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Jawn’s Juice #16– Vol. IV / October 18, 2005: Beyonce Knowles, Rev. Al Sharpton, Tom Joyner, Kim Burrell, Vivica A. Fox, Donald Lawrence, Jessica Alba and so much more…
White Washed?: There are shocking allegations coming out about Beyonce Knowles’ Vanity Fair cover. RadarOnline.com, the web component for Radar magazine, has a story accusing VF of digitally lightening Knowles’ skin for the images.
On this month’s cover, with a hip-hop theme, Knowles is the first African-American woman to front the glossy since Tina Turner appeared in 1993. But Radar questions whether the Destiny’s Child member is too black for Graydon Carter, the glossy’s chief editor? Publishing insiders have apparently been buzzing to Radar about Knowles’ pale facade ever since the November issue hit newsstands. Now, a high-level source at Vanity Fair is snitching and said the magazine digitally altered Knowles’ image to appear several shades lighter.
African-American entertainers have long complained about being ignored by mainstream magazines, which often avoid covers featuring black celebrities for fear that they will fair poorly on newsstands. Vanity Fair, which has drawn some of the sharpest criticism, has not featured a solo black person on its cover since the late nineties, when it showcased Michael Jordan, Will Smith, and a clown-faced Chris Rock.
Access Hollywood had a big story on magazines shunning A-List African-Americans in early August. The news magazine show took a riveting look at how mainstream magazines like Vanity Fair are not diverse in the selection of their cover images. The news magazine show did a random pan of newsstands, and sadly the majority of the magazines offered a misleading hierarchy of beauty by having the same "white, blond and under 40" faces on them.
The alleged Knowles lightening came because an apparent pronounced dip in newsstand sales earlier this year has Carter feeling nervous. Convinced that a series of gloomy covers has contributed to the slump, the source told Radar, Carter ordered his art department to lighten up the singer-actress.
“Everything on the cover is bright, including the white background, to make it seem as white as can be,” said the source, who claims that the pop diva’s medium-dark complexion was airbrushed to a “Jennifer Lopez shade of bronze” to fit in with the magazine’s cheery new aesthetic.
But the brightening of Knowles caused other problems. According to Radar’s source, the singer’s cover photo clashed with inside photos, which pictured her with longtime boyfriend Jay-Z. “All the photos of Beyoncé had been made so white that Jay-Z literally looked like [Sudanese supermodel] Alek Wek standing next to her, so then he had to be lightened up, too,” said the source.
Not surprisingly, VF is outraged by the claim that it manipulated Knowles’ image. Asked about the charge, the magazine’s spokeswoman Beth Kseniak insisted that the singer’s portraits were “absolutely not” manipulated and said that any change in her skin tone was a result of lighting and makeup. Furthermore, she claimed that inside shots of the couple were pick-up photos acquired at the last minute that ran unaltered. A spokeswoman for Knowles did not return repeated calls or e-mails from Radar for comment.
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Juicy Bits: Rev. Al Sharpton’s new talk show, Sharp Talk with Al Sharpton, debuts on Oct. 28 on TV One. The show is set in a Brooklyn barbershop called Levels, where Sharpton and his guests will explore a range of cultural, political and economic topics, including the topic of African-American fathers. Sharpton's guests on the 30-minute talk show will include Peter Holoman, director of the Male Development and Empowerment Center at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York; WCBS-TV news anchor Shon Gables and hip-hop artist Doug E. Fresh. For details on show airtimes visit www.tv-one.tv...
Sean Cummings, former editorial director of SMOOTH and SMOOTH Girl magazines, is launching a new hip-hop glossy called C.R.E.AM. in early 2006. Cummings exited his post at SMOOTH in late September after nearly three years of making the title a thriving competitor in the men’s magazine market. Former Source Editor-in-Chief Joshua "Fahiym" Ratcliffe is helming the SMOOTH titles in the interim…
I stopped past the D.C. Music and Entertainment Conference in Washington, D.C. recently. The event was held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel and featured informational panels, workshops, showcases and performances by major recording artists. Mathew Knowles, with beautiful wife Tina in tow, gave the keynote address this year. Keyshia Cole, Ginuwine, Dave Hollister, Kirk Franklin, Dem Franchise Boyz and many others were participants. Despite the gloomy weather and the continual rain, the conference attracted a pretty solid crowd of folks interested in taking their entertainment dreams to the next level. For me, it was just good to see the many familiar faces I grew to love at the beginning of my career when I interned at WPGC 95.5-FM, one of the host stations for the conference along with Heaven 1580-AM. Special shout out to midday host, the beautiful Michel Wright, my first boss in the entertainment industry…
The new “King of All Media” Tom Joyner will showcase some of music’s finest during his first ever Mistletoe Jam. The concert lineup includes Aretha Franklin, CeCe Winans, Faith Evans, Yolanda Adams and Dennis Edwards and The Temptations Revue. More acts are slated to be announced in the weeks to come. The concert will take place Dec. 10 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. "This event brings together some of the best in the business for a concert like no other," said Joyner, who’s new syndicated television show is earning respectable numbers. "Gospel, hip-hop, and classic R&B and soul on the same stage! Now, that's a jam. That's a Mistletoe Jam. What a way to enjoy the holiday season!"
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Gospel Gumb Twelve magazine, the hottest magazine for Christian entertainment—and I’m not just saying that because I write a column called “Hollywood Mouthpiece” for it—celebrated their one-year anniversary on Oct. 8 in Washington, D.C. The party, thrown in conjunction with Heaven 1580-AM, included the unveiling of Twelve’s new double cover issue, featuring gospel sensation Kirk Franklin on one side and The Gospel stars Boris Kodjoe and Nona Gaye on another. (As a side note, mainstream magazine editors should be ringing Twelve’s graphic designer’s phone off the hook because the look of this glossy supersedes the most prominent music and entertainment publications on newsstands.) Twelve’s shindig took place at the H2O Restaurant & Lounge on the Southwest Waterfront. Performers included Kim Burrell, Tonex, my favorite male vocalist Dave Hollister, Gideon Band, the show-stopping Canton Jones, newcomer Izzy and several other upcoming acts. Artists in attendance included Richard Smallwood, Coko of SWV, Brent Jones, Natalie Wilson, Hezekiah Walker, Lexi, a very sleepy LaShun Pace, Maysa, Malcolm Williams, Anointed, Martha Munizzi, John Hart, William Demp, John Tillary and newcomer Andre Cross. Gospel tastemakers like comedian Jonathan Slocumb, Neily Dickerson (the ND Company), Kenny Taylor (Taesis Music Group), Veryl Howard (Faith Management), Cheryl Jackson (Heaven 1580), Sheilah Belle (The Belle Report), Melanie Clark (GospelFlava.com), Shawn Tate (Tate & Assoc.), Sean Pennington (Flipside Entertainment), radio talent Wayne Waller, publicist Kym Norsworthy, Gerard Henry (BET’s Lift Every Voice), Teresa Turner (Heaven 1580), Eric Vinson (Metro Gospel Beat), Krys Copeland (Arrow Records) and numerous other people I’m probably forgetting. Special shout-out to Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Twelve, and Cheryl Jackson on one great event…
More about Twelve… I already raved about the look of the magazine in the party recap above, but I also wanted to recognize that Twelve is innovative in its approach to content. Breaking the mold of Christian publications, Twelve has featured artists such as Tweet and John Legend in its magazine and told their stories from a Christian perspective. The reality is that there are many mainstream recording artists reared in church that aren’t just claiming to have sung in church as a child, but are actively involved in their respective churches, tithe regularly and in all honesty, live better lives than many gospel artists we celebrate. The magazine is also pushing the envelope with a section they have called “Had 2 Ask,” which is very similar to Vibe’s “20 Qs” section. For example, the new issue has the question: “Is it just us or does all of John P. Kee’s music sound like a cross between “Show Up!” and “Jesus Is Real?” I can tell you firsthand, gospel artists and traditional church folks ain’t happy about this section. But it’s a good read nonetheless!...
Vivica A. Fox (Missing), Vanessa Williams (Soul Food) and Clifton Davis (Amen) will host the two-day live taping of Gospel Superfest on Oct. 28-29. The special will tape at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., and feature of bevy of gospel talent including Kelly Price, Hezekiah Walker & LFC, Kim Burrell, Tye Tribbett and GA, Karen Clark Sheard, Kurt Carr Singers, Kierra “KiKi” Sheard, Byron Cage, Shirley Murdock, Dr. Charles Hayes & The Warriors, Rizen, Natalie Wilson and many more. One of the tapings will air as a holiday special in December, while the other one is packaged as a Black History Month salute that will begin airing nationally in late January. For a full list of artists and to find out when the shows air in your market, visit www.gospelsuperfest.com...
Donald Lawrenceand the Tri-City Singers will record their last album, The Finale, on Nov. 16-17. The two-day concert recording will take place at The Tabernacle in downtown Atlanta and will feature guest appearances by Walter Hawkins, LaShun Pace, Daryl Coley, Kierra “KiKi” Sheard, Darwin Hobbs, LeJeune Thompson, Kevin Bond, Myron Butler & Levi, The Murrills and Dewayne Woods. “I expect great things from a lot of the Tri-City talents. God blessed me to work with some of the best singers and musicians in the world. I have mixed emotions about The Finale because Tri-City has been a child of mine for almost 15 years. However, I know this is a time for me to release the group and be released into the continued plan God has for us all," said Lawrence in a statement. The project is slated to be released on April 4.
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Juicy Ride: Kia has replaced its original Sportage with an all new model that’s bound to make people take a second look at the Korean automotive company. The all-new Kia Sportage is based on a car platform instead of the standard S.U.V. truck-based model of the past. This Sportage offers a finer tuned suspension and delivers a more dynamic, sportier driving experience. The additional performance from the V6 engine gives drivers their money’s worth. Also available is the 4WD model, a no-brainer for almost $1,500 more than the base rate. The Kia Sportage is more competitive with its safety features, offering more than other vehicle selling in this price range. The base-rate Sportage LX ($15,900) comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, manual transmission and front-wheel drive. The LX is also available with a 2.7-liter V6 engine and automatic transmission for $18,500 with front-wheel drive or $19,700 with 4WD. Air conditioning is optional, but unless you live in Alaska, who wouldn’t cough over $800 for that luxury. Additionally, it is equipped with power door locks, windows and mirrors. Sportage’s rear cargo storage area under the floor for holding tools or hiding valuables and the rear cargo cover (standard on the EX and optional on the LX) provides a secret compartment in the back when the rear seats are in use. A net is also included to keep things from moving around on the floor. The Sportage has a crisp and functional exterior look and is ideal for a college kid, active urbanite or anyone wanting a trendy, moderately sized S.U.V.
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Frankly Speaking: “That Jessica Alba is quite the actress, it takes a lot of talent to switch between races like that. Black, Puerto Rican, Black, Puerto Rican!” – Flex Washington (played by Flex Alexander) of UPN’s One on One.
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Easy Reading: The life of Sam Cooke is captured in an excellent biography, Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke (Little, Brown & Company, $27.95), by proficient author Peter Guralnick. The depth of the research in this eloquently written tome is fascinating. The details conveyed in this book draws you into Cooke’s life, bringing you into the moment and making you fill as though you’re living life with him. Guralnick cleverly captures the extreme dynamics of Cooke’s life, everything from his trek on the gospel road, the maneuverings of the record business, and the political and racial commotion that was a critical element to Cooke's fame. This book is a must-read! And why did Guralnick title the book Dream Boogie? “The title is taken from the great Langston Hughes poem at the front of the book, which makes reference to "the boogie-woogie rumble of a dream deferred.” “I think the best expression of my sense of Sam Cooke's triumph comes in another poem, by Anne Sexton, about the fall of Icarus, the figure in Greek mythology who dared to dream that he could fly, then fell to his death after coming too close to the sun. ‘Admire his wings!’ Sexton writes. ‘Feel the fire at his neck and see how casually/ he glances up and is caught wondrously tunneling/ into that hot eye. Who cares that he fell back to the sea?/ See him acclaiming the sun and come plunging down/ while his sensible daddy goes straight into town. That, to me, is Sam: the casualness, the grace, the fall—but, above all, the triumph of daring to dream,’” he explained…
Author A. Montellus C. (ne’ Andre Carter) is releasing his debut novel Crazy for a Man online. The book explores what happens when a woman becomes, well, what else but crazy for a man. The intriguing tome is the first book by A. Montellus C., husband of The Braxtons’ singer Towanda Braxton. For details on the book and to read a sample chapter, visit the author online at http://www.crazyforaman.com/...
Author Ronin Ro has a new book out called Raising Hell: The Reign, Ruin and Redemption of Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay (Amistad/HarperCollins, $24.95). The tome chronicles the personal and professional evolution of the legendary hip-hop trio. Published by the same company responsible for Karrine Steffans’ best-selling Confessions of a Video Vixen, Raising Hell: The Reign, Ruin and Redemption of Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay was released on Oct. 1.
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End Notes:
~ I’m looking for WWE wrestler D’Low Brown! Have you seen him? If anyone can track down the Chicago-bred grappler, e-mail me at Jawn@JawnMurray.com.
~ Check out my Web site, http://www.jawnmurray.com/. With the theme “Me, Myself & Lifestyle,” the site captures the essence of me as a personality and, like the Jawn’s Juice column, it features of bevy of my favorite things.
~ Jawn’s Juice is now bi-weekly—that’s every other week for those who can’t count—so no need to e-mail during the down weeks and ask where we are. If you need your fix of entertainment news from Jawn on a weekly basis, read my other column, BV Buzz, at http://blackvoices.aol.com/black_entertainment.
~ They have dressed Free (106 & Park), Ruff Ryder's deejay Swizz Beatz, Chingy, Jaheim, actor Lamman Rucker (All My Children), Kindred The Family Soul and they keep me looking good. A special thanks to Aja Imani for keeping me “GQ.” Aja Imani is located at 9244 East Hampton Drive, Suite #62, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. Contact them at 301-324-8300 or at ajaimani@aol.com.
Well I’m Jawn and that’s your Juice! See you next week!
E-mail me directly at GarekNews@hotmail.com because I never read the message board!
© 2002-2006 Jawn’s Juice. All rights reserved worldwide. All information provided by Jawn’s Juice on this Internet site is for personal use only. No commercial exploitation of anything contained herein may take place without prior written permission from the column’s author, Jawn Murray. Material contained herein may not be re-sold, loaned, hired, exchanged, bartered, or in any other way re-distributed in any other manner whatsoever.
* Kendra Story, a contributing editor for Upscale magazine, edited this column. You may contact her directly at KendraStory@aol.com to inquire about writing and editing services only.
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