Wyllisa Bennett

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‘Tis the Season: A Year in Review

December 26, 2017 by Wyllisa Bennett Leave a Comment

I love this time of year! No, no, no … I’m not talking about the plethora of holidays – that is, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Day and Kwanzaa – which makes up the holiday season. Instead, I’m talking about another reason for me to shop: the beginning of awards season! And come January 2, 2018; there will be plenty of brunches, lunches, parties, after parties, gifting suites, screenings, etc. for me to attend that I won’t have time to do laundry or complain that “I don’t have anything to wear!”

Right now, I’m carefully curating my awards season wardrobe so I can be red-carpet ready next year. And I’m carefully watching the waistline so I can get into my new clothes. Some mac ‘n cheese here and sweet potato pie there can easily cause a 10-pound weight gain, and sideline my fashion options.

I love blinging things! My latest arts-and-craft project is the strassing of these NearlyNude block heel sandals by Stuart Weitzman. I can’t wait to wear them to some fancy, smacy red–carpet event.

It’s the perfect season to add yet another LBD (little black dress) to my wardrobe. I can’t wait to wear this long, black tulle skirt I found on sale at Bloomingdale’s. And given the fashion trend of embellishments – inspired by fashion gods like Gucci and Dolce and Gabbana – I’m revamping some of my old, favorite clothes AND shoes with DIY projects, using Swarovski crystals, sequins and rhinestone patches, and of course, glitter! With some E-6000 glue and a toothpick, I meticulously blinged out the heels of one of my favorite shoes, the NearlyNude block heel sandals by Stuart Weitzman. In eight hours, I made a great pair of shoes look simply amazing! (Side note: YouTube DIY videos are terribly addicting, and DTLA’s Fashion District is a goldmine of stuff! Shout out to the Bead Factory on Maple Avenue.)

Correction: In my article, I mistakenly called my shoes by the wrong name, the Nudist. It’s the Stuart Weitzman version with the sky-high stiletto heel. And trust me, after several attempts, and many broken heels, I’ve come to the conclusion that I cannot carry the weight of my body on a stiletto heel!

But I digress. In my latest column for the California Crusader, I do a quick year in review of all the good tv and films of 2017 with a little help from my friends at the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA). “Get Out,” written and directed by Jordan Peele, has crossed the $250 million mark worldwide, gobbling up awards along the way. In fact, “Get Out” topped the AAFCA’s  Top 10 list of Best Picture.

For my year in review, check out my latest column, which appeared in the December 21, 2017 of the California Crusader News. CCN#51_DEC_21_2017w

Gotta run, I’m heading out for the after-Christmas sales! There’s still more deals to be had!

“Get Out,” written and directed by Jordan Peele, has been named the top film by many film critic associations, including the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA).

How to Bring Down a Hollywood Honcho

November 2, 2017 by Wyllisa Bennett Leave a Comment

“Silence Is the Golden Rule” by LaJon Miller, watercolor and ink on paper

The Streets Are Talking

Once upon a time, Hollywood honcho Harvey Weinstein of The Weinstein Company was one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, until he was outed as a sexual predator by more than 90, mostly White women.

I thought Weinstein had a type — that is, young, White women. But no, he’s an equal opportunity sexual predator. Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o is the first Black woman to come forward as another victim of Weinstein’s sexual harassment, saying, “I felt unsafe.” In an op-ed piece in the New York Times, the actress describes how the movie mogul tried to get her all-liquored up before making sexual advances on her.

In my column for this week’s California Crusader News, I talk about the Weinstein scandal and how the women banded together to bring down the Hollywood honcho. As a result, the #MeToo movement gained renewed strength with women around the globe, sharing their stories of sexual harassment and assault on social media.

Check out my thoughts on  “How to Bring Down a Hollywood Honcho,” which appears in the November 2, 2017 of the California Crusader News. Enjoy! CCN#44_NOV_2_2017_p

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ANNOUNCEMENT: My Byline Is Back!

September 28, 2017 by Wyllisa Bennett 2 Comments

I’m so excited that I’ve been tapped as the new entertainment columnist for the California Crusader News.

By Wyllisa R. Bennett

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had the gift of gab. Growing up in Burlington, North Carolina, family members always accused me of talking too loud or talking too much. “Tone it down,” they would always say, in an effort to curtail my unladylike ways. Because not only do I talk loud, but I laugh even louder. And for many years, I tried to edit my behavior in an effort to be the perfect, well-mannered, cultured Southern lady.

But then one day, I had an AHA moment: I. Can’t. Tone. It. Down. I’ve tried. Lord, knows, I’ve tried, but I just can’t do it. I have a really big personality, a booming voice, and I have a lot to say … every day! The older I get, the more I realize that it just can’t contained it. Either people will “get me” or they won’t.

I have to admit, I have a split personality. As a Southerner, I still respect the culture and adhere to some of the social graces I was raised on; but now that I’m a California girl, I’ve also integrated other habits from my adoptive homeland. I speak less with a Southern accent than I use to; lean a little more to the left than ever before; and I spend less time in church, and more time at the beach.

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LIFE HASN’T FOLLOWED MY GAME PLAN, PART 2

April 23, 2014 by Wyllisa Bennett 25 Comments

Top Ten Things I’d Tell My 30-Year-Old Self

Wyllisa at 30

Wyllisa at 30

Well, today is my birthday! I’m one year shy of the BIG 5-0! But, before I get ahead of myself, I want to savor this last year of being in my forties. I’m gonna throw my hands up in the air, and wave ‘em like I just don’t care!! I’m going to eat as many cupcakes as I want this month, even though one of my clients – that is, two-time, Emmy Award-winning celebrity hairstylist Kiyah Wright said to me the other day, “Girl, don’t get chunky on me!” lol

I’m going to celebrate my 49th birthday all year long. Why? Because, it closes out another chapter of my life. I’ve lived to tell about it – that is, my roaring forties!! I’m so grateful because some of my friends, classmates, colleagues, acquaintances, and friends of friends just didn’t make it this far. See, I realize that in your forties, that’s when you really start thinking about your own mortality.

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LIFE HASN’T FOLLOWED MY GAME PLAN, PART 1

April 17, 2014 by Wyllisa Bennett 1 Comment

TURNING THE BIG 3-0! 

This article first appeared in the June 1995 issue of Community Pride magazine, a local publication in Charlotte, N.C. It was my very first, first-person column on turning the BIG 3-0!

DIARY OF A CELEBRITY PUBLICIST

April 13, 2014 by Wyllisa Bennett 1 Comment

BOSS LADY MAGAZINE | November 2013 issue
http://issuu.com/bossladymag2/docs/blmnov2013

The most common question people ask me is how did I become a celebrity publicist. Good question! Well, I share my journey of how a country girl from North Carolina made it all the way to the red carpets of Hollywood in the November 2013 issue of Boss Lady Magazine. Flip to page 10.

 

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