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02-26-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
'DONDA WEST LAW' TO BE PROPOSED IN CALI: Bill would require patients to get medical clearance before undergoing plastic surgery.
*A California Assemblywoman is sponsoring new legislation that would require all patients receiving elective plastic surgery to receive clearance from a licensed doctor.
On behalf of Kanye West's family, Assemblywoman Wilmer Amina Carter announced Friday (Feb. 22) that she has proposed the "Donda West Law," which would allow doctors to ensure that patients are healthy enough to endure the potential rigors of general anesthesia.
"Most people who do cosmetic surgery are certified and do a good job, and they do require patients to have physicals," Carter told the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin on Friday. "But some do not, and as we have seen, it can cause problems, and that's why we want to make this a requirement across the state."
Dr. Donda West, the mother of Kanye West, died Nov. 10 at a hospital in Los Angeles a day after undergoing breast reduction surgery, a tummy tuck and liposuction. An autopsy revealed she likely died of heart disease, coupled with complications after the surgery, "but the final manner of death could not be determined," the report concluded.
Yolanda Anderson, a niece of Donda West, reached out to Carter to suggest the legislation.
"I didn't want her death to be in vain," said Anderson, 45. "I wanted her name to live on so this wouldn't happen to other people."
Anderson said she spoke with Kanye on Friday afternoon while he's on tour in Australia and told him of Carter's involvement.
"He is ecstatic and very grateful," Anderson said. "He said, 'You started this. Now run with it and let me know how I can help."'
Anderson said there's an effort to get similar legislation pushed in Illinois, where Dr. West lived for many years, as well as Oklahoma, where she was born. Kanye West also suggested New York, where his mother did business on his behalf.
JAY-Z SUED FOR $5 BILLION IN REPARATIONS CASE: Man claims mogul's tie to new Nets arena in Brooklyn also links him to slave trade.
*The New York Observer is reporting that Brooklyn activist Clive Campbell is suing Jay-Z, developer Bruce Ratner and Barclays bank for $5 billion in a "claim of lien" action that seeks the money for slavery reparations.
The lawsuit's three targets are all involved in the $4 billion Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, which will soon be the home arena for the New Jersey Nets and more than 6,000 apartments. Campbell claims Barclays profited from the African slave trade, and continues to make money through its new partnership with Jay-Z and Ratner.
Jay-Z, a partial owner of the Nets, has been a major supporter of the project, appearing at press conferences to tout its merits. Barclays owns the naming rights to the arena, and has been accused of having links with the slave trade-an accusation the bank denies, according to the New York Observer.
Campbell's lawsuit claims that Ratner and Jay-Z worked "in concert" with Barclays, and "profited from the African Slave Trade and continue to profit from these gains, through a conspiracy dating back hundreds of years and continue to date to oppress Black people, enslave them, unlawfully deport them to all corners of the Earth."
The lawsuit was filed in October along with a group called the DA Black Defense League.
WHOOPI LEFT OUT OF OSCAR HOST MONTAGE: Actress is really hurt over omission; addresses it on 'The View.'
*Why wasn't Whoopi Goldberg included in a montage of Oscar hosts during Sunday night's Academy Award telecast? After all, the woman has served as mistress of ceremonies four times.
Of course the snub was addressed yesterday morning on "The View." Goldberg got emotional as her co-hosts - led by Sherri Shepherd - stuck up for the entertainer and dissed the Oscar producers for leaving out their girl.
Barbara Walters tried to give producers the benefit of the doubt, pointing out that Steve Martin was also left out of the host reel. Walters also said Whoopi may have been absent from the host clips because she was included in the Oscar-winner's reel.
At the end of the segment, Goldberg got up and kissed each one of the hosts for their consoling words.
DIDDY TO OUTFIT J.LO'S BABIES: Rapper said he'll send basket of Sean Jean gear to the newborns.
*Jennifer Lopez's newborn twins can expect a special gift basket from their mama's ex-boyfriend.
Sean "Diddy" Combs said he plans to make sure the babies have a healthy supply of outfits from his own fashion line.
"I'm going to send her some Sean John baby clothes," Diddy told People magazine on the Oscar red carpet Sunday. "I'm so happy for her. It's such a blessing. [She] is going to make a great mother."
Diddy, also the father of twins, added: "It's double the love, and it's also double the crying and the screaming, so it's a unique blessed situation. It's a rarity to have twins. She'll be all right."
JILL SCOTT SAYS HER BOOBS ARE BITTERSWEET: Singer talks about challenges of finding the right bra.
*Jill Scott is the first to tell you that her chest area is both a blessing and a curse.
"I have large breasts," she tells The Associated Press in a recent interview. "I've been blessed with them, and I need something that can support (them)."
The singer-turned actress has tried everything - custom-made bras, even wearing two at a time "a bra for lift, and one for shape," she explains. But nothing has worked.
Until now.
Scott, 35, has come up with a solution for herself and others with the same burden in the new "Butterfly" bra for plus-size store Ashley Stewart.
The undergarment, which Ashley Stewart says is "inspired" by Scott, puts additional fabric and support on the back of the bra rather than on the shoulder straps, which can dig into the skin.
"I got tired of the hurting shoulders - that's not nice," said Scott, who stars in the upcoming film "Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency."
Currently on tour to promote her new album "The Real Thing: Words and Sounds, Vol. 3," Scott said she once considered having breast reduction surgery, but was scared off by the thought of pain.
"Besides, I really enjoy my breasts," she said. "They've been with me for a long time - without being too graphic, we've had fun!"
DR. DRE EXPANDS INTO LIQUOR BUSINESS: Producer to launch own brand of cognac and vodka.
*Dr. Dre has announced a partnership with Drinks Americas Holdings, Ltd to develop and market his own line of premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including his own brand of cognac and sparkling vodka.
According to CNN Money, the joint venture is the first time an artist of Dre's stature will link directly with a beverage company in an equal arrangement to share the responsibilities of developing and marketing products.
"I'm always down for a new challenge," Dre says. "When Drinks Americas approached me about going into business with them, I knew there was a lot of competition out there but it was the same way when I started doing music. I'm going to put the best product out there, because that's what I do."
Dre's beverages will join the ranks of other Drinks America partners including Donald Trump's Trump Super Premium Vodka, Willie Nelson's Old Whiskey River Bourbon and Paul Newman's Lightly Sparkling Fruit Juice Drinks and Flavored Waters.
The artist's deal also follows under a previous agreement made between Drinks Americas and Interscope Geffen A&M Records.
EUGENE ROBINSON VS. BILL O'REILLY: Columnist angered over Fox News host's 'lynch' remark regarding Michelle Obama.
*Columnist Eugene Robinson is upset with Fox News host Bill O'Reilly for using the word "lynching" in reference to Michelle Obama and her recent comments that were viewed by some conservatives as unpatriotic.
Campaigning earlier this month in Milwaukee, Mrs. Obama stated: "For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change."
O'Reilly responded on his radio show last week: "I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that's how she really feels -- that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever -- then that's legit. We'll track it down."
During an appearance Wednesday on MSNBC's "Countdown" show hosted by Keith Olbermann, Robinson said of O'Reilly's words: "There's certainly nothing at all funny or remotely appropriate about the use of a lynching reference to talk about Michelle Obama. ... It's -- I'm almost speechless."
He later added: "You know, by tomorrow morning, some defender will come out and say, 'I know Bill O'Reilly and he's no racist.' [But] all you can go by is his words and his actions. And he keeps saying these things that sound pretty darn racist to me."
TURK WITHDRAWS GUILTY PLEA: Court says rapper did not have full knowledge and understanding of what he was admitting to.
*A Tennessee appeals court has allowed former Hot Boys member Turk to withdraw his guilty plea for attempted murder, ruling he had entered his plea without the full knowledge and understanding of what he was doing, according to Memphis newspaper The Commercial Appeal.
The artist, born Tab Virgil, is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence. The attempted murder charges stem from a police shootout four years ago. Turk is accused of shooting SWAT team member Deputy Chris Harris four times during a raid in Memphis on Jan. 26, 2004.
He initially faced 25 years in prison on a first-degree murder charge, but that was decreased to a second degree charge after he reached an Alford plea, also known as a "best interest plea," with prosecutors. However, he reportedly misunderstood the deal and thought pleading guilty would entitle him to an agreed sentence, after being convicted at his 2005 trial.
Turk was also under the understanding that he would serve his time in a federal prison, but the Federal Bureau of Prisons rejected his attorney's application for the move. Virgil then tried to withdraw his guilty plea as a result of the application denial, but his petition was turned down and no explanation was given.
But the appeals court ruled Thursday the petition to change his plea should have been granted.
Judge J.C. McLin stated the rapper was allowed to withdraw his plea because it was "not knowingly, voluntarily, and understandingly entered, and that the pleas were entered through a misunderstanding as to their effects."
JAMIE FOXX AS MIKE TYSON? Boxer said he has spoken with Oscar winner to portray him in life story.
*Former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson is trying to bring his life story to the big screen and says he wants Jamie Foxx to step into the title role.
"Jamie Foxx and I will be working together," Tyson told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "He will play me in the film about my life. We already talked about it several times."
Iron Mike, who first captured the heavyweight belt in 1986 at age 20, says his life story is a warning to kids to avoid the drugs, money and legal pitfalls that left potholes in his brilliant boxing career.
"I've seen the devil, and I don't want that," said Tyson, 41.
SMILEY, WAL-MART TEAM FOR TRAVELING MUSEUM: Joint effort to feature African American documents, artifacts, music and more.
*Wal-Mart is sponsoring a new traveling museum exhibition organized by veteran journalist Tavis Smiley that will feature documents, artifacts, music, and cultural memorabilia that highlight every period of U.S. history.
Titled "America I AM: The African American Imprint," the exhibition will provide visitors with a presentation of one of America's greatest legacies - the wide-ranging impact African Americans have had on the nation and the world.
"As our country continues its celebration of Black History Month, it's important to remember that African American history is, in fact, America's history, and we are excited about the potential of this exhibit to enlighten and empower Americans across the country," said Smiley. "We appreciate the vision and support of Wal-Mart to help bring this historic project to life."
The traveling exhibit will also feature a one-of-a-kind "America I AM" experiential super truck that will cross the United States stopping at African-American museums and places of historical significance, until the exhibition tours museums in November.
Over the next four years, the exhibit will make its journey across the country, stopping in nine other major museums before reaching its final destination at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.
STORE DISCRIMINATES AGAINST BETHUNE COOKMAN COEDS: Policy says only one BCU student allowed in at a time.
*Students at Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla. are offended by a sign at a nearby Citgo Gas station/convenience store that reads "Only 1 BCU Student Allowed At Once."
The effort is an attempt by the owner to prevent shoplifting, however, students from other colleges in the area are apparently exempt.
"Every student from Bethune Cookman University does not steal," one frustrated student told local NBC news affiliate WESH.
BCU senior Superior Jones added: "It's very ignorant of him to single us out. There are other universities and colleges in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Bethune Cookman University is not the only college in this town."
The Citgo is just a stone's throw from Bethune Cookman and it is convenient and popular with students, according to WESH. A university coach said the students are probably the store's biggest patrons.
"The sign never said that the kids can't come in. I said one at a time, that's it," said the store operator, who did not want to be identified.
Several students have contacted the NAACP seeking help to possibly boycott the store. An NAACP spokesman said they are investigating why BCU students are being singled out. BCU Security said the store has complained about thefts, but has never offered any proof that the problem is Bethune Cookman students.
OBAMA SUPPORTERS FEAR FOR HIS SAFETY: Folks can't help but think of MLK and JFK.
*The New York Times has brought to the forefront a concern that many supporters of Barack Obama are thinking about in hushed tones. Is security properly protecting the Illinois senator as he moves through the campaign?
The article points out several Americans who fear that the presidential hopeful is in constant danger of being fatally wounded. Jeff Zeleny writes: "In Colorado, two sisters say they pray daily for his safety. In New Mexico, a daughter says she persuaded her mother to still vote for Mr. Obama, even though the mother feared that winning would put him in danger. And at a rally here [in Dallas], a woman expressed worries that a message of hope and change, in addition to his race, made him more vulnerable to violence.
"I've got the best protection in the world," Obama told the paper, reprising a line he tells supporters who raise the issue with him. "So stop worrying."
But those who lived through the spring of 1968, when the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated in a span of two months, are a little more apprehensive about Obama's well being. Still, Obama says there's no need to worry. In fact, he rarely brings up the issue at all.
"It's not something that I'm spending time thinking about day to day," he said. "I made a decision to get into this race. I think anybody who decides to run for president recognizes that there are some risks involved, just like there are risks in anything."
Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, wrote Secret Service officials in January to express concern over Obama's safety and to ensure that he and the other candidates were offered adequate security.
"The national and international profile of Senator Barack Obama gives rise to unique challenges that merit special concern," Thompson wrote, according to the Times. "As an African-American who was witness to some of this nation's most shameful days during the civil rights movement, I know personally that the hatred of some of our fellow citizens can lead to heinous acts of violence. We need only to look to the assassinations of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and 1968 presidential candidate Robert Kennedy as examples."
Obama has had Secret Service guarding his every move since May 3, the earliest a candidate has ever been provided protection. (He reluctantly gave in to the insistent urging of Senator Richard J. Durbin , Democrat of Illinois, and others in Congress.) As his rallies have swelled in size, his security has increased, coming close to rivaling that given to a sitting president.
KENTUCKY THEATER PIECE EXPLORES HIP HOP: 'the break/s' mixes turntables, dance and spoken word in playwright's personal narrative.
*Writer-performer Marc Bamuthi Joseph mounts his hip-hop-flavored play "the break/s" next month at Kentucky's Bingham Theatre at Actors Theatre of Louisville.
According to press notes, Joseph "performs his dramatic narrative exploring the living history of hip-hop along with his own history."
The piece "mixes a whirlwind of multimedia, including turntables, live feed and documentary footage with theatre, dance and spoken word and puts hip-hop culture into personal, historical and political perspective. Joseph sees himself as an 'ambassador' for the hip-hop culture."
Joseph stated, "Though I am absolutely of the hip-hop generation, I don't necessarily fit those types or meet those expectations." The play "offers an alternate view through alternative media into a culture or world unknown or misunderstood by many."
"the break/s" has an official opening on March 11 and plays through March 29. Joseph will be accompanied on stage by DJ Excess and Tommy Shepherd (Soulati). For more information, call (502) 584-1205 or visit www.ActorsTheatre.org.
ANDRE HARELL TEAMS WITH EDDIE F: New Internet venture seeks to help aspiring music industry folk get started.
*Veteran music execs Andre Harrell and Edward "Eddie F" Ferrell have launched MusicWerks.com, a new online music group that links artists, song writers, producers, bands and independent labels with resources and interactive services needed to succeed in the music industry.
Ferrell, the founder and president of MusicWerks, hopes users will take advantage of services that "range from obtaining digital distribution deals with major online retail outlets like iTunes to receiving professional one-on-one feed back from top A&R's and execs."
"MusicWerks.com offers a compelling and affordable solution to bridge the gap between the traditional music business and the new technological era of music," Ferrell added.
Services offered on MusicWerks include digital distribution, A&R review services, artist bootcamp, marketing/promotion, online branding, video production/promotion, publicity, CD manufacturing and studio recording services.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Tracey and Rocco; Donna Summer returns; worst Oscar ratings ever; 'Tiger Tiger Woods Yall.'
*It appears as if Tracey Edmonds has moved on from Eddie Murphy and the "spiritual wedding" fiasco. The entertainment producer appeared at the Mercedes-Benz Oscars viewing party at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills Sunday with none other than celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito, according to the New York Post. DiSpirito was the star of a reality show titled "The Restaurant."
*Disco diva Donna Summer will drop her first new studio album in 17 years on May 20 via Sony BMG's Burgundy Records, reports Billboard.com. Dubbed "Crayons," the project features a variety of collaborators, including Danielle Brisebois, Greg Kurstin, JR Rotem, Lester Mendez and Evan Bogart. "My dream is that when people hear the music it will remind them of their youth, their childhood and the joy and wonderment they felt exploring their first pack of crayons," she said.
*Apparently, nobody watched the Oscars. Ratings for the 80th annual ceremony were the lowest in history, according to Nielsen Media Research. The exact number of viewers were not available as of press time, but preliminary ratings for Sunday's telecast were 14 percent lower than the least-watched ceremony ever. That telecast took place in 2003, when just 33 million viewers tuned in.
*Tiger Woods coasted to victory Sunday in the Accenture Match Play Championship, breaking a scoring record for the fourth straight tournament and earning his fifth straight victory worldwide. Woods made 14 birdies in 29 holes in the high desert of Dove Mountain to overwhelm Stewart Cink for an 8-and-7 victory, the largest margin in the final match in the event's 10-year history. When asked if he's en route to a perfect season, Woods said: "That's my intent. That's why you play. It you don't believe you can win an event, don't show up."
EUR DVD REVIEW: Desert Bayou
Master P Provocative Post-Katrina Documentary Out on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the mainstream media flooded the airwaves with reports about how the displaced residents of the Gulf Region were being welcomed with open arms by fellow Americans all across the country.
One of those feelgood stories involved Utah, where some 600 evacuees from New Orleans were supposedly being integrated into the mostly-Mormon Salt Lake City community.
Now, we're belatedly learning the rest of the story, and the sad truth is that this contingent of refugees were treated horribly upon their arrival. First of all, they had been herded onto a plane without being informed of their destination.
Upon landing, they were not ushered to a functioning metropolis but to Camp Williams, an abandoned National Guard base in the desert used only as an artillery range. And the mayor of the closest city, Salt Lake, hastily announced the imposition of a nightly curfew, but only on the recent arrivals, ostensibly to ensure that his new African-American neighbors would be out of his lily-white town after sundown.
This unfortunate nightmare is painstakingly recounted in Desert Bayou, a picture produced by New Orleans native Master P. The hip-hop impresario discovered the situation while searching in Utah for his parents who were among the missing Katrina victims.
He suspected that they'd been taken there without their consent or any understanding of what they were getting into. Too bad the folks he found there didn't have kin with the money to rescue them from racist treatment reminiscent of the country's dark days of Jim Crow segregation.
A damning documentary which exposes FEMA's wholesale failings while depicting a nation still deep in denial and willing to look the other way despite the ongoing suffering of a long-marginalized segment of society.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 90 minutes
Studi Cinema Libre
ASK ADVICE CHICK: Answers to YOUR Dating, Sex, Life, & Love Questions!
By - AdviceChick@ameritech.net
Straight, Gay, Bi, Tran, Woman, Man – Send your questions to AdviceChick@ameritech.net !
Dear Advice Chick,
*I am a twenty-three year old woman, who's in college and currently in between jobs because I'm pursuing an unpaid internship. I am tremendously lonely. I'm shy and don't know how to speak to men. I also believe that because I'm a plus-sized woman most men I meet don't want anything to do with me.
When I'm in a friendship with a man it's usually brief, unless it's online. In that case, it lasts for a while. I want to know, what should I do? I'm so lonely and I don't want to spend my time with a guy who's gonna treat me like garbage because I feel like I can't get anybody else.
Advice Chick, replies,
You have to conform to the world, it will not conform to you. I am hearing serious self-esteem issues, but you’re gonna be just fine. Big ups for continuing your education, and good luck with the internship. God don’t make no junk! Brush yourself off and take a good look in the mirror. You’re overweight. What are you going to do about it? You can complain and feel sorry for yourself, or you can take action.
My guess is people clowned you about your size and as a result, you have become very insecure. Some men in your past have lead you to believe that you’re worthless because you’re a big girl. They treated you poorly, and you have accepted it because your self worth, until today, was a myth. Sweetie, you are worthy of being treated like a lady.
Every negative word uttered into your ear was a lie. Do you hear me? It was a lie. You are smart, big, and beautiful. To lose the weight, start working out and eating better. Talk to your doctor about better dietary, and exercise options. Lord knows I have ups and downs with my weight, but you know what? I am fine whether I’m a size 12 or a size 20! You name it, I’ve tried it. In my experience the treadmill, coupled with better eating habits will help you lose weight at a reasonable pace.
You can meet men who are interested in meeting you by placing an accurate and honest online personal ad. Post a recent photo, and state who you honestly are, and who you are honestly looking to meet. Place an ad on 2 or 3 sites to increase your odds. Also consider BBW clubs. They’re known to attract men who are very interested in meeting full-figured/thick/BBW women.
Dear Advice Chick,
I have been dating this man for 2 years. We are very serious and are thinking about getting married. The only problem is he has the “baby mama” whom can’t seem to let him go. She also has kids. I have one child but not from him. My son father is deceased; he has two daughters from her. He does the discipline for my son and me for the girls when they are at our house. So one day the daughter that is nine called me a “Bitch” because I wouldn’t let her stay up all night. I told her if she disrespect me again I was going to spank her butt, so by her being nine going on thirty she did and I spanked her butt just enough to remind her she is a child and to stay in a child place. The next day her mother came over to our house talking about she want to fight me for spanking her daughter. As childish as it may seem I went outside like what to do. So my man “her daughter’s dad” came outside and told her to get the “F” off our property. Anyway she is saying she won’t bring the girls over to see him if I continue to live there. Now he is looking pitiful because he really want to see his girls and When I did spank the daughter he did not object or say I spanked her too long or too hard. I wouldn’t do that cause I have a child also, so yes I spanked her not beat her. I think the baby mama is being ignorant. What should I try to do to resolve the situation? But be advised I’m NOT leaving our house or MY MAN for nobody. I just hate to see him miserable.
Advice Chick, replies,
Leave the disciplining of his daughter to him. His daughter doesn’t look to you as a mother figure, she already has a mom. In her mind, you’re just her dad's girlfriend. Your son, on the other hand, looks to your man as his dad - big difference. Should the “bad seed” daughter be allowed to disrespect you in your home? No. You, he, and her mom should talk. Let baby momma know that if her daughter needs to be disciplined, going forward it will be done by him. I’m sure this will be aiight with baby momma, and things will be better in your home.
Send YOUR questions and comments to Advice Chick right NOW! Please put “Dear Advice Chick” in the subject line so your email isn’t deleted as spam. Thanks! advicechick@ameritech.net.
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Ask Advice Chick about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING related to dating, sex, love, and life! She is THE resident dating expert at EURweb.com, and calls on over 11 years of dating and relationship industry experience.
THE MO'KELLY REPORT: An Open Letter to Johnny Gill and Those Like Him
*There is a real and measurable percentage of African-American men who engage in bisexual relationships. The exact number…who is to say? Regardless of the exact number, there is no argument to be had that the percentage is real and measurable. Additionally, there are men who engage in bisexual relationships who both have a wife and children. A wife and child do not absolve one from the possibility of a clandestine homosexual relationship.
These are the facts and they are indisputable.
The only “phenomenon” related to the “down-low” discussion was that the African-American community was actually discussing it AT ALL in the public space.
The hindrance to that discussion heretofore can rightfully be blamed on African-Americans’ collective stigma placed on anything and anyone connected with homosexuality.
This is not an editorial in support of Gay Rights or an endorsement of any type of alternative lifestyle. It’s just a statement of fact as to African-Americans and our collective conceptions of those things considered "virtuous" and "shameful."
Conversely, the stigma that accompanies all things homosexual within our community has led to the ubiquitous hyper-faux-masculinity found in our music, movies and our general everyday mentality.
This is not an editorial meant to diss hip-hop or its related elements. It’s just a statement of fact as to African-Americans and our collective conceptions of those things considered "virtuous" and "shameful."
R&B singer Johnny Gill, recently took to the radio airwaves to “clear his name” in regards to the rampant rumors surrounding his “rapport” with actor/comedian Eddie Murphy. In an interview on the nationally syndicated Doug Banks Show, Gill pleaded his case as to how he “is” heterosexual, “has always been” heterosexual and “always will be” heterosexual.
“I got a stable (of women), I keep a stable. I’ve got all kinds of girls from Whites, Blacks to whatever you want to call them. I’ve got ‘em all. Cuz that’s the way I choose to live…working with the hand I was dealt. And until somethin’ comes along, one of them get their hooks in me…hey, I’m livin’ and having fun.”
- Johnny Gill
Since we now know for a fact that Johnny Gill reads anything and everything in relation to him in the media, he’ll be reading this edition of The Mo’Kelly Report too.
Having said that, Brotha…(and those like him) pay close attention.
Although I’ve had comedic fun with Johnny Gill on a number of occasions regarding these “rumors” and his supposed “rapport” with Eddie Murphy, his public statements serve as the perfect entry point into the serious discussion on the definition of “manhood” and “masculinity” within our African-American community.
What’s not included in Gill’s quote but should be noted is the fact that it was made with his illegitimate 23-month old son in his lap. What’s not included in the quote is that it is coming from Gill “the son of a minister.” The Black church and its role in the stigmatization of homosexuality and misguided reinforcement of an erroneous definition of manhood must also be acknowledged if we are to honestly and intellectually address this issue.
This is not an editorial meant to slander the Black Church; just a statement of fact.
Having a “stable” of women doesn’t make any male “more manly”…and surely doesn’t prove heterosexuality. It just means the male equates women with animals, to be used at his breeding whim.
“Stupidity”…absolutely.
“I got a stable (of women), I keep a stable. I’ve got all kinds of girls from Whites, Blacks to whatever you want to call them. I’ve got ‘em all. Cuz that’s the way I choose to live…working with the hand I was dealt. And until somethin’ comes along, one of them get their hooks in me…hey, I’m livin’ and having fun.”
It is also though part and parcel of a larger problem…how we as African-American males are socialized and brainwashed to believe that sexual conquest is tantamount to “manhood.” It is indicative of a symptom of a larger malady as to why 70% of children (including Johnny Gill’s) are born out of wedlock.
There is something inherently wrong with a Black man getting on national radio and arguing his “heterosexual masculinity and manhood” through his objectification and dehumanization of women “from Whites, Blacks to whatever you want to call them” as Johnny Gill said.
Just in case Johnny Gill didn’t know…it’s quite alright to spend your life with a woman, and not just the night. It’s quite alright to defend your manhood through the respect of womanhood. And it’s quite alright to let one’s manhood speak for itself quietly through actions, not instead “speaking up” through the debasement of women.
Yes, Johnny Gill has a bevy of women he sleeps with, without commitment or consideration…because he’s “livin’ and having fun.”
Yes Johnny, that surely is a compelling argument in support of heterosexuality and if actor Rock Hudson were still here he would probably agree with you.
There are thousands upon thousands of men who engage in homosexual activities daily in prison who would not dare characterize themselves as “gay.” There are thousands upon thousands of African-American men who likely engage in homosexual behavior in the free world who would not dare label themselves as “gay”…and promptly go home to their wives and families afterwards. This is not an editorial intended to diss or disparage the homosexual lifestyle…but it is a statement of fact as to what transpires in our African-American community.
Let’s get beyond the “labels” and get to the heart of the matter of what’s important and it isn’t Gill’s sexuality one way or the other.
Johnny Gill’s public plea for Black people to “believe” whether he’s wholly heterosexual is a red-herring and neither here nor there. It really doesn’t matter whether Johnny Gill (or Eddie Murphy) is gay, beyond their respective insecurities over what “fans” think and say.
I don’t care either way and neither should anyone else, truth be told.
What DOES matter is in Gill’s attempt to “save” his masculinity, he threw women under the bus, further ingraining the misguided stereotypes found in the faux-hyper-masculinity permeating our community.
This “fake manhood” is at the root of why HIV/AIDS is rampaging through our communities at breakneck speed, disproportionately affecting our Sistas. This “fake manhood” is why Johnny Gill’s own son is likely to eventually start his own “family” with children out of wedlock. And this “fake manhood” is the largest variable in the equation of why “street cred” tends to trump education and puts our young men on the path to the prison.
Personally, Johnny Gill’s appearance on the Doug Banks Show reeked of the classic Shakespearean quote, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”
No underhanded “lady” pun intended...just how the quote reads.
In the end, I’m more alarmed at how Gill fashioned his illogical rebuke of the rumors at the expense of African-American women…while metaphorically beating his own chest in the process. Johnny Gill did not “prove” his manhood, he simply reinforced the fact that he is anything BUT a man, irrespective of his sexuality, heterosexual or otherwise.
The Mo'Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant. It is meant to inform, infuse and incite meaningful discourse...as well as entertain. The Mo’Kelly Report is syndicated by Newstex. For more Mo’Kelly, http://www.mokellyreport.blogspot.com.
Morris W. O'Kelly can be reached at mokellyreport@sbcglobal.net and he welcomes all commentary.
THE BRIDGE: Black History: Images On Film
Darryl James
*If you really want to know what scares America, don't fool yourself into thinking it's the Black man with a gun--this nation put them there. The scariest Black man or woman is the one with knowledge and a plan.
But the most dangerous Black man or woman--to other Black people--is the man or woman who has the power to assassinate the African American image.
Unfortunately, some of the most vicious assaults on the Black image have come from our own community. In the movie Hollywood Shuffle, filmmaker Robert Townsend attempted to deal with Blacks who play demeaning roles in films just to get paid. Townsend's character admonished the "sellouts" with the tagline: "There is always work at the post office."
That statement is very true indeed. The defending line for every demeaning role in the history of film, from Hattie McDaniels all the way to the new "Blaxploitation" era of today is that for many Black actors, these are the only roles available. Yet, no one is forced to take a demeaning role in film, or to work for wages not to scale and in fact, there have been Blacks participating in the independent side of film for a very long time.
The difference between African Americans and nearly every other ethnic group in America is that we have done a poor job of controlling our own image. We can take control of our own image by taking control of the image that is bought and sold in modern film. It is weak to claim that demeaning roles are all that is available, and it is particularly weak when the option of making our own films has been available for a long time.
For all the ranting and raving I do about Black-owned businesses and how integration hurt us in many ways, I always get confused looks and questions from the people who have no idea that we were making things happen in a real way when we had real Black communities with real Black commerce.
One such shining example was a Black man from Metropolis, Illinois named Oscar Micheaux, who in 1919, made his own full-length feature film from his novel called “The Homesteader.” He was the first African-American to do so, and served as inspiration for Townsend, as well as Spike Lee, Tim Reid and Carl Franklin, among other filmmakers.
The son of former slaves, Micheaux worked in Chicago as a shoe shine boy while pursuing his dream of being a writer, moving to South Dakota, where he penned several novels, formed his own publishing company and sold copies of his books door to door.
Please read carefully, because while this story is nearly obscure, it should serve as inspiration for every Black person in America today with a dream.
During Micheaux's era, most of the films made were silent, and for the most part, Blacks were silent as well as invisible, save for the buck-dancing, shuffling, demeaning images of self-effacing actors such as Hattie McDaniel and Lincoln Perry, also known as Stepin’ Fetchit.
Our very relationship with film was initiated with the early “classic,” Birth Of A Nation. The “talkies” ushered in the era of Blacks as weak buffoons and idiots or manly mammies when most of the actors were dark-skinned Negroes who continuously bucked their eyes for outlandish comedic and demeaning effect.
Actor Ving Rhames, Keenan Ivory Wayans and other confused Negroes have been outspoken about calling Stepin’ Fetchit a hero, claiming that the shuffling, foolish actor from the early days of film opened doors for today’s Black actors. What doors were opened by an embarrassment who claimed his fame by bucking his eyes out of his head in childlike fear, by poking his bottom lip out, by stooping his head, or by speaking in a slow, dull-witted cartoonish voice, designed to provide comedy relief to racists?
There were real doors opened for Blacks, but they came in the form of high quality films with Blacks as protagonists in respectable roles, written by a Black man named Oscar Micheaux.
Micheaux understood the film game and, as an entrepreneur, knew that he would have to start his own film company in order to get his stories to the silver screen. He did just that and launched a successful film business with more than forty-three movies to his credit.
Micheaux's film business was just that--a business. He hired all of the actors, made the movies and even handled his own distribution to the seven hundred-plus Black theatres in existence in the nation at that time. Do I have to repeat that there were more than seven hundred Black theatres in existence before integration?
Currently, Earvin “Magic” Johnson is a revolutionary for attempting to rebuild what once was, taking theatres into parts of Black America which haven’t held first-run theatres in decades. His revolution is to build the future by revisiting the past.
In the late Eighties, Spike Lee set off a new Black Renaissance in film by regenerating interest in Black-themed films with Black actors that weren’t pandering to America’s beloved Negro stereotypes.
There are a number of actors and actresses who are doing very good work on television and in film, holding the line and refusing to denigrate our image for a paycheck and fifteen minutes of fame.
Today, generations after Oscar Micheaux’s revolution in film making, it makes no sense for anyone to say that they are taking a demeaning role because there is nothing else, or that they have to avoid their dream because it is simply unavailable. Micheaux was not a rich man, but he was able to accomplish his dreams by relying on resources found within his own community.
In order to generate funding for his films, Micheaux began shopping the concept of an all-Black film to the Black theatres and asking for payment in advance, which he would use to make the film.
Micheaux wanted to make Black films with positive roles for Black actors. Think about that the next time you are in front of the television when the new House Niggers make everyone laugh on television or when the latest film featuring Blacks over-exaggerating their own behavior for a punchline rolls through Hollywood for a belly laugh at us.
If we were controlling our own images, we would not have to worry about what anyone thinks about us. We would be the heroes as well as the villains, the lovers as well as the thieves and defining those roles ourselves. Further, the good roles wouldn’t be relegated to a handful of shining Black princes and princesses who refuse to clown their race for a punchline and a paycheck.
If we wish to move beyond our present, we have only to revisit our past. Let’s make Black history a part of the Black future.
Darryl James is an award-winning author who is now a filmmaker. He released his first mini-movie, “Crack,” and in Spring of this year, will release his first full-length documentary. James’ latest book, “Bridging The Black Gender Gap,” is the basis of his lectures and seminars. Previous installments of this column can now be viewed at www.bridgecolumn.com. James can be reached at djames@theblackgendergap.com.
Robertson Treatment (America’s Premiere Lifestyle Column) Issue 11, Edition 4 – A Conversation with Sean Combs
*Born in New York on November 4, 1969, rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is the CEO and founder of Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group, one of the preeminent urban-oriented conglomerates. The company encompasses a broad range of businesses, including recording, music publishing, artist management, television and film production, apparel and restaurants.
The 38 year-old, multiple Grammy Award-winner is also widely-recognized as a music producer, performer and solo artist. On the big screen, he’s previously appeared opposite Halle Berry as her husband in her Oscar-winning performance in Monster’s Ball. Now, Diddy breaks new ground by both producing a TV adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” and reprising the lead role of Walter Lee which he brought to Broadway in the play’s 2004 revival.
Here, Diddy tells the Robertson Treatment about many aspects of his career and why he chose to be a part of this great American classic. .
Robertson Treatment: Fine. What about “A Raisin in the Sun” made you want to bring it to Broadway and now to TV?
Sean Combs: You don't read scripts like that these days, especially for African Americans.
I just felt so thrilled and blessed, that I jumped at the chance to do it. On Broadway, I was blessed with an acting coach who knew the passion that I had to become an actor. And she knew I was studying extremely hard. After doing a quick role in “Monster's Ball,” she knew I wanted to take another route besides the cliché roles which you would expect of a rap artist that's transitioning into acting. She said, “If you really, really want to get serious, I have the perfect role for you.” Then, she told me about possibly playing Walter Lee Younger, Jr. And I was like, there's no way I can do that. I'd never even been on a live stage. But she said, “You can't have any fears,” and so I just really jumped at the chance to do it without knowing how difficult and tough starring on Broadway was. It was a dream role for any actor, but it was one of the most challenging things I've ever done as an artist, and it like truly changed my life.
KW: Did you draw on any of your childhood experiences from Harlem and Mount Vernon in creating Walter Lee?
SC: Yes. Ironically, some people think that maybe I may not be able to relate because I've had a little bit of success. But I feel I was destined to play this role because my father was killed when I was three years old and I grew up in a house with three women, my mother, my grandmother and my sister. I went through those years of having to watch my mother and my grandmother work two jobs and not being able to take care of my family and seeing the look on my mother's face when I would ask for things that she couldn't afford. And the stress we went through when I was going to Howard University and me just having a dream of being in the music industry kind of related to Walter Lee's dream of having a liquor store. Everybody looked at me like I was crazy back then the same way Walter Lee is treated in this movie. And so, some of the anxiety, the way you feel, the pursuit of the dream and how you're constantly hitting obstacles and it's getting deferred and how you just have to keep that passion and motivation and can't stop is something that I truly was able to tap into and relate to from my life.
KW: Why don't we see more scripts like this for African-Americans?
SC: That's a good question. I think that things are changing for the better. You're seeing African-Americans get more power as far as being executive producers, so I think a lot of work that Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and a lot of the black actors are doing right now are really opening up doors for actors like me. Still, there hasn't been an abundance of roles that really look into all of the dimensions of a black man, but I do think that things like that are changing. You don't see as many gang-banging movies as you used to.
KW: What about the original play by Lorraine Hansberry touched you?
SC: I hadn't really read another script where almost every single word from beginning to end means something. I think that her understanding of each character's motivation was genius. That's what makes this work still relevant today and so timeless. When people ask, “Why do this again?” I say because it's important that the story lives on just like Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” lives on.
KW: How was it working with Phylicia Rashad, Sanaa Lathan and Audra McDonald?
SC: Oh, to be able to work with three incredible actresses that are so vulnerable and so real you can't but help tell the truth when you're looking into their eyes. It comes very easy with actors like that. You can't help but get better. You can't help but nail the scene because they're so believable from their years of experience.
RT: Diddy, did you speak to Sidney Poitier, who originated your role on Broadway back in 1959, in preparation?
SC: Yes, yes. When I got offered the role, I immediately called Sidney Poitier, because I just wanted to tell him myself. And he was very excited and he's been very supportive. He just literally passed me the baton, and we went out to lunch in L.A. He really supported me and gave me confidence, and so did Ruby Dee and Ozzie Davis. They took me under their wing, because they felt it was important to share this story with a new generation.
RT: What is the secret of your success at juggling so many different responsibilities?
SC: One of the secrets of my success is my professionalism. I think, for some reason, a lot of people, are surprised by that. I guess I use it to my advantage because this is just the way I am. I couldn’t have all of these companies running successfully if I wasn't a professional. I come from the world of hip-hop, known for the bling bling and the money and the champagne and all of those things that become very, very blown out of proportion. But most of the time, I’m just in my office working or in the studio. And when I do go out, a lot of things get magnified.
RT: Do you especially expect your character in Raisin to resonate with black males?
SC: Yes, definitely. I felt his pain because I was going through that pain and I think everybody feels his pain who wants to take care of their family. I think that's why so many people relate to this and especially to be able to tell this story from an African American man's perspective so people could try to understand the pain and the anxiety that a lot of African American males are going through, being born into conditions where it's like their life is predestined for failure. They're born into all the statistics on what they're going to become and how they're not going to become anything. That's very painful.
RT: What message does Raisin have for members of the Hip-Hop Generation?
SC: Oh, my. I think the core message for this generation is love of family and that, at the end of the day, when things are rough, and the chips are down, your family is going to be there. And to never give up hope, to keep on pursuing your dreams because this generation has gone through this story in more of a widespread way than I think it was like when the play was originally done. Now, it's not just African-Americans that are touched by this. Whites and Latinos and other impoverished communities are going through this same story. You have the line in there about “Money is life.” That's something that this generation kind of believes because this is the world that we were brought up in. And I think this brings it down to that reality, just like it's brought a lot of hip hop stars, even myself, to the reality that there is more than that, that family is life and love is life. - Kam Williams
AUTOMOTIVE SPIN - 2008 Silverado 1500 4WD Crew CAB LT2
Wow Factor: I had one of my best driving experiences behind the wheel of this truck. With its amble space and sharp on the road handling, the 2008 Silverado is a multi-purpose vehicle that performs well on a variety of road terrains. With its eye-popping exterior, the 2008 Silverado is a head-turner as well, which is always an added boast to a driver’s ego.
Ride: Equipped with a 4.8-liter V8, 295-horsepower engine, the truck averages 14-mpg in the city and 19-mpg on the highway – excellent value for a truck of its size. Add-value comes from the Silverado’s four speed transmission and superior front and rear suspension system which will offer drivers easy handling on everything from steep inclines to busy city streets. With its sturdy build, the truck a smooth, in-control feel on the road.
Comfort: The truck’s powered bucket seats are large and exceedingly comfortable. The navigational and radio controls are easily seen and located, which is a big deal when you’re driving at night or in potentially hazardous road conditions. Another feature that I really like was the leather wrap tile steering wheel.
Spin Control: Priced at $43,000 the 2008 Silverado is well worth the money. Perfectly suited for both everyday and off the road tasks, the truck provides a perfect balance of “bling” and functionality that road warriors today are looking for in their vehicles.
Grade: B+
Visit: www.robertsontreatment.com
Copyright, 2008 Robertson Treatment LLC
SAME TRAIN ON COURSE AT THE ALGONQUIN THEATRE
By Deardra Shuler
Rhythm^^^^^^^^^and^^^^^^^^beat
Verse^^^^^^^^^^and^^^^^^^^song
Rhythm^^^^^^^^^and^^^^^^^^beat
Verse^^^^^^^^^^and^^^^^^^^song
Rhythm^^^^^^^^^and^^^^^^^^beat
Verse^^^^^^^^^^and^^^^^^^^song
WoooOooWoooooooooooo SAME TRAIN.
*SAME TRAIN came rolling into the Algonquin Theatre with such a roar the audience couldn’t help but be pulled along, captivated from start to finish with the depth and profundity of each saga. Comprised of seven tales emphasizing the lives of Black folks from the time of Jim Crow until present day, the SAME TRAIN performers tell each story via verse and rhyme, music and song, with such mastery of rhythm it’s simply a tour de force of artistic genius.
It was easy for this reviewer to get-on-board with this production. SAME TRAIN is simply the best play I have seen in some time. I was impressed with the writing and lyrics of playwright Levy Lee Simon (also known for The Guest at Central Park West), and the music and lyrics of Mark Bruckner whose individual talents are woven with such intimacy under the direction of director Mary Beth Easley, that the play is nothing short of a mastery of syncopation. Mark Bruckner’s skill as a pianist and percussionist marries the talents of bass player Tara Thierry, whose musical co-mingling gives forth just the right dramatic effect, comic timing and excitement, that colors each spoken line and each song sung; tangling and detangling each web of love, intrigue, romance, violence, and pathos which makes up the human experience and the reverie within the play. This play moves with such locomotion one doesn’t know what hit them as they are carried away by each poignant, amusing and soul-stirring tale that depicts the beauty and terror of living Black in the good ole USA.
SAME TRAIN is powerful. Although, it needed a few nips and tucks at the dress rehearsal, its message stays with you. This reviewer hasn’t been able to keep its stories out of mind since catching the show at the Algonquin Theatre, located at 123 East 24th Street (between Park and Lexington Avenues), where it opened in association with Ten Grand Productions, on February 13th and is expected to run until Saturday, March 8th.
Singers Ayeje Feamster, Kami Percinthe and Cedric Turner sing songs such as Down the Road, Slide Your Top Down, Same Train, Moon Cuts A Slingblade, Flat Foot Floozie, Hootchie Coochie Man, Blessed Child, Voulez-Vous Dancer, et al, with such power, each melodious note is a testament to their marvelous vocal acumen as they wrap their metrical souls around the gospel, jazz and blues music that integrates itself with the rhythmic verbiage of Audelco Award winner Levy Lee Simons.
Narrator and storyteller, Old Man Henry (Cedric Turner), keeps the audience enthralled with his amusing ditties and guitar strumming. He railroads and charms the audience into compliant and willing passengers on the SAME TRAIN segueing into each storyline while painting a portrait of black life which could be painted in any hue, since the play highlights the roads of life we all walk.
The talented cast consisting of Mark Bruckner, Ayeje Feamster, Eddie Goines, Harrison Lee, Kami Percinthe, Levy Lee Simon, Tara Thierry, and Cedric Turner were phenomenal. SAME TRAIN falls in line with the mission of the Algonquin Theatre which recently took over the lease of the Blue Heron Theatre which they renamed, Algonquin Theatre Productions. The Algonquin which is a not-for profit company, dedicates itself to moving plays to the next level of production including Broadway, where I think SAME TRAIN may be heading.
Audiences can purchase $15.00 tickets via SmartTix by phone at 212-868-4444 or online at www.smarttix.com for the next performance commencing Friday, February 22nd at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, February 23 at 8:00 p.m., Sunday, February 24th at 3:00 p.m., Monday, February 25th at 8:00 p.m., Friday through Saturday, February 29th – March 1st at 8:00 p.m., Sunday, March 2nd at 3:00 p.m., Monday, March 3rd at 8:00 p.m., and Wednesday through Saturday, March 5-March 8th at 8:00 p.m.
Does it seem like this reviewer enjoyed SAME TRAIN? Well, you would be right on track if you guessed, yes! I definitely recommend this play.
THE JOURNAL OF STEFFANIE RIVERS: Support the B
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