STEVIE, STREISAND AMONG INAUGURAL INVITEES: Plus, Jonas Bros and possibly Miley Cyrus to sing at Jan. 19 kids event at Verizon Center.
*Fox411 columnist Roger Freidman has been looking into the number of celebrities who have been formally invited to perform at one of the 10 official Inaugural balls.
Friedman wrote Monday:
Sources tell me that it was only this weekend that President-elect Barack Obama’s Inaugural committee started sending inquiries to potential musical guests. In the mix: Obama stalwarts Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, and Bruce Springsteen, I am told, were each asked to play at specific events around Washington on January 20th.
Believe it or not, the Jonas Brothers and possibly Miley Cyrus were also invited to play at a children’s party on January 19th at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
Meanwhile, Inauguration night should also see the Grateful Dead get back together for a major "official" party.
But plenty of Obama supporting musicians have not been invited to do anything yet, and the word is they’re not so happy. One star who hasn’t heard a word is Billy Joel, who performed a major fundraiser with Springsteen in New York last fall. So far, nada.
BARKLEY HIRES A LAWYER FOR DUI CASE: Attorney is a well-known for aggressively defending clients for drunken driving.
*TMZ.com is reporting that Charles Barkley hired a criminal defense attorney who specializes in drunken driving cases to handle his recent suspicion of DUI matter in Arizona.
"So far, Scott Maasen has already launched an independent investigation into the case and managed to get the basketball star to finally talk about it," the Web site reported.
A statement released from Maasen Monday read: "Mr. Barkley, who has no prior DUI convictions, believes wholeheartedly in the court system and is cooperating fully with the court's process. Mr. Barkley wishes to thank family, friends and his ardent fans for their tremendous outpouring of support during this difficult time."
The Basketball commentator and former NBA star was arrested Wednesday in Scottsdale, on suspicion of drunken driving. Barkley is set to appear in court on Jan. 20.
BIANCA/BLONSKY BRAWL CASE DROPPED: Assault charges dismissed for 'Top Model'
and 'Hairspray' stars, but Blonsky's dad not so lucky.
*Assault charges have been dropped for both "America's Next Top Model" veteran Bianca Golden and "Hairspray" star Nikki Blonsky stemming from an airport brawl last summer in Turks and Caicos, according to reports.
However, the actress' father Carl Blonsky will still face charges of grievous bodily harm.
The women, both 20, were arrested on July 29 at the Providenciales International Airport following a fight between their two families.
According to witness accounts, the actress had tried to save seats for her family by placing luggage there, leaving nowhere for Golden and her mom to sit.
Heated words escalated to fisticuffs and Golden's mom, Elaine, ended up being airlifted to a Miami hospital with head injuries. Blonsky had been charged with assault and actual bodily harm while Golden was accused of bodily harm. Both were cleared of the charges. Carl Blonsky, meanwhile, has pleaded not guilty to grievous bodily harm.
Since her "Top Model" season aired, Golden has signed with a New York and South African modeling agency, has appeared in Macy's ads, numerous magazines and as a New York fashion week model, including a finale show for "Project Runway."
OBAMA'S TWITTER ACCOUNT BREACHED: Hacker poses fake question and offers free gas.
*Someone hacked into President-elect Barack Obama's Twitter account and sent out false "tweets" offering $500 worth of free gas in exchange for filling out a questionnaire.
Twitter is a social networking service that allows users to keep in touch with people through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to the
question: What are you doing today?
More than 155,000 users follow Obama's updates and received the following questionnaire: "What is your opinion on Barack Obama? Take the survey and possibly win $500 in free gas."
The site, which allows users only 140 characters per post, addressed the hacking situation in the following statement: "A number of high-profile Twitter accounts were compromised this morning, and fake/spam updates were sent on their behalf. We have identified the cause and blocked it. We are working to restore compromised accounts."
View Obama's Twitter page here: http://twitter.com/BarackObama.
MARIAH GETS A MILLI FOR NEW YEAR'S GIG: Singer earns huge payday for working Khadafy's party on St. Bart's.
*Mariah Carey was reportedly paid about $1 million to sing "three or four songs" at a New Year's Eve Party thrown by Saif Khadafy, the son of Libyan strongman Moammar Khadafy.
According to the New York Daily News, the mini-concert was held at the Nikki Beach Club on the Caribbean island of St. Bart's.
"After counting down the seconds to midnight, Carey turned over the mike to Timbaland, who did some impromptu rapping with party guest Jay-Z, there with the lovely Beyonce," reported Page Six.
"I've never seen Jay and Beyoncé having such a good time," added a spy. "They were hugging and waving their arms. It was out of control."
Saif Khadafy, Moammar's second son, publically criticized his father's regime in 2006 and has been involved in Libya's compensation of victims of past acts of terrorism.
DMX'S ARIZONA HOME IN FORECLOSURE: Plus, property was hit multiple times by thieves following police raid in May.
*While awaiting sentencing on various animal cruelty, drug possession and theft charges, rapper DMX must now deal with news of his Arizona home going into foreclosure.
Adding insult to injury, the home has been a feeding frenzy for thieves who have targeted the vacant and unprotected property ever since a police raid in May left the doors and windows blown away, according to realtor Andrew Wheeler. Various items, including DMX's quad bikes, were stolen from the home.
"I think people showed up, walked into the house and took what they wanted." Wheeler tells AZFamily.com.
DMX paid $600,000 for the property in 2003, but a local bank has put it up for sale at the reduced price of $429,000.
Meanwhile, the Yonkers, NY rapper pleaded guilty to four charges of animal cruelty, drug possession and theft in three separate cases. He is due to be sentenced on Jan. 30.
BIDDERS AFRAID OF PURCHASING DEATH ROW: Potential buyers said to be worried about wrath of former CEO Suge Knight.
*Marion "Suge" Knight was forced to give up Death Row records when he declared bankruptcy in 2006, but prospective buyers of its catalogue are still afraid to come anywhere near the property because of its original ties to the former mogul.
According to the New York Daily News' Rush & Malloy column, the label's catalogue is scheduled to be auctioned on Jan. 15, but some potential bidders are said to be worried about crossing Knight.
Chapter 11 trustee Todd Nielsen told the column, "even though earlier catalogue deals fell through, the recent discovery of 'thousands' of tracks – including songs from Snoop Dogg and the late Tupac Shakur – should stir new interest."
Another source warns that "it could be a tough sale. Some people don't want to go near the catalogue because they think Suge still believes it's his."
Lydia Harris, who helped found Death Row, recalls Knight's anger when a judge awarded her a $107 million default settlement after she sued Knight.
At a Jan. 10, 2007, court hearing, she says, Knight told her, "You dead, bitch."
Harris reported the alleged threat to the judge, but Knight was not detained. Knight's rep, Melanie Bonvicino, says, "He has no recollection of that day."
TYLER PERRY SELLING HIS FAIRBURN, GA CRIB: Six-bedroom gated estate has asking price of nearly $3.7 million
*Tyler Perry's 17,000 sq ft. home in Fairburn, GA hit the market last week with an asking price of $3,695,000.
The gated estate at 9620 Cedar Grove Rd. sits on 11.4 acres and has an infinity-edge pool, tennis court and waterfalls. The property has 6 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, a 4,000 Sq Foot master bedroom and a grand salon.
It also has the distinction of being featured in Perry's first feature film, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."
According to the listing from Coldwell Banker, "Behind the stunning mahogany double doors you will find an unbelievable foyer with marble floors, two vast sitting areas, a floating mahogany staircase leading to an exquisite grand salon, all with dramatic ceilings over 20 feet high.
"The gourmet kitchen features a two story ceiling with a double sided fireplace. The spacious family room has dramatic French doors leading to the pool and terrace."
The master bedroom "features an enormous sitting area, his and her custom closet over looking the stunning master bathroom." There is also a theater room, study, and professional gym on the property.
While awaiting a buyer for the estate, Perry sent an e-mail to his fans Monday reminding them to watch the series premiere of "Meet the Browns"
on TBS tomorrow night after "House of Payne."
FOREST WHITAKER IN TALKS FOR 'EXPENDABLES': Film written and directed by Sylvester Stallone.
*Forest Whitaker is in negotiations to join the cast of the action film "The Expendables," the latest writing and directing project from Sylvester Stallone.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Whitaker would play the CIA liaison for a group of mercenaries (played by Stallone, Jet Li, Randy Couture and Jason Statham) who are clandestinely sent to South America to overthrow a dictator.
Stallone made his pursuit of Whitaker public back in November. In recent weeks, he has been scouting locations for a February shoot.
"Expendables" is the first project in Stallone's two-picture deal with Nu Image/Millennium. He last wrote and directed "Rambo," which mowed down $155 million in worldwide grosses.
Whitaker, meanwhile, appears next in "Hurricane Season" and "Repossession Mambo."
SHAQ STILL TRYING TO SELL MIAMI MANSION: Baller slashes price again in an effort to attract buyers.
*The New York Post is reporting that Shaquille O'Neal has, again, lowered the asking price of his Miami mansion, which has been on the market for nearly two years.
The NBA star, who was traded last year from the Miami Heat to the Phoenix Suns, has just relisted his Star Island estate in Miami Beach for
$25 million - $10 million less than its highest asking price back in Nov.
2007, when a prospective buyer backed out of a deal for it.
O'Neal bought the spread for $18.8 million in 2004, when South Florida – and the rest of the country – was in the midst of a housing boom.
DAMON DASH'S SON BEGINS DJ CAREER: "Boogie" debuts skills at NY nightclub on New Year's Eve.
*Damon Dash's 16-year-old son Damon "Boogie" Dash Jr. spent his New Year's Eve behind the ones and twos at a New York City nightclub in his first major gig as a deejay.
According to the New York Post, Boogie worked the turntables at The
Plumm with his proud papa looking on.
"After spraying revelers with champagne, Boogie told some of the partiers that he just finished an album with his new group the Heir$, titled, 'Heir$ to the Throne,'" reported Page Six. "He then accepted a weekly gig at the 14th Street club."
As previously reported, Boogie has been caught in the middle of an ongoing custody battle between his mother and father for several years now.
In September, the teen's mom, Linda Williams, was ordered to return Boogie to Dash after she had allegedly kidnapped him.
B.B. KING STILL TOURING: Blues icon adds more dates in 2009 – stretching trek through mid-April.
*At age 83, bluesman B.B. King continues to tour relentlessly around the country, and has just extended his 2009 trek into next spring, according to Live Daily.
His current tour launched in September and now stretches across 30 shows through mid-April.
He opened the New Year last week with a Jan. 2 performance in Santa Ynez, CA. During the month of February, he'll co-headline concerts with fellow blues-rock legend Buddy Guy.
Here is B.B. King's extended tour schedule:
February 2009
5 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
6 - Orlando, FL - UCF Arena
7 - West Palm Beach, FL - Kravis Center for the Performing Arts 10 - Hilton Head Island, SC - Shoreline Ballroom
12 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
14 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Theatre
15 - Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace Theatre
16 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
18 - Providence, RI - Providence Performing Arts Center 20 - Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall
21 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
22 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
24 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
March 2009
25 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
27 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
28 - Rochester, NY - Rochester Auditorium Theatre
29 - Baltimore, MD - Lyric Opera House
31 - Easton, PA - State Theatre Center for the Arts
April 2009
1, 2 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
9 - Kearney, NE - First Tier Events Center 10 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater
11 - Casper, WY - Casper Events Center
14 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kingsbury Hall
16 - Oakland, CA - Fox Oakland Theater
QVC GOES OBAMA CRAZY: Shopping channel to air live from Creative Coalition's inaugural ball on Jan. 20.
*QVC will offer an assortment of Obama items this month in special broadcasts to be taped in Washington D.C. in honor of President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.
According to the Associated Press, the retail network has already sold more than 100,000 items related to Obama's election, and will this month bring along plenty of coins, stamps, jewelry and even a small handbag to sell, among other trinkets.
Execs at the network see the inauguration as an opportunity to reach far beyond the group of people regularly interested in political collectibles.
"Frankly, if we were not at the inauguration, we would feel like we were not doing our job," said Doug Rose, vice president of multichannel programming for the retail giant, which is available in 94 million American homes and had sales totaling $7.4 billion in 2007.
QVC will show portions of the parade and conduct interviews with spectators, then air live on the night of Jan. 20 from the Creative Coalition's inaugural ball.
"We're trying to give the audience a flavor of what the event is like, from the event," Rose said. "We will try to give them a sense of the electricity in the air."
Several products are set to debut within the next few weeks. A gold presidential pocket watch with Obama's image will sell for $90. A coin and stamp set commemorating Martin Luther King Day and Obama's inauguration is $20. And QVC will also sell a portfolio of newspaper front pages from inauguration day.
QVC's competitor, the Home Shopping Network, isn't going to Washington, but it will telecast eight one-hour specials the weekend before the inauguration selling medallions, porcelain plates, pocket watches and other Obama collectibles. HSN offered an Obama coin set the weekend after the election, with $3 million in sales over a few hours, spokesman Brad Bohnert said.
Meanwhile, ShopNBC is offering Obama coin sets and throw blankets.
The New York Times Store offers framed photographs, a framed copy of the front page announcing Obama's election victory and an Obama jigsaw puzzle.
NBC is also selling a DVD compilation of Obama speech highlights and NBC News coverage of the campaign.
LEONA LEWIS TO WRITE AUTOBIOGRAPHY: 'X Factor' winner signs deal with publishing house for book due in October.
*Leona Lewis, the 2006 winner of British talent TV show "The X Factor," will detail her road from Pizza Hut waitress to international superstar in a new autobiography with publishing house Hodder & Stoughton, reports Reuters.
The book will include more than 100 new photographs and is scheduled to hit shelves in October, shortly before the scheduled release of Lewis'
second album, the publisher said on Monday.
"The last two years have been an unbelievable experience for me," the 23-year-old Londoner told Reuters. In 2006, she topped charts around the world with her debut album "Spirit."
Hodder & Stoughton, which kept quiet about the deal's price tag, said photographs for the autobiography would be taken by Dean Freeman, who also worked on the publisher's collaboration with soccer star David Beckham.
"This will be the first time Leona tells her story of how the X-Factor launched her from waitressing in Pizza Hut in Hackney to stardom on both sides of the Atlantic," said Hodder editor Fenella Bates. "It is a real-life fairytale and every girl's dream."
SLAIN PAKISTAN LEADER'S DAUGHTER PENS RAP: Bakhtawar Bhutto writes hip hop song about mother's assassination.
*The elder daughter of Pakistan's assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has written a rap song to express anguish over her mother's death.
"My mother was murdered. I don't even comprehend. Was it worth dying for? I'm walking through screened doors," Bakhtawar, 18, says in "I Would Take the Pain Away."
"No comfort or ease. I'm begging you please God bless the deceased,"
she continues.
Information Minister Sherry Rehman, Bhutto's longtime aide, said Bakhtawar wrote the lyrics and music herself. An accompanying five-minute video of clips and photographs of Benazir Bhutto has been broadcast on the state-run Pakistani television and posted on YouTube. [Scroll down to watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RxgiLARd5I]
"It's a tribute of a grieving daughter to her iconic and loving mother," Rehman told Reuters on Monday.
A student at Britain's Edinburgh University, Bakhtawar always viewed music as a hobby and had no plan to pursue it as a career, Rehman said.
Bhutto, 54, was murdered in a suicide gun-and-bomb attack in the city of Rawalpindi in December 2007. The then government, led by former president Pervez Musharraf, blamed the attack on Islamist militants.
Bhutto's widower and Bakhtawar's father, Asif Ali Zardari, become president in September.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Lap dances for NY Jets; Oprah's First Dog choice; Bassett gives Disney World advice; Obama's ears; Chicago welcomes back Woods.
*The New York Daily News is reporting that porn star Heather Hunter gave sympathy lap dances to members of the New York Jets football team at Noel Ashman's club the Plumm following the team's loss to Miami. Marques Murrell, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Sione Pouha were among the recipients of Hunter's services.
*Oprah Winfrey may be launching a new "best life" initiative this week, but she's not too busy to keep abreast of the Obama family's dog search. Gossip blogger Janet Charlton says the talk show host "would love to see the Obamas get a cocker spaniel, but she knows the breed might aggravate Barack's oldest daughter Malia's allergies. So now she she's now pushing for a Bichon Frise, which is recommended by the AKC for allergy sufferers."
*Angela Bassett offers Disney World vacation tips at the second consecutive Walt Disney World Moms Panel, an interactive online forum consisting of 16 parents who have proven their Disney knowledge and ability to field vacation-planning questions from park visitors. Bassett, whose twins will turn 3 later this month, joins 15 moms and one dad in giving free, tried and true advice for planning a Walt Disney World vacation at http://www.disneyworldmoms.com/.
*In her new book “Men Are Stupid . . . and They Like Big Boobs,”
comic Joan Rivers offers advice about her favorite pastime, getting plastic surgery. When asked of President-elect Barack Obama's appearance, she said, "I think he should have pinned the ears back years ago. They really annoy me. He represents my country now — pin back the ears!"
*On Monday, Carol Woods returned to her role of Matron "Mama" Morton in the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre. Woods succeeds LaVon Fisher-Wilson in the role and joins a cast that features Melora Hardin as Roxie Hart, Brenda Braxton as Velma Kelly, Tom Hewitt as Billy Flynn, Scott Davidson as Amos Hart and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine.
MUSIC BITS: Usher and Tameka at the club; Rihanna and Chris in Goochland; Busta and 50 to plug liquor.
*Usher and his wife Tameka went clubbing for the first time since the birth of their second son, Naviyd Ely, on Dec. 10, reports the New York Daily News. "Celebrating at Fix in Vegas, the singer presented his bride with a tiered cake resembling a stack of Louis Vuitton luggage. Their party moved on to the Bank at the Bellagio, where Tameka's presence didn't stop girls from besieging the Grammy winner. He gave back the love by jumping into the deejay booth and singing 'Bad Girls' and 'Yeah.'"
*Rihanna reportedly spent the holidays with her boyfriend Chris Brown at his family home in Goochland, Virginia. According to WENN, she took some of her own family along for the trip, and a series of personal photographs from the holiday have surfaced on the Internet. Meanwhile, engagement rumors surround the couple again after Rihanna was seen with a huge diamond ring on her wedding finger while performing with Brown at Elton John's New Year's Eve party at London's O2 Arena.
*Violator Management signed a deal with Connecticut-based Drinks Americas for clients Busta Rhymes and 50 Cent to market new liquor brands Leyrat Cognac and Sparkling Vodka, respectively, in the coming months. The new partnership follows a Feb. 2008, deal with producer Dr. Dre to develop and market a series of premium alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
EUR FILM REVIEW: Doubt
Streep and Hoffman Square-Off in Screen Adaptation of Modern Parable
Film Review by Kam Williams
*There has been an explosion of lawsuits filed against the Catholic Church in recent years by parishioners claiming to have been molested and left traumatized by pedophile priests during childhood.
Tragically, the Church apparently served as a safe haven for these sickos who had preyed upon the innocent kids entrusted in their care.
Virtually all the cases were settled, with the victims walking with for millions of dollars, even though they might remain emotionally-scarred for the rest of their lives.
If you're wondering how a supposedly holy man might fool his congregations while secretly using a boy as his personal sex toy, check out Doubt, directed by John Patrick Shanley, who has also adapted his Tony-winning play to the screen.
The film stars a couple of consummate actors in Oscar-winners Merry Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who square-off as suspicious Sister Aloysius and the guilty-of-something Father Flynn, respectively. The story is set at a parish in the Bronx in 1964, where Aloysius is the steely principal of a school which has just admitted its first black student, an 8th grader named Donald (Joseph Foster).
Her alarm bells go off when his teacher, Sister James (Amy Adams), hints that Flynn has taken a special interest in the lonely lad and even went so far as to summon the kid from class for a private meeting in the rectory. The two nuns confront the priest who, in turn, takes offense at the suggestion that his intentions toward the needy newcomer could possibly be anything other than honorable.
But the unconvinced Aloysius remains ever-vigilant, and the rest of the picture is devoted to her repeated frustrations at being unable to catch the pair in flagrante delicto. Worse, she gets no help from Donald's mother (Viola Davis), who's just happy as a clam to have a father figure come into her son's life.
As unseemly as such a development sounds, it rings true given the way the Church was conveniently cloaked in secrecy back in those days when words like gay or sexual abuse still had to be whispered in polite company. Thus, it would have been easy for Flynn to hide his kinky transgressions, if any.
As the title implies, Doubt isn't particularly concerned about clearing up the mystery. Rather, it would prefer to have you scratching your head as you walk up the aisle. Without ever seeing the priest actually crossing a line, we're left to draw our own conclusions as to whether he belongs behind bars or if Sister Aloysius is simply being overzealous.
Call me crazy for expecting a more tidy resolution of this ultimately unsatisfying parable, in spite of a taut plotline and several inspired performances. Is that it?
Very Good (3 stars)
Rated PG-13 for mature themes.
Running time: 104 minutes
Studi Miramax Films
To see a trailer for Doubt, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpa37qaOp80
EUR DVD REVIEW: Ping Pong Playa
Cross-Cultural Comedy about Aspiring Asian-American Hoop Star Comes to DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*C-Dub (Jimmy Tsai) has dropped out of school to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA.
So, the teen fritters away his future playing ball in the park, instead of concentrating on getting a good education. He's even quit his job at the mall because he sees menial work as beneath him.
The slacker's story would probably be unremarkable, if he were just another kid trying to make it out of the ghetto based on his basketball skills alone.
But C-Dub's happens to be a Chinese-American, and he isn't from the slums but an upscale L.A. suburb.
Consequently, his frustrated parents can't comprehend how one of their sons could become a doctor (Roger Fan) while the other would be an irresponsible, Peter Pan with a basketball Jones.
For C-Dub is a trash-talking wannabe, who walks, talks and dresses like a hip-hop gangsta, even when he's away from the court.
The question to be answered is whether he will ever mature and bring honor instead of disgrace upon his embarrassed relatives.
This is the prevailing theme of Ping Pong Playa, an engaging cross-cultural comedy which milks most of its humor by taking a lighthearted look at what it's like to be raised Asian in the United States. For the picture's protagonist is as much running away from the pressure to overachieve academically as he is attracted to the more mellow alternatives he perceives in the African-American community.
The plot thickens when C-Dub finds himself falling for Jennifer (Smith Cho), a beautiful a Ph.D. student he'll have to clean up his act to impress. At this juncture, Ping Pong Playa morphs into a transparent romance flick featuring a refreshingly appealing parade of well-developed, Asian-American characters who make the movie enjoyable by turning an array of common cinematic stereotypes on their heads.
Very Good (3 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity, sexual dialogue and drug references.
In English and Cantonese with subtitles.
Running time: 96 minutes
Studi Image Entertainment
DVD Extras: Audio commentary with director Jessica Yu and co-star Jimmy Tsai, two featurettes, a theatrical trailer and more.
To see a trailer of Ping Pong Playa, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjHr25hhEpg
STEVEN IVORY: We Need a Bailout of the Spirit
*The good news is that the Bailout will make a difference.
The Federal government's response to America's limping economy will slowly begin to ease some of the pain and hysteria. It's a recession -- we knew that before they told us. We've survived recessions. At some point in the next couple of years, the infusion of vast sums of cash and the restructuring of our troubled financial system could even give us the elusive feeling that Happy Days Are Here Again, or at least on the horizon.
However--and this is the real news--there are elements of our current situation that money will not remedy. America's hurting, alright--we're ethically, emotionally and spiritually bankrupt. And in one way or another, most of us can take a bit of the blame.
Our continued degradation of personal values, our redefining the word "real" for our convenience and our shameless slacking on what is right extends beyond our individual minds and bodies, beyond the walls of where we live and work. What is acceptable in our personal lives not only becomes what we accept in the world; how we feel about ourselves finds a way to shape the world in which we live.
To believe wrongheaded actions as individuals don't ultimately contribute to America's ill condition is to tell yourself the gas guzzler you drive doesn't do its part to deplete the ozone. Or that your default on a credit card a few years back didn't in some way add to what is happening on Wall Street.
All of us as individuals make up the collective spirit of this country. Bulletin: America's soul has a gaping hole in it.
The fact is, for a long time we haven't cared about anything else but getting ours. It is our lack of interest, our selfishness and ego-driven delusion that created a country where millions are homeless, where hardworking people can't afford adequate health care, where for eight years the Bush administration was allowed to do what it wanted; a country where kids run the parents and the schools.
The America we've created is where fast food is considered nutritious, where a grade-A huckster like Kanye West is referred to as a “musical genius,” where plastic surgery is the norm, where people captivated by reality TV hang onto every nonsensical move of celebrities and where Iraq was billed as an immediate threat to national security.
None of this could exist without us either creating it, accepting it or exuding the indifference that allows it to be.
So now the chickens have come home to roost. Only, characteristic of our ever morphing perversion, the chickens have returned as Godzilla, crushing everything in his path.
Billions of dollars can't save a society where a security guard can be trampled to death by a stampede of rabid Long Island, New York Walmart Christmas shoppers. Likewise, the life lesson for wealthy investors bilked of billions in an uptown pyramid scheme would seem to be more than, If it seems too good to be true....
In the end, the recession has nothing to do with money and everything to do with who we have become as people. We have seen the enemy, and he is us. Forget Wall Street, Main Street, the Side Street and the Dead End Street--our entire nation is collapsing under the staggering weight of our dysfunction as individuals and as a culture.
Even as the bottom has fallen out of an already empty box, many of us either cannot grasp or simply refuse to face the truth. We balk at the taxpayer having to bail out businesses and institutions, as if our systematic, generational reckless behavior had absolutely nothing to do with creating it. That same thinking spanks the CEOs of America's big three auto makers for flying around in private jets, when their real problem is manufacturing shitty cars.
Despite all of this, there is hope.
The H word isn't entirely synonymous with President-elect Barack Obama, though his win more than suggests the times they are a changin.' However, Obama, albeit mighty impressive, is but one skinny man.
No, the change we truly need is within each of us.
Obama himself said as much during and after his campaign. While discussing how America would deliver itself from the mire, he uttered that magnificent, durable phrase, "Personal responsibility."
No one person, no amount of money or Congress-hatched master plan can alter America's wayward ways but the people of America. Instead of waiting for the economic bailout to take hold, we must take hold of our selves. As individuals, we have to find a way to revitalize the goodness within. What needs to be fixed is different for all of us, but working on ourselves has to be the mission.
The idea that doing the right thing in our own lives -- telling the truth, being good to yourself, embracing reality at all its sharp edges -- can change the face of the country sounds awfully quixotic, unless you consider this is exactly what the nation did when it elected Obama. A vote that began as an individual choice, at the polls became an unstoppable force.
Prolific songwriter/producer Curtis Mayfield said it best during the late '60s Impressions hit, "A Choice of Colors:" "People must prove to the people a better day is coming." Ain't that the truth.
We got ourselves into this. Summoning a new spirit of morality and integrity will get us out.
Steven Ivory's book, FOOL IN LOVE (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster) is in stores now or at Amazon.com (www.Amazon.com) Respond to him via STEVRIVORY@AOL.COM.
THE BRIDGE: What the World Needs Now
By Darryl James
*The first time I heard the phrase “Kinder, gentler nation” was in the 1980’s.
It was a Republican slogan and I knew even then that it was mostly bullcrap.
I knew it was propaganda designed to hide the greedy, selfish warmongers who wanted the world to believe that they were going to make things better.
But from Reagan to Bush I and Bush II-it was all lies and bullcrap.
Yet, once I became a father, I began to give the phrase new meaning. I began to become a kinder, gentler person with the love I gave and received from my son. Indignant morons can still get a verbal beatdown, but mostly I avoid confrontations where possible.
And I hold dearest the fond memories from when life itself was all about love and beauty
The days of my very own childhood.
It was cold in Chicago when I was a child, and since my fortitude against the elements had yet to develop, it seemed even colder then.
I remember playing outside in the wintertime until my feet and hands were numb and frozen. Running in the house, my mother was always there to rub them until they got warm and to make me feel better.
And she always had a hug ready.
My mother's hugs could make a bitter, cold day seem warm and turn any frown upside down. Her powerful hugs provided comfort for all things wrong and simply made the world make sense.
When she died, there was no hug strong enough to comfort me. For years, I felt empty inside, and even when my heart finally began to heal, there remained a place that couldn't be reached.
Some years later, I found myself in my house alone and sick. My girlfriend was out of town and trying to play "Macho Man," I neglected to call on friends or family. In the middle of the night I awakened, and in my illness-induced stupor, I began to search for my mother to comfort me.
Once my mind cleared and I realized that it was years after my mother’s death, my eyes filled with tears. Then, my mind flooded with all the goodness of a son’s memories of his mother. The warmth of those memories surrounded me and held me like a hug.
That hug felt real to me. And it became real, along with its healing properties. The place that previously couldn't be reached was touched and filled by the goodness of my memories.
That hug was powerful, helping me in the healing process and fortifying me to be more receptive to the power of hugs.
After my last breakup, I was also carrying the burden of professional turmoil. My heart was broken and my life was in disarray. I knew instinctively that I had to be in Chicago where there was an abundance of loved ones to help me shoulder my burden.
Being around my friends and family gave me comfort, but when I held one of my best friend's daughters, I literally felt the ache and the pain and the stress and the strain melt away.
Sydney Paige was two at the time, and the sweetest little bundle of joy from heaven. She fell asleep in my arms with her little head on my shoulder and her heart on my chest. The warmth of my goddaughter, along with the rhythm of her heartbeat and breathing, made my heavy load light and made me smile deeply.
That was a powerful hug.
That was also a powerful lesson.
I hugged her mother, and I hugged her father. I hugged my sisters and I hugged my brothers. I hugged everyone I knew and when I was leaving, I hugged the airline attendant because she gave me an extra pillow.
I began to once again cherish every hug and relish in the power of something so simple, yet so amazing.
I began to realize the power I had to impact lives.
When friends or family are down, I know that whatever else they may need, a hug will do the most good and Dr. Darryl has plenty of them.
Call me sappy if you want to, but that just means that you probably need a hug your damned self.
The beauty of hugging is that every time you give one, you receive one in return. I give the comfort of hugs because I find comfort in the hugs I receive.
Sometimes, I find that comfort in my mother’s daughters. And sometimes I find it in my cousins or the wives of my best friends. I've found that the hug of a mother is deeper and stronger than most hugs, but that all hugs are powerful.
And so I hug my son. And I hug his mother.
I hug my brothers. I hug my friends. And, thank God I am a part of the lovingness group of people on the planet--Blacks, with all of their unresolved pain and unattended issues, still greet friends with a shake and a hug, exchanging power, which grows exponentially.
They tell you to do it in church and sometimes, you comply. But, today, you don't need to be in church--at least not in the building. While standing and living in the universal church of the world--earth--which is God's house for real, give somebody a hug.
Believe in the power of the universal gift that keeps on giving.
Dammit, it's better than chicken soup.
The song says that what the world needs now is love sweet love and it’s true.
And love begins with and is sustained by hugs.
Darryl James is an award-winning author of the powerful new anthology “Notes From The Edge.” He released his first mini-movie, “Crack,” and will soon release his first full-length documentary. View previous installments of this column at www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.
THE JOURNAL OF STEFFANIE RIVERS: Surviving the Audition
*I stood in line for three and a half hours last Saturday for a two-minute audition for the “Survivor” reality TV show. Two thousand other people stood in line with me, which is why it took so long.
Although most people focused on their videotaped auditions to pitch themselves, some people forgot their actions and physical appearance – the same as any job interview - are just as important.
If you’re physically unable to support your own body weight by standing…up...on the way into the audition chances are you aren’t “Survivor” material. At least a dozen people brought portable lounge chairs and proceeded to plop down in their chairs every time the line moved five feet.
If you can’t go thirty minutes without smoking a cigarette chances are you won’t make it through the first day of a “Survivor” physical fitness test. Just like at the office, some people took smoke breaks every fifteen minutes. The courteous smokers stepped out of line to congregate a few yards away. Some not so courteous smokers lit up right there in line and blew smoke all over everybody.
If you can’t go three and a half hours without eating a full course meal chances are you will die of starvation on the set of “Survivor.” Some people abandoned their place in line or had family members bring them combo meals because they couldn’t stand to be without food.
If you can’t get a baby sitter for three and a half hours I doubt you will be able to break away to Brazil for the competition. You might think this one is debatable, but if you wouldn’t take your screaming young’ins to a job interview then don’t take them to an audition.
And just like a job interview, your appearance should be appropriate for the position.
Some women looked as if they were auditioning for “America’s Top Model” instead of “Survivor.” Others might have been better suited for “The Biggest Loser.”
If I was one of the show producers I would’ve volunteered to walk through the line taking note of these and other disqualifications. It would have sped up the audition process and would make a producer’s job a lot easier.
It was Pri-America founder A. L. Williams who said you can beat 90 percent of the competition by showing up, working hard and having ethics. The other ten percent are the real competitors. Looking at the competition last weekend in Terrell, Texas made me ever more optimistic about my chances of making it to the next round.
Steffanie Rivers is a free-lance journalist living in the Dallas, Texas metroplex. See the broadcast version of her column at youtub.com/steffanierivers. To schedule speaking engagements or to send questions or comments email her at teamtcbadvertising@hotmail.com
PEOPLE OF NOTE: 'Lost Maiden' Puts the Spotlight on a Dangerous Tradition
By Deardra Shuler
*Chisom Ozigboh-lee is a special person who can be counted among the brave individuals who are willing to stand up and say enough to certain outdated mores and traditions. Although Ozigboh-lee has met some opposition concerning her position she understands its time to stand against an age old tradition that is literally causing the death of many African women. This ancient ritual apparently spread from the Nile and its tributaries into adjacent regions such as Palestine. It spread through migration routes into Northwest Africa, and across the Sahara and Sahel regions into the West African savanna. The practice has been conducted along the Red Sea Coast into the Horn of Africa and parts of East Africa, Central Africa and regions within Southern Africa. This is a practice that was known at one time to certain indigenous Andean and Australian ethnic, religious, and cultural groups and among Bedouin groups in Israel and surrounding areas. The practice was also known in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia as well. Many cultures viewed it as a rite of passage into adulthood. Thus, it should be understood, female circumcision has been and continues to be a well entrenched cultural lifestyle that has existed for centuries.
As an African woman and registered nurse, Chisom has seen the death, pain, physical damage and psychological depression resulting from female circumcision. Ozigboh-lee, who wrote, produced and stars in the movie “Lost Maiden,” hopes to educate people how certain traditions harm those who are victims of cultural practices. In an effort to bring to light how women are literally scarred and maimed by the practice of female circumcision, Chisom spent a year researching this ancient rite of passage and now bravely speaks out against it. A Nollywood actress as well as medical person, Ozigboh-lee was aided by fellow nurses in researching the devastating effects genital mutilation has on women who undergo these methods without proper medical care. The practice has been observed to cause painful menstruation, devastating scarring, dangerous urinary tract infections, unrestricted bleeding, and gangrene (which in some cases can result in death).
“No one really knows the origin of this tradition. It’s such an old cultural custom that people merely practice it without knowing how the custom began. There are even some women who honor it as tradition, submitting their daughters to the practice because while its widely supported by men, its taught to both genders that its taboo for women to feel sexual pleasure,” stated the concerned filmmaker who explained how a woman’s clitoris is removed, leaving a literal hole which is sewn up until the woman marries. Through her film, Chisom hopes to spotlight the custom and prove how damaging it is to women. Co-starring with her in “Lost Maiden” are Nollywood stars Omotola Ojolade and Kalu Ikeagwu. The film is expected to have a universal impact and could possibly become an important tool in ending a dangerous tradition that is no longer viable in today’s world.
It is important to mention that while the Western mind condemns female circumcision and views it as an abomination, it must be noted that female circumcision is a social practice that has been part of the African fabric as far back as 5000 B.C. Therefore, while Western society condemns the practice as genital mutilation, it is not viewed as such within the cultures that practice it. Westerners should consider the rich, complex, and diversified nature of African civilization in its patriarchal and matrifocal dimensions, thus not lose sight of Africa’s strengths as well as its weaknesses. African polytheists (including the Ancient Egyptians) as well as African Muslims, Christians and Jews, have often practiced female and male circumcision in their rites of passage, honoring the transition from puberty to adulthood. Some cultures see circumcision of both males and females not only as a rite of passage but also as a marital requirement or badge of courage, with even some parents believing they are protecting their daughters from potential rapists. Therefore, it must be emphasized that these practices are not done as an act of cruelty in the minds of those performing these rituals.
“As more and more information is made available, several African countries have begun to discourage female genital surgery by providing information demonstrating the disadvantages of circumcising women, such as high infant mortality, and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Oftentimes, women do not receive the same quality of healthcare as men and literally succumb as a result of the practice,” remarked Chisom. “However, as people are educated about the harmful effects of allowing midwives, etc., to perform improper surgery on the delicate region of the vagina, emphasizing how unsafe and unsanitary these methods are, people have begun to slowly eradicate the practice,” said Chisom who hopes to speed the process along with the release of her film.
Chisom has also become an outspoken voice and advocate for HIV/AIDS education. Recently, she participated in the African American Women in Cinema International Film Festival in partnership with Save Africa Concerts Foundation (SACAIDS) at the United Nation where Patience Ozokwo’s (a.k.a. Mama G) premiered her movie, ”Deeper Than Sex.” While Chisom is determined to make 2009 the year to eradicate female circumcision, both Nollywood stars have lent their voices to support SACAIDS in its fight against HIV/AIDS, poverty, and other health related issues. Through SACAIDS and her recent movie,” Chisom informs individuals performing these circumcisions that use of primitive tools such as unsanitary knives, razor blades and sharp rocks only serve to spread the HIV/AIDS virus. Hollywood actress Phyllis Yvonne Stickney is also an outspoken spokesperson for the SACAIDS organization headed by Hardy Jimbes.
Chisom’s film “Lost Maiden,” may prove to be one of the most necessary, vital and important films of 2009. The film is slated to premiere in New York City and at the United Nations in February 2009, at a date to be announced.
For additional information about Chisom Ozigboh-lee and her film “Lost Maiden,” contact Tuff Gig Entertainment via info@tufgig.com.
VERONICA'S VIEW: Proposition 8: The Saga Continues
Veronica Hendrix
*Pre-proposition 8: I wrote a piece called “I’ve got the wedding blues” It was a light-hearted look, provided there is such a thing, at the number of gay and lesbians couples enlisting to say “I do” after the California State Supreme Court ruled that the 2000 voter initiative banning gay marriage was unconstitutional. And while I may have lamented about having the wedding bells blues because heterosexuals seem to be commitment phobic, I was hopeful that the enthusiasm ignited by the gay and lesbian community might inspire the rest of us to get back to the altar and back to commitment. Wishful thinking, I know.
Post-proposition 8: My light-heartedness is supplanted with distress at the reaction Prop 8 opponents displayed when votes overturned the California State Supreme Court decision which allowed gays to be legally married, thus not allowing their unions to become more than domestic partnerships.
When opponents of the initiative did their Monday morning quarterback analysis of what went wrong, they looked to the polls. African Americans voted to eliminate the right of same sex couples to marry from margins varying from 50% to 70% depending on what poll you read. And the anger and hate speech directed at African Americans – as if we were the deciding factor that rendered the proposition’s blow – was mean and misdirected anger. Particularly since African Americans only comprised about 10% of the votes that were cast on election Tuesday.
Many African Americans took vehement exception to framing the struggle of the gay and lesbian community within the context of the civil rights moment. It was a nexus many African Americans could not relate to. As an African American I do understand why attempts to make this parallel was not acceptable because in their eyes the civil rights movement was based on the social and economic subjugation and elimination of a group of people based on the color of their skin. It was and remains something they could not camouflage to prevent discriminatory practices from being exacted against them. Unlike gays and lesbians, African Americans wear their race and are always visually identified.
In all honesty, I never thought the proposition would go down in defeat. In fact many people seemed confused about voting “yes” to something they opposed. Its victory was not a landslide like the presidential race. But this was a historic election year and it brought out record numbers of folks to the polls with an enlivened sense of civic engagement and responsibility. So folks showed up and actually took time to understand and process the many initiatives on the ballot.
Prop 8 won by a slim 4.4% margin. Keep in mind that the California State Supreme Court’s decision wasn’t overturned simply because of the African American vote. It was the majority of California voters that said they were not willing or ready to relinquish the superior status of heterosexual relationships to same-sex couples because of closely held societal mores; religious, traditional and cultural beliefs.
In hind sight, the California State Supreme Court probably had it right overturning the first voter approved initiative banning gay marriage. I am sure this statement doesn’t tickle a lot of ears, particularly those of the religious community and those who believe in upholding tenets of traditional marriage.
We have seen the United States Supreme Court render some tough decisions in the face of staunch religious and moral opposition as in the case of Brown vs. the Board of Education and Roe vs. Wade, to mention two transformational cases. And clearly, the court’s decisions were not based on the prevailing majority opinion, moral tenets, religious beliefs or sentiment of the day, but on upholding the basic rights of an individual guaranteed under the constitution.
We will soon witness the California State Supreme Court grapple with an issue that could reframe the discussion about gay marriage not just in California, but across the nation. Legal challenges to Proposition 8 have been filed. In March the court will hear those challenges as it tries to decide if the second voter approved initiative on the same issue will be overturned again and they will also decide the fate of an estimated 18,000 same-sex marriages.
No matter what happens, it will be precedent setting. And you know what they say, “So goes California, so go the nation and the world.” The world is indeed watching. (If you have comments about Veronica’s View, email them to vsview@yahoo.com.)###
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
“Let us follow our destiny, ebb and flow. Whatever may happen, we master fortune by accepting it. ” - by Virgil
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Jan. 6: Singer Kathy Sledge of Sister Sledge is 50. Singer Eric Williams of BLACKstreet is 49. Director John Singleton is 41.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Afromine.com was founded for those interested in collectible original drawings, fine art and spiritual poetry (www.afromine.com).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Jan. 6, 1820: The first organized emigration to Africa begins when 86 free African Americans leave New York Harbor aboard the Mayflower of Liberia. They are bound for the British colony of Sierra Leone. (Source:
www.BlackFacts.com)