What Would Thembi Do? » Review

Review: Are We There Yet? No, But We Could Get There.

Thembi Ford — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:19:57 +0000

I love black sitcoms. You all know this. So even when a new black sitcom is sandwiched between that which I can barely tolerate (House of Payne) and that which I despise (Meet The Browns), I will try it. Around…

Buppies is Fresh, Fun

Thembi Ford — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:08:01 +0000

It's been over a year since the trailer for Buppies premiered here on What Would Thembi Do?, and the web series is finally coming to BET.com.Yes, I did say BET, but hear me out - I had a chance to watch the ten episode series in its entirety and it is equal parts fresh, hilarious, smart, and fun.

Think Beverly Hills 90210 or Gossip Girl meets the story of a crew of affluent twenty-something black socialites living in Hollywood (buppies = black + yuppies, get it?), dealing with the highs and lows of finding one's place in

A Must-Read: Girldrive

Thembi Ford — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:42:38 +0000

Are you a feminist? After your first reaction, think about it for a few seconds, then answer again.

When Nona Willis Aronowitz interviewed me for her book Girldrive: Criss-Crossing America, Redefining Feminism, she began with that very question. My first reaction was to shrug and answer "of course, shouldn't everyone be?" and I went on to explain how important my African-American heritage is when compared to my gender. Initially, I worried that explaining the prioritization of my blackness over my female-ness would insult a Jewish girl from Manhattan. I figured that, in spite of her obvious

Precious: A Great Film With More Backlash Than Drawbacks

Thembi Ford — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:30:15 +0000

After hearing reviews from Sundance, local film festivals, and showings in one of the original eighteen markets in which it was released during its first week, I was filled with anticipation for Precious. On a basic level, a dark, overweight, disadvantaged heroine is something worth watching (and analyzing), and the implications of a film endorsed via executive producer credit by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry are so broad that I couldn't stay away. For these reasons, if not just for its stirring quality, I'm glad that I saw Precious.

This Is It: A Review

Thembi Ford — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:16:26 +0000

The WWTD Dinner and a Movie Event was so much fun that I'll definitely have more in the future - the people who read this blog are fun and cool with sick senses of humor and an appreciation good times, so I want to thank everyone who came out! The real star of the event, of course, was Michael Jackson.

Black Dynamite is No Jive Turkey (Film Review)

Thembi Ford — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:34:22 +0000

Black Dynamite was simply the funniest movie I've seen this year. The blaxploitation spoof delivers everything from basic slapstick comedy to inside jokes about the black experience, and is all the more hilarious if, like me, you appreciate the outlandish nature of the spoof genre (Airplane!, Naked Gun), but also have a fascination with classics like Coffy, Shaft, and Black Caesar. Although the campy nature of 70's black film is the running gag and wears a bit thin over time, the movie is an ideally complete and accurate parody of a characteristically ridiculous, yet undeniably significant genre of black film - call it the I'm Gonna Git You Sucka of 2009.

Michael Jai White is

“Big Black Women Are So Funny!”: Mo’Nique and Sherri

Thembi Ford — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:12:13 +0000

Big black women are just sooo funny aren't they? How else can you explain the premiere of TWO shows starring black female comedians whose girth has played major roles in their public personae? Sarcasm aside, I watched both The Mo'Nique Show and Sherri Shepherd's new sitcom Sherri with an open mind expecting laughs, the chance to identify with women more like me than most, and my usual cautious optimism. Here's what I found:

The Mo'Nique Show

I respect Mo'Nique and hope she succeeds at everything she chooses to pursue. That said, watching her new talk show on BET feels like going to church at the hair salon while listening to a motivational

Brothers: A Black Sitcom Worth Watching

Thembi Ford — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:38:33 +0000

While the rest of the country buzzes about whether newspapers are worth saving, my beloved situation comedy is slowly and quietly going the way of the dodo bird. Maybe we're just experiencing the evolution of television, but if it isn't an hour-long drama, reality show, or a workplace comedy without a laugh track, network television just isn't interested lately. Not only that, but for years we've lamented the dearth of black family shows, and finally we have Brothers on Fox - is it any good? Yes. Will it work? Maybe. Brothers has some great things on its side, starting with an interesting premise and an intriguing cast. Brothers Michael (Michael Strahan) and Chill (Darryl "Chill" Mitchell) have never really gotten

Smart Movies: Food Inc and Soul Power

Thembi Ford — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:36:11 +0000

Have you been all Transformer'n and Harry Potter'n this summer? Are you, by any chance Brüno'ed out? Well, depending on where you live both of these brainier flicks should still be in theaters. Remember, being a bit of a nerd is a good thing.

Televison Review: HawthoRNe is Not Good, Not Black

Thembi Ford — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:36:05 +0000

If you choose Law & Order over HawthoRNe don't feel guilty about not "supporting" black television; aside from being not a very good show, HawthorRNe is not at all a black show, either.