bereavement b4 the bbq 🌭 🕊
Happy long Memorial Day weekend Baddies.
I’m not big on war - i’m bigger on love - but I’d remiss to not acknowledge (and feel a way) that the men in my family have fought in nearly every war in this country. Quite a decision to opt to potentially die, for a place that doesn’t care if you live. Thank you for your service.
I’m notoriously a contrarian about holidays because of the glaring truth that they’re giving forced behavior. It’s carved out consumer-driven family time, and I don’t ❤️ that conceptually.
I enjoy the day off regardless.
Everyday but especially on holidays, we document every moment imaginable — some of which would be perfectly fine kept private, too. No?
Keep in mind this weekend (talking to myself ): the over shares can come off like a poor attempt to convince us that you’re actually having a good time. Regardless, we will still scroll by and click ❤️ likely.
What’s ❤️ but a second hand emoji?
Who needs a ❤️ when a ❤️ can be 💔?
-me but Tina Turner voice
As I grow into newer facets of love, I’m naturally embracing deeper levels of sacredness. Some shit I’m just not sharing! It’s too pure for peeping eyes…. plus, life is too short to invest in the frail do-it-for-likes-economy— I need love.
To get love you need to give it: so before I get on the grill let me pour out a little liquor + pay my respects to a few icons — soldiers (some literally) in their own right — that we’ve recently lost, but only in the physical.
REST IN PEACE TINA TURNER
The iconic black queen Tina Turner has passed away this week, and we are forever indebted. Tina was everything, you felt her power and her pain with every note she sang and every shimmy she shook. The actual blueprint.
Before she passed, Tina Turner and Beyonce were the only two women who could SANG and dance flawlessly at the same time. The girls just are not giving it up like that, at all.
(I always did wonder— did Beyonce get Tina’s approval for Hov to say “eat the cake Ana Mae” on “Drunk in Love” ? I really didn’t like that line. Unnecessary. Tina’s so fly on her own I won’t even further reference her toxic ex.)
God gave us Tina. Tina gave us everything. Even if we didn’t deserve it.
She literally made it out the mud, growing up as a sharecropper picking cotton in a town that was created solely for slave labor. She endured so much and persevered before the world, crafting her own lane and new life once given the chance.
A visual and a vocal international icon and a soldier of spiritual strength. There are no words good enough… we honor the life and times of the OG Baddie Tina Turner.
REST IN PEACE HARRY BELAFONTE
A beautiful man has left the earth last month. The first black man to win an Emmy, a sweet Calypso singer. Belafonte was also a veteran having served in the Navy in World War II.
The most important part of his career to me is his dedication to the liberation of black people and social justice at large. A Bestie of MLK and organizer of the March on Washington, Belafonte remained dedicated to the cause his entire life.
Not to bring up Jay-Z and Beyonce again but he actually came for them, stating that they weren’t doing enough for their people with their celebrity. That was iconic because nobody crosses the Carters, but he’s an icon so even they had to respect it.
We simply do not have enough black public figures of status that actually give a fuck about the state of black life, beyond smoke and mirrors. Belafonte was one of them ones.
REST IN PEACE JERRY SPRINGER
To be honest with you, this man is likely one of the reasons I have a “career” in television. His show is etched into my early memories and I have no shame about it.
I loved how he ended his chaotic show with a moment of reflection, because why not? That’s exactly what we needed after all of that.
Springer’s life was divinely protected and an incredible tale as brilliantly chronicled in this unlikely-but-must-watch interview with fellow QBoro media personality, Queenz Flip below.
He was born in a bomb shelter in WWII. His mom and dad got out of Germany literally 2 weeks before Hitler got into power, most of his other family didn’t make it out.
He came to NY via Ellis Island and every year on his birthday he went back to visit the 1 bedroom apartment in Queens that his family grew up in. Real humble.
A soldier of sorts himself, Springer was an Army reservist and was called to active duty in Fort Knox during Vietnam I think.
You can’t deny his legacy. We can’t get mad at Jerry for serving us up what we are and what we wanted to see.
Who will help us make sense of the mess now?
REST IN PEACE NICHOLAS GRAY OF GRAY’S PAPAYA
Born in Chile, Gray moved to the Upper West Side & worked on Wall Street before quitting his job to sell hot dogs and papaya juice. He used to be a partner in Papaya King, which also serves those exact things… but left to essentially create his own bootleg version. The literal American Dream.
I couldn’t find anything about Mr. Gray serving in the military, but he fed the soldiers of the streets (me). The windows of his shops were often political:
Plus, he had famous recession special prices for two hot dogs and a tropical drink — and he still do. A man of the people, and truly a big part of my earlier life.
Today I will celebrate his life while eating franks and drinking Papaya juice.
Because I’m a loving nerd, here’s a “recipe” for the famous drink should you want to partake.
Every hot dog and papaya juice, every episode of Jerry Springer, every Belafonte involved production or plan, and Tina Turner song x soul truth I encountered has made me the gal I am today. Truly.
I had to show love.
To wrap up, here’s my poorly workshopped Jerry Springer-esque Final Thought:
I hope for you, that when you post online…there are people who “like” it that really love you, in real life…for who you really are. May they tell you often, offline. as much as possible. May you return the favor
Love is the pinnacle, plus it lasts longer than life does. Word.
Peace.
-Baddie5000
love this post! all soldiers & will all be remembered! jerry springer was a fave since his days in nbc, before the show went wild & syndicated! gray's papaya takes me back to going to weber's on broadway and then having a dog and pina colada after!🥰🥰🥰🥰