theroot--2020-12-16--Truth Hurts: Here’s Your Friendly Reminder That Lizzo Can Do Whatever the Hell She Wants to Do With

Truth Hurts: Here’s Your Friendly Reminder That Lizzo Can Do Whatever the Hell She Wants to Do With Her Body—and So Can You

“ Your body is perfectly yours , even if it ain ’ t perfect to anybody else.
” On Dec. 13 , “ Good as Hell ” singer-songwriter Lizzo gave fans and followers a glimpse into what exactly she had been up to for the 10 days prior : a smoothie cleanse .
In a series of videos posted on her Instagram story , Lizzo shared what she ate each day , which consisted mostly of fruit and veggie smoothies and snacks , along with alkaline water and “ beauty ” water .
But in a crazy ( read : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ folks got in a tizzy about it .
The main argument ( if you can even call it that , because why are we still trying to tell people what they can and can ’ t do with their bodies at this point ? )
, was that the “ Juice ” singer was essentially aiding in toxic diet culture by promoting an unhealthy fad diet and consequently negatively influencing impressionable women girls around the world .
Folks were also trying to throw up the fact that since our bodies naturally rid themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is nothing but a poor and harmful attempt at good health .
But let ’ s be real .
In fact , let ’ s be ALL the way real .
Folks aren ’ t mad about all of that .
In fact , folks aren ’ t even mad at the smoothies .
What they ’ re really mad about is the fact that no matter how much vitriol and hate they push out towards Lizzo , at the end of the day—she ’ s gon na do whatever the hell she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And they can ’ t do shit about it .
The ugly truth is , in a society where fatphobia runs rampant and self-love is revered as a radical concept instead of a natural thing , seeing someone bigger than a size 4 proudly loving themselves in whatever way they choose will never sit right with the majority .
But because Lizzo is more gracious and accommodating than I am , she took to Instagram in not one , but two posts to express the true message behind what she shared .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ m still fat .
I love my body and I ’ m still fat .
I ’ m beautiful and I ’ m still fat .
These things are not mutually exclusive .
To the people who look to me , please do not starve yourselves .
I did not starve myself .
I fed myself greens and water and fruit and protein and sunlight .
You don ’ t have to do that to be beautiful or healthy .
That was my way .
You can do life your way .
Remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH YOUR BODY I honestly couldn ’ t have said it better myself .
We ( and be “ we ” I mean y ’ all because this was never any of my business in the first place ) should all take a page out of Twitter user Ash ’ s iPhone notes and go about our day .
Haters gon na hate , so keep doing you , Lizzo .

Shanelle Genai on The Glow Up, shared by Shanelle Genai to The Root

“Your body is perfectly yours, even if it ain’t perfect to anybody else.”
On Dec. 13, “Good as Hell” singer-songwriter Lizzo gave fans and followers a glimpse into what exactly she had been up to for the 10 days prior: a smoothie cleanse. In a series of videos posted on her Instagram story, Lizzo shared what she ate each day, which consisted mostly of fruit and veggie smoothies and snacks, along with alkaline water and “beauty” water. But in a crazy (read: sadly predictable) turn of events, folks got in a tizzy about it.
The main argument (if you can even call it that, because why are we still trying to tell people what they can and can’t do with their bodies at this point? ), was that the “Juice” singer was essentially aiding in toxic diet culture by promoting an unhealthy fad diet and consequently negatively influencing impressionable women girls around the world. Folks were also trying to throw up the fact that since our bodies naturally rid themselves of harmful toxins, a smoothie cleanse is nothing but a poor and harmful attempt at good health.
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But let’s be real. In fact, let’s be ALL the way real. Folks aren’t mad about all of that. In fact, folks aren’t even mad at the smoothies. What they’re really mad about is the fact that no matter how much vitriol and hate they push out towards Lizzo, at the end of the day—she’s gonna do whatever the hell she wants to do with her own body. And they can’t do shit about it. The ugly truth is, in a society where fatphobia runs rampant and self-love is revered as a radical concept instead of a natural thing, seeing someone bigger than a size 4 proudly loving themselves in whatever way they choose will never sit right with the majority.
But because Lizzo is more gracious and accommodating than I am, she took to Instagram in not one, but two posts to express the true message behind what she shared.
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I detoxed my body and I’m still fat. I love my body and I’m still fat. I’m beautiful and I’m still fat. These things are not mutually exclusive. To the people who look to me, please do not starve yourselves. I did not starve myself. I fed myself greens and water and fruit and protein and sunlight. You don’t have to do that to be beautiful or healthy. That was my way. You can do life your way. Remember, despite anything anyone says or does. DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH YOUR BODY
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I honestly couldn’t have said it better myself. We (and be “we” I mean y’all because this was never any of my business in the first place) should all take a page out of Twitter user Ash’s iPhone notes and go about our day. Haters gonna hate, so keep doing you, Lizzo.


theroot--2020-12-16--Animals Exclusive Clip: Aja Naomi King and William Jackson Harper Navigate Interracial Entanglements

Animals Exclusive Clip: Aja Naomi King and William Jackson Harper Navigate Interracial Entanglements in Audible's Latest

Socially distanced production is currently the safest way to go in this industry so I could imagine a platform like Audible would have ample opportunity to release a broad range of creative content during these unprecedented times .
One of those creative ventures is Animals , a dark comedy written by Stacy Osei-Kuffour ( Watchmen ) , presented by Williamstown Theatre Festival ( Mandy Greenfield , Artistic Director ) and Audible ( Kate Navin , Artistic Producer ) and starring Aja Naomi King ( How to Get Away With Murder ) and William Jackson Harper ( The Good Place ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press release sent to The Root : Lydia ( Aja Naomi King ) and Henry ( Jason Butler Harner ) ’ s dinner guests ( Madeline Brewer and William Jackson Harper ) are about to arrive when Henry ’ s spontaneous marriage proposal threatens to burn the evening to a crisp .
Wine bottles and years of unspoken tensions are uncorked , and , before the evening is through , Lydia must confront her long-held fears and feelings if she ’ s going to commit to a future with Henry .
Directed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world premiere comedy marches into the muddy intersection of romantic entanglement , identity , pride , and survival .
You may be wondering what kind of shenanigans this arrangement would entail .
Well , we have a sneak peek for you before the audio performance drops !
The Root has obtained an exclusive clip from the performance via Audible : The exchange in the above clip is ... awwwwwwkwaaaaaarrrrrrd .
More info about Audible and Williamstown Theatre ’ s partnership : Forged during and in response to a fraught moment in history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Audible Theater preserves the Festival season in a different format , provides continued work for the artists involved in the Festival season , and produces a body of work that will be made available for global Audible listeners to enjoy and experience .
It also marks the first time that a theatrical season of work will be produced on Audible .
The rest of WTF ’ s 2020 season on Audible includes the Tennessee Williams masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire and Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler , both out now ; the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Club written by and featuring Shakina Nayfack , available Dec. 29 ; and Dominique Morisseau ’ s Paradise Blue ; the world premiere musical Row with a book by Daniel Goldstein and music & lyrics by Dawn Landes ; and Sanaz Toossi ’ s world premiere Wish You Were Here—to be released in early 2021 .
Animals makes its world premiere on December 17 at 3 a.m .
ET via Audible .
Williamsburg Theatre Festival donors will be granted full access to the seven-title season on Audible .
For more information , head @ @ @

Tonja Renée Stidhum on The Grapevine, shared by Tonja Renée Stidhum to The Root

Socially distanced production is currently the safest way to go in this industry so I could imagine a platform like Audible would have ample opportunity to release a broad range of creative content during these unprecedented times.
One of those creative ventures is Animals, a dark comedy written by Stacy Osei-Kuffour (Watchmen), presented by Williamstown Theatre Festival (Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director) and Audible (Kate Navin, Artistic Producer) and starring Aja Naomi King (How to Get Away With Murder) and William Jackson Harper (The Good Place).
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The synopsis, via the official press release sent to The Root:
Lydia (Aja Naomi King) and Henry (Jason Butler Harner)’s dinner guests (Madeline Brewer and William Jackson Harper) are about to arrive when Henry’s spontaneous marriage proposal threatens to burn the evening to a crisp. Wine bottles and years of unspoken tensions are uncorked, and, before the evening is through, Lydia must confront her long-held fears and feelings if she’s going to commit to a future with Henry. Directed by Whitney White, Stacy Osei-Kuffour’s world premiere comedy marches into the muddy intersection of romantic entanglement, identity, pride, and survival.
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You may be wondering what kind of shenanigans this arrangement would entail. Well, we have a sneak peek for you before the audio performance drops! The Root has obtained an exclusive clip from the performance via Audible:
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The exchange in the above clip is...awwwwwwkwaaaaaarrrrrrd.
More info about Audible and Williamstown Theatre’s partnership:
Forged during and in response to a fraught moment in history, the unprecedented collaboration between Williamstown Theatre Festival and Audible Theater preserves the Festival season in a different format, provides continued work for the artists involved in the Festival season, and produces a body of work that will be made available for global Audible listeners to enjoy and experience. It also marks the first time that a theatrical season of work will be produced on Audible. The rest of WTF’s 2020 season on Audible includes the Tennessee Williams masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire and Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler, both out now; the world premiere Chonburi International Hotel & Butterfly Club written by and featuring Shakina Nayfack, available Dec. 29; and Dominique Morisseau’s Paradise Blue; the world premiere musical Row with a book by Daniel Goldstein and music & lyrics by Dawn Landes; and Sanaz Toossi’s world premiere Wish You Were Here—to be released in early 2021.
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Animals makes its world premiere on December 17 at 3 a.m. ET via Audible. Williamsburg Theatre Festival donors will be granted full access to the seven-title season on Audible. For more information, head to www.wtfestival.org.


theroot--2020-12-16--A Former Houston Police Captain Was Arrested for Accosting a Repairman and Putting a Gun to His Head

A Former Houston Police Captain Was Arrested for Accosting a Repairman and Putting a Gun to His Head Over Fake Ballot Claims

If you still don ’ t believe that certain people are empowered to operate with violence indiscriminately in this country or that the repeated claims of voter fraud pushed by President Trump pose a danger to society , the case of former Houston Police Captain Mark Anthony Aguirre ’ s arrest on Tuesday for his alleged assault on a civilian in October should clear it up for you .
According to a release from the Office of the District Attorney in Harris County , Texas , 63-year-old Aguirre is accused of going on a mission on Oct. 19 to reveal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mission which ended with him running an innocent air conditioner repairman off the road and putting a gun to his head on the sketchy claim that he had 750,000 fake ballots hidden in his truck .
Court documents referenced in the DA ’ s statement said that after Aguirre ran his SUV into the back of the AC technician ’ s truck to force him to stop and get out , he forced the repairman to the ground and put his knee on the man ’ s back .
All of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a police officer who accompanied Aguirre on his journey to capture the man who he told them he had been conducting surveillance on for four days .
When it was revealed that the man Aguirre had accosted in front of the cops was just an “ innocent and ordinary air conditioner repair technician , ” the former police captain then directed them to search the victim ’ s truck—which the DA ’ s statement said was filled with nothing but air conditioning parts and tools .
“ He crossed the line from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime and we are lucky no one was killed , ” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said of the incident .
“ His alleged investigation was backward from the start – first alleging a crime had occurred and then trying to prove it happened.
” After still going on to probe Aguirre ’ s election fraud claims and finding them baseless , the police found that the right-wing group Liberty Center for God and Country had deposited upwards of $ 266,000 in his account after the incident—information which he had not shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Steven F. Hotze , a Texas conservative who has been behind other messy election interference attempts , and has been generally denying the reality that Trump lost the election .
Unsurprisingly , Aguirre ’ s lawyers are now trying to claim that he is the victim of political persecution for being charged with assaulting somebody because of what seems to be a well-funded right-wing fantasy .
“ I think it ’ s a political prosecution .
I really do , ” Aguirre ’ s attorney Terry Yates told ABC 13 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and there was an accident .
A member of the car got out and rushed at him and that ’ s where the confrontation took place.
” Working ?
Aguirre was no longer employed as a cop !
He had absolutely no authority to chase down a random repairman and reportedly hold a gun to his head due to delusions of a huge fraud cover-up .
Luckily , the authorities in Harris County finally seem to agree with that assessment of the situation and charged Aguirre this week with aggravated assault with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison .
A judge set his bail at $ 30,000 , which Aguirre is likely to be able to easily cover with that windfall of money he was allegedly paid by the Liberty Center .
If that ’ s not evidence that some people still have the benefit of a more permissive justice system , I don ’ t know what is .

If you still don’t believe that certain people are empowered to operate with violence indiscriminately in this country or that the repeated claims of voter fraud pushed by President Trump pose a danger to society, the case of former Houston Police Captain Mark Anthony Aguirre’s arrest on Tuesday for his alleged assault on a civilian in October should clear it up for you.
According to a release from the Office of the District Attorney in Harris County, Texas, 63-year-old Aguirre is accused of going on a mission on Oct. 19 to reveal supposed evidence of massive election fraud, a mission which ended with him running an innocent air conditioner repairman off the road and putting a gun to his head on the sketchy claim that he had 750,000 fake ballots hidden in his truck.
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Court documents referenced in the DA’s statement said that after Aguirre ran his SUV into the back of the AC technician’s truck to force him to stop and get out, he forced the repairman to the ground and put his knee on the man’s back. All of this was captured on the body cam worn by a patrol officer who witnessed Aguirre crashing into the truck of the victim who he told cops he had been conducting surveillance on for four days.
When it was revealed that the man Aguirre had accosted in front of the cops was just an “innocent and ordinary air conditioner repair technician,” the former police captain then directed them to search the victim’s truck—which the DA’s statement said was filled with nothing but air conditioning parts and tools.
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“He crossed the line from dirty politics to commission of a violent crime and we are lucky no one was killed,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said of the incident. “His alleged investigation was backward from the start – first alleging a crime had occurred and then trying to prove it happened.”
After still going on to probe Aguirre’s election fraud claims and finding them baseless, the police found that the right-wing group Liberty Center for God and Country had deposited upwards of $266,000 in his account after the incident—information which he had not shared with them. Liberty Center is headed by Steven F. Hotze, a Texas conservative who has been behind other messy election interference attempts, and has been generally denying the reality that Trump lost the election.
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Unsurprisingly, Aguirre’s lawyers are now trying to claim that he is the victim of political persecution for being charged with assaulting somebody because of what seems to be a well-funded right-wing fantasy.
“I think it’s a political prosecution. I really do,” Aguirre’s attorney Terry Yates told ABC 13. “He was working and investigating voter fraud, and there was an accident. A member of the car got out and rushed at him and that’s where the confrontation took place.”
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Working? Aguirre was no longer employed as a cop! He had absolutely no authority to chase down a random repairman and reportedly hold a gun to his head due to delusions of a huge fraud cover-up.
Luckily, the authorities in Harris County finally seem to agree with that assessment of the situation and charged Aguirre this week with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. A judge set his bail at $30,000, which Aguirre is likely to be able to easily cover with that windfall of money he was allegedly paid by the Liberty Center. If that’s not evidence that some people still have the benefit of a more permissive justice system, I don’t know what is.
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Correction: 12/17/2020, 1:45 p.m. ET: A previous version of this story incorrectly said a police officer accompanied Aguirre in his attempt to apprehend the victim after crashing into his truck. According to a statement by the Houston Police, a patrol officer witnessed the alleged assault after observing the crash while responding to an unrelated call. The story has been updated.