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Posts tagged as “LisaRaye McCoy”

LisaRaye McCoy Confronts Colorism, Pigmentocracy In Her Directorial Debut, “Skinned”

By goodblacknews on January 8, 2016
"Skinned" to air on TV One (photo via newsone.com)
Made-for-TV film”Skinned” about skin bleaching to air on TV One (photo via newsone.com)

This weekend, TV One will premiere LisaRaye McCoy‘s directorial debut with the made-for-TV film Skinned, which tackles a very sensitive topic within the African-American community.

Skinned confronts colorism, pigmentocracy, and the outbreak of skin bleaching, as well as the use of lightening creams amongst many individuals in America and around the world. 
According to Black Enterprise and the University of Cape Town, skin bleaching has ballooned into a $10 billion market and the long-term effects of bleaching one’s skin is currently unknown. Black Enterprise reports 35 percent of South African women bleach their skin, and 77 percent of Nigerian women bleach their skin.

LisaRaye McCoy talks about "Skinned" on NewsOne Now (photo via newsone.com)
Director LisaRaye McCoy talks about “Skinned” on NewsOne Now (photo via newsone.com)

On Friday, McCoy, best known for her roles in The Players Club, All of Us, Single Ladies and the TV One reality series The Real McCoy, joined Roland Martin on NewsOne Now to discuss the notion of colorism within the Black community through the muse of Skinned’s main character, Jolie.
Essence Magazine reports, “Jolie is a young woman who is uncomfortable with her complexion and begins to experiment with bleaching and lightening creams to alter her skin tone.”
When asked why she wanted to tackle the issue of colorism in her directorial debut, McCoy said Studio 11 Films asked her to direct the movie and once she read the script, the message behind it forced her to ask, “Why do they want a light-skinned woman to direct a dark-skinned project?”
McCoy explained the reason was controversy. She said, “Controversy now sells and I wanted to have all eyes on this epidemic, because not only is it happening in Africa and our Caribbean nations, but here in America too.”
During their conversation, McCoy mentioned the lightening of former MLB star Sammy Sosa and late King of Pop Michael Jackson as instances of skin bleaching’s prevalence in our society.
McCoy later added that skin bleaching “causes skin cancer, yet it is an over-the-counter drug.”
Psychologist Dr. Kevin Washington, a board member of The Association of Black Psychologists, also joined Martin to discuss the epidemic. He said people of color have been “indoctrinated into a system of European superiority.”
“Anything that is associated with the dominate group becomes desirable,” said Dr. Washington. Adding, “Even in Cote d’Ivoire — just in May — they’ve banned skin bleaching for the purpose of health and racial identity.”
According to Washington, skin lightening “is not just a Black issue.” Dr. Washington said, “The idea of pigmentocracy takes over as a result of a hierarchy that is ascribed to the features associated with Whiteness in this country and globally.”
Watch Roland Martin, LisaRaye McCoy, and Dr. Kevin Washington discuss colorism, pigmentocracy, self-esteem, and Skinned, which premieres Saturday night at 8PM ET on TV One.
article via newsone.com

LisaRaye McCoy & Red Pro Launch the "LisaRaye Diamond Flatiron" in NYC

By goodblacknews on November 7, 2014

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LisaRaye McCoy (“Single Ladies”, “All of Us”, “The Player’s Club”) has teamed up with hair care company Red Pro Products and recently launched the eponymous “LisaRaye Celebrity Flat Iron”, the first in a series of  “Diamond Collection” styling tools.
2014-09-24 16.18.05McCoy kicked off the product’s introduction in New York, where she visited a salon in Harlem, did interviews with Vlogger contest winners “Glamfun” from Boston and “ChinaCandyCouture” from Atlanta (see their competition videos and interviews at www.youtube.com/glamfun and www.youtube.com/chinacandycouture) and partied at the Cove Lounge with Monifah of “R&B Divas,” Jamie Foster Brown of “Sister to Sister” Magazine, several other celebrities, stylists and fans.
Although infused with crushed diamonds and branded with a celebrity name, LisaRaye, not unlike Halle Berry with her Scandale Paris line for Target, wanted to create a top-quality product accessible to women in all income brackets.
“I wanted to create an awesome, professional grade flatiron that was affordable for the everyday consumer,” McCoy said. “Everyone wants to have beautiful, healthy hair, but can’t necessarily afford to go the salon every week. My flatiron solves that problem.”
The LisaRaye Flat Iron Facts:

  • Crushed diamonds are infused into the plates, which create an extra smooth surface with consistent heating, allowing styling with a finished look without the use of product.
  • Consistent heating helps prevent damage to the hair when styling, and results in a smoother, shinier, healthier head of hair.
  • Quick heat up and recovery, and variable temperature settings (up to 460 degrees)
  • Package includes hair clips, a heat-resistant comb and carrying pouch for travel
  • The flatiron is also designed for styling and curling, as well as straightening.

To learn even more about the Diamond Plated Flatiron and where to get it, click here.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)

Queen Latifah Produces "Single Ladies" Series for VH1

By goodblacknews on October 20, 2010
Lil-kim-birthday-party-lisa-raye-and-stacy-dash

VH1 can’t get enough ‘Single Ladies’

Queen Latifah project expands from film to series

VH1 has decided to go steady with “Single Ladies,” taking the original film exec produced by Queen Latifah and expanding it into a weekly scripted dramedy series, the network’s first.  Starring Stacey Dash, LisaRaye McCoy and Charity Shea as the title characters, the “Single Ladies” pic will now become the premiere of the series, launching in July 2011. Eight ensuing episodes have been ordered.  “It’s a great swing for us to take, and one we’re really excited about taking,” VH1 exec veep of original programming and production Jeff Olde said. “We are developing other scripted projects that we feel are traveling a lane that would be complementary to this. … (but) this is really our focus, and I think it’s going to be a really easy shift for our audience.”
Set in Atlanta, the “Single Ladies” pic completed filming this summer, with the series now scheduled to begin shooting before the end of the year. DB Woodside is part of the principal cast, with Latifah now scheduled to make a guest appearance in the series. Lauren London, Eve, Common, Chili, and Kim Porter also appear in the film.  Speculation that the film could serve as a backdoor pilot began nearly a year ago (Daily Variety, Feb. 5). Olde said that VH1 was prepared to hold off on its series order until after the film premiered next summer, but reaction to the film and its characters was so positive in test screenings that the network felt confident moving forward.  “As we started showing it around, (viewers) would actually be mad at us if we just showed the movie,” Olde said. “That was the thing we kept hearing: ‘What happened next?’ “
Shakim Compere and Shelby Stone are exec producing with Latifah for Flavor Unit Entertainment, alongside fellow exec producers Maggie Malina, Stacy Littlejohn and Tamra Davis. Davis directed Littlejohn’s script. “My partner Shakim and I are excited to collaborate with VH1, as they have a similar vision on how to bring this show to life,” Latifah said.  “I think ‘Single Ladies’ will really fill a hole in what is needed on television today.”
Read more: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118025884.html?categoryid=4027&cs=1#ixzz12r755PPF
Visit Variety.com to become a Variety subscriber.

Queen Latifah Produces “Single Ladies” Series for VH1

By goodblacknews on October 20, 2010
Lil-kim-birthday-party-lisa-raye-and-stacy-dash

VH1 can’t get enough ‘Single Ladies’

Queen Latifah project expands from film to series

VH1 has decided to go steady with “Single Ladies,” taking the original film exec produced by Queen Latifah and expanding it into a weekly scripted dramedy series, the network’s first.  Starring Stacey Dash, LisaRaye McCoy and Charity Shea as the title characters, the “Single Ladies” pic will now become the premiere of the series, launching in July 2011. Eight ensuing episodes have been ordered.  “It’s a great swing for us to take, and one we’re really excited about taking,” VH1 exec veep of original programming and production Jeff Olde said. “We are developing other scripted projects that we feel are traveling a lane that would be complementary to this. … (but) this is really our focus, and I think it’s going to be a really easy shift for our audience.”

Set in Atlanta, the “Single Ladies” pic completed filming this summer, with the series now scheduled to begin shooting before the end of the year. DB Woodside is part of the principal cast, with Latifah now scheduled to make a guest appearance in the series. Lauren London, Eve, Common, Chili, and Kim Porter also appear in the film.  Speculation that the film could serve as a backdoor pilot began nearly a year ago (Daily Variety, Feb. 5). Olde said that VH1 was prepared to hold off on its series order until after the film premiered next summer, but reaction to the film and its characters was so positive in test screenings that the network felt confident moving forward.  “As we started showing it around, (viewers) would actually be mad at us if we just showed the movie,” Olde said. “That was the thing we kept hearing: ‘What happened next?’ “

Shakim Compere and Shelby Stone are exec producing with Latifah for Flavor Unit Entertainment, alongside fellow exec producers Maggie Malina, Stacy Littlejohn and Tamra Davis. Davis directed Littlejohn’s script. “My partner Shakim and I are excited to collaborate with VH1, as they have a similar vision on how to bring this show to life,” Latifah said.  “I think ‘Single Ladies’ will really fill a hole in what is needed on television today.”

Read more: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118025884.html?categoryid=4027&cs=1#ixzz12r755PPF
Visit Variety.com to become a Variety subscriber.