Interview: Comedian Stacy Whitaker

Hello valued readers! Today we want to introduce you all to one of the best rising comedians of the millennial generation, Stacy Whitaker. Whitaker is a long time friend of The Great Change, former athlete and student, Stacy is now focused on nailing performances and proper delivery for his audiences. A comedian has a unique task, to not only make you laugh, but to also make you remember them as a comedian and entertainer. We had the chance to catch up with Stacy, our conversation is below, enjoy!

The Great Change: What are your thoughts after your most recent performance at Hyaenas Comedy Nightclub?

S. Whitaker: I just saw the video of my performance from Sunday night and even though it's not perfect it was beautiful to see the work pay off on stage. It felt amazing to see the strides I'm making in comedy.

The Great Change: What was your thoughts on the other comics', who made up Butcher Lord's Stranger Comics, performances?

S. Whitaker: The other comics did really great. There were a few in particular that made my stomach hurt from laughing. I love seeing different comedians, because we each bring our own unique style to the stage. Butch Lord was made by the one and only Butch Lord. Butch is the man in the Dallas/ Ft. Worth area and other areas as well. If you ever see his name on a show you better believe that it's worth clearing your schedule for.

The Great Change: Do you have any upcoming performances?

S. Whitaker: I was planning 2 more performances for 2016 however I'm thinking I'm going to take some time to do some under the hood work on my game. I have some big plans for 2017 so I'm really putting a focal point on those plans. However, you can still see me at open mics throughout the week in particular Backdoor Comedy Club on Thursday Nights.

The Great Change: What advice would you give to other aspiring comedians and youngsters pursuing their dreams?

S. Whitaker: Take your time to study the mechanics of comedy first. Be prepared for some tough performances and alot of learning. I would recommend reading comedy books or even taking a stand up class before going public with comedy. You'll save yourself alot of stale face that way.

Blog Dictionary Entries

Anger.

The feeling of increased energy in the body and mind due to the current manifestation of reality being in a state of resistance.

Vibration.

The movement of energy in our reality; used to manifest the reality we inhabit.

Home.

A combination of where the heart is and where the mind wants to be.

Death.

The awakening of the non-physical self, the higher self after sufficient life experiences.

#80

In a time of the most convenient communication, we as people in a "first-world" country have a duty to discuss and talk on what is happening around us. We waste our time talking about subjects that have no effect on the world we live in. Most take zero time to consider the impacts of our conversations. The need for meaningful conversation is turning into an epidemic. The spreading of knowledge determines the meaningfulness behind the conversation. So people, lets discuss meaningful topics until we die. All that other bullshit, let it die.

Anonymous Essay: Must Read

Hello valued readers! We here at The Great Change received an anonymous essay in our inbox yesterday. It address problems that are clearly evident. Check it out below!

The perspective and the reality of the educational system are far from the same. As I experience and observe the education profession, I find it important to share injustices that should be addressed.

The definition of education, in common usage, is that education is the delivery of knowledge, skills and information from teachers to students. However, teachers are not able to deliver knowledge, skills, and information within their full capabilities due to a number of restrictions. Restrictions that are influenced by and include prejudices, people pleasing, preconceived notions of abilities, politics, naïve mindsets, and greed. Therefore, the educational system can be seen more as just another business. This is especially true for the public school system.

The motivation behind this statement comes after a recent popular and controversial occurrence between an African American female student and a Caucasian male campus police officer at a high school in South Carolina. Allegedly the female student was told a number of times to get off her cellphone. An officer, Senior Deputy Ben Fields, was then requested to the classroom and asked the student to stand up to leave the room. Officer Fields responds to the student refusing to stand up, by wrapping his forearm around her neck, pulling her backwards unto the floor, and then tossing her across the floor. Fields then commands that she put her hands behind her back and applies handcuffs to her.

Of course, thanks to the convenience of cellphones and ability to share anything instantly online, a recording of the event spread fast sparking another controversial story and issue.

A few days ago, as I scroll down my Facebook timeline, I notice someone share that they signed a petition for The View to cut Raven Symone from the show. They also make insulting comments about her character and intelligence.

During a conversation with other hosts on the issue, Raven states, “The girl was told multiple times to get off the phone,” She also shares that she believes, “There’s no right or reason for him to be doing this type of harm, that’s ridiculous. But at the same time, you gotta follow the rules in school. . . This shouldn’t even be a problem to begin with, and he shouldn’t have been acting like that on top of it.” Media summarizes her statement by suggesting that Raven “victim blamed” the student for the event. It seems as if the majority of African-Americans active on media were disturbed and infuriated by her comments. Though I understand the agitation of “victim blaming”, I am not a fan of it whatsoever, I do not agree with the condemning of another young minority woman. I get that she probably could have used a different choice of words when delivering her points. At the same time, our African-American community have to put themselves in her shoes for a moment. Raven is a childhood star who has continued to have a successful career over the years.

Now... let’s consider all of the Disney stars over the years who have had chaotic circumstances broadcasted for the world to see... Also, consider the fact that Raven is one of the younger co-hosts on a very popular live broadcasted show. From the look of comments and posts I have seen, many do not know the difference between their, they’re, and there... do those same people think they could go on a live show and not make misconstrued statements? Let’s state the obvious...Raven has made a few statements regarding race that can come off condescending. Although, the media suggests that “Raven is against her own race”, I am sure she knows firsthand that people are treated differently based on their appearance. She is a 29 year old woman with brown skin, not a size 3, and who dresses in a bizarre way at times....  I am positive she has felt discriminated against in her career.

Conflict is a commodity in the media industry. If the show a certain conflict and get people tuned in, (to websites, news stations, etc.), the more money they will make. The job of media is to get you tuned-in, and sometimes that conflict is created if it’s not actually present. This has occurred in Raven’s case as well as many other public minority figures who make statements that are not necessarily “people pleasing”. I applaud the actions of, The Talk co-host, Sheryl Underwood, who spoke up against the backlash that Aisha Tyler underwent for expressing her point of view of the Spring Valley High School incident.  (Please see video- http://youtu.be/w-jypMvf2il ) I respect the women such as Raven Symone, Sheryl Underwood, and Aisha Tyler. There is no doubt that they have experienced many trails to earn the positions they have. Despite their abilities to achieve so much as women of color, they are still crucified for any opinion that might become misunderstood or small mistake they might make. I just wonder if anyone ever stops to think about how they must feel... To receive such criticism from the same race of people that experience the same challenges you do and

you would think would be more supportive... Instead of focusing on what the media has promoted, I wonder if anyone has took a moment to realize a valid point that she made. The notion that Raven is “victim blaming” comes from her pointing out that there is more than one issue that should be addressed with what was going on in the classroom. Her two points include: 1) There is indeed an issue of misuse of power and procedure by the school and officer. 2) There is also an issue of inappropriate use of technology in classrooms.

Not only are those valid points, there are additional concerns that should be addressed that trickle all the way down to the superintendent of the school district. The other students present in the video watching the actions of Fields, known as “Officer Slam”, have seen this happen times before. And now the district wants to make statements suggesting that they will do an in-depth investigation. Why now? Because mass media has caught a glimpse of internal issues that the school has swept under the rug? As I continue to work in education, I witness countless occurrences similar to these. I have witnessed Caucasian teachers roughing up students with no limitation or consequence. I have witnessed students walking out of classrooms in front of principals, while taking a test, to take a phone call. I have witnessed so many discrepancies at a high ranked school in Texas....that I hope to become someone who can help to make changes.

Along with the points Raven made, issues of ignoring faults such as misuse of power, prejudice, procedures, and policies in a school all need to be addressed.

I love my culture. I love our people. On countless occasions, I have experienced and witnessed injustice that has occurred because of a person’s appearance, so I hope my points are not misconstrued into “victim blaming”.

The most accurate summery of my points would be that the reality of education has many broken pieces that need to be acknowledged and fixed.

- Just another voice

Envision

When we envision our futures, we often draw from experiences we have had in the past, or from experiences we have heard that others have had. When we envision success, we often see things that we have succeed with in the past, or from successes that we have seen others have. When we envision our lives we are comparing and contrasting experiences with the old us, and those who surround us. Success is a word that will continue to drive the human race. In many fields of study, success is equated with innovation or ground breaking research. In sports quite often success is only seen as bringing home the championship. I would like to see a renewed view of success. Success should be seen as enjoyment. Did you enjoy your experience? Success can be seen as obtaining a goal or prize. But this view leaves a lot more of us in the mindset of unsuccessful. Where as, if the goal were to enjoy your experience doing what ever it is that you do. Everyone could find success and would have a more precise picture in their mind of what success looks like when it is manifested. The old system pits everyone against everyone. Much like the outlook of the philosopher Hobbes. Even though it is directly expressed, it is implied that in today’s world, someone must fail for others to succeed. This is wrong. This is a problem. We can all succeed simultaneously. Team work makes the dream work.