The Black-on-Black complexions, the passion — simply iconic. Quite frankly, as much as I love the scene in The Notebook (and I do love it) it's incomparable to the sensuality that comes when Black-on-Black skin tones meld together. It's actually the embodiment of the gif used in this article's featured image. There's something about Black romance, passion, and lust that make me all tingly inside, especially when there's an emphasis on the passion. As Darius from fan-favoriteLove Jones might say, it's "urgent like a mothafucka" —as it should be.
In the same way that they say porn ruins people's expectations of sex, I have to say many of these love scenes have ruined mine! And hell, maybe, it's me but my sex life is not giving '90s and early 2000s lust. Personally, it's giving the coming-of-age teeny bopper in the worst way.
So, forgive me if I like to escape from time to time and bury myself in the fictional moments impressed upon us for a lifetime with scenes like the 7 below. Check them out and see if you aren't scurrying for your phone (to schedule a dick appointment ASAP) or reaching for your toy.
Sidenote: Black Hollywood, give us more, please. Give us more '90s love and sensuality in our music, in our films...just put it in the water.
1. Soul Food: Faith and Miles
I was getting ready to put the Nia Long scene in here but it hit me that despite our disdain for cousin Faith, we have to give her and nasty-ass Miles their flowers because this scene was yummy. It romanticizes the quick fuck in all the right ways (not the quick fucking-of-your-cousin's husband though.).
2. Their Eyes Were Watching God: Janie and Tea Cake
GiphyYou may have forgotten about this novel-turned-movie, but I'm here to remind you that Monster's Ball isn't the only time Halle Berry put on for the camera. The way Ms. Berry gives us her soul in her sex scenes, well, there's not that much getting into character in the world. Especially because so many industry folk have spoken out about how awkward it is to deliver a sex scene to begin with. Anyways, my good sis put her back into this one.
3. Jason’s Lyric: Lyric and Jason
GiphyApparently if there was one thing Jada Pinkett Smith was gonna do it was deliver the most bomb sex scenes—scenes that bring you to life decades later! This one is neck and neck with the scene from Set it Off — especially given that the '90s were still slightly more conservative than what we experience in film these days.
4. How Stella Got Her Groove Back: Stella and Winston
Everyone loves to discuss the shower scene here but really it's that first sex scene when Stella and Winston are still at the resort. The canopy on the bed, the heavy tongue action — it makes it easy to forgive Taye Diggs for that terrible Jamaican accent.
5. Never Die Alone: Juanita and King David
DMX is known for a lot, but we don't give him enough cred for his on-screen sex scenes. Between the scene from Belly and this one here—Earl is undeniable. But I have to say, it's definitely Reagan Gomez Preston's character Juanita who puts on for this scene. She did what needed to be done — bringing all the sexy, sensual vibes.
6. Deliver Us From Eva: Eva and Ray
GiphyNot even being able to make it to the bed is top-tier #sexgoals. And quite frankly, I wish I knew the vibes, but until I do, watching Eva and Ray work one another up into a frenzy in a sadistic attempt of trying to avoid sex is beyond satisfaction.
7. Set It Off: Stony and Keith
Nate GIF - Find & Share on GIPHYGiphyThis classic scene will forever be held to the highest degree of sensuality with the mildly kinky dragging of that chain across Stony's glistening body. If fairy tales focused on sex, this would be it for me. This movie is high-key why we (the Black delegation) haven't forgotten Blair Underwood can play more than an asshole and he can do it oh-so-well.
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Featured Image by Giphy
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In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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Feature image by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
