Brave New Voices

Spoken word/slam poetry has always been one of my favorite art forms. I have the utmost respect for a lot of these poets. The way some of these cats are able to rhyme and twist their words and make them flow so freely often from the depths of their most inner and private thoughts is a really beautiful and powerful thing to see. So when a new series like "Brave New Voices" comes along, from producers Russell Simmons and Stan Lathan, the same dudes who brought us "Def Poetry," I know it's going to be good. And not just good, but great. Fantastic. Mind-blowing, even. And the minute I get hooked on it like a crackwhore the gotdamned cable company takes away my HBO.

SO to feed my fix I am reduced to watching YouTube videos of performances from some of the young poets on the show, as well as revisiting old "Def Poetry" performances, some of my faves which I have posted below. Also, some of the poems are NSFW, so make sure to wear headphones (but if you have shitty sound on your computer like I do, the headphones might be handy either way).


Zora Howard, 13, "Bi-Racial Hair". She really brought the house down with this one. It's amazing how young some of these poets are, and yet possess the talent of someone way beyond their years.



Jasmine Mans, 17, one of the poets on "BNV" Incredibly powerful, she really took it "there."


Sista Queen, "Try Being a Lady". She's a beast with words.


Shanelle Gabriel, "Why I Love You". This poem is probs why I love Shanelle...so witty.


Phylicia Rashad, "On Status". This woman is something of a living legend, whether on stage or on the small screen as my all-time favorite TV mom. I can personally relate to this poem.


Carlos Andres Gomez, "Distinctly Beautiful". Ummm WHERE can I find a man like THIS? He really speaks the truth on men and women and gender roles in modern society. Male feminism is sexy.

The Return of 30 Rock

My Thursday nights are finally complete. With the return of "30 Rock," I now have the joy of sitting in front of my television from the hours of 8 and 10 pm, as I watch back-to-back episodes of "The Office," "30 Rock," and "ER." It's like receiving a little bit of Christmas goodness every week. "30 Rock" comes back with its third season premiere this Thursday night on NBC, but you can catch an early sneak peek on hulu.com. With the show snagging two Emmys for outstanding comedy series and show creator/writer Tina Fey winning an Emmy and Golden Globe for best lead actress as well as an Emmy for best writing--not to mention her spot-on "SNL" parodies as Alaskan governor Sarah Palin--I think it's safe to say "30 Rock" will have another successful season. The new season has gotten off to a hilarious start (SPOILER ALERT). In the first episode Liz Lemon (Fey) tries to keep the "TGS" staff in line as an adoption agency evaluator (Megan Mullally) drops by her job. Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) tries to get his old job back as network executive, going head-to-head with current network exec. Devon Banks (Will Arnett), but soon realizes that he will have to make his way to the top from the bottom...as a mail room clerk. If the first episode is any implication, then the rest of season three should be a real treat. Guest appearances this season include Oprah Winfrey, Rose McGowan, Steve Martin, and Salma Hayek, who portrays Jack's new girlfriend in multiple episodes.