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The Oprah Illusion: The Reality of OWN

Just because you rise to head an army, does not mean you’re part of the power system. – Amos Wilson on slave generals

As the launch of OWN came on New Year’s Day it seemed that a number of worlds were a buzz and all for very different reasons. The cable world was a buzz as it wonders if the “Oprah Effect” can help it continue to close the advertisement revenue gap that exists between cable and broadcast channels. The battle for advertising dollars currently sees cable companies getting only 39% of the advertising revenue pie. African America was a buzz because finally our shining star of wealth would be finally in possession of her very own network. The hope by many is that we will see positive images of African Americans and especially African American women, which is something that we all agree is sorely lacking in America’s mindset and our own community. This, after all, is the beauty of ownership – you get to dictate what your company puts out. But that is assuming you have not just an ownership stake but majority or controlling ownership. We were told this is Oprah’s Network so she must own it all right? Well, not exactly. Unfortunately, this is where our lack of financial literacy at times gets us in trouble. Technically, I own Disney but then again so do a lot of other owners of Disney shares. My say so in the direction of Disney is equal to that of my ownership stake. This leads me into the illusion of OWN.

Let me point out a few things. The first and probably most important thing is that this is a partnership between Oprah & Discovery, a 50/50 partnership at that. Discovery ponied up the $200 million to kick-start the infrastructure for the network, which was previously Discovery Health, so unless the big O finds a way to gain another percentage point in ownership, she will not have absolute control of the network without first having to check with her partner. Discovery will have equal say so in programming and all other things as it pertains to the OWN network. The appointing of an African American woman CEO might have been more symbolic for appearance sake than anything else. Not saying this is the case but with the CEO being the most public figure after Oprah herself, if one wanted to keep up the notion that this is indeed “Oprah’s Network” then this is a good move. See Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

We see similar cases of strong and silent European American influence over perceived African American controlled media. Like BET, who unknown to most of us until the sale had a large shareholder in Liberty Media who held a 33% stake in BET giving it quite a large say so in the direction of the company. Another African American perceived owned outlet is TVOne. It too is not majority owned by Radio One but a partnership with Comcast. In this instance it is highly likely that Radio One is actually a minority owner (given its financial state – market value of Radio One is $65 million versus Comcast $63 billion) and Comcast the majority.

Oprah’s company ironically could be one of very few African America’s businesses that creates voluminous amounts of capital flight out of the European & Asian America groups into African America. In the way that Arab & Asian stores create capital flight out of our neighborhoods into their own by the stores they own in our community. Far more money is going out of African America than coming, even with Oprah. On a more macro level capital flight is currently happening from the European Diaspora into the Asian Diaspora (primarily China & India). These same principles apply here on the micro level within the country community to community.

My concerns about OWN are a bit more long-term. Is this network sustainable into another generation after Oprah passes?African America passes few generational assets along. None will be bigger than Oprah’s estate at the moment. Her estate could mean major windfalls for African Diaspora institutions here in the U.S., Africa and the Caribbean, which is a circulation of our global dollar – something we are sorely lacking. But again, is there a market for OWN or Harpo Productions without Oprah herself as the primary asset?

On a social level, it is hard to put much of any social value on the network for African America or African American women. Notice I said the network not Oprah. There is only one thing that European American controlled corporations like more than profits and that is power. Companies have been known to take losses on products just to control the market share of a product and drive competitors out of the space. John Rockefeller was infamous for this in maintaining the oil inventory under his control in early 20th century and in more modern times we’ve seen DeBeers use this same ploy to control 85% of the world’s diamonds.

Power to control the social capital of the society in this case is no different. In order to do so they must maintain the status quo of where an African American woman’s value is in the society. This despite African American women controlling $0.85 of every $1.00 in African America’s $913 billion buying power pie, the second largest buying power of any ancestral diaspora in the U.S. trailing only that of European America (although Latino America is on the verge of surpassing us). The danger of allowing African American women to gather social capital is that African American women are more than willing to fight for the survival of the African Diaspora than many in society would like to give them credit for. They have and continue to fill the void of African American men being swept away by the system through abnormally high death rates, incarceration, and poor education. Thus they provide the “doggy paddle in an ocean” for survival of African America as we continue to try and right our ship. Dr. John Henrik Clarke said it best “Powerful people cannot afford to educate the people that they oppress, because once you are truly educated, you will not ask for power. You will take it.” This is the crux of social capital and thus, with African American women controlling the economics of African America they too must be kept in their place for they pose a threat to those who control the society. If you control the society you control the economics and politics of it as well. One of the most powerful parts of social capital is a positive view of images of oneself and because of this we must realize why Oprah potentially does not have majority control of her own network.

But there is hope. This is the beauty of the stock market. If we want to influence the programming on OWN then buy shares of Discovery Communications, Inc. (Ticker Symbol:DISCA) and establish an African American & Diaspora ownership block. You would not only have influence over OWN but of all of Discovery’s assets. In the past I’ve made this same suggestion for buying Disney shares, as they are the owner of ESPN, which makes it revenue primarily from sports where the labor is predominantly African-American. An owner’s gripe that is invested in the company goes a lot further than just a gripe from the crowd.

Follow the money and power. The decisions, people, and institutions tend to explain the reality of what actually is rather than the illusion of what is presented.

Mr. Foster is the Interim Executive Director of HBCU Endowment Foundation, sits on the board of directors at the Center for HBCU Media Advocacy, & CEO of Sechen Imara Solutions, LLC. A former banker & financial analyst who earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics & Finance from Virginia State University as well his master’s degree in Community Development & Urban Planning from Prairie View A&M University. Publishing research on the agriculture economics of food waste as well as a contributing author for a number of African American media outlets.

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San Diego Black Film Festival

If you are going to be in or around the San Diego area you may want to check this out.

January 27th- 30th, 2010 at Regal Theatre, downtown, Horton Plaza.

The San Diego Black Film Festival was established in 2003 and is hosted each year by the San Diego Black Film Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c) organization. The San Diego Black Film Foundation is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of African American and African Diaspora cinema as well as the education of media arts. Held each year in late January, the San Diego Black Film Festival is one of the largest black film festivals in the country.

more info at http://www.sandiegoblackfilmfestival.com/

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Before Auto-tunes, There Was Zapp & Roger

It occurred to me one night while watching TV One’s Unsung on The Troutman Family what a major loss the music industry suffered in April of 1999 when both Roger and Larry Troutman left this earth in an apparent murder-suicide. Although the music family that was Roger & Zapp reached their peak in the early 80’s, the classics they created continue to keep parties going and have inspired an entire new generation of musicians to keep their creations soulful and funky.

Hailing from Dayton, Ohio, the Troutman family is an example of a true American success story. With Roger’s talent and Larry’s vision, the Troutman family succeeded in different business ventured, but music was the glue that held the family together. Roger’s signature sound, the manipulation of his voice and other instruments with a talk box, had a major impact on the music group’s success. The talk box was not a new device to the music world, having been used by artists like Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd, and Peter Frampton, but Roger’s mastery of the device solidified Zapp & Roger’s place in Soul/Funk music history. In current music, the talk box has been replaced with a saturation of Auto-tunes, a device created to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental recordings, though most recently I was happy to hear the talk box properly resurrected in Foreign Exchange’s new album, Authenticity.

Aside from the creation of music that made your body move involuntarily (because anybody sitting down to a Zapp & Roger track is lame) the band knew the definition of showmanship. From live music to audience interaction, Roger and family knew how to get a party going onstage which always kept fans coming back for more.

As today, November 29th is the birthday of Roger Troutman, I’d like to take a moment to honor his memory with a few of my Zapp & Roger favorites. Let these tracks add more bounce to the ounce in your day:

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Who’s BAD and Who is Austin Brown?

The name Austin Brown may not ring any bells, but he is the youngest son of Rebbie “Centipede” Jackson, and, of course, the nephew of the late Michael Jackson. Brown, a talented and versatile singer, songwriter, producer and dancer, is ready to carry on the Jackson family business for the next generation. But he isn’t necessarily looking to live off the family’s fame.

“Music is in my heart,” Brown said. “It’s what I love to do. I can’t help where I come from, but I love where I come from, so I just do music and I create.”

Brown also loves to perform, which he said started when his mom first took him onstage. “She was doing a show in Japan and I was about 3,” said Brown. “When I first looked up, there was all of these things onstage — gargoyles and all this weird stuff at the club. And I got scared and kind of ran off, but I paused when I ran off. So my mom tried it again the next day, and I danced my heart off after that.”

Some 20 years later, Brown has teamed up with super-producer Rodney Jerkins and is set to release his debut album, 85. The title represents what Brown has learned from music throughout his life.

Brown said he grew up listening to everything from Boyz II Men and George Michael to the Beatles. And while such a diverse musical taste isn’t uncommon with the iPod generation of today, the singer said he loved to sit around and dissect what makes each artist special. He’d listen and wonder what about the Beatles inspired Brian Wilson’s (of the Beach Boys) work, which in turn inspired the Beatles.

Read entire article at MTV.com

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Obama Covers Rolling Stone, Again

For the third time, President Barak Obama is on the cover of  Rolling Stone magazine, in this month’s issuse the president speaks on the Republican party, Fox News, the war in Afghanistan, the Gulf oil spill, and his music choices. The part on Fox News is what really grabbed my attention.

Fox News,  has the highest ratings on cable news, but President Obama still isn’t a fan of the network’s point of view.

In a wide-ranging Rolling Stone interview, Obama swung back at the network that provides a major platform for conservative hosts and Republican political analysts (some of whom may also be seeking the presidency in a few years).

Rolling Stone Editor Jann Wenner asked Obama for his view of Fox News and his view on whether conservative mogul Rupert Murdoch’s network is a“good institution for America and for democracy.”

Obama began by saying that he will always uphold the Constitution’s guarantee of free speech, and noted that United States has a tradition “of a press that oftentimes is opinionated.” There’s only been a short “golden age of an objective press,” he said. Throughout American history, he continued, there have also been publishers like William Randolph Hearst “who used their newspapers very intentionally to promote their viewpoints.”

“I think Fox is part of that tradition,  it is part of the tradition that has a very clear, undeniable point of view,” Obama said. “It’s a point of view that I disagree with. It’s a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world.”

read entire article on yahoo

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RIP Varnette Honeywood

From The Washington Post:

Varnette P. Honeywood, an artist who gained fame when her vivid and joyful portraits of everyday lives of blacks were prominently featured on TV’s “The Cosby Show,” died Sept. 12 of cancer at a Los Angeles hospital. She was 59.

As a black artist, Ms. Honeywood was “extraordinarily important,” partly for the visibility “The Cosby Show” gave her but also because young people were inspired by her “exuberant and positive images of black culture,” said Paul Von Blum, emeritus professor of African American studies at the University California at Los Angeles.

When it came to hanging her stylized prints in the home of the Huxtables — the fictional black family at the heart of “The Cosby Show” — artist and sitcom went together “like a slice of pie and a plate,” said Bill Cosby, star of the show that aired on NBC from 1984 to 1992.

“She truly captured the feel of family love,” Cosby told the Los Angeles Times. “Her work had depth and storytelling. She just knocked it out of the ballpark every time.”

Varnette Patricia Honeywood was born in Los Angeles on Dec. 27, 1950. At Spelman College in Atlanta, a historically black women’s college, she had planned to major in history but switched to art after being encouraged by a drawing teacher and fellow students.

Soon she began developing the signature style that she sometimes described as “figurative abstraction.” Brilliant colors and intricate designs were a hallmark of her oil paintings and collages, and many of her pieces have an African component, whether they show the cultural tradition of movement or incorporate African-influenced prints that she often wore.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Spelman in 1972, she received a master’s in education and a teaching credential from the University of Southern California in 1974.

Ms. Honeywood was frustrated by her inability to gain traction in the art world when Cosby and his wife, Camille, discovered her work.

Impressed with her entrepreneurship and images, they became collectors and she was asked to submit art for the pilot of “The Cosby Show.” Three works remained on the set for the entire run and others were rotated through, according to a 1992 Atlanta Journal-Constitution article.

*Painting shown: Gossip In The Sanctuary, 1982

Ms. Honeywood had no immediate survivors.

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My Mic Sounds Nice: The Truth About Women and Hip Hop

I increased BET’s viewership about 10% the other night when I watched their documentary, My Mic Sounds Nice: The Truth About Women and Hip Hop. Though excellent programming for BET, part of it was cut and paste from VH1’s Rock Docs on Hip Hop, but what can you expect when they are all owned by the same company?

But I digress.

BET’s trip through the female hip hop MC timeline was enjoyable, and they pulled some female MC’s out the woodwork for this one: Nikki D, Rah Digga, Ladybug Mecca, The Lady of Rage, and my personal favorite, Los Angeles underground godmother, Medusa (Other MC’s might make your head bob/but I’m gon make your neck lock – yeah she said that).

The most informative part of this documentary was the shift of the female role in hip-hop from the 90’s to the new millennium. It was made clear that when Lauryn Hill dropped her solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998 and then dropped of the face of hip hop Earth, the game for women has not been the same. Lauryn’s album was such a game changer that unless you were as solid of a triple threat as her, you weren’t going to make much noise. Since the new millennium, the primary face of females in hip-hop is the hypersexualized female MC. Actual talent on the mic won’t trump one’s sex appeal.

Which brings me to the one female MC who I believe has changed the game but is constantly glossed over in this sex-obsessed society we live in and that’s Bahamadia. The Philly native’s name was mentioned only once towards the end of the show, but this sister’s dedication to her art form in spite of being ignored by mainstream hip hop was reason enough for her to have her own segment in the show. Her talent and skill on the mic is without question, and if you’ve been fortunate enough to catch her live performance you know Bahamadia is anything but a studio MC. She is better recognized and respected internationally than stateside, yet let her step in the ring with any of today’s current female MC’s and battle – most chicks won’t have the heart to try.

So here is my personal tribute to Bahamadia – and if you happen to catch this sis, know the real heads recognize. A few of my favorites from her catalog of classics:

Uknowhowwedo

I Confess

3 The Hard Way

One-4-Teen

Finally, I would be remiss if failed to throw out an honorable mention to Boss, the first female gangsta rapper. Her persona was too hard and too much for most folks to handle.

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BLACK is…Funny (but I wish you would laugh!)

When I was younger, history was my worst, and least enjoyable subject. But as I got older, I began to realize that history isn’t just about who fought who during what war and which president was in charge during said war. History is a blueprint of the stones that were put in place which allow us to appreciate any particular aspect of our society. And what I appreciated most, is the comedy, because without comedy, anger and negativity will overpower and poison our minds. There would be no such thing as a “brighter side” of a situation.  So, with that said, I wanted to share a few of the African Americans who made, and continue to make it a little brighter, inside and out! Laughter soothes the soul and keeps the body young.

African-American comedians both past and present. From Paul Mooney and Richard Pryor in the 70’s, to Eddie Murphy and Bill Cosby in the 80’s, to “The Original Kings Of Comedy,” African-Americans have played a defining role in the scheme of American comedy. By providing a humorous voice to narrate the African-American experience, and breaking down racial and social barriers along the way, each of these comics has brought a unique perspective to the ever-changing tableau that is comedy in America.

Dick Gregory

“I am really enjoying the new Martin Luther King Jr. stamp – just think about all those white bigots, licking the backside of a black man.”

Red Foxx

“Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.”

Richard Pryor

“When that fire hit your ass, it will sober your ass up quick! I saw something, I went, “Well, that’s a pretty blue. You know what? That looks like…FIRE!” Fire is inspirational. They should use it in the Olympics, because I ran the 100 in 4.3.”

Paul Mooney

“You’re telling me that when I’m a slave, I can be in your house. But now that I’m free, ‘I don’t want you in this neighborhood.’ So, you’re saying if slavery came back tomorrow, you’ll just say, ‘Welcome home’?”

Dave Chappelle

“They got a character on Sesame Street named Oscar; they treat this guy like shit the entire show. They judge him right in his face. “Oscar you are so mean! Isn’t he kids?”, “Yeah Oscar! You’re a grouch!” It’s like, “Bitch I live in a fucking TRASH CAN!”

Eddie Murphy

“Got to be careful. They say having casual sex nowadays is like playing Russian roulette. And I know I’ve thrown my dick on the crap table many a night.”

Chris Rock

“Barack, man. He doesn’t let his blackness sneak up on you. Like if his name was Bob Jones or something like that, it might take you two or three weeks to figure out he’s black. But when you hear “Barack Obama”, you picture a brother with a spear, just standing over a dead lion. You picture the base player from The Commodores.”

Bill Cosby

“I said to a guy, ‘Tell me, what is it about cocaine that makes it so wonderful?’ and he said, ‘Because it intensifies your personality.’ I said, ‘Yes, but what if you’re an asshole?'”

Martin Lawrence

On the “Cha Cha Slide”: “I can’t stand that dance. That’s the easiest f***ing dance! It’s like ‘2 to the left! 1 to the right! Stop! Think About it.’ Get the f**k outta here… I know the ghetto “Hokey Pokey” when I hear that s**t.”

Arsenio Hall

“My mother wanted me to be a lawyer and I wanted to be an actor. So I went to school, majored in theatre, and said ‘Mom, I have to choose my own destiny. I want to be an actor.’ A couple of weeks after I graduated college I called my mother up and said ‘Can I borrow $200?’ and she said ‘Why don’t you act like you’ve got $200.'”

Whoopi Goldberg

“I don’t have pet peeves, I have whole kennels of irritation.”

Cedric The Entertainer

“Gas is high for real. That was my costume for Halloween last year, I dressed up as a gas pump. None of the kids got it but I scared the sh*t out they parents! I had $6.15 on my chest, they were like Ahhh!”

D.L. Hughley

“White folk, y’all got the littlest dogs I have ever seen in my whole life… ‘Her name is Peppers. She weighs three pounds and cost $2000.’ Well you should have named her Cocaine.”

Mo’Nique

“I couldn’t be no criminal, I could not be a criminal. Because if I did some shit with you, if get caught? WE got caught. ‘Come on, I’m hiding!’, No you not! They got US! They got US! You could escape to Japan, I’d call you in Japanese like “[jibberish] Bring yo’ ass back the f**k home bitch! We got caught!”

Bernie Mac

“‘Mother-f****r’ is a word that black folks have been using for years. It’s about expression. Don’t be ashamed of the word ‘mother-f****r’ Because ‘mother-f****r’ is a noun: It describes a person, place or thing.”

Tracy Morgan

“I was watching Maury Povich the other day. They had the episode, ‘Is it Male or Female?’ And I’m sitting there with an erection, ‘Oh, all of them are good.'”

Keenen Ivory Wayans

“Everything was a joke [in my family]. If you got a whippin’, when you got back to the table, you heard nine other people doing impressions of your screaming.”

Kevin Hart

“I know I’m not good at sex because one time I called my wife and was baby why don’t lick your fingers and play with ya nipples…outta no where I heard, ‘daddy you want me to touch mines too?'”

For more, please see the Documentary “Why We Laugh” by Robert Townsend.

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Boomerang: Lessons In Love Part II

I know some folks are chomping at the bit for the rest of the love lessons I learned from Boomerang. The wait is over!

11) A woman that truly loves you will not discuss your sex with other women.

My mother was the first to share this love rule with me and the way it plays out in the film is exactly why she teaches against it. The first clue we get that Jacqueline (Robin Givens) has no true intention of taking Marcus (Eddie Murphy) seriously is when she tells Angela (Halle Berry) about their tryst in New Orleans. As expected, Angela’s already developing curiosity about Marcus is piqued and she sets the wheels in motion. When a woman really loves a man she knows that sharing the intimate details about their sex life with other women will only make those women curious. It serves no purpose and it’s none of their business.

12) Sex in the workplace should be avoided. Period.

It’s happened to all of us. You come to work one day and are introduced to your sexy and single new co-worker. No matter how delicious they are, starting an intimate relationship with them is the worst possible thing that could occur. Unless the two of you have concluded that you are soul mates and a long-term commitment is on the horizon, a relationship with a colleague can be a setup for disaster at work. If it works out then you have to try to keep the whole staff out of your business. If it doesn’t, now you have to be cool with this person without anger/disgust/lingering feelings getting in the way of work, otherwise your job could be on the line. Case in point: Marcus’ sabbatical after realizing Jacqueline doesn’t want more than casual sex at her convenience with him.

13) Heartbreak is all-consuming. It takes work to get over it.

Like Marcus, many of us want to “Sit at home, stare at the wall, and listen to Sade” after we’ve had our hearts broken. It’s easy to wallow in sorrow for yourself after you’ve been hurt. It’s worth the work, however, of getting up, getting back out there and trying again in order to move past the last relationship. Besides, what’s the point of dwelling on someone who isn’t thinking about you? It won’t bring them back.

14) Men are hunters; women are prey. Let the man chase…                                                            

My grandmother always says, “When a man wants you, he’ll tell you and you’ll have something. If you’re doing all the wanting, you have nothing.” Angela becomes emotionally vulnerable in her relationship with Marcus the moment she is readily available to him at all times. Equipped with the knowledge of his prior player status, she should have known better than to move in with him. Marcus gives her hints of not being on the same page by not acknowledging that they are living together when Jacqueline calls. This also leads to his cheating on her. I’m not justifying his actions, but the moment a woman gets too comfortable in her position with a man (especially while dating), is the moment he gets bored and is back on the hunt.

15) Being too forward is a definite turn-off.

No better example of this in the film then through the character, Strange (played by Grace Jones). Though her forthright nature was appealing to some, like Nasty Nelson (played by Geoffrey Holder),  her gratuitous use of the word “pussy” got her nowhere with Marcus.

16) Men, you can never justify cheating to women.

No matter what the circumstances are, cheating hurts and can never be justified to the party that gets hurt. Women will never accept the excuse of “it’s a man thing” and it works only to cause us to mistrust the next man. And when a woman is good to you, she’ll never understand why you strayed. In spite of having a good woman at home, and despite knowing Jacqueline wasn’t looking for anything other than casual sex, Marcus allowed himself to backtrack with her once he got his swag back. The temptation to bed Jacqueline again, this time without an emotional connection was great revenge for Marcus – but it meant losing a lover and friend in Angela.

17) Never mention something your ex, mistress, etc. said in the midst of an argument with your current partner.

If you are already in the midst of a disagreement, this just fuels the fire. It’s beyond disrespectful and it will get you slapped. For Angela, Marcus’ mentioning Jacqueline’s name while they’re arguing is insulting and embarrassing. What Marcus fails to realize before he cheats is that these two women work together. Can you imagine how uncomfortable that first interaction between them will be?

18) Ladies, though some of us dislike saying it, men need to feel needed.

A lot of my single sister friends never want to say they need a man. If they say that and never find one, that means they will always be incomplete. I totally understand their perspective – but what I know after being in a long-term relationship is that men have to feel needed in order to stick around for the long-term. After losing Angela and getting back into Jacqueline’s bed, Marcus finds himself bored once again. Why? Because he’s been here before, been through this before, and knows it’s going nowhere. What’s the point in sexually exhausting himself with a woman who doesn’t want or need him? Jacqueline makes that clear from the onset, and once the novelty of sex with her has worn off, Marcus realizes what he misses: being truly desired and loved.

19) Long-term love requires the couple to be on the same page – and sexual compatibility is a must.

I truly believe there is somebody for everybody and this is best displayed by Gerard’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, played by John Witherspoon and Bebe Drake. Even though Gerard is embarrassed by them, they aren’t at all embarrassed by each other. Their sexual chemistry is so hot and heavy they have to sneak away from the dinner table for a little taste, much to the chagrin of Gerard. And when Mr. Jackson goes into his tirade of “Bang, bang, bang!” all his wife can say is, “Ooh Daddy please!”. They compliment one another perfectly.

20) Life is a journey not meant to be taken alone.

When we find ourselves lonely, we look for something to mask that and we hide behind it. So often my single friends (both male and female) get heavily involved in their work and careers to stave off the sense of loneliness they feel from not having a companion. In the final scene of the film, we see Angela has acquired this ability: she is no longer the sweet, smiling woman we first meet, but a cold, stiff woman who Marcus calls out for “hiding behind her work”. However she sees it as “taking care of her business” – she doesn’t feel she can depend on anyone other than herself at this point, especially not a man.  Despite her best effort, she gives in to him because she loves him and misses his companionship. For all the drama they experience, there is something between them worth holding on to. What I took from this scene when I first saw the film and that resonates with me now is what Marcus and Angela understand at the end: Life is that much sweeter when shared with someone else.

From 1992 until now, the film Boomerang maintains its relevance regarding male/female relationships. Though everyone will experience something different, many of these lessons can be applied to a myriad of situations. If you find yourself sharing similarities with Marcus, Angela, or Jacqueline, apply a lesson to your relationship and learn from their mistakes. Good luck in love!