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04-08-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
MORE BEY-JAY WEDDING DETAILS: Paper claims cameras and cell phones were banned; Tina Knowles was chief wedding planner.
*London's Daily Mirror newspaper is filling in the blanks of Jay-Z and Beyonce's wedding Friday evening at the rap mogul's New York digs.
According to Monday's article, the private ceremony had an all-white theme that included white roses, orchids, diamond-encrusted candelabras and a plush Egyptian cotton-lined marquee.
"It was such a romantic evening," a source told the paper. "Beyonce's mum had been chief wedding planner and spent nearly £750,000 on decor and flowers, making sure everything was all-white on the night."
Guests were reportedly told to leave their cell phones and cameras at home, and some attendees were frisked at the door for weapons. According to the Mirror, three guns were left in an amnesty box outside Jay-Z's Tribeca apartment.
As previously reported, witnesses to the nuptials included Gwyneth Paltrow and hubby Chris Martin, Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, as well as family members of both the bride and groom.
The affair included a sit down dinner, during which Jigga, 38, "made an emotional speech praising his Bootylicious bride and jerking a tear from Gwynnie," the newspaper reported. "Bey, 26, serenaded her new husband by singing a Natasha Bedingfield inspired ditty, with the words: 'I love you, I love you, I love you.'"
Later, on the dance floor, Beyonce "performed a raunchy dance for Jay" to their hit duet "Crazy in Love." The couple took off for their "crystal-filled bedroom just before midnight," the paper said, adding, "Beyonce had imposed a no-sex rule three weeks ahead of the ceremony."
LA TIMES RETRACTS TUPAC STORY: Action comes three weeks after article falsely linked Diddy to rapper's shooting in 1994.
*The Los Angeles Times has retracted a March 17 article from writer Chuck Philips that claimed Sean "Diddy" Combs and industry vet Jimmy Rosemond had prior knowledge of a 1994 ambush on Tupac Shakur.
Monday's move by the newspaper came three weeks after elements of the story were questioned by the Web site Smoking Gun.
Philips, a Pulitzer Prize winner, suggested in his piece that Combs and Rosemond had arranged the assault on Shakur because they were angry that he had rejected an offer to sign with Combs' Bad Boy Records label.
The Smoking Gun, a Web site that specializes in uncovering news from legal documents and court filings, said the following week that it believed Federal Bureau of Investigation documents used by the Times were forgeries.
The Times immediately launched an investigation, which led to an apology on March 27 from both Philips and his supervisor, deputy managing editor Marc Duvoisin.
The story has since been removed from the Times Web site, and comments made by Philips in two online chats as well as a blog were also retracted.
"To the extent these publications could be interpreted as creating the impression that Combs was involved in arranging the attack, The Times wishes to correct that misimpression, which was neither stated in the article nor intended," the paper said in its retraction.
Rosemond's attorney Jeffrey Lichtman released a statement Monday saying his client is "pleased" with the retraction.
"We hope that in the future the Times recognizes that fabricating scurrilous accusations in an effort to sell newspapers completely undermines their credibility and guarantees that any profits made from selling such garbage will be disgorged in litigation," Lichtman said.
VICK QUARTERBACKS PRISON FOOTBALL TEAM: Suspended NFL star also washes pts for 12 cents an hour at Leavenworth.
*Suspended Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick is back on the football field, but his paycheck has gone from millions per year to less than 15 cents an hour.
According to the New York Daily News, the jailed NFL player is the quarterback of his football team at the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan, where he is serving a 23-month sentence after pleading guilty to federal dogfighting charges.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank has been communicating by letter with Vick and says the athlete is doing a number of things to help pass the time.
"He is staying in shape,” Blank told the Daily News. "Apparently, there was a prison football team and he played quarterback for both sides." Blank also says his star QB is washing pots and pans for 12 cents an hour.
"I just try to be supportive and as understanding as I can be,"
Blank said. "He talks about the process he is going through and what he has learned, the lessons of life, how he's going to come out a different person.
He's sorry he has affected so many people in a negative way — the league, our club, our fans. He feels awful about that. The letters sound quite sincere to me. From a mental standpoint, he sounds good."
SNOOP AMONG CELEBS AT 'IDOL GIVES BACK' TAPING: Rapper performs with Charlie Wilson; brings his football kids on stage.
*Snoop Dogg was a major presence at Sunday's celeb-drenched taping of "American Idol's" second-annual charity special "Idol Gives Back" in Los Angeles.
The rapper, an integral part of West coast's gangsta rap era, was asked by MTV if his participation in such an event would hurt his street cred.
"Why could this hurt me?" Snoop asked backstage at the Kodak Theatre. "This is beautiful, man."
Snoop's kids were also in the building. His daughter Cori, a.k.a. "Choc," was engaged in a bit of idol worship herself, although she was a bit confused over the identity of a certain Disney Channel phenomenon.
"My daughter thinks Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana are two different people," Snoop laughed. "She took a picture with her, and I was like, 'Who did you take a picture with?' She says, 'Miley Cyrus.' And I said, 'Where's Hannah Montana?' She says, 'She's not here yet.'"
Early in the taping, Snoop brought on Charlie Wilson to perform the track "Can't Say Goodbye" from his new album, "Ego Trippin'." Kids from Snoop's youth football league joined them on stage well, and he said being a coach is his way of giving back.
"These kids are at risk," Snoop said backstage. "And it's so easy to join a gang, so easy to get drugs, but it's so hard to do something right with yourself. I'm trying to give them an opportunity to do something right with themselves."
The two-and-a-half-hour special "Idol Gives Back," which raised $76 million last year for organizations in the U.S. and Africa, airs Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on Fox.
According to MTV, the show began with the top-seven "Idol" contestants performing Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" accompanied by dancers from Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance?"
Video of Annie Lennox's visit with four orphaned African brothers accompanied her performance of Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross," which MTV referred to as "definitely the emotional highlights of the night."
The show ended with Mariah Carey performing "Fly Like a Bird" from her album "The Emancipation of Mimi." She was accompanied by a full gospel choir and "Idol" judge Randy Jackson on bass.
STILL MORE NUGGETS FROM BOBBY BROWN BOOK: Latest excerpts deal with Janet Jackson, Superhead and gay rumors surrounding Whitney.
*Bobby Brown claims in his upcoming autobiography that his split with Janet Jackson drove him from beer to hard liquor.
"Before I met Janet I would never drink hard liquor, I only drank beer. But after our break up, I started drinking hard liquor abundantly," he writes in "Being Bobby Brown: The Truth and Nothing But ...,' due next month from Down South Books. "I took the way our relationship ended very hard.
Not to say we were head over heels in love, but she was someone I had a lot of feelings for. Besides, we were young and naive. I was only about 19 or 20 years old. Young love is no joke!"
In another excerpt provided by BlackVoices.com's Karu Daniels, Brown discusses his relationship with infamous video vixen Karrine "Superhead" Steffans, the author of her own tell-all books detailing the various hookups she's had with athletes and entertainers.
"Yes, she was a friend of mine. Yes, I've slept with her. Yes, I've spent several nights at her house, but she was only good for what her nickname stood for and nothing else," Brown writes. "She is a terrible mother ...If there is one thing I can't stand, that's a woman who is not a mother to her children. That's a big turn-off to me."
"To be totally honest, I feel this woman isn't even worth acknowledging," he continues. "I think she is trying to make a quick buck. I also think she needs some psychological help. She has been mentally and emotionally scarred. She needs a hug!"
Brown also touches on longstanding rumors that his ex-wife, Whitney Houston, carried on a lesbian relationship with her former best friend Robin Crawford. Brown admits in the book that she may have married him only to squash those reports.
'SUGAR' SHANE SUES STEROIDS DEALER: Boxer accuses BALCO's Victor Conte of slander.
*Boxer "Sugar" Shane Mosley has filed a slander lawsuit against convicted steroids dealer Victor Conte for telling newspapers he saw the boxer knowingly inject performance enhancing drugs.
According to the Associated Press, Mosley filed suit against Conte in federal court, accusing the founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative [BALCO] of making the allegedly false statements to boost book sales.
Conte, who plans to pen a tell-all book about the steroids scandal that has saturated sports, says he stands by the comments he made to newspapers.
Mosley, a former three-division world champion, has said he unwittingly used steroids produced by BALCO.
ROSIE PEREZ BOOKS COMEDY PILOT: CBS swoops actress for Geena Davis drama.
*Dancer-turned-actress Rosie Perez, who first rocketed to fame in the early 90s as the head Fly Girl on Fox's "In Living Color," returns to series television in a new drama pilot titled "Exit 19."
The project from CBS Paramount and ABC Studios stars Geena Davis as Gloria, a Manhattan homicide detective and single mom. Perez will play Lorna, Gloria's Brooklyn-born partner on the police force.
Ramon Rodriguez has joined the cast as a smart and flirty cop who works with Gloria and Lorna. Amy Farrington will play Davis' neighbor, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
BUSTA, SEAL, MISSY CLOSE OUT GRAMMY TOUR: Artists headline remaining dates of first ever outing from Recording Academy.
*Busta Rhymes, Seal and Missy Elliott are among the bevy of artists set to perform during the final dates of the first-ever Grammy Celebration Tour, reports Live Daily.
Presented by the Recording Academy in conjunction with T-Mobile, the tour features Grammy-winning and -nominated artists, and will wind down with four dates throughout the month, with the next show coming April 9 at New York City with Busta and Missy.
The tour kicked off April 3 in Chicago with a roster featuring John Legend, Cat Power and Colbie Caillat.
After New York's show at Webster Hall, the tour stops at Miami's Jackie Gleason Theater on April 16 with a lineup of Ozomatli, Kat Deluna and Pitbull. Kid Rock will headline the tour's April 23 stop at the Granada Theatre in Dallas, TX, while Seal and Sean Kingston perform at the run's final concert on April 30 at the Avalon in Los Angeles.
"With this fantastic program, not only does The Recording Academy provide music fans an opportunity to help celebrate our 50th Anniversary, it also pays tribute to some of the artists that have played an important role in the Grammy Awards' meaningful history and gives rising stars a chance to be a part of that legacy," said Recording Academy chief marketing officer Evan Greene in a press release.
TV ONE'S APRIL 2008 HIGHLIGHTS: 'Hughley's' added to lineup; 'Trumpet Awards' premiere Sunday; 'Ced Weekend' later this month.
*TV One has unveiled it's programming schedule for the month of April, a slate that includes the addition of "The Hughleys," the 16th Annual Trumpet Awards and a "TV One on One" with Cedric the Entertainer.
"The Hughleys" arrived to TV One in an all-day marathon on Saturday. Its regular weeknight broadcast began last night at 7:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.
The “16th Annual Trumpet Awards” premieres on Sunday April 13 at 8 p.m. The awards show saluting African American achievement, hosted by Samuel L. Jackson and his wife, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, pays tribute to African-American achievers in the fields of law, business, medicine, politics, entertainment and public service.
This year’s honorees include Halle Berry, Danny Glover, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Najee, Sheila C. Johnson, and Dr T.B. Boyd III. An encore airing is scheduled for 2 a.m.
"Cedric the Entertainer Weekend" kicks off on Saturday, April 26, at noon with an all-day marathon of his variety/sketch comedy series “Cedric the Entertainer Presents.” On Sunday, April 27 at 9 p.m., Ced opens up about his career and some personal demons with host Cathy Hughes in the premiere of a new “TV One on One.” An encore airing is scheduled for midnight.
TV One’s weekly series "Black Family Reunion" continues with new episodes premiering each Sunday from 7-8 p.m. The reality follows the comedy and drama that make up family life.
SCARY SPICE LANDS TLC GIG: Mel B. and Joey Fatone to co-host new singing competition series.
*"Dancing With the Stars" veterans Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown and Joey Fatone will serve as co-hosts of TLC's "The Singing Office," a light-hearted reality series that features competing groups of employees.
Each episode will feature the hosts surprising employees at two separate workplaces with impromptu vocal auditions. The five best singers are chosen for makeshift groups trained by pros to perform a song-and-dance routine and compete in front of a studio audience.
"It's not like 'American Idol' or 'Dancing With the Stars,'" Brown told the AP while filming at the Long Beach Airport. "It's not a serious competition. It gives people a break from their everyday lives to have some fun with their co-workers."
Both Brown and Fatone were members of chart-topping pop quartets; both finished in second place on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars"; and both have starred in "Rent" on Broadway, notes the Associated Press.
Brown recently wrapped up the Spice Girls reunion tour and just celebrated the first birthday of her daughter Angel Iris, who was fathered by Eddie Murphy. Fatone, who performed with `N Sync, has been hosting NBC's "The Singing Bee," which wasn't included on the network's fall schedule unveiled Monday.
Brown said they're both scheduled to return to the "Dancing With the Stars" ballroom May 6 to dance for the show's 100th episode.
MICHELLE WILLIAMS UNVEILS NEW LOOK: Singer cuts hair to shoulders and sports bangs for 'Unexpected' run.
*With a new "Unexpected" album comes a new unexpected look from singer and theater veteran Michelle Williams.
The former Destiny's Child member held a listening party Thursday for her new solo CD and showed up with a fresh shoulder-length cut and side-swept bangs, a departure from the long locks of her gospel days.
"I figured I have to do unexpected things," she told People magazine at the private listening party.
In new promo photos for the album, Williams' hairdo is complimented by pink heels and skinny pants. "It's very much how I am at home. You know, jeans and a tank top," the artist explained.
Williams said her album has already been embraced by her mother, who told the singer: "You need songs those kids in the club can dance to!" As for her D.C. band mates Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland, "They're excited; they've heard the album," Michelle said.
NBA'S CHRIS PAUL TALKS BOWLING IN VIBE: Latest issue features Hornet expressing love for the lane.
*The May issue of Vibe magazine features an article on NBA star Chris Paul and his gig as the official spokesperson for the United States Bowling Congress, the sport's national governing body as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee.
The New Orleans Hornets point guard says his love for the lanes goes back to his freshman year in college, when he and his brother were given bowling balls for Christmas by their parents.
"We went to the bowling alley with my dad at the time. He was in a lot of leagues. But my sophomore year, me and my best friend [former Wake Forest University teammate] Justin Gray were bowling between classes.
Paul isn't the only pro baller to spend huge chunks of free time at the bowling alley. Asked to rank himself against his bowling NBA colleagues, he says: "After me you got Gilbert Arenas, Dwight Howard, Julian Wright and Michael Redd."
The Winston-Salem, North Carolina native says bowling has helped to fine tune his hoop game.
"It helps me with pressure," says Paul. "When I bowl against my brother, it's very competitive, and when you get down to those 9th and 10th frames, you really have to concentrate. Losing focus is the difference between a strike and a gutter ball."
ITTY BITTY BITS: Tonya Lee's b'day; Brown, Brandy and Bedingfield; Terri Vaughn documentary.
*Denzel Washington, Anthony Anderson and a cane-wielding Diddy were on hand last weekend at a birthday party for Tonya Lee, the wife of award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee. Spies for the New York Daily News said Washington showed up to the function at a downtown New York bar "clad in sweatpants and a baseball cap," while Diddy "limped around with a cane" and Anderson " also held court, dancing atop a banquette and dishing out his number to any lady who asked."
*Brandy and pop star Natasha "Unwritten" Bedingfield were working on a track together at an Atlanta recording studio when R&B star Chris Brown "crashed the session," according to the Daily News. "Brown and his massive entourage took over the studio, blasting his songs and horsing around. The singing twosome eventually gave up but will try again this week in Los Angeles," the Rush & Malloy column reported.
*"The Steve Harvey Show" veteran Terri Vaughn is behind a new documentary that chronicles the struggles of black actresses in Hollywood, reports A-List. Titled "Angels Can't Help But Laugh," the film features appearances from Regina King, Malinda Williams, Tasha Smith and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Love and Other Four-Letter Words
DVD Features Tangi Miller and Flex Alexander in Marriage-Minded Sitcom
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*Stormy LaRue (Tangi Miller) is a popular TV talk show host in Chicago who has it all except a man. And that wasn’t really a problem until she went back home to Montgomery, Alabama to visit her supposedly terminally-ill grandmother (Aloma Wright).
For when Nana on her deathbed says her last request is to see her favorite granddaughter happily married, Stormy lies on the spot, saying she’s already engaged and the wedding is in just six weeks.
Then, when granny miraculously recovers and announces that she plans to attend, the bride decides to find a guy to fake playing her groom for a day rather than ‘fess up to the fib.
This is the familiar point of departure of Love and Other Four-Letter Words, a formulaic sitcom based on a story created by its talented star, Tangi Miller. Despite the plot’s predictability, it is well-enough executed with the help of a colorful supporting cast to be rated a worthwhile rental.
Relying on her best friend, Roxanne (Essence Atkins), desperate Stormy begins auditioning potential husbands, only to settle inexplicably on Tiger (Marcus Patrick), a stripper she meets at her assistant Carrie’s (Mary Linda Phillips) birthday party. However, this arrangement soon starts to sour when the hunky boy-toy begins demanding an ever-increasing amount of money to participate in the ruse.
Matters become even more messy after possessive Carrie sleeps with Tiger and develops a bad case of Jungle Fever. And further complications ensue when Stormy’s trashy cousins, Frieda (Sandy Brown) and Lucille (Tasha Smith), show up on the scene.
Hope arrives in a local yokel who’s been there all along, Reverend Arnold Peterson (Flex Alexander), the minister hired to perform the phone ceremony. Arnold, aka Peanut, was a nerdy childhood friend who had long-admired Stormy from afar, but failed to turn her head. But now that he’s matured into a handsome man of the cloth, it’s just a matter of time before Stormy wises up and grabs the beefy bachelor.
Yet another African-American romantic comedy where a damsel-in-distress is rescued by an almost zombie-like perfect gentleman who’s seems a little too good to be true.
Good (2 stars)
R for nudity, sexuality and profanity.
Running time: 87 minutes
Studi Image Entertainment
DVD Extras: Audio commentary by Tangi Miller and Flex Alexander, “Behind-the-Scenes” footage, film festival tour featurette, a trailer, and more.
KEITH ROBINSON: The Canterbury’s Law Interview with Kam Williams
Keith on Call
*Born in Kentucky, but raised in Georgia, Keith Robinson is a dynamic and multi-talented actor/singer/songwriter who can be seen on the new FOX drama premiering in April called “Canterbury’s Law.”
The show is a courtroom drama starring Julianna Margulies as an iconoclastic defense attorney who's willing to bend the law in order to protect the wrongfully accused.
Keith plays Chester Grant, a congressman's son who’s embarrassed by his privileged upbringing and has turned his back on politics.
The show premieres on FOX in April 2008.
Keith is probably best known for the role of C.C. White in the screen adaptation of Dreamgirls. Keith also performed “Patience,” an Oscar-nominated song from the film with Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce’ and Anika Noni Rose at last year’s Academy Awards. Earlier, he played Bill Cosby in the 2004 hit film Fat Albert.
On television, he met with success in recurring roles on the NBC drama “American Dreams” and FX's critically-acclaimed Iraq war series, “Over There.” He won a 2006 Camie (Character and Morality in Entertainment) Award for his stellar work in “The Reading Room,” an original Hallmark movie starring James Earl Jones.
Youngsters might recognize him as the Green Ranger of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. And most recently, Keith enjoyed a supporting role in the new holiday classic film This Christmas for Sony Screen Gems.
When not on the set, Keith can be fund in the recording studio working on his first solo album, Utopia, which will be released sometime this Summer. The passionate crooner is very excited to be bringing his unique brand of R&B to his fans.
Kam Williams: Hi Keith, thanks for the time.
Keith Robinson: Thank you, thanks for having me.
KW: What interested you in Canterbury’s Law?
KR: It was an edgy law drama that had a unique spin on how they solved the cases.
KW: You play the son of a congressman on the series. Tell me a little about your character.
KR: His name is Chester Grant. He’s a young, focused hotshot lawyer who’s eager to make his mark, somewhat like a young Johnny Cochran. His father is a well-off, crooked politician and they bump heads a lot.
KW: How did you prepare for the role?
KR: I did some reading and watched a lot of episodes of “Matlock” and law shows.
KW: How is working on a TV series different from working on a movie?
KR: A movie is a more creative process. You are not as pressed for time. On a TV series you have more time deadlines and it can be routine, a good routine, but routine.
KW: Your breakout role, I suppose, was as the Green Power Ranger. Do little kids come up to you on the street because of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers?
KR: Little kids do come up to me, but I do not consider that to be my breakout role. I would consider my breakout role to be Dreamgirls.
KW: So are you recognized more as C.C. White from Dreamgirls or as the Green Ranger?
KR: Definitely CC. White.
KW: Were you at all intimidated being surrounded by such a star-studded cast in Dreamgirls, since it included Jennifer, Beyoncé’, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Danny Glover, Loretta Devine, Jaleel ‘Urkel’ White and others?
KR: No. I felt like I was just as qualified. I was honored, but not intimidated.
KW: I know that your debut CD is going to drop this summer. How would you describe the music?
KR: Classic soul with a fuze of hip-hop.
KW: Where can fans go to hear a sample of your singing?
KR: To iTunes, where they can download the single “Red Eye.” Or they can visit my MySpace page at www.myspace.com/Keithrobinsonofficial
KW: Which do you enjoy more, singing or acting?
KR: I love them both equally.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
KR: Yes, overall.
KW: The “Realtor to the Stars” Jimmy Bayan question: Where in L.A. do you live?
KR: I live in The Valley, Chino.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
KR: I just finished Sidney Poitier’s autobiography, The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
KR: Yeah.
KW: Is there a question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
KR: What do you want to be remembered for?
KW: Okay, what do you want to be remembered for?
KR: I want to be remembered as someone who tried to make good on their God given talent and wasn't afraid to chase their dreams.
KW: When did you know you know you wanted to be in showbiz?
KR: I think when I was 8 years old. I did a play where I played a rhino and I really dug it. It was on from there.
KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
KR: Never stop believing in yourself, and don’t let anyone discourage you.
KW: Do you answer your fan mail?
KR: Yes, as much as I can.
KW: Thanks again for the interview, Keith, and best of luck with all your endeavors.
KR: Thank you.
THE JOURNAL OF STEFFANIE RIVERS: Cause and Effect
(This is the second of a two-part series)
*Unless you are a stockholder in an oil company, your tolerance for rising gas prices is probably running on empty. But now is not the time to run out and purchase a boatload of XOM, because if you have the money to buy enough to get rich at this point chances are you’re already there.
Last week three airlines announced they were going out of business. At least two of them cited uncontrollable fuel costs as part of the problem. Meanwhile, independent truckers are forced to spend upwards of $1,000 just to fill-up their big rigs. That’s up $300 since this time last year. So they’re planning to strike in protest.
It’s not a battle between the rich and poor, or conservatives versus liberals. Some people say it’s as simple as supply and demand. If that’s the case it’s time that consumers decrease the demand, and watch petroleum prices tumble. It’s called cause and effect: A boycott against the world’s big two oil companies will cause oil executives to effectively lower the price on their supplies. Just like housing, it’s a buyers’ market - not a sellers’ market.
Starting today through the end of 2008 we will no longer purchase gas from ExxonMobil or BP. When we refuse to purchase from the big two they will be forced to lower their prices to compete for our business. Smaller oil companies in turn will lower their prices, a price war will ensue and consumers will emerge the winner. That’s the first step in accomplishing our goal of getting gas prices under $1.50 a gallon before the end of the summer.
The second and most important step of the plan is to reach at least sixty million people with our message. At least thirty people are reading this column today. If each reader forwards this column to at least ten new people (30 x 10 = 300) and those three hundred send it to at least ten more new people (300 x10 = 3,000) and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth group of people, we will have informed more than three million disgruntled consumers. If those three million pass this message on to ten friends each, then thirty million people will have been contacted! If it goes one level further, three hundred million people will have a common goal. All three hundred million people could conceivably be contacted within the next eight days. So let’s get started!
As an optimistic realist I know everyone is not going to participate. It’s been said that only twenty percent of the people do eighty percent of the work no matter what task is at hand. If only twenty percent of the people forward this email, make phone calls or tell ten friends, we will have met our goal of reaching sixty million people.
Actions speak louder than words. So don’t just talk about it. Be about it. Don’t patronize ExxonMobil or BP through the end of 2008 and let’s see what a difference our actions will make.
Or you can just accept that gas is $4 per gallon, blame it on the environmentalists and believe there’s nothing you or anyone else can do about it. Just keep doing the same thing while expecting different results. That’s the definition of insanity.
Steffanie Rivers is a freelance journalist living in the Washington, DC metro area. Send your questions and comments to her at teamtcbadvertising@hotmail.
THE ROBERTSON TREATMENT (America’s Premiere Lifestyle Column) Edition 11, Issue 6 : A Conversation with Pearl Cleage
*For over 25-years playwright, essayist and author, Pearl Cleage has led a provocative dialogue on the subjects of race and gender in America. With a string of bestselling novels and sold-out theatrical productions, Cleage’s empowering messages of self-respect and empowerment have gained her a wide and loyal following of audience for her work. In her new book “Seen it All and Done the Rest,” Cleage revisits some of the same issues found in earlier works while grappling with newer ones, including reactions to the US War on Terrorism. She recently spoke with the Robertson Treatment to talk about what inspires and motivates her work as a writer.
What was your inspiration for “Seen it All and Done the Rest”?
Well I wanted to look at a person who had lived away from their own country for a number of years and had become an expatriate. However, because of the current political situation that our world is now in, a lot of political questions have come into people’s lives, which results in my central character’s return home to the United States where she has to rediscover her feeling about this country, but not just as an African American woman, but as a US citizen and what that means today in the world. .
A lot of characters in this book are dealing with issues related to self-discovery. Is that something that’s important to you?
Yes. I think that all of us as human beings are always in the process of self-discovery and re-evaluating who we are and what we want to do with our lives. In this book a lot of people are thinking about that -- the older people are thinking about what they have to do and a lot of the younger people are thinking the same thing, but from a different perspective. We all have these questions, which is why several of the characters in this book are dealing with questions about what they should be doing with their lives, especially during this particular time.
Why is the issue of urban renewal such a prevailing theme in this book?
I feel we need to think about where we want to live and how to make that place real. IN the black community, we sometimes don’t see our own neighborhoods as the jewels that they are until after people from the outside come in and start buying up the property. My whole purpose is that the African American community begins to see and recognize the value in their own communities. A lot of what goes on in this book centers on the people learning to appreciate their community and take the steps to make it in to the place where they feel connected, comfortable and want to live in.
What do you want readers to gain after they finish with this book?
Well the first thing that I always want is for people to like some of these characters. When you write a novel what you’re asking the reader to do is to come and spend some time with a story that you think is important to them. I always look for my characters to guide people who are reading the book to the questions that I want them to consider. For this book one of the questions that has really been on my mind is the whole idea of what does it take to be an American? What is it like to be a citizen of a country where we’ve had such a difficult and complicated relationship? But then we look around and have something happening like the Barak Obama candidacy, which changes everything about how people think and talk about race in America. What does that mean for all of us who kind of sit on the outside and fuss at America but are never proud like this really is our country and we do have a choice in its direction.
In the book my lead character becomes a full free woman able to make the decision that she wants to make on her own terms. That’s how I want people to feel after they’ve finished reading this book. I want them to be thinking about how they will become the person that know they are meant to be. I want people to think about how they can be a free citizen of the world.
How would you describe your role in society as a writer?
I am a storyteller, which is an ancient and very honorable tradition that I belong to. It’s a very difficult, challenging and complicated business to be a good human being, but I think that one of the ways that we grow is by listening to the stories that we tell about each other. We learn what’s right from wrong and good from bad by the lessons we get through the stories that we tell. The main part of my role as a writer is to tell people stories about how they can be better people and gain a full experience from this life. - Gil L. Robertson IV
BEST BETS – Epicurean Delights
Kedar Massenberg introduces K’orus wines
After coining the phrase “neo soul” in the mid-90’s by introducing the world to both Eryka Badu and D’AngelO, music wunderkind Kedar Massenberg is once again at the start of something new with the launch of his new wine label K’orus. Combining his refineD taste and marketing genius, the music pioneer has teamed with Jean-Sebastian Robicque, a French oenologist and founder of EurowineGate – a wine and spirits company in Cognac, France to produce the wine, which targets African Americans and novice wine drinkers. “The wine industry has been slow to embrace African Americans as potential consumers with only one in 10 wine consumers being black,” says Kedar, who recently introduced his brands at Atlanta’s new Uptown Restaurant & Lounge during a star-studded birthday celebration for model Cynthia Bailey and actor Boris Kodjoe. “So I decided to educate this audience, and eliminate insecurities about the purchasing of wine by introducing my label”. Currently available in three varietals – Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon with a Rose’ due out later this year, K’orus can be found at wine retailers across America. For more information, visit www.korus.com
SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW…
McDonald’s Commitment to the Black Community Continues
With the recent grand reopening of the first black-owned McDonald’s restaurant, the importance and relationship of McDonald’s to the African American community continues to grow. More than just an association linked by ethnicity, the National Black McDonald’s Owners/Operators Association supports the economic success of the company’s nearly 1,200 black-owned franchises and is the largest and most successful organization for African American franchisees.
These black-owned businesses create a pipeline for the future economic success for those communities by employing people who live in the community, providing scholarships to employees and youth, and supporting issues of overall importance to the African American community. Many members of the NBMOA remain highly recognized leaders in the communities and help serve the community by conducting in-store fund raising efforts and supporting education programs, workplace training initiatives and cooperative programs and mentoring youth.
“Together, African American operators regularly join together to support larger issues affecting the African American community: raising more than $400,000 from Black operators for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and spearheading the development of a $100,000 scholarship program administered through the United Negro College Fund, said Ernie Adair, chair of the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association. At your local restaurants, there are operators, like Ron Gantt, a Washington, D.C.-based operator, who feed homeless families on Thanksgiving and support the development of students and teachers in local schools.”
The dedication to serving the African American community even reaches cyberspace with the interactive 365Black.com website where viewers are able to experience McDonald’s commitment to the African American community throughout the year. Even better, customers can attend programs like the ever-popular gospel music tour, “Inspiration Celebration” or attend several of the sponsored HBCU events including the CIAA Basketball tournament or the college football classics. McDonald’s vow to uplift and support the African American community is everywhere.
McDonald’s and the NBMOA continue to craft a proud legacy of creating wealth and success within the African-American community and giving back to the neighborhoods that support them.
Visit www.robertsontreatment.com
Copyright 2008, Robertson Treatment, LLC
TURNER'S TWO CENTS: Bobby's Blame Game; Drugs Rap & Reality
-- by Cameron Turner
BLAMING WHITNEY SHAMES BOBBY
Memo to Bobby Brown: it isn't Whitney's fault that you became a cokehead!
In his forthcoming autobiography, "Bobby Brown: The Truth, The Whole Truth And Nothing But," the former New Edition singer claims, "I never used cocaine until after I met Whitney. Before then, I had experimented with other drugs, but marijuana was my drug of choice."
Brown goes on to say that after he got with Whitney he "used drugs uncontrollably. I was using everything I could get my hands on, from cocaine to heroin, weed and cooked cocaine."
Even if Bobby Brown never touched cocaine before he met Whitney Houston (yeah, right), there's no way she turned him into a dope fiend. Whitney's no angel, but it's doubtful she has that kind of power. Bobby's a grown man who is well-known for being headstrong and egotistical. The idea that someone else forced or lured him into doing cocaine sounds ridiculous.
Besides, we all have the power to choose. Blaming others for our bad decisions is childish.
Of course, Bobby Brown has a long public history of not owning up to his self-destructive behavior. So, it's no surprise that he'd try to pawn his drug habits off on his ex-wife. It's also no surprise that Bobby's making these claims now, when Whitney is apparently piecing her personal and professional lives back together while he's sinking deeper into has-been status.
Bobby Brown was a great star once and he could be great again. But his road back to relevance cannot be paved with cheap shots at Whitney. A mean-spirited tell-all book won't endear Bobby to the public, but it will make him seem pathetic, cruel and desperate for attention. Instead of talking smack about Whitney, Bobby should concentrate on getting healthy and creative so that he can get back on the stage and do what he used to do so well.
DRUGS, RAP AND REALITY
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley report that rap music has gone from warning listeners about drugs to glamorizing marijuana, cocaine and other substances as signs of wealth and status. Denise Herd, who headed the research team, told the journal Addiction Research & Theory, ".much early rap music either did not talk about drugs at all or, when it did, had anti-drug messages." The UC Berkeley study found that only four of the 38 most popular rap jams released between 1979 and 1984 mentioned drugs. That figure climbed to 19% by the late '80s and 70% after 1993.
The Berkeley study quantifies what casual observation has told us for some time now. There can be no doubt that hip hop contributes to the drug problem by making substance abuse seem fun, sexy and cool. Kids may claim to be independent, but most of them are not. Following the crowd, doing what peers do and giving little thought to consequences is a defining feature of youth. Most of us know people who started messing with drugs and alcohol "for fun" and wound up getting caught up in substance abuse and addiction.
Of course, hip hop - like most forms of art - reflects the society in which it is created. Rap frightens people because it describes horrible realities that a lot of folks would rather ignore. Substance abuse is often a tragic coping mechanism for people trapped in hopeless circumstances. When one sees no escape from abject poverty, violence, fear, shame or hunger one is apt to seek a temporary escape -- even if one knows such an escape could lead to death. This is true for black and brown folks in the inner-city, white folks in Midwestern towns with boarded-up factories and people of every nationality, race and creed all over the world who have been pushed onto a socio-economic precipice.
Music that glamorizes drugs is a real problem. But the real solution to the tragedy of drug abuse is much deeper than lyrics.
I'm Cameron Turner and that's my two cents. I'd like to hear yours. Click over to the message board or e-mail me at TurnersTwoCents @aol.com
THINK! IT AIN'T ILLEGAL ... YET!
PEOPLE OF NOTE: The Negro Ensemble Company Presents Layon Gray’s “WEBEIME by Deardra Shuler
*WEBEIME presently playing at The Harlem School of the Arts, located at 645 St Nicholas Avenue (between 141st and 145th Streets) in Manhattan, has been drawing audiences since its opening on April 5th. Slated to close May 4th, interested audiences have less than a month to catch this rather deep play that delves into the inner recesses of the central character’s mind as he sits behind bars reflecting upon his life. The play which starts at 7:30 p.m., features an all male ensemble, the Black Gents of Hollywood, whose physical appearance and tremendous talent, make this sometimes soul wrenching play more easy to digest.
WEBEIME is a serious play. Deep. Heart rendering at times, certainly an offering that is designed to play upon the emotions and elicit a tear or two from the watching public. Starring Thom Scott, Lamman Rucker, David Boykins, Jay Jones, Donn Swaby, Jason McGee, Justin Biko and playwright, director and choreographer Layon Gray (who also stars in the production), WEBEIME is presented under the auspices of the esteemed Negro Ensemble Company and its prestigious artistic director Charles Weldon. Its message is not just happenstance, but life, shown at its most brutal. This is presented over and over through dance and song and spoken word. Destiny, with all its twists and turns is presented to the viewing public whom are made witness to the ghosts of a man’s past. Ghosts that haunt him and bring forth his pyschological journey; a journey that for some, hones their nature and twists their character via a series of painful episodes, disappointments and feelings of helplessness. Even destroying those precious moments in life wherein love could have saved, rather then lead to the plays ultimate outcome. These ghosts are felt very keenly throughout Gray’s piece. What does a man become when as a child he is made to witness the sins and abuses of his own father, the death of his mother and the hardships of life from a very early age? Who does he become when he is forced to live a life of quiet desperation, made to feel he is nothing? As one watches this unfolding tale they begin to wonder what is it that in some cases allows some individuals to transcend their adversities only becoming stronger, while for others, the burden is too weighty and snatches from their life any opportunity to rise above but instead spirals them into downward paths from which they never recover.
Layon paints a portrait of a tortured soul in this poigant production which occassionally offers up musical relief via Motown’s best: Smokey & the Miracles, The Temptations, et al. This play is about a man seeking salvation via a review of his memories, hoping to find out where he went wrong. The interesting aspect of the play is that the central character remains caged throughout the performance witnessing his ghosts play out his life through the other male characters. In the end, he does speak but this reviewer personally feels more questions could have been answered had the main character been a more active part of the play, narrating occasionally perhaps, thereby being less of the odd man out. As it stands, he is more of a shadow on the peripheral of his story. Although, in the end scenes, he does become an active part, actively participating in the play’s final scenes which conclude in a most disturbing way.
Playwright Layon Gray, presently a California resident, was born and raised in Louisiana. His talents have bolstered him to become an award winning talent. In 2003, he won three Artistic Director Achievement Awards for Best Director, Best Play, and Best Author for his critically acclaimed play “Meet Me At The Oak.” In 2005, he won a 2005 ADA Award for “Diary of A Catholic School Dropout,” for best play in Los Angeles, and was also nominated for a 2005 NAACP AWARD for “Diary…” and his military drama “Soldiers Don’t Cry,” The Girls of Summer” received (6) ADA Nominations 2005 and was nominated for (4) NAACP Awards in 2006. He has written and directed several films, “Hip Hop And Love,” “Breaux Bridge,” and the film version of “Diary of a Catholic School Dropout.” He has directed plays such as “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf,” “Fences,” “Before It Hits Home,” “A Soldier’s Play,” “Miss Evers Boys,” “Medal Of Honor Rag,” “A Raisin In The Sun,” and “Steel Magnolias,” et al.
Tickets for the preview performances are $25, and $35.00. Discount tickets for students and seniors are $20 for all performances. Discount prices for groups (minimum of 15) are $22 at the preview performances and $28 for the regular run. Call Ticket Central (212) 279-4200, or online at www.ticketcentral.com and www.NECinc.org.
One does not leave “WEBEIME” unmoved. There is no way you can. You take the play with you, not as an after shock but as a stimulus for dialogue; whether it be about child abuse, the kind of poverty that steals the wealth and spirit of communities; creates circumstances of desperation, and forms mindsets that demoralize people, prompting action which ruin lives. Go see WEBEIME. As Gray says” We, Be, I, Me, – that’s me. Can’t you see!
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
“Every really new idea looks crazy at first.” – by Abraham H. Maslow
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
April 8: Songwriter Leon Huff of Gamble and Huff is 66. Rapper Biz Markie is 44.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
*Corvette of Choice is a car club that fosters camaraderie amongst Corvette lovers in the greater Los Angeles area: www.corvetteofchoice.com
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Apr. 8, 1960: The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was organized on this date. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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