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What I’m Yakking About

Red Pump Widget WordCampNYC – Nov 14-15 Web 2.0 Expo New York 2009

Armchair Therapist: Black women are voluntary victims

“So de white man throw down de load and tell de nigger man tuh pick it up. . . . He hand it to his womenfolks. De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see.” – Their Eyes Were Watching God, 1937

When Zora Neale Hurston wrote those words, I think [...]

November 17th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , | Category: Armchair Therapist, Entertainment, Mental Health, Social Psychology | 5 comments

My Open Letter to Self-Esteem

Dear Self-Esteem,

Thank you so much for being my friend, and for generally sticking around through rough times.  We’ve been together since I got teased in grade school for talking like a white girl, or for being mostly chubby and geeky through junior high school, and even still through college when I flunked out after freshman year [...]

November 14th, 2010 | Tags: , , | Category: Armchair Therapist, Mental Health, Social Psychology | 2 comments

Supermen have a hard time too

Apparently Black women aren’t the only people having a difficult time living up to images and expectations. Check out this story from the San Francisco Sentinel and London Observer on the disconnect between the public perception of gay men and the high rates of suicide and depression in the gay community.

Airing the Taboo – Too [...]

August 22nd, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , | Category: Mental Health, Mental Illness | One comment

Superwoman no more: its not easy to be me

Wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
About a home I’ll never see

It may sound absurd, but don’t be naive
Even heroes have the right to bleed
I may be disturbed, but won’t you concede
Even heroes have the right to dream
And it’s not easy to be me

– Five for Fighting – “Superman”

After writing [...]

August 14th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Category: Careers, Health, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Social Psychology | 5 comments

On Big-Girl Bras and why I've never liked Kathie Lee Gifford

Uh, in what world is THIS not sexy? (image courtesy of LaneBryant.com)

Imagine a beautiful, voluptuous woman going to meet a lunch date wearing nothing but sexy red lingerie under her trenchcoat.  If you’re the woman, you feel empowered, strong and just a little naughty.  If you’re the guy she’s going to meet, you’re probably [...]

August 4th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , | Category: Current Events, Entertainment, Fashion | 9 comments
 
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