I'm back with my "M" song pick for the "ABCs of Good Music", and I have decided for this Saturday night to pick a song very close to my heart. I wish I could say it was about me, but alas... it is not. But I think that every woman out there can listen to it and feel its about her! So I hope you all will enjoy "Miss Moon" by Cree Summer.
Happy Saturday, y'all!! For the next few weeks, I thought I would do a little something different for each Saturday night, and share some of my favorite female artists with you. Of course I had to begin with my She-ro, my Idol, my Goddess... Cree Summer. If you don't know how deep my love for her goes, you must be new to the blog. If so.. welcome! :) I hope all of you will enjoy, "Sweet Pain"!!!
Since I've been home on bed rest, I've had my share of old sitcoms. A few days ago, I saw an episode of "A Different World" that really made me recognize how far we have come. The episode, "Almost Working Girl", which aired during the show's fifth season in 1991, illustrates the attitude about natural hair back then.
When E.H. Wright needs a temporary receptionist, Freddie (played by Shero Cree Summer) is begrudgingly given the job by Jaleesa... but not after she chases Freddie around the room with a brush. For the remainder of the episode, Cree's trademark ringlets are replaced with a blow-out that resembles Farrah Fawcett's do'.
What made me raise an eyebrow is that in the episode, Ron Johnson observes Freddie (with her straightened locks) from behind and is instantly attracted to her. When Freddie reveals herself and leaves, Ron says as she exits, "Oooh.. what a little Dark and Lovely will do for a sistah!". In reflecting on the episodes of the show, Freddie's curls were repeatedly the butt of jokes, and her character was told on more than one occasion that she needed to "do something" about her unruly tresses. The irony is that despite the mockery, many naturals of my generation (I of course include myself in this) will say that it was Cree's curls that inspired them to go natural.
Fast forward to last night's episode of the new BET series "Reed Between the Lines", starring Tracee Ellis Ross and Malcolm Jamal Warner.
In the episode, teenage daughter Kaci (played by the cute as a button Zoe Soul), after landing the roll in the school play is asked to flat iron her hair for the part. She complies and is very vocal about the fact that she finds the act insulting and unnecessary... until the boy she's crushing on takes notice. Like Ron & Freddie, he suddenly is liking what he sees.
Kaci is suddenly not so in a hurry to bring back her curls, and when her Carla (Tracee Ellis Ross' character) approaches her about changing herself to please a boy, she stumbles across Kaci applying vaseline to her face in preparation for a relaxer.
I won't spoil the ending for those who missed it, but I will say that Tracee took us all to church, and I was fanning myself with an afro pick at the conclusion!!!! LOL
I'm grateful for "Reed...", not only for the episode itself, which was huge, but for creating characters with "Of course I wear my hair natural!!!!" attitudes, instead of some of the "My hair is natural.. .ain't that wacky?!?!" characters we've encountered in the past.
Did you catch last night's episode? What were your thoughts? Leave a comment and let's talk!
Happy Monday, everybody!!! After a weekend that has been much about self-love and acceptance for me (More on that later during the week, promise!), and following yesterday's Be Blessed post, I wanted to pick a Music Therapy with Miss Moon song that would be the perfect anthem for the unapologetic love of oneself, couple with a bit of an "eff you" to those who dare to say you shouldn't... especially the mainstream media. But where would I find such a song?
Fortunately, my beloved Pirate Sistahs came to the rescue, and shared an amazing discovery, and I must say, the perfect song for today. I hope you all will enjoy "Beauty is Made" by Subject to Change, off their wonderful (and so slept on!) album, Womb Amnesia.
Beauty is Made
So how do I look?
Am I showing enough leg?
Is my dress tight enough,
Are my lips cherry red?
So how do I sound?
Is my voice soft enough?
Don't I purr when you're loving,
Don't I Weep When you're rough?
So how do I do?
Am I far enough behind?
Don't I do what you tell me,
Don't I worship your mind?
So how does it feel to see me so meek?
Does it make you feel strong to make me feel weak?
Beauty is made... She is not born
Beauty is raped, beaten and scorned
Beauty is her
Beauty is me
Beauty is all you want us to be
So how do I feel,
When you're rubbing me down?
Don't you like me soft?
Don't you like your sugar brown?
So how do I taste,
Are my kisses like wine?
Is my love like poison when it makes you feel fine?
Beauty is made... She is not born
Beauty is raped, beaten and scorned
Beauty is her
Beauty is me
Beauty is all you want us to be
Down on my knees,
Praying to the God of Beauty
Buying to please,
Glory to the God of Beauty
I've consulted a surgeon,
I'm binging and purging,
I'm just doing what I'm told
I'm just scared of growing old
Keep me in the mirror
Keep me masked in fear
Erase my face so I can't see clear
You make beauty skin deep
Beauty is a piece of meat
Rape me with commercials, magazines and MTV
I'm as pretty as your politics
Pretty as pornography.
Beauty is made... She is not born
Beauty is raped, beaten and scorned
Beauty is made
I feel pretty, oh so pretty
Pretty f*cking useless,
La la la la la la la
It's official: here in Brooklyn, autumn is definitely making its presence known. Leaves are starting to change colors, and the flip flops & tank top has turned into sweaters and killer boots. I thought that this week's Music Therapy with Miss Moon song choice should reflect the change in the season. So I want to share a song from my shero, my hero, my favorite friend (in my head), Cree Summer. I hope you all will enjoy, "Fall".
Fall
I'm browning, I'm wrinkling, you don't see
I shrivel more into colors you ignore
As the earth swallows me
You crush the fire red
Standing on my head you crush the fire red
Leaving me for dead
Splendid decay spiraling down to my toes
Yellow wilts holes for you to see through
Crumpled blue my bare pink womb can't shelter you
You crush the fire red
Standing on my head you crush the fire red
Leaving me for dead
Splendid decay spiraling down to my toes
Black stemmed orange trimmed
With the slightest wind I'm falling from you
Dry and loud stained and proud
Like a bursting cloud I'm falling from you
You're so mean when you scream in bright green
In my ear you're loud and clear I can hear
Sunken and gray you used to say I'm not enough for you
I will bleed you a seed to start a new I'm falling from you
Black stemmed orange trimmed
With the slightest wind I'm falling from you
Dry and loud stained and proud
Like a bursting cloud I'm falling from you
Since I was still rocking pigtails, Cree Summer has been the bee's knees to me and continues to be to this day!
I could not let the birthday of my big sister (in my head!) to go without speaking on it and sharing how much Cree Summer has meant to me and how much of an inspiration she is to me to this day!
So much of who I am as an adult has been a result of her ridiculously phenomenal (and ridiculously slept on) albums, "Womb Amnesia" (with the band, Subject to Change) and "Street Faerie". Her music helped me survive an unhealthy relationship, it helped me to walk away, and it helped me to pick the pieces back up.
I have not yet been blessed with the opportunity to meet Cree in person, or to hear her perform the songs that have touched my heart, but both remain at the very top of my bucket list.
I don't know for certain if these words will ever reach Cree (since she's called herself "Amish 2000" on occasion!) but if they do, I hope that she knows that I was sending her oceans of love, gratitude and light on her birthday!!!
“ The greatest magnifying glasses in the world are a man's own eyes when they look upon his own person.”
~ Alexander Pope
" Self-love is the foundation of our loving practice. Without it our other efforts to love fail. Giving ourselves love we provide our inner being with the opportunity to have the unconditional love we may have always longed to receive from someone else."
~ bell hooks
Many of you who know me, and those that read my blog know that I have a deep love and admiration for Cree Summer. I've considered her a HUGE shero of mine since I was very young, and as an adult... I continue to look up to her tremendously.
One thing that Chris said to me when we first started dating, when discussing my affection for Cree was that there's a part of her inside of me. At the time, I thought that it was the most preposterous thing he could've said to me (I also most likely thought he was trying to get some! LOL). But in reading Shakti Gawain's Reflections in the Light: Daily Thoughts and Affirmations and in doing this exercise, I could really see the Cree... in me! That really brought home the truth of this, which is why I share this with you today -
When we fall in love with someone, we are also falling in love with aspects of ourselves that we see reflected in that person. We may feel that our loved one has qualities that we don't have, but those qualities exist in us too and are as yet undiscovered or undeveloped.
Today, think of each person you love and imagine him or her as a mirror reflecting your own beauty and lovability. The more you can love yourself through these reflections, the more you can truly love and appreciate others.
This week's Music Therapy with Miss Moon choice comes courtesy of my shero for damn near 20 years... Cree Summer. I hope you all will enjoy "Naheo", and do everything in your power to keep your spirit, your passion, your joy, your laughter, your wisdom... In short, "don't lose your Indian"!!!
Sister can I tell you that I get so sad
Like I'm grieving for something I've never had
Sister when I'm broken, when you're holding me
It's the child who's crying for the woman
Father can I tell you that I know your fear
'Cause you gave it to me when you brought me here
Father when you're hiding from the light that's inside
Did you know that you're running from the dreamer
Naheo don't lose your indian
That's what he said
Brother can I tell you that I've been the same
When I heard all the yelling I played the game
Brother when I leave you I will eat all your tears
And I'll have you inside when I need you
Mother can you see me, see me clear
Too big to fly and too small to fear
When you're shining you can walk on your hands
Don't you cover your smile when you're laughing
Naheo don't lose your indian
That's what he said
The child who sings the ancient song
On Sandia's back under the sun
With mocassin feet in kokum's shawl
Danking to the heart inside of us all
Lover can I tell you that I get so scared
Like you don't really see me behind your stare
Lover when we are changing
When we are turning inside
Do we heal how we feel
Or do we ride on
"As you are feeling positive emotion - such as love, peace, happiness, joy, excitement, exhilaration ... it is your Inner Being communicating to you in that moment that you are feeling the emotion - that your thoughts are in harmony with that which you are wanting, As you are experiencing negative emotion - such as fear or doubt, anger, hatred, jealousy, stress, guilt, anxiety .. it is a communication from your Inner Being telling you that in that moment - that which you are focused upon is not in harmony with what you are wanting." - Abraham
I've unfortunately gotten good at hiding my unhappiness. I have been very unhappy lately, and haven't expressed it, instead keeping a smile on my face. Internally, sadness consumed me. All I thought about was everything I wanted to change, and felt horrifically powerless in my inability to change it. As I focused on everything that made me unhappy, I noticed that my life became more and more miserable. The catalyst came and went, as they are known to do... I faced and expressed everything I was feeling and I came to the decision that I need to (To paraphrase Terry McMillan) get back to happy.
Music Therapy is not just a catchy name for my music posts, it's something I strongly believe in and something that has helped me immensely in the past. This week's song selection is one that I have recently adopted as a theme song, because it makes me feel beautiful, magical, blossoming and full of possibilities. That's a feeling I need to feel right now. I need to wrap it around me and carry it with me at all times.
Written for Cree Summer by Esthero, this week's Music Therapy with Miss Moon song is "Black Mermaid". Enjoy!!
Black Mermaid
i’m a black mermaid
from the bottom of the sea
i will teach you how to love me
into greatness i will lead you
’cause i’m a black mermaid
nothing rarer you will find
i am here for you to love me
i’ve been here for all o’ time
and i will wait for you to see me and to understand
that a woman can restore the soul of any broken man
if you can look beyond the waves and just believe in me…..
i am the lighthouse standing strong atop the rocks and sand
’cause i’m a black mermaid
from the bottom of the sea
i will teach you how to love me
into greatness i will lead you
and i’ve spent most of my life deep down inside myself
i’ve dreamt about the possibility of someone else
who could see the things i’ve seen and steal away with me
into the darkness we could fade because we know ourselves
and i’m his black mermaid
from the bottom of the sea
i will teach you how to love me
into greatness i will lead you
yeah i’m a black mermaid
from the bottom of the sea
i will teach you how to love me
into greatness i will lead you
and i’ve spent most of my life deep down inside myself
i’ve dreamt about the possibility of someone else
who could see the things i’ve seen and steal away with me
into the darkness we could fade because we LOVE ourselves
and i’m his black mermaid
he thinks i’m beautiful
yeah i’m his black mermaid
he thinks i’m beautiful
i am beautiful
(All the dark horses and all the good men,
won’t you come put me back together again?)
i am beautiful.
Have my mentioned my unwavering love and admiration for Cree Summer in this blog before? Yes? No? Yes? Well, this may come as a surprise then, that I've been a HUGE Cree Summer fan for almost 20 years... shocking, I know! (Okay, I am putting the sarcasm away!) LOL
Picture it: Brooklyn, the 90s. Cree Summer is the opening act for Lenny Kravitz who's on tour. I read in the Village Voice that there will be a free performance at Coney Island!!! I am over the moon because I will have the opportunity to share physical space with a woman I've idolized for most of my life!
I never go. The man I was dating at the time gave me so much grief about daring to go someplace without him (and he didn't want to go), that he bullied me into staying home. I sold myself out and it's been one of the biggest regrets I've made in my life. At the time I convinced myself that there will be other concerts, other opportunities to see Cree perform live. Sadly, that was not the case.
I recognize that I created a reality where I allowed myself to miss an opportunity of a lifetime and I have forgiven myself for it. If the woman I am today could switch places with the young woman I was then, I would've scratched, clawed, and bitten my way to Coney Island that day!!!!
Fast-forward to this weekend. I'm 32, and have never seen Cree perform live. A part of me has given up on the dream. Imagine my joy when I stumbled across this video of a live Cree Summer concert on YouTube!!! Watching this video has rekindled my dream and I am wholeheartedly creating an opportunity to see Cree Summer perform LIVE and IN PERSON!!!
So this week's Music Therapy option is "Soul Sister" from the concert!!! I hope you all enjoy!!
Anyone that knows me knows that Cree Summer is the absolute bees knees to me! I've admired her for decades now, and she continues to remain one of my biggest role models!
Cree has been panned for her unconventional style by fashion critics in the past, but I happen to love her style (Of course I am biased on the subject!) I happened to stumble across this picture of Cree (With Esthero and Mikki Willis, I believe) from the 2007 Elevate Film Festival and immediately knew I wanted to recreate the look!!
The blazer I selected to recreate the look was the Icon Collection Snap-Close Suiting Jacket ($118, Lane Bryant)
For the shorts, I selected the Striped Cotton Linen Tie Short ($17.99, The Avenue)
It's super easy to add your own skull patch... I chose the Large Skull & Cross Bones Patch ($12.00, Rockstar HQ)
For a bit of bling, you can instead choose the Skull Jolee's Jeweled Accents Crystal & Metal Iron-On Motif ($5.80 Stuff4Scrapbooking)
Now the necklace, Cree probably got from Aklia's, courtesy of Aklia Chinn, Pirate Blue Bead herself.
To recreate this look, however, I selected the House of Harlow 1960 Abalone Sunburst Necklace
($80.00, Shop Bop)
So part of my new job involves assisting customers with their photographs. Which requires a rudimentary knowledge of Paint (which I have) and Picassa (I'm getting there!)... so as a way for me to practice, I created a picture to use as wall paper for my desk at work.
Of course, I couldn't think of a better subject than my IDOL, my SHE-RO, my LIFE LONG role model... Cree Summer!
What do you think? Nothing fancy.. but I like the border I created from the screen capture.
Cree Summer has been a Shero of mine since I was a pre-teen, so I couldn't think of a better song to hear on a Saturday night, than her most recent song (for the Elevate Film Fest), Savior Self
So yesterday I saw the video of 6 women attacking the owner of an Oakland Beauty Salon. The video, which I will not be posting on my blog (but can be seen by clicking here - I warn you,though...it's tough!), hurt my heart so much that I wanted to blog about it, but decided to wait 24 hours to do so... in order to give me time to process it, so that I can really express my feelings on this.
This is really really why I am so effin' proud to be a Pirate Sista, man. I love and respect my sistren so much that I could never see myself ever stooping so low, over a man, over anything!
At first I was so angry and had such violent energy towards the women (especially the woman filming this and the women watching), but I realized that these women obviously have enough violence in their lives, so why should I block my blessings to add to it.
I think I continue to be astonished when I am confronted with grown ups acting like teenagers. Last year, I went through this at my former job, having a group of "Mean Girls" (lead by a male "Mean Girl") single me out. I didn't go through that shit in HIGH SCHOOL, so at 31 years old, it really was a head scratcher for me!!!
And it continues to be mind boggling! I have actually had women want to fight me(!) because I was looking at them, admiring their earrings or their shirt or whatever. I usually smile and say, " I was looking because your [item] is beautiful... you are beautiful, my sister!", and they light up.
Cree Summer has this excellent quote (from an article in TheHotness) about the relationships between women that really sums up my feelings far better than I can:
" So many women don’t respect other women. When I’m confronted with animosity from another woman, because I’m spoiled rotten with my friends, I’m always so shocked. I can’t believe that we would have anything to possibly compete about. Women fighting each other. I mean who could possibly win? We’re creators. Just yesterday I’m out in the garden looking at these brand new flowers that sprouted out and said look no one makes colors like the Mother. And in those moments I think how could I ever be sad to be born Woman."
So I propose we counteract this violence and negativity with a love movement. Tell as many women (black, white, brown, yellow, etc.) that they are beautiful... no strings attached. It's difficult at times, but it will be a beautiful thing for yourself and for others. I mean... like attracts like.
" She called me one night and said, 'We gotta be pirates... Women who are able to take back what's ours spiritually, to search for treasure, and share the booty." Her creation of the pirates has made me see that part of being an extraordinary, talented, beautiful woman comes from surrounding yourself with other extraordinary, talented, beautiful women. It's like, "Damn ,that sister over there is bad, and if I'm in a group that she's in I must be bad too."
-- Cree Summer, discussing how Lilakoi Moon (Lisa Bonet) created the Pirates
" Its from the deep waters that we come. And we are heartfelt and trecherous like those waters. We come with an unflinching devotion to the mystical and to God - representing life and embracing death."
- Lisa Bonet, defines what being a Pirate means to her
One of the things that I am most proud of in my present and future existence is my participation with Pirate Sistahs United. Founded in 2001 by Pirate Rainy Black Crow, Pirate Sistahs United was created to carry the message of pride, peace, love-power and sisterhood so openly expressed by Cree Summer and Lilakoi Moon (Lisa Bonet), and all the Pirate Women (or O.P.s - Original Pirates...as I like to call them!). The original group is no more, but you can still find Pirate Sistah groups on MySpace, FaceBook, Tribe and Ning.
In my travels, I am always asked to explain the purpose of Pirate Sisterhood, which is usually really hard to for me explain. Hopefully, this will make it easier for all to understand.
I will say this. In modern pop culture, we are bombarded with images conjuring the most hateful and superficial stereotypes about women amongst other women. It's the old myth that women cannot be friends with one another because we are too "petty, competitive, jealous,...etc.". Pirate Sistahs United was founded to dispel this myth, among many others.
PIRATE WOMANIFESTO
Pirates move on the water. The element in which the primal feminine is at home. It seems that at sea, women have the home advantage. Women on board ships were either feared or regarded as bringers of luck. Pirate women were considered especially dangerous, and accepted as leaders at a time when women on land had been robbed of their rights and dignity. We pirates set sail for new shores into a world of adventures. Breaking out of structured obedience, preset orders and moral unities. We plunge into unpredictability, danger, excitement, dance, song and everything that strong, free, cheerful action implies. A pirate has developed her own kind of pirate life, determined by her self and no other. Under the Jolly Roger, the black sea robber's flag, pirates show what it means to live in a permanently actualizing process of individualization and liberation. The love, loyalty and friendship that we have found in our pirate sisterhood springs from nothing less than a serious attempt to find a form of life that can fulfill the piratical desire for truth and freedom.
My name is Audrey. I have been called many, many things. My Pirate Sistahs dubbed me Pirate Yemaya Chalice Moon, Mother of the Secret Realm (or Yemmy for short), which I remixed P-Diddy style into Miss Moon the Brooklyn Geechee. This blog is basically all about me and my life. I call it the rantings, ramblings and revelations of your average Brooklyn Geechee.
I have a lot of interests, and I admittedly get a bit dorky about them. So this blog will be about music, movies, politics, tv, getting healthy, and as Lisa Jones dubbed her book Bulletproof Diva (a must read!)... tales of race, sex, and hair.
I hope you like it. And if not, I welcome constructive criticism.
My only rule is be nice or leave.
.
" (with the band, Subject to Change) and "
". Her music helped me survive an unhealthy relationship, it helped me to walk away, and it helped me to pick the pieces back up.
and in doing this exercise, I could really see the Cree... in me! That really brought home the truth of this, which is why I share this with you today -
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