Category: Something New

A 2 for 1 Deal

 

IMG_20160505_123017

So, this picture is perfect here for a few reasons:

  1. The 2006 film, Something New, about an interracial couple.
  2. This is us on the way to the museum where I learned something new.
  3. The other new word that I learned.
  4. We’re cute AF.

Blacksploitation

While visiting the American History Museum to see Prince’s Yellowcloud guitar, the boy and I ventured into the African American History and Culture exhibit. One thing I really love about him is his affinity for leaning and knowledge and his lack of fear regarding race. He’ll have the hard conversations and he’ll do it eloquently and I know he didn’t just visit the exhibit because his black girlfriend asked him to.

We obviously learned a lot of new things on our trip to the museum but one thing that stuck with me was this concept of blacksploitation or blaxploitation. I had never heard the word before that day.

Some definitions include:

blax·ploi·ta·tion

n.

A film genre of the 1970s featuring African-American actors and often having anti-establishment plots, sometimes criticized for stereotypical characterization and glorification of violence.

[Blend of black and exploitation.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

blax•ploi•ta•tion
n.

The exploitation of blacks, esp. in movies featuring or intending to appeal to blacks.

[1970–75, Amer.; blend of blax (resp. of blacks) + exploitation]

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

blaxploitation

Music soundtracks from movies of the blaxploitation genre popular during the 1970s. Blaxploitation movies wereamong the first in the United States to feature black characters in leading roles and to be made by black directors.

Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited.

However, what most interested me about this topic was that these films are what saved Hollywood in the 1970s. Because of the economy, movie audience attendance was decreasing and these films brought black audiences to the theater, keeping Hollywood  and the film industry afloat.

I also learned this word this week:

mis·ceg·e·na·tion

miˌsejəˈnāSHən,ˌmisəjə-/
noun
  1. the interbreeding of people considered to be of different racial types.
Didn’t know there was a word for that but  let’s use it in a sentence, shall we?
I’m about to miscengate all over the place-once I’m financially and emotionally ready, of course.
Did I use it right? Who knows but it’s a great segue to…

whatintheworld

Upbeat Interracial Ad for Old Navy Leads to Backlash. Twice.

“Yep…that happened,” she says while sipping Lipton iced tea in her Old Navy dress pants, Old Navy blouse, and Old Navy denim jacket.

by Categories: Sheree's Brand, Something New, What in the WorldTags: , , , Leave a comment