Source: SOPA Images / Getty As the weather gets colder, online streaming services like Netflix become increasingly important. People are spending a lot more time inside, whether alone or with their loved ones, and I don’t know about your home—but in mine, TV is usually the go-to activity. So, you can understand why some people are having intense reactions to Netflix suddenly deciding to test a new feature on the app…even if it’s not affecting that many shows. In a message to the Los Angeles Times, Netflix confirmed that it’s trying out a new “Instant Replay” button. It’s pretty self-explanatory—viewers are asked if they want to replay a scene they just watched. Sadly, people aren’t here for it. From the L.A. Times : The pop-up feature appears on screen after certain scenes and is available only on a selection of the service’s vast library of original and licensed content. The Los Gatos, Calif.-based digital streaming giant confirmed that it is trying out the feature but added that it hasn’t decided whether it will become a permanent user capability. Netflix didn’t say much, except that the testing will serve as a learning experience: “We’re trying out a feature which gives Netflix members the ability to rewatch favorite scenes and memorable moments with the click of a button,” said a Netflix spokesperson. “Right now we’re just looking to learn from it and may or may not roll it out more broadly in the future.” See how people have been reacting on the flip…folks are so mad that it’s actually kind of hilarious.
Source: Gary Gershoff / Getty It was a win for Black people and people of color in the media this week with unique perspectives headed for the big screen! However, it was also a week of dreaded Twitter drama when one radio host decided not to ignore a serious subject. Check out the W’s below, then hit the next page to find out who lost in the Twitter battle. Winners Issa Rae Source: Craig Barritt / Getty In the last couple of years, the T.V. and movie industry has made huge strides in bringing diversity to the media. Movies like Black Panther and Get Out are the most immediate examples of Black people being in front of and behind the camera. However, history has taught us that the “Black fad” can be here today and gone tomorrow. One decade it might be sitcoms, the next it might be romantic comedies, and then, Hollywood can decide they’re done with the Blacks. Well Issa Rae is one of the people making sure this doesn’t happen thanks to an epic deal she signed with Columbia. According to Variety , Issa’s production company, ColorCreative, has signed a multi-picture production deal that will allow the company to back projects from emerging diverse screenwriters. Certain writers will be announced in the spring of 2019 to work with Rae and ColorCreative to develop and write movies based on their original stories. This is a huge move considering Black content that makes it to the big screen isn’t always original (e.g. Black Panther, 12 Years A Slave, The Color Purple , etc.). With more original ideas, more diverse stories are sure to come that show the vastness of Black people and communities of color. If the flicks do well, they can also set the tone for more diverse films for years to come. “All of the projects we are working on are fresh and promising and we can’t wait to continue the work,” Issa said in a statement. “We hope to set a precedent and inspire the industry at large to invest in undiscovered talent, original IP, and fresh stories and perspectives.” Win, win, win.
Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty Remy Ma Is In Labor, Papoose Asks For Prayers Remy Ma and Papoose ‘s “Golden Child” is on the way! Pap hopped on Instagram just moments ago to announce that Remy has gone into labor, but nothing golden comes easy. It’s been well-documented how badly the Black Love couple have wanted a child of their own and how hard it has been for Remy to see a pregnancy to term. We are praying that Remy and Pap welcome home a healthy baby! Godspeed!
As you may have heard, Nicki Minaj is dating Kenneth Petty , a man who has served time on rape and manslaughter convictions. The public is baffled, fans are appalled, and an oblivious Nicki keeps posting pics with her new man like she just won the cuffing season lottery. Astonishingly, it was recently reported that Nicki is planning to marry Kenneth . The only possible explanations here are that she knows something we don’t; she’s lost her damn mind; or her feud with Cardi B is so intense that she won’t let her rival claim the title of Most Horrendous Marriage. Kenneth was one of Nicki’s first loves — they grew up together in Queens. And sources close to the rapper say she’s convinced that he’s changed. Which is good, because based on his prison disciplinary records, dude has a lot of changing to do before he could be considered husband material for anyone . TMZ obtained Petty’s records , and it seems dude was anything but a model prisoner. In fact, his problems began one day after he was incarcerated, when he was disciplined for creating a disturbance. It was all downhill from there, as Petty was written up a whopping 18 times over the course of his two bids behind bars. Petty’s most major violations include two violent conduct violations in 2010 for threats and fighting. Prior to that, he also racked up another fighting violation, and 5 violations for disobeying a direct order. One 2009 incident caused major problems for Nicki’s beau: He was cited for 9 separate violations following an altercation and wound up serving four months in solitary. After that, he was stripped of all his major privileges, including phone, recreation, and commissary. Look, prison is a rough place; the incarceration rate in this country is outrageous, and it disproportionately affects young men of color in a way that some have described as among the world’s most egregious human rights violations. But it’s not like Kenneth was knocked for selling dime bags. Dude went up the river the first time for first degree attempted rape. His second conviction was for manslaughter. We just hope Nicki knows what she’s getting herself into. View Slideshow: 19 Nicki Minaj Fun Facts!
Source: Pattanaphong Khuankaew / EyeEm / Getty Cyntoia Brown’s Freedom Rests With Gov. Haslam’s Clemency Decision Cyntoia Brown deserves her freedom. Sadly, a 60-year-old white man holds the keys to her liberation, literally. According to CNN , Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam is in the process of deciding whether or not to grant Cyntoia clemency for killing a man who solicited her for prostitution back in 2004. This case has struck a chord with millions of people on social media and celebs like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian. The system has failed. It’s heart breaking to see a young girl sex trafficked then when she has the courage to fight back is jailed for life! We have to do better & do what’s right. I’ve called my attorneys yesterday to see what can be done to fix this. #FreeCyntoiaBrown pic.twitter.com/73y26mLp7u — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) November 21, 2017 When asked about Cyntoia’s case by a Black Lives Matter activist at an event this past Monday, Haslam replied: “We are in the midst of reviewing Cyntoia’s case,” Haslam said at an event Monday night, responding to a local Black Lives Matter activist who asked about clemency for Brown. “We’ll hopefully have a decision — I’m just here for six more weeks, so it’ll be before that,” Haslam said, according to a video of the event posted online by The Tennessean newspaper. “But we’re doing our best to review every aspect of that, talking to everybody involved, just like we are with several other — I wouldn’t say exactly similar cases — but somewhat similar cases.” BOSSIP fam, we ask that you flood Gov. Haslam’s office with letters, tweets, Facebook messages, carrier pigeons, smoke signals, flying banners, and any form of legal communication you can manage to send him the message that clemency is the right thing to do.
B lack Republican Rep. Mia Love of Utah, still licking her wounds after losing a re-election bid to Congress, urged her party to improve its relationship with African Americans after President Trump showed his contempt for her and the Black community through his policies. See Also: Mia Love Whines People Don’t Like Her Because She’s Black, Not Because She Supported A Racist “We have especially failed to bring our message to, and connect with, women and racial minorities. And we have effectively written off cities as Democratic strongholds. Our nation is poorer for it,” she penned in an open letter published in the Washington Post on Wednesday. Black Republican Mia Love Suddenly Realizes Trump Is Trash After Losing Re-Election https://t.co/N3ZHLSBjK1 via @newsone — brandonallison (@brandonkallison) November 26, 2018 Love has been seemingly everywhere recently, on somewhat of an unofficial national tour , talking about how she was mistreated by Trump and Democrats because of her race. She lost her election in a close race for a third term in Congress. It’s unclear what the political future holds for Love, who made history as the first and only Black Republican woman in Congress. Many in the GOP hoped that her early political success would help to bring racial diversity to the party. But the Trump-dominated GOP is an inhospitable place to most African Americans. Trump publicly showed his contempt for Love the day after the midterms . “Mia Love gave me no love and she lost,” Trump said mocking the congresswoman, naming her among incumbent House members who didn’t shower him with praise and were defeated. “Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia.” Republicans remained silent while Trump defended white supremacist violence in Charlottesville and labeled Haiti and nations in Africa “ shithole countries. ” The GOP also stood by while their leader claimed falsely that his policies improved the lives of Black people. The president’s policies have in fact been detrimental to the Black community. In education, for example, the president has looked for ways to cut funding to public schools. This comes as many Black children attend schools in buildings that should be condemned, like many found in Detroit , and schools that lack the resources that wealthy school districts offer their students. Moreover, rather than reducing bias in schools, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos approved new guidance, which took effect in March, that permits investigators in her department to disregard civil rights cases . Love urged the party to change course. “We must listen to their experiences, visit them in their comfort zones and take their priorities to heart. Our policy implementations must be personal — not transactional,” she wrote. But it’s unlikely that Republican leaders are paying attention to her. SEE ALSO: Detroit Pastor Charged With Murdering A Transgender Woman Meghan McCain Reprimands ‘The View’ Audience For Clapping That Openly Racist John Kelly Was Fired [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3840218″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Prince Williams / Getty Killer Mike Brings New Series “Trigger Warning” To Netflix Killer Mike ain’t really into pulling punches. He’s also not into anything that he believes is dangerous to the Black community and marginalized peoples. The Atlanta MC and activist has a new series coming to Netflix in January called Trigger Warning and, well, just peep the trailer down below. You here for it?
Meghan Markle is out of f-cks to give, you guys. At this point, it’s impossible to believe that the Duchess of Sussex isn’t well aware of the negativity surrounding her at the moment, as one report after another labels her a spoiled diva who keeps stirring up trouble . So… what did Markle do in response on Monday night? She made a surprise appearance in London at the 2018 British Fashion Awards in order to present Givenchy creative director Clare Waight Keller with the British Designer of the Year Award. Keller is the woman who designed Markle’s wedding dress. The appearance on stage drew a raucous ovation from stunned attendees, as Markle showed off a very present baby bump — and also broke Royal Protocol once again. Perhaps making a statement that she isn’t about to rein in her defiant personality, Markle shocked onlookers and Internet users by rocking dark nail polish. This onyx-like shade complemented her black velvet dress… and also proved once more that Markle is her very own person. While there’s nothing official written down about nail polish color, it’s generally accepted that members of the Royal Family only wear very light or neutral colors. The idea, as is the case with nearly anything Royal, is that those under the umbrella of the monarchy do nothing to stand out individually in any way, shape or form. But this has been a problem for Markle since she exchanged vows with Prince Harry on May 19. Expecting her first child this spring, for instance, Meghan has threatened to give birth at home ; while multiple outlets have claimed she told off Kate Middleton a few months ago during fitting for her wedding. Heck, just in this latest sighting alone, Markle donned strappy gold Tamara Mellon sandals instead of pumps, which showed off her toes — and they were also painted black! We can’t say for certain, of course, whether or not Markle is purposely bucking tradition in these cases. She may be unfamiliar with some of the rules that exist for Royals; or she may see them more as guidelines. But the chatter about a feud between Markle and Middleton has grown so strong that Kensington Palace took the unusual step of actually commenting on it last week. This is something you almost never see happen. Multiple Royal staffers have quit instead of continuing to work under Markle, while Middleton and Prince William have been forced to change their Christmas plans. Instead of chilling with Kate’s family for the holidays, they will now pretend to get along with Meghan and Harry for the cameras. This Royal Quartet is expecting to spend the holidays together, just as they did a year ago. A lot has changed since then, however. And all eyes this time around will be on Markle’s facial expressions. And also on her fingernails. View Slideshow: Meghan Markle vs. Kate Middleton Feud: Tearing William and Harry Apart?!
K evin Hart was in a media firestorm last week when old tweets resurfaced of him making so-called jokes about the LGBT community. Despite misreporting that implied otherwise, Hart never apologized, he only “ addressed ” the issue and said he wouldn’t make the jokes again. However, once he landed the gig of hosting the Oscars, the Academy asked him to actually apologize. He refused twice and then apologized after he resigned. Kyler Murray, who is only 21, apologized immediately. See Also: Bill Cosby Sentenced To 3 To 10 Years In Prison For Sexual Assault Conviction Murray is an Oklahoma Sooners quarterback and the winner of the Heisman Trophy. Just hours after the win, tweets surfaced of him making homophobic comments when he was a teenager, around 14 or 15. Unlike Hart, who was 31 or 32 (and whose tweets included saying an actor looked like a gay Billboard for AIDS) , Murray did not hesitate to say he was sorry. He wrote on Twitter, “I apologize for the tweets that have come to light tonight from when I was 14 and 15. I used a poor choice of words that doesn’t reflect who I am or what I believe. I did not intend to single out any individual or group.” Arguably, a 15-year-old should not be punished for offensive tweets when they are an adult. Therefore, it is even more admirable that Murray didn’t say, “I refuse to apologize! I was a kid!” and did the opposite of what someone nearly twice his age did. Murray has a big career ahead of him. ESPN reports, “Murray, a junior from the Dallas suburbs, has signed a $4.66 million contract with the Oakland Athletics after he was selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft in June and this season may be his last in college football.” Again, despite incorrect reports, Hart never previously apologized for homophobic tweets, including one that read “die fag .” In 2015, he said to Rolling Stone , “I wouldn’t tell that joke today, because when I said it, the times weren’t as sensitive as they are now. I think we love to make big deals out of things that aren’t necessarily big deals, because we can.” Saying people are too “sensitive” is far from an apology. Hart’s first apology to the LGBTQ community was after he stepped down from hosting the Oscars (even though he said just hours before he wouldn’t apologize). I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's….this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past. — Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 7, 2018 Hart has also never apologized for his comments about dark-skinned Black women or a bizarre cowboys and Indians-themed party he threw on Thanksgiving. Kudos to Kyler Murray for having no issue being held accountable. SEE ALSO: All The Ways Cops Are Still Trying To Cover Up LaQuan McDonald’s Execution Outrageous! Figurines Of White Cherub Crushing Head Of Black Angel Removed From Dollar Store Meet Jogger Joe, The Man Who Took Racist Cue From BBQ Becky In Tossing Homeless Man’s Clothes [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3828001″ overlay=”true”]
B lack students across the country are continuing to display excellence in the realm of academia. According to the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education , three African-American students were selected as 2019 Rhodes Scholars. Senior Anea Moore named one of 32 in the Class of 2019 American Rhodes Scholars. https://t.co/kyebYf78zf pic.twitter.com/RkIUziFurW — Penn (@Penn) November 26, 2018 The students are three of 32 chosen by the Rhodes Trust to be granted graduate scholarships to further their education at the England-based Oxford University, the news outlet writes. They were picked from a pool of nearly 3,000 applicants. Amongst the Black students who received the honor are Lia Petrose , a University of Pittsburgh alumna who studied economics and neuroscience and minored in chemistry, University of Pennsylvania senior Anea B. Moore who is studying law and Africana studies, and Austin T. Hughes from the University of Iowa who is currently majoring in theatre arts, creative writing and literature and Japanese linguistics. All three students have used their knowledge to make an impact in their local communities and beyond. Petrose led a research project in Malawi surrounding the economics of health information systems, Moore has explored how race, class, and gentrification are intertwined through her research, and Hughes has received several awards for his creative writing. “This year’s American Rhodes Scholars—independently elected by 16 committees around the country meeting simultaneously—once again reflect the extraordinary diversity that characterizes the United States,” said Elliot F. Gerson , American Secretary of the Rhodes Trust, in a statement . “These Scholars plan to study a wide range of fields across the social sciences, biological and medical sciences, physical sciences and mathematics, and the humanities. They are certain to enrich our future.” The Rhodes Trust has come a long way when it comes to the representation of Black scholars. According to the news outlet, the first African-American to receive a scholarship was philosopher Alain LeRoy Locke in 1907. In 2017, 10 Black students were named Rhodes scholars. SEE ALSO: Largest Number Of African-American Students Win Rhodes Scholarships Howard Student Among Record Number Of Blacks To Earn Rhodes Scholarships [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3839641″ overlay=”true”]
