WHAT MEN WANT

By Malik Pollard

What Men want? What women want? Do men and women basically want the same thing? Before you can determine what the opposite sex wants, you first must know what you want. That is where most people fail. How can you figure out what another person wants if you haven’t first figured out what you want? In the new movie by Paramount Pictures and BET Films, “What Men Want” (produced by Will “Power” Packer/directed by Adam Shankman) Ali Davis played by Actress Taraji P. Henson is a pow(h)er player at a sports firm that is battling for the respect of her male counterparts. After being overlooked as partner (again), Ali is trying to understand what more she needs to do to get the position and recognition at her firm. She approaches her boss, and he merely says, “you don’t know how to relate to men.” As you can imagine, this statement annoys Ali, and she runs to seek the advice of the closest and dearest person to her: her Dad (Richard Roundtree). There is no mistake that Dad has raised one tough cookie (Empire Pun intended). Ali demands respect, and early on it’s obvious that she might be a control freak, and not making partner is a clear sign that she doesn’t have the control and respect she expects. That is until a bootleg, weed selling psychic (Erykah Badu) shows up at a bachelorette party. Ali is skeptical but plays along with the psychic and through the course of their interaction gains the ability to hear men’s thoughts. This is when the hilarity ensues. First off, Erykah Badu is funny AF as the mystic cerebral with credentials from a Cracker Jack box. I wonder how much of her character was improv because her comedic timing and quick wit left me laughing constantly. Another underrated funny role is that of Josh Brener, Ali Davis’ assistant. The main cast rounds out with Tracy Morgan as Joe ‘Dolla’ Barry who oddly reminds me of Lavar Ball; Maybe it’s just me. Aldis Hodge as Will, the sensitive, compassionate guy who is just looking for love; who says men can’t be sensitive. Lastly, Ali’s dysfunctional girlfriends played by Wendi McLendon-Covey, Tamala Jones, and Phoebe Robinson. However, there is no doubt that Taraji steals the screen. She gives us flashes of Cookie Lyon’s sarcasm, and attitude while delivering the slapstick antics of a Lucille Ball. The movie also has heart, and without delivering any spoilers, you will begin to understand that knowing what you want allows you to better listen to what a potential partner wants.

She In the spirit of the movie, of course we here at MadFlavor TV had to take it a step further. We hit the red carpet premiere in Washington DC and asked, “If you woke up tomorrow as the opposite sex, what would be the first thing you would do, or how would you spend your next 24 hours?” You have to watch the video to see the answers.

Photos by Mike Ware of M&M Photography