Why Was Queen Latifah's Show Cancelled?

Queen Latifah courtesy of People.com

The second time talk show host Dana Owens known as Queen Latifah, had her talk show cancelled on Friday, although repeat episodes will continue to play until Spring of 2015.

Apparently, the cancellation wasn't a surprise to the mega Hip Hop star and actress, who wrote a personal thank you note on her Facebook page, "Dear Dana," she began, addressing herself. 

"Just a little note to say Thank You…Thank you for your strong work ethic and great effort in getting The Queen Latifah Show off the ground and running. Your dedication and sacrifice was crucial to the entire team, and in the face of intense challenges, you displayed 'True Grit!' Your Family, Partners, Staff and Crew showed up with you every step of the way. Be very proud of that! Not everyone can say the same."

"You can also say you have been a blessing to and been blessed by amazing guests and incredible audiences for this show," the Oscar nominee continued. "We truly changed people's lives for the better. So… STAY POSITIVE, STAY STRONG, and most importantly, STAY OPEN… There is so much more God has in store! Lovingly, You!"

She went on to address her colleagues and collaborators, writing, "P.S. This letter is for me, my staff, my crew, and everyone who was by my side for this incredible journey. The most important thing in life is that you wake up every single day and take chances. No matter what the outcome… believe in yourself and continue to fly."

Sony Entertainment Pictures also released a formal goodbye to Queen Latifah's fans as well as the show, "We want to thank Dana, the producers and the entire staff of The Queen Latifah Show for creating a program that we are all very proud of," Sony said in a statement. "Thank you also to our terrific station partners and advertisers who supported the show."

Personally, Queen Latifah is an amazing talent who seems to excel at everything that she does; she excels at rapping because she speaks her truth with passion, she excels at acting probably because she's been through so much emotionally -- that acting is an easy seg-way to express her feelings, she excels at singing because it's naturally apart of her, she excels at modeling because she's a beauty, and she excels at hosting because she has a dynamic and charismatic personality.

However, regarding why her show may have been cancelled; talk shows can be deeply personal and can almost demand that one be completely vulnerable to ones audience -- this appears to be what Queen was lacking. She seemed to have a hard time being vulnerable while walking in her truth and yes, her show helped many people financially and physically -- and she even had a long list of celebrity friends to make surprising appearances...but it still wasn't enough for the ratings which left me wondering, did she officially/unofficially come out of the closet in order to boost her ratings? 

Did she finally allow cameras to get a sneak peek of her personal life as a last attempt to hang onto her show? 

If it was...she went about it completely wrong; my suggestion would've been for her to come out on her talk show -- to make an entire show of her coming out and maybe have on guests who also had difficult times coming out as well. This action would've showcased her vulnerability as well as her personal truth, and let's keep it real who doesn't like a great story?!

Queen is already a self-made brand all on her own and millions of people would've flocked to her talk show as a means of relating to her story. 

Wendy Williams and Ellen DeGeneres are two people that have amazing talk show ratings because both are vulnerable in their truth with (Wendy's dramatic truth and Ellen's humorous truth), as people like when they can relate to someone on various levels. 

But if you only skim the top of the surface without attempting to delve into the core, eventually people will notice and become bored -- as we all appreciate when someone or something can hold our attention long enough to pay attention.

Dana probably doesn't think of this cancellation as a failure (and rightfully so), but simply a lesson on how to get it right the next time.

Thanks for the effort Queen. 

#Onward #Upward

2014 LA

Jean-Paul Goude's History With Kanye Wests' Women

Grace Jones;Amber Rose

Recently, I've come across more art-form photography by artist Jean-Paul Goude, the Parisian artist now known for the most recent nude spread of Kim Kardashian. 

Goude is best known for his decades of work capturing model/actress Grace Jones, in captivating photo shoots -- many that are deemed controversial in nature as well as borderline racist.

The recent photos uncovered are another recreation of Goude's past work which showcased his then muse, model Grace Jones; model Amber Rose, Kanye West's former girlfriend was apart of Goude's recreation as she re-enacted similar poses as Grace Jones. Rose's photos were indeed taken in 2010, the same year the former couple were actually a couple.

The Yeezus rapper seems to have a fascination with this particular artist and his works, as he keeps using this same visionary for his artisan projects. 

It's obvious that Kanye's spouses become his muses and he already admitted that the reality star had become his new muse, but will she continue to let Kanye make art with her body just as Goude did with Grace Jones?

On a side note: Kanye is recreating the past; art that becomes art again. Art often imitates life but it's interesting to see that Kanye prefers art to imitate art. Will the 'Cold' rapper try to innovate new art with his art pieces, or simply continue to pull from the past -- much like sampling vintage music?

2014 LA

Solange Knowles Ties The Knot With Alan Ferguson

Solange and Alan Ferguson arrive for their wedding. (Patriot Pics/SBMF/FameFlynet)

On Sunday November 16th, Beyonce's little sister -- DJ and mama to her 10 year old son Julez, Solange Knowles, finally tied the knot with her 51-year-old longtime video producer beau Alan Ferguson, who she's been dating since 2009.

Solange and her new hubby married in their residential home town of New Orleans; riding vintage style bikes to their ceremony instead of the traditional limousine and/or horse and carriage transportation. The dazzling bride had a basket filled with flowers that attached to the front of her bicycle.

Again, instead of following "tradition" -- that the only person to wear white should be the bride, the 28-year-old seemed to knock that trend and instead opted for her entire bridal party to wear white; the bridal party also wore their own style of shoes. This picture shows Solange's bridal party in all-white -- standing very stoic and militant in style; singer Janelle Mone' broke the militant pattern as she smiled broadly displaying her excitement for her friend.

The new Mrs. Ferguson stood in the middle of her bridal party looking like the leader of the pack, with sister Beyonce to her right and Mama Knowles to her left. Solange looked ravishing in an all-white gown and cape by Humberto Leon for Kenzo. Her all-white jumpsuit that plunged low in the front, seen above in the first photo is designed by Stephane Rolland. 

She had her signature Afro hairstyle and red lips to give a tinge of boldness -- along with two gold cuffs that adorned both her wrists, which resembles to me jewelry worn by African Queen Nefertiti. In the portrait, she is the epitome of a super soulful chic sistah; very down-to-earth with an old soul and knowing exactly what she wants. 

Solange and her 10-year-old son Juelz who she co-parents with her ex-husband Daniel Smith, whom she married at the tender age of 17-years-old, performed a sweet mother and son choreographed dance routine to the song 'No Flex Zone' for all the wedding guests in attendance.

Overall, the wedding appeared very intimate, stylish, down-to-earth, and strictly family and close friends based. Congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson!

On a side note: Was the bride given away by her father, Matthew Knowles? Was he even in attendance?

2014 LA

Kim and Kanye: Friends With Benefits?

A recent magazine cover which prominently displays the nude full frontal of the 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star Kim Kardashian, has most people wondering why Kanye West would agree to showcase his wife's goods for all to see?

Talk show host Wendy Williams, seems to believe it's because the #MostTalkedAboutCouple is "grooming their 18-month-old daughter North West, to be over-sexualised like her mother." 

ESPN host Michelle Beadle, recently told TMZ it was because Kim had "no talent" and therefore, "what else was she going to do?" 

However, little sister Khloe Kardashian-Odom, has a rather different take on it as she bespeaks "If you got it, flaunt it", also "And people just, I think, went so hard on her during her pregnancy that I think it's almost that she feels liberated to show everyone, like, 'Look how bomb I look.' And she does, she looks great." 

Khloe also made it her point to say that this photo shoot was definitely a KimYe production, as Kanye most certainly encouraged her to do the shoot. 

So again, why would a man encourage his wife to bare all her nakedness to the world?

1. Is it because the world has already seen her nakedness, so why not continue the trend? 

2. Is it because he deems Kim's body to be a work of art, and he enjoys using his creativity to influence her endeavours? 

3. Is it because the two have a business marriage in which he promised to help her make more money and in return she'd do the same, all while making sure to keep up her end of the bargain to produce his children -- #FriendsWithBenefits? 

4. Or is he really just that confident in himself to allow her to continue business as usual, knowing that she isn't going anywhere? 

Although the soft porn magazine cover was titled #BreakTheInternet -- which it most certainly did not, and the magazines website received 5 million less views than the amount of people following Kim on Twitter -- the cover did however bring more awareness to the online site than it ever had before, but the backlash that ensued due to the vulgarity of the cover left the online business at a loss with regards too not receiving any champagne endorsements, so much so, that the bottle Kim Kardashian was holding had to be blurred out of the shot.

And although GQ UK gave Kim a 'Woman Of The Year' award (in which GQ US had given superstar Beyonce a ('Woman Of The Millenial Award'), GQ US decided to make it adamantly clear that Kim's award had absolutely nothing to do with their American chapter.  

Will Kim Kardashian lose endorsements because of her most recent shoot? Will it become harder for her to attain future endorsements and/or business ventures because of this particular shoot or just the opposite? And when Kim's pictures become mundane as people tire from seeing the same thing over and over again, will the next step be another videotape and will Kanye actually be in the video? Or will their public divorce be the next big payday -- as it's added to her video app game?

On a side note: Did Kim not realize that in her quest to be innovative she was actually recreating racist imagery, in which the photographer Jean-Paul Goude, simply used one of his old photos to create the new and improved Kardashian version? 

Photographer Jean-Paul Goude photo of Kim Kardashian recreated his now famous "Champagne Incident" photo.

The old photo was of Sarah "Saartjie" Baartman, whose buttocks were naturally big, round, and poked outward away from her body; much like Black people's lips poke outward from their face. 

For centuries Black women were made fun of for having smaller waists with larger hips and posteriors that protruded outward instead of inward, and now in the 21st century outward lips, hips, and butts are the new fade. 

Or maybe it was secretly always a fade when the invention of corsets became the new norm; corsets which forcefully squeeze (sometimes to death) and trains the waist to stay small, while making the hips and buttocks protrude away from the body. Corsets first became popular in 16th century Europe, and most certainly wasn't a coincidence. 

#AsKanyeContinuesHisPoliticalArtEndeavours

2014 LA