Monday Morning Bullets

Here goes:

• Last week, I was listening to NPR on my drive home and heard Michelle (say it with me, now Meeee-shell) Norris' description of FLOTUS, Michelle Obama's trip to South Africa.  During her introduction, Norris was sure to mention that the FLOTUS danced with some South African kids.

Did Michelle O's Dougie spark a minor obsession with her dance moves?  There's a partial list of news sources discussing FLOTUS dancing here.  I think this is something worth keeping an eye on.  Viral videos of the FLOTUS cutting a rug inevitably raise questions about black spectacle, white consumption, and also about the relatability/likeability of our head(s) of state and his family.  It's complicated, a very thin line, but worthy of unpacking.
Now, if FLOTUS does The Percolator and/or engages in a footworking contest with Chicago Bulls star, Derrick Rose, let me know, because I will want to see that.

• Speaking of dancing machines, folks took to their Twitter and Tumblr accounts to honor the greatest entertainer of all time, Michael Joseph Jackson.  June 25th marked the 2nd year since his passing.  I honor him here by repeating the following: I still don't think (read: hope) he's dead; the P.Y.T. demo > P.Y.T. that appeared on Thriller; "Smooth Criminal" is the greatest music video of all time.
• I'm sure the gay pride celebrations in New York City were especially live this weekend now that gays and lesbians are now free 
  to legally make each other miserable 
  marry in the Empire State.  Lady Justice and the Statue of Liberty are totally getting hitched now.
• Speaking of gay people, as a follow-up to last week's post, I ate way too many Chick-fil-A nuggets last Friday.  Way too many.
• Leon and the rest of the Five Heartbeats notwithstanding, last night's BET Awards were total crap.  Yeah, like, unequivocal crap.  Chris "Chrisqo" Brown needs an intervention; Cherelle and Alexander O'Neal did more for me than D.A.R.E. ever could have.  But Patti LaBelle's performance is making me seriously consider only buying concert tickets for performers who also have an AARP subscription.  She's amazing, and I want her to be my great-aunt or something.
• Octavia Butler would have also made great-aunt material.  
  Had the government not kill her, 
  she would have been 64 last week.  For those of you not familiar with her work (beyond Kindred), I encourage you to add her to your summer reading list.  Her Parable series is a great place to start.
• I generally don't do summer reading lists since I'm always reading for school, but if you're looking for a few titles, here are a few suggestions: Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games trilogy (it's going to be a movie, so read it now); John Twelve Hawks, The Traveler trilogy (Big Brother is watching); Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Wench; pratically anything by Victor LaValle or Colson Whitehead; Tayari Jones has a new novel, Silver Sparrow; and if you are so inclined, Danzy Senna has a new book of short stories coming out soon, too.

Have a great week.