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07-01-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
AMY WINEHOUSE CALLS KANYE A 'C**T': 'Rehab' singer says it to Glastonbury crowd as an aside while praising Jay-Z. Jigga comments.
*When she wasn't punching fans in the crowd, British soul singer Amy Winehouse was hurling insults at Kanye West during her set at England's Glastonbury Festival on Saturday.
The "Rehab" singer was in the midst of praising the presence of Glastonbury's headlining act, Jay-Z, when she told the crowd: “Imagine if it was a c**t like Kanye West- 'C**ts like Kanye' should be his next album title!”
MTV News went straight to Jay-Z, the head of Kanye's label, for a reaction.
“She said something about Kanye late on (in her set) but I didn’t hear it and I don’t agree with it. He’s my brother and the biggest artist on Roc-a-fella (records) right now," said Jay. “I guess I should hook them up because he’s a great guy too. I don’t know what the problem is- I don’t know where that (comment) came from.”
Winehouse, recently hospitalized for possible emphysema, had already made headlines over the weekend for swinging on an audience member who either grabbed her breast, per some reports; or said something ill about her jailed husband Blake Fielder Civil, according to other accounts.
MOS DEF'S EX-WIFE PENS TELL-ALL: Former stripper says marriage to rapper was abusive; claims she had fling with Kanye.
*A juicy new tell-all book from the ex-wife of rapper Mos Def reveals her sexual encounters with various professional athletes and celebrities, including Kanye West, according to The Toronto Star.
Alana Wyatt-Smith, 29, spills all the dirt in her newly-released memoir "Breaking the Code of Silence," which chronicles her marriage to the rapper. Their 2005 wedding took place three days after they met, she reveals, among other things.
The former stripper and seventh grade dropout says her book is different from recent efforts written by "video vixen" Karrine Steffans and Nas's ex-girlfriend Carmen Bryan. Unlike theirs, Wyatt-Smith says her book uses initials and nicknames instead of her lovers' real names.
"I disagree with putting names of people in there, just out of respect for their wives and children," Wyatt-Smith told The Toronto Star. "If this was about making money, getting rich, I could have wrote a tell-all book, 10 times better than Karrine Steffans.
"People want to know about the biggest names in the NBA, who proposed to who, and did what, and this and that; I could have put some stuff in there that would have made it a number one seller within days. I use nicknames, initials, that myself and the gentleman would know; the ones named I got permission from."
Apparently, one of the men who gave permission was Kanye West, as he is mentioned in the book as one of her ex lovers.
As for Mos Def, who has six kids with four different women, Wyatt-Smith accuses him of being too demanding, overprotective, and even physically abusive during their marriage.
Wyatt-Smith writes: "I don't believe that his intent was to hurt me, I believe that he was trying to prove a point. But I had shared and cried with him many nights about my past (abusive) situation and I asked of him not to do that, because it brings back memories; so I found it to be more disrespectful, because he knew what I had been through."
The author says she didn’t press charges after the first alleged incident because she didn't "want to cause problems," believing the incident was "a first and last."
Her book also claims they tried several times to reconcile since breaking up in Oct. 2006; and that the two are technically still married.
"He won't sign the papers," she told The Toronto Star. "He told my lawyer if he can't have me, nobody else will."
NAS IS THE NEW FACE OF FILA: Rapper tapped to co-create own line based on fashions of the late '80s.
*Fila is trying to make a comeback through the use of hip hop star Nas, who has just signed a one-year partnership with the athletic apparel company that will include his own line, reports Billboard.
The deal calls for Fila to offer reciprocal financial backing for Nas' print and TV ad campaign as well as his upcoming tour in support of his untitled album, due July 15 via Def Jam. In return, the MC will sport Fila gear and co-create an apparel line that draws from fashions of the late '80s.
"My best friend Will and I loved Fila," Nas tells Billboard. "It represented prestige and everything that was cool to us. When Will passed, we buried him in a black Fila sweat suit, so doing a deal with them has a lot of significance for me."
The brand means so much to him that he's gone against his own tradition of steering clear of endorsement deals. Fila president John Epstein recognizes the importance of having Nas on board – despite his upcoming album that will speak directly and unapologetically to America's racial struggles.
"I had some trepidation, and then I started talking to 16- to 20-year-old kids in focus groups," said Fila president John Epstein. "They looked at me like I was crazy for not understanding his message of positive change. Nas is relevant to his followers and I don't have to understand it as long as they do."
HALLE BERRY UNRAVELS MYSTERY OF DON CHEADLE: Actress presents 'Che Che' with special award at LA Film Fest.
*If ever there were a trivia game about the life of Don Cheadle, Halle Berry would win it hands down. The actress unveiled the actor's secrets while presenting him with a special honor at Sunday's Los Angeles Film Festival.
After congratulating him on receiving the Spirit of Independence Award, Berry told the crowd: "I'm here to tell you tonight what you don’t know about Don Cheadle," whom she affectionately calls "Don Che Che."
With Jennifer Beals and Loretta Devine among the audience members looking on, the 41-year-old new mom ran down the list. Here's a few, according to People magazine:
• What he loves:
"He loves to iron. He loves to iron so much he went and got one of those steamers, like a professional steamer. Really."
• His favorite pastime:
"Golf. Don has a putting green in his backyard that he built so he can just putt, putt, putt, putt, putt and much to [wife] Bridget's dismay, he's always out there putting."
• His morning routine:
"He makes breakfast for his children and then he drives them to school while Bridget stays home in bed. Yes Bridget! You're going to have to explain to me how you trained him to do that!"
• His favorite food:
"I thought it was something sexy, something really robust. No, it's tofu.
Don Cheadle says no to fast food unless it's a Wendy's square burger with a frosty on the side."
• His exercise regime:
"Ladies might want to know how Don Che Che keeps his sexy figure – 'cause he's hot, he's kinda got a sexy thing going on. He does Tai Chi every morning, or every other morning."
• His sense of humor
"Don is a funny, funny man in life and in movies he's really funny. You know what makes him laugh? Any Pixar film. I don't know what that says about him other than he has not been able to give up cartoons."
• His shoe size:
"The ladies might understand why I was curious about this one. I said, 'Bridget, what size shoe does Don wear?' And she said, 'He wears a 9.' And I said, 'Oh, for a little guy that's a big deal that he wears a 9.'"
Berry ended her speech by telling the Oscar-nominated actor: "Don, I want you to know that I admire you, I respect you. Your heart is one of the biggest of anybody, not only in this town, but anybody that I know and I'm honored to call you my friend."
JOHN MCCAIN CLAIMS TO LIKE USHER: Republican presidential nom says he even has one of his CDs. Jeezy recounts troubling conversation with senator.
*Republican presidential candidate John McCain appeared on a "Saturday Night Live" broadcast with Usher last season and suddenly, the war hero is calling himself one of the singer's fans.
"Very talented. Very good," McCain said of Ursh to Pioneer Press reporter Bob Sansevere. "And I'm usually not into that brand of music, but I watched him rehearse, and I watched him twice. And I was very impressed. I got one (Usher CD). Actually, my daughter, Meghan, likes him, and she got it for me."
Young Jeezy, who performed with Usher on the "SNL" broadcast, said his support of Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama was only intensified after having a conversation with McCain following the taping.
"I told him the 'hood was f**ked up, and he was like, 'How you doing?'" Jeezy told MTV.com. "Real talk. They know entertainers, so they shake your hand [and say], 'I'm your friend.' But my mama is about to have surgery that I gotta pay for out of my pocket because she can't get insurance.
"I don't really feel McCain. It ain't just because Barack is black; he can make change. Just like Bush equals recession, Barack equals progression. I really feel that, all bullsh** aside. He's gotta come in and keep it right."
"I be in the 'hood every day, and I motivate the thugs. [Barack] motivates me," he added. "To see somebody taking that extra mile ... like, 'OK, I can make some change.' That's how I felt when I got in the rap game. I felt I could make change. I did."
JAN ADAMS PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO DUI CHARGES: Plastic surgeon to stay in jail until next hearing in six days.
*Beverly Hills surgeon Dr. Jan Adams pleaded not guilty Monday to two misdemeanor counts of DUI, reports TMZ.com.
The doctor who operated on Kanye West's mother, Donda West, hours before her death has been behind bars since his arrest early Thursday morning. The judge ordered him held without bail until his next hearing on July 7.
Adams was arrested in Northern Cali last week after cops discovered him trying to drive onto a freeway through an off-ramp. Cops said his blood alcohol was above .15 -- nearly twice the legal limit.
U.K. LOVES THEM SOME NE-YO: 'Closer' unseats Coldplay tune at No. 1; becomes singer's fourth U.K. top 5 in two years.
*Ne-Yo has moonwalked his way to another No. 1 single in the U.K. His current hit, "Closer," tops the chart this week, replacing "Viva La Vida" by British band Coldplay.
"Closer" follows in the footsteps of Ne-Yo's previous No. 1 U.K. hit "So Sick," which reached the pinnacle in March 2006. Four months later, his single "Sexy Love" peaked at No. 5. In April 2007, the singer returned to the U.K.'s top 5 with "Because of You," which reached No. 4.
On the current Billboard Hot 100,"Closer," from Ne-Yo's upcoming third album "Year of the Gentleman," drops this week 28-25.
NO BLACK MODELS IN PARIS FASHION WEEK: John Paul Gaultier rep says 'the agencies have none.'
*As the fashion world turns its attention to Paris this week, the severe lack of black models on the runway has again become a frustration among top designers.
"I asked the modeling agency for black girls for our next show but there simply aren't any," said Mario Lefranc, half of the Lefranc-Ferrant designer duo, one of about 40 labels presenting couture collections in Paris for Fashion Week – held through Thursday.
"I'm sick of blonde Russian girls," he told AFP. "Clearly the trend now is all for blue-eyed blondes."
According to AFP, fans attending couture shows for Fashion Week "will be treated yet again to a 'white-out' on the catwalks." With the death of French designer Yves Saint Laurent – one of the few who insisted on models of every hue – it appears the issue will only get worse.
Jean-Paul Gaultier, another designer known for using models of all ages, sizes, and origins, is also frustrated by the lack of available black faces. A rep for the designer told AFP: "It's really very difficult at the moment. There are no black models on the market, the agencies have none."
In the last few years, she added, "there's been an invasion of girls from Eastern Europe, of their type of beauty."
As previously reported, Italian Vogue's July issue will deal with the problem by featuring black models only. According to AFP, presidential candidate Barack Obama's popularity in France and around the world prompted Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani to make the statement against discrimination in the forthcoming issue.
DID PRESIDENT PALMER PAVE WAY FOR OBAMA?: Dennis Haysbert's popular '24' character considered trailblazer.
*Fans of the Fox drama "24" already know what it's like to have a strong intelligent, black man as the U.S. Commander in Chief, particularly during times of terrorist activity.
Yes, President David Palmer was just a character on TV, but some academics believe the Dennis Haysbert role made millions of fans more comfortable with the prospect of an African American in the White House – in real life.
"One of the functions of popular culture is that it introduces ideas that are a just a little bit on the edge of what we traditionally find acceptable, so that after a while, it becomes acceptable," John W. Matviko, author of "The American President in Popular Culture," told AFP. "It's a very subtle form of persuasion."
As Sen. Barack Obama makes his historic bid for the Oval Office, multiple polls have shown that Americans are more comfortable than not with an African American president. Matviko believes fictional black presidents have played a role in shaping attitudes.
"Part of Obama's popularity amongst the younger demographic might be because there have been some very positive portrayals of black presidents," said Matviko. "So the idea of it has become commonplace, and not really an issue anymore."
Before there was a President Palmer, there was seven-year-old Sammy Davis Jr. in the 1933 comedy "Rufus Jones for President," and Morgan Freeman as President Tom Beck in 1998's "Deep Impact." Since 1972's "The Man,"
starring James Earl Jones as what is viewed as the first major screen portrayal of a black president, only a handful of films and television series have had similar roles.
Haysbert, who portrayed President Palmer for two years on "24," believes these characters have been influential in changing mainstream perceptions.
"Frankly and honestly, what my role did and the way I was able to play it and the way the writers wrote it opened the eyes of the American public that a black president was viable and could happen," Haysbert told the Los Angeles Times.
But Todd Boyd, an expert in African American cinema and culture at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, said he was skeptical of the influence Hollywood may have on the 2008 election race.
"I'm a bit hesitant to say that because James Earl Jones or Morgan Freeman or Dennis Haysbert played a president on a TV show or in a movie, it means Barack Obama can be president," Boyd told National Public Radio. "I think that's a bit of a stretch."
However Boyd concedes that the portrayals "may have unconsciously made some things in society seem less troubling."
GEORGE CLINTON SINGS COVERS ON NEW ALBUM: Funk legend recruits Sly Stone, RZA, El DeBarge, Kim Burrell, Chili Peppers and more.
*Always one to go against the musical grain, George Clinton has corralled a diverse group of singers to join his latest effort "George Clinton and Some Gangsters of Love," an album of cover songs due Sept. 16 on Shanachie.
Among the recruited artists are the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Carlos Santana, Sly Stone, RZA, System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, El DeBarge and gospel sensation Kim Burrell.
"It started out with me doing some doo wop songs," Clinton, who grew up singing on street corners in Plainfield, N.J., tells Billboard.com. "As we got going, people started coming through to be on it."
Among the first, he says, was Santana, who plays on a version of the Impressions' "Gypsy Woman," and then Stone and DeBarge, who sing on Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar."
On "Gangsters" Clinton tackles Shirley & Lee's "Let the Good Times Roll" with the Chili Peppers, Barry White's "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up," Johnny Ace's "Pledging My Love," Shep & the Heartbreak's "A Thousand Miles Away," Bobby Rydell's "Kissin' Time" and Ruby & the Romantics' "Our Day Will Come."
The album includes one new song, "Mathematics of Love" (which features Burrell) and a new take on the Parliaments' "Heart Trouble."
Most of the songs were produced with longtime Eminem associate Mark Bass. Clinton and Bass have also teamed for a Parliament-Funkadelic Motown covers album to salute the label's 50th anniversary. The album incorporates samples from a speech by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World is Today)" and also includes versions of "Bernadette," "Heat Wave," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" and "The Hunter Gets Captured By the Game."
Meanwhile, P-Funk plans to mark its 40th anniversary with a party and performance on July 22 in Los Angeles. Clinton says he hopes to release an album of new P-Funk material in early 2009.
ICE CUBE TO TOUR BEHIND 'RAW FOOTAGE': Album due Aug. 19; tour to begin two days later and last through Sept.
*Actor-producer Ice Cube is going back to his hip hop roots this summer to promote his upcoming album, "Raw Footage."
The former member of gangsta rap group NWA has organized a late-summer U.S. tour to coincide with the album's Aug. 19 release. The trek will hit clubs and theaters across the country, beginning Aug. 21 in Seattle and wrapping Sept. 21 in New York City. [Scroll down to view itinerary.]
"Raw Footage," Ice Cube's ninth solo album, will be released on his own Lench Mob Records label. Guest artists are expected to include Musiq Soulchild, Nas, Scarface and Dub C, according to Cube's Web site. A couple of songs from the album--"It Takes a Nation" and "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It"--are being previewed at his MySpace page.
His next big-screen effort is a comedy titled "Janky Promoters,"
which he wrote and will produce. Cube is also set to star in the flick alongside "Friday After Next" alumni Mike Epps and Terry Crews.
"Raw Footage" Tour Dates:
August 2008
21 - Seattle, WA - Showbox at the Market
22 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
24 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
26 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
27 - Bakersfield, CA - The Fox
29 - Anaheim, CA - The Grove
30 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
September 2008
1 - West Hollywood, CA - House of Blues
2 - San Diego, CA - 4th and B
3 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
5 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
6 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen
7 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
9 - North Kansas City, MO - Harrah's North Kansas City/Voodoo Lounge 10 - St. Paul, MN - Myth
12 - Fort Wayne, IN - Piere's
13 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
14 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
16 - Mt. Clemens, MI - Emerald Theatre
17 - Johnson City, NY - Magic City Music Hall
19 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore at Theater of Living Arts
21 - New York, NY - The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
WYCLEF BRINGS INVESTORS TO HAITI: Rapper trying to inject money into his impoverished homeland.
*Wyclef Jean was in Haiti recently accompanied by a group of foreign investors he hopes will pour money into the local economy, which represents the poorest country in the Americas, he tells Reuters.
"I understand that there is a food crisis that needs to be addressed urgently, but at the same time donors need to inject funds in projects likely to bring sustainable results," he told Reuters in an interview at the end of a five-day visit last week.
The Haitian-born entertainer said the most important contribution the international community could make to Haiti is to invest in agriculture, road projects and economic infrastructure.
"Charity will never solve Haiti's problems," said Clef, 35. "Haitians want jobs, they want to develop their agriculture to produce food, not to everlastingly receive food assistance."
Wyclef was appointed last year by Haiti's President Rene Preval to serve as a roving ambassador. Last week, the former Fugees star was followed by cameras from CBS's "60 Minutes" for an upcoming episode about his humanitarian efforts.
PLIES LAUNCHES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: Rapper hopes to help children of parents who are incarcerated.
*"Bust it Baby" rapper Plies has announced the launch of his non-profit organization, Big Gates and Plies Power Of Visions Foundation, Inc., as well as a scholarship program, the "Somebody Loves You" Scholarship Fund.
Big Gates and Plies Power Of Visions will provide funding for legal representation and aid to needy individuals, specifically those who are incarcerated, with the goal of promoting a more functional, productive, and just community.
The organization will also provide educational forums, classes, workshops, trainings, opportunities, and other charitable activities aimed at individuals in the community, in particular focusing on rehabilitation.
In addition, Big Gates and Plies Power Of Visions will focus on promoting activities for youth and minorities, including education, mentorship, cultural experiences, and preventative measures aimed at combating incarceration in Tampa and Ft. Myers, Florida areas.
The organization's first effort will be the "Somebody Loves You" Scholarship Fund 2008, named after the song "Somebody (Loves You" from his current album, "Definition of Real." The money will go specifically to students attending an accredited college or university, who have a parent that is presently incarcerated and who is financially disadvantaged.
The scholarship is open to students who are currently enrolled or who will be entering school this fall. Two scholarships will be awarded - to one male and one female - in the amount of $5000 each.
GAMBLE, LABELLE OFFER NEW 'AMERICAN' ANTHEM: Philly Sound creator recruits homegirl Patti LaBelle for patriotic tune.
*Kenny Gamble, the co-founder of Philadelphia International Records, has produced a recording of "I Am An American" featuring Patti LaBelle and the Temple University Symphony Orchestra and Choirs.
The song, adopted by U.S. spiritual leader the late Father Divine and his International Peace Mission movement, is being released today (July 1) by Sony BMG Masterworks and is available at all digital service providers.
Gamble says he hopes "I Am An American" will be received as "one of our country's great anthems."
"This recording is about being proud to be an American because, in 2008, we are doing a lot of great things," said Gamble. "I'm hopeful that 'I Am An American' will be a new song for our country, that it will raise our morale and raise the consciousness of the people at a time when destiny has put us at a turning point in our history as a nation."
LYFE JENNIGS TO WORK WITH HIV/AIDS INITIATIVE: Crooner to team with organization during current tour.
*Lyfe Jennings is partnering with Music World Entertainment to launch a program in support of the "Heightened National Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis Among African Americans."
The effort from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aims to promote awareness, education and testing across the United States in response to the alarming HIV/AIDS crisis among African-Americans.
Jennings will work with the initiative during his current Baby I'm a Star summer concert tour, which kicked off Friday (June 27) in N. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
"I have to use my voice to help raise awareness so that we can really bring an end to this thing," says Jennings. "This disease has affected all of our lives, but we can definitely do things to prevent its spread and to protect ourselves."
The Baby I'm a Star tour will visit major cities including New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Miami and Los Angeles, (See full schedule below).
Date City Location
June 27th N. Myrtle Beach, NC House of Blues
June 29th Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues
July 1st Atlanta, GA Center Stage
July 4th Dallas, TX House of Blues
July 5th New Orleans, LA Superdome
July 8th Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
July 10th Anaheim, CA House of Blues
July 11th San Diego, CA House of Blues
July 12th Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
July 13th West Hollywood, CA House of Blues
July 14th San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
July 16th Seattle, WA Showbox at the Market
July 19th Maplewood, MN MYTH
July 20th Milwaukee, WI The Rave
July 22nd Chicago, IL House of Blues
July 24th Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore at TLA
July 25th New York, NY The Fillmore
July 26th Washington, D.C. Constitution Hall
July 27th Baltimore, MD Sonar
July 29th Norfolk, VA The Norva
July 30th Richmond, VA The National
August 2nd Miami, FL James L. Knight Center
CHARTER OAK YEARBOOK – TAKE TWO: Nine black students given "ghetto names" in prank. Offensive pages to be corrected and reprinted.
*Imagine getting your high school yearbook and turning to your black student union photo, only to find that your name is erroneously listed in the caption as "Tay Tay Shaniqua," or "Crisphy Nanos," or "Laquan White."
Such was the case with nine black students at Charter Oak High School in Covina, Calif., which is currently in the national spotlight for what's being referred to as a "prank" by the yearbook staff.
Their real names were replaced with so-called "ghetto names" that were listed next to a photo of the Black Student Union.
"Someone was just trying to be funny but it's not funny," Jordan Smith, a BSU member, told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune newspaper. "It's upsetting. It's a mistake that should not have been overlooked."
Principal Kathleen Wiard says that she is working with the publisher to replace all pages in the 2008 Chronicle that have incorrect names. She also says the incident is under investigation.
Initially, the students whose names were changed were given stickers with the correct names to be placed over the error in their books. BSU student Evanne Jackson, a junior, was given a handful of stickers and told to distribute them to her friends on the last day of school.
"How humiliating," said Evanne's mother, Toi. "The school is responsible, and they ask the victim to pass out the stickers."
"A yearbook is very significant and something you always hold on to," Toi added. "When she shows it to her kids she will have to explain why she has the name Crisphy."
• Of the 2,000 students who attend Charter Oak High School about 45 percent are Latino; 30 percent white and 4.5 percent black, according to school officials.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Emma's adopted son; Gov. Paterson's cataract; Obie Trice leaves Shady Records; TV One programming head exits.
*The homeless Rwandan refugee adopted in 2003 by actress Emma Thompson at age 16 is now a 21-year-old man in his second year at Thompson's alma mater, Cambridge University, pursuing a degree in politics. According to Janet Charlton, Tindyebwa Agaba plans to use his Thompson-funded education to become a lawyer. After school, Agaba plans to return to his country.
*New York Gov. David A. Paterson had a cataract removed from his left eye Saturday morning during a procedure at The Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. It's the fourth time in nearly six weeks that he's undergone eye surgery. The latest one took place shortly after 8 a.m. and involved Paterson being sedated for about 100 minutes, though he was unconscious for only about one minute, his spokeswoman Risa Heller said. By early afternoon, Paterson, 54, was resting at his Harlem home. Heller said the surgery was successful.
*Detroit rapper Obie Trice is no longer an artist under Eminem's Shady Records, AllHipHop.com reports. The artist spent eight years with the label and released two albums: "Cheers" and "Second Round’s On Me." He's currently working on his third effort while searching for a new label home for his World Wide Hustle imprint. “Obie and Shady were moving in different directions,” the 30-year-old rapper’s manager Terry Wilson tells AllHipHop.com. “But he still has a great relationship with Shady Records. He has some big plans for his World Wide Hustle label.”
*TV One Executive Vice President of Programming and Production Rose Catherine Pinkney has left her post at the cable channel to return to Los Angeles and pursue other business interests. While at TV One, Rose Catherine spearheaded the network’s move into original entertainment programming, bringing to the network “clean” comedy competition series "Bill Bellamy’s Who’s Got Jokes?," the sophisticated talk/entertainment series "Baisden After Dark" and TV One’s first reality competition series "David E. Talbert Presents Stageblack."
EUR DVD REVIEW: Meet the Browns
DVD of Tyler Perry Romance Drama Features Rick Fox and Angela Bassett
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*This modern morality play from Tyler Perry explores such universal themes as abandonment, trust, faith and redemption on its way to resolving the challenges facing Brenda (Angela Bassett), a single-mother of three struggling to survive in the projects on the south side of Chicago.
At the point of departure, we find her living paycheck-to-paycheck and having to choose between paying her bills and putting food on the table.
She soon bottoms-out when she loses her job the same day she learns of the death of the father she never knew. Fortunately, Brenda heeds the advice of her best friend Cheryl (Sofia Vergara), to attend the funeral in Georgia.
Upon arriving, she and the kids are not only introduced to their long-lost relatives, but also to a knight in shining armor named Harry (Rick Fox). Handsome Harry is a basketball scout who has the answer to their every problem, if only the thrice-burnt Brenda will let her guard down long enough to allow this good man to sign her high school phenom son (Lance Gross) to a pro contract, to buy her a house and to ask for her hand in marriage.
In the interim, the movie devotes plenty of time to getting acquainted with the Browns, as clownish a clan as you could hope to meet, starting with Leroy, an egg-head with the most garish wardrobe imaginable. Then there's his morbidly obese daughter Cora (Tamela Mann), and the shrewish Vera (Jenifer Lewis), a witch with nothing nice to say about anybody.
As the plot works its way towards its predictable payoff, Brenda starts to warm to her perfect gentleman suitor. Though too laced with silly slapstick to measure up to the best of Perry's previous offerings, this flick is still hilarious enough in spots to be well worth watching.
Very Good (3 stars)
PG-13 for profanity, violence, mature themes, sexual references and drug use.
Running time: 101 minutes
Studi Lions Gate Home Entertainment
2-Disc DVD Extras: A digital version of the film plus four featurettes.
ASK ADVICE CHICK: Answers to YOUR Dating, Sex, Life, & Love Questions!
By AdviceChick @ameritech.net
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Dear Advice Chick,
*I am with this great man who I love deeply. Okay the problem is I have an issue with trust. It's not that I think he is doing anything wrong, because he gives me no reason to think so. He is always home and always tells me how much he loves me and how pretty I am. The thing is me when we argue (because no matter how good a relationship is there are always arguments) I accuse him of being unfaithful.
He will yell and say he has no reason to cheat that he doesn't need sex like that and why will he be with me if he had to do something like cheat for that he will leave me first, and this is all in the course of an argument. Myself on the other hand will never cheat on him either. I guess the problem is that I have been dragged through the dirt by other dudes and always cheated on that maybe I can't accept the fact that I have a good one now.
I was with a man on and off for 7 yrs. He used to tell me how much he loved me but would cheat all the time. He even had babies with other women during the course of our relationship, so you see where i'm coming from. The man that i'm with now has never shown any of those traits and I really don't believe that he will hurt me like that. I guess the thing I want to know is how do I get past the hurt of my ex so that I can truly trust my man and stop accusing him of something that I know he is not doing, because I don't want to keep accusing him and then he goes and does it since he is being accused of it anyway. It is just so hard because even though in my mind I know that he's not doing anything I still can't stop believing that maybe if he had the opportunity he will. I just go back and forth with this what can I do.
Advice Chick replies,
When you and your man argue (since you think you must argue) please keep the argument on the subject at hand. Just because he forgot to let the toilet seat down doesn’t mean he wants to be accused of cheating. If the argument is about his dirty drawers, argue about his dirty drawers and nothing else.
I remember when my guy and I used to argue a lot, he would always bring up isht that happened long ago. We’d be arguing about why I drank his last Pepsi or something lame, and he’d be like, “yeah, that’s why ole boy played you back in 1998.” I’m like, “huh?!”
Stop accusing your man of cheating. Have YOU cheated in the past? Are YOU thinking of cheating? The fact that others who do not matter today cheated on you in the past doesn’t mean that your man has, or that he will cheat on you. Let him keep loving you, girl. I’ll tell ya though – keep accusing him and he just might cheat.
Realize this man is not those other guys. You are fortunate enough to have a man who does what he says he is going to do. He comes home, ma. He doesn’t go to the “booty’s be shaking club,” he comes home to you.
You don’t have to argue. Sure, we all have disagreements from time to time and that’s ok. Step back from the brewing drama. When it starts, run up to him, hug him, and kiss him. Tell him, “I Love You, baby. Let’s agree to disagree on this one.” The pickings are SLIM out here, ma! As Natalie Cole said in her classic song entitled, “I’m catching hell” – “If you’ve got a good man, you better keep him.” That rings true today. Show your man love constantly. Good luck to ya.
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THE BRIDGE: Black Men Hate Black Women
By Darryl James
*Now that I have your attention, you have to know that the title is far from the truth.
At least it is for any sane person, but not for a growing number of Black women who are now using the R. Kelly acquittal to bolster their claim that Black men hate Black women.
Before I deal with that, let me tell you a story.
It was the mid-nineties and I was hanging out with Jermaine Dupri at the Santa Monica airport in California, where R & B group Jagged Edge was filming one of their videos.
It was Summertime and the honeys were out in big numbers--legs, breasts and butt cleavage on display for all to see.
These honeys were in line to be chosen for participation in the Jagged Edge video and what happened next stayed with me for a while.
Jermaine pointed to the line and said: “DJ, watch this, man.”
I watched as the young Black women in the line foisted breasts, hiked up skirts and exposed as much flesh as possible the closer they got to the front of the line.
I asked Jermaine if this was usual and he shook his head and replied: “It’s like this all the time.”
Over the years, I learned that such is the behavior of the so-called “Video Hoes,” who are painted by some as strong independent women and by others as victims of sexism.
While I always have problems with such labels as “Video Hoes,” I have an even bigger problem with blaming their behavior on sexism. Particularly knowing that their avocation is an unpaid one.
I have yet an even bigger problem when Black women pretend that the existence of “Video Hoes” is only at the behest of the Black men who make the music. It leaves so many people out of the loop.
It leaves out parents, educators, the media and of course, the women themselves who participate in the degradation of their own image and standing in society.
It also ignores the dichotomy of public opinion regarding music videos, music and sexism, which frankly draws a line down the middle of Black womanhood. Some Black women celebrate the sexual imagery in entertainment, while others decry it and blame it solely on Black men.
But, if Black women can not reach a consensus about crucial issues including sexism and misogyny, then how can anyone expect a consensus from Black men, particularly if they are only watching?
I guess I could have put the cape on and flew to the rescue of those poor “victims” at the Jagged Edge video, but anyone with half a brain knows that none of those women would have come with me to safety. In fact, I would have been laughed at and cursed out and possibly even assaulted.
So why do some Black women continue to blame Black men for any and everything that happens to any of them?
And why do some Black women claim that because Black women are subject to sexist views and sexist behavior it is only because Black men are failing to protect them or because Black men actually hate Black women?
Simple: Because it is the path of least resistance since anyone can say anything about Black men and very few will come to their defense.
I mean, really, we must ask ourselves: Has it been open season on Black women, or on Black people?
Now, back to R. Kelly.
I tried to stay out of the discussion about whether he was the man in the video and whether the young girl was a victim and whether he should be jailed, because, for me, the man deserved a trial before being convicted and punished.
Some people compare it to the OJ Simpson case and claim that African Americans don’t care if a Black person is guilty or not—they just want to see them go free.
That’s asinine.
And it’s also a damned lie.
African Americans are not so unsophisticated that they just want any famous Black person to go free simply because they are famous. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Black people who cheered for OJ did so because the “evidence” was not evidence at all. They cheered for his acquittal because whites with the same level of evidence had been acquitted. In fact, most Black people don’t really care about OJ, because they know he’s an idiot.
It’s just that we understand the justice system and if “they” can get off, so should we.
For example, there was and still is no moral outrage over filmmaker Roman Polanski, who admitted to raping an underage girl and then fled the country to evade prosecution. There are no extradition efforts and no outrage from women who want his art boycotted and/or to use him as an icon for the sexual abuse of women. Further, he was given a standing ovation at the Academy Awards a few years ago.
The people who cheered for R. Kelly understood that no matter how much people became emotionally involved, he could not be convicted simply because people wanted him to be convicted.
The tape was not evidence enough, as demonstrated in many cases involving police brutality caught on tape.
And the witnesses, including the alleged victim who swore she was not the person on the tape and the woman who stole from Kelly and admitted to extortion were not enough.
For all the crowing about Black men not protecting Black women, this case shows clearly that apparently many Black women aren’t willing to protect themselves, as evidenced by the cheering of Black women over Kelly’s acquittal.
Sad.
What is also sad and very confusing is that in light of Black women’s failure to stand up for Black women, groups of Black women are still willing to give too much focus to chiding Black men about standing up for Black women.
WhatAboutOurDaughters.com, a site run by Black women, admitted that during the R. Kelly trial, it was Black women and not Black men who acted the most disturbing in their defense of R. Kelly.
Yet, the site has posted and is promoting a petition targeting Black men and their need to stand up for Black women by battling the exploitation of their daughters, sisters and wives.
Something is wrong with that. Where is the petition for Black women to stand up, or the petition for Black women to stop participating in their own exploitation?
It’s not that I am opposed to the protection of Black women. I just think it is a mistake to lay the burden of protection solely at the feet of Black men.
I also think it is a grave mistake to link the defense of Black women and girls to the allegedly unjust acquittal of one man. Leave R. Kelly alone, because there is nothing there.
We would do better to launch unified defense campaigns of Black women and girls, simply because it is the right thing to do. We should do so because we love and cherish Black women and girls and they should be defended.
It’s said that some people think we need an icon.
Why not go after all the media outlets that facilitate the soft porn of Black women?
Why not go after—and I know this won’t be popular—the very Black women who participate in and facilitate the destruction of Black women and girls?
And while we’re at it, why not go after the Black women who participate in and facilitate the destruction of Black men and boys?
Really—who’s hating whom?
Next Week: Black Women Hate Black Men
Darryl James is an award-winning author of the forthcoming powerful anthology “Notes From The Edge.” Discounted Autographed and Numbered Pre-Release copies can be ordered at www.darryljames.com. He released his first mini-movie, “Crack,” and this year, will release his first full-length documentary. View previous installments of this column at www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.
THE JOURNAL OF STEFFANIE RIVERS: The Love of Reading
*Venus and Serena are first name phenoms in the tennis world. They play the game with passion and purpose the way Tiger plays golf because they were introduced to their craft at a very young age.
These sports icons can hold a crowd of tens of thousands of spectators spellbound. But the truth is I don’t watch much tennis or golf because I’m good at neither.
So recently when a man nearly 30-years-old told me that he doesn’t like to read printed material whatsoever I’m inclined to believe he doesn’t like to read because he’s not good at it.
Although I, as most people, am willing to try new things, ultimately I, as most people, show more interest in activities I’m good at. If I can’t do something well, the last thing I want is to be reminded of my shortcomings. That’s why it’s important to make learning fun for children as early as possible in their childhood.
Children develop literacy related skills long before they are able to read. Including reading as part of play-time is setting a child up for success. By reading aloud to their young children, parents can help them acquire the prerequisite skills they will need to learn to read in school.
Statistics show that being read to is a source of a child's early literacy development. It helps develop their knowledge of the alphabet and characteristics of written language.
Studies show that by the age of 2, children who are read to regularly display greater language comprehension, larger vocabularies and higher cognitive skills than their classmates. These skills and love of learning follow a child through elementary school and helps to develop their confidence.
At worst low self-confidence lends itself to a withdrawn personality and delinquent behavior such as drug and alcohol abuse among teens. At best low self-confidence makes a teenager withdraw from class participation and possibly grow up to be a 30-something year old adult with a disdain for reading.
Prevention is the best cure. Read to your children early and often before they enter school so when it’s required they will be ahead of the game in more ways than one.
Steffanie Rivers is a free-lance journalist living in the Dallas, TX metroplex. Send your questions and comments to her at teamtcbadvertising@hotmail.com.
BETWEEN THE LINES: Will A Black President Dispel The Need For Diversity?
Anthony Asadullah Samad
*The election of Barack Obama as President of the United States will be viewed by many as accomplishing racial diversity's last frontier.
The politics of diversity carries a heavy stigma, particularly in the post-affirmative action era. Like the post civil rights era (1980 to the present), the post affirmative action era (1989 to the present) has been framed as an obsolete endeavor in America's "colorblind" social construct.
Colorblindness, or the notion that race was no longer relevant and race policies (best faith efforts, set-asides and "quota" policies) were no longer needed as America had become the great melting pot it was designed to be.
Well, by the end of the 20th Century, we had found out that racial disparities were just as great, white women had been the biggest beneficiaries of affirmative action and colorblindness had become the new Jim Crow, as educational, wealth and income inequality created separate societies.
This was despite significant political gains in representation throughout the nation. The only real conclusion that can be derived is that political diversity was the only real gain of the civil rights movement.
The more political break-throughs that occurred (three decades of "firsts"), the more regression occurred in graduate and professional schools, employment management gains and business growth.
Now the last glass ceiling in politics, the Presidency of the United States, is being tapped. It is yet to be seen whether it will be broken, but you already have people suggesting that equal access in our society means equal opportunity, and thus no more need for "special" programs for the historically disadvantaged.
Of course we know it's not true, and study after study validates that the more things should be equal, the more we find they are not. We find that we have to advance diversity as a staple to the promotion of inclusion.
In Los Angeles last week, the whole notion of dispelling the need for diversity training came to a head when the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) Commission sought to approve its 2008-2009 budget. The Commission President, Nick Patsaorus, in a publicly televised meeting, berated staff for not bringing forth the expected budget cuts to help the city make-up its huge deficit for the upcoming year.
He specifically called out why diversity training was still in the budget. DWP is one of the city's proprietary departments, meaning they have their own stand alone budgets, board and operations. Of the three proprietary departments (the other two being the Airport and the Harbor), DWP is the most lucrative and the most discriminatory. It is known as the city's "slush fund" where mayor after mayor pulled on DWP purse strings when they wanted to get something done.
It was also run by mostly white males, who hired mostly white males and who gave to mostly white males when the community needed assistance. It earned the names "the glass house" and "the Ivory Tower" not for its structural architecture but for racial nomenclature.
As DWP staff remained silent, Patsaorus, a politically connected Greek businessman known for his impolitic behavior, said that since we are about to have an African American as President and a woman "almost made it," why do we need diversity training? The inference, of course, is why do we need entitlement programming in this era of apparent equal entitlement? Typical illogic questioning inclusion, that we've heard before by segments who have rarely been excluded in our racially sensitive social contract.
Most every time that there has been a historical political event, the politics of inclusion takes a hit. The most memorable of which was the election of Douglas Wilder as the first black Governor of a U.S. state in November of 1989. In anticipation of Wilder's election, a case filed a few years earlier against the City of Richmond's minority set-aside program that guaranteed minorities, specifically African Americans 30% of city contracts, came before the U.S. Supreme Court that decided that racial set-asides of historical excluded populations were unconstitutional unless the affected class could prove that they, personally, were discriminated against by a white owned firm during business with the city of Richmond. The plaintiff in the case, of course, stated that he had never discriminated against an African American firm and therefore should not be penalized in having to set aside 30% of his contracts. The High Court agreed with him. The case came to be known as Croson v. The City of Richmond, and it essentially wiped out every mandatory set-aside program in the nation. Every other program is now "best faith effort" which is hard as heck to prove that you discriminated against someone if you go through the motions. This followed by a deluge of anti-Affirmation Action referendums that, state by state, attacked mandatory diversity hiring. Whether Croson happened in correlation to Wilder's election or was a causal factor in Wilder's election, the case will be 20 years old next February, a month into a new administration. Is Nick Patsaorus' attitude symptomatic of a larger social shift in waiting?
We cannot backslide on diversity and the politics of inclusion every time there is a major political breakthrough in our society. There will always be a need to gain more understanding about races and cultures we don't know and to guard against xenophobia, and more critically, Negro-phobia, that seems to arise every time an individual African American is about to over come a major socio-political barrier. The individual gain seems to inspire a collective opposition toward social and racial progress as if to say a political concession here requires a racial regression someplace else. And there are people, like Nick Patsaorus, that are perfectly fine with that. However, the community is not and, though not one major press organization reported this item, it spread like fire throughout the city that Patsaorus tried to cut diversity out of the DWP budget. We also know that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa knew about the comments and wasn't prepared to react to them if they didn't show up in the mainstream press.
"It a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around, does it make a noise when it hits the ground?" Of course it does. Just as when someone retracts on diversity and nobody speaks of it, does it represent an attitude of regression? Of course it does. Now the question is, what is Villaraigosa prepared to do with the commission head of his most visible (and
problematic) proprietary department? Will DWP, and agencies throughout the nation, change course
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