"DRAMA?! Where's It At?: Quick Glance At Drama In The Media"

     Late last night, I was up job searching and I decided to check out some television. Now, usually, if the television is on (which is rare), it's for Netflix, Real World, Martin, documentaries from the history channel, sports, or 90's cartoons...but I tune into LMN and Lifetime sometimes. I found "Celebrity Wife Swap". Sometimes interesting, sometimes not x_x. On last night's episode, Lisa Leslie and Julie Brown were switching homes for a week. You know how this goes, right? They take two wives from two mildly to extremely different environments and lifestyles and place them into each other's homes for a week. After the week is up, the wives (and their partners) meet up to "discuss" the observations, experiences, and likes and dislikes of the other family's routine. Ever wonder why they don't swap husbands on the show?  I even checked Google to see if there was an episode that had switched husbands, but when I typed "husband swap" in the search engine, one of the results I viewed was an actual wife swapping business where wives swap husbands for sexual pleasures. Definitely not was I was looking for...(moment of awkward silence).

     Okay, anyway, I continued watching the episode, and as the end of it approached, the mini preview before the commercials as to what was happening next flashed across the screen. Alongside the dramatic music and the flick of both families sitting across from each other at the table, the preview showed a Lisa Leslie's slightly and seemingly stern facial expression towards her husband, and Julie Brown making a statement about wearing heels in order to get Leslie's husband's attention. "OHHHHH!! No she didn't!!!" "Why was Lisa looking like that?!" "Drama! Drama! Drama!" I mean, those are just a couple of examples of how I'm certain some people felt. After the commercials, I watched the rest of the episode, and that "drama" showed in the preview of what was coming next, was not what actually occurred. Yes, Leslie had a certain facial expression at one point (after finding out her husband lost his tennis match because she doesn't like losing lol), and Brown made a statement about wearing her heels (because she felt it was the best way to get Leslie's husband's attention because of his height), but, the clips shown in the preview, were edited to display the presence of drama. To keep the viewer interested. Drama. Something that keeps some people alive, right?!

     We gladly embrace the ability the media grants us to study, evaluate, and respond to someone else's drama while temporarily escaping our own lives. Some of us await gossip and even start it to create drama...in real life (i.e. Facebook and Twitter he say/she say, attempted defamation of someone else's character, keyboard warriors, dramatic confrontation, etc). To live and thrive off of it. So what better way to help the drama fiends survive than to offer shows like reality shows (with limited scripting) with real life, actual individuals sharing their drama with the world?! Sure, mystery, battle, love stories, and crime stories ignite a flame for more, but it's drama. No matter how big of the drama or small. Perhaps, drama can have different categories, but... it's still drama. Reality shows and tv drama...YES!! So many to choose from. Enough shows to make a status on Facebook about. Enough shows granting us the ability to make a call to a friend to discuss what just happened, or to chat about over lunch! It may be a guilty pleasure of all of ours. My drama is "Real World: Free Agents". I'm not a "Real Housewives of (insert location here)", "Love and Hip Hop", "Scandal", "All My Children" or "The Bachelor" type of individual for reasons that I should save for another blog, but the drama in my show is there, too. I don't search for it though. I'm more interested in how a group of people manage to live together and face each other in challenges while fighting for money (and pride), but the drama makes its way in.

     What we seldom think about, though, is how some of us allow ourselves to get sucked into the drama from the media. How we feed into their edited previews and clips and shows and allow it to consume our minds. How the media only offers certain information when covering things that have made the news, and how negative or devastating news is displayed more than positive news. Did you even notice how drama is used to lure some of us in? Have we asked ourselves "Why do I like watching women argue and talk about one another behind their backs?", "Why is being someone's mistress so enticing?", or "Why am I watching people fight?" Is it because it just happens? Is it because it's life? Is it an outlet for some people that sleep with drama? Is it consoling because it shows that all humans have issues? Is it just a simple guilty pleasure? Is it something we cannot avoid? Is it even a big deal? Really...Why do you watch?

                                                            Google Image

B. Elae
5/24/2014
12:10 p.m.

"Florida Fashion: Blog Interview with Lakesha J"

The Floridian Fashionista :Blog Interview with Lakesha Johnson"

      Although I represent and acknowledge the talent in my hometown, I have other homes all over this place, and this blog is touching down in Florida, where my sister/friend/future clothing designer currently resides. After developing a sister-girl friendship with this young woman and being introduced to her talents, I wanted to share her gifts with you all and tell the fashion industry to make room for an upcoming fashion designer. Ms. Lakesha Johnson (credits to her late Aunt Carolyn) originally from Bell Glade, Florida, has been a resident in Tampa, Florida for approximately 13 years. Johnson, a student at Sanford Brown (known as IADT until it's name was changed recently) is expected to graduate next year from the School of Design, and plans to relocate to another state with her children after she completes her internship.

     When asked what influenced her to follow her path in fashion designing, Johnson replied "In high school, for quite some time I was known as 'the girl that carried the car purse'. Lol! I drove my mom crazy when I used to cut my clothes up. I remember I safety pinned a denim jacket and pants set. Lol! I'm sure it was absolutely ridiculous looking, but I thought I looked great. But for years I never knew why I did what I did to my clothes nor why it was so different. At work, they called me a diva. But what really set my tail on fire was my pastor. She was talking about wasted talent one day in church. And I thought, "Wait! What am I doing with my life?" The next day I called IADT."

     Since then, Johnson has been taking steps to achieve her goals. For all of you fashion lovers out there with inquiries about what Johnson specializes in, and for who, she shares, "I've only worked with fashion fabric once. I'm obsessed with home decor fabrics. I love patterns and odd shapes. Home decor fabric is so beautiful. It's not ruff on the skin either. My teachers can immediately know that I designed something just by looking at the fabric. My school only teaches us to design for size 8, but there's a class that I'm going to be taking soon that teaches us how to 'grade' patterns. Meaning, making them bigger or smaller. Right now I only do women's clothing, but once I learn the grading techniques, I'm gonna design for everyone."  Johnson furthers shares that she also makes earrings (one of her personal favorite fashion accessories), bracelets, and fabric clutches which may possibly be seen in one of Florida's local accessory stores soon! 

     Johnson, well aware of a numerous amount of fashion designers in various locations, is a fan of Fenty Parker (whom she's been following on Instagram..she loves him that much haha)! Johnson, also expanding her creativity into wig-making enjoys taking pictures. She states, "I see everything in fabric. People will see a tree, I see a cool looking pencil skirt. I'm kind of weird like that." When working on her designs alone, Johnson turns on some music and grooves to help her avoid checking out the time, but when her classmates are in the room(in which Johnson said she's more focused), they entertain one another to keep focused on completing their individual tasks and not on the time. 

    When asked to share some advice that would assist other aspiring fashion designers, Johnson replied "...It's not at all what you think! You really have to have a real passion for fashion design. You have to be willing to sacrifice sleep, a lot of your time, ALL of your weekends. This industry is not for the weak and lazy. But all the sacrifice pays off in the end. You look back and you're like, 'Wow! I did that?. Just be prepared to fight for your passion. It's not easy, but it's worth it. And there are SO many fields in the fashion industry you can work towards. You may enter school wanting to be a fashion designer but change your career path 15 times before you graduate." Johnson also stated that time-management is her most-challenging attribute in fashion designing... "Work, school, and parenting full-time can be extremely overwhelming!" Johnson, a super-mom, an employee, a provider, a student, and a fashionista is just another example of someone chasing their dreams while balancing reality and responsibilities.

     Interested in learning about her inspiration for her dream, I asked Johnson what her inspiration was."Sounds kinda selfish..." she began, "but I'm my own inspiration. I say that because I've always been easily discouraged. I've allowed myself to believe others when they said I couldn't do it. I say to God sometimes, 'Lord really? You picked the hardest industry on the world to break into for me to pursue?' He knows best. I want a career to make a better life for my kids of course, but I feel this is God's way of proving me wrong. And he's pushing this wonderful talent he provided out of me that I've allowed to remain dormant for years. I'm getting all mushy. Lol!"

Approaching the end of my interview with Johnson, she shares that she is working on a webpage, and is waiting to have at least 15 pieces to showcase on her page for her customers. SO, BE ON THE LOOKOUT!!! I will even keep you updated.

I was grateful for the opportunity to have developed a friendship with Lakesha as well as learning that she, too, like all of us, was given a purpose and  is pursuing it despite those that told her she was incapable of doing so. It's definitely a challenge when climbing to the top, but day by day...day by day...

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR LAKESHA'S WORK!

With Realness.

Bee Elae 4/30.14