That's likely down to the casting director. The talent has no real say in that.

"I abandoned the search for purity in my entertainment years ago."
Yep. I like Kendrick's musicality, his flow, his interesting lyrics, the way he can be thoughtful and also superficial. I'm not looking for enlightenment.
"Bonita Applebum" is still one of my favorite tracks ever, and it objectifies the heck out of a…

From some black people? Yes. My parents weren't spankers.

I grew up in one of the worst parts of Chicago and I managed to turn out fine. A lot of my peers got into a ridiculous amount of mess and some are no longer here to tell the tales, but what kept me out of mess was disappointing my parents. My parents could bring me down to under the ground by saying, "we're so…

I have a 14 year old. We've put boundaries in place since they were babies.
Talking back doesn't bother me. I don't expect people to talk at me and I don't talk at my kids. I've taught them how to talk to people. If his tone is disrespectful, I call him out. No one in this house is allowed to speak badly to anyone,…

I'm at a loss too. I've had three kids and I never had to spank them ever. Not when they were toddlers. Not the 14 year old when he is being a shit of a teenager. (I have gone into the kitchen and gripped the counter so hard that I swear I left fingerprints in it.) Not the 7 year old (he doesn't do anything other than…

My kids are 14, 7 and 5. I knew from birth that I wouldn't spank them and I don't. My husband was never hit ever, and he has never hit the kids. Some of us are fine with being a bigger person that hits a smaller person under the guise of discipline; others of us think it's reprehensible, lazy and useless. Good luck on…

I managed to get three kids out of toddler-hood without spanking them when they did something dangerous. I tried to eliminate most dangers (yep, I had my kids on leashes. Debate somebody else) and when they did do something foolish, the sheer panic in my voice upset them enough not to try it again. Then I explained…

I'm so late to this article and comment but thank you, thank you, thank you.
I'm a mom and I don't hit my kids. I don't need to. I don't cuss them out, lose my shit over every infraction, or rule with an iron fist. They are respectful and have excellent behavior.

I live in Europe too and I hate that! My Asian, South Asian, and African friend's kids say "Auntie,"I ask people what they want to be called and they say "oh John/Jane is fine." I still don't like my 5 year old calling a 60 year old man or woman by their first names.

My husband is white British. He asks me, "how come your family, including you, has nicknames that have nothing to do with your real names?"
Cos that's what black folks do, I told him. I have family members that found out my real name from me adding them on Facebook. My husband doesn't and can't call me by my nickname.

I loved it. Don't go if you want warm, beautiful weather!
The scenery in the countryside is unbelievable. Edinburgh is breathtakingly beautiful; Glasgow has the industrial charm and some of the best people on the planet. You'll enjoy it.

I was a Jodeci stan. I would watch this on an endless loop. When I moved to Scotland, I specially ordered their greatest hits CD and DVD and wore it out.
When I was 18, I got to interview K-Ci and Dalvin for a teen paper I wrote for. They were incredibly kind, funny, sweet and humble. I also recommended that they go to…

Let me tell you why those shirts are absolute bullshit:
Picture it: Mississippi, 1930-odd.
My late grandmother is part of a middle class black family whose mother decided to further increase their cash by having my grandmother do some laundry on the side. My grandmother was around 12. Her mother takes in some laundry…

I was nearly in tears at the first coffee scene. She's merrily going along, harming no one, giving away coffee to people and not really asking for money. Though she was homeless, she had a community not only in the tent city, but of the the people in the community.

Thank you so much for your kind words. They truly mean a lot.

Yep. My favourite uncle is dying and he's only 56. I can't even get home to see him because I live in another country. Fuck 2016. Fuck it in its ear.

You articulated this beautifully. This is exactly how I felt. There's a huge hole, but he's no longer suffering.

Absolutely brilliant piece. It's a goddamn gorilla. I'm not sentimental over animals so it had to be killed.
Honestly, if a kid wants to do something, they will be out of the blocks faster than Usain Bolt. My son was standing next to me when he nearly drowned. Like he was right by my fucking leg. Does that make me a…

Are we some kind of kin because…