The Black-owned business, Honey Pot, has been receiving a lot of backlash for their allegedly "racist" Target television commercial. The plant-based feminine care company started by Beatrice Dixon has partnered with Target to provide women with a line of all-natural feminine hygiene products that have been flying off the shelves since the brand's launch in 2014. While the brand has grown tremendously over the past half-decade, the white consumer base didn't take too kindly to Dixon's comments in their latest television ad.
In the commercial, an excited Dixon walks through a Target retail store to view her products displayed on the shelves. Towards the end of the advertisement, the self-made entrepreneur says, "The reason why it’s so important for Honey Pot to do well is so that the next black girl that comes up with a great idea, she can have a better opportunity," she said. "That means a lot to me."
While Dixon was just being honest in her assessment of her own brand, some white people didn't appreciate that she specifically wanted to encourage young women of color to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. After trending on the internet for multiple days, Beatrice Dixon stopped by Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club on Thursday (Feb. 5 ) to discuss the recent backlash she's been facing from a small sector of the white community.
During the interview, Dixon explained why she made that comment specifically stating:
"My reasoning for saying that is because of the disparities that are happening in the venture capital world. We get less than 1% of funding—we get 0.06% of funding. I’m one of only 50 black women that have raised more than a million dollars. Think about that. … If we are not selling businesses, we are not scaling businesses, black wealth can literally die. That’s the reason why we have to be successful."
Dixon continued to defend her comments saying:
"A lot has happened... We’ve been inundated with emails, we’ve been inundated with social media posts, bad reviews but not on the product. (White people) said that I was racist—and guess what? That’s their opinion. I know I’m not racist. … They called for their people not to buy [Honey Pot] and support it. We didn’t even really have to say much because our beloved customers formed like Voltron and just got in there. Not only did they reverse like a one-and-a-half, two-and-a-half star on Trustpilot, but it went to like 4.9 stars. The shelves have just been ravished. Everything’s poppin’ online and everywhere else."
While Honey Pot continues to sky-rocket in terms of global sales, this particular outrage will soon be irrelevant as Dixon and her company continues to provide women with the hygiene necessities that have become highly-coveted over the years. Check out Beatrice Dixon's full interview with The Breakfast Club in the video provided below as well as The Breakfast Club's interview with Joe Budden's State of the Culture collective, here.
Ava DuVernay & Warner Bros Bring "Wings Of Fire" Books To TV
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay is partnering with Warner Bros to develop a television adaptation of Tui T. Sutherland’s popular fantasy novel series “Wings of Fire.”
Fans of the popular fantasy novel series Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland are in for a major treat now that Warner Bros has tapped famed filmmaker Ava DuVernay to adapt the books into a television show.
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According to Deadline, DuVernay will work alongside Warner Bros Animation after they won a bidding war for rights to a WoF series that reportedly reached eight figures. Ava has already won the hearts of critics and viewers alike with her Netflix series When They See Us, which won tons of awards like “Best Limited Series” at the 25th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards back in January (seen above). Pair that small screen success with her ability to tackle the fantasy genre with ease — she directed the 2018 film A Wrinkle In Time perfectly — and you’ve got just the right person for the job. Sutherland will see that her work is translated properly by serving as executive producer, and the series will be produced under Ava’s ARRAY Filmworks company. Wings of Fire takes you into an advanced society where dragons talk, make tools and go to war in the fictional lands of Pantala and Pyrrhia. Hey, if Daniel Radcliffe won’t be returning to Harry Potter anytime soon, this may be the next big thing.
Any Wings of Fire fans out there? Let us know your thoughts on this news down below in the comments.
Blueface & Nick Cannon Have An Offbeat Rap Battle On "Wild ‘N Out"
Blueface’s recent rap battle with Nick Cannon on “Wild ‘N Out” ended up being quite entertaining to say the least, even if it admittedly a bit offbeat.
Blueface appeared on episode 17 of Wild ‘N Out that aired a few days ago, and let’s just say his rap battle with Nick Cannon was, well, it lined up perfectly with the Los Angeles-bred rapper’s signature offbeat flow.
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Nick started things off with a few lighthearted threats, rapping, “Blueface, yeah, I’m going straight off top of the dome / Red squad, once again it’s on / You don’t want to see my chrome, cause I’ll steal your car and make you Crip Walk home.” After those “award-worthy” set of bars, the “Thotiana” emcee stopped DJ D Wrek from playing the beat, jokingly saying “you know I ain’t good with the beat” as a play on his now-infamous way of somehow making hits without ever really being in-sync with the instrumental. “Nick nack patty wack, I gave your b*tch this bone,” he responded with, further adding, “I had her bust down when I touched down in her zone.” Neither one of these dude are getting five mics anytime soon, but we’re just glad to see Blueface knew how to keep up with the comedic gesture of Wild ‘N Out overall.
Watch the full episode over on MTV, but peep the clip of Blueface’s rap-off with Nick Cannon below his Instagram:
Charles Barkley Dismisses Rockets As Some "Leprechauns"
Charles Barkley doesn't seem to be a big fan of the small ball rockets.
Charles Barkley has been a harsh critic over the years and as a former player, he certainly has the right to go as hard as he does. Barkley has a wide variety of targets throughout the NBA including the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets. Barkley has made sure to keep his foot on the neck of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, much to their dismay. Without a real center or big man, Barkley has even more reason to be critical of the Rockets and on Thursday morning, he let his true feelings known.
During a radio hit on ESPN's The Dan LeBetard Show with Stugotz, Barkley was brutally honest about the Rockets and their new era of small ball basketball. As you're going to hear, Barkley had some strong words about all of it.
"I don't think you're going to win with putting a little bunch of leprechauns out there," Barkley said. While Barkley doesn't care for the Rockets size, there is no denying the team is playing well right now. They are fighting for fourth in the Western Conference and have a real shot at doing some damage in the postseason.
If they were to go to the NBA Finals, Barkley would certainly have some explaining to do.
Toni Braxton’s Heart Attack Is How She Learned Of Lupus Diagnosis
Toni Braxton was rushed to the hospital and told doctors she felt as is an elephant was sitting on her chest.
She has seven Grammy Awards under her belt and is hailed in the music industry as a powerhouse vocalist, but Toni Braxton has been battling through living with lupus. Throughout the years, the accomplished singer has been open and honest about her medical troubles and what it’s been like living with chronic pain. In a recent candid interview with E!‘s Daily Pop, Toni shared the harrowing moment when she first learned she had the autoimmune disease.
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The singer revealed that when she was first diagnosed with lupus, she felt alone. She decided to become vocal about her journey with the hopes of helping others “who were going through it or maybe suspect they have lupus.” Toni said that lupus is a difficult illness to diagnose and most people just feel as if they’re constantly ill.
“I was still in Vegas, I had a residency in Vegas [from 2006 to 2008] and I was just sick all the time,” said Toni. “Chronically fatigued, my blood pressure was high [and] I never suffered from it. I just couldn’t figure it out and come to find out, I had a heart attack. I had to go to the hospital and that’s when they found out.” The singer added that she told doctors she felt as if an elephant was sitting on her chest and she could barely talk. Doctors immediately ran tests and concluded that she was in the middle of a heart attack.
Toni said that her systemic lupus “loves my heart” and can “attack any organ in my body.” If you see photos of Toni where her face looks “puffy,” the singer said it’s because she’s on steroids to control her condition. Watch Toni Braxton’s Daily Pop interview in full below.
Ceaser Emanuel Declares War With Ryan Henry On "Black Ink Crew"
Ceaser Emanuel wasn’t happy when he saw a video of his good friend Ryan Henry getting close with his ex Kitty.
It’s an age-old rule that friends should never let a woman interfere with their relationship, but Ceaser Emanuel and Ryan Henry may have to work out a few issues in that department. The two reality stars seem to be at odds and it stems from Ryan’s relationship with Ceaser’s ex and former employee, Kitty.
Kitty had a massive fallout with Ceaser and his Black Ink crew in New York, so she made her way to Chicago and got friendly with Ryan. The two were spending time with one another and a video was sent to Ceaser’s cousin Teddy showing Ryan and Kitty laughing at Ceaser’s expense. The clip sent Ceaser over the edge, and the Black Ink mogul made it clear that he was irate.
“This is how you acting my n*gga?” Ceaser said. “How the f*ck y’all sitting there doing all this sucka ass sh*t. Y’all over there laughing at me, too?” He added that news of Kit and Ryan fooling around isn’t new, but he found it disrespectful that Ryan was “flaunting” the relationship in his face. “I know that video was sent just to piss me off. Where the f*ck is the loyalty?”
“When you was down and you needed help with your business, who was the person you called?” Ceaser asked. “Or, when you had to move shops and you askin’ me how this goes and how this goes, who you call?” He then revealed that their friendship is deeper than people think. “We know each other family. When I go to Chicago, I stayed at your pops house, yo. Motherf*ckers don’t understand how deep this sh*t is.”
“Ryan made his move, now it’s time to make my move,” Ceaser said. “This is war.” The trailer for this season of Black Ink Crew shows Ceaser making his way to the Windy City to announce to Ryan and his crew that he plans on opening a Black Ink Chicago shop to rival Ryan Henry’s 9Mag. Check out an angry Ceaser below.
Tinashe Says She Was Pitted Against "Every Black Girl" In R&B
Tinashe visited “Just the Sip” where she claims people attempted to compare her to Aaliyah, Beyoncé, Cassie, and more.
As new artists step into the music scene, they’re often compared to other established artists topping the charts. Tinashe shares that she is no different and throughout her career, people have attempted to size her up against other singers. The Songs for You crooner recently chatted with Just the Sip, and during the talk about her career, Tinashe shared that she was pitted against “every black girl.”
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“First, it was the superstars, which was like, whoa,” she said. “How are you guys gonna pit me against these people? It would be: Tinashe, the new Aaliyah. Tinashe, the next Beyoncé. I would be like, you guys are setting me up left and right. These people are icons.” After the “icons” were other artists who just fell into the same look and style.
“It started off there, and then it was everyone. I literally could name six different people at one point that has been Tinashe versus Jhené [Aiko], Tinashe versus FKA twigs, Tinashe versus all the R&B girls. Literally any black girl…Cassie. All the ‘whisper’ singers, whatever that means.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Tinashe touched on her public breakup with Ben Simmons. The singer said that she doesn’t regret being vocal about how she felt following their split because it helped her inspire the changes she needed to make in her personal and professional life. Check out Tinashe’s clip with Just the Sip below.
Ray J & Brandy Praise Kim Kardashian’s Braids As A "Compliment"
Kim Kardashian has been accused of “cultural appropriation” for wearing braided hairstyles, but Brandy and Ray J think of it as a compliment.
It’s Celebrity Siblings Week on The Talk, so the hosts were joined by Brandy Norwood and her equally famous brother Ray J. During their appearance on the talk show, the topic of Kim Kardashian‘s recent throwback Instagram photo came up in the conversation. Each time Kim shares pictures of herself wearing braids or cornrows, she faces accusations of cultural appropriation. While many have blasted Kim for her look, Brandy and Ray J think people are taking things too far.
“I don’t think that she’s guilty. I definitely believe in [cultural appropriation], but I think it’s reaching a little bit for people to say [that],” Brandy said. “I mean, it’s great. I love braids. I think everybody should have braids, but I think we’re going too far with that with her.” Then one of the hosts moved on to Brandy’s brother by saying, “Ray J, you know Kim Kardashian,” subliminally referencing their previous romance and infamous sex tape. The audience roared in applause and screams.
“Here’s what I think. I got nothing but respect,” Ray J stated calmly. “I just think that if you are paying homage to another culture by, you know, rocking the braids, I think it’s a compliment. It should be looked at as it’s going global. I think that when you get up and you feel good and you look good and other people say, ‘Hey, I wanna feel good, I want to look like that,’ that should be a compliment and a plus.”
Kim has previously addressed the controversy during a BeautyCon L.A. panel discussion. “I’ve definitely had my fair share of backlash when I’ve worn braids. I’ve been fortunate to be able to travel around the world and see so many different cultures that have so many different beauty trends,” she said of her styles, adding that it all comes from a “real place of love and appreciation.” Watch Brandy Norwood and Ray J on The Talk below.
Justin Bieber Scares David Beckham On "Ellen": Watch
Justin Bieber gave David Beckham a fright on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” while David was telling a story about his kids trick-or-treating at Justin’s house.
Justin Bieber got David Beckham good as the soccer star was telling a story about Justin on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, by jumping out and scaring him half to death. David stopped by Ellen’s studio on an episode that aired on Wednesday to chat with the talk show host about his kids and his recent guest role on Modern Family as himself. At one point, Ellen mentions that David’s kids Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper ended up trick-or-treating at Justin Bieber’s house last year, and asks the pro athlete how that ended up happening.
“We all follow Justin on Instagram, of course,” David said. “And we’re all fans and we all love him. It was coming to the end of our night of trick-or-treating. The kids have had far too much candy and enjoyed themselves a lot. So, on the way back, Romeo turns around to me and he said, ‘Justin’s…giving snow cones away….’ So, I DM’ed him and he got back within, like, seconds, and he said, ‘Yeah, we’re doing it now.’ We were literally two minutes from the house, so we went straight ‘round there. Turned up. And, yeah, we all got snow cones.”
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As Ellen goes on to talk about how the Beckham boys wanted David and his wife, Victoria, to name their youngest child “Justine” after Justin, the popstar himself jumps out of the table next to them and screams. Though he doesn’t exactly cry out in shock, David appears to be very perplexed. The two of them immediately share a hug before Justin apologizes. “Sorry, they wanted me to do that,” he tells David as he turns around to run off stage. “I gotta go, I gotta go.”
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“Oh man, I really didn’t think that was gonna happen,” David says in a fit of laughter, before expressing some kind words about Justin. “I know you all love him, but he’s the most amazing human being,” he tells Ellen, who agrees with him. “He really is. He really is. For someone to achieve what he has achieved and still be an amazing person and to be doing what he’s doing. You know, I always gauge it off of how people are to kids—and to my kids—and he has been so kind to my kids over the years. It’s, you know, it’s great to see him. Great to see him back.” During the same episode, Justin participated in a segment called “Burning Questions,” where he answered many invasive inquiries. The appearance led to him revealing many personal details, including how much he loves his butt.
Justin Bieber Posts Revealing Underwear Pic For Lil Dicky
Justin Bieber just shared a picture in his underwear and girls around the world are going absolutely bonkers.
Justin Bieber is setting out to absolutely shatter the internet today, and it’s all in support of his good friend Lil Dicky. Perhaps the pop star took the rapper’s name a tad too literal because, this afternoon, he uploaded a picture of himself in his boxer briefs, shouting out LD in the revealing shot.
Today marks an important day in the career of comedic rapper Lil Dicky, who is premiering his brand new television program Dave on FX Network tonight. The show is set to follow the fictional rise of LD’s rap career, featuring a number of famous artists that we all know and love. It will definitely be worth the watch this evening. Earning some extra promotion for his boy, Justin Bieber stripped down to his boxers, which are Dave-branded, and posted a very-revealing picture that will surely get the female audience tuned in tonight.
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“#DAVE premieres tonight on @fxxnetwork so I’m wearing my Dave underwear,” wrote Biebs on Instagram. In just over 45 minutes, the photo has nearly received one million likes, which makes a lot of sense since, you know, it shows JB in his undies. Be prepared for the internet to completely blow up as a result of this.
Are you tuning in to Dave tonight?
