Search results for: the great wall

3 of the most jaw-dropping moments from the “All the Stars” music video

6 Minutes read

It took me a full day, but I’ve finally seen the music video for SZA and Kendrick Lamar’s Black Panther song, “All the Stars.” As someone who saw Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” music video when it premiered during primetime television back in the ’90s, I thought I’d never see a music video rival it as the…

Exclusive interview: Miki Jinno (“Beerland”) infuses her Japanese roots into her unique home brews

6 Minutes read

(Miki Jinno in Beerland. Photo credit: Vice/Screencap) As regular readers might know, I’m a resident of Birmingham, AL, so I’m quite stoked to finally feature someone from my neck of the woods who’s changing perceptions and challenging stereotypes. This time though, the playing field isn’t entertainment–it’s the world of beer. Last month, I highlighted Viceland’s Beerland and its…

Meet the theologian who helped MLK see the value of nonviolence

6 Minutes read

(Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , chats with African-Americans during a door-to-door campaign in 1964. AP Photo/JAB) Paul Harvey, University of Colorado After this last tumultuous year of political rancor and racial animus, many people could well be asking what can sustain them over the next coming days: How do they make the space for…

The messy reality of religious liberty in America

6 Minutes read

The wedding cake on display at Masterpiece Cakeshop. AP Photo/Brennan Linsley David Mislin, Temple University On Tuesday, Dec. 5, a visibly divided U.S. Supreme Court tackled the contentious issue of religious freedom when it heard oral arguments in “Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.” The arguments appeared to evenly split the four conservative…

“Magic: The Gathering” celebrates WOC players with these 5 characters

14 Minutes read

Disclosure: These are my opinions as a free agent and separate entity from Magic: The Gathering.  As you might know, I acted as as consultant for Magic: The Gathering for the development of their first black Planeswalker character, Kaya, Ghost Assassin. (For info on what a Planeswalker is and what Kaya does, check this post.)…

New webseries “Munkey in the City” puts fresh spin on making it in the big city

5 Minutes read

Official synopsis (courtesy website): Munkey in The City is a whimsically poignant dramedy series about a delusional young novelist in search of a dream–of fame, of fortune, and the pursuit of happiness. But he also brings the one thing standing in his way: himself. His name is MUNKEY, and he’s learning that The City is one big…

Hollywood’s obsession with toxic masculinity, as seen in “Blade Runner 2049”

23 Minutes read

SPOILERS for Blade Runner: 2049 and a possible TRIGGER WARNING for mentions of rape and sexual assault. Hollywood is still reeling from the revelations of Harvey Weinstein’s abhorrent conduct. Even though Weinstein is being dismissed from various film boards, including the Academy, it begs the question: What about the other men in Hollywood who uphold…

The Munshi: Why “Victoria and Abdul” should focus more on Abdul Karim and the colonialism he faced

7 Minutes read

This post is about Victoria and Abdul, the latest in a long line of “special person of color befriending or otherwise humanizing a cold white woman” films. From the outset, this, a film based on the biography by Shrabani Basu, looks like a Driving Miss Daisy version of a small moment of Queen Victoria’s life….

“Once Upon a Time” angles for black women’s viewership with upcoming season

7 Minutes read

If you’re like me, you probably zoned out on Once Upon a Time sometime between the second and third season, around the time when likeable Sheriff Graham/The Huntsman (played by Fifty Shades of Grey actor Jamie Dornan) was killed and when Cinderella’s fairy godmother was unceremoniously killed by combustion at the beginning of an episode…

Mediaversity Reviews: “Wonder Woman”

7 Minutes read

Original review at Mediaversity Reviews Title: Wonder Woman (2017) Director: Patty Jenkins ???? Writers: Screenplay by Allan Heinberg ?????  and story by Allan Heinberg ?????, Zack Snyder ????, and Jason Fuchs ???? Reviewed by Li ???? Quality: 4/5 Standard fare for a comic book origin story: thrilling action (with standout fight choreography), earnest idealism, and subtle humor. On the flipside,…