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.

TCM & AAFCA Bring “The Black Experience”

  A partnership has forged between The African American Film Critics Association and Turner Classic movies that will bring much needed programming into the homes of many. The Black Experience is a month-long endeavor that uses key films to trace the history of African American cinema. The channel will begin

Boots Riley Offers A Three-Page Political Critique On Spike Lee’s ‘BlacKkKlansman’

Sorry to Bother You director Boots Riley has weighed in, offering more much needed criticism to the landscape of critical acclaim that surrounds Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman. Riley took to Twitter to present his detailed critique, opening with the following disclaimer: “This is not as much an aesthetic critique of the

‘Insecure’ Season 3: Will Issa Get Her Life?

  Our favorite besties – Issa and Molly are back at it again in the third season of Insecure. Molly is still getting hot and heavy with her childhood friend, Dro, who is in an open marriage. And Issa is sleeping on Daniel’s couch, until she can get her

Review: Seinfeldia – How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything

  In her latest book, Seinfeldia, Jennifer Keishen Armstrong explores the world of the hit sitcom and its pervasiveness in our current culture. By including profiles of the actors, writers, directors, network executives and everyone else who had anything to do with the show, Armstrong illustrates how the show

Review: Orange is The New Black

  Netflix’s flagship original show, Orange is the New Black, returned for its sixth season – this time withthe women of Litchfield now in maximum security prison facing the prospect of additional time due to last season’s riot. Bonds that were formed in MCC’s minimum security prison are broken as

Review: Power – Looking for Love in All the Usual Places

We are about midway into the fifth season of Power, the show that breathed new life into the Starz network. Showrunner Courtney Kemp and her talented team have once again proven their ability to create complicated storylines fueled by raw, human emotion; so while their professions (drug dealers, murderers and

Review: “The Equalizer” is Every Black Parent Ever

Denzel Washington stars in “The Equalizer 2”   Denzel Washington returns to his role as Robert McCall, former militiaman turned Lyft driver by day and vigilante by night, The Equalizer. He teams up with director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) for a third time, the result, a strangely heartwarming, yet flinchingly

David Peisner’s “Homey Don’t Play That!” Honors The Importance Of “In Living Color”

  Being a late 80’s baby, I have encountered In Living Color as a very young child, but more so as an adult. Some of my favorite characters (along with everyone else’s) include Wanda, Fire Marshall Bill, and Homey D. Clown. While I found them and the situations they were

Review: W. Kamau Bell’s Private School Negro

In his first Netflix special, comedian and host of CNN’s United Shades of America W. Kamau Bell uses his experiences as a black man and a parent to highlight the problematic and absurd state of our so-called democracy. Titling his performance Private School Negro, Bell presents his own positionality to

Review: “Love Is___,” Love Ain’t

OWN’s Love Is ___ is the true story of Black Hollywood Powerhouse couple Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil. The format takes place like a present-day interview of the married couple as they recall the details of how they met. The episodes then flashes back to a younger Nuri and

Related Post

Share Article: