Lonely, Successful Black Women…

It’s an epidemic!

Or is it a few cases that cause mass hysteria?!

Apparently, the flavor of the day on blogs throughout the web, is a Washington Post article on Helena Andrews.   Helena is a  single, 29 year old, successful black woman, living in D.C.  She’s about to release a new book titled, “B*tch Is the New Black.”  It’s a memoir on the perils of being a successful, upwardly mobile, black woman.  There are also plans for a film based on the book. 

You can read the article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/09/AR2009120904546.html

Also, www.verysmartbrothas.com has a great post on the issue/article.

Meanwhile, here are a few excerpts from the Washington Post article:

Andrews writes about what it is like for a young, black woman dating in D.C., trying to find a mate who seems ever elusive. The futile rituals are familiar: the dressing up, the eager cab ride over to the party, the hold-your-breath as you walk in, scanning the room quickly for any looks returned. The mantra sounding in the back of your head: “So-and-so found a man last year at a party like this. Maybe tonight is my night.” Then one by one, the men prove to be disappointments and disappointing: married, uninteresting or uninterested.

The disappointment as you end up at the bar once again, committing straw violence in your drink (stirring the drink frantically and unconsciously).

Andrews writes the truth of those nights. The truth is for too many, they never work out. Not for Andrews and not for her friend, Gina, who is a prominent character in her life and in the book.

“For a lot of black women, especially young successful black women, we have a lot of boxes on our master plan list checked off,” Andrews says. “We think happiness should come immediately after that. But that is not always the case.”

Love is much too hard to find and when these women do, it may go all wrong because of issues that are too complicated for statistics, Andrews says. She is quick to say, “There are tons of black families who are healthy and good.” Even so, black women are more likely than white women to grow up poor or otherwise struggling financially; to be fatherless and to experience a myriad of other societal and/or familial dysfunctions. Ironically, the “issues” can also include being a “strong” woman: the can-do, opinionated type many black women become after growing up in a matriarchal household, the type with whom some men still just can’t deal.

“I have tons of friends who are extremely successful lawyers and lobbyists, staffers on the Hill. They are great at what they do. They are in their late 20s and early 30s,” Andrews says, sipping Ethiopian coffee. Her dog, Miles, is sitting beneath the restaurant table, whining softly.

“But there is loneliness at their jobs, because most likely they are the only black person there and people treat them like they are the only black person there. They dress a certain way. They go out on the weekend. . . . And still they end up going home, and it’s you and your d*mned dog.”

For my black women who feel like they fall into this category… I seriously believe this is a personal problem.  It isn’t an epidemic.  It’s just life.  Sure, you have your degree, a good job, a nice place, and a few of the finer things in life that may constitute “success.”  But just because you haven’t found a Barack Obama-type with swag doesn’t mean it’s hard out here for you.  Maybe your standards really are too high.  Maybe the fact that you have a degree and a job doesn’t really mean crap in the grand scheme of things.  What lies beneath your resume?  What other qualities do you bring to the table. 

Which brings us to my ode/parody of the Helena Andrews epidemic.  Cause after all, she just wants to be successful, right?

Beyonce:
I want the money,
Money and the cars,
Cars and the clothes, (and to be)
Betrothed! (Troooooothed!)
I suppose…
I just want to be… I just want to be successfullllllll
I just want I to be… I just want to be successfulllllll

Helena:
Awww yeah B, I effin’ feel ya
They be staring at the B.A. like it’s unfamiliar
I got it and earned it, to me there’s nothing realer
Except this condo in the ‘burbs, something like a villa,
And when I leave, I always come right back here (alone)
The black woman that all of these black men fear,
I had me a winter boo, but that was last year
Dropped his a** quick, he was a muthaf*ckin’ cashier!
A thousand thread count sheets on my bed,
Quarters of creamy crack shape the perm in my head,
Take my attitude too serious, you hate me,
Cause I don’t feel a brutha who ain’t ballin’ with a J.D.
Yeah… I want it all that’s why I strive for it
Text me, and you’ll never get a reply for it
Any Happy Hour, 1st Friday, I get fly for it
I know hubby’s coming, I just hope that I’m alive for him…

Tags: black women, business, helena andrews, Relationships, washington post

Worst Pick-up Lines Part 1 (holla, holla, holla)

Let me start off by saying I have no game.

I mean I see guys on TV and out that just seem to know how to say the right thing at the right times to ladies.  I’m not one of those guys. 

When I do manage the courage to actually talk to a lady it usually comes out as a run on sentence in a crackling teenage voice that goes a little like… “ITHINKYOURCUTECANIHAVEYOURNUMBERANDTAKEYOUSOMETIMEPLEASE!”

Yeah not the hotness at all.  Sorry to any woman I ever hit with that game.  Well as bad as that sounds, I have heard friends tell me lines they have used and lines that have been used on them that make my sad attempt sound like Shakespeare.

Here are some of my favorites.

Don’t be affraid to get wet.

Say B!tch.  What’s your name? (followed by “F*** you then”, when she doesn’t respond)

Guh, you shaped like a coke bottle.  Lemme know when u want me to pop the top and sip.

Girl you got a big booty, can I have your number?  (She then turns to look at the creature that spewed the nonsense).  Aw you cute too.  WTF???

Oooh Girl he got gold teeth!  I know you got money!

I really could gone on all day with these.  But I really want to hear some of the things that have been said to you that would make you “loose your religion”.

I’ll post the best ones tomorrow.

-Trillionaire Wood

Tags: game, Holla, nerd at the cool table, nerds at the cool table, nerdsatthecooltable.com, pick-up lines, Trillionaire Wood

Now I Ain’t Sayin’ He a Gold Digger, Actually I Am

And ode to the great African-American Gigolo , Jonathan Plummer.

 I can’t believe she didn’t see that.  I mean he looks like a feminine Prince.

So I was asked the question the other day… “Can men be Gold Diggers?”  And the only reply I could think of was, “Is John McCain Old?”  Of course men can be Gold Diggers.  But to be honest any man that tries to live off a woman, and cannot contribute anything, can’t really be called a man.

Well the background story to this question was that this young lady had a man trying to court her.  Before they ever went on a date he was asking for phone bill money.  She told him no and he went on to the next John… or Jeannette.  My prostitution allusion didn’t go as well as I thought it would right there.  Moving along… Anyway ladies yes there are male gold diggers.  And here are 5 signs of the male Gold Digger:

1.  He wants you to take him out for the first or subsequent dates.  Now I don’t have a problem if every once in a while my lady wanted to take me out.  But I wouldn’t want to make it a habit where she is taking me out all the time.
2. He’s asking for help on specific bills.  Your first question should be… “How were you getting by before you met me?”
3. He seems to have possessions that can’t be paid for by his current salary.  He has a high rise apartment downtown with new furniture, but works at McDonald’s.  See also drug dealer, robber, etc.
4. He’s always talking about something he needs and mentioning the upcoming holidays.  Almost hinting at something.
5. He’s always talking about how broke he is.

I just noticed these same rules apply to women.  Well these are your rules for the day.  Please govern yourselves accordingly.  And if you have a few signs go ahead and drop me a few. 

-Trillionaire Wood

Tags: American Gigolo, Gold Diggers, Jonathan Plummer, nerd at the cool table, nerdsatthecooltable, Terry McMillan, Trillionaire Wood

Attraction-Harassment Scale

Tags: Attraction-Harassment Scale, bad guy, Barney Stinson, crazy-hot scale, How I Met Your Mother, nerd at the cool table, nerds at the cool table, nerdsatthecooltable.com, nice guy, Trillionaire Wood