JACKIE MASON CALLS OBAMA 'A SCHWARTZA': Comic says term is Yiddish for 'black person,' others say it’s the equivalent of the N-word.
*During a performance at Feinstein's at Loews Regency in NYC Friday night, Jewish comedian Jackie Mason used the term "schwartza" to describe President Barack Obama.
Depending on who you ask, the term is either a literal Yiddish translation of the word "black," or it's a racial epithet that is equivalent to the N-word in the Yiddish culture.
According to TMZ, at least one person walked out of Mason's show, telling the Web site "He's more offensive to the Jews than Madoff tonight."
Mason, however, is defending his use of the term. He told TMZ by phone, "I'm not going to defend myself. Chris Rock has told a lot more jokes about whites than I have against blacks. What about the demeaning words blacks say about Jews?"
Mason added, "If it's a racist society, the white people are the ones being persecuted because they have to defend themselves." Mason called people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson "professional racists."
The comic said, "I'm an old Jew. I was raised in a Jewish family where 'schwartza' was used. It's not a demeaning word and I'm not going to defend myself."
And there was this parting shot: "I'm more talented than Oprah Winfrey and look at how much she makes. I can't even make a living."
Mason has recorded a series of YouTube "vlogs" that have attacked Obama as a presidential candidate, the Democratic party nominee and the U.S.
president. In the videos, he has called him a liar and a fraud, and accused him of playing the race card. [Scroll down to view one of the vlogs.]
Jackie Mason '08 Vlog 24 "Obama's Fraud":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ5c6hxqXq4
VIDEO OF 'TOP MODEL' RIOT IN NY: Raw feed shows crowd surges, police takedowns and overall chaos at Manhattan audition.
*This is not what Tyra Banks had in mind when she launched her competition series "America's Next Top Model."
As previously reported, a New York casting call for the show's 13th cycle, held Saturday at Manhattan's Park Central Hotel, turned into a mini-riot that left six people injured and three arrested – two women and one man – on charges of disorderly conduct and inciting to riot.
The New York Daily News posted video of the melee from a camera positioned in a building far above the street. [Scroll down to watch.] The footage showed hundreds of hopefuls caught in a stampede that was sparked in part by a fight that had broken out among some of the bystanders, and a smoke-spewing BMW that resembled a car bomb.
This spring's audition tour is the first in show history where models
5-foot-7 and shorter are invited to try out, which contributed to the NYC event's unusually high turnout. The would-be contestants had been waiting on line for hours when a broken-down BMW that had stalled nearby began emitting smoke, causing folks on line to assume it was a bomb that had exploded.
"The girls were running like it was 9/11 part two," 27-year-old Jennifer Brown of, Brooklyn told the Daily News. "I feared for my life."
"Everyone got thrown everywhere," New Jersey Model hopeful Annina Manttari told The New York Times. "People were getting run over."
Two people were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, while four others refused treatment. Police were forced to shut down the casting call. Future tryouts are scheduled in Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Not-So 'Model' Behavior At NYC Audition for 'ANTM':
http://www.nydailynews.com/video/?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipI
d=3548256
BEBE WINANS RELEASED ON BOND: Gospel singer says domestic assault allegations are 'inconsistent with my character.'
*Gospel great BeBe Winans was released from Nashville's Davidson County jail Thursday after posting $1,000 bond in his domestic assault case involving ex-wife, Debra Winans.
According to the arrest warrant filed Wednesday, Benjamin "BeBe"
Winans, 46, went to pick up his children from Debra's Nashville home on Feb.
13. An argument about the kids ensued in the driveway, and Mrs. Winans told authorities that he pushed her to the ground.
Winans, a judge on BET's television show "Sunday Best," was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault. He released a statement saying "the allegations are inconsistent with my character."
The former couple divorced six years ago following 16 years of marriage. They have two children - a 13-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son.
Winans has recorded gospel albums with his sister CeCe and as part of the family act The Winans. He has won four Grammy awards.
MO'NIQUE ENDS SYNDICATED RADIO SHOW: Comedian calls it quits to focus more on film and television.
*MoNique's syndicated radio show will end its run on Wednesday (March 18) after just eight months on the air.
Radio Online is reporting that the comedienne has chosen to shut down "The Mo'Nique Show" in order to "further her career in television, film and comedy." However, the Web site RadioSyndication Talk says the show was cancelled by distributor Syndication One.
"Details are still coming in but the handwriting was on the wall when after a much heralded debut on KDAY Los Angeles, the show was removed after just four months due to a format shift," the Web site reported Saturday.
"The same scenario happened in Philadelphia in January, leaving the show with less than seven affiliates."
"The Mo'Nique Show" had aired in five of the top ten markets including Los Angeles and Houston.
"I would like to thank my fabulous board of directors for their daily inspiration and feedback and Radio One for the opportunity to further my entertainment brand through radio," Mo'Nique said in a statement.
MONTEL WILLIAMS JOINS AIR AMERICA: TV personality to host new flagship talk show on left-leaning radio network.
*Former TV talk show host Montel Williams has signed on to man a new flagship program for Air America, the struggling radio network co-launched in 2004 by comedian and would-be U.S. Senator Al Franken as a voice for the political left.
Under his multi-year agreement, Williams will debut the new program, "Montel Across America," on April 6, and the show will air weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon Eastern time on affiliate stations nationwide, the network announced Thursday.
The 52-year-old TV veteran and former U.S. Marine and Navy officer joins an on-air lineup that includes MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, columnist Arianna Huffington, Robert Kennedy Jr., and Ron Reagan, the liberal son of conservative Republican icon and late former President Ronald Reagan.
Williams will occupy the three-hour radio slot preceding the one formerly filled by Franken, the "Saturday Night Live" veteran who helped launch Air America as a liberal answer to the predominantly conservative talk radio circuit led by Rush Limbaugh.
A Baltimore native, Williams previously hosted his own syndicated TV show, "The Montel Williams Show," for 17 years, until 2008. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999.
Air America, which has struggled under a succession of management changes and financial woes since its inception, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2006. An investment group led by New York real estate mogul Stephen Green bought it for about $4.25 million the following year, and the new owners are working to rebuild the enterprise.
The network produces about 17 original hours of program daily and is heard on about 60 affiliate stations across the country, reaching just over
1 million listeners weekly. It also is carried by Sirius XM Satellite Radio and is streamed over the Internet at www.airamerica.com.
THICKE LOOKING FORWARD TO TOUR WITH J.HUD: Singer believes road work will be 'cathartic' for Hudson.
*R&B crooner Robin Thicke said he jumped at the chance to join Jennifer Hudson on the road for a co-headlining six-week tour that begins March 31 in Albany, N.Y.
Thicke predicts the tour will be "very cathartic" for Hudson – who suffered the loss of her mother, brother and nephew during a murder spree in October.
"I think it's going to be the perfect thing for her to do, to get out there and get outside her head and feel the love she's been getting," Thicke told E! News. "She's a special lady."
The singers first teamed up on "Giving Myself," a track from her self-titled debut album.
"Luckily, her voice is ready to go at all times," said Thicke. "She showed up, I had this great little song in the spirit of Whitney Houston, and she sat down next to me and I started singing it for her, and she loved it right off the bat. We got her behind the microphone and she Jennifer Hudson-ed it."
Thicke says there's a good chance he and Hudson will perform together during the tour. "Normally, by the time I leave the stage, I like to leave the stage," he said. "But I don't know. I might come back and play piano and sing backup."
MANDISA 75 LBS LIGHTER AND MORE FOCUSED: Singer uses personal trainer to compliment new self-assured sound.
*Former "American Idol" contestant Mandisa, whose audition was pockmarked with crude jokes about her weight from judge Simon Cowell, sports a slimmed down physique and a more confident tone for her upcoming album "Freedom."
"I've come into my own," she tells Billboard.com. "This album is more personal. I've identified my style and I'm not working with as many producers, which I think brought more focus to this album."
The new album's emancipation theme stems from Mandisa's past relationship with food. "I really believe food is a substance addiction like alcohol and drugs," says the singer, who has shed 75 pounds since last August. "I would turn to food in order to fill a void and I would turn to it for comfort."
Due March 24 on Sparrow Records, "Freedom" follows the success of her record-setting first album, 2007's "True Beauty, which marked the first time a debut set by a female solo artist opened at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart. The new album's first single, "My Deliverer," is currently No. 18 on the Christian Adult Contemporary chart.
As for her physical transformation, she credits God and her personal trainer. "I couldn't tell everybody else that God could set them free and still deal with the same issues that had been plaguing me my entire life,"
she says. "The Lord was saying, 'OK, you are going to be an example of how I can set somebody free.'"
Mandisa's introduction to the world came during auditions for "Idol's" 5th season. When Cowell first saw her, he quipped are we "going to have a bigger stage this year?" Later, when Paula Abdul commented that Mandisa had a "Frenchie" growl to her voice, Cowell responded that a more apt comparison would be to France itself.
When Mandisa presented herself to the judges prior to the final cut-down to the season's 24 semi-finalists, she told Cowell: "What I want to say to you is that, yes, you hurt me and I cried and it was painful, it really was. But I want you to know that I've forgiven you and that you don't need someone to apologize in order to forgive somebody. I figure that if Jesus could die so that all of my wrongs could be forgiven, I can certainly extend that same grace to you."
Cowell told Mandisa that he was "humbled" and apologized to her immediately. She went on to become the ninth-place finalist in 2006.
RADIOHEAD BLOGS ABOUT KANYE DISS: Frontman Thom Yorke mocks offending rapper and Miley Cyrus with Grammy snub.
*Radiohead front man Thom Yorke has responded to anger expressed by Kanye West and Miley Cyrus after he turned down requests from both artists to meet him backstage at the Grammy Awards last month.
During the taping for his episode of VH1's Storytellers, West said he was "hurt" when York snubbed him at the Grammys because he idolizes the band. "When he performed at the Grammys, I sat the f**k down," the rapper told his audience.
Cyrus, also a Radiohead fanatic, told a radio interviewer that the band refused to meet her at the Grammys after she begged her manager to set up an introduction.
"I'm like, these are the people I really want to meet," she said.
"I'd freak out. They're my rock gods. These are the only people that I would cry over…My manager asked and said, 'Miley's really obsessed. And they were like, 'We don't really do that.'"
"I left 'cause I was so upset," she continued. "I wasn't going to watch. Stinkin' Radiohead! I'm gonna ruin them, I'm going to tell everyone."
In a statement posted on their blog, the three-time Grammy winning quintet said "When Miley grows up, she'll learn not to have such a sense of entitlement."
Referring to both Cyrus and West, the band concluded, "Wish us all a safe journey if you still like us and you're not one of those people I have
managed to offend by doing nothing."
COLUMBUS SHORT JOINS BUNCH OF 'LOSERS': Film based on comic book about black ops commandos out for revenge.
*Columbus Short has joined the DC-Vertigo comic book adaptation "The Losers" at Warner Bros. Pictures reports Blackfilm.
Directed by Sylvain White, the story follows a Special Forces team who was betrayed by their CIA handler Max in the 90s and left for dead following the conclusion of their operation. Eager for revenge and the opportunity to remove their names from a secret CIA death list, the Losers regroup and conduct covert operations against the CIA, uncovering startling operations spearheaded by the enigmatic Max, whose influence within the CIA and U.S. Government is unparalleled.
Short will play the role of Pooch, a 'Losers' pilot identifiable in the Vertigo comic book series by his shaved head and laid-back appearance.
The character has been known to pilot any ground, air or sea vehicle with ease. Despite his involvement with the CIA and Special Forces, he is also married with children.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan, best known as the character Denny on TV's "Grey's Anatomy," will portray team leader Clay.
The Losers ran for 32 issues from August 2003 to March 2006. The idea was loosely based on the original 1970 Losers for DC Comics, a group of World War II soldiers. The update is set against events surrounding and including the War on Terror.
PUBLIC ENEMY SET FOR 'ROOTS PICNIC': Group to perform 'Nation of Millions'
in its entirety at second annual Philly event.
*Public Enemy will perform their classic 1988 album "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" in its entirety at The Roots' second annual hometown "Roots Picnic" on June 6 at Festival Pier in Philadelphia.
Chuck D, Flavor Flav and company will be backed by The Roots and Brooklyn-based Afrobeat band Antibalas for their performance.
The "Roots Picnic" runs from 2 p.m. - 11 p.m. The Roots will also play two sets, opening and closing the festivities.
The Pipes featuring Zoe Kravitz and Busdriver are also set to play on the main stage, with DJs Cash Money and Jazzy Jeff spinning sets in between the bands. Other acts on the bill include TV On The Radio, the Black Keys, Santigold Writtenhouse, Back to Basics, Making Time, Busdriver, Kid Cudi and Asher Roth.
Tickets are $49.50 in advance, $50 on the day of the concert. For more information, click here: http://www.rootspicnic.com/.
Meanwhile, Public Enemy will play live with The Roots on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" tonight.
NICOLE RICHIE CUTS BENNY MEDINA: Former manager had remained her 'consultant' after shutting down his company.
*Nicole Richie is said to be completely done with her former manager Benny Medina.
According to the New York Post, Richie kept Medina associate Michael Baum as her manager and still retained Medina as a "consultant" after he shut down his Handprint Entertainment in January. But sources tell Page Six that Richie, fed up with his meddling, let Medina go.
Medina, who still works with Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, told the Post of Richie, "I closed a deal on a clothing line for her but I'm a pay-for-play consultant. A gun for hire. If something comes across my desk, I'll call, but I'm not holding purses anymore."
DONTE STALLWORTH ACCIDENT KILLS PEDESTRIAN: NFL player hits man with Bentley in Miami.
*NFL Star Donte Stallworth was questioned and released by Miami Beach police Saturday after the car he was driving hit and killed a male
pedestrian on the MacArthur Causeway.
Stallworth was not charged in the crash and cooperated fully with investigators, reports the Miami Herald.
The 28-year-old Cleveland Browns receiver was heading eastbound in his black Bentley about 7:17 a.m. when he plowed into 59-year-old Mario Reyes near the stop light at Terminal Island, according to police.
Sanchez would not say what may have led to the crash. Officers drew blood from Stallworth at the scene, a routine procedure following a traffic fatality, according to Detective Juan Sanchez. The results could take at least three days, he said.
Reyes, a crane operator with shipping company Bernuth Agencies, located just feet from where the crash occurred, had clocked out only seven minutes before he was struck by Stallworth's Bentley. The crash flung Reyes about a dozen feet, said co-worker Renier Calana.
'We had all finished working all night, and when the time came for him to leave, he grabbed his stuff and headed to the bus stop out front,'
said Calana, who worked with Reyes unloading the cargo containers from the Port of Miami. "We could hear the impact. We all ran out, and he was lying there unconscious in the middle. The police and ambulance came. He was alive when they took him, they tried to revive him but it didn't work.'
Sanchez said Reyes was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.
'DWTS' CURSE HITS KIM, GRIER IN POCKETS: Uncle Sam wants to tango with both contestants over delinquent taxes.
*Lil Kim and David Alan Grier could very well have cha-cha-cha'd and waltzed their way into the next round on tonight's "Dancing with the Stars"
results show, but the celebs can not dance out of their obligations to Uncle Sam.
According to The Detroit News, Lil Kim owes $979,090 in delinquent federal taxes, as well as state taxes in New York, California and New Jersey. Comedian Grier, according to public records, owes $49,931 in late state taxes.
Grier's camp said they are investigating California's tax lien against the entertainer, which was filed on Dec. 11, 2007. "The amounts in dispute now appear to be less than $40k and Mr. Grier is meeting all of his obligations in connection with same," the comedian's manager, Jordan Tilzer wrote in an e-mail to the Detroit News late Tuesday.
Lil Kim's rep, Lisa Perkins, said the 34-year-old "is paying her tax debt and will continue to do so."
Lil Kim's tax drama broken down:
• The state of New York filed a $12,599 tax warrant on April 26, 2008, in the New York County Clerk's office.
• The IRS filed a $50,464 lien on Sept. 5, 2007, in the Bergen (N.J.) County Clerk's office.
• The IRS filed a $67,509 lien on May 14, 2007, in Bergen County.
• The state of California filed a $4,089 lien on Sept. 16, 2005, in Sacramento County Court.
• The IRS filed a $232,348 lien on Aug. 16, 2005, in New Jersey.
• The state of New Jersey filed a $51,471 lien on Aug. 11, 2005, in New Jersey State Superior Court.
• The state of New Jersey filed a $77,939 lien on Dec. 9, 2004, in New Jersey Superior Court.
• The IRS filed a $482,671 lien on Feb. 19, 2004, in New Jersey.
DONALD FAISON HAS RUN-IN WITH 'THE LAW': Actor joins Ced the Entertainer as reserve LAPD officer in ABC pilot.
*"Scrubs" star Donald Faison has joined Cedric the Entertainer in ABC's comedy pilot "The Law," according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The ABC Studios/DreamWorks project revolves around reserve LAPD officers, two of them played by Cedric and Faison, who balance their full-time off-duty lives with the excitement of being weekend cops
Faison is currently starring in his eighth and possibly final season of "Scrubs," a sitcom that started on NBC before moving in January to ABC.
The one-hour finale of "Scrubs," titled "My Finale," will air on May
6 with many guest stars making return appearances.
COURTNEY B. VANCE BOOKS FILM AND TV PROJECTS: Actor joins Harrison Ford in medical drama; currently shooting sci-fi pilot for ABC.
*Courtney B. Vance has been added to the cast of CBS Films' medical drama "Crowley," joining Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser in the true story of John and Aileen Crowley, whose two children had a rare genetic disorder.
Vance will play a father whose daughter has the same genetic disease as the children of Fraser's character, John Crowley. Ford, who will also executive produce the film, plays a researcher who comes up with a potential cure for the disease.
Robert Nelson Jacobs penned the screenplay, inspired by a Wall Street Journal article and subsequent book "The Cure" by Geeta Anand.
"This is a story that has universal, relatable themes -- particularly the lengths parents would go to protect their kids," said CBS Films CEO Amy Baer. The studio is fast-tracking the project and is eyeing a start date as soon as possible.
Vance, the husband of actress Angela Bassett, will next be seen in "Hurricane Season" alongside Forest Whitaker and is currently shooting the ensemble pilot "Flash Forward" for ABC and director David Goyer.
The sci-fi effort is based on Robert J. Sawyer's novel where everyone in the world blacks out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds and has a collective vision, which changes the lives of everyone on the planet.
Televisionaryblog.com's Jace saw a script of the pilot episode and wrote this on Dec. 10: "First, about 40 million or so poor souls don't survive the global event; airplanes fall from the sky, cars collide, people fall down stairs, drown, etc. as they lose consciousness during whatever they're doing at that moment. Second, the effect isn't so much a blackout but a 'Lost'-appropriate flash forward in time as each of the survivors experiences a snippet from their own future during that time loss. And not just any moment, but a very specific moment five months from then: 8 p.m. on April 20th, 2010.
"Why do each of them witness that specific moment? That's one of the script's central mysteries, along with what caused the worldwide blackout, whether it was a natural event like an earthquake or whether it was a man-made, terrorist-style attack, and whether the future can be altered."
Read more here:
http://www.televisionaryblog.com/2008/12/televisionary-exclusive-first-look-
at.html
WNBA'S CANDACE PARKER TALKS MOTHERHOOD: Sparks forward says pregnancy was a 'surprise,' but 'everything happens for a reason.'
*Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker admits that her current pregnancy at age 22 was not exactly planned, but believes the occurrence was already part of her larger fate.
“I was surprised,” the baller says in a cover story for the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine. “But everything happens for a reason.”
The baby, due in May, will be the first for Candace and her husband Shelden Williams, a forward with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The couple got married in November.
Proclaiming that she’s “not worried” about impending motherhood, Candace notes that she has nieces and nephews who have helped prepare her for what lies ahead. “Of course, Shel and I joke that we can’t send this one home,” she adds. The couple never wavered on how they would handle the pregnancy, however.
Says Candace, “I knew my decision. I knew people would have positive and negative reactions to it. But I’ve been a people-pleaser my whole life.
I needed to get over that.”
Still, there are contracts to uphold and endorsements to keep. To that end, Candace says she intends to return to the court as little as two months after her due date. She’ll try to avoid a C-section at all costs while trying to prove her detractors wrong.
“I’m stubborn,” she says. “I’ve been through knee, ankle, shoulder injuries…I feed off of doubt, people telling me I won’t be able to come back. We’ll see about that.”
INDIA.ARIE TO LAUNCH SPRING TOUR: Singer to plug 'Testimony 2' through West Coast swing.
*India.Arie begins the first leg of her 2009 Soulbird Tour next month in support of her fourth studio album, "Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics,"
which hit stores last month.
The singer kicks off the outing April 1 in Berkeley, CA, and will hit seven cities in the Western U.S. and Canada next month; other destinations on the brief road trip include Seattle (4/4), Vancouver (4/5) and Los Angeles (4/15). Details are included below.
"Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics" debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart and guest performers Musiq Soulchild, MC Lyte and Turkish singer/songwriter Sezan Aksu, among others. Singles so far have included "Chocolate High," released last November, and December's "Therapy."
A third single, "Yellow," featuring singer Terrell Carter, is due to hit radio stations next month.
India.Arie's tour schedule is as follows:
April 2009
1 - Berkeley, CA - Zellerbach Auditorium
3 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
4 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
5 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
15 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia
18 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
19 - Anaheim, CA - The Grove
COOLIO CANCELS SHOWS FOLLOWING ARREST: Rapper had four shows booked in Australia before crack possession charges.
*Coolio has nixed a series of gigs in Australia due to his March 6th arrest at Los Angeles International Airport on drug charges.
The old school rapper, who recently starred in UK's "Celebrity Big Brother," was arrested at the airport after a screener found crack cocaine in his possession, resulting in a scuffle between the rapper and security.
The 45-year-old was charged with felony drug possession and one count of misdemeanor possession of a smoking device. If convicted, he faces three years in jail. Coolio is due in court on April 3.
He was scheduled to perform in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and The Gulf Coast.
MC HAMMER SUED OVER UNFINISHED BOOK: Publisher says rapper needs to return advance money.
*MC Hammer was sued by publishing house Simon & Schuster earlier this month over claims that he never finished an inspirational book for which he received advance money to write.
The company's March 5 lawsuit seeks return of the $61,000 advance given to Hammer for the book "Enemies of the Father: Messages from the Heart on Being a Family Man."
Hammer's 2002 contract with Simon & Schuster called for the book to be released the following year, but according to the one-page lawsuit, Hammer – born Stanley Kirk Burrell – never turned in the manuscript.
Meanwhile, the 46-year-old rapper will star in a new A&E reality series titled "Hammertime," which will focus on his career and family life.
LIL MAMA WOULD WORK WITH CHRIS BROWN AGAIN: Rapper surprised more at media response to Rihanna attack than actual incident.
*In a sit down with MTV, rapper Lil Mama says she would work with Chris Brown again in a heartbeat, despite allegations that he roughed up his girlfriend Rihanna.
"I would definitely record a song or work with Chris Brown at this very moment, I would. That's me," says the MC, who teamed with Brown on "Shawty Get Loose."
She added that she still "respects [him] as an artist and I do not know what he's done in his personal life. I've heard allegations. I've seen pictures that might be false, that might be true.
"I have not heard from Rihanna," she continued. "I see her in the media, taking pictures, going to events and living her life as she does
normally, so I'm still confused. I don't know what's going on."
The rap artist and judge on MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" said she is most confounded by the way people arre commenting on the incident before details have been officially confirmed.
"[I was] very surprised because there were allegations of Chris Brown and Rihanna having a fight and everyone just went crazy — the media, his fans, her fans. I mean, everybody just lost their minds," she said. "Nobody knows what happens still to this day, but everybody's talking. I don't understand that."
Lil Mama did have a message for the pair. "I wish them both the best of luck. I wish them both all of the success in the world, which they deserve," she said. "As far as the way I feel about it, it's very confusing."
ITTY BITTY BITS: Rihanna's nights out; MiJac's Tohme; Kanye's Vuitton shoes; 'Resident Evil 5' racist?; historic black comic book auctioned.
*Rihanna hung out with good friend Brandy Friday night (March 13) in New York, and the two reportedly met up later with Jay-Z and Beyonce for dinner, according to TMZ. She told paparazzi that she was doing "good"
amidst allegations that she was beaten by her boyfriend Chris Brown. As previously reported, People.com retracted a story in which producer Polow Da Don claimed he recorded a "sweet and sentimental" duet with the couple.
Brown is charged with felony counts of assault and making criminal threats in connection with the beating and is due back in court on April 6.
*Fox411 columnist Roger Friedman unravels the mystery behind Michael Jackson's new manager, known only as Tohme. He wrote in Friday's blog:
"Yesterday, after many efforts, I finally pinned the 59-year-old Tohme down.
A little. He conceded that he is not a licensed physician. 'Not at this time,' he said. He refused, after repeated attempts, to say what kind of doctor he might have been at any time. His associates declined as well. Read full story here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509076,00.html#2. In other MiJac news, he is reportedly pulling will.i.am and Ne-Yo back into the studio to help him record new songs ahead of his 50-date residency at London's O2 arena this summer and fall (and now winter 2010). Britain's News of the World reports that the King of Pop is hoping the producers can make a killer tune for release this summer. Kanye West has also reportedly submitted a track for Jackson's approval.
*Photos and prices of Kanye West's shoe line with Louis Vuitton have surfaced at the Web site NiceKicks.com. The Kanye West x Louis Vuitton men’s collection consists of three models, the Louis Vuitton Don’s (most likely named after Ye, but also could be a nod to Don C, his manager), Jasper’s (named after Kanye’s barber), and the Mr. Hudson’s (named after an artist on his GOOD Music label). View photos and prices here:
http://www.nicekicks.com/2009/03/kanye-west-for-louis-vuitton-prices/
*Is it racist for white people to shoot black zombies? Capcom's new release "Resident Evil 5," from producer Jun Takeuchi, broaches that question. The latest entry in the series follows Chris Redfield, the hero of the first game, as he tracks the cause of a deadly virus plaguing villages in West Africa. Critics contended that the imagery of a white man shooting black Africans evoked troubling memories of the age of Western colonialism.
Click here for entire article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123672060500987853.html
*The comic book billed as the first ever created by African Americans for a black audience — sold for $10,600 in New York on Friday night, according to ComicConnect, which conducted the Internet auction. The buyer of "All-Negro Comics No. 1" was Dr. Joseph Shaffer of St. Paul, Minn., a white dermatologist who specializes in skin cancer and who says he has about 600 comic books, including "Miss Fury," a 1940s-era strip that was the first drawn by a woman. "All-Negro Comics No. 1" was produced in 1947 by Philadelphia black journalist Orrin Evans.
NAACP, MARLINS AGREE TO BOOST BLACK-OWNED BIZ: Historic agreement in connection with proposed ballpark in Miami-Dade County.
*The Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced a historic agreement with the Florida Marlins on Friday.
NBC 6 reports that it's s a first-of-its-kind deal that will guarantee contracts for black-owned businesses during the construction and subsequent operation of the proposed $515 million state-of-the-art ballpark in Miami-Dade County.
The purpose of this Community Compact and Agreement, agreed to in principal on March 2, is to promote racial diversity in the construction and everyday business activity of the Marlins in the new ballpark.
The team will commit 15 percent of its portion of the construction costs to black-owned businesses in South Florida. The team will also seek to award 15 percent of the operating contracts to African-American businesses.
Additionally, the Marlins reaffirm their commitment to assist with the educational programs both for adults and youth in the community and work with community-based organizations and grassroots organizations to provide assistance to them.
"This is a great day for black business, not only in Miami, but nationwide," said Bill Diggs, president and CEO of the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce. "It shows the strength of collaboration between the NAACP as an advocacy group and the chamber of commerce as an effective economic development organization. This agreement creates a standard for partnerships and how they should work in the black community across the country."
EUR DVD REVIEW: Happy-Go-Lucky
Sally Hawkins' Tour-de-Force Released on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*Happy-Go-Lucky was easily the best British comedy of 2008, thanks primarily to Sally Hawkins' scene-stealing performance.
She dominates this delightful sitcom from beginning to end as Pauline "Poppy" Cross, a scatterbrained, primary school teacher with an infectious optimism which serves to endear her with almost everyone she encounters.
The person who most notably manages to resist her disarming charms is Scott (Eddie Marsan), the controlling, driving instructor she starts taking lessons with after her bike is stolen.
Much of the movie's mirth is milked from the simmering tension between the two during their sessions as they meander around London cooped up together in his tiny, company car.
For he's a no-nonsense taskmaster who likes to do everything by the book, while the 30 year-old bachelorette is too freewheeling to allow her bubbly personality be stifled by an intimidating disciplinarian. Otherwise, it is obvious that friends, family, students, colleagues and even strangers tend to feel blessed by her upbeat energy.
Whether she's helping a homeless man, lifting the spirits of her pregnant sister, disciplining a disruptive pupil showing or simply hanging out in a pub with the girls, Poppy's positivity permeates the atmosphere. So, it's no surprise when men take an interest in the pretty Pollyanna, especially Tim (Samuel Roukin), a sensitive social worker whose romantic overtures she entertains. The plot thickens when overbearing, ornery Scott notices her dating, belatedly begins to appreciate Poppy and suddenly experiences pangs
of jealousy.
Which guy will she choose? Sorry, no hints here. Suffice to say getting there is as much fun as the amusing resolution. Directed by Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky represents a departure in tone for the six-time Oscar-nominee, whose name is generally closely linked with such sobering, class-conscious offerings as Secrets & Lies and Vera Drake.
Magically, Leigh proves equally evocative here handling relatively-lighthearted fare, spinning a whimsical, if thought-provoking tale with the help of the irrepressible Poppy, a most memorable character who might best be appraised as England's answer to Amelie.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for profanity.
Running time: 118 minutes
Studi Miramax Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Audio commentary by director Mike Leigh, plus a couple of featurettes.
To see a trailer for Happy-Go-Lucky, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P97wbtckTEY
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"Knowing that you have complete control of your thinking you will recognize the power…" — Mikhail Strabo
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
March 16: Actor Clifton Powell ("Ray," "Norbit") is 53. Rapper Flavor
Flav is 50.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Afro Sugar is an "overdue tribute to the diverse collective beauty of
women of African decent." Visit it here www.AfroSugar.com
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Mar. 16, 1827: First black newspaper, Freedom's Journal, published in New York City. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)