EURweb |
07-07-06 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
BRAUGHER, WOODWARD ‘ANATOMY’ GET EMMY NODS: ‘Grey’s’ Wilson also nominated; five leading Desperate Housewives shut out.
*The Shonda Rhimes-created ABC drama “Grey’s Anatomy” picked up 11 Emmy nominations early Thursday morning, while Andre Braugher and Alfre Woodard earned acting nods for their respective roles in FX’s “Thief” and ABC’s “Desperate Housewives.”
“Anatomy’s” tally – which included a best drama nod and supporting actress recognition for co-star Chandra Wilson – was second only to Fox’s “24,” which received 12 nominations, including best drama and best actor for star Keifer Sutherland. Other best drama nominees are NBC’s “The West Wing,” HBO’s “Six Feet Under” and FX’s “Rescue Me.”
"I'm so happy for our show," Wilson told the Associated Press from
Italy, where she's on a promotional visit. "My family is here, so I got hugs
right away, and the cast is here, so we're hugging on each other. Maybe we
can go have a really expensive dinner."
Meanwhile, “Thief’s” Braugher was recognized for his work on FX’s
freshman drama, where he starred as the leader of a criminal outfit plotting
an elaborate heist. He joins fellow nominees Charles Dance (PBS’ “Bleak
House: Masterpiece Theater”), Ben Kingsley (HBO’s “Mrs. Harris”) and Jon
Voight (CBS’ “Pope John Paul II”) Donald Southerland (Lifetime’s “Human
Trafficking”) in the category Outstanding Lead Actor in a Mini Series.
In a shocker, none of the five leading “Desperate Housewives”
received nominations this year. However, Alfre Woodward earned an
Outstanding Supporting Actress nod for playing their disturbed neighbor,
Betty Applewhite. She’ll face nominees Cheryl Hines (HBO’s “Curb Your
Enthusiasm”), Jaime Pressly (NBC’s “My Name is Earl”), Elizabeth Perkins
(Showtime’s “Weeds”) and Megan Mullally (NBC’s “Will & Grace”).
The Emmy Awards are scheduled to air Aug. 27 on NBC, with Conan
O'Brien as host of the Shrine Auditorium ceremony. The awards, traditionally
held in September at the start of the TV season, were moved up because of
NBC's addition of Sunday-night football to its schedule.
STAR BOOKS NEW GIG BUT DIRECTS FANS TO HOUND OLD ONE: Her Web site lists an ABC address where folks can complain.
*Star Jones Reynolds appears to be having a ball in her newfound
notoriety as a betrayed former employee of ABC’s “The View.”
Over the weekend, her Web site, StarJones.com, posted a message
saying that it had received requests from "several thousand visitors" about
how to contact ABC about her firing. The site listed the business address of
Disney CEO Robert Iger at ABC’s parent company Walt Disney; Brian Frons,
president of ABC Daytime; and Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie, the executive
producers of “The View.”
The site also listed an ABC-TV web address where complaints can be
posted, as well as a personal message from Star to her fans, saying in part
that "had it not been for all of your emails and letters, this past week
would have been very difficult."
Meanwhile, just one week after announcing prematurely that she was
leaving “The View,” Reynolds has a new weeklong gig at the cable channel
HGTV. The former co-host will review new real estate in New York on the
series, “House Hunters.”
“I don't think people outside of New York realize that we still have
neighborhoods here; that's one thing I love the most,” she told Access
Hollywood in a piece that ran Wednesday.
“Access” cameras shadowed Star as she taped her segments for the
show, which occurred weeks before dropping her big bombshell. Even then,
Star admitted to Access producers that she and husband Al Reynolds were also
on the house hunt and looking to sell her three-bedroom triplex apartment.
“We are starting to look for a new apartment. Something that's a
little bit bigger and more conducive to a married couple,” Star explained.
“My apartment initially was very much a single girl's lair with a dressing
room and a closet that's the size of most boutiques. But now we are looking
for more space —two bathrooms, one for each of us is a big deal, and a
closet for him and a closet for me. So we've got some time to find what we
really, really want.”
To view the Access Hollywood segment, visit
http://video.accesshollywood.com/player.html?dlid=24134
OPRAH TO CELEBRATE NEW YEAR’S IN SOUTH AFRICA: Gayle King, Julia Roberts, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley to tag along.
*In what could rival her star-studded 50th birthday celebration,
Oprah Winfrey is planning to ring in 2007 by hosting a celebrity-filled
extravaganza in Cape Town, South Africa.
According to South African newspaper Die Burger, Winfrey is due to
visit the country sometime between Jan. 2 and 9 to officially open her
school, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.
The talk show maven is expected to invite 100 of her closest homies
to the bash, including former President Nelson Mandela, Gayle King, Julia
Roberts, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley.
Meanwhile, Winfrey has been keeping a close watch on the development
of her South African school, located at Henley-on-Klip outside of
Johannesburg. She has stated her intent to oversee the tiniest of details,
including the choice of curtain patterns.
E-40’S ‘HYPHY MOVEMENT’ QUESTIONED: Two Bay Area hip hop companies say rapper is not part of it; 40 fires back.
*Two San Francisco-based hip hop companies are calling out rapper
E-40 for falsely claiming the region’s “hyphy movement” on his new Lil
Jon-produced album, “My Ghetto Report Card.”
HyphyTV.com and Hyphy Inc. released a joint statement in which they
claim E-40 and Lil Jon have “not one Hyphy artist on their roster and tour.”
Responding to the claims in an interview with SOHH.com, 40 says: "Ain't
nobody ever heard of no Hyphy Inc. ever!”
A spokesperson for the two companies stated: “Lil Jon and E-40
brought some much needed attention showcasing the new and distinctive
culture and lifestyle that’s taking place in the Bay Area. But neither
artist is in fact a real member of the movement. Since bringing the
attention to the movement the pair has been accused of using [it] for their
on personal selfish financial gain. E-40, who is not even a Hyphy member, is
being accused of using the new found fame and clout to put his family
members and label mates in key positions at the expense of Hyphy.”
The statement goes on to note that 40’s relatives – sister Suga T,
brother D-Shot and son Droop-E – are all in the process of putting out
projects. The companies also single out Lil Jon as “the mastermind behind
the plot” to exploit the Hyphy movement.
“Lil Jon never intends to put a Hyphy artist on; he’s just using the
name to keep himself in the spotlight,” the statement read.
After expressing that the companies are virtually unknown throughout
the Bay Area, 40 told SOHH: “The hyphy movement started in Oakland for one.
So can't nobody from San Francisco be talking about that. I love Frisco,
that ain't got nothing to do with the city of Frisco, but I'm not gonna
affiliate that with these suckers, whoever these cats is."
In response to the companies’ claims that 40 lacks respect in his
hometown, the rapper says: "First of all, my respect in the Bay is to the
extreme my dude. If the Bay didn't love me, I wouldn't be at 60,000 units
just in the Bay area alone. The love is there. As far as street credibility,
I got that. That's a plus. That's straight A's across the board. Don't get
it ‘twited’."
"Overall, the hyphy movement, I helped birth that thang, man,” he
continued. “I ain't the one who made it up. All I do is endorse it, smell
me? Like I said, I was on the first song 'Hyphy.' I got the utmost respect
for Mac Dre, Keak Da Sneak and the Federation and whoever else is about the
Hyphy movement, it's all gravy. At the same time, cats like me and [Too]
Short all we're doing is trying to represent our soil. What I'm supposed to
do, talk like I'm from New York, rap like I'm from New York? If I didn't say
nothing about the hyphy. It'll be like 'he done went South. He won't say
nothing about the Hyphy.'"
"What have they done for the movement or whatever else," he added.
"That's a hate group if anything. They're probably a rap group trying to get
some exposure. Ninety-nine out of 100% gonna love me. There's probably one
percent out there that hates me cause they ain't on, bullshi**ing."
NEW PSP ADS IN EUROPE CALLED RACIST: Promotion of Sony’s new all-white device shows white woman grabbing black woman’s face.
*Sony’s ad campaign to promote its new all-white Play Station
Portable in Europe is being met with outrage and allegations of racism.
Under the banner “White is Coming,” the picture in the ad shows a
white woman, dressed in white and with a menacing look on her face, grabbing
the face of a shorter black woman dressed in all black. Other pictures in
the campaign show various shots of the women battling each other. (View them
all here:
http://pspupdates.qj.net/another-unconventional-ad-from-sony-updated/pg/49/a
id/57882.)
After Sony began receiving complaints about the ads, the company
pulled them and released new photos that showed images of the new PSP
itself: one of the all white device, the other shown only half in white.
See those pictures here:
• (all white photo)
http://pspupdates.qj.net/uploads/articles_module/57985/nu-image-2.jpg
• (half black photo)
http://pspupdates.qj.net/uploads/articles_module/57985/nu-image-1.jpg
•
In defense of the original ads, Sony released the following
statement: “The marketing campaign for the launch of the White PSP in the
Benelux focuses on the contrast between the Black PSP model and the new
Ceramic white PSP model. All of the 100 or so images created for the
campaign have been designed to show this contrast in colors of the PSPs, and
have no other message or purpose."
VIBE MAGAZINE SALE REPORTEDLY FINALIZED: Quincy Jones sells publication; Danyel Smith to replace Mimi Valdes.
*After weeks of rumors and speculation, the sale of Vibe magazine is
reportedly a done deal and Mimi Valdez is officially out as editor-in-chief.
According to the New York Daily News, the urban culture publication
– launched by Quincy Jones and former Time Inc. President Robert Miller in
1993 – has been sold to the Wicks Group, a private equity firm focused on
selected segments of the communications, information and media industries.
In the corporate shift, Vibe editor Mimi Valdes is being replaced by
former Vibe editor Danyel Smith, whose husband, Elliott Wilson, is the
editor of rival urban magazine XXL.
Regarding the potential conflict of interest, new Vibe CEO Eric
Gertler tells the Daily News: "Danyel is a complete professional. It will
provide for some competitive fodder, but so long as ‘Vibe’ always gets the
scoop, I'm happy."
For Mimi supporters who feel she was undeservedly fired, Gertler
responds: "This isn't meant to take anything away from Mimi. We just thought
Danyel understands our vision."
MIJAC TAPES PLAYED IN COURT: Plus, singer reportedly looking to record with
Slim Shady.
*Viewers of the big three morning shows woke up Thursday morning to
sounds of Michael Jackson begging for money from former business partner F.
Marc Schaffel, who is suing the King of Pop in Los Angeles claiming he is
owed $3.8 million in royalties, expenses and other debts.
Tapes of phone messages Jackson left on Schaffel’s answering machine
were played in court Wednesday to show that he had a close relationship with
the entertainer and that he was entrusted with handling his millions of
dollars.
In one of the first phone messages, from 2001, Jackson said, "Marc,
it's Michael. ... Marc, please never let me down. I like you. I love you.
... I really want us to be friends and conquer the business world together.
Please be my loyal, loyal friend. I love you."
Another message had to do with a project involving Jackson and Marlon
Brando, in which the two would interview each other at the actor’s home in
Tahiti. That idea later gave way to Jackson’s plan to make an acting DVD
with the screen legend. That project, too, fizzled because of the enormous
cost, Schaffel said.
There were several messages from Jackson saying Brando wanted to know
what was going on with the project. "Marlon Brando has been pushing. He's a
wonderful man. He's a god. He wants a lot of money. He wants to get things
done right now," Jackson said in one message.
Jackson's other concern was a record he had made called "What More
Can I Give," which was to be a charity project for victims of the Sept. 11,
2001, attacks. The record was never released because of complications
involving Jackson's relationship with Sony.
Schaffel said the record cost millions and involved huge amounts of
travel to record more than 30 major artists singing various verses. By 2003,
when it had not been released, Jackson called Schaffel with a more urgent
messages saying he had a plan for the recording to be a charity project tied
to the Iraq war.
"It should be for America in Iraq," Jackson said in one message. "...
It's a perfect cause. It means more now than any other causes."
Schaffel testified that he had been working on a number of projects
for Jackson and had even arranged a $10 million line of credit for him from
a financial institution. Schaffel said Jackson had many demands, including
searching out a home in Beverly Hills that could be a hideaway from his
Neverland ranch.
Schaffel, who acknowledged that his background is in distributing
adult videos, said he withdrew $300,000 from his own accounts and was never
fully repaid. Schaffel also said he is owed $664,000 in royalties from two
videos sold to Fox television. Those videos were produced to repair
Jackson's image after a documentary in which the entertainer said he shared
his bed in a nonsexual way with children.
NEW BRITISH FILM CALLED ‘MOST RACIST’ IN BBC HISTORY: Black critics say drama ‘portrays us as imbeciles.’
*Accusations of racism were hurled at the BBC during a special West
End screening of its provocative new drama “Shoot the Messenger,” about a
teacher trying to save his black students from gangs, crime and
underachievement.
According to the Evening Standard, members of the audience said the
film is "the most racist program" in the BBC's history, and accused the
network and the show’s writer Sharon Foster of painting an "unremittingly
negative" stereotype of black people, "demeaning" black culture, and
presenting black people "to be laughed at by Europeans."
Toyin Agbetu of media campaign group Ligali said: "The BBC is
producing the most racist program ever in its history. It has excelled
itself. It portrays us as imbeciles without any intellectual ability."
During a Q & A session following the film, another audience member
said: "I've never seen anything so unremittingly negative about black people
in years. If it was about Asian people or Jewish people or white people it
would never get commissioned. Is this what black people have to do to get on
TV?"
Foster, a former children's tutor in Hackney, defended her work,
stating: "When I wrote it, I thought, have I got the courage to not be
liked? That was my challenge."
HERE'S JOHNNY!: EUR's Kam Williams has an in-depp...er, in-depth interview
with Johnny Depp about his life and new movie 'The Pirates of the Caribbean 2'
By Kam Williams
*Born in Owensboro, Kentucky on June 9, 1963, John Christopher Depp was raised in Florida where he dropped out of school at 15 to pursue his dream of becoming a rock star. However, Depp eventually developed an interest in acting during a visit to L.A. after being introduced to Nicolas Cage. The chameleon-like thespian made his screen debut in A Nightmare on Elm Street, followed by Platoon, which led to his breakout role as Officer Tom Hanson on Fox’s 21 Jump Street. He subsequently enjoyed a playing a series of title characters in Edward Scissorhands, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Ed Wood, Don Juan DeMarco and Donnie Brasco.
In 2003, Johnny was dubbed the Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine, and in
2004 and 2005 he landed Academy Award nominations for Pirates of the Caribbean and Finding Neverland, respectively. Despite all the accolades, the adored icon remains a bit of a recluse, explaining his expatriation in France with, “You use your money to buy privacy because most of your life you aren’t allowed to be normal.”
Here’s he talks about reprising the character Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates
of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, the review-proof sequel to his $300 million hit
inspired by the Disney theme ride.
Kam Williams: What interested you in reprising this role?
Johnny Depp: I kinda like everything about playing him. I mean, he’s just a fun
character. And I certainly wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him after Pirates 1. I felt
like that there was a lot more fun to be had.
KW: How did you create Jack’s quirky personality this time out?
JD: Ted and Terry (scriptwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio) and Gore
(director Gore Verbinski) set a course in terms of the story. And then you
take the very solid bones of that structure and get to run with it a little
bit, get to add stuff and try things just to see what you can get away with.
And I’ve been very lucky so far.
KW: Did it more or less feel the same playing him again?
JD: All the things that are happening in your world affect the way you
approach your day. So, it can’t help but sort of seep into the work, I
guess. It probably made it a little easier that I wasn’t getting the
panicked, worried phone calls from some studio exec going, “What the hell
are you doing? You’re ruining the movie!” I didn’t get those this time.
KW: Did you go back and watch the original Pirates a few times again to make
sure there was continuity in your character?
JD: No, no. Oh, God no! For a while there, my kiddies (Jack, 3, and
Lily-Rose, 7) were watching Pirates 1. They’ve seen it a zillion times. But
they’re taking a break on that now. They moved into Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory, and now my son’s going into Spider-Man and things like
that.
KW: What’s it like for you when your kids are watching you in a flick?
JD: I’d sort of walk into the room looking for something and suddenly hear
that familiar score or voice, and I’d exit as quickly as possible, so I
didn’t have to see it again, I mean see me again. The movie itself is good
fun. I just don’t enjoy looking at myself. It’s strange. You know what I mean?
KW: Does your being the star of some of your kids’ favorite movies affect
your relationship with them?
JD: Not as much as you might think, because to them it’s normal. It’s all
they’ve ever known. So, it’s not weird for them. They can go from watching
one of my movies to the dinner table without mentioning the film at all.
Then again, there are other times when my daughter will ask, “Will you do
that voice for me?” I’ll do it, and she’ll go, “Okay, great,” and then move
on to the next thing.
KW: Does it upset you when they outgrow your movies?
JD: No, no, I’m absolutely fine with it. They have to branch out and explore
other worlds. It would be horrible if I was like, “Hey, you put my film back
on! Put that film back on right now!” [Laughs]
KW: Speaking of exploring worlds, who or what inspired you as a child to
believe that you could achieve anything?
JD: I don’t know. There wasn’t any one person or thing. When I was about 12
years-old, I guess, is when I really felt like I’d found my calling, when I
started playing guitar. When I taught myself to play the guitar, and got
pretty good at it, that to me was my life, and I dedicated myself right then
and there to that, and very deep inside felt like I was going to do well
with it. And then somewhere in my early twenties, that spun out, and I was
put on a different road. And I’ve sort of been walking that road ever since.
So, I don’t know if I had to do with any of it.
KW: Were your parents supportive of your dreams?
JD: Yeah, they absolutely were. The guitar got me out of their hair. It got
me through puberty. I don’t remember puberty. I just remember playing, and
changing guitar strings. And listening to records, and learning songs off
records and stuff.
KW: Does it feel good to finally have your work validated with a couple of
Oscar nominations?
JD: I can’t lie. It is nice that a director doesn’t have to fight
tooth-and-nail to get me into his movies anymore, like Tim [Burton] did for
a number of years. I think I have a relatively sane outlook on it. I just
feel that it wasn’t like that for a long, long time, so if it’s like this
for a bit, that’s great. But the chances are pretty good that sometime or
another it’ll be like it was again, which is okay, too. Even when the
studios didn’t want to hire me, and I was kind of box office poison, I was
still able to do all those films that mean so much to me. So, if I’m a
decent flavor this week and next, but in three weeks it changes, it’s okay.
I’ve been there.
KW: Now that the big Hollywood studios recognize your talent, are you
planning to pick more mainstream movies with commercial success in mind?
JD: I really hate the idea of being a product on someone else’s terms. I’m
savvy enough to understand that there’s a business side to all this. But I
swore to myself back when I was on 21 Jump Street, when they were pushing me
in a direction I didn’t want to go, that I’ll only do the things that I need
to do. If I fail, I fail. And if it works, it works, and I’ll stick with it.
As far as I’m concerned, Pirates is totally consistent with everything I’ve
done since Cry Baby. There was never a moment when I said, “This’ll be a
good career move.” Or, “I could make a whole slew of cash and skate for a
little while.” So, no, I haven’t changed any of my process, or beliefs. I’m
still dedicated to the same thing.
KW: Thanks for the time.
JD: Thank you, thanks a lot.
GNARLS BARKLEY ADDS TOUR DATES: Duo cements U.S. leg of international trek.
*Gnarls Barkley, a.k.a. Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo, will promote their
well-received album “St. Elsewhere” with a summer tour that kicks off with a
two-night stand in San Francisco on July 18 and 19. Their summer-long run
through the States wraps up with a return visit to San Francisco on Sept.
17. Pre-sale tickets for select shows are available through the band's
MySpace site. Here is the full itinerary:
July 2006
18, 19 - San Francisco, CA - Fillmore
20 - Costa Mesa, CA - Pacific Amphitheater
23, 24 - Los Angeles, CA - Avalon
August 2006
2 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
3 - Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
7 - Detroit, MI - State Theater
11 - Boston, MA - Avalon Theatre
12 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
17 - New York, NY - Central Park Summerstage
September 2006
15 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival
17 - San Francisco, CA - Golden Gate Park Amphitheater
OPENING THIS WEEK: Kam's Kapsules -- Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
by Kam Williams
For movies opening July 7, 2006
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (PG-13 for frightening images and
intense adventure violence sequences) Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and
company return for another round of horror hijinks on the high seas. This
time out Captain Jack finds himself trapped in another spooky web of
supernatural intrigue, owing a debt of servitude and eternal damnation to
Davy Jones.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Edmund (R for sex, expletives, nudity and violence) William H. Macy plays
the title character in this screen adaptation of the David Mamet play about
a loudmouthed businessman with a short fuse who impulsively leaves his wife
in search of streetwalkers on the seamy side of New York City where his
quick temper starts a downward spiral which culminates in a violent
confrontation with a pimp and an aspiring actress.
Heading South (Unrated) Set in Haiti in the Seventies against the backdrop
of the political instability of the Baby Doc Duvalier regime, this Jungle
Fever flick revolves around three sex-starved, middle-aged, white tourists
(Charlotte Rampling, Karen Young and Louise Portal) vacationing on the
poverty-stricken, island nation to seduce young black men. Gretas get their
groove back. (In French and English with subtitles)
Kill Your Idols (Unrated) Rockumentary revisits the NYC punk scene from
1972-2002, featuring atonal-anti-music from such influential No Wave acts as
Teenage Jesus, the Jerks, DNA, Suicide, Theoretical Girls and The Black
Dice.
A Scanner Darkly (R for sex, expletives, drugs and a violent image) Richard
Linklater directs this adaptation of the futuristic, Philip K. Dick novel of
the same name, set in America where one in five Americans have been hired by
the government to spy on the other four. Stars Keanu Reeves as an undercover
cop hooked on a drug which causes its addicts to develop a split personality.
With Winona Ryder, Woody Harrelson and Robert Downey, Jr.
FILM/TV BITS: Howard joins Academy; Duchovny joins 'most beautiful' Berry;
Dash in Playboy; Diesel rumors; Banks designs gowns; PETA targets Rodriguez.
*Terrence Howard and Ving Rhames are among the 120 new film notables
invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - which
votes on the Oscars. Candidates are considered by committees from the
Academy's 14 branches. The new members – directors, producers, animators,
cinematographers, musicians, writers, editors and other industry
professionals – are filling vacancies in the organization created by
retirement or death, academy President Sid Ganis said.
*Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro will be joined by “X-Files” vet
David Duchovny in the upcoming DreamWorks drama “Things We Lost in the
Fire.” The story follows a woman (Berry) whose husband (Duchovny) suddenly
dies. The woman invites her husband's troubled best friend (Del Toro) to
live with her family, and as the friend turns his life around, he helps the
grief-stricken family confront their loss. Duchovny will appear in
flashbacks.
*Speaking of Ms. Berry, the actress placed third on a list of the
world’s most beautiful woman conducted by the British women's magazine Eve.
Berry ranked behind Catherine Zeta-Jones at No. 2 and “Sex in the City’s”
Kristin Davis at No. 1. Placing fourth through tenth respectively are Nicole
Kidman, Charlize Theron, Kate Beckinsale, Kate Winslet, Eva Longoria,
Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie.
*Actress Stacey Dash, star of Kanye West’s “All Fall Down” video,
appears buckit naked in the August issue of Playboy, on newsstands today.
When asked about her decision to bare all, she tells the magazine: “I find
I get a bit shy when I’m in social situations. Small talk drives me crazy,
and L.A. is all small talk. I’m not shy when I’m naked or in creative
situations.”
*“Fantastic Four” director Tim Story is denying rumors that Vin
Diesel is being considered to play “The Silver Surfer” in the upcoming
sequel. "No truth to it,” Story told Moviehole.com. “The Surfer will be a
new CGI design being developed especially for the movie. It's going to be
incredible." Diesel, meanwhile, has reportedly begun filming his labor of
love, “Hannibal.” The project had been mired in pre-production for years,
but the Web site VinXperience quotes a Dominican Republic-based newspaper
that claims the burly actor has returned to the area to “finish the filming”
of the movie.
*Tyra Banks and Reese Witherspoon are designing wedding gowns for an
online charity auction to benefit the American Cancer Society. The dresses
are available for bid at the Web site www.charityfolks.com. Memorabilia fans
can also bid for an autographed jacket Samuel L. Jackson wore as star of the
John Singleton-directed film “Shaft.”
The PETA people have moved on from Beyonce Knowles to Michelle
Rodriguez. Her crime? The former “Lost” star featured a white tiger cub at a
recent party she hosted in New York. Ironically, the party was actually a
fundraiser for a nature sanctuary. "We know Michelle Rodriguez is an animal
lover, but I think she is unaware how infant animals need to be around their
mother and not a clanging party scene, PETA spokesman Dan Mathews said in a
statement. "They're not meant to be an ornament at a party, even one that is
designed to raise money for animals. It kind of defeats the purpose."
MUSIC BITS: LL & 50 Cent; J.Lo a voodoo priestess?; Masta Killa album; Will
& Jada at Charlie Mack event.
*LL Cool J will soon be hollerin’ “G-G-G-G-Unit!” The veteran MC has
announced that his next album will be executive produced by fellow-Queens
rapper 50 Cent. "It's my last Def Jam record so I wanted to make it
something special and something really unique and kinda get back to my roots
a little bit," LL told MTV of his next album, titled “Todd Smith, Part 2:
Back to Cool,” due in the fall. "50 reminds me a lot of the things that I
used to do and the places I used to be in my life, and I think we can have a
good time together. He's talented and I feel like I have something I want to
say — I think he can help me get it off my chest."
*Jennifer Lopez’s ex-husband Ojani Noa signed documents last week
promising not to gossip about their marriage, however, it didn’t stop
thesmokinggun.com from posting salacious tidbits Noa said about J.Lo in a
deposition last month, including allegations that she cast “voodoo” spells
on him and other boyfriends. "She was doing bad things to a lot of people,"
Noa alleged in the court papers. "She was doing all this religious bullsh*t
to me, to [second husband] Cris [Judd], to Puffy [Combs], to [current
husband Marc] Anthony." There were rumors in 2003 that Lopez called off her
wedding to Ben Affleck after her spiritual adviser, Merle Gonzalez, warned
against it.
*Wu-Tang Clan member Masta Killa will drop his sophomore album, "Made
in Brooklyn," on Aug. 8 via Nature Sounds The set features appearances from
the entire Wu-Tang Clan, including RZA, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and Method
Man. MF Doom, Pete Rock and PF Cuttin are among the album's producers. "It's
basically the same formula as [my first album] 'No Said Date' but with more
of a Brooklyn swagger," Masta Killa tells Billboard. "It's a piece of me,
where I come from and a dedication to the MCs, producers and the people from
the neighborhood."
*Hip Hop’s first couple, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, will make an
appearance at Philadelphia’s 3rd annual Charlie Mack Party 4 Peace Celebrity
Weekend, a series of charity events taking place July 21-23. Charles
"Charlie Mack" Alston, a film producer and promoter who has served as
Smith’s longtime aide, will donate a portion of the proceeds of the "Charlie
Mack Party 4 Peace Celebrity Weekend" to various community-based charity
organizations, including Mothers in Charge, a Philadelphia based nonprofit
that supports women who have lost loved ones to violent crimes, as well as
Yesha Ministries. Queen Latifah, Meagan Good, Regina King, Tracy Ellis Ross,
Duane Martin, Allen Payne and Tichina Arnold are also scheduled to attend.
For more information visit www.CharlieMackCelebrityWeekend.com.
THEATER BITS: 'River Deep' extended; Uggams to star in Lena Horne tribute;
'From Tha Hip' to premiere next season.
*“River Deep, A Tribute to Tina Turner,” a new musical about the life
story of the music legend, has returned to New York’s Peter Jay Sharp
Theatre (416 West 42nd St.) for a limited run through July 29. "Through the
original score, choreography, multi-media visual design and Turner's own
words, “River Deep” celebrates Ms. Turner's life story, evoking the
tremendous energy and depth of her musical performances and her journey of
struggle, survival and renewal,” a release stated. The performance schedule
is Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., with a matinee Saturdays at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $35 and are now available by calling Ticket Central at (212)
279-4200 or online at www.ticketcentral.com.
*Leslie Uggams will star in a new musical tribute to Lena Horne,
“Stormy Weather,” in the 2006-07 season of Philadelphia's Prince Music
Theater, reports Playbill News. The world premiere musical, scheduled to run
from Feb. 10 through March 4, 2007, "explores the challenges, the defeats
and the ultimate triumphs of this great woman, in a singing and dancing
production that will bring Tony Award-winner Leslie Uggams to Philadelphia
for her Prince debut." For more information, visit
www.princemusictheater.org.
*Also at the Prince beginning Sept. 19 is the world premiere of “From
Tha Hip,” by Philadelphia's Clyde Evans, Jr., and the local band Subliminal
Orphans. "Commissioned and developed by the Prince, this exhilarating dance
show, directed by AUDELCO Award-Winner Rajendra Maharaj, explores the life
of a youth from Trinidad who finds a way to connect with American culture
through Hip-Hop," according to Prince. The production will feature Chosen
Dance Company. For more information, visit www.princemusictheater.org.
SHARPTON SAYS SEX ISSUES ARE DIVIDING BLACK CHURCHES: Activist writes commentary about the issue.
*In a special commentary written for CNN.com, civil rights activist
Rev. Al Sharpton expresses a rift in the black church based on issues of
abortion and gay rights. Here is the text in its entirety:
During my 2004 presidential campaign, I was fond of saying that it
was high time for the Christian right to meet the right Christians. That
sentiment is even more appropriate today, more than a year-and-a-half after
evangelicals catapulted George W. Bush back to the White House.
We are a country now locked into an unrighteous conflict overseas, a
country where racial equality is still far from realized, and a country that
continues to allow poverty to run rampant from coast to coast.
Yet, some high-profile black ministers continue to employ an agenda
focused solely on sexually-based themes, like denying a women's right to
choose an abortion or a gay couple's right to marry, to rally their
congregations and drive a wedge through our people.
Not only are they speaking narrowly on the issues of gay marriage
and abortion, but even as the Supreme Court is today taking on affirmative
action, there has been silence from the black church.
Many African-Americans recognize the narrowness of scope of these
beliefs. To that end, we held a conference -- The National Conference and
Revival for Social Justice in the Black Church -- in Dallas, Texas, last
week where more than 100 ministers restated and reemphasized what issues are
of dire importance to the black populace as a whole.
And the message was clear. As the 2006 midterm elections approach,
we must redouble our efforts where it counts -- fighting racism, ending the
scourge of poverty, and, perhaps most importantly, continuing to press for
equality at the ballot box.
As we met in Dallas, a few House Republicans scuttled a planned vote
on reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act. But if the rumors of GOP efforts to
keep blacks away from the polls in Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004 are
true, it shows that the main purpose of the 1965 landmark voting rights
legislation -- breaking down inequality at the polls -- has hardly been
recognized.
That's why I'll be traveling to Florida and Ohio soon to push for
the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act and against new anti-voting
legislation, such as a regulation from Secretary of State and GOP
gubernatorial candidate Kenneth Blackwell, that could, according to the New
York Times, "...hit voter registration workers with criminal penalties for
perfectly legitimate registration practices."
Another guiding principle expressed during this three-day event that
saw ministers from all over the country, representing all sorts of
congregations was the need for the black community, like the Israelites in
the Bible, to never forget who led us out of bondage and to be unyielding in
following their tenets until they are realized.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the man who did the most to break us
out of the shackles of racism, rallied to end the heinous war in Vietnam and
battled for blacks to be treated like others, with dignity and respect.
And he performed all of his acts under the banner of Christianity.
The church was his home base. The organization he founded was the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference. He was a man of piety who saw Christianity
for what it truly is -- a religion that promotes peace and equality above
all else.
But it seems that some have chosen to ignore or have simply
forgotten the big-picture vision promoted by Dr. King and his kin.
This is particularly egregious considering that many of those who
preach their limited view of Christianity do so inside so-called
"megachurches" throughout the South, and without Dr. King's tireless work
and leadership, blacks would never have been allowed to own the property
under which these megachurches stand.
To be clear, no one is denying anybody's right to preach what he or
she believes. But we refuse to allow the few to speak for the many. We will
not sit idly as these ministers tarnish Dr. King's legacy by promoting their
small-minded causes to the detriment of the battles truly worth fighting.
Last week in Dallas, the movement to take back Dr. King's legacy,
for the majority of African-Americans who recognize that standing by his
beliefs and preaching is equally important today as it was when he was
alive, continued with renewed fervor.
And we're hardly done. At the end of July, the The National
Conference and Revival for Social Justice in the Black Church will reconvene
in Augusta, Georgia, where the fight against racism and inequality and for
social justice and universal voting rights takes another step forward.
Share and Bookmark |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
