The Snob Talks Presidential Appointments and Reality TV on NPR

This week The Snob returned to the Beauty Shop at NPR's Tell Me More with Michel Martin. It was my first time back since running away to New York City this fall. I'd missed being on the show ... a lot. I love Michel and the whole Tell Me More family, so it was great to be back. On Wednesday's show, we talked the drama surrounding President Obama picking Chuck Hagel for Secretary of State and the "drama" surrounding rapper Shawty Lo and his new show on Oxygen, All My Babies Mamas where -- FINALLY -- you can witness the fall of Western Civilization in real time.

Seriously, China. It's your turn at bat. Like Daniel Day-Lewis at the end of "There Will Be Blood," we're all finished here. Nothing left to see. Idiocracy is real and whatnot.

Audio after the jump!

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BET's "Don't Sleep," hosted by T. J. Holmes (Co-Written By Moi) Premiere's Tonight!

Just like the chocolate and peanut butter for which I nicknamed him, two people with nothing in common but journalism degrees and the great state of Arkansas, have finally come together to make a "delicious" TV show. Will you watch?

Check it out on BET, 11 p.m. EST/ 10 p.m. Central time.

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The Snob Is Moving to NYC to Work on TJ Holmes' New Show for BET

Well, it's official! I was hired to do some writing n' such for T.J. Holmes' new show for BET, better known as "Don't Sleep!"

For those of you playing at home, I worked on the pilot last winter and many, many moons ago used to pretend to stalk T.J. for poops n' grins on the Internet. Life is incredibly funny in how a guy I started writing about during this blog's beginnings in 2008 is the same guy I wound up working for in my first scripted TV writing gig. Be sure to check out the show, premiering in October on BET! Along with script writing and blogger duties you just might catch me on as the occasional panelist. I'm already (silently) featured in the show's promos, but I hate those promos because I'm wearing the sweater of doom and I'm about 25 lbs heavier than I am now. 

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The Snob Talks Having It All, Immigration, Fifty Shades of Horrible on NPR

Women! Can you have it all? (No.) Immigrants! Will you be racially profiled in Arizona? (Probably.) Book lovers! Is former Twilight fan fiction Fifty Shades of Grey terrible? (YES.) All this and more as The Snob pops in to the "Beauty Shop" segment on NPR's Tell Me More with Michel Martin. Michel was out today, so Viviana Hurtado (who I'm often on with on the Beauty Shop) was guest hosting. She was great! Joining myself and Viviana were PJ Media editor Bridget Johnson and Deepa Iyer of South Asian Americans Leading Together.

Check out the audio after the jump.

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There's A Man on the Cover of Essence This July And It's Barack Obama

Is there some kind of election going on or something? I couldn't tell.

From Essence's PR team:

President Barack Obama is on the cover of ESSENCE's July issue (on stands June 12th) in a piece called “Looking Forward.” Here, he speaks exclusively to ESSENCE about his plan to improve the economy, our health, homes and future—and why he’s excited about the next four years. This month's issue also features a special salute to military families from First Lady Michelle Obama. In addition, ESSENCE’s piece, “Back in the U.S.A.” highlights soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team for Operation New Dawn who are adapting to life at home and celebrating July 4th with their family and friends.

Everyone's New Favorite Story: Black People, the President and Gay Marriage

One of my least favorite news stories is back! You remember it from the Proposition 8 saga. It's the one about black people hating gay people. Unless you're that unfortunate black person who also happens to be gay. I suppose you're involved with some "war within." Wait? You're not? You just live as both a gay and a black American? Well, damn. Who knew?

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Clutch Magazine: Black Woman's Burden

The Snob is back on Clutch Magazine Online with both barrels a-blazin' as I tackle all the "what's wrong with black women" drama in the news. I write about what's really going on here (pageviews), why we're suddenly so interesting (because we'll go ahead and debate with you) and why, in spite of it all, it won't really make much of a dent in our collective black female psyche that's too busy to entertain all this nonsense.

Here's a snippet after the jump.

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T. J. Holmes to Host BET Show Advising You Not to Sleep With Him

T. J. Holmes, of guy I used to hilariously fake Google stalk fame, left CNN last year only to re-emerge with BET Networks, signing a multi-platform deal. Part of that deal was a shiny new show. And now, BET and Holmes have announced what that show will be -- a comedy news half-hour, a la The Daily Show or Real Time with Bill Maher. Only this time it's, Don't Sleep with T. J. Holmes.

The responses have ranged from excitement and praise to puzzlement. But I think it's a good thing. But then, I'm also terribly, terribly biased. But for more reasons than you expect!

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News Icon Mike Wallace Dead At 93; Watch His Influential 1959 Doc "The Hate That Hate Produced"

Newsman of note and one of the men who made CBS' News Magazine 60 Minutes what it is today, Mike Wallace, died at age 93 on Sunday. I grew up watching Wallace on 60 Minutes, a program that helped solidify my love of journalism. Watch here (after the jump) the 1959 documentary "The Hate That Hate Produced," a historical (albeit largely one-sided and alarmist) bit of news-making where Wallace chronicled the rise of the Nation of Islam and other pro-separatist black groups. 

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