General Monique Stuff

Uncategorized posts featuring general Monique Minutiae

Hello from the other side

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It’s me, sitting upright, working on my laptop, and continuing to recover from my eye surgery.

I still can’t see clearly out of my left eye, but I can see enough to type some stuff, and that’s exactly what I am doing.

I swear, a week facedown in bed will have you ready to jump out of your skin, and now that I am upright, I feel compelled to never be lazy again.

Anyway, this is me saying hello from the other side.

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I took Lady to the groomer for a bath and a haircut, and now she is walking around here like a brand new bitch.

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3:57 a.m.

Lady always tries to turn my middle of the night bathroom trips into a petting session.

She’s like “Hey, I’m awake, and you are awake, so why not rub my belly for a little bit?”

Let’s talk about the way Black women are constantly targeted for ‘humbling’

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Before the whining starts, I want to be clear that I realize all women are shamed for the tiniest of things that shouldn’t even matter or be anyone else’s business, but as Black women, we are held under a microscope and have every decision, emotion, hairstyle, financial status, education level, number of previous lovers — you name it, we have had it picked apart and thrown in our faces at any given moment. 

Black women get shamed for everything

Return of the Mack

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Good morning!

As I have shared in my writing as of late, I have not been in a good place mentally over the last few weeks.

Depression is a monster, and when it takes over, even the smallest of tasks can feel insurmountable. The inability to focus long enough to get anything done is a productivity killer, and for someone like me who works primarily as a freelancer or contract worker, that means it’s an income killer as well.

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the buffalo shooting

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Today I called my mom to ask her a question, and she told me that she was really sad today. I asked her why, and she said the news about the Buffalo shooting had really upset her.

“All those women were older Black women just going for groceries in a store they fought to have in their neighborhood,” she said, her voice cracking.

I tried to soothe her, but what can you say, really?I know it hit home for her because she’s in her 70s. I know the thought occurred to her that it could easily be her in a store one day.

The people in that store were targeted because they were Black. That is horrifying to think about, but it is definitely our American reality.

I’m scared for all of us. You never know where one of these people may show up and decide to pull something like this.

I listened to my mother sob today, the fear in her voice, and there was really nothing I could say to make her feel better.

I told her not to spend her entire day feeling sad, but how do you prevent that when we live in this country

A country where they won’t legislate guns, but they will legislate the private decisions women make with their bodies.I just wanted to give her a hug and tell her it was going to be all right. But we all know that’s a lie. It’s going to get worse.Love your people and hold on to them tight.

I’m quoted in a book?

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Today, a friend informed me that I am quoted in a book they are currently reading called What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat, by Aubrey Gordon. She cited my article I wrote Quantasia Sharpton, the woman who sued Usher for giving her herpes. When her lawsuit was originally reported, people laughed it off and said there was no way Usher would sleep with a fat woman like that. I disagreed.

Go me!

Happy 4/20 and Viva Las Vegas!

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The city of Las Vegas welcomes you with a sign in their airport

I am out of office

I am currently out of office, enjoying the 4/20 holiday in Las Vegas with two of my best girlfriends. There has been lots of room service, lots of sun in front of the pool, and lots of alcoholic beverages.

Even though I’m out of office, I’m still working

I have had two pieces publish this week, and a third is going live tomorrow. When you work for yourself, there truly are no “off days.”

black-ish had its series finale last night

In advance of the series’ last episode, I had a chance to speak with series creator Kenya Barris and actors Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross and Jenifer Lewis about the impact and the legacy of the show.

Black culture dictates so much of popular culture that for many people who are not Black, those lines can become blurred to the point of erasing its origins. At its best, black-ish was adept at showcasing Black culture in a way that was consumable and understandable for everyone, and Barris says that was intentional.

me, on black-ish

Kenya Barris told me, “I would be a liar if I said the goal wasn’t to get an episode two and a little bit more money in my bank account, but as the show went on, we realized we wanted to talk about things. It got to a point where we realized the show was too important, and we had to stand for something. And it stood for something, because people started trusting us, and we had to talk to them about things other people wouldn’t talk to them about. It became sort of like journalism.”

‘black-ish’ is coming to an end, but it understood the assignment

It’s 4/20!

As you toke up today, please remember that many Black people have been locked up on simple possession charges while white “ganjapreneurs” continue to profit from sales.

I discuss this in my latest for theGrio.

As we celebrate 4/20, let’s remember that the ‘weed man’ has been gentrified by white people