Lupita Nyong’o Named ‘Woman of the Year’ By Glamour Magazine
Hollywood’s new “it” girl, actress Lupita Nyong’o, has just been named Galmour magazine’s ‘Woman of the Year’ for their December 2014 issue. And, with her Oscar win and promising career ahead of her, we can certainly see why Nyong’o beat out a number of A listers for the top spot.
Here are some excerpts of her interview from the cover feature.
GLAMOUR: Over the past year you’ve gone from being virtually unknown to winning an Academy Award for your first major motion-picture role. How has your life changed?
LUPITA NYONG’O: This is actually a conversation I look forward to having in 10 years, when all of this is behind me and I have some real perspective on what happened—because right now I’m still adjusting. I guess I feel catapulted into a different place; I have a little whiplash…. I did have a dream to be an actress, but I didn’t think about being famous. And I haven’t yet figured out how to be a celebrity; that’s something I’m learning, and I wish there were a course on how to handle it. I have to be aware that my kinesphere may be larger than I want it to be.
GLAMOUR: How does this change affect you day to day?
LN: I’ve had somebody say, “I want you at my wedding, but I don’t want you to pull focus, so wear jeans!” Losing my anonymity is something that’s proving to be very challenging…. It’s good for your soul to walk around unnoticed; there’s so much you can’t do when everybody knows who you are. And I so miss those little things.
GLAMOUR: Like what?
LN: Like being stupid in public. I used to enjoy doing silly walks on the street with my friends. Like, you know, you’re walking, and then you break out in something completely ridiculous, to kind of spook out the person walking by you. I can’t really do that anymore.
GLAMOUR: So you can’t have your Monty Python moment?
LN: Yeah, that’s exactly it. “The [Ministry] of Silly Walks,” the kind of thing John Cleese does.
GLAMOUR: While you were making 12 Years a Slave, did you have a sense of the impact it would have?
LN: I knew that it was going to be a powerful story, but I definitely did not think about the impact it would have on my life. I was too busy thinking, How on earth am I going to make it through filming a movie with these heavy hitters? I wanted to rise to the occasion.
GLAMOUR: It’s hard to imagine anyone doing a better job of rising to the occasion, since you ended up winning an Academy Award! How did that feel? You’re at the Oscars, and you hear your name.
LN: I don’t think I will ever be able to really articulate how bizarre it was to hear my name at the Academy Awards. I’d watched in my pajamas the year before! I felt numb—dazed and confused. I remember feeling light—weightless. More like limbo than cloud nine. At first I was like, This is my statue; nobody gets to touch it. And by midnight I was like, Please, someone, take this statue; it’s too heavy! So I gave it to my brother, and he went off with it.
GLAMOUR: And what about the days afterward?
LN: There was so much going on! It was overwhelming. That’s the thing: You win an Oscar, and immediately people ask how you feel. So you don’t have time to actually feel anything because you have to generate a response. And then some of the feelings you have are so intimate and visceral, words don’t really do them justice.
GLAMOUR: In more than eight decades of the Academy Awards, only seven black women have won an acting Oscar. What was your reaction to being one of them?
LN: It’s exciting and humbling.
GLAMOUR: To most people that would be the height of success. What does success represent to you?
LN: For me it’s not just one thing. Every time I overcome an obstacle, it feels like success. Sometimes the biggest ones are in our head—the saboteurs that tell us we can’t. I’ve always had that going on: “I can’t,” and then I do, so the voice says, “Well, that was an exception!” It’s a tug-of-war between two voices: the one who knows she can and the one who’s scared she can’t.
GLAMOUR: How do you deal with the fearful, doubtful voice?
LN: I say, “Sit down—I’ll get to you in a second, but let me do this first.” The more challenging life gets, the louder that voice becomes—but then I have to be friendly to it, be gentle with myself. The fearful voice is afraid of failure but also of success.
GLAMOUR: Why do you think success is challenging for you?
LN: With success comes more responsibility, a larger size of existence, which is uncomfortable.
GLAMOUR: Ron Van Lieu at the Yale drama school says that talent like yours is innate. Were you always a natural performer?
LN: I’ve always had an involved imagination. [Smiles.]
GLAMOUR: When you were growing up, your aunt used to stage impromptu performances for the family. In one skit you played a child who died, and your mother was so moved that she cried out. What did that mean to you?
LN: It meant I could have an effect on my parents. It’s like a little power had been kindled, and that kind of power is addictive. I loved duping my parents; I liked manipulating them. [Laughs.] It was a way for me to stand out. It was fun.
GLAMOUR: Was it hard to stand out in such a big family?
LN: I was the second of six children, and I was gullible, so the joke was often on me…. I was bullied by my siblings and cousins, so make-believe was a way in which I could be in charge. When I was like 10 and my sister was about five, I convinced her that she was going to jail because she used a bad word. The doorbell happened to ring, and I told her it was the police. I made her pack her bags. She was crying, and then I said to her, “I forgive you, and I’m gonna tell the cop to go away.” Then, of course, she loved me. It was terrible—she still remembers it. I had a sordid sense of humor.
GLAMOUR: Where did that come from?
LN: My mother is asking the same question! She says, “I don’t know whose child you are!”
GLAMOUR: You’ve become a role model for many girls—black girls in particular. Who were your role models, growing up?
LN: Oprah played a big role in my understanding of what it meant to be female and to really step into your own power. I wouldn’t even call her a role model; she was literally a reference point. You have the dictionary, you have the Bible, you have Oprah.
GLAMOUR: Do you feel a responsibility to young women out there?
LN: I feel a responsibility to myself and my parents and the people whose love has gotten me this far—people who were in my life before fame. That’s where I get my sense of self. It’s deadly for anyone to take on that role of a deity; it’s not sustainable. I’ve got tons of flaws. Call my mother—she’ll tell you! She keeps it real. Sometimes you don’t want to hear the truth; she’ll tell it to you out of love.
GLAMOUR: How do you react to an unpleasant truth?
LN: I like people who don’t tell you what you want to hear. I’ve got stellar friends who treat me just as they did before all this. I’ve had two friends since I was five, and then I have a group of friends from [college], and I’m very close to my classmates from Yale. I have friends who say, “You’re not leaving the house wearing that.”
GLAMOUR: But you dress so well.
LN: Not without their help! I dress according to how I feel.
GLAMOUR: You’ve received lots of attention for your looks. Did you grow up feeling beautiful?
LN: European standards of beauty are something that plague the entire world—the idea that darker skin is not beautiful, that light skin is the key to success and love. Africa is no exception. When I was in the second grade, one of my teachers said, “Where are you going to find a husband? How are you going to find someone darker than you?” I was mortified. I remember seeing a commercial where a woman goes for an interview and doesn’t get the job. Then she puts a cream on her face to lighten her skin, and she gets the job! This is the message: that dark skin is unacceptable. I definitely wasn’t hearing this from my immediate family—my mother never said anything to that effect—but the voices from the television are usually much louder than the voices of your parents.
GLAMOUR: So how did you get over believing that?
LN: I come from a loving, supportive family, and my mother taught me that there are more valuable ways to achieve beauty than just through your external features. She was focused on compassion and respect, and those are the things that ended up translating to me as beauty. Beautiful people have many advantages, but so do friendly people…. I think beauty is an expression of love.
GLAMOUR: You can’t deny that it’s also an expression of genes.
LN: Lovely genes! But to rely on the way you look is empty. You’re a pretty face—and then what? Your value is in yourself; the other stuff will come and go. We don’t get to pick the genes we want. There’s room in this world for beauty to be diverse.
GLAMOUR: You’ve become so popular that people talk about “the Lupita effect,” which includes everything from consumers running out to buy the lip gloss you’re using to designers casting more women of color on the runway. How do you react to that?
LN: I giggle. I just heard it for the first time. I’ve heard people talk about images in popular culture changing, and that makes me feel great, because it means that the little girl I was, once upon a time, has an image to instill in her that she is beautiful, that she is worthy—that she can… Until I saw people who looked like me, doing the things I wanted to, I wasn’t so sure it was a possibility. Seeing Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah in The Color Purple, it dawned on me: “Oh—I could be an actress!” We plant the seed of possibility.
Get more at Glamour.com
Angelina Jolie Dishes on Political Aspirations in Vanity Fair December 2014
It’s been a year of many changes for Angelina Jolie, and she looks more beautiful than ever in her cover shoot for Vanity Fair.
The 39-year-old “Changeling” actress wears a white collared shirt and wraps her arms around herself for the front page snapshot, taken by famed photographer Mario Testino.
An in her interview, Angelina talks about what it’s like being married to longtime love Brad Pitt. “It does feel different. It feels nice to be husband and wife.”
As for their wedding vows, Jolie notes that their six kids had a hand in writing them- "They did not expect us never to fight, but they made us promise to always say, 'Sorry,' if we do. So they said, 'Do you?,' and we said, 'We do!'"
In addition, Jolie revealed that she is open to running for office and said, "When you work as a humanitarian, you are conscious that politics have to be considered. Because if you really want to make an extreme change, then you have a responsibility."
Teyana Taylor & Remy Ma Catch Up At SiriusXM
Teyana Taylor is heavy on the promo circuit for her debut album VII that dropped today. After hitting up “106 & Park” the “Do Not Disturb” singer was all smiles at SiriusXM Studios in NYC today.
While there, she ran into Bronx raptress Remy Ma and they snapped a cute girly photo. Rem just released her new mixtape I'm Around on Halloween. Have you heard it yet?
Kelly Rowland Gives Birth to Baby Boy Titan Jewell Witherspoon
After what seems like a super duper long pregnancy, Kelly Rowland has finally given birth!
She and husband Tim Witherspoon welcomed their first child Tuesday at 1:30pm PT — a 7.5 lb. baby boy named Titan Jewell!
The couple stated:
“We are thrilled to announce that today we are the proud parents of our first son. We are blessed to report everyone is healthy and happy!”
Congrats Kelly and Tim!
Angie Martinez Newest Member to Join Roc Nation Family
Newest celebrity to join Roc Nation management is the voice of New York celebrity multimedia personality Angie Martinez. Roc Nation will now manage the personality and spokeswoman. Stay tuned more to come!!!
Angie’s nearly 20 years of on-air hosting experience has led her to become the media trailblazer she is today: multimedia host, spokeswoman, actress, recording artist, entertainment personality, author and philanthropist.
In addition to her professional work across the media landscape, Angie has become a passionate cultural voice for her community and fan base through HealthyLatinEating.com
Amber Rose Claims She’s Dating French Montana’s Brother?
Is the ink even dry on those separation papers ? There were reports of Amber and French dating, but that’s not true.. Amber is dating his brother Zack…
According to TMZ.com: There are reports that Amber and French are together, but in reality … French and his bro hang together all the time … thus the confusion. That’s why we got a pic of Amber, French and Zack at Knott’s Berry Farm about a week ago.
Amber keeps her distance when they’re in public, but we know she’s seeing Zack. They were out at a strip club and a nightclub in NYC
As for why the secrecy … we’re hearing Amber doesn’t want to make things more difficult with Wiz Khalifa, given their nasty split and a looming custody fight.
They are saying that Zack is also engaged and has a child as well……. That could be another reason why they are trying to keep it on the hush! Sad!
Kanye’s Adidas “Yeezy 3″ Shoes To Arrive This Month
Kanye West may roll out his first line of shoes with Adidas later this month. We all remember the frenzy that Kanye created with his last sneaker release, so we can’t wait!
SneakerMob.com reports that the Adidas’ Yeezy 3 sneaker is set to hit stores in the third week of November. Earlier this year, Kanye hinted that the shoes would arrive before the calendar flipped to December. Neither Adidas nor Kanye have revealed details about the Yeezy 3, but rumors point to a design similar to Adidas Tubular Snake shoe.
Apart from a line of shoes, Kanye is also expected to release lines of both men’s and women’s clothing through the Adidas brand.
We’ll be waiting.
T.I. Took the Court at the Atlanta Hawks Home Opener
Hip Hop rapper T.I., performed at the Atlanta Hawks home opener against the Indiana Pacers. The Grammy-winning rapper took the court before the game, during halftime and after the final buzzer at Philips Arena.
And a lot of local celebs came out to see
Promote that new project T.I LOL!
NFL’er Adrian Peterson Avoids Jail Time
NFL’er Adrian Peterson was spared jail time, after reaching a deal with prosecutors in his child abuse case.
The Minnesota Vikings star plead no contest to a misdemeanor charge of reckless assault for using a wooden switch to discipline his 4-year-old son. He was sentenced to a form of probation.
As previously reported, he was indicted in September on a felony charge of injury to a child after the incident earlier this year in Houston. He has been on paid leave under a special exemption from the NFL Commissioner.
After accepting the plea deal, he told reporters outside of the courthouse:
stand here and I take full responsibility for my actions. I love my son more than anyone of you could even imagine and I’m anxious to continue my relationship with my child. I’m just glad this is over…I can put this behind me, and me and my family can continue to move forward.
He was not allowed to be near his son while the case was pending, but now can have contact with him.
Adrian has said he never intended to hurt his son and was disciplining him in the same way he had been as a child growing up. The boy suffered cuts, marks and bruising to his thighs, back and one of his testicles, according to court records.
If he had been convicted of the felony charge, he could have faced up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Instead, he received two years of deferred adjudication, a form of probation. Reportedly, he was fined $4,000 and must complete parenting classes and perform 80 hours of community service.
New Study Claims Black Men In Atlanta Have A 60% Chance Of Contracting HIV Before Age 30
A nonprofit organization in metro-Atlanta is making sure that men in the area who are in danger of developing poor health and/or contracting illnesses are provided with the support they need.
The Health Institute for Men (HIM) was founded in 2012 but became a nonprofit in 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. The grassroots service vows to assist men (many of whom are African-American) in the city whose health may be at risk, which may include men who have been incarcerated, are homeless, or are in situations that may expose them to viruses such as HIV, according to Atlanta Blackstar.
“The reaction has been positive to what we’re doing, and because the need for men’s supportive health services is significant, I think it hasn’t taken a lot of convincing,” said Executive Director of HIM Walker Tisdale III.
In an interview with Atlanta Blackstar’s S.C. Rhyne, Tisdale further explains the work of HIM. “The focus of our work is to support all men and service providers working with vulnerable men to better provide culturally relevant mental health service, appropriate infectious disease care and other evidence-based health interventions, said Tisdale. “As an institute, we are up to this challenge because in 2014, we must.”
And, according to health statistics, the attention that HIM is providing to adult males really is needed. In March 2014, Aidsmed.com concluded that based on the amount of black Atlanta men who are contracting HIV, a se×ually active black man who starts to sleep with other people at 18-years-old has a 60% chance of contracting HIV before he turns 30.
The study doesn’t indicate the difference between heterosexual and homosexual men, so this may be a determining factor.
Nicki Minaj ALLEGEDLY SMASHED Up Her Ex-Boyfriend Safaree's Car, Had Cops ESCORT Him OFF Her Property!
Nicki Minaj AIN'T the chick to f*ck with. Although she and Safaree Samuels never went public with their relationship, their breakup is "on the record" with the LAPD. Here's the backstory....
According to police reports (via TMZ) LAPD was summoned to Nicki's mansion this past summer after she'd had a huge fight with Safaree. During the fight, Nicki exploded and chased Safaree out of their (ummm...HER) home with a baseball bat. Nicki decided that she wouldn't beat Safaree with a bat....but "his" 2012 Benz wasn't so lucky.
We never heard about this case on "Judge Judy" because NICKI owned the Benz and you can't go to jail for vandalizing your own property. As for the ex, cops escorted him out of the house.
We have to assume he only "escaped" with the clothes on his back because Nicki threw the rest of his clothes in the garbage....ALLEGEDLY. Now we know why he got those tatts removed.
Damn homie.....
Kenashia, Ashanti, Jay Z, & Beyonce Pose At Nets Game
Ashanti, her sister Kenashia, Jay Z, and Beyonce flicked it up for Instagram after the Nets season opener at Barclay’s.
Even though Jay Z sold his ownership percentage, he’s still a regular at their home games to route the team he helped bring to BK.
Kendall Jenner’s Birthday Bash: Tyga, French Montana, Cara Delevingne, Kanye West Attend
It was an intimate birthday affair for Kendall Jenner. The famous Keeping Up With the Kardashian reality star celebrated her 19th birthday this week.
A few Kardashian sisters, along with Kendall’s mother, Kris Jenner, sent sweet birthday wishes on social media.
The Fashion Week model was all smiles in polaroids that she posted on Instagram.
In addition to the Kardashian’s, we also spotted Kanye West, French Montana (who is allegedly now an ex-boyfriend to
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘On The Prowl’
Rawr! Someone is feeling a bit feisty today!
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
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