WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? A Black Woman's Life and Liberation in Heavy Metal, by Laina Dawes: My response!

My first "FourteenG" entry :-D


Ahhhh a subject near and dear to my ❤. My first "What Are You Doing Here" moment, happened in 1991 with one of "FourteenG's" illustrious premiere journalists Karma Elise @ the affectionately known "Aragon Brallroom" We were @ a 
"Black Crows" concert sitting sitting our usual Balcony spot, when a slightly intoxicated dude said to us "I didn't know colored people liked this kind of music". Believe it or not we only looked partially stunned, and in a typical knee jerk reaction, I gave him a mini music history lesson, explaining how blues is at the roots of ALL rock music, and he was satisfied. Now he might have been too drunk to pick up what I was throwin' down, but are yo gonna do, it was what it was. 


We were 20 & 21 at the time, and this guy couldn't have been any older than say 30, which is why we were floored that he used the term "colored". Really, Seriously, this was 1991 after all not 1961, what was up with that? Curiosity still kills this kitty, but we'll never know. 


It happened once again as late as 2005! The FourteenG mafia was @ Oasis 160,
when a gal in the restroom asked FourteenG columnist Sharita and I "so you guys like this band" OK not an exact quote, but you get the picture. And once again I volunteered. It's no big deal really. However, I understand most black and half black folks don't want to be the designated spokesperson for the whole race. How exhausting would that be answering EVERY Caucasian person's social ?'s on the daily. I for one am not signing up for that gig, but I don't mind spitting out the occasional 411. 

Just this past Wed. a Comcast tech was at my house repairing my internet,
I was watching VH-1 classic while he frittered away. Gunter glieben glauchen globen all up in my ear holes, as I said Yeessss, his response was "Oh you like "Def Leppard" Me: yeah I ❤ them! Comcast dude: "Oh you're cool" well tell me something I don't know. But seriously folks, that hadn't happened in a while. I was mentally a little rusty with the whole: Oh yeah I'm black, but but I still ❤ heavy music, don't panic, please remain calm LOL!

Freshman year of college I was at a University of Chicago house party, and some gent asked me "what king of music do you listen to, Hip Hop, R&B, it NEVER occurred to him to include Rock or Metal on the list. If the ? came from myself, I would have just asked what sounds was he into, PERIOD! and not assumed half the answer in my ?. But that's just me.


Even in high school in the 80's, it really didn't phase me to be at a mainly 
"all white show". Now don't get me wrong, it's not as though I wasn't aware that was one of only a few brown faces in the crowd, but I never felt weird, uncomfortable, or that I stuck out like a sore thumb. When I went to see INXS for example, I wasn't thinking "Ohhhhh I'm doing something avant-garde, & different, I'm gonna show up all those other plane Jane black folks, now they'll see how SUPER COOL I am" LOL!!
I was simply there to rock out to my favorite band like everyone else.

The moral of my Soapbox, never assume what blows someone's skirt up (that one's for you Erika)                                                                                                


\m/ *o* \m/

Females Characters On Soaps who currently make my teeth itch & my brain numb!

As a female I know we can have our issues from time to time, we are certainly not by any stretch a perfect gender. However, there are certain decisions, ethical choices and thought processes that leave me in a state of confusion and anger. Women are the cornerstone of and will ALWAYS be the ♡ of SOAPS, in the 21st century why are we not more empowered!!!! on these shows. Now, on to my list:

Deanna One Life To Live:This character was initially brought on to throw a monkey wrench into the newly developed relationship of Starr & James. I don't have a problem with her being brought on for that reason that in of itself, it's a typical soap staple that soaps have been using since Jesus was a fetus. In theory she should have been on screen 3 or 4 months tops and then off the canvas. However, her nightmarishly bad acting combined with the character's piss poor ethics (case in point: Her advice to Nate after they find out Matthew's in the hospital with a severe brain injury that he caused after punching him out & him falling on table corner, "Oh it's probably not that bad, he's still alive, no one knows it was you, hey he was still breathing when you left) have made it all the more unbearable! And just when you hoped it wouldn't get any worse, they get blackmailed by a sleezy porn director who gets his hands on Deanna's Bio Mom's whereabouts & says: "Star in one of my skin flicks and I'll give you the info" Why oh why didn't she just go to the cops and let them know what was going on. All she had to do was say, this guy is blackmailing me, arrest him so the information can be released to the state where I'm from, so I can legally gain access to it. But NO she instead has sex with a guy she barely knows in a film that will live forever in celluloid! Side note: If I see her make that sad puppy dog face again whenever she hears something upsetting, I'm gonna reach my hands through my flat screen and choke her imaginary ASS!!!!

Chloe: Days of Our Lives: Another situation where someone is being blackmailed do to something that she should not! Seriously go to Ebay and buy a clue, just tell the authorities this scumbag is telling me if I don't FUCK random dudes on his order that he'll upload a video of us having sex on the web. Homie your voicebox works, your legs aren't broken, plus your good friends with your child's cousin who is a lawyer, what's the problem! I'm ALL for people who are brave and want to handle their own business, but this is a time when you need to reach out to other folks, and she has plenty who can help her.

Carly: Days of our Lives: There are not too many of us who have not experienced what it's like to like someone who doesn't like us back. Most def it SUCKS!!!! and depending on the situation it can ALSO be completely UNFAIR. God Bless people who are going through drug addiction, everyone has their reason or reasons, no judgement here. But for a character who has always has such a HUGE amount of self esteem and a backbone to deal with the loss of a possible relationship by snorting perscription drugs through a straw like a cokehead, all I can say is that it is SIMPLY NOT HER and very insulting to her character! Nuff said!!!!

Sam: General Hospital: The LOVE of your life asks you to marry him and instead of you saying YES right away, you over analyze it and say STUPID SHIT like I don't care about a ring or a ceremony BLAH, BLAH, BLAH! Dude it's OK to be a girl sometimes, really it is! I know it's not what she's used to but when your man goes out of his way to create a romantic roof top dinner when you know it's not usually his style is flattering, and the last time I checked a good thing, so just GO WITH IT and say YES!!!! Also, and this REALLY gets my panties in a bunch, accepting someone for who they are emotionally, is one thing, but to marry someone who is in the MOB!!!! knowing that at any time you and or your possible child to be could be GUNNED DOWN and not at least discussing his leaving is SELFISH and inconsiderate to you as well as any progeny you may have! Wanting him to leave does not mean you don't respect him, it ONLY means your trying to give yourself a chance to have the best possible life you can!!!!

To ALL who are insensitive & unfeeling about what those of us in the soap community are going through!

I received a link recently from one of the many Facebook "Do not cancel the soaps" pages that I belong to. (Sorry I can't remember which one) And I want to respond today to ALL who believe that we should simply "get over it" My anger is not only directed at Perez Hilton, but to ALL who share his crass opinion!!!! Perez was quoted in the article as saying "Nobody likes to see their favorite shows canceled, but it's a part of life, guys! Let's try and suck it up and move on, shall we?
Perez touts himself as being someone who has his finger on the pulse of entertainment, yet if Perez or anyone else who shares this viewpoint would bother to ask anyone in the soap community, from fans to actors and back again what the real reason is as to why the soaps are being taken away from us, I would like to think that they would not have the same response. But they are so selfish and self centered, that they probably would anyway. The executives at "the big 3" as the saying goes "NBC, CBS & ABC do not have any familiarity or history with Soaps. They are not concerned with the fact that this is a time honored section within the arts that has a multi-generational following & that predates television. All they are concerned with is the fact that they are too cheap to produce them. Our feelings be Damned! The Perez Hilton's of the world can complain about any and everything they please until the cows come home. We live in a country that emphasizes that we should fight for our rights and stand by our beliefs. Yet when we are in an uproar, we are having a hard time letting it go, and should get over it. It makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit that the soap community is held at a different standard! Viewers of Soaps DO NOT APOLOGIZE for being a soap fan, or your anger about them being taken away!!!! STAND STRONG until the end, and past it!!!
Perez Article: http://perezhilton.com/2011-05-18-soap-opera-fans-protest-cancelation-of-one-life-to-live-and-all-my-children

Breaking News Until Further Notice "ABC" will now stand for "Assholes, Bastards, & Cunts"

EVERY SOAP FAN ACROSS THE US SHOULD BE ANGRY!!!!

It matters not if you're don't watch ABC soaps. Maybe you watch Days of Our Lives, maybe your a CBS soap viewer, maybe your a combo platter, but guess what homies if you watch soaps you're a soap fan, and the fact that yet again not one but two more soaps have been ripped away from us (and on the same day no less) should have you PISSED!!!!

I understand not having the same passion behind these two shows going bye bye, that you would about your favorite show getting canceled, however, you should still be just as UPSET!!!! After all, these networks are systematically killing off our soaps one by one. Let's be honest, it's Soap Genocide!!!!

I read a quote from "Susan Lucci" today that said "It's been an incredible journey" Look, while I do appreciate the fact that she is being classy in the press by taking the high road, personally in my humble opinion I am SICK of the nice platitudes. I want to hear the actors on ALL soaps put these networks and executive producers on BLAST. If this is really the end of days for soaps, and they are going the way of the doe doe, it's time to start going offffff like rocket ships and letting your bosses know how you really feel about them destroying this genre!!!!

I AM SOOOOOO SEETHING WITH ANGER THAT I'M FROTHING AT THE MOUTH RIGHT NOW!!!! Yeah I said it.

Such a SAD, SAD DAY, AND ALL I CAN THINK IS, ALL OF THIS WAS PREVENTABLE!!!!

If someone told me when I started watching soaps @ 9 years old that I'd wake up one morning and there would only be 4 American soaps left on the planet I would have called the nearest mental hospital, and told them to come get this CRAZY bastard immediately, they've LOST IT!!!! But the sad truth is AMC & One Life will soon be no more. I read AMC will go in Sept. & One Life in Jan. One life leaving will be ESPECIALLY sad for me, I'm going to ball my ass off fo sho. I know the state of Daytime has been dire for at least the past 5 years now, but I don't GIVE A SHIT how impossible the odds were, ALL OF THIS CRAP COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. To kill of an art form as important & rich with history as Daytime Serials is a DISGUSTING TRAVESTY!!!! No talk show, no cooking show, no anything show, WILL ever replace or be as vital as my stories are to ME. I LOATHE Brian Frons & ABC you have so much bad MoJo coming your way. Never forget, Karma is real and she's a BITCH!!!!

I promise you will regret this, PLEASE reverse this decision!

PS I did the circle and slash myself. It cracked me up, Ahhh graphic design therapy, there's nothing like it!

Shame, Shame, use your head next time!

Just watched a previous Biggest Loser episode on OnDemand & I have to vent, when Austin went home for 2 weeks I was very dissapointed that his friends didn't get him a custom made cake low in calories & fat that he could eat at his own B'Day Party. I don't have to know his friends to know that they love and care about him, but for them to completely forget about the fact that he is on a weight loss program, and have him standing around eating nothing, while they noshed on cheesecake, was absolutely INSENSITIVE! So not COOL! In that moment, they were "bad friends" Shame on them! And one of the friends said "oh I feel bad" REALLY bad", well apparently you didn't feel bad enough to remember that it was all about him that day! Look, I know no one is perfect, however, let's all remember to be a bit more sensitive and adult, when someone we know and love is going through a situation where they need our support and compassion. I'm just sayin'! Good luck to everyone on the show, I'm right there with you, fighting the good fight!

Days of Our Lives Book Signing @ Navy Pier in Chicago 3.6.11

Days of Our Lives Book Signing: Here's the lowdown in case you attend. 1st they didn't tell people ahead of time that there would be a fee to get in. Not cool. The signing in Chicago was at the Flower & Garden Show, $17 to get in to the event, could be different wherever you are. 2nd after standing in line for half an hour we were informed that we needed to buy 1 of the 2 books they were selling in order to stand in line, that even just to say "hi" that we needed to buy a book. Again something we were not told ahead of time. Already paid $17 to get in I'm not buying any damn thing else I thought to myself. Luckily the mother and daughter in front of me that I befriended lent me 1 of their books, so kind of them, won't forget them for that. Hey I'm a hustler, I would have figured out a way to stay in line regardless! All of the actors were SUPER SWEET & NICE!, especially Molly Burnett & Shawn Christian, who is such a flirt. I'm not mad at him. Molly is AWESOME, so funny I ♡ her. And Deidre Hall apologized for the wait in line, and being rushed, they were trying to get them to O'Hare ASAP, & thanked me for my patience. No problem, Deidre. Very classy lady, it was an honor to meet her! It was worth waiting in line an hour and 25 min.'s ;-)

Jesus Keep me near the Cross!!!! This Kristina Davis attack storyline has me trippin' HARD!!!!

I've been watching Soaps since 1979 when I was 9 years old.

And over the years, I've seen various storylines on many soaps that

have caused me to say, are these people smocking halucinogenic HARDCORE!!!! Street Crack!!!!

However, I can honestly say that, this particular storyline, is the most infruiating, disturbing, disappointing as well as one of the most amazing ones that I've ever seen!!!!

General Hospital has been a sickening dissapointment sine the FULL time incorporation of the mob in the 90's.

However, since the addition of Dominic Zamprogna as well as the Kristina Davis asalt storyline, GH for the 1st time in 20 years has given me a reason to have a vested interest in the show.

As a whole so far the Kristina Davis storyline is being brilliantly written and acted.

However, my overall opinion about the storyline, when it's said and done, depends on how the writers

choose to close it out.

And there is one way to do it and one way only!!!!

This young lady, once her lie is brought to light, does not need to be Coddled.

Her mother and older sister Sam, need to ball her out and read her like a book,

cover to cover.

If this does not happen it will give her the message that she has Card Blanche to do

it again. Her upbringing has Seriously Skewed her view on men, and relationships.

It's one thing to protect your attacker, but when you are telling people he's REALLY not

a bad guy, he just gets a little too mad sometimes, that's something completely different!!!!

Not only that, she needs to go through intensive HARDCORE!!!! scared straight therapy!!!!

Not once a week for an hour, but several times a week for at LEAST a YEAR!!!!

Unfortunately, GH has chosen to do what MOST soaps have done since Jesus was a fetus,

and that is kill the character off who has done SOO MUCH horrible non redeemable damage,

before he/she can be drawn and quartered and humiliated in front of the entire community.

The beatings that Kristina received from her boyfriend Keifer were DISGUSTING at BEST,

however, her lying and pinning the attacks on someone who didn't do it were not much better.

Since the identity of the real attacker has come to light, Kristina has been quoted as saying that Keiker is

a decent person that simply has anger management issues.

She had more distain for Ethan who she thought killed her boyfriend, than she she did for the

MUTHERFUCKER who has been beating the shit out of her for MONTHS.

I WANT to see intensive hardcore BOOTCAMP Like style therapy for Kristina's character, or

I will not be satisfied!!!!

I applaud GH for tackling such a real world contemporary issue. However, Kristina's recovery

has to be as well written as the beginning of her abuse was.

And with them killing Keifer Bauer off os early as they did, I don't have a lot of faith that it will happen!!!!

Please prove me wrong!!!!