The latter part of this video, in which President Barack Obama toasted his mother during the Nobel banquet almost moved me to tears. It’s really wonderful to have a president that I can be proud of, again, after such a drought of inspiration at the turn of this century. Honestly, I cringed a little when the Nobel committee decided to award Obama the prize, because I felt like it was too soon and he would come under a barrage of criticism. Many Americans believe that he does not deserve the honor, so one can imagine all the cynical remarks that would be shot his way. I just can’t it gracefully or with maturity when people criticize him. And haven’t a few Peace Prize laureates soon after been, you know, sent to meet their makers? Why accelerate this man’s life when we just got him?! But I find his reaction and his humility in accepting the prize to be signs of real class, and a testament to his depth of character. I know he’ll endeavor to shape his life in the mold of what the Nobel Peace Prize represents, and he will live up to it. I just don’t want anyone beat, jail or martyr him ever, okay?
Also, I don’t want to take away from the fact that the evening was about him, but First Lady Michelle Obama was stunning! I liked her gown on the spot, and that’s not usually the case with her fashion choices for functions on the world stage. Everything was perfect: the color, fabric and fit. I loved the sparkly shoulder straps, would love to have arms like that, and her hair and jewelry harmonized with everything perfectly. If I haven’t said this ad nauseum, I’ll say it again: Between the brains, the accomplishments, her daughters and her beauty, she’s a role model for us all.
First Lady Michelle Obama has a well-established reputation of supporting lesser-known but talented designers, and she upheld that practice with her choice for the state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It was a strapless, cream and gold number with a wrap, and was designed by Indian-born designer Naeem Khan. Personally, I’m lukewarm on the dress, because I haven’t seen it up close. Overall I think Ms. Obama looks fantastic. Normally, I admire the masters. It’s not to say that lesser-known designers are not talented, but to me, fashion is not democratic. Although my closets are not littered with designer labels, I don’t express my views about inclusion and support of the little guy through my fashion choices. Top artisans get my dollar, and if you presented a zipped up garment bag and told me that there was a Valentino in there, I might ditch the up-and-comer and go with the mystery dress. I would love, love, love to see our first lady in Gucci or Versace.
Ms. Obama, however, is the type of person with deeply held beliefs, one of which is to identify and support the potential in people. When it comes to her wardrobe for very formal events, it means going with the lesser known designer. Perhaps it’s just as well that she stays away from the heavy hitters. If she walked into an event adorned in something from a top designer, then President Obama might lose the power of speech and the other ladies would look plain.
I know that I was just criticizing Essence magazine for being too staid and celebrity focused, and for several reasons I still feel that way. But the magazine is still an institution, and will probably always be the premier lifestyle magazine for black U.S. women. When you consider our collective buying power and the fact that Essence gets our attention, that’s a big deal and you cannot ignore them. Anyway, I have to point out that the November issue had an interesting ’roundtable’ of black women talking about their quest to achieve beautiful manageable hair and the impact that the pursuit of beauty has had on their lives.
There is a Lattecafe moment—and a hilarious one—when Solange Knowles talks about an argument that erupted between her and a French boyfriend over her hair! I won’t give away all the details, but basically they were on his father’s yacht (jealous over here) swimming in the ocean or wherever they were and having a good time. At the end of all that, he told everyone that dinner would be ready in 30 minutes. The problem was that Solange was wearing tracks at the time, and she needed more than a measly 30 minutes to prepare before dinner. I won’t give everything away, but the story is funny. If you can still sprint to newsstands and find a copy of the November issue before the whisk it away to make room for December, then please do.
The gathering was the November cover story, but it wasn’t promoted on the cover as a bunch of sisters getting together to dish about hair dramas. Essence decided to feature just Nia Long, an actress well liked at the Lattecafe, who was unnecessarily airbrushed to an inch of her life. It also mentioned the Chris Rock documentary “Good Hair”. The old Essence might have featured several of the women on the cover, of different complexions and hair styles. Who knows? Maybe they did a couple of different cover versions, but I never saw a different one.
Man, this is too bad: Essence has lost some of its verve. Now, picking up Essence is almost like being presented with a ‘black’ Barbie. It seems like a doll made just for me, but on closer inspection it’s really just a white one dipped in brown paint.
I don’t have a copy of the article here, but I found a trailer for “Good Hair,” which does feature Nia Long. Go check out this funny movie.
Sunday mornings are not an appropriate time to read hard news stories, so it is no surprise that I was perusing the Style section of the Sunday Times several days ago. I was happy to spot Paula Patton in the Pulse column. She looks lovely and glamorous in that little black Michael Kors dress, and she has a few things to say about the merits of looking feminine and beautiful. But I wish they hadn’t cropped out so much of the footwear. What little I saw of those Zanotti boots looked quite promising.
Separately, reports are going around on the Internet that Paula and husband Robin Thicke are expecting their first child. Well, I guess Paula can relax and enjoy the good news now, unlike last year, when some reporters began speculating about a pregnancy after observing the way a certain dress fit on her. I wish them well, and hope that they cherish every happy moment.
The latter part of this video, in which President Barack Obama toasted his mother during the Nobel banquet almost moved me to tears. It’s really wonderful to have a president that I can be proud of, again, after such a drought of inspiration at the turn of this century. Honestly, I cringed a little when the Nobel committee decided to award Obama the prize, because I felt like it was too soon and he would come under a barrage of criticism. Many Americans believe that he does not deserve the honor, so one can imagine all the cynical remarks that would be shot his way. I just can’t it gracefully or with maturity when people criticize him. And haven’t a few Peace Prize laureates soon after been, you know, sent to meet their makers? Why accelerate this man’s life when we just got him?! But I find his reaction and his humility in accepting the prize to be signs of real class, and a testament to his depth of character. I know he’ll endeavor to shape his life in the mold of what the Nobel Peace Prize represents, and he will live up to it. I just don’t want anyone beat, jail or martyr him ever, okay?
Sunday mornings are not an appropriate time to read hard news stories, so it is no surprise that I was perusing the Style section of the Sunday Times several days ago. I was happy to spot Paula Patton in the 