REFLECTION & REASON

I love Sex and the City ...the TV show. I love Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha. I love how they think, how they interact, and of course what they wear! Sex and the City has meant so much to so many women. That's why it was disappointing that the storyline of Sex and the City 2 , the movie, didn't do the ladies, their men, or their lives, any justice. We don't want our favourite characters to get into conflict, but as any story-writer or movie-watcher knows, good conflict is necessary for character growth, development, and well...entertainment. I found myself glad to be watching the ladies again, however, still feeling like I didn't get the point of what I was watching. The opening wedding scene was beautiful, the landscape in the Middle East was beautiful. The shoes and the outfits were fabulous, as expected. But what good are fancy clothes and exotic locations without a good plot? Without giving the events away, I will say that: 1) The ladies were not faced ...

The Toronto Revellers released their costumes for the 2010 Caribana parade, last night (Saturday, May 8) at Everest Banquet Hall in Scarborough. This year's theme "Disco Fever" included colourful patterns, plenty of silver beads, disco balls, and music of the 70s, as the models displayed the selection of ensembles for Jamaal Magloire's (above) team of masqueraders. Ain't no stoppin us now! For registration information and official photos, please visit the Revellers' website at http://www.torontorevellers.com/ . Here are the highlights of each song-themed section:

It is time to eradicate the use of "Screwface Capital" in reference to the city of Toronto. The power of a great brand is undeniable, which is why I do not understand why so many have adopted and perpetuated the use of "Screwface Capital" to define a city that they love, and represent proudly to the world. Screwface by definition: -a mean face -a dirty look -an ice grill -to gawk -to scowl -deeply pissed off -highly intoxicated -a dirty or inappropriate facial expression -revealing nothing As a brand/nickname, "Screwface Capital" is definitely memorable...but is it favourable? Hardly. To say that we believe we are the "Screwface Capital" is to say that we don't think much of ourselves. Canadians in general have always struggled with defining our identity. Defining our culture and our people in relation to the Americans, in relation to the British, and accurately reflecting what we believe about ourselves. To promote the fact that we as Canadi...

Why did Tyler Perry make this sequel? That's the first question that came to mind after the credits started to roll and I realized that the last 15 minutes of this film totally flopped the storyline. Before I begin my grievance, let me preface my statements by saying that I LOVE Tyler Perry. I travelled to Chicago JUST to see him live mere weeks ago. I own the majority of his movies/stage plays. I admire his writing ability. I hope to emulate his actions and successes in any way possible. He is my new "Hollywood" role model. (Sorry Oprah!) I loved the first movie, Why Did I Get Married . I thought it was honest and funny. The characters were dynamic, and the drama was entertaining to say the least. A well-written story, and one of my favourites. Great acting. So naturally, the sequel seemed like a good idea. Reunite the characters. Take them somewhere hot so we can see Malik Yoba (Gavin) and Michael Jai White (Marcus) take off their shirts and unleash the chocolate abs. W...

The other day I was listening to a local Toronto radio station, and a show participant was giving an update. It was an urban program so I wasn’t surprised when the individual began to speak…and out came a Brooklyn/Detroit/Southern U.S. accent. Now I know the U.S. border is only mere hours away from us here in Toronto, and even closer for those living in Windsor and Niagara…but really. What logical excuse is there for continuously speaking in American ‘twang’ when you were born, bred, raised, and surrounded by Canadians--or at the very least [insert your parent’s origin here]-- your entire life? Yes, there are many born-Canadians with very natural Jamaican accents. Or those who can use Filipino slang, or put on an Indian accent at a moment’s notice. This is understandable, as living in Toronto one might easily grow up in a predominantly Chinese, Somali, or [insert your ethnic group here] community and pick up elements of the culture as a result of who they grew up around. But who in Tor...

I like Alicia Keys. My appreciation of the 29-year old-singer started back in 2001 when I first heard "Falling" during an end-of-the-night-slow-jam-set at Guvernment night club in Toronto. I fell in love with the song immediately, and became an instant fan. The first time I saw Alicia Keys live--April of 2004 in Detroit for the "Verizon Ladies First Tour" with Beyonce, Tamia, and Missy Elliot--I remember watching her on the empty stage with a perfect piano, and perfect acoustics to listen to her compositions. I'm pretty sure I was jealous. I wondered what it felt like to play a piano that beautiful, in a venue that huge, with a sound so big, and share her personal creations with so many people. The second time I saw Alicia Keys live was at Casino Rama (north of Toronto) in March of 2005. It was the "Diary Tour" and was supposed to feature John Legend, but he decided not to perform, leaving many fans disappointed. (See my review of the Diary Tour, publi...

God bless Tyler Perry. On Saturday, March 6, 2010, I had the pleasure of watching his play “Madea’s Big Happy Family” at the Arie Crown Theatre in Chicago. The second I heard Tyler Perry was going back on the road--after 5 years--I made sure to secure some tickets. Of course, living in Canada, we often do not have the luxury of seeing tours, performances and movies in the same timely and convenient manner that our American neighbours do. So I did what I normally do in search of uplifting entertainment, motivation, and most importantly, inspiration…I got myself a plane ticket and made plans with my friend in the Windy City for a weekend on the town. I admit, the first hour or so, “Madea’s Big Happy Family” could have easily been “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” or any other number of Perry’s great stage shows-turned-motion-pictures. And while I’ve laughed, sang, and cheered with the best of them watching his previous stories, this particular one at first seeme...