The Classic that is My Brother and Me

Twenty-five Years ago Nickelodeon debuted My Brother and Me showcasing a middle class Black

family in Charlotte, NC and the hijinks of the two sons and daughter in the family. It's historic as it

was the first show on Nickelodeon to feature a predominately Black cast. It's definitely a product of it's

time straight 90's, from the attire to the lingo, it's funny yet looking back some aspects of it are very

very corny.

At the time of its release I simply watched the show because I enjoyed it. Looking back now I realize how important the show was to the Black community. The show is a milestone in my eyes because of course we had the Cosby's and Family Matters, but My Brother and Me was actually the first show featuring a Black family where the kids were around my age getting into shit. I could relate to some of their problems they had or even the sibling rivalry all siblings go through.

The series introduced the world to a young Amanda Seales, Kim Whitley as Ms. Pickney in one of her first roles. Vanessa Baden who is more famously known as Kyra from Kenan and Kel and Vanessa from Gullah Gullah Island made her debut on the show. Pro wrestler Kenny King made his TV debut on an episode as a cool kid from L.A.

                                              

The show was also unapologetically Black when that necessarily wasn't the norm. The dialogue,

the opening credits. The way the characters talked, little nods to Black culture on the sets

such as the Greek memorabilia in the Parker's living room. The father with the corny jokes or

long ass stories which we've all experienced and I'm worried I may grow into.

It contained so much authenticity for the culture, it's beyond a crime it didn't last longer.

Who can forget classic episodes such as Dee Dee getting bullied and the famous line "Hit Me",
basketball tryouts and the famous "Goo Punch" scene we all sung along to, wishing

we were shilling our own product Dee Dee being very impressionable in an attempt to be cool

getting a wild haircut.  Life lesson episodes such as stepping out of your

comfort zone in the Robin Hood episode.

If for some reason you have never seen it, do yourself a favor and check out the clips on YouTube or

buy the dvd of the show you'll thank yourself later,

My Brother and Me only lasted one season but has left a legacy for a lifetime.

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Halloween Horror Nights Experience

Last weekend I visited Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, in my 33 years of living this was the first haunted house I’ve attended and I had a blast. Being Universal Studios most of the themes and haunted houses were pop culture themed which I love. The themed haunted houses were Ghostbusters, Stranger Things, Us, House of a 1000 Corpses, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Universal Monsters, Yeti, Depths of fear, graveyard games, and Nightingales Blood Pit

                                                          

I did the top six haunted houses wish I had more time and energy to do Universal Monsters but I was beat by 1:00 at night, can't hang like I use to. Here are a few things I noticed and appreciated about Halloween Horror Nights.

• The Atmosphere

In addition to the haunted houses there are several “Scare Zones” throughout the park with different themes Vikings, zombies, a undead runway, but my personal favorite was an arcade full of neon, darkness, edm music, women on stilts with nunchucks and of course folks walking around ready to scare you. When you walk into the scare zones it truly feels like you are walking into another era, world or straight out of a Hollywood movie. It adds to that “creepy” factor that is synonymous with Halloween.

• Attention To Detail

I am a movie geek and am a sucker for experiences that make me feel like I’m a part of the movies and shows I’ve watched on TV. The Haunted Houses do just that, walking through the haunted houses feels like you are on the set of these shows and movies, from the replicas of buildings, characters portrayed throughout the haunted house, scenes recreated that you don’t get to appreciate cause you just want to get the hell out of there. You either pretty much walk through a entire movie or a entire season all within a couple of minutes. It all does a great job of immersing a visitor into that world.

                                                        

• Pay Attention

               You should always be aware of your surroundings but at Halloween Horror Nights you need to keep your head on a swivel at ALL times. You never know when your gonna get spooked and get the shit scared out of you. Going through the haunted houses or scare zones, hell anywhere in the park be prepared and on alert.

 I had a great time and am glad I got to experience it. My favorite haunted house was the Ghostbusters simply because I am a big fan of that franchise. As far as what haunted houses scared me the most while I thought it was the Us haunted house, the award goes to House of a 1,000 Corpses I legit jumped quite a few times and moved quickly to get the hell out in that haunted house. 

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