When I was a child, I used to watch "grown up" flicks. I preferred them over cartoons. Especially the ones with people who looked like me. Black and White. Yup! Pre-technicolor, technicolor, and colored stuff. I love(d) Eartha Kitt, Brigitte Bardot, Sammy Davis Jr., Sidney Poitier, that deep throated scene stealer Katherine Hepburn, and Spencer tracy. "The Apartment" starring a young Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon is still at the top of my favorite flicks.
I would go around proclaiming that: "I don't know nuffin' bout burfin' No babies!"(you know that movie about some plantation named Tara that the Wind done gone blew off).
And finally, THE line that has haunted me most:
"Success is NOTHING if you have NO one to share it with."
These words were uttered by Billy D. Williams' character, "Brian", to the glamy-iest of the glamest Divas, Diana Ross!
The movie, "Mahogany" (1975).
I was being reared outside of the United States of America, so movies would literally make their way to us decades later. I was forced fed the oldies, but goodies. I barely grasped the subject matters, but somehow that "Mahogany" line had a tremendous impact on my psyche. So much so, that I feared it became a sort of leit motif for my earthly existence.
Diana Ross' character was a woman who raised herself up by her bootstraps, all on her lonesome, managed to have it all, opted for single-hood, speed, booze, false adulation AND a MINK coat, bitches! As if all of that was not enough, she also had a handsome, bleeding heart liberal, highly educated man chase her twiggy-ass around the planet to physically try to shake her out of the seduction of all of the illusory good she'd accumulated. He tells her - no warns her, quite wisely with enough anger and Mandingo juice, squeezing her broomstick-like arms:"Success is Nothing if you've got NO ONE to share it with!".
Freeze-Frame back to MY, Nadège August's, reality - 2013.
I haven't bitched, ranted, kissed and sort- of -told in three months. Where have I been? Replenishing my undried well. Let's call this "well": procrastination, coupled with a fear of criticism over my still evolving, writing. You see, I have an extra small group of dear friends, led by my all time favorite, the metrosexual Lenny.
Lenny has been my harshest and most punishing critic. Lenny will not deny sleeping with me because he can not and since he is being accused of it anyway, he's gone along for the ride. Lenny is my parent. A praiser and a stone-throwing critic at once. He loved the blogs that had absolutely nothing to do with him but hated anything where he recognized an iota of himself. But I digress.
I am back, undried well and all and may Lenny be damned! (Sidebar, Lenny is getting hitched, so he is too busy to judge me anymore. I am sad to report too, that I've lost him...again)
Tonight, I am on Television. Whilst writing this blog, my image is appearing on the western part of the United States, but I am opting to "express", to "expose" another little centimeter of my heart to be devoured by an audience of 10. To "publicly journal" instead.
Admittedly, the allure of blogging is that it promises the potential for immediate feedback. For me, it's been a gorgeous, naked ride, where my wit either offends or hooks a reader. In fact, I see one follower who will likely un-follow me before he even reads this because we went on a date, hang out for a bit and the very next morning, he felt the need to send me sexually explicit texts. After a few days of dodging, I decided to tell him the opposite of an untruth. I told him that his texts were a literal "turn-off". I will soon blog about him. And, henceforth refer to him as the "Gardner of girth-less wonder". Stay Tuned. (I did warn that this was a public journal)
Smash cut: back to "Mahogany".
In Los Angeles, part of being healthy involves the help of a" head - doctor", 16 oz of detox green juice, yoga, hiking, boot-camp, cross-training, a couch and a checkbook.
Because I am a self-proclaimed conservative misfit, my head-doc dared me to TOOT my own HORNS!"
-"It's okay, it's what social media is for."
She confidently proclaimed. I don't back away from many challenges. I tackle this challenge with a plan:
- I post this TV guest gig on my FB fan page. Immediately, four (4) fans UNLIKE my image.
- I post on my regular FB account and a few unsubscribe from Nadège-land.
- I don't do mailchimp, vertical response or constant contact but rather, go through the tedious process of of sending an email to people in my contact list.
So, the head doctor's challenge while fabulous was reinforced up by the mild accusations on my lack of business acumen. I am happy to report that I got no response from more than half. Terrific! Because it was just that, an "announcement". Not the kind of email that begged for a response o a RSVP.
The other half was a panacea of "Really? Seriously?! And head scratching from me.
Here is small sample:
1) Would love to, but, unfortunately, I am working...tonight
2) Oh no, I just got this text/email now and I...missed it. :-( (sad face) - It's nowhere near 9PM PST where you live.
3) Your email ended up in my spam box :-( (sadder face)
4) Unsubscribe me from your list! (my favorite cause I sure like a threat! Considering we've emailed each other enough that you are on my contact list and not a random stranger) Insert Laughing face (:-)
I am ending this glorious evening knowing that strangers, family and former BF's have written to me about tonight's show. The subject matter, mattered.
I, Nadège August, understood it to the core and for that week, while we shot, I lived it.
When a relative skyped me hours before the episode aired Pacific Time and proceeded to give me the play by play of the episode, I lovingly stopped him and said:
"Brother, I was there!" Sheila Goode (the character I played) was Good.
Leit motif, courtesy of Mahogany? ~ broken and done.
Leit motif, courtesy of Mahogany? ~ broken and done.
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