Author: MJ VanDevere

MJ VanDevere is a doctoral candidate at a predominately white elite institution in the South who uses humor to combat racism, sexism, and all the other –isms that seek to diminish her greatness. She is a self-proclaimed “stand-up snob” who does not have a favorite comedian, so please don’t ask unless you have several hours to spare. Some of her favorite movies include, Life, Dead Presidents, and Happy Feet. If, she could only do one thing for the rest of her life, it would definitely be laugh, and maybe write. Adulting is her greatest work in progress.

‘If Beale Street Could Talk’: Slices of Black Life

While Regina King’s monumental win of both the Golden Globe and Oscar for If Beale Street Could Talk is a testament of her performance and the film itself, the only way of truly understanding the gravity of her as an actor and the prophetic and timelessness of James Baldwin is

BET’s “Boomerang”: Young, Black, And Successful

Executive produced by Lena Waithe and Halle Berry, the new BET series Boomerang, inspired by Eddie Murphy’s 1992 rom com classic, puts a modern spin on navigating professional pursuits and romantic interests. The series centers on Simone (Tetona Jackson), daughter of Marcus Graham, Eddie’s original character. The pilot starts with

Women Comedians Of Color You Need to Know

Sam Jay @SamJayComic – IG & Twitter Originally from Boston, Sam Jay, has made a name for herself not only competing in and winning comedy competitions but she is also a writer for Saturday Night Live. She was also featured on the Netflix special The Comedy Lineup. Her stand-up is

What Men Want: The Beauty In The Ever-Evolving Black Woman

While in many ways, What Men Want is a love story between Ali (Taraji P. Henson) and her beau in the making Will (Aldis Hodge), its true heart is the tale of a woman finding, healing, and becoming. Ali is a sports agent who has had to steel herself against

Review | Putting The Black In “Black Monday”

Black Monday is a fictitious story framed as a prologue set to explain a real moment in history – the largest single day stock market from which it gets its name. The lead character, Maurice “Mo” Monroe (Don Cheadle) who runs a multimillion dollar trading company on Wall Street, attempts

Review: John Leguizamo’s “Latin History For Morons”

In his latest venture, John Leguizamo takes to the stage to give a lesson about the contributions of Latin heroes to the world. Using his own struggles as a father attempting to impart cultural pride in his son who is being bullied at school for being Latino, Leguizamo journeys through

What Makes Mrs. Maisel So Marvelous?

The Amazon Prime Original, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, follows upper class Jewish housewife, Miriam “Midge” Maisel as she develops and impromptu stand-up career in the late 1950s New York comedy scene. Using elements of drama, comedy, and musicals, creator Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls) combines whimsy and grit to produce an

Review: Trevor Noah’s “Son of Patricia”

  In his latest stand-up special, Daily Show star Trevor Noah continues to do what he does best – making us think about intersectionality while we laugh. Through the course of his one-hour special the barrier-breaking comedian takes us through his vacation in Indonesia, his life growing up in apartheid

A Conversation with Comedy Veteran Bob Sumner

As I sat on my university campus in Nashville wondering where the hell spring was, Bob Sumner lounged in the outdoor area of a restaurant on Sunset Boulevard enjoying the 90-degree weather as he feasted on the fruits of over more than 30 years of hard work in the entertainment

Is Hasan Minhaj’s “Patriot Act” The Future of Comedy?

In his latest venture, Patriot Act, comedian and former Daily Show correspondent Hasan Minhaj makes history as the first Muslim to host a late-night show. Netflix, which has seemingly become the favored platform for creators looking to distribute their content, releases new weekly episodes of the show. Minaj uses his

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