Doughnuts, fish plates, cash… whatever works
This past March, a corporate executive aware of his vast customer base had an idea to speed up the efforts to vaccinate more Americans and help end the ongoing hell that is this plague: a free doughnut in exchange for proof of vaccination.
Given the realities of life in 2021, of course this campaign prompted criticism from some within the medical community, including doctor and frequent CNN talking head Leana Wen, MD. Apparently, Krispy Kreme giving away some of their frosty-ass doughnuts is a bad example of how to incentivize vaccinations. (And don’t take that as shade, Krispy Kreme lovers…
An underwear shot revealing a little bit of a gut isn’t exactly the bravery we’re looking for
Let’s get one thing clear right away: Will Smith isn’t fat.
Smith recently posted a couple of pics of himself on social media with no shirt on, exposing his lack of six-pack abs. It’s probably the first time he hasn’t had visible abs since the mid-90s when he made his sex symbol debut as the trigger-happy cop Mike Lowrey in Bad Boys. It appears that Smith, like millions of other people the world over, added on a few pounds during the pandemic, and I’m almost spot-on with the amount. But by the time you read this, he will have likely…
The infuriating impact of a toxic breakroom
Did you see me smile?
Was it even funny? Are you trying to test the plasticity of my face as you beckon me in with a warm, inviting interlude before launching into racist commentary that only gets uglier with each passing second? Our co-workers hang on for the punchline — the twisting knife that mocks several cultures at once in an adept play on words.
Look how clever you are.
How do I feel about your latest round of racist jokes? Should I stay silent because of my need to fit in with the group?
No matter how much I try to evade, political rhetoric seeps into every conversation
My friend was a force of sanity in this crazy world. But now, it seems like she picks a fight every time we talk.
The reason? The lead-up and aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. If you’re a liberal American with Donald Trump-loving friends, you may have noticed this inevitable shift since Biden defeated him back in November. Even when you deliberately avoid talking about politics, it worms its way into every conversation.
Since college, my friend has identified as an Independent, but I’m pretty sure she voted for Trump twice. …
The Only Black Guy in the Office
After more than a year of WFH, I can’t imagine it any other way
A couple of weeks ago, my manager, Richard, sent out an invitation to join him and a few other co-workers for a Saturday picnic in a local park. Prior to 2020, this was par for the course; here in Seattle, the coming of spring weather is so satisfying, people would throw a full-blown parade for the occasion if they could. But last year, Covid-19 made spring feel as dark as winter. The only invitations we were getting were to Zoom parties.
This year, however, things are starting to feel somewhat normal. Citywide restrictions are being lifted on restaurants and businesses…
This Week in Racism
It’s an embarrassment of riches in our weekly roundup of the world’s most preventable disease!
Death and taxes used to be the only two certainties in life. But no matter how much progress it feels like we’re making sometimes, the sad fact is you can probably slide racism into that list. Are we in a moment of uprising that feels like it has the potential to create real, systemic change? Yes. Do people and organizations still show their ass on a daily basis? Oh, most definitely. And to keep tabs on all that ass-showing, we created a weekly racism surveillance machine. …
Just Rankin’ Sh!t
They’re real, and they’re (very far from) spectacular
7. Coinye
Yes, it tried to harness the star power of Kanye West with a logo featuring shutter shades-era Ye. Yes, Kanye’s legal team got it shut down almost as soon as it was announced in 2014. No, it’s not even close to the only cryptocurrency seemingly launched just for the pun potential.
6. WhopperCoin
In 2017, Burger King Russia (where else?) issued one billion of these on the Waves crypto platform, promising to give customers one for every ruble they spent at the fast-food chain. When you got enough WhopperCoins — 1,700, or about $23 in U.S. dollars — you could trade them…
Ten years ago, I wrote a story that changed lives forever—including my own. I went back to examine the wreckage
In 2009, I was sifting through press releases and news items, looking for a story. In my office — really an illegal bedroom in a Newark, New Jersey, rooming house — my assistant sat nearby, reading headlines aloud to me.
“Morehouse College has a new dress code,” he said.
I shrugged. Nothing new there. For years, HBCUs had been struggling to keep the Black Ivy League moving into the modern era while trying to stay true to certain standards. When Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Spike Lee, Samuel L. …
Just Rankin’ Sh!t
Don’t make things awkward, son
5. “Ain’t Your Mama,” Jennifer Lopez
Just what your Mother’s Day soundtrack needs: an audio skewering of man-babies who refuse to grow the hell up, instead, playing Xbox all damn day and expecting a significant other to handle simple adult responsibilities like cooking and cleaning. We’re not gonna tell you what to do — we ain’t your mama, either — but we doubt this is the vibe you’re going for.
4. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” The Jackson 5
You see, this is exactly why you can’t rely on a keyword search to power your streaming choices. You’ll end up looking as bright as Prancer’s nose, playing a Christmas carol dead in the middle of…
Dear Level
A man who acts like a child is the biggest turnoff of all
When I think about unsatisfactory sexual experiences, my mind goes back to one guy in particular. Fred and I had been friends for a little less than a year when I decided to sleep with him. I wasn’t interested in him romantically, but I wondered what he was like between the sheets. So, one night, after dinner and a movie, I told Fred to take me back to his place. Seconds into our coital excursion, I knew I’d made a mistake.
It was my first time in his apartment, and right away everything I thought I knew about him proved…
