#weekly highlight

Lizzo, is an American alternative hip hop artist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

She “credits the original Lane Bryant ads for serving as an early example of media representation—something she remains passionate about to this day.”

She’s quoted in Vogue saying:

“I just remember being so excited to finally see myself on television and how bold it was when the commercials were deemed too racy because there was so much cleavage, [even though] they were literally showing the same type of cleavage as Victoria’s Secret ads,” said Lizzo, who joins stars like spoken word artist Ashlee Haze and actress Danielle Brooks in this season’s spots. “They didn’t give a fuck and they were just like, ‘We’re going to do this anyway.’ I lived my life based on that same principle, and for Lane Bryant to reach out to me was a dream.”

“The industry is just starting to accept and embrace diversity and individuality. Right now, when it comes to size it’s still stubborn. It’s only letting certain people through. If you can fit into that [existing] mold you’re okay, but I think it’s when we bust into that mold, we’ll break it. There are a lot of exciting things that are going to come. If I’m inspiring to Vogue, if I’m inspiring to designers and they fuck with me, then we’ll make something really amazing happen.”

“If you are yourself long enough, the world will accept you”

“I used to want to be somebody else completely”  

“After years of accepting myself and years of finding what worked for me and being healthy on the inside first, I looked up and I was perfect to me.”

Like what Lizzo has to say? Here’s some more links:

https://www.vogue.com/article/lizzo-cutting-room-performance-interview-lane-bryant-campaign

https://www.self.com/story/lizzo-interview

http://www.revelist.com/body-positive/lizzo-bodysuit/12284

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHT from pop-culture reading

Most informative cultural expereince of the week.

“There’s an impulse toward bleakness driving the recent cohort of comedies. People tend to die in them, or fear for their lives, or generally be suffused with sadness.“

Danielle Brooks (born September 17, 1989) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black, and for her Tony Award-nominated portrayal of Sofia in the 2015 Broadway production of The Color Purple.

She implores women to be themselves and stop comparing themselves to other women. She discusses the importance of being comfortable in your own skin and encourages women to see themselves as beautiful without any makeup, clothes, etc. 

Extra links for those who want to hear more about what Danielle has to say:

 https://www.vogue.com/article/danielle-brooks-speaks-body-diversity-in-fashion

https://www.refinery29.com/2017/05/155600/danielle-brooks-oitnb-body-image-teen-girls-advice

http://people.com/bodies/danielle-brooks-body-confidence-stretch-marks/

Gamma, a music and technology firm owned by former Apple Music executive Larry Jackson, has acquired Vydia, a music distribution and rights management company co-owned by Nigerian musician Mr Eazi, for a reported $1 billion. The deal is the biggest in the history of Afrobeats and is set to strengthen Gamma’s position as a major player in the music industry. The acquisition is expected to have a…

I said I wanted it slow, he speeded it up  N now I’m hunting hurts I asked you to, but you can’t sniff up ya’ elbow But it was already on your eyebrows  Oh, I shut off my door And my latch wasn’t locked  Oh, I shut off my door And my latch wasn’t locked Oh, Anyway, I shut off my door last night  Oh baby, I must be annoyed  Well, I don’t give a damn about your time table It’s going…