Velvet Rope Revisited

OK so Janet's Velvet Rope came out in 1997. I was a teenager going through lots during that time. I didn't care that it got bad reviews, I love me some Janet and I was going to love the album, period, right? Wrong. I actually didn't warm up to it at all for almost 6 months after getting it. I didn't "get it". I didn't understand what was the message of all the randomness and interludes. There as no flow with the songs at all.

Cut to me being in Chicago with my fam bam and I talked to my brother Steph about it (we are both huge fans). He had to explain to me that "Janet is feeling herself right now. Doesn't matter if it makes sense, it's her album her way and you have to take it one track at a time." I kind of understood but still, it was weird lol Then he said, "You will get it when you are older." Well who wants to hear that?! I've always been wise beyond my years, so I just didn't understand why he would tell me such a cliche.

Then I got older. I no longer had her posters all over my walls and all that. No more BSB either haha Around the age of 23 I rediscovered Velvet Rope and it all became much clearer. Steph said "Told you so" lol

NOW, being around the same age she was when she recorded the album, I get it even more so. She was a collection of these fun and sexy things. Layers upon layers that were all being shown via the album. I can relate MUCH MORE to the songs now. I've lived where I get the underlying messages. I get why she had to curse (something new for her on albums), why there was pain, anger, naughty, fun, silly and growth in this album. I also see why people didn't like it...they didn't get it. Us fans were still loving poppy and dancy Janet, not ready for the heavy and deeper Janet. Did it stop me from going to the concert? Hells no! Did it stop me from knowing all the words to my mom's disdain in some cases? Hells no! LOL

It's always amazing how something can grow with us and though we don't fully understand it, in time we do and it's even more special. I've loved Janet when everybody else was on the Michael fan base. She is probably one of few artists I've literally grown up with and loved through all the ups and downs and questionable moments (don't get me started on JD!). She was like the big sister I never had. I don't know if I am as awesome or ever will be as she is in my own mind. I do know I got those layers too. And I'm proud of them. Velvet Rope is a trip and a half but it's nice to finally get the whole picture and love it even more.

Music...such a beautiful trip no matter who you are and what you like.

My favorite track from Velvet Rope, "I Get Lonely" (don't act like you don't know!) Also, love the track she did with Q-Tip! Always made me wonder what they did mmhhmm I ain't mad at all gurl! lol

Rant About Oscars

Ok...I'm going to say it. And if you don't like it, I don't really care. It is what it is.

We all knew 12 Years a Slave was going to win. Don't act like it's big, new and exciting news. We knew this was going to happen. Every time a slave movie comes out, OF COURSE it's going to win all the awards and get all the hype and all that stuff. It's like for a moment in time, everyone who is on whatever committee that decides these things, says "Yes...that movie was great, it needs an award. Because if we don't, they will all be mad at us and we don't want that. Yes, give the black movie an award. That was easy." I'm so over this. I'm over slave movies, over people making money off of slavery. It's not something that needs to be repeatedly depicted on some grand level. Are we trying to make people feel guilty or trying to appease a certain type of people so they stop trying to revolt against us? Are we scared to NOT give it an award? Why in the world are we even GIVING AWARDS?!

There is no real rhyme or reason for all these award shows. All we need is one for all the movies that were worthy the prior year and call it a day. Stop giving all these awards for the same damn movie all year long! You got an Oscar...that's all you need! Just that. No more. Maybe a SAG one too but that's truly it! These things have become nothing but shallow, flashy, instagram events. Oh let's applaud us doing our job and what we love, yes, lets give each other statues made in a 3rd world country to show each other how awesome we are. Let's play dress up everybody!! Don't get me wrong, i love dressing up and going out. But i can find 1000 other things to do than sit for hours, in an amazing outfit, all done and clapping for hours on end. Why not just have a damn party and be like "You are all awesome actors, let's drink!" and call it a bloody day? Nonsense the lot of it, i tell you!

When Will Smith trotted out on stage WE ALL KNEW, what movie was going to win! COME ON NOW! If 12 Years a Slave didn't win...Oprah, Kobe, Al Sharpton and every other over dramatic person, would have all tweeted, facebooked and instragramed the hell out of social media about the movie losing. It would have become a media storm of epic proportions in the entertainment world. Hell regular news stations would even report about it, because ya know...nothing else important is going on in the world. And if SOMEBODY ASKED OBAMA ABOUT IT...I SWEAR!

*give me a minute*

Now, please...don't you EVER THINK I don't support good movies, good actors and all that. I do. I love film! I appreciate it on a whole other level. And I am not saying 12 Years a Slave wasn't a great film (it should be said, i haven't seen it yet...doesn't make my points any less valid though and if you think so, you clearly don't get it.) What I am saying is...let's stop with the slave movies. Let's stop giving people awards because you feel guilty about things done in the past. Stop making it "ok" about things done in the past. It wasn't OK. It will never BE OK. But it happened and we need to accept it and move on from it. I don't want there to be some movie about gays coming out either about their struggle and we give that an award just to appease that group of people. I'd feel the same way if it was a gay, hispanic, albiano or any other minority film. A golden statue isn't going to make it better. It's so fucking shallow to think it will too.

I can hear some of you now...but the struggle is real, the fight is still going on...bla bla bla

Screw all that noise! Let's be real, shall we...

The struggle is put upon yourself after all these years. If you can't get shit together that's on YOU. NOT someone else. If someone doesn't want you to work at a company because of your race, sexual orientation etc. screw them! Move on...find a company that WILL hire you based on your experience and not the other stuff. Don't act like you are being held back because of these things. You aren't. The only thing holding you back is YOU! If you have a tattoo and they don't want you to have one...you got 2 choices to make...leave the job or cover the tattoo. But don't act like "society is holding me down because of my ink, man" SHUT UP WITH THAT NONSENSE! You can do whatever the hell you want. You can be whatever the hell you want. You don't have to let ignorance hold you back. You dont' have to let close minded people keep you from your goals. And you don't have to accept pity anything. People like to play off bribes and appeasing someone with things like promotions, gifts, extra vacation days, extra food and lots of other things to try and make up for their ignorance, bigotry, homophobia, racism and all those other personality issues. You don't have to deal with that. You can get up, walk away and make your own damn path of awesomeness!

Everyone in 12 Years a Slave deserved to make something great. They are all great at what they do. I support the art of making a film. The art of writing a film. The art of actors. The art of film as a whole is amazing and should be supported. But I don't like the dumbing down and shallow mirror these awards shows bring to the art. Instead of giving it all these awards, why not just let it be in theaters longer for more people to watch. Why not bring down the price of a damn movie ticket. Why not release it all over so EVERYONE has a chance to see it and celebrate it. Why not give the heartfelt films bigger budgets and not just hype up the blockbusters all the damn time. And when it goes to DVD, stop jacking up the price because of all the extras. And stop watering it down when it hits cable tv. Because I am so tired of seeing the watered down version of ROOTS all over the damn place! Maybe that's another reason why I'm over slave movies. ROOTS was it. We didn't need another version of it. We didn't need 10 more films showing how slaves had it hard and all that mess. We got it...we got ROOTS...we don't need anymore. The same goes for Jesus films and movies about cars going fast (i'm just saying, don't hate the truth!)

Lastly...Mr. AlrightAlrightAlright didn't deserve that award. I don't care what anyone says. NO. NOPE. NO. I don't understand how DiCaprio got snubbed AGAIN! He is 1000 times better than McCoughney will ever hope to be! He embodies one of the best acting talents we have ever seen. And if he just couldn't have it, why not Bale? BALE! Who cares if he was Batman (though i LOOOOVVEEE Batman), he can act circles around McCoughney as well and still got snubbed! But you know what, it's all good. Because both Bale and DiCaprio will still keep doing amazing work! They will keep taking us to places we didn't even know were real. They will keep pumping out phenomenal work and McCoughney will just bang his bangos, make more babies and talk about that one time he won an Oscar. I loathe that man. Can barely make sense let alone a good movie.

That's all i got. You hate it or love it, I don't care. I'mma still be me and I'mma still keep posting my thoughts, no matter what anyone thinks! DO YOU!!