowflake) November 2, 2024
Some X users he wrote “practiced for prison.”
One person he tweeted“He higher perfect this method. His fellow inmates won’t be glad with his weak sauce game.
Other commented“And this guy wants to be president! Disgusting! Come on, normal Americans!”
Someone else he wrote“He has no shame,” and one other nicknamed him “Hawk Tuah Guy.”
Referring to former President Bill Clinton and his infamous scandal, one person he was joking“‘I did not have sexual intercourse with this microphone’ – Donald J. Trump.”
Others expressed concerns about one user given the closeness of the election writing“…and some people want this bastard to become president! Vote Blue!”
Ana Navarro from “The View” also weighed in: tweeting“Ask yourself: What would happen if Kamala Harris did this? Yes. You saw it right. That’s Trump on stage at a rally, faking a sex act on a microphone. This is not normal. Trump is disgusting, unstable, and unfit to represent the United States. Vote for him.”
While many are disgusted by the incident, some find it ironic that his people see him because the “savior” of the nation.
Moreover, earlier this yr, certainly one of the videos Trump shared with his supporters stated: “And on June 14, 1946, God looked down on the paradise he had planned and said, ‘I would like a guardian.’ So God gave us Trump.”
“GOD CREATED TRUMP” pic.twitter.com/l03fK9SSfC
— Donald J. Trump posts on His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 5, 2024
According to The Guardian, this film has played at a lot of his rallies.
New York Times reports that the previous president’s language “became increasingly coarse” and “four-letter words were flying everywhere.”
Their evaluation shows that they use such language by 69%. more often than in the course of the 2016 campaign, sometimes admitting that he knows higher but adding that he can not help himself.
In the times since Election Day, the race between Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Trump is neck and neck, signaling a razor-sharp contest.
Harris is rallying in Michigan while Trump is specializing in key swing states like Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.
On Saturday, November 2, Trump visited Virginia and North Carolina, and Harris also campaigned in North Carolina, later surprising viewers with an appearance on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” in New York.
Surprisingly, whatever the former president’s antics, the gap is just not widening and his base stays overwhelmingly in his favor.
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