Fantasia's 360: She Did It!

Long time followers to my blog may remember when I wrote about Fantasia's problems back in 2010.  She had overdosed on aspirin, was kicked off the set of The Color Purple musicial, was a married man's sidepiece, and seemingly on her way to obscurity.

I told several people that if she bounces back, I will write a follow up piece. Fast forward to 2013 and see the upgraded blog on the upgraded winner of American Idol Season 3.

Fantasia made physical, professional, and emotional transformations after giving birth to her second child.  She already had scored a hit and dance with "Collard Greens and Cornbread."  However, the raspy, Macy Gray sounding songstress decided to work on herself externally and internally. She returned to her home in Charlotte, NC and connected with boot camp instructor and former WNBA player Sonya Dalton-McRoberts. I know Sonya personally, and took a class from her in the past. I knew if Fantasia followed her program, she would get dynamic results.

Less than a year later she had dropped over 50 pounds, had a tighter physique and more of a glow and confidence about herself. She frequently posts pics of herself on Instagram not to boast but to inspire and encourage.

This new attitude would be needed as she recorded her next album and made her annual appearance on American Idol, performing as a former winner. Those who had forgotten Fantasia got to see on April 19, 2013 the 360 she had made. She put on a performance that was almost comparable to Beyonce's at Super Bowl XVII. Mrs. Barrino held nothing back.

Her album has been selling like hotcakes, and her singles are gracing the airwaves and topping the Billboard and iTunes charts. She is even receiving early Grammy mentions.

Maybe Fantasia grew tired of the negative publicity and decided it was time to change. Either way, she conquered her demons and fought her way back on top.

It's always good to see stories like this. Fantasia has been on the top and the bottom. She can remain atop the world for a while as long as she stays hungry, grounded, and keeps the right connections. There is no turning back now for the High Point, NC native.

She started out using her voice to make a difference. Now Fantasia's story of triumph over the odds and doubters gives others something good to talk about.

Friday Night Lights: the best show NOT being watched, period!

These days of reality television such as American Idol, Survivor, Dancing With The Stars and Bad Girls Club has wreaked havoc on certain quality shows, almost killing off traditional sitcoms. However, hour-long dramas are still relevant. HBO and TNT has been featuring these for years. Now the CW has followed suit. Shows such as True Blood, NCIS, and the now-canceled 24 and Lost captivate the main-stream audience. Episodes of such dramas contain so much info, action and suspense that each week is almost like a movie. Well the 5 year old drama Friday Night Lights definitely falls in this category. Problem is, not many folks are taking note of it, or paying it any attention.

If you could put a single series right now under the word "unsung" in the dictionary, it would definitely be Friday Night Lights. It is the best show currently on TV, bar-none, and gets little to no respect. It premiered in October 2006 on NBC from the brain of Peter Berg and adapted from the 2004 movie of the same name. It started out being just about a small town in West Texas and their beloved football team. But now the show has evolved into sooo more. This show has covered subjects and issues such as abortion, rape, rehab, teenage romances, dementia, interracial dating, infidelity and much more. Plus you throw in football, which keeps the football fan's attention. The first season was a success despite low ratings. The second season fell short in quality and length, due mostly to the infamous Writer's Strike of 2008. NBC was then set to pull the plug on the series. They then struck a deal with DirecTV. DirecTV would get exclusive rights to air the 3rd season first, then NBC would air them towards the end of the programming season (April-August) to allow ratings titans such as The Office and new shows room. The deal worked out so well DirecTV agreed to a 2-year deal, with this being the 5th and final season.

It goes without saying that if you are not watching this show you are definitely missing out. Kyle Chandler (Early Edition, Lyon's Den) stars as the show's head football coach Eric Taylor. He deals with several challenges on and off the gridiron. As many real-life coaches do, he has to play father to many of his teammates while balancing home life as a husband and a father of a college-age teenager and a toddler. Many notable acting names have either had starring roles or cameos. These includes Connie Britton as Tami Taylor, Eric's wife, Brad Leland as Buddy Garrity, notable town businessman and booster, Jurnee' Smollett, as Jess Merriweather who dated the nerdy kicker but now is dating the star QB, and has went from dance team member to rally girl to equipment manager. You also have Michael B. Jordan (some of you know him as Wallace from the HBO series "The Wire") as Vince Howard, star QB in this season and the previous season. Other names include Steve Harris, who played Virgil "Big Mary" Merriweather, Jess's father, and owner's of Ray's BBQ, and Grey Damon (from the aforementioned True Blood) as Hastings Ruckle, a basketball star-converted wideout. Quality TV at its finest!

Some of you are probably like "Well I'd like to view it, but I don't have DirecTV." No problem. While the series had a very short-lived run on ABC Family in syndication, there are DVDs available of all four seasons for purchase and rental. Many of you may be buying the DVDs once you rent them from Netflix. Also, season 5 will be premiering sometime in May. Don't miss it, it's the final one!

The thing is, this show simply goes against the grain, is very realistic and dramatic, and simply exciting. I often find myself watching episodes 3-4 times to make sure I didn't miss the smallest detail. Plus it's so easy to relate to the characters as they experience real, everyday problems and express many emotions. There is also plenty of eye candy for both sexes. Connie Britton, Jurnee' Smollett, Madison Burge, just to name a few for the fellas. Michael B. Jordan, Matt Lauria, and Grey Damon just to name some hunks for the ladies.

Friday Night Lights will most likely be one of those shows that once it does end, people will talk about it constantly and wish it were still here, like "Arrested Development" or other shows of its liking that had loyal fanbases, quality actors and storylines, but low ratings.

It kills me when folks are slaves to ratings, and what's the buzz in TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly and on Twitter. Might I suggest watching what you like for a change, and what's REALLY good? I express some of this in my blog months ago "Keeping it 100?". How many of us REALLY, really like the shows that we watch weekly.

I know I not only like but LOVE Friday Night Lights! Although I think 5 seasons has been really good for this show, it still hasn't gotten the respect it sorely deserves. But I like it, will miss it, and will continue to watch the episodes long after it's gone. Who's with me?

BONUS BLOG: 2010 Emmy Comments

It's taken forever for me to post these. I was also delayed by the Presidential Address tonight. With no further adieu, here are the comments:

- How many SNL alums host awards shows? My guess is wayyy too many.
- Does Fallon even have a career now?
- $300 for Emmy tickets? WTHeck?
- This Glee opening spot already seems lame
- Who's this blonde named Kate?
- Betty White is everywhere!
- That Jane Lynch don't play around!
- Tina Fey is fine but still doesn't have much of a rack, even after getting red Kool-Aid spilled on her shirt
- Jane's tatas are even smaller though
- Wait is that Victoria Justice?
- OMG, Randy Jackson is rocking out
- Jimmy's really out of breath after that performance
- Conan O'Brien, waddup with the hobo beard?
- Amy Poehler, now there's a set of hooters!
- Dang I don't recognize hardly any of the comedies in this clip
- Jon Cryer gets nominated every year for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, but rarely wins
- Did Eric Stonestreet of Modern Family originally play on The Sopranos?
- Clown? Really, Eric? More like Ralph Kramden or a mobster
- Why do the Emmys need a color commentator?
- Here's a presenter instruction: get someone that wasn't an SNL regular
- Sofia Vergard is BANGING! Jim Parsons, too bad you're gay!
- Trying to be funny isn't sexy, but trying to be sexy is funny!
- Modern Family appears to be dominating the awards so far and deservingly so. Funny show, nice cast, and hard to go wrong with Al Bundy
- OK these acceptance speeches are too long, where's that "get the heck off stage" music?
- I still say Stephen Colbert looks like Bob Saget
- There's Tom Hanks!
- Jane Lynch deserved that Emmy, long time coming
- Wow, Jane's from the South side of Chicago? She does talk and act tough
- Ryan Murphy looks like Bruce Willis
- I knew Jane was gay, but she has a daughter?
- Fallon, that was a terrible six degrees of separation!
- Matthew Perry has a show coming out called "Mr. Sunshine?"
- Aiight Neil Patrick Harris and Betty White received guest appearance Emmys. Betty White is milking her post-Super Bowl comeback fame
- The Bruce Willis clone just won an Emmy!
- Glee seems like a great show after all. Let's see how long NBC will keep it on the air. Lately they have a history of canceling their better programs
- Stewie!!! Loved that Al Bundy crack!
- And Al, waddup with the Terminator shades?
- LL Cool J looks like a cab driver
- Jim Parsons (Sheldon from Big Bang Theory) won an Emmy! Well deserved, dude carries that show. Kaley Cucomo (Penny)'s looks only go so far
- And I believe Jim thanked everyone but the curtains on the stage.
- Julia-Louis Dreyfuss = cougarlicious!
- Edie Falco has been acting forever!
- This is such a random acceptance speech by Edie
- Jimmy, please, please, put down the guitar!
- Strangely enough, I recognize many of the reality show clips
- Top Chef beat American Idol, whoo hoo!
- Dang that's a huge cast!
- Is that a Native American woman amongst the cast members?
- OK y'all really need to get off the stage already
- Ernst and Young does the accounting for EVERY awards show. I wonder if they're hiring. I'm an aspiring accountant!
- I also cried when I learned Jimmy Fallon was hosting this racket
- OK now they're showing the names of the shows in the drama highlight reel
- HBO and TNT REALLY do know drama
- OK and why am I just now hearing about Mad Men?
- Now it's winning the Best Writing Emmy
- Zach Gilford from Friday Night Lights should have been nominated for an Emmy. C'mon now!
- One good thing about having a DVR: fast-forwarding through commercials and these long acceptance speeches.
- Wow I forgot about Sharon Gless from Cagney and Lacey
- Lots of 1st time Emmy winners tonight
- There's old Edie again, presenting this time
- Bryan Cranston winning best actor in a drama? Wasn't he the dad (Hal) in Malcolm in the Middle? Kyle Chandler was robbed!
- Boris Kodjoe is on, I guess the ladies need eye candy also
- I also haven't heard of The Good Wife
- Ann-Margaret has quite the alto voice
- Oh heck naw Jimmy is doing Elton John #epicfail.
- Now he's murdering Boyz II Men and another 90s singer. Dang it Fallon, leave the 90s alone, that's my decade!
- Fallon's gone completely ADD, and I'm disgusted. I hope Comedy Central chooses him to roast in 2011.
- Hey I'd date Tina Fey, even in that horrendous dress
- Connie Britton, another Friday Night Lights nominee, also got robbed of an Emmy! No respect for an awesome TV series.
- Waddup with the Alice in Wonderland dress, Kyra Sedgwick?
- You know it's not the Emmys without Jeff Propst from Survivor. He's a much better host than Fallon.
- Ricky Gervais is suprisingly funny, and he appears to have lost weight
- Wow and he's even giving out beer to the audience members!
- Does anyone actually play the accordion for fun?
- Bucky Gunts? Ricky, I believe you were a little TOO happy when you read that Emmy
- Short, sweet speech, nice Bucky!
- Congrats on that humanitarian award George Clooney
- Julianna Marg looks like a grown-up Miranda Cosgrove
- It's Captain Picard now!
- Bob Hope was the man #thatisall
- Jimmy Fallon, please go home!
- The Office is soo gonna crash and burn this upcoming year without Steve Carell
- Claire Danes is lovely, very lovely!
- What now, another female song? Jewel? This ain't the Grammys or the AMAs
- That was a terrible tribute to the folks that have passed on this year
- OK does anyone even still watch mini-series or made-for-TV movies?
- Good seeing Claire Danes again
- Ahh the True Blood cast members
- Al Pacino's still winning awards
- I can't look at Larry Fishbourne and NOT think of Montana and Brian Pumper
- I gotta see You Don't Know Jack
- These ladies from Temple Grandin are sure letting their breasts wiggle
- Tom Selluck, where have you been? Hasn't aged much since Magnum P.I.
- Modern Family ran the table almost, 14 Nominations and 3 Emmys!

Fantasia: Still got a ways to go

The hoopla over former American Idol winner, Color Purple musical star, and platinum selling musical artist Fantasia Barrino has reached a fever pitch this month. Therefore, I felt the need to blog about this young, troubled lady earlier than I expected.

Many folks have seen the interviews, the Behind The Music special, and maybe even more things than the average person (or average Fantasia fan has). I will not make this a blurb detailing her entire background and personal bio. I'm just going to reference certain parts of her life as part of the point I'm headed towards.

Honestly, I was initially planning on only bashing and lambasting Fantasia in this blog. I'm taking a more diplomatic approach, especially after watching these many interviews, reading other blogs, and watching the Behind The Music special on VH-1.

Fantasia's life has been quite a roller-coaster. She has overcome rape, teenage pregnancy, lack of education, money, and now a suicide attempt to succeed and have plenty of support from fans irregardless of her past. There is nothing wrong with that. We should be supporting someone instead of tearing them down all the time. Folks have real problems (celebrities included), it shows they are human. We have to encourage them.

However, there is another end of this spectrum that cannot be ignored. The mere FACT that Fantasia does have many character flaws that she has yet to work out. Her overall behavior towards life, her work, mothering, family and the regard for her own life. Prior to her failed suicide attempt, her 2nd album didn't sell as well as the 1st album. That can be chalked up as a sophomore slump. She started out well again, playing "Celie" in Oprah's Broadway nationwide production of "The Color Purple". However, about a year or so in, she was missing performances, practices, etc. She was in Oprah's doghouse and was dismissed for a few performances. She came back from that, however, and delivered beautifully until the show wrapped.

Fantasia then had a reality show on VH-1 "Fantasia for Real " (which has been renewed for a second season). Now that was just one big coon-fest and buffoon-filled mess. It portrayed Fantasia just how she acts at times, a ghetto-hood rat from the South, making the South look bad. VH-1 is known for this, as I briefly elaborated in my coonery blog in May. Her family and brothers were even worse, as she was keeping them all up, and many of them were lazy bums. She was in the process of completing her GED during the show's filming. She had the nerve to say that GED stood for "Grown Educated Diva". Who does that? She made herself look like a complete fool after another chance to get her career back on track post The Color Purple.

August 2010 has been traumatic for Fantasia. First she's been messing around with a married man on the tail end of his divorce, a controversy wrapped in an enigma. Then comes the suicide attempt. Granted, most folks (myself included) are happy that she's still with us. But why would you OD on aspirins? Better yet, why OD in the first place. It showed America that Fantasia has some deep demons to fight, and a long ways to go yet still.

I have said some harsh things about Fantasia. I still believe that if she wasn't blessed with that wonderful voice that she would be regarded as a basic, coonish, hood-rat and would be chilling on the corner in High Point, NC and not many folks would care. I caught flack for that. However, Fantasia HERSELF made a similar comment about herself to George Lopez on his show. She said that had she not won Idol that she would most likely still be stuck in High Point and doing the things she were doing before.

Nevertheless, my compassion and sympathy for this young lady has blossomed. She needs our support and prayers. Fantasia is the type of woman that was persecuted early in life, picked on, has been raped, has issues with her father till this day, and has had many issues with men. Many times when a person seems ignorant, it is deeper than that. They just have become so confused and screwed up by life that if they do not subscribe to God or a higher power and don't get proper help, they only get worse. I certainly do not want to see Fantasia go down even further.

I only hope Fantasia does realize where she's at, where she's headed if she doesn't learn from her mistakes, and where she has to be. Her music career is back on track, her show (albeit not a good move for her) is still ongoing, and she recently received that coveted GED. It is up to HER, Fantasia Barrino, whether or not she wants to succeed and have a positive image for herself. She just needs to break stereotypes, stay healthy in EVERY way possible, and make better life decisions, including regarding the opposite sex.

Fantasia already has God, a loving family, a daughter, and much of America behind her. Now the ball is in her court. I honestly hope the next blog I write about Fantasia will be 100% positive on how she made a complete 360. Time will tell that tale.