Didn't you know this? Or didn't you notice?

Anyone who knows me knows that I heart Jill Scott. Indeed, when the movie of my life is made, I want her to play me.

Earlier this week Jill Scott announced her engagement to her bandmate/drummer John Roberts during a concert at Carnegie Hall. Last year she divorced from her husband Lyzel Williams.

Now, I've read a lot of hateration about Jill's love life since this announcement: it's too soon after her divorce, you shouldn't date someone you work with (or who works for you), he's a gold digger, this reeks of desperation, and so on. And, I must admit, my first inclination was to be like "Jill, I hope you make him sign an iron clad pre-nup!" But, since we don't know these folks and can only speculate, what can we really say?

I have been thinking a lot about love lately. I've taught courses on the role of love in literature and it's always so interesting to hear undergrads wax poetic about "true love" and all sorts of other nonsense. But, in all due seriousness, the politics of Jill's move aside, I think much of hate out there about this is about scarcity.

What do I mean by scarcity? I mean operating from an ideology or epistemology of scarcity. The idea that fundamentally there is lack, that there just isn't enough in the universe. Enough food, enough money, enough love. I am not claiming there isn't poverty in the world; it is for real and definitely not imagined. Indeed, there is enough to go around, just not everybody's getting it. But that's a whole nother blog.

What I mean by poverty is poverty of imagination. You know, this idea that you have one soul mate and if you don't find that mofo, that's it. The idea that if you are 35 you are going to get hit by lightning before you get booed up. I refute it and rebuke it. Maybe it isn't the wisest move to marry your drummer (or maybe it's a brilliant move, I dunno), but I do not doubt there is enough love out there for Jill to go through a horrible divorce and find love the next year. And not because she's "Jill Scott" but because she's a human being. And don't we all want to be loved?

Obamaniaaaaa

Not Barack mania. Michelle Obama mania. Not even first lady (yet!) and this week alone she gets a major spread in the New York Times, special segments on CNN's "American Morning," joins hubby on the cover of US Weekly, and served of as a co-host of "The View." I do not think she is undeserving of the attention. I do think it's interesting to note the kind of interest she is receiving, however. Let me give you a few examples.

1. The infamous "fist bump." Known in the streets as a "pound" or "dap," the greeting she gave her husband the night he clinched the nomination has been scoured, analyzed, and dissected from about 8 million perspectives. Really? I mean, it's a greeting. People (black people, yes, but all sorts of all other people too) do this every day. With gas at over $4 per gallon, we need to reshift our focus, people!

2. The crazy YouTube clips. Like about "whitey" (child, please!) and "The Michelle Obama Song" by The Hardly Boyz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvsk01dQZj0. "Pull my lever"? Sigh.

Regarding the recent onslaught of corny special interest Michelle Obama pieces, CNN's Lola Ogunnaike writes "So here she is, a Princeton graduate and an accomplished executive, talking about trips to Target, Sudoku, bad hair days and dance recitals. Subtext: I'm just another bargain-hunting soccer mom, who just happens to be married to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee." I appreciate the whole idea of trying to make her down-to-earth, but here's my theory: I don't think the First Lady (and certainly not the president) should be "just like me." What a farce! It's a huge responsibility that is in no way "average." The president and his/her partner should ideally be extraordinary folk. Not so lofty or "elitist" that they cannot relate to the masses, but really exceptionally educated, capable, poised, and so on.

I guess I should be thankful the interest this week is on her pearls and purple shift rather than on how supposedly unpatriotic she is. Indeed, look at what we are up against.

Whose Wedding is it Anyway?

No, I'm not getting married. But "Whose Wedding is it Anyway?" on the Style Network is a guilty pleasure of mine. I confess.

Another guilty pleasure of mine is Logo's dramedy, Noah's Arc. Its not quite biblical--think Sex and the City meets Girlfriends meets Queer as Folk, with a pinch of The L Word for flavor. Those fools at Logo "suspended" production after the season two cliffhanger (did Wade make it out of the car crash alive?!) in favor of a feature film, Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom, to be released in September. Click on the link to see the teaser of the film:


http://www.logoonline.com/?popThis=popVideo(237786)


So.....this is a feature film, right? You know I'm going to be in the theatre with rainbow colored bells on supporting gay black cinema (and hot black men), so let's not get that twisted. However, I'm a bit concerned about the picture quality and....

Womannish Water

No. I'm not talking about perfume or even bath water.

"Mannish water" is a traditional Jamaican soup. The recipe varies, but usually consists of potatoes, yam, chocho (a.k.a. chayote or christophine), carrots, thyme, scallion, garlic, white rum, the ubiquitous scotch bonnet pepper (which makes a jalapeno taste like a bell pepper), and goat's head.

Yes, goat's head.

It is a man's aphrodisiac, hence the name, mannish water.

I can't say that I'm always thinking about Jamaican aphrodisiacs, but I was talking with a friend the other night about this and it got me to thinking...what would womannish water be like? Like Alice Walker's erstwhile definition of "womanist," womannish water would embody the adult and serious aspects of womanhood. So, I offer a recipe:

white rum
dark rum
citrus rum
coconut rum
peach schnapps
fruit punch
ginger ale

*chocolate on the side, as a garnish

I am not arguing that a sexy, empowered woman is an inebriated woman. Indeed, I think that whatever womannish water is, it should not simply help bring out one's inner vixen, but fortify a woman for the (un)expected trials of the day. Though perhaps she should not operate heavy machinery.

afrodisia speaks is born

well, since i spend so much time on the computer, i figured i'd put myself to good use. inspired by my dear friend, rootsinthecity, i've started afrodisia's corner...i've got big plans. just wait and see!