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05-15-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
EDWARDS ENDORSES OBAMA: Plus, young staffers talk about anti-black sentiment on campaign trail; GA restaurant blasted for selling Obama/Curious George t-shirt.
*Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, a one time U.S. senator from North Carolina, flew to Grand Rapids, Mich. Wednesday to announce his endorsement for Sen. Barack Obama.
Edwards and Obama appeared together at Van Andel Arena, and Edwards offered a 15-minute endorsement for the Illinois senator after first saluting the hard work and determination of Obama's rival, Hillary Clinton.
"There is one man who knows how to create lasting change that you have to build from the ground up. One man who knows it is time to build one America, not two, and that man is Barack Obama," Edwards told the enthusiastic crowd.
In other Obama news, the Washington Post recently featured an article about young campaign supporters of the Democratic candidate who encountered racist attitudes and anti-black sentiment while working in small, rural, white towns across Indiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio - all states won by Sen. Hillary Clinton in the primaries.
In the factory town of Muncie, Ind., Danielle Ross and her cohorts were soliciting support for Barack Obama at malls, on street corners and in a Wal-Mart parking lot. "The first person I encountered was like, 'I'll never vote for a black person,'" recalled Ross, a onetime university student who is white and just turned 20. "People just weren't receptive."
The Post article continues:
...Doors have been slammed in their faces. They've been called racially derogatory names (including the white volunteers). And they've endured malicious rants and ugly stereotyping from people who can't fathom that the senator from Illinois could become the first African American president. The contrast between the large, adoring crowds Obama draws at public events and the gritty street-level work to win votes is stark. The candidate is largely insulated from the mean-spiritedness that some of his foot soldiers deal with away from the media spotlight.
Victoria Switzer, a retired social studies teacher, was on phone-bank duty one night during the Pennsylvania primary campaign. One night was all she could take: "It wasn't pretty." She made 60 calls to prospective voters in Susquehanna County, her home county, which is 98 percent white. The responses were dispiriting. One caller, Switzer remembers, said he couldn't possibly vote for Obama and concluded: "Hang that darky from a tree!"
Documentary filmmaker Rory Kennedy, the daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy, said she, too, came across "a lot of racism" when campaigning for Obama in Pennsylvania. One Pittsburgh union organizer told her he would not vote for Obama because he is black, and a white voter, she said, offered this frank reason for not backing Obama: "White people look out for white people, and black people look out for black people."
On Election Day in Kokomo, a group of black high school students were holding up Obama signs along U.S. 31, a major thoroughfare. As drivers cruised by, a number of them rolled down their windows and yelled out a common racial slur for African Americans, according to Obama campaign staffers.
The bigotry has gone beyond words. In Vincennes, the Obama campaign office was vandalized at 2 a.m. on the eve of the primary, according to police. A large plate-glass window was smashed, an American flag stolen.
Other windows were spray-painted with references to Obama's controversial former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and other political messages:
"Hamas votes BHO" and "We don't cling to guns or religion. Goddamn Wright."
Later, there would be bomb threats to three Obama campaign offices in Indiana, including the one in Vincennes, according to campaign sources.
Meanwhile, a t-shirt for sale at a restaurant in Marietta, Georgia has sparked nationwide outrage for its depiction of Barack Obama's name under the image of cartoon character Curious George eating a banana.
Mike Norman, the owner of Mulligan's Bar and Grill, apparently has a history of being politically incorrect - usually regarding images disparaging Latinos and immigration. This latest stunt has drawn the ire of local residents and civil rights leaders, who organized a protest in front of the venue and asked Norman to stop selling the t-shirts.
According to Atlanta's 11Alive.com, Norman said he finds nothing wrong with comparing the image of Curious George to Obama.
"I saw the cartoon on TV, and I looked, and this was the ears and the hairline, and the big smile, and Obama has all three," Norman said.
Protesters felt differently.
"A monkey eating a banana -- that's a historical stereotype of how African Americans have been depicted on a number of occasions," said Rev.
Dwight Graves of the SCLC.
Norman said he has sold out of his stack of 50 t-shirts. He was planning to donate the money from the shirts to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. But MDA officials said they do not want Norman's money. They said that their attorneys were drawing up a letter asking him to stop using the name of the MDA in connection with sales of the shirts.
BARRY BONDS HIT WITH MORE PERJURY CHARGES: Latest indictment brings 14 counts, plus one for obstruction of justice.
*Baseball's home run king Barry Bonds was charged with 14 counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice Tuesday in new indictment charges from a federal grand jury, according to Reuters.
In February, Bonds' lawyers scored a big procedural victory when a federal judge ruled the government had made overly broad arguments in its four perjury counts and one obstruction of justice count by including two or more offenses in a single count. The government had to start from scratch and has now brought a longer array of individual charges.
The feds argue that Bonds lied in 2003 when he told a previous federal grand jury investigating the San Francisco-area BALCO nutrition lab he had never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs.
"During the criminal investigation, evidence was obtained including positive tests for the presence of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing substances for Bonds and other professional athletes,"
the indictment, filed late on Tuesday, alleged.
"Barry Lamar Bonds did corruptly influence, obstruct and impede ...
the due administration of justice, by knowingly giving grand jury testimony that was intentionally evasive, false, and misleading."
The updated indictment alleges Bonds lied in saying he never took steroids or other performance enhancing drugs and that to his knowledge his personal trainer Greg Anderson never gave him steroids, a syringe, human growth hormone or testosterone.
"Barry Bonds is innocent," defense attorney Ruby said. "He was innocent of the charges in the dismissed indictment and he's innocent of the charges in the superseding indictment, and any talk of consequences is really a moot point."
MARIAH LOOKING AT NURSERIES?: Plus, husband Nick Cannon shuts down Six Flags to celebrate wedding.
*Someone is claiming to have been at Los Angeles baby boutique Petit Tresor this week when one of Mariah Carey's assistants supposedly called in to talk about furnishing a nursery.
The eavesdropper ran to the New York Daily News with all the dirt.
"Mariah's office asked if the store could send fabric samples and if its designers could work with the theme of - you guessed it - butterflies!"
reported the paper's Rush & Malloy column. "Word is the Petit crew is sending pictures of the nursery they just finished for Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's twins."
Rush & Malloy continued: "A friend of the couple tells us Carey had said she was working on a concept to make Cannon's L.A. home more comfy for a lady with a whole lot of shoes and dresses. But apparently, she's also thinking about cribs and changing tables. Her assistant asked if Petit Tresor could shut the store for a private conference next time she's in L.A."
This latest gossip item fuels existing rumors that Mimi and her new husband Nick Cannon are expecting, but her manager Benny Medina says the reports are not true.
Meanwhile, Cannon rented out Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Ca. Tuesday night and threw a surprise bash for his wife and 100 of their friends, reports People magazine.
"This is wonderful," Carey told the staff as she entered the theme park. "The best surprise ever!"
After posing for photographs, Carey downed her glass of Chardonnay before they both jumped on Tatsu, one of the park's famous roller coasters.
The private party included candlelit tables, lavender and pink balloons (her favorite colors), and faux butterflies placed in the vases and hand painted on cupcakes. The wood sign in front of the Grand Carousel read "Nick and Mariah - A Love Story."
MIJAC'S 'THRILLER' PRESERVED BY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: Album among 25 recordings selected, including material from Smokey and T-Bone Walker.
*Michael Jackson's record-setting 1983 album "Thriller" was announced Wednesday as one of 25 recordings selected for preservation by the Library of Congress.
The all-time bestselling LP, featuring the classic singles "Beat It"
and "Billie Jean," has been added to the National Recording Registry along with Herbie Hancock's 1973 fusion smash "Headhunters, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' 1965 hit "Tracks of My Tears" and T-Bone Walker's 1947 blues standard "Call it Stormy Monday but Tuesday is Just As Bad."
The Library of Congress chooses 25 recordings each year to add to its registry and preserve. Nominations come from a Library of Congress preservation board and online suggestions from the public. The selections for 2007 bring the registry's total to 250.
Below is the full list:
1. The first trans-Atlantic broadcast (March 14, 1925) 2. "Allons a Lafayette," Joseph Falcon (1928) 3. "Casta Diva," from Bellini's "Norma"; Rosa Ponselle, accompanied by the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Giulio Setti.
(recorded December 31, 1928, and January 30, 1929) 4. "If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again," Thomas A. Dorsey (1934) 5. "Sweet Lorraine," Art Tatum (February 22, 1940) 6. Fibber's Closet Opens for the First Time, "Fibber McGee and Molly" radio program (March 4, 1940) 7. Wings Over Jordan, Wings Over Jordan (1941) 8. Fiorello LaGuardia reading the comics (1945) 9. "Call it Stormy Monday but Tuesday is Just As Bad," T-Bone Walker (1947) 10. Harry S. Truman speech at the 1948 Democratic National Convention (July 15, 1948) 11. "The Jazz Scene," various artists (1949) 12. "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," Kitty Wells (May 30, 1952) 13. "My Fair Lady," original cast recording (1956) 14. Navajo Shootingway Ceremony Field Recordings, recorded by David McAllester (1957-1958) 15. "'Freight Train,' and Other North Carolina Folk Songs and Tunes,"
Elizabeth Cotten (1959) 16. Marine Band Concert Album to Help Benefit the National Cultural Center (1963) 17. "Oh, Pretty Woman," Roy Orbison (1964) 18. "Tracks of My Tears," Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1965) 19. "You'll Sing a Song and I'll Sing a Song," Ella Jenkins (1966) 20. "Music from the Morning of the World," various artists; recorded by David Lewiston (1966) 21. "For the Roses," Joni Mitchell (1972) 22. "Headhunters," Herbie Hancock (1973) 23. Ronald Reagan Radio Broadcasts (1976-1979) 24. "The Sounds of Earth," disc prepared for the Voyager spacecraft (1977) 25. "Thriller," Michael Jackson (1982)
FAHRENHEIT 9/11 SEQUEL IN THE WORKS: Michael Moore working on a follow up to his 2004 political documentary.
*Filmmaker Michael Moore says he is currently working on a follow up to his Oscar-winning 2004 documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11," which was a scathing critique of President George W. Bush and his decision to go to war in Iraq.
The as-yet untitled movie aims for a spring 2009 commercial release, a date deliberately chosen by Moore to follow this fall's U.S. presidential election.
Co-financed and distributed by Overture and Paramount Vantage, the film is being described by the two studios as "searing and provocative."
"He intends to examine how America's role in the world has changed over the last eight years," said Overture's chief operating officer, Danny Rosett, adding that Moore did not want the film to be seen as a "politically motivated piece."
"That's why I think he felt strongly about not having it come out before the elections," he told Reuters.
Rosett said Moore's new film would be similar in style to his previous works, blending archival footage, humor, research and segments featuring Moore himself.
LUDACRIS TOUTS EDUCATION AT ALMA MATER: Rapper speaks to students at his Atlanta high school, gymnasium named in his honor.
*Ludacris visited his former high school in south Atlanta Monday to speak to students about the importance of education and to witness the renaming of the school's gymnasium.
"I've always wanted a street named after me, but this is better," the 30-year-old rapper said of Banneker High School's new Christopher Bridges gym, bearing Ludacris' real name.
One wall features a mural that includes Luda's face overlooking the words "Gym of Dreams." During the ceremony, organized by Malika James and local mentorship program Men of Destiny, Ludacris also received a red-and-white No. 69 football jersey.
The 1996 graduate also took time to honor a project by students who stuffed a box with more than 1,000 anonymous letters on the topics of gang violence and rape into a black coffin in early February.
"I know a lot of us come from hard times, but it's extremely important that you use your street knowledge and book knowledge to get to where you need to be," he told a crowd of about 2,000.
R&B singer Monica was also on hand and joined Ludacris to plant two trees on the school's front lawn.
"This is a way to show them how to stay on track," Monica said. "There's a lot of peer pressure out there in the world. But the tree symbolizes a fresh start."
BUFFALO BILLS RELEASE KEVIN EVERETT: Move clears way for injured tight end to receive disability benefits.
*The Buffalo Bills had to release their former tight end Kevin Everett Tuesday so he can start receiving disability benefits for the spinal cord injury that ended his career.
According to the Associated Press, Everett can now apply for long-term disability benefits and a one-time payment under the player health reimbursement plan. He would not have been eligible for the programs if he stayed on the Bills active roster.
"We had numerous discussions with the league in dealing with this process to assist him in the best way possible," the team said in a statement Tuesday. "Kevin will always remain a Buffalo Bill in the same way that Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and so many others before him are held in the highest regard by our franchise."
Everett was initially paralyzed from the neck down after a collision with then-Denver receiver Domenik Hixon on a kickoff return in last year's season opener. Doctors were doubtful that Everett would walk again, but the Texas native regained many motor skills, including the ability to walk without assistance.
"The Buffalo Bills continue to be moved by Kevin Everett's heartwarming story of his recovery," the team said. "His progress from September 9 of last year through today is nothing short of a miracle, and is a tremendous example of faith, family and hard work."
CUBE'S 'JACKIN' FOR BEATS' TARGET OF LAWSUIT: One of rapper's jacked beats is from to members of The Turtles.
*Two members of the 60s group The Turtles say their previous arrangement with Ice Cube, who sampled their 1972 song "Buzzsaw" for his early 90s hit "Jackin' for Beats," needs to be updated immediately.
According to TMZ.com, singers Flo & Eddie recently filed suit against Capitol Records in L.A. County Superior Court alleging that the label had signed a deal for the song but went beyond the agreement to make even more money.
Flo & Eddie are seeking $25,000 but not more than $70,000, according to TMZ.
. Listen to Flo & Eddie's "Buzzsaw" here: http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_audio/051308_turtles_buzzsaw_01.mp3
CLARK JOHNSON WORKING ON FILM WITH NY KIDS: 'Misunderstood,' about youth and masculinity, was written by nine high school students.
*Actor-director Clark Johnson ("The Wire," "The Sentinel") is teaming with nine New York youngsters to film a short about youth and masculinity.
The film, "Misunderstood," was written by teens attending the High School of Graphic Communication Arts in Manhattan and was the winner of Scenarios USA's "What's the Real Deal About Masculinity?" scriptwriting contest.
Johnson will work with a crew of film pros to shoot on location in New York, reports Variety. After completion, Johnson and the nine participants will edit the work together.
The film is scheduled for a winter premiere alongside projects from writers and directors of winning scripts filming in Cleveland, Ohio and Texas. The films will be distributed to high schools and community groups nationwide, streamed on the Internet and shown on TV.
"Misunderstood" is produced by Scenarios USA, a non-profit that uses filmmaking to foster youth leadership, advocacy and self-expression in under-served teens.
DANNY GLOVER BEHIND FIRST ARAB ACTION HERO: Actor partners with UAE-based company for 'Sharq Warriors.'
*UAE-based Colourblind Entertainment announced that Danny Glover is joining its Board of Directors and will help in the development of "Sharq Warriors," a videogame franchise featuring "Sami" the first modern Arab action hero.
Sami uses shooting, driving and parkour (free running) skills as he navigates tricky desert settings and comes under rapid fire from the robotic defense systems operated by the Shamal Force. Sami is fighting to save his homeland - a modern fictional Middle Eastern country and to free his sister who has been captured by the GEG militia.
Colourblind has formed a partnership with Louverture Films, which was co-founded by Glover and producer/writer Joslyn Barnes.
"I first heard about this project during a visit to Dubai and could see the huge potential of developing the 'Sami' franchise," Glover says in a statement. "My production company Louverture is venturing into 3-D animation films as well as other new media and 'Sami' and 'Sharq Warriors' are a perfect fit for us. I am also excited to be involved in creating heroes for other regions like South Asia and Africa that have been ignored or handled insensitively by the existing game developers."
Glover joins internationally-renowned journalist Riz Khan (a show host at Al Jazeera English and formerly with the BBC and CNN) as part of an international team that is launching the video game.
"Danny Glover has succeeded in Hollywood, which is the toughest entertainment market in the world" Khan says, adding, "Louverture Films is producing movies in the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, Latin America, all markets that we are targeting in line with the philosophy of our name 'Colourblind' that heroes can be of any color.
"Many existing games feature Western soldiers shooting Arabs, Afghans and other ethnic 'enemies.' as well as bad guys who are consistently of African descent, Latino, Arab or Muslim in general. We think that only reinforces negative stereotypes. We're introducing different types of heroes and 'Sami' is the first of them but he fights corruption, not people of another race in an adventure packed with action that is sure to deliver an adrenalin rush."
KELLY SQUASHES BEYONCE PREGNANCY TALK: Singer says it's just another one of many rumors.
*Kelly Rowland was asked recently to address rampant rumors that Beyonce and her husband Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter are expecting.
"You know what's funny about this, all three of us (Destiny's Child
members) have been pregnant at one time," she said, according to WENN. "We were on stage and supposedly we looked pregnant!
"I think that it happens, people say that all the time and there are so many rumors about a wedding, so many rumors about so much stuff that it (Beyonce being pregnant) is probably next in line.
"I mean, even before (there were) the wedding rumors (there) were baby rumors; before the wedding rumors there were wedding rumors, you know what I mean? So, no, there's no truth to that.'"
MERKERSON, STEW TALK ABOUT TONY NODS: Theater vets tracked down for reaction to nomination announcements.
*Playbill.com has gotten reactions from fresh new Tony nominees S.
Epatha Merkerson of Come Back, Little Sheba and Stew of the musical Passing Strange.
In the hours after nominations were announced Tuesday morning in New York by Tony Award winners Sara Ramirez and David Hyde Pierce, Playbill collected quick interviews from various nominees - many of whom were in airports or headed to airports.
S. Epatha Merkerson, nominated for Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Play, commented: "I'm in Los Angeles. I'm on my way to the airport to come back to New York. I was awakened this morning. My publicist called. I guess it must have been 6 a.m. or something. I was knocked out cold, actually. I was surprised and quite excited by it. I started in the theatre, so the Tony nomination is a huge thing."
Stew, who picked up nods for Best Original Score, Best Book for Musical, Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Musical and Best Orchestrations, with Heidi Rodewald, said: "I just woke up a short time ago.
I sleep when I can, so I just turned off all the ringers and just slept. My girlfriend told me the news, and the 87,000 messages that were on my cell phone. I got calls from Europe and the West Coast.
"But it's great. It's not exactly what a rock-and-roll club rat would expect to happen to him at age 46. I've been taking this thing week by week, and it just keeps getting more incredible."
JAYSON WILLIAMS CASE TO CONSIDER RACIAL SLUR: Former athlete's lawyers were due in court yesterday.
*The manslaughter case against former New Jersey Nets star Jayson Williams was scheduled to hit a courtroom again yesterday.
Attorneys for Williams were to argue in front of a three-judge panel that prosecutors must divulge all details about a racial slur used by an investigator in the case in reference to the former NBA star.
Williams, 39, faces a retrial for reckless manslaughter in the shooting death of a 55-year-old limousine driver.
The dispute over the slur postponed the retrial, which was to have begun in January. Williams has been free on bail since the shooting.
FILM/TV BITS: Rev. Run on TBS; Halle Berry's ring; Jesse L. Martin marathon; Rolling Thunder taps John Amos; BET J's ' Real Life Divas.'
*TBS announced Wednesday that it is developing a scripted comedy pilot that will star Joey "Run" Simmons of Run-DMC. Details about the plot and co-stars were not disclosed. The untitled project will air in prime time and is executive-produced by Russell Simmons (co-founder of Def Jam Recordings), Stan Lathan ("The Steve Harvey Show") and Winifred Hervey ("The Steve Harvey Show"). TBS also announced that it has given a 26-episode order to "Tyler Perry's House of Payne."
*New mom Halle Berry sent folks in a gossip tizzy recently after she was spotted at an event over the weekend with a diamond ring on her left hand. "It's not an engagement ring," a source close to the Oscar winner tells People magazine. As for reports suggesting that the ring, designed by Amrapali, was a gift from boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, "Halle just saw it and thought it was beautiful so she bought it for herself."
*It's Jesse L. Martin all day long on TNT Sunday (May 18). The network will celebrate his former "Law & Order" character Det. Ed Green with an 11-hour marathon (2 p.m. to 1 a.m.) of memorable episodes in the life of the character, including his first appearance ("Gunshow") and a special two-episode crossover with sister series "Law & Order: Trial By Jury," in which Green is critically injured.
*John Amos, long-time actor, activist and star of ABC's "Men in Trees," will participate in Rolling Thunder's 21st annual Memorial Day weekend activities and Sunday demonstration in support of POW/MIA and veterans' issues, May 23-25, in Washington, D.C. Amos, a veteran himself, will deliver a dramatic reading of Gen. Colin Powell's "Letter to a Soldier"
on Sunday afternoon, May 25, at the Lincoln Memorial's reflecting pool. He will ride his Harley-Davidson motorcycle from the Pentagon to the reflecting pool with members of Rolling Thunder Inc. National, as well as dignitaries and VIPs, as part of the annual demonstration ride through the streets of Washington.
*BET J rolls out six new episodes of its hit original series "Real Life Divas" kicking off on tonight at 10 p.m. in an exclusive one-hour episode featuring "editorial queen" Susan L. Taylor. The spring season will feature an all-new star-studded lineup of beautiful iconic personas including Jill Scott, CeCe Winans, MC Lyte, Naomi Campbell and Sony Records Executive Lisa Ellis.
MUSIC BITS: Nate Dogg is alive; Lil Wayne's prediction; Akon gone country; Plies gets 'Real.'
*Nate Dogg is not dead. The West coast gangsta crooner was rumored to have died this week in the wake of a severe stroke he suffered in January, but sources close to the artist have told Allhiphop.com that he is still very much alive and continues to recover from his stroke.
*Lil Wayne has spoken. According to the Mayan prophecies that he's been studying during down time on his tour bus, the world as we know it will cease to exist in four years. He tells Blender magazine: "The world is about to end in 2012... 'cause the Mayans made calendars, and they stop at 2012. I got encyclopedias on the bus. The world is about to end as we know it. You can see it already. A planet doesn't exist - there's no more Pluto. Planes are flying into buildings - and not just the Twin Towers. Mosquitos bite you and you die. And a black man and a woman are running for president."
*Akon says he plans to use a pseudonym to launch a new singing career in country music. He tells MTV, "I was trying to shock the world with that.
I've been doing some writing and producing for some country artists but I've been going under and alias, so no one knows I'm doing it. Depending on those records, how well they do, I might just come out with one (album)... I just want to see if I can conquer this side of things."
*Plies will promote the June 10th release of his new album "Definition of Real" with a nationwide promo tour this week and a series of future appearances in association with Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) and Navy Exchange Service Command. The album includes the current single "Bust It Baby Part 2" and "Who Hotter Than Me."
EUR DVD REVIEW: The Great Debaters
Inspirational Bio-Pic Brought to DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*When a movie bills itself as "Inspired by a True Story," to what extent should it be allowed to take liberties with the truth?
That is the question which begs to be answered in the course of appraising this inspirational bio-pic about a debate team from a tiny black college which allegedly took on Harvard University in a big showdown for the national championship.
The film's most glaring, factual faux pas is that while Wiley College's opponent was not Harvard at all, but USC. This fabrication naturally makes one wonder about other aspects of this recreation.
Was the original contest really broadcast live on radio? (Unlikely) Was it even the first time, as implied, that a black college competed against a white school in the debate tournament? (No) Etcetera. etcetera.
Furthermore, the picture propagated plenty of other tall tales. For instance, there's a scene where Professor Tolson (Denzel Washington) attempts instill some self respect in his pupils by quoting from Willie Lynch's 1712 speech supposedly delivered to fellow slave owners about how to mold and control the minds of their slaves.
Well, the problem is that the infamous lecture never took place, and has long been dismissed by academics and experts, even African-American, as an urban legend created around 1993. Since I've criticized references made to Willie Lynch by other flicks, it would be hypocritical for me to give this flick a pass just because it's such a well-meaning message movie.
All of the fibs aside, there is still much to recommend here. Denzel certainly delivers as the film's plucky protagonist, as do Forest Whitaker, Denzel Whitaker, Jurnee Smollett, Nate Parker and Jermaine Williams.
Well-Intentioned and well-executed, but recommended with reservations only because there's still something terribly troubling even about a feelgood flick packed with so many misrepresentations.
Good (2 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity, ethnic slurs, mature themes, brief sexuality, violence and disturbing images.
Running time: 124 minutes
Studi Genius Products
2-Disc DVD Extras: Deleted scenes
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: This Crazy Mixed Up World
*I never imagined a time when directors of campus diversity would suggest that Blacks not be hired or when Black students would work to censure a speaker for suggesting that they are capable of competing with their White and Asian classmates in the academic arena. Yet, that is exactly what happened during my recent sojourn to Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania to speak on the topic of “Affirmative Action in the 21st Century.”
Who knew an appearance by little ol’ me could elicit such controversy?
The fun began when the campus Republicans (CR) approached the Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs (OMA) and asked if they would like to co-sponsor the evening and join us all for dinner afterwards. The OMA declined the invitation and began working to bring their own speaker to campus. The topic was clearly one of interest; they were just uninterested in working with the students of the CR or hearing what their speaker had to say. This, I believe, is known in academic circles as having an open mind.
The OMA later contacted the CR and informed them that they wanted to add their speaker to the evening’s bill. The event organizers explained that they were satisfied with the plans they had made and politely declined. The students then contacted the campus communications department in order to advertise their event on the campus website. They were informed that unless the OMA speaker was added to the bill they would not be allowed to advertise their event. The students also became aware of an email from the director of the OMA to several other student groups on campus seeking their support for the speaker the OMA was bringing to campus. Welcome to the new academic freedom.
Another meeting was held in the office of the director of the OMA. Several students protesting the event were present and accused the CR of attempting to propagate the message that Black students were not welcome on the campus. Mind you at this point no one, not the students protesting the event or the director of the OMA had taken the time to find out exactly what my position on affirmative action is or to inquire as to what I might say during my speech. For the record, I do not oppose all affirmative action programs. My comments that evening were narrowly focused on racial preferences for the purposes of diversity. One of the main arguments I make is that racial preferences tend to reinforce stereotypes particularly as it pertains to black academic inferiority. That, of course, did not stop several students from expressing their indignation by threatening to picket the event, tear down posters and put up posters of their own attacking the officers of the CR. Nor did it dissuade the director of the OMA from suggesting to the CR that it would have been better had they invited a white speaker to address the issue. This is a prime example of the new world promotion of cross racial understanding.
Ironically, ignorance of the speaker did little to prevent Black students in the audience from viewing me as the enemy even as the president of the campus Democrats – one of their fellow protestors – expressed her outrage that I would be invited to speak given the fact that most of the Black students on campus were there because of affirmative action, (thus proving my point).
In the end, it was more sound and fury than substance and no doubt increased the events turnout proving the maxim, “all publicity is good publicity.”
There was, however, a particularly fascinating moment during the question and answer portion of the evening. A woman in the rear of the auditorium (that had been sucking her teeth for most of my talk) asked how in the world I expected Black students to get into college without racial preferences. I waited hoping that perhaps one of the Black students so indignant at my appearance would politely check this woman. I waited in vain. The new Black revolutionaries, God help us.
It is truly a sign of how mixed up the world is when a Black man telling Black students that there is no monopoly on brain power is decried as a sellout while White folk that believe Black students are only in attendance on campus because of lowered standards and that without lowered standards they would not be in school at all are seen as comrades in arms. Let’s just call that madness.
Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like A White Boy” available wherever books are sold
MARIANN’S MIDLIFE MAYHEM & MISCELLANY: 40 Tips for Better Life in 2008
*A friend of mine who’s been dealing with a serious debilitating illness for more than 20 years sent me this in an e-mail on Mother’s Day. While his disease is life-threatening and he’s had a number of “close-calls” during this time, he doesn’t dwell on his disease and is one of the most joyful people I know. If he’s a follower of these 40 tips, maybe this is why!
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.
7. Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, OR issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. REMEMBER GOD heals everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!)
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
40. May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more, May nothing but happiness come through your door!
Onward!
Mariann
A veteran of the P&G soap opera, Edge of Night, (“DiDi Bannister,” 1981-84), Mariann Aalda’s 25-year body of work as a television, film and stage actress includes co-starring with Redd Foxx and Della Reese as their daughter, on the CBS sitcom, The Royal Family; three seasons opposite OJ Simpson, playing his wife on the HBO series, First & 10, and recurring on CBS’ Designing Women as the yuppie-from-hell, “Lita Ford,” opposite Meschach Taylor, with whom she also co-starred in the teen cult film, Class Act. Also a stand-up comedienne, she, along with Iona Morris, is co-creator/writer/producer of MOIST! – a “sexistential” musical comedy celebration of women in the throes of midlife (www.moistonstage.com) – utilizing her training as a hypnotherapist to bring new insight to the joys of being a “seasoned” woman. This column chronicles her own journey.
THE PULSE OF ENTERTAINMENT: 'Movin' on Up: The Music and Message of Cuurtis Mayfield and The Impressions' now on DVD
By Eunice Moseley
Documentary on the life and career of Curtis Mayfield and The Impression now on DVD
*“Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions, they are one in the same,” producer David Peck said about the subject of his latest documentary film, “Moving On Up: The Music and Message of Curtis Mayfield.” “Curtis was writing (songs) about equality and injustice.”
Peck’s latest project is one of many about music industry icons that he has documented on DVD. He has produced over 30 and some of his most notable are “The Temptations: Get Ready The Definitive Performances 1965-1972”; “Marvin Gaye: The Real Thing in Performances 1964 – 1981,” which was certified gold, along with “Smokie Robinson and The Miracles: Definitive Performances 1963-1987,” all produced by his Reelin’ In The Years Productions, LLC and distributed by Universal Music.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Impression, David Peck in this two-hour film, “Movin’ On Up: The Music and Message of Curtis Mayfield and The Impression,” tells the incredible story of one of the greatest artists and most important R&B groups of all time, The Impressions. Also included in the documentary are 22 complete vintage television performances from The Impression and Curtis Mayfield’s solo career.
“When the group started in Chattanooga I was too young (15 – 16 years-old) to travel with them to Chicago where there were recording companies,” said Impression member Fred Cash about their humble beginnings. “They later came back for me when they recorded, ‘Precious Love,” which was a hit (sold 900,000 copies). I was 17 at that time. Jerry Butler (an original member) departed after that”
At the time of ‘Precious Love” the group was named Jerry Butler and The Impression. Aside from Cash, Mayfield and Butler other members included Sam Gooden (founder) and bothers Richard and Arthur Brooks. Cash goes on to tell of the familiar music industry story that says, “even though they had a hit, the record label walked away with the profits.”
“We were going to buy a car, but we walked away with nothing,” Cash stated about their devastating moment. “It just taught me we had to be careful.”
Fred said that their record company did eventually give the guys a station wagon so they could get to the shows. The group went through other challenges, like lead singer Jerry Butler leaving for a solo career, and then fellow member and group song writer/producer, Curtis Mayfield, going on tour with him for a year. Mayfield co-wrote for Butler his hit, “(He Will) Break Your Heart.”
Mayfield had a plan, that plan was to make as much money as he could while on the road come back and get with the group. He did just that and the first thing they did was redo, “Gypsy Woman,” next they recorded “Its All Right” and then “Keep on Pushing.”
By the 60s they found their sound without Butler in Curtis who took over as lead singer. By then the Brooks brothers had left leaving Mayfield, Cash and Gooden as a trio. The now three member group recorded such hits as “Its All Right,” which reach number one on R&B and Pop charts. By the 70s Mayfield left the trio to form his own label Custom Records. As a soloist Mayfield’s hits included “Superfly,” “Freddie’s Dead,” “Pusherman,” “People Get Ready, “Choice of Colors” and “We’re a Winner/Amen.” In 1990 Curtis was paralyzed in a car accident and by 1999 he had passed away.
“We still perform,” Fred says about the group who was later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “We performed at the King Center in Atlanta for a CNN’s premier and for the 50th anniversary show in Chattanooga with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, it was sold out. We will be performing in Los Angeles with the L.A. Symphony Orchestra, a 42 piece orchestra.”
THE FILM STRIP: Black narnian Cornell R. John aids prince Caspian and the Pevensie Crew in wiping out ethnic cleansing: 'THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA:’ Ben Barnes, Anna Popplewell and William Moseley talk about messages.
By Marie Moore
*Call me weird but I have always liked centaurs. My favorite segments of the TV series “Xena: Warrior Princes” were the ones that included the centaurs. In “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” British stage and screen actor Cornell S. John is the centaur Glenstorm. The English musical theater star once played a king royalty himself—King Mufasa in “The Lion King”—in the show’s debut in London’s West End in 1999. In “Prince Caspian,” John is the commanding and powerful centaur who aids the Telmarine Prince Caspian and the Pevensies in their fight against King Miraz, who is set on ethnic cleansing and wiping out all the creatures in Narnia that don’t look like them.
Like other actors in the film, John endured a lengthy seventy-five minute makeup process that transformed him into one of mythology’s quintessential creatures, the centaur. Latex face appliances combined with the new fashion rage—green screen tights (over which VFX magician Dean Wright superimposed the body and legs of a horse)turned the soft-spoken but confident actor into one of the film’s most imposing creations.
“I’m 160 percent Mike Fields, the guy who did my make-up,” John allows. “In the beginning I had no idea what I should look like, but after talking with the designers the look finally came together. I was hoping for something that expressed honor, pride, and tradition. Because centaurs can live for hundreds of years, there’s no age limit on this. I put myself at 170 Earth years. Like I said earlier, you had to earn the right. This face is Glenstorm. It’s a face of time. A face of honor. A face of dignity.”
As for what John expects when he sees that face on-screen for the first time, his candid comment were: “I haven’t a clue what’s going to happen when I see it for the first time. And I like that. I never watched any of the video playbacks during filming. I just lived the character. So when I sit down in the cinema house for the first time, I could be shocked. I could be surprised. I could be sad. I could be happy. I don’t know. Anyway, it will be an event.”
“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” is the follow-up to the very successful 2005 “The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” in which the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton) put an icy spell on the Narnians’ land. Thrown back in time through a wardrobe, Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) Pevensie battled the White Witch’s hold over Narnia. With the help of Aslan (the voice of Liam Neeson}, a seeming metaphor for the Messiah, they freed Narnia from her cold hands. After the battle in which Aslan was killed and resurrected, he proclaimed the Pevensie children kings and queens of Narnia.
Thirteen hundred Narnian years later but a year in their present time in England, the Pevensie clan—whose parents are deceased—is standing on a train platform prepared to attend boarding school. With the ancient magical horn Queen Susan left behind, the four are summoned back to Narnia to help Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) defeat king Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) and the Telmarines from killing all the inhabitants of Narnia.
The Film Strip asked stars from the film if there was a message their character tried or wanted to convey in this installment? A bubbly Ben Barnes hesitated for a moment before responding. “That’s a good question. I'm not sure. I've been discussing this. What I like about ‘Prince Caspian’ is that it's not too spoon-feedy. There's not one particular moral message that comes to the front, but I think there are good lessons in there. There are moments where he makes mistakes and you learn about his regret of those mistakes and there are moments where he has to trust in the other people around him and their ideas and learn to concede.
“Then there's the overarching message, that they're living in something that is greater than themselves. Nature is the thing that saves the day at the end. Fifty years ago when these books were written that was a much more allegorical message and now it's something that looks really cool. I think it's there if you choose to see it. I think the Miraz and Telmarine imagery is very strong. You've got all these sort of eagles and it's a very kind of Nazi-esque kind of look to it, but it's only there if you look to see it, this faceless race with this ethnic accent.
“It's set during World War II and Sergio would be the first to say that he thought Miraz was a sort of Hitlerian figure. Then you look at Caspian and his uncle has murdered his father, thinking that vengeance is the best policy. Pop quiz: What Shakespeare play does this remind you of? So, yeah, I think there are a lot of interesting layers and a lot of good moral messages about humility and all of those things. There are a lot of different messages in there. They're there if you choose to see them and if you don't there are cool battle scenes,” he laughs.
Butt kicking Anna Popplewell explained Susan’s transformation. “I think that from the first film Susan isn't very likeable because she's always the one saying, 'Well, hold on a minute. This doesn't make sense.' She's kept that element this time around as well. She's still asking questions and causing problems, but I think she's a lot more human this time and so I wanted her to be a little more sympathetic and hopefully have people see where she's coming from.”
William Moseley aka King Peter gave his thoughts on what message he thought his character conveyed: “I think as we’ve seen in history there are a lot of leaders who have fallen because of their own egos. I think most empires actually have fallen through their own ego. You know you got the Roman Empire, You got the British Empire and I’m not going to talk about the American empire,” he howled. “But it happens and I think the most important thing Peter has to learn is humility as a leader. He has to serve other people and not serve himself. He has to do what’s best for everybody else. So I think I conveyed the message of humility from a leader.”
KEV'S VIEW (cartoon commentary): HILLARY VOWS TO KEEP GOING...
Vows To Fight On Despite Split N.C., Indiana Decision
*INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ¯ Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton lent her presidential campaign $6.4 million over the past month, her campaign said Wednesday, underscoring the financial advantage held by her rival, Barack Obama.
The money more than doubled Clinton's personal investment in her bid for the Democratic nomination. She gave her campaign $5 million earlier this year.
Clinton lost to Obama by a wide margin in North Carolina and managed only a slim win in Indiana, a victory that she held out as evidence that she still has staying power in the race.
Clinton made a direct fundraising appeal to backers to help her compete against Obama's better-financed operation - unusual remarks at a victory party.
"I need your help to continue our journey," Clinton said in her speech. "This has always been your campaign, and this is your victory because your support has meant the difference between winning and losing."
"I hope you will go to HillaryClinton.com and support our campaign," she added.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible." — Orison Swett Marden
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
May 15: Singer Prince Be of PM Dawn is 38.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
This blog is the home of entertainment writer and author Shelia M. Goss. It's a blog with a flair for the dramatic (www.sheliagoss.com/blog).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
May 15, 1942: 93rd Infantry activated and assigned to combat in the South Pacific; the first African American division formed during World War II. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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