Lee Bailey's EUR/Electronic Urban Report
February 25, 2004 (Wednesday)
The EUR is factual online infotainment on today's hottest
celebrities, events and issues in urban/black entertainment
and culture.
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In This Issue:
* SOUL STIRRING SITCOM COMES TO AN END
* 'JANET ... YOU'RE FIRED' SAYS LENA HORNE
* ACTIVIST NAJEE ALI CHARGED WITH HIT-AND-RUN
* HARRY HERALDS CHILD REGISTRATION IN AFRICA
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SOUL STIRRING SHOW COMES TO AN END
"Everything will eventually come to an end/so try to savor
your moments/cause time flies don't it?" --Nas
*In our opinion Soul Food should go down
in history as one of the most American television
programs of all time. Directed by Salim Akil and
LeVar Burton, among many others, it is the only
dramatic series to deal with issues that affect
African Americans in an even handed and
compassionate manner.
Spawned from a film produced by Edmonds
Entertainment, "Soul Food" became a highly
successful series on Showtime. While we have
no way of knowing this for sure, "Soul Food" may
be the most popular program featuring a predominately
African American cast since "The Cosby Show"
ruled the airwaves.
While this season will be the last for the
Showtime hit, actresses Vanessa Williams
and Malinda Williams sat with us for a spell and
told us of their times on the set, how they're dealing
with its cancellation and what they have coming
down the line.
"For the actors and the viewership it's unfortunate
that it has to end," said Vanessa. "But it has been
four years and five seasons. The cast was ready
to spread its wings into other directions. We now
have to give a tearful goodbye to our crew, but not
necessarily to each other because we're all so
attached. It was a great experience that we've
all shared."
Malinda feels almost exactly the same way
about "Soul Food('s)" demise as Vanessa.
"I have two feelings. My initial feeling was
sadness. You know, I'm working on a show
where I absolutely enjoy working with everybody
and it was a wonderful piece. But again, everything
comes to an end and it is time to move on. I'm
excited about what's to come as well."
We've all come to love the cast as a whole,
and have come to relate to certain characters
on their merits, too. Malinda tells us that
we might as well prepare to be surprised
at the entire family, especially her
character, Bird.
"What people are gonna see is that the family
is going to go through a bit of turmoil as individuals
and as a family," said Malinda. "I think that what
the writers have tried to do is cause a little chaos
and bring us together and make the bottomline
the fact that family is going to be there for you.
My character, as if she hasn't already been
through enough, is going to go through even
more. She's going to be doing things where even
I'm like 'Well, I don't understand why she's doing
this.' It's really gonna take you on a rollercoaster
ride. The sisters are gonna be fighting a lot this
coming season as well. They get pretty nasty,
which is crazy because you've never seen
the sisters get that nasty with each other."
To hear Malinda tell it, this season will
see things take a very dramatic downward
turn. So, we wondered, why was the drama
given the ax now of all times?
"Me, Malinda and the others are not the
ones to ask about that," Vanessa advised. "It
appears to have been an executive decision. The
message that we seem to have been getting is that,
while it was a great ride and very successful, it was
challenging getting a syndication deal. Our syndication
is an in-house thing under the Viacom umbrella on BET,
which would not give us the highest syndication deal
that we could have garnered. But, we were always
told from the beginning that even though we were
doing well we were still a hard sale. It's really
a miracle that we've lasted this long."
While miracles wow and dazzle us, when
the miracles end we're all left wanting more.
For Vanessa, the writing was on the wall
early on.
"We wanted to move to Los Angeles to make
the show and one of the reasons we were shooting
in Toronto is because it was cheaper to do it there.
We were always getting the message 'We're losing
money making the show.' Whether or not that's true
somebody was doing well. I know for sure that there
were people who got Showtime only to watch our
show. Someone was profiting."
"Soul Food" is currently in syndication on BET,
and the final season can be seen on the Showtime
cable station. Meanwhile, Malinda can be seen
in several projects including a role in an upcoming
episode of CSI. Vanessa is making a smooth
transition as well.
"I'm going to be embarking on my new career,"
said Vanessa. "I'm a filmmaker now. I guess I've
always had it in me, but this is something that I want
to do in addition to acting. Instead of only being in
front of the camera I'll also be behind it. My new
work is going to be premiering sometime in April
and we've already got distribution for the film. The
movie is called 'Dense' ... it's a love triangle. A woman
discovers that a man that she is engaged to marry
has been dating another woman for three of the
four years that they've been together."
You can catch the first episode of the final
season of "Soul Food' tonight, February 25, at
10pm Eastern/Pacific on Showtime.
--Ricardo Hazell
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IN THE DARK
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3/14
EUR gives you something to really talk about.
EUR Newsbits
'JANET ... YOU'RE FIRED' SAYS LENA HORNE
Pop star's film rebirth doesn't get very far.
*Dang, we bet Janet wishes she could have
kept her goods to herself. Well, maybe. In the
latest bout of Super Bowl madness the singer
has been pulled from the Lena Horne project,
leaving it in limbo.
Storyline Entertainment partners Craig
Zadan and Neil Meron have ankled as exec
producers in solidarity with Jackson, who
was due to play Horne.
A spokeswoman for Jackson said she was
effectively dis-invited from the movie by Horne
and her daughter Gail Lumet Buckley, who
were incensed when Jackson flashed during
the halftime show.
Horne refused to return her contract for the
pic until ABC guaranteed that Jackson was off
the project, which is being produced by Storyline
and Sony Pictures Television. ABC execs refused
Horne's demand, but the issue has become moot
with the reaction of Jackson, Zadan and Meron.
Insiders said the project is now up in the air;
barring another superstar casting, however,
it's unlikely to move forward.
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NAJEE ALI CHARGED WITH HIT-AND-RUN
In court his shady past is revealed.
*Under the classification of "Verrrrrry Interesting,"
we bring you the following report on the very visible
Najee Ali, who in recent years has cast himself
as a community activist. Ali, is the founder
of Los Angeles based Project Islamic Hope.
Tuesday, Ali, whose given name is Ronald
Todd Askew, was charged with felony hit-and-run.
Ali, 41, pleaded innocent to the charge and remains
in custody in lieu of $200,000 bail.
Ali, who allegedly crashed a car head-on
into another vehicle on Martin Luther King Jr.
Boulevard in LA's Crenshaw District, shortly
before midnight Sunday, fled into the nearby
Magic Johnson Theaters, police said.
He was held for police at the theater by
witnesses and security guards. The driver of
the other vehicle, a woman in her 50s, was
treated for minor injuries, authorities said.
In court, Ali said he was "running to
get help."
At the court hearing is where things got
more interesting. The criminal complaint alleges
that Ali was out on bail in another case, and
has a 1992 robbery conviction.
Ali allegedly also has three driver's licenses,
two Social Security numbers and nine prior
bench warrants.
He is due back in court on March 5 for
a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence
to require him to stand trial in the hit-and-run case.
He faces up to eight years in state prison
if convicted of the felony charge, according
to the District Attorney's Office.
Ali previously has been charged with
two counts each of perjury in applying for
a driver's license and false personation.
He is also due back in Inglewood (CA)
Superior Court on that case March 2.
HARRY HERALDS CHILD REGISTRATION IN AFRICA
Says undocumented children are nonentities.
*Entertainer/activist Harry Belafonte was
in Dakar, Senegal on Monday to urge African
nations to register all newborns saying that
newborns without proper documentation
basically do not exist.
The United Nations Children's Fund -- hosting
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Belafonte during
his nearly two-week African tour -- estimated that
70 percent of African children born in 2000 went
unregistered by authorities, ultimately limiting
their access to health care, schools, elections
and bank loans.
"In order for children to count, we must
count the children," 76-year-old Belafonte told
reporters in Dakar, Senegal. "Without birth-registry
papers, children won't grow up to enjoy full
citizenship rights, hurting their ability
to partake in "the political affairs
of a nation."
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DIDDY DEFEATS LAWSUIT
Jury decides in his favor.
*Score another legal victory for P. Diddy.
A lawsuit filed by a Detroit TV talk show host
who alleged he was beat down by members
of Sean Combs' entourage, was essentially
thrown out by a jury.
Talk show host Roger Mills said members
of Combs' entourage also stole the tape of the
1999 interview -- breaking a camera in the
process -- after he asked Combs to comment
on allegations he contributed to the death
of rapper Notorious B.I.G. Mills said Combs
immediately ended the interview.
Combs testified last week he couldn't
remember the incident.
"We've got a case here where a fruitless
lawsuit was brought against Mr. Combs," said the
rapper's attorney John Martin Jr. "And I think the
jury came out loud and clear and said the same
thing."
Mills had been seeking unspecified damages
for alleged assault, false imprisonment, destruction
of property, intentional infliction of emotional
distress and a civil conspiracy.
KELLY CONTINUES CREATING
R&B star has two could-be hits spinning in Chi-Town.
*R. Kelly is just continuing to do his
thing like he ain't got a care in the world.
We guess the best way for an entertainer
to forget his problems is by continuing to
entertain and that's exactly what Kelly
is doing.
The Chicago-bred crooner has
two new songs spinning in Chicago;
"My Africa," and "Happy People,"
says MTV
Whether these songs will turn up
on an R. Kelly album isn't clear. His label
had no word yet on his next solo project.
Meanwhile, a track titled "Best of Both
Worlds Part 2" has turned up on mixtapes.
On it, Kelly duets with Baby and asks the
Lord to provide him shelter from pain.
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WALK A MILE IN BIRDMAN'S SHOES
In fact, Lugz wouldn't have it any other way.
*Speaking of ya boy Baby, the Cash Money
Millionaire has inked a deal with shoemaker
Lugz and will create his own line of kicks
called "The Birdman."
A special "bling bling" Cash Money
Stack Clip will be included with every
Birdman shoe, which will retail for
$70.00.
"Lugz definitely has their ear to the
streets," Williams said. "They have a handle
on what hip-hop culture is and what fans
really want. The Birdman sneaker reflects
my own personal style. And this is just the
beginning. Believe that!!"
The shoe was conceptualized by Lugz
Executive Vice President, Larry Schwartz.
Schwartz approached Baby and felt that
the rapper was a perfect fit to endorse
his own brand of shoe.
A full marketing campaign will be
launched around the shoe, which will
debut across the United States in May.
'MY WIFE AND KIDS' STAR DIRECTS & LE BRON STARS
'Jr' is behind the camera for tonight's episode
*George O. Gore II, who stars as "Jr." on ABC's
"My Wife and Kids," goes behind-the-camera to make
his directorial debut with an episode of the hit series
that airs tonight with special guest star, NBA
rookie LeBron James.
"I had a great time directing the cast of my
own show. I'm grateful for the opportunity and
I look forward to doing it again real soon," says
Gore, who is nominated for a 2004 NAACP
Image Award for Outstanding Supporting
Actor in a Comedy Series.
The episode, entitled "Outbreak Monkey," is about an ecstatic Michael
(Damon Wayans) who scores a ticket to see LeBron James play at Madison
Square Garden. But his excitement quickly turns to paranoia when, just
days before the game, everyone in the Kyle household, except Michael,
comes down with the flu.
To ensure he won't miss the game, he goes to
absurd extremes to keep from getting sick, including spraying
disinfectant on his family and using a ten-foot grabber to hand Jay
(Tisha Campbell-Martin) her orange juice.
"My Wife and Kids" airs Wednesday nights at 8 PM EST on ABC.
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WHOOPI TO WRITE CHILDREN'S BOOK
Comedienne/actress to create for the kids.
*Whoopi Goldberg is about to take pen
to paper for the children. The actress-comedian
has agreed to a multi-book deal with Hyperion's
Jump at the Sun imprint, which specializes
in releases by African-American writers.
"If I can give kids and their parents something
that'll make them smile and maybe teaches them
a little something about living with one another
on our planet, it makes me a happy granny,"
Goldberg said in a statement Monday.
The first of several expected books is
scheduled for 2005. Other celebrities who have
recently written children's stories include Madonna,
Jerry Seinfeld and Billy Crystal. Goldberg stars in
the new NBC sitcom "Whoopi" and also can be
seen on Nick Jr.'s "Whoopi's Littleburg," a series
of half-hour TV specials set in "The Preschool
Capital of the World."
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'BEAH: A BLACK WOMAN SPEAKS' ON HBO TONIGHT
Celebrates the life of actress/activist Beah Richards
*In 1999, actress LisaGay Hamilton sat down
with activist, poet and fellow actress Beah Richards
for the first in a series of frank, thought-provoking
conversations. Over the next year, Richards shared
the insights and truths she had gained during her
celebrated, sometimes controversial career.
Debuting Tonight, Wednesday, February 25
at 7:30 pm (E/P) on HBO, the exclusive documentary
"Beah: A Black Woman Speaks" presents the
hard-earned wisdom of this remarkable artist and
activist, exploring the deep and tender relationship
that developed between the two women.
After the debut, the documentary will
continue to show in rotation throughout
February and March.
CARL ANDERSON'S SERVICES
Going home services this Saturday
The life of actor/singer Carl Anderson,
who died Monday after a long bout with lukemia,
will be celebrated this Saturday, February 28 at
11:00 am - Agape Church - 5700 Buckingham
Parkway in Culver City, CA.
For more on the life of Carl Anderson, visit:
www.cstone.net/~dgarlock/carl/
GOT NEWS? Share it with us (info@eurweb.com)
OTHER NEWS
EDUCATION SECRETARY ASKED TO PLAY NICE
First black education secretary calls NEA
a terrorist organization.
The comments of Rod Paige, the first black
republican secretary of Education, have caused
quite a storm in Washington, DC.
Made to the nation's GOP governors at a private
White House meeting, Paige called the teacher's
union, the National Education Association,
a terrorist organization. Obviously a joke,
right? Well, democrats aren't laughing at all.
The education secretary's words were ''pathetic
and they are not a laughing matter,'' said union
president Reg Weaver, whose union has said
it plans to sue the Bush administration over lack
of funding for demands included in the ''No Child
Left Behind'' schools law.
Paige said later in an Associated Press
interview that his comment was ''a bad joke; it
was an inappropriate choice of words.'' President
Bush was not present at the time he made
the remark.
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MOTIVATION NOTE
Hang in there. Some situations are beyond
your control. Surrendering and being still until
your storm passes is not a sign of weakness.
Sometimes it's the best and only thing to do.
No matter how good a person you are or how
much preparation you make, stuff happens. Hold
on. Remain optimistic. Trust that God has an
answer and a breakthrough for you. And most
of all, don't quickly label yourself a bad person,
a failure or a loser.
Whether you're looking for a job, praying for
restored health, trying to close a sale, buy a home,
fighting depression/grief or waiting for "that" phone
call ... don't give up. We all go through seasons
in our life, but the reasons aren't always obvious
or revealed. Read Joshua 1:9
-- by Motivational Speaker and Author Jewel
Diamond Taylor speaking in Columbus, OH, Maryland
and Atlanta in the month of March. Visit the popular
motivational website: www.DoNotGiveUp.net
e-mail - Jewel@DoNotGiveUp.net
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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Feb. 25: Actress Rashida Jones
("Boston Public"), 28.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Get the latest news on the upcoming
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival: www.nojazzfest.com
Submit your favorite website to us along with a 15-20
word (or less) description to: info@eurweb.com
BLACK HISTORY
*February 25, 1839: Seminoles and their
Black allies are shipped from Tampa Bay, Florida
to reservations in the west.
(source: www.blackfacts.com)
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3/04
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