JANET CANCELS HER RETURN CONCERT: Singer was due back on the road Saturday but ended up postponing again on 'doctor's orders.'
*Janet Jackson was supposed to resume her Rock Witchu tour on Saturday in Connecticut, but that show became her sixth concert to be cancelled due to an illness she has yet to disclose.
Reps at the concert's venue Mohegan Sun said the show has been postponed because of "doctors' orders," but tickets will be honored for a rescheduled date to be announced in the near future.
The 42-year-old has been sidelined since she was briefly hospitalized on September 29th, just hours before a show in Montreal. The Grammy winner was forced to postpone subsequent shows in Philadelphia, Boston, Greensboro, N.C., Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
So far, the Atlanta and New York shows have been rescheduled for Oct. 19 and Nov. 1, respectively. E! Online is reporting that her Oct. 16 show at New York's Madison Square Garden will also be postponed.
MAXWELL HAS WOMEN THROWING PANTIES IN NY: Singer debuts new tracks; solicits undergarments at Radio City Music Hall gig.
*Maxwell treated fans to several new songs during a Thursday night performance at New York's Radio City Music Hall that ended with actual panties being thrown on stage, reports Billboard.com.
As part of his first tour in six years, the soulful crooner sang "Pretty Wings," "Bad Habits" and "Comb" from his forthcoming Columbia album "Black Summers' Night." No release date has been announced.
"This song, it's about wanting to be with somebody but meeting them too early," Maxwell told the audience of "Pretty Wings." The moderately paced "Bad Habits" found Maxwell asking in the chorus, "Will you forgive me?," while "Comb" showcased a two-step drum pattern with a strong horn section and a smooth guitar roll, notes Billboard.
Maxwell was accompanied by a nine-piece band in black and white suits, as a hometown crowd of mostly couples and single ladies looked on.
He began the show with "Get To Know Ya" from his third and last album, 2001's "Now." He also sang his popular singles "No One," "Lifetime" and "This Woman's Work."
The band improvised "Sumthin Sumthin," adding the beat from Jay-Z's "Can't Knock the Hustle," before flowing into "Pretty Wings."
Just as he was about to launch into "Til The Cops Come Knockin'," Maxwell stopped the music and said, "There are not enough panties on my stage right now!" One woman promptly threw a blue rose on stage and another threw a rather large pair of white panties, which Maxwell tossed over his shoulder as he finished the song. "Go get drunk, go have sex, we love ya!" he said to close the evening.
TYRA'S 'TOP MODEL' TWIRLS TOWARD SPINOFF: CW reality show's two "Jays" move into second 'Operation.'
*The CW network has ordered a pilot for "Operation Fabulous," a spinoff to its popular reality series "America's Next Top Model" that would star the show's standout fashion experts Jay Manuel and J. Alexander.
Executive produced by "Top Model" chiefs Tyra Banks and Ken Mok, "Fabulous" will have the two "Jays" travel the country giving women makeovers.
Jay Manuel tells E! Online that each episode will feature five women from one town who get fashion overhauls and compete until one of them is singled out as the winner from that town. From there, the winners from each town will go on to compete in a "bigger competition," and in the end, that final winner will get a makeover...for their hometown.
Manuel also tells E! Online the series should not be referred to as a "spinoff," stating: "I can definitely say that. This is a new series that is a separate world from 'Model' and will really help women try to elevate their lives."
As for "Top Model," Manuel says they will remain with the series, which already has a contractual pickup for three more seasons. Manuel is the creative director of the show's photo shoots; Alexander is a runway expert who has been a judge for the past few seasons.
"Model" airs twice a year on the CW. Although ratings have dropped in recent years, the reality show remains the network's highest-rated series.
"Fabulous" would mark the third fashion-themed reality series on CW from Banks and Mok, who also executive produce the network's series "Stylista," slated to debut Oct. 22, which features contestants vying for an editorial position at Elle magazine.
KEITH SWEAT CUTS LINK TO 'REAL HOUSEWIFE OF ATL': Singer refused to sign waiver allowing sons with ex-wife to be filmed.
*Keith Sweat has two sons with Lisa Wu Hartwell, an entrepreneur/socialite on the Bravo series "Real Housewives of Atlanta," but the boys will never be shown on the series because the singer refused to sign a waiver allowing them to be filmed.
Hartwell explains to E! Online: "He's like, 'Lisa, it's nothing personal. I just really don't know how they're going to edit and if they're going to make you look crazy. I just don't want the kids to be, you know, overexposed or anything.'"
The budding reality star, however, isn't buying it. "They asked their dad could they be involved, and he [said] no," she tells E! "It could have been a Disney show and I don't think he would have signed it."
Sweat has 13-year-old Jordan and 11-year-old Justin with Hartwell, who appears on the show as if she only has one child, one-year-old E.J., her son with her current husband, NFL player Ed Hartwell.
Not only does Lisa have her own successful real-estate firm, but she also owns children's clothing company Hart 2 Hart Baby and the jewelry line Wu Girls. Additionally, she's an aspiring actress, painter and writer. She admits that her biggest reason for doing the show was to get her name out.
"It was great exposure," Hartwell says.
She credits an old friend, fellow entrepreneur Tyler Perry, with inspiring her to follow her dreams. Years ago, after they collaborated on a couple of projects (Perry directed a play that she wrote), Hartwell says Perry called her one day to say he was giving up on show business because he was done with the struggling.
But after they chatted, Perry decided to keep going. "I use that story often when I'm trying to encourage others," Hartwell said. "You have to stay passionate and just stay focused and not say, It's not going to happen."
BEYONCE EXPLAINS CONCEPT OF 'BOY' VIDEO: 'It's kind of like "Freaky Friday" she says.
*Photos of Beyonce dressed as a street cop from the set of her video for "If I Were a Boy" flooded the Internet last month. Fans will finally get to see the look in its entire context with today's scheduled premiere of the video on MTV, BET, VH1 and Fuse.
"It's kind of like 'Freaky Friday'," Beyonce tells Billboard of the concept behind her cop role in the clip. "In the beginning of the video, my husband makes me breakfast and he's excited about it, and I kind of don't have time to eat. As a police officer, I have a male partner and the video goes through our days. My husband's at work and has attractive girls flirting with him but he declines their advances. I have a guy flirting with me, and I flirt back."
Beyonce says the clip will bring to life common things that men do to hurt their significant others, like not answering their phone.
"It's about all of the little things that mean so much in a relationship," says Beyonce. "At the end of the clip, you realize that I was acting out his life, and it all starts over again. He was a cop and everything that happened was really him doing the same thing to me."
A video for her other single, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," will also debut today via MTV, BET, VH1 and Fuse. Both songs were released to radio last week and are the first from her forthcoming, as-yet-untitled album, due Nov. 18 via Music World/Columbia.
MAGIC JOHNSON RESPONDS TO 'FAKE AIDS' CLAIM: Pair of conservative talk show hosts claim NBA vet never had the disease.
*Earvin "Magic" Johnson is speaking out against two conservative radio hosts in Minnesota who suggested Wednesday that his HIV is fake.
"We can't have people out here making false statements and putting out bad information, because this battle is too big when it comes to HIV and AIDS," Johnson told The Associated Press regarding the remarks of Chris Baker and Langdon Perry of KTLK in Minneapolis.
"I poured my life into it and a lot of other people have poured their life into it, into getting out the right information so people can protect themselves and know what HIV and AIDS is all about."
Although Johnson called the remarks "so stupid," he also said he wants the hosts to keep their jobs stating: "I would rather they educate their audience."
According to a partial transcript and audio clip posted on mediamatters.org, the remarks came after a caller asserted that health care isn't a basic right. Perry responded by asking about treatable diseases that a person can live with for a long time "if you just get some basic drugs."
Baker responded, "Like Magic Johnson?"
Perry replied, "Like Magic with his faked AIDS. Magic faked AIDS."
Baker said, "You think Magic faked AIDS for sympathy?"
Perry replied, "I'm convinced that Magic faked AIDS."
"Me too," Baker said.
KTLK's apology statement said it recognized the seriousness of AIDS and the "great work" Johnson has done to call attention to the disease.
"We regret that some offhand remarks by commentators on KTLK did not reflect that," the statement said. "To better inform our listeners and employees, KTLK will be airing HIV/AIDS awareness public service announcements, and will be reaching out to Mr. Johnson to get his thoughts on education efforts."
Johnson, who was diagnosed with HIV in 1991, said his health is "wonderful." He also noted that he has HIV, not AIDS.
"You have incredible drugs now," he said. "I'm working out every day."
J.LO AND HUBBY RENEW VOWS IN VEGAS: Couple make decision shortly before wrangling a minister early Sunday morning.
*Jennifer Lopez and her husband of four years, Marc Anthony, renewed their wedding vows in Las Vegas early Sunday morning in a spur of the moment decision.
"They decided around 12:30 in the morning that they wanted to do it and started calling for ministers," a source told People.com.
Two friends were on hand to witness the occasion, which took place at Caesars Palace's Forum Tower Penthouse at 3:15 a.m. Sunday. The service was officiated by Rev. Steven Smith.
Before renewing their vows, the couple hung out at LAX Nightclub and The Bank, and also took in Criss Angel's new Cirque Du Soleil show Believe – all under the guise that they were in town celebrating Anthony's birthday from last month.
ANGELINA JOLIE LEANING TOWARD OBAMA?: Actress says candidate supports many of her same international issues.
*Actor Jon Voight may be campaigning for Republican presidential nominee John McCain, but his famous daughter, Angelina Jolie, may be leaning toward Democratic candidate Barack Obama.
She hasn't offered either senator an official endorsement, but the mother of six – including adopted children from Cambodia, Ethiopia and Vietnam – says Obama comes down on the same side of several issues that she does.
When asked if she found Obama's bi-racial background an example to her family, she replied: "Naturally that's good, but it's not a sufficient reason to vote for him.
"Obama fights for international justice, he wants to militarily intervene in cases of genocide, and close Guantanamo Bay. These are the things that could move me to vote for him, not his roots."
She then adds, "Naturally, an American president like Barack Obama would be nice for my family."
NY BALLOT MIXUP LISTS 'BARACK OSAMA': Commissioners - one Dem, one GOP – call it 'human error' and an 'embarrassment.'
*Hundreds of voters in New York's upstate Rensselaer County were sent absentee ballots that listed the name of Democratic nominee Barack Obama as "Barack Osama," an error that recalls the name of 9/11 terrorist Osama bin Laden.
The mistake was first reported by the Times Union of Albany, according to the Associated Press. The elections office faxed a statement in which the two commissioners, Democrat Edward McDonough and Republican Larry Bugbee, said they regret the error but never acknowledge what the error was.
"It's human error, it's very unfortunate, it's an embarrassment to our office, obviously," McDonough said in a later phone interview with the AP. "We wish we could turn back the clock, but we can't."
After the mistake was discovered, officials shredded the remaining "Osama" ballots and sent out correct versions to the roughly 300 people who had already received them. Voters who received both versions will be allowed to send in either one and have it counted, McDonough said.
Obama spokesman Blake Zeff said the campaign is "glad officials are working to correct this error and we assume it won't happen again."
AL SHARPTON SENTENCED TO TIME SERVED: Civil rights activist convicted Wednesday for disorderly conduct.
*The Reverend Al Sharpton was convicted last week along with seven others for disorderly conduct and blocking intersections, tunnels and bridges while leading protests against the 2006 police shooting of Sean Bell.
Criminal Court Judge Larry Stephen sentenced Sharpton and the other protesters to time served and ordered them to pay a court fee of $95.
"I am of course sympathetic to the underlying issues which gave rise to the protests and demonstrations on May 7," Stephen said, according to Newsday.
Bell, unarmed, was shot by police 50 times in his car outside a Queens, New York, strip club hours before his wedding.
STAR JONES SAYS VIEW 'GIRLS WERE HATEFUL': TV host speaks to Essence about her treatment.
*In the November issue of Essence magazine, Star Jones opens up about her final days on ABC's "The View," saying of her former co-hosts "Those girls were hateful."
Regarding her infamous dispute with co-host/producer Barbara Walters preceding her 2006 departure, Jones adds "Barbara set me up."
Jones also talks to Essence about “falling into a depression” after losing her self-titled Court TV show last year; and her divorce from Al Reynolds, which was finalized in September.
As for Reynolds' YouTube video in which he admits that he “still loves” Star, Jones responds: “I’m not in love with him.”
Jones, currently in negotiations to make a non-scripted TV comeback, has been photographed with rumored new flame Herb Wilson, an executive chef.
Choosing not to address the relationship directly, she tells the magazine:
“I want to fall in love again. I’m ready to love 24/7. I want happiness.”
JAMIE FOXX TO BECOME 'LAW ABIDING': Actor in final talks to join Gerard Butler in psychological thriller.
*Jamie Foxx is in final negotiations to join the Frank Darabont-directed film "Law Abiding Citizen," the Hollywood Reporter confirms.
The Oscar winner will star opposite Gerard Butler in the psychological thriller about a successful assistant D.A. (Butler) who finds himself at the center of a vigilante plot hatched by a traumatized victim of the legal system (Foxx).
Foxx's character is devastated to learn that, because of a plea bargain, one of his wife and daughter's murderers will be set free. So he unleashes revenge on the killers and those who made the deal.
The actor next stars opposite Robert Downey Jr. in "The Soloist," directed by Joe Wright ("Atonement").
OBAMA TO PAY AROUND $1 MIL PER NETWORK FOR TIME: Prices are lower than what it would cost average advertiser.
*The Barack Obama presidential campaign will pay NBC and CBS almost $1 million each for the campaign's half-hour ad buy in primetime on Oct. 29, according to documents obtained by the Hollywood Reporter.
The agreed-upon prices are much lower than what it would cost an average advertiser for a half-hour time buy. They are determined by the so-called "lowest unit cost" that is required under federal law.
The campaign's ad buyer, GMMB of Washington, D.C., first approached CBS as well as NBC, ABC and Fox for half-hour time buys on Thursday, Oct. 30, Sunday, Nov. 2 and Monday, Nov. 3 -- the latter just one day before the election.
But Sunday's ads had been deemed unworkable due to NFL football on NBC during primetime and possibly late-running games on both CBS and Fox. The Thursday and Sunday buys would have been more costly, with CBS quoting the campaign a lowest unit cost of $1.5 million for 8-8:30 p.m. and $1.8 million for 8:30-9 p.m.
On Sept. 25, a CBS internal communication suggested that the campaign wasn't interested "as of now" in the Thursday spot.
The Obama campaign declined to provide other details other than to say that it had bought time on CBS and was negotiating with other networks.
JAY-Z FORCED TO REDUCE APPEARANCE FEE?: London blog says tough economic times have hit rapper's club hustle overseas.
*A British blog is reporting that clubs in London have been turning down appearances from rap mogul Jay-Z because they can't afford his fee.
"Representatives for the star, in town to watch his NBA team, the New Jersey Nets take on Miami Heat at The O2 on Sunday night, initially wanted £25,000 for him to host a party," reports TheLondonPaper blog. "Even though that figure has now gone down to £7,500, no clubs are interested."
A club source told the blog: “No club is willing to stump up the cash. At this rate he might even have to party for free.”
PHILLY BOO-BIRDS ATTACK GOV. PALIN: GOP VP pick gets an earful from Flyers fans Saturday night at Wachovia Center.
*Philadelphia sports fans are known the world over for their booing, and GOP Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin got to experience it first hand at the Flyers hockey team's home opener Saturday night.
As the self-proclaimed "hockey mom" from Wasilla, Alaska took to the ice with daughters Piper, 7, and Willow, 14, for the ceremonial dropping of the puck, a round of boos from the Wachovia Center faithful appeared to drown out the applause. [Click here to view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7TgDanmWkg]
Here's how it was reported in various media outlets:
• Lynn Zinser's NYT hockey "Slapshot" blog: Palin was met with "resounding (almost deafening) boos from the Flyers crowd." • Fox Sports: "The crowd reacted with a mixture of cheers and boos at her appearance." • Associated Press: "The Alaska governor heard a few boos when she walked onto the ice Saturday night. But that soon turned to polite applause as she walked out to center ice." • Politic "The world's most famous 'Hockey Mom' was greeted, like most any politician likely would be at a Philly sporting event, with more boos than cheers."
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Fox also revealed: "The GOP Vice-Presidential nominee said at an earlier fundraiser that she would stop some of the booing from the rowdy Philadelphia fans by putting her seven year old daughter, Piper in a Flyers jersey. She said, 'How dare they boo Piper!'" Her plan failed.
Philly fans famously booed Donovan McNabb at the 1999 NFL Draft and even Destiny's Child during its halftime performance at a 2001 playoff game between the hometown 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Kelly Rowland wore a 76ers jersey and Beyonce wore a top that represented both teams. Michelle Williams balanced out the look by wearing a Lakers jersey, but the two lone background dancers were also in the Lakers purple and gold, which apparently turned off the crowd.
TIM MONTGOMERY SENTENCED FOR DEALING SMACK: Former sprinter to serve five years in prison.
*Former track-and-field star Tim Montgomery was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for dealing heroin to an informant while he was under federal surveillance.
"I was blind — I never had a job in my life," Montgomery explained to U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Friedman. "I did the wrong thing."
The one-time Olympic sprinter, 33, will serve the five-year sentence after he completes a 46-month prison term on an unrelated conviction in New York, reports the Associated Press.
Under an agreement with the government, he entered a guilty plea in July to possession and distribution of more than 100 grams of heroin and received the minimum term under federal sentencing guidelines.
In April, Montgomery was arrested on the heroin charge one month after he was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for his role in a New York-based check-kiting conspiracy.
Montgomery's heroin prosecution is based on four drug sales he made in 2007 and 2008 in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. A Drug Enforcement Agency informant made buys that were either electronically videotaped, tape-recorded or witnessed by agents, according to court records.
Montgomery's Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter relay at the 2000 Summer Games and silver in the same event four years earlier, as well as his world-record 9.78-second performance in the 100-meter dash, were all wiped from the books after he was linked to the investigation of BALCO, the West Coast lab at the center of the steroid scandal in sports. He also was banned from track for two years.
WOMAN STILL BELIEVES OBAMA IS AN 'ARAB': Gayle Quinnell says she has 'information from the library' to prove it.
*The 75-year-old woman in the red John McCain t-shirt who made headlines last week with her erroneous comment to the GOP candidate that Barack Obama is an "Arab" continues to believe that he is despite a "no ma'am" denial by McCain himself.
Gayle Quinnell, who said during the Lakewood, MN rally that she couldn't trust Obama because "he's an Arab," was bum-rushed by media outlets afterward and interviewed about her beliefs regarding Obama, the Democratic nominee. She told reporters that she still believes the senator from Illinois is an Arab terrorist.
"You can't trust Barack Hussein Obama because he is a Muslim and a terrorist," she told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The Web site Talking Points Memo has a video of Quinnell talking to an interviewer, stating that she has information "from the library" that reveals "lots of bad things" about Obama. However, she told the interviewer that she'd rather him call her later for the information instead of discussing it on camera.
WE REMEMBER REGGAE STAR ALTON ELLIS: Jamaica's Rocksteady king dies of cancer at 70.
*Jamaican reggae star Alton Ellis, known as the "Godfather of Rocksteady," died of cancer over the weekend in London, a hospital spokeswoman told the AFP Saturday. He was 70.
The singer-songwriter was diagnosed with multiple myeloma last year. He endured a round of chemotherapy and resumed his career before he collapsed during his final performance in central London in August. He passed away peacefully at Hammersmith Hospital, the spokeswoman said.
Ellis moved to Britain in the 1970s and went on to record a string of hits spanning more than 40 years, including "I'm Still In Love," "Dance Crasher" and "I'm Just A Guy."
The rocksteady style of reggae comes from a dance that was mentioned in the 60s Ellis song "Rock Steady." A successor to Jamaican ska, the rhythm is slower and more relaxed.
Jamaican reggae singer Delroy Williams, a friend and colleague of Ellis' since the 1960s, described his voice as "the sweetest in the reggae world."
"He was very humble," Williams said. "His music is the reason for a lot of babies -- that's how sweet and warm and loving it is. It's just a shame that he didn't get the big world hit that he deserved."
Ellis, who lived in the northwest London suburb of Northolt, is survived by his wife and more than 20 children. He was awarded the Order of Distinction medal by Jamaica in 1994. Jamaican authorities were considering the possibility of giving Ellis a state funeral.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Beasties' 'Vote' tour; Mariah's luggage; Robin Roberts' battle; Diddy's rotator cuff.
*The Beastie Boys are taking Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, Jack Johnson and Ben Harper on the road in the coming weeks for the Get Out and Vote tour. "This election is too important to stay at home," the rap trio said Friday, adding that they are endorsing Democratic candidate Barack Obama for president. An Oct. 28 show in Richmond, Va. will feature Crow, Jones, Johnson and Santogold, while Harper and Tenacious D will support in St.
Paul, Minn. Nov. 1; and David Crosby and Graham Nash will join the Beasties in Milwaukee on Nov. 2.
*The New York Post is reporting that Mariah Carey and new hubby Nick Cannon had so much luggage for their trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas that they had to take it off of their chartered Gulfstream and fly it separately via Southwest Airlines accompanied by two members of her entourage. Carey was in Vegas to host a party at The Bank nightclub at the Bellagio last week.
*In the current issue of People magazine, "Good Morning America" host Robin Roberts opens up about reaching an all-time low while undergoing chemo treatments for breast cancer. "I was in a really bad place," she tells the magazine. "I didn't want to fake it [on TV]." The 47-year-old decided to take off the last three weeks of the year to get more rest. She rebounded quickly after her year-end respite. "I think taking long walks really helped," she says. "And I circled January 10, the day of my last chemo treatment, on the calendar so I had a goal, an end in sight."
*Sean "Diddy" Combs had surgery earlier this month to repair his right rotator cuff, reports People. The mogul has been seen in recent paparazzi photos with his left arm in a blue sling sporting a Barack Obama pin.
*TMZ.com is reporting that a man was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport for an incident involving Melanie "Mel B" Brown, her husband Stephen Belafonte and a group of photographers. "At around 3 p.m., Mel, Stephen and their baby arrived at Heathrow and were greeted by a few photogs," the Web site reported. "As they were exiting, a random man approached them and started talking to Belafonte. We don't know what was said between the two, but the man suddenly went crazy, screaming things like 'I'll get a knife and stab you' at Stephen." The man eventually grabbed the photog's clothes and tried to punch him. Officers were called in and the man was arrested.
REP. JOHN LEWIS SAYS GOP ATTACKS STIR 'HATRED': Georgia congressman sparks reaction from McCain and Obama campaigns.
*Georgia congressman and Civil Rights leader John Lewis has accused the Republicans of "sowing the seeds of hatred and division," citing the increasingly volatile atmosphere at McCain-Palin rallies.
Lewis said the GOP has created a mood similar to the one fostered by George Wallace, a former segregationist governor and presidential candidate.
"As one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign," Lewis said in a statement. "Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.
"During another period, in the not too distant past, there was a governor of the state of Alabama named George Wallace who also became a presidential candidate. George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights. Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama.
"As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all. They are playing a very dangerous game that disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy. We can do better. The American people deserve better."
The McCain campaign reacted quickly to push back against Lewis' statement:
Congressman John Lewis' comments represent a character attack against Governor Sarah Palin and me that is shocking and beyond the pale. The notion that legitimate criticism of Senator Obama's record and positions could be compared to Governor George Wallace, his segregationist policies and the violence he provoked is unacceptable and has no place in this campaign. I am saddened that John Lewis, a man I've always admired, would make such a brazen and baseless attack on my character and the character of the thousands of hardworking Americans who come to our events to cheer for the kind of reform that will put America on the right track.
I call on Senator Obama to immediately and personally repudiate these outrageous and divisive comments that are so clearly designed to shut down debate 24 days before the election. Our country must return to the important debate about the path forward for America
The Obama campaign declined to compare McCain's campaign with that of Wallace's, but supported Lewis' warning against the "hateful rhetoric" being used at some McCain-Palin campaign rallies:
Senator Obama does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his segregationist policies. But John Lewis was right to condemn some of the hateful rhetoric that John McCain himself personally rebuked just last night, as well as the baseless and profoundly irresponsible charges from his own running mate that the Democratic nominee for President of the United States 'pals around with terrorists.' As Barack Obama has said himself, the last thing we need from either party is the kind of angry, divisive rhetoric that tears us apart at a time of crisis when we desperately need to come together. That is the kind of campaign Senator Obama will continue to run in the weeks ahead.
EUR FILM REVIEW:The Express
Rob Brown Stars as Late Gridiron Great in Bittersweet Bio-Pic Film Review by Kam Williams
*Ernie Davis (Rob Brown) had to overcome some very humble roots on his way to gridiron greatness, having been raised in rural Pennsylvania by his grandparents until the age of 12.
During those formative years, he forged a very close bond with the man he called Pops (Charles S. Dutton), a coal miner who instilled both a solid work ethic and a quiet sense of dignity in his impressionable young grandson.
Those character traits would prove to be priceless to Ernie in scaling the obstacles he would encounter just because he was born black in an age when intolerance and segregation were the order of the day.
By the time his widowed mother (Elizabeth Shivers) remarried and regained custody of her son, he had apparently already developed not only the steely resolve to be the best, but also the temperament to test the country’s color-coded discrimination wherever he encountered it.
Both his athletic prowess and his yearning for equality are the subject of The Express, a bittersweet bio-pic based on the best-selling biography of the same name by Robert C. Gallagher. The title comes from the nickname Ernie earned in high school in upstate New York, where he was dubbed “The Elmira Express” because of his considerable feats on the football field as a running back.
Following in the footsteps of the legendary Jim Brown (Darrin Dewitt Henson) to Syracuse University, he went on to eclipse his predecessor, leading their alma mater to a national championship while becoming the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s best football player. Though drafted by the Cleveland Browns, the glory was not to last, as Ernie would succumb to leukemia at the tender age of 23 without ever having a chance to play in the NFL.
Directed by Gary Fleder, The Express does an excellent job of chronicling each of the critical touchstones in the abbreviated life of a role model worthy of emulation, whether he’s being refused accommodations in the South at a “White Only” hotel or being threatened on account of his skin color by fans from an opponent’s school. Considerable credit must go to Rob Brown for his convincing depiction of the film’s ill-fated hero as an endearing combination of integrity, vulnerability and sheer guts. Equally-effective are stellar support performances turned in by Omar Benson Miller as his teammate/buddy, Jack Buckley, and by Dennis Quaid as Syracuse Coach Ben Schwartzwalder.
Another plus is the magical production’s recreation of the period via an appropriately retro musical score along with fitting backdrops, wardrobes, mannerisms and slanguage from the bygone era via painstaking attention to detail which only add to the picture’s palpable sense of realism. In sum, The Express amounts to a fine addition to the recent genre of socially-conscious sports flicks (ala Glory Road, The Great Debaters and Meet the Titans) which highlight individual triumphs not merely in and of themselves, but for the collective meaning of those historic moments to the masses of black people ever in search of civil rights.
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated PG for violence, mature themes, ethnic slurs and brief sensuality.
Running time: 129 minutes
Studi Universal Pictures
To see a trailer for The Express, visit:
http://www.theexpressmovie.com/site.html#/videos/1/1/
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want." — Ben Stein
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Oct. 13: Actress Actor Demond Wilson ("Sanford and Son") is 62. Model Beverly Johnson is 56. Actress T'Keyah Crystal Keymah ("That's So Raven") is 46. Actress Tisha Campbell-Martin is 40. Singer Ashanti is 28.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
A Touch of Classic Soul is your companion to the classic soul music of the early 1970s and the artists who created it (www.touchofclassicsoul.com).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Oct. 13, 1914: Garrett T Morgan patents the gas mask. (Source:
www.BlackFacts.com)