EURweb |
07-28-08 EUR All On ONE Page
-- by Kenya M Yarbrough
*JL King became known as the infamous "Mr. Down Low" after he guested on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and shared the story of his double life as a loving husband who had homosexual affairs.
After writing two books on the subject, King has written a new novel called “Love on a Two Way Street,” due out tomorrow, that expects to be just as intriguing.
But the author and speaker explained that the road to the fictional project (or is it fact?) has been a bumpy, yet helpful ride.
“They say be careful what you ask for because it can either be beautiful or it can be hell. I’ve had experience in both,” King said of “coming out” about his life a few years back. “Because I came forward and pulled back a cover of a behavior that’s been going around since the beginning of time, I then became the poster boy of that type of behavior, even though I came forward and said I’ve changed.”
King protested that even though he’s no longer on the down low, no longer one of those “brothers that lie to women,” he still can’t shake the title and the ridicule.
“I am one who wants to let people know that this type of behavior exists and it looks like me,” he said, “but the African American community did not let me change.”
King said that his wife has forgiven him, his children have forgiven him, and even the church has forgiven him – but the community as a whole has not.
“That’s not who I am anymore. People just refuse to allow me to change. For some reason, they got a rush out of being near or knowing Mr. Down Low,” he said.
King has since become an HIV/STD prevention activist, educator, and author and said that he does go into his Mr. Down Low personality as needed in those cases.
“Sometimes I’m Mr. Down Low because an organization or a health department or a group wants to see what it is to be around a person who lies about who he is,” he explained. “And then there are people that let me be this changed individual who had become an example of what other men who live on the double life should live their life and be honest with their women, and give their women a choice.”
One thing that has come out of his revelation to the world has been that he’s become an answer key in some cases too thousands of men and women who have concerns about the “down low” issue.
“About a month a go I probably received my 150,000th question from women asking me what are the signs of being on the down low. Wherever I go, whether I’m at a restaurant, a bar, or at church, women come up to me and say, ‘I want to know what are the signs. How can I tell?’ So I am in the studio right now putting together a two-hour DVD called ‘The Top 10 Down Low Signs and More.’”
King hopes the DVD will help women in particular recognize the signs of when their man is cheating, whether it be with men or women.
“And I’m hoping that that will ease the fear that a lot of our women are dealing with everyday,” he said and continued that he’s found that a number of women have fallen into an attitude of mistrust of black men, thanks in part to his books.
“They say, ‘Every black man is on the down low; every black man that came out of prison must be gay; every black man that spends time with his friends must be on the down low. Everything thing that brothers do, women are accusing them of being on the down low.”
Interestingly, King is also getting requests from men, too. He said that literally thousands of men plead with him to let sisters know that not all black men are on the down low.
“This has caused a lot of damage between men and women. It has caused a lot of unnecessary paranoia in the black community because of me coming forward and sitting with Oprah talking about my life,” he said.
But the paranoia may not be that unnecessary.
“At the same time, HIV is still running rampant,” King added. “The CDC says that the number one way is through heterosexual contact. There is still a lot to feed that fear.”
Still King assures his audiences that there is no need to be afraid of black men.
“This behavior impacts every ethnic group,” he said. “You have to be careful who you get to know. Don’t rush to go to bed with someone. Know their HIV status. Get to know them first. I tell a lot of young people when I do my HBCU tours that it’s ok to abstain from sex. You don’t have to be sexually active and you don’t need a man in your life. Learn to love yourself more and you’ll be ok.”
With the questions and suspicions, however, King said he doesn’t regret making his confession and talking about it to the world.
“I truly believe that God chose me to do this. There are thousands of men who could have told their story about being on the down low that could’ve created the same wave, but I believe that God chose me. I think that he used me and he saved me from being HIV positive and hurting my wife or anything more destructive than I did. Showed me that I could stand forward and be that poster boy and talk about my life,” he said.
King told EUR’s Lee Bailey that it’s important to him that women see him as someone who doesn’t “look” gay, but rather looks like their husbands and boyfriends. He believes that that teaches women to be responsible and not just “give up their bodies because of a look, a job, a title, or education.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to do. Trying to let people know that that’s who I used to be, that’s not who I am today, that there are good brothers out there who are not lying and more importantly, it’s about behavior and going into healthy relationships.”
King’s “Top 10 Signs of Down Low Behavior” is available on July 29. Check his website at www.jlking.net.
More on JL King’s new novel is coming in EUR’s JL King profile, part 2, later this week.
HALLE BERRY VS. THE PAPARAZZI: Actress files criminal complaint against
photographer over backyard photos of baby.
*Halle Berry has taken legal action against photographers she claims
crossed the line in snapping a photo of her four-month old daughter, Nahla
Ariela Aubry, on her private property.
Evan Spiegel, an attorney representing Berry, said a criminal
complaint has been filed and an investigation is under way after pics of the
Oscar winner and her baby hanging out in the backyard ended up on the
Internet and in two celebrity magazines, reports the Associated Press.
Berry disputes the story given by Fame Pictures, the agency that
distributed the photos, who claim the photos were taken when she was "out
and about in Los Angeles." Spiegel said there are witnesses who saw the paps
commit a "very blatant and invasive trespass" by shooting the pictures while
the two were at home.
The photos, some of which featured out-of-focus leaves in the
foreground, show Berry holding her daughter, standing near a table in what
appears to be a private backyard. Berry's mother is also in some of the
pictures, which appear in this week's issues of In Touch Weekly and Life &
Style Weekly.
"The paparazzi have gone too far," Berry said in a statement to The
Associated Press. "I have long since come to terms with the fact that
choosing a career as an actress has made me a public figure, but my baby has
made no such choice, and unless and until she does, I will do everything I
can ... to keep her out of the public eye," the statement read.
In addition to pursuing criminal charges against the photographer,
Berry is seeking to get the photos removed from the Web.
MYA EXPLAINS NO-SHOW AT BARBADOS EVENT: Rep says non-payment was behind
decision to forgo scheduled club appearance.
*Mya's camp has released a statement denying that "diva behavior"
kept her from making a scheduled appearance at a club in Barbados.
Reports surfaced earlier this month that the R&B singer skipped her
hosting duties at the venue because she just didn't feel like attending. But
a statement released Thursday by Mya's attorney blames her no-show on the
event's promoters who failed to come up with her promised payment.
"A week and a half prior to the scheduled appearance at Club NXS in
St. Lawrence Gap, Mya was informed that the promoter of this event did not
have the funds available to accommodate her appearance," said the statement
from her attorney Paul Gardner. "Despite this, the promoters of the
'Celebrity Party' went on to include Mya on the promotional material, and to
announce her appearance on the local radio station. Because of the lack of
funding, Mya was no longer obligated to appear at this event.
"Furthermore, in addition to a last minute meet and greet with young
students and athletes, Mya attended a dinner organized by the local radio
station. Unbeknownst to her the radio station had advertised her presence as
the prize for two contest winners. Mya graciously attended this dinner, even
though this she was not required to do so under the contract.
"Mya would like to apologize to her fans for the confusion and
disappointment caused by this situation. However, she would also like her
fans to know that she takes her professional engagements very seriously, and
would have attended this event had it been organized properly and if the
promoter had the originally agreed upon monetary compensation available."
RAPPER TRINA AND NBA BOYFRIEND IN CAR CRASH: Kenyon Martin and Miami artist
uninjured during incident in Belize.
*Raunchy rapper Trina and her boyfriend, NBA star Kenyon Martin,
were involved in a car crash in Belize last week that left a 12-year-old boy
and his 9-year-old brother injured.
Trina and Martin escaped harm during the accident, which occurred on
mile 8 on the Northern Highway just after the couple arrived at Belize City
Municipal Airport Thursday for a peace rally and basketball tournament.
According to 7 News Belize, the couple was in the backseat of a
white Ford Excursion in a police-led motorcade when a green minivan, driven
by George Abraham, crashed into the front passenger side. His children,
9-year-old Johnny and 12-year-old Delane, suffered injuries and were
assisted by paramedics.
Trina and Kenyon Martin left in another vehicle supplied by
organizers of the charity basketball game that was to be held Friday.
Trina's publicist Krystle Coleman told AllHipHop.com that the rapper
"is currently fine, and 'extremely thankful' that no one was hurt in the
small car accident. She is looking forward to the rest of her weekend on
vacation and thankful for everyone's safety."
Abraham, who suffered less severe injuries than his children, said
Trina and Martin's driver was responsible for the crash. Other witnesses
said the police motorcade was so large, that oncoming traffic was forced to
swerve to the sides on a narrow stretch of the road.
“Bringing in such a huge figure within the NBA, we thought that it
would just add some level of our thoughts and what it meant having them
coming into our country and we wanted to show them with humbleness what it
is that it means to us as Belizeans and also – everybody’s been expecting
them,” organizer Diane Finnegan told Local 7 News.
FOXY BROWN, LIL KIM SUED OVER BOOK DEALS: Rivals never made good on promises
to deliver memoirs.
*Friends-turned-enemies Foxy Brown and Lil' Kim found themselves in
the same headline Friday as subjects of separate lawsuits from book
publisher Simon & Schuster Inc.
The New York-based company says the rappers were paid advances for
books they never delivered, according to Billboard.com. The lawsuits, filed
July 23 in New York, seek return of the money.
Brown, born Inga Marchand, was reportedly paid $75,000 in 2005 to
deliver an autobiography called "Broken Silence" by February 2006; while
Lil' Kim, real name Kimberly Denise Jones, was paid $40,000 in 2003 for a
novel that was due June 2004.
After signing the deals, both women went to jail for several months.
Lil' Kim was locked up in 2005 for lying about a shooting that involved
Brown's camp. Brown was thrown behind bars last year for violating probation
arising from a fight with two manicurists.
CNN'S 'BLACK IN AMERICA' IS RATINGS WINNER: Thursday's finale pulls 2.6
million; giving network timeslot win.
*Say what you will about CNN's two-part documentary "Black in
America," but enough folks tuned in Wednesday and Thursday to give the news
channel a ratings victory in its 9-11 timeslots.
Wednesday's broadcast averaged 2.1 million viewers, 966,000 of whom
were adults between 25 and 54, reports Nielsen Media Research. Some 900,000
were in the adults 18-49 demographic.
The following night's two-hour finale averaged 2.6 million viewers
between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., with an average of 1.2 million viewers ages
25-54 and 1.2 million viewers ages 18-49.
While "Black in America" was the highest rated program in its time
slot for both nights, it placed second in overall ratings Thursday to Fox
News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," which airs at 8 p.m. and drew 2.56
million total viewers.
Meanwhile, National Urban League CEO and President Marc Morial has
released a statement "applauding" the "Black in America" documentary.
"As America looks at these issues, the focus should turn
to solutions," Morial said. "We need to work on getting Black Americans the
education and healthcare services that they need to grow economically
independent families. The Black Community deserves the right to go for the
American Dream on an equal footing with the rest of the country."
The National Urban League will tackle solutions to many of the issues
raised in the “Black in America” special at their annual national conference
next week, which will be held July 30 through Aug. 2 in Orlando, FL.
Senator John McCain, on Friday, August 1st and Senator Barack Obama,
on Saturday, August 2nd, will present plans for their respective urban
agendas to conference attendees.
SEN. OBAMA SPEAKS AT UNITY CONFERENCE: Back in Chicago after overseas trip,
Democratic nominee talks about need to continue affirmative action.
*Sen. Barack Obama told minority journalists Sunday that affirmative
action is still needed in the U.S., even if he is elected the nation's first
African American president this fall.
But, the presumptive Democratic nominee added that it must be
structured so that it is not just a quota system.
"We are becoming a more diverse culture, and it's something that has
to be acknowledged," he told an audience attending the UNITY convention in
Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune.
He added: "I've also said that affirmative action is not going to be
the long-term solution to the problems of race in American because, frankly,
if you've got 50 percent of African-American or Latino kids dropping out of
high school, it doesn't really matter what you do in terms of affirmative
action. Those kids are not getting into college....There have been times
where affirmative action has been viewed as a shortcut to solving some of
these broader, long-term, structural problems."
Obama said minority kids with wealthy parents should not be given
greater consideration for college, for example, than "a poor white kid who
has struggled more."
He also expressed reservations about making reparations to African
Americans and other groups for past deeds. "The best reparations we can
provide are good schools in the inner city and jobs for people that are
unemployed," Obama said.
The Illinois senator also blasted Republican challenger Sen. John
McCain for a position he took earlier Sunday in support of a proposed ballot
initiative in Arizona proposed by Ward Connerly that would prohibit
affirmative action policies from state and local governments.
McCain, who made his remarks on ABC's "This Week," has previously
called similar efforts "divisive," although he has also consistently
expressed opposition to hiring quotas based on race while supporting
affirmative action in limited cases.
"I am disappointed that John McCain flipped," Obama told CNN Sunday
before the UNITY gathering began at the McCormick Place convention center.
Obama said the ballot initiatives like the one being considered in McCain's
home state are "all too often designed to drive a wedge between people."
Civil rights vet Al Sharpton expressed similar sentiment about
McCain's remarks, calling them "a stunning reversal on his respectable
record on affirmative action."
"Though America has made progress, as even the conservative United
States Supreme Court has made clear, we are not at a place where we can not
set goals for inclusion," Sharpton said in the statement. "We in National
Action Network feel that class, gender and race should be in the formula and
even some modification could be done. We however feel this divisive and
counterproductive ballot initiative now supported by Senator McCain is not
the way to seek common ground on this issue. I will be addressing the SCLC
Convention in New Orleans Tuesday and the National Urban League convention
in Orlando Thursday where I will challenge the civil rights community to
actively deal with these ballot initiatives."
NEW WHITNEY HOUSTON TRACK LEAKED: Internet gets hold of song, 'Like I Never
Left.'
*The first new music from Whitney Houston in five years found its
way onto the Web over the weekend. [Listen to track below.]
Titled "Like I Never Left," the leaked love song runs three minutes
and 39 seconds and is produced by R&B singer Akon, who also appears on the
track.
"I want you to love me like I never left," Houston croons in the
song. In one verse, the Grammy winner sings the apt line: "Yes, your girl is
coming back."
The long-awaited LP, her first since bouncing back from
substance-abuse issues and a rocky divorce from Bobby Brown, is expected to
be released this fall.
Click here to listen to track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DObqxKhyiL0
SAPP IN, SHARPTON OUT OF ABC'S 'DANCING': Leaks hit Internet ahead of next
month's official announcement of new lineup.
*Retired NFL star Warren Sapp is among the confirmed celebrities set
to appear on next season's "Dancing with the Stars," while Rev. Al Sharpton
has gone public with his rejection of ABC's offer to join the cast.
The civil rights veteran, who also turned down a request from Donald
Trump to join "Celebrity Apprentice" next season, says he'd rather spend his
time this fall focusing on voter education.
"This is a serious election. I don't want to be dancing with the
stars when I should be protecting the vote," Shaprton tells the New York
Post's Page Six.
Sapp's participation, meanwhile, was confirmed by John Madden, Tiki
Barber, Jerome Bettis, Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth of NBC's "Football
Night In America" squad during their appearance at the Television Critics
Association press tour last week in Beverly Hills.
Madden told reporters: "I couldn't make a prediction on who's gonna
win the Super Bowl, but I'll predict that Warren Sapp – he'll be good at it
– I'll predict that he'll win it. I'm going with the Giants, and I'm going
with Warren Sapp on "Dancing With the Stars."
"I wanna know when you've seen Warren Sapp dance," Michaels said to
his broadcasting partner.
"At practice," replied Madden, stating he witnessed the defensive
tackle cutting a rug during his run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "He
throws left-handed, he dances, he does all those things, and he's gonna be
good. I'm predicting he'll win it. And I'll take on all comers."
According to TMZ.com, "Dancing" producers are "trying to create some
major drama" with the casting, "possibly by pairing exes up against each
other or people who have had some sort of turbulent relationship."
The Web site says Kim Kardashian has also been confirmed for next
season, along with Lance Bass and Florence Henderson. But the socialite told
Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS morning show Thursday: "I don't know where that's
coming from ... (but) I would be honored if they asked me. I can get down in
a club."
TIMOTHY WRIGHT STILL AILING AFTER CRASH: Gospel singer remains in critical
condition three weeks after accident.
*Grammy-nominated gospel singer Timothy Wright is still listed in
critical condition three weeks following an automobile accident that killed
his wife and grandson.
According to the Associated Press, family members said the reverend
is conscious and alert, but must still use a respirator at the Geisinger
Medical Center in Danville, Pa.
Relatives said Rev. Wright was told of his wife's death on Monday.
They had held off delivering the news until he was in a better position to
handle it, family members had previously stated. They hope to move the
61-year-old clergyman to a rehabilitation center next week.
The Wrights were returning from a Church of God in Christ conference
in Detroit on July 4 when Wright's car was hit head-on by a vehicle going
the wrong way on a Pennsylvania highway. The other driver was also killed.
DIDDY & CASSIE ARE NOT ENGAGED: Mogul's rep releases a statement denying
rumors.
*Sean "Diddy" Combs is attempting to squash rumors that he gave an
engagement ring to his artist Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura, who has been
rumored to be his girlfriend.
"Contrary to tabloid reports, there is no engagement. This was a
complete fabrication," Diddy's rep told People.com.
The 38-year-old founder of Bad Boy Records signed the singer to his
label in 2006. Her sophomore album, "Connecticut Fever," is due in September
with production by Seven, Mario Winans, Bryan-Michael Cox, Eric Hudson, Sean
C and LV, Ryan Leslie and Danja.
Earlier this month, Cassie also denied rumors that she and Diddy are
dating. "We are not together, but we are definitely friends," she told
People July 9 at DJ Cassidy's birthday party in Manhattan. "We work hard
together, so it makes a good combo."
WE REMEMBER JOHNNY GRIFFIN: Jazz saxophonist played with such greats as
Monk, Hampton, Blakey and Coltrane.
*Jazz saxophonist Johnny Griffin, who once played with the likes of
Thelonious Monk and Lionel Hampton, died hours before his scheduled
appearance at a concert on Friday, his agent told the Associated Press. He
was 80.
His body was found Friday morning in the music room of his home in
Mauprevoir in western France by his wife Miriam. The exact cause of death
was not clear as of press time.
Griffin was born in Chicago on April 24, 1928. At Du Sable High
School, he took up the sax as classmates Nat King Cole and Dinah Washington
were also developing their musical talents.
He graduated then toured with Hampton's big band. Following a
two-year army stint, he became known for his hard-bop improvisations while
playing gigs in Chicago and New York. In the late 1950s, he played with Art
Blakey and Monk. Griffin's 1958 album "A Blowing Session," a hard bop jam
session with John Coltrane, drummer Art Blakey and others, remains among his
signature works.
He is survived by his wife Miriam and four children, one of whom
lives in France and the others in the United States. Funeral services were
scheduled for Tuesday at the Poitiers Crematorium.
ROSA PARKS ITEMS UP FOR BID: Money will benefit the Rosa and Raymond Parks
Institute and Parks family.
*Memorabilia belonging to civil rights icon Rosa Parks are going on
sale courtesy of auction house Guernsey's, with proceeds to benefit the Rosa
and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development and the Parks family.
"The archive includes thousands of items -- ranging from Mrs. Parks'
schoolbooks to her Congressional Gold Medal," according to Guernsey's.
A Michigan court chose Guernsey's for the sale, which could net up
to $10 million, according to estimates from the Washington Post.
Parks, who refused to give up her bus seat to a white customer in
Alabama in December 1955 and became the poster child of the US civil rights
movement, died October 24, 2005, aged 92.
CIARA DETAILS 'FANTASY RIDE' ALBUM: Plus, singer's 'Mama I Want to Sing' to
get DVD release in early 2009.
"My mission is to take fans on a musical journey to three different
sounds that represent me," Ciara tells Billbaord.com of her upcoming CD
"Fantasy Ride," a concept album due in November with three distinct musical
styles.
The first, tentatively called "Groove City," is comprised of sensual
songs. The second is "Crunk Town," filled with Atlanta-based crunk music
similar to her breakout single, "Goodies"; and the third is "Kingdom of
Dance," with uptempo, house-leaning material.
"The music flows together. It's about the journey and having fun
through music. I can give you a basic album in a 12-song layout, but I
wanted to be more creative," said the 23-year-old entertainer.
"High Price," featuring Ludacris, and the uptempo dance song "Work"
are both competing to be the set's lead single – although "High Price" has
already been circulating on the Internet.
"My feelings were so hurt, because I wanted to present that track to
the fans the right way," Ciara says of the online leak.
Akon, Lil Jon and the-Dream also make guest appearances. Ne-Yo,
T-Pain and Frankie Storm (from Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music") are
contributing writers.
As previously reported, Ciara just signed a deal with Wilhelmina
Models with the aim of landing endorsement deals with beauty brands and
fashion designers, similar to the campaign she spearheaded for Rocawear in
2007.
Her extracurricular activity also includes an acting career. She
filmed her first starring role in the Jeff Clanagan-produced "Mama, I Want
to Sing" a movie that will be released straight to DVD in early 2009. Her
film debut was marked with a supporting part in the 2006 MTV Films
production "All You've Got," which starred Adrienne Bailon and Efren
Ramirez.
In "Sing," inspired by the off-Broadway play of the same name, Ciara
plays a young R&B pop singer whose views clash with those of her evangelist
mother. The film also stars Lynn Whitfield and Billy Zane.
LENNIE MOVES FROM 'JERICHO' TO AMC: Actor cast in new mini-series 'The
Prisoner.'
*Lennie James, last seen as Robert Hawkins on CBS'
popular-but-cancelled drama "Jericho," has signed on to AMC's remake of the
classic 1960s show "The Prisoner."
The actor will play Number 147, a resident of the mysterious Village
where a former secret agent, now known as Number 6 (Jim Caviezel), finds
himself imprisoned.
Ian McKellen has already been cast as Number 2, the apparent head of
the Village and Number 6's primary antagonist, reports Zap2it.com. Other
actors playing Village members include Ruth Wilson, Hayley Atwell and Jamie
Campbell-Bower.
AMC is producing "The Prisoner" with British broadcaster ITV and
Granada International, with Bill Gallagher attached to write. The six-hour
miniseries is scheduled to air sometime next year.
ITTY BITTY BITS: J.Lo's b'day; Paula's meltdown?; Gucci Mane arrested; Wendy
vs. Omarosa staged?; 'Lights Out' lawsuit; no MiJac for New Kids; Kim K
wedding.
*Jennifer Lopez and her husband Marc Anthony took time away from
5-month-old twins Max and Emme Thursday to take in a Broadway show for
J.Lo's birthday. The couple snuck into the Tony-winning musical In the
Heights and got "to sit in an audience and watch other people be nervous,"
Anthony told Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS radio show Friday. "We had such a
blast last night. It's almost like every day is her birthday ... so last
night we just wanted it to be quiet and, you know, have a nice quiet evening
together."
*The New York Post's Page Six is reporting that Paula Abdul had
another meltdown in a public setting. The "American Idol" judge was
reportedly in a courtyard outside of her gynecologist's office Wednesday on
Crescent Boulevard in LA when she was spotted "sobbing on the phone to her
friends and clutching papers from her doctor" for two hours. Her rep told
the column that she wasn't "sobbing," but rather "laughing and giggling"
following her doctor's visit.
*Rapper Gucci Mane was arrested in Atlanta Wednesday and charged with
DUI and marijuana possession, reports TMZ.com. During a traffic stop,
police searched his vehicle and found "a small amount of marijuana and a
gun." The artist, born Radric Davis, was released after posting $3,300
bond. Gucci Mane's rap sheet includes jail time for beating a promoter with
a pool cue, and homicide charges that were later dropped.
*Gossip blogger Janet Charlton claims the big feud between Wendy
Williams and Omarosa was a calculated publicity stunt plotted by both
ladies. "You can bet these two cooked up the whole confrontation because
they have a mutual love of publicity," Charlton wrote. "Wendy wants to stir
up excitement for her new Fox talk show starting in August, and Omarosa will
say ANYTHING to extend her fifteen minutes of fame. These two smart cookies
fooled a lot of viewers. They're probably together somewhere right now,
sipping champagne and laughing.
*San Diego Charger linebacker Shawne "Lights Out" Merriman is suing a
clothing company called Lights Out Sportswear for trademark infringement.
The 24-year-old says he's been using the nickname since his sophomore year
in high school, when he knocked out a quarterback during a game. He launched
an apparel line with the same moniker in 2002 and trademarked it in 2007.
His lawsuit asks for damages, the "destruction or elimination" of all of
Lights Out Sportswear's products and advertising, as well as the forfeiture
of their Web site domain, reports TMZ.com.
*Reunited group New Kids On The Block is not planning to record a
track with Michael Jackson, as previous reports claimed. Group member Donnie
Wahlberg writes on the group's blog: "We are NOT recording with Michael
Jackson and/or Madonna. We never claimed to be, either. Good fun reading
about [it] though!"
*Kim Kardashian says she's already making wedding plans in the event
that her boyfriend, NFL star Reggie Bush, decides to propose. Speaking to
Ryan Seacrest Thursday, Kardashian, 27, said she will be prepared so that
"whenever I get asked there won't be any drama."
BLACK WWII SOLDIERS GET APOLOGY FOR CONVICTION: Army 'genuinely sorry' for
wrongful conviction over lynching of Italian POW.
*The Army issued a formal apology Saturday for the wrongful
conviction of 28 black soldiers accused of rioting and lynching an Italian
prisoner of war in Seattle more than 60 years ago.
"We had not done right by these soldiers," Ronald James, assistant
secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, said Saturday in
Seattle, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "The Army is genuinely
sorry. I am genuinely sorry."
Relatives of the soldiers were on hand alongside elected officials,
military officers and one of the defense lawyers to hear James announce the
apology before hundreds of people in a meadow near the old Fort Lawton
parade grounds and chapel in Discovery Park.
In addition, the soldiers' convictions were set aside, their
dishonorable discharges were changed to honorable discharges and they and
their survivors were awarded back pay for their time in the brig.
All but two of the soldiers are dead. One, Samuel Snow of Leesburg,
Fla., planned to attend the ceremony but wound up in the hospital instead
because of a problem with his pacemaker.
The convictions were overturned in October at the prodding of Rep.
Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, largely based on the book "On American Soil"
published in 2005 by Jack Hamann, a CNN and PBS journalist, and his wife
Leslie about the riot on the night of Aug. 14, 1944, and subsequent events
at Fort Lawton.
Dozens were injured in the melee that started with a scuffle between
an Italian prisoner of war and a black soldier from the segregated barracks
near the POW housing. A POW, Guglielmo Olivotto, was found hanged at the
bottom of a bluff the next day.
The Army prosecutor was Leon Jaworski, who went on to become special
prosecutor in the Watergate scandal of the early 1970s.
Forty-three black soldiers were charged with rioting and three also
were charged with murder. Two defense lawyers were assigned to the case and
given two weeks to prepare without ever being shown an Army investigation
criticizing the way the riot was handled.
At least two soldiers were threatened with lynching by Army
detectives. When one witness said a "Booker T." was present at the riot but
couldn't give any more detail, the Army charged two men by that name.
Another was charged with rioting although white, black and Italian POW
witnesses all said he tried to quell the disturbance.
In the ensuing trial 28 men were convicted. One of those attending
the ceremony Saturday, Arthur Prevost of Houston, said his father Willie,
one of the convicted soldiers, never talked about what had happened.
"I think he was embarrassed," Prevost said, according to the
newspaper. "I wished he had told us."
Snow's son, Ray Snow, told the gathering his father felt no animosity
for the long-ago injustice.
"He was so honored" by the tribute, Ray Snow said. "We salute you for
remembering a travesty that took place."
EUR FILM REVIEW: Step Brothers
Ferrell and Reilly Co-Star as Slackers in Disgusting Dysfunctional Family Comedy / Film Review by Kam Williams
This sorry shocksploitation flick elicited exactly one unforced laugh from the audience at the screening I attended, and that was from a scene already spoiled by the commercial.
It’s the one where John C. Reilly jumps on the top of a bunk bed causing it to collapse onto Will Ferrell on the lower mattress.
So, if you’ve watched the trailer, then you’ve already witnessed the comedic high point of Step Brothers, a sitcom which breaks the genre’s fundamental law by failing in its ever endeavor to be funny.
Not that it isn’t gross from beginning to end. Sleazy does it in this one-trick pony about a couple of middle-aged adolescents who refuse to grow up.
At the point of departure of this sophomoric adventure we find 39 year-old Brennan “Nighthawk” Huff (Ferrell) unemployed and still living at home with his divorced mom, Nancy (Mary Steenburgen). And the same can be said about 40 year-old slacker Dale “Dragon” Doback (John C. Reilly), a parasite who is sponging off his widowed dad, Robert (Ricard Jenkins).
Brennan is a couch potato content to fritter away his days eating junk food in front of the TV while Dale divides his time between managing a fantasy baseball league online and playing the drums in a room he refers to as his “beat laboratory.” The only reason these lazy slobs ever cross paths is because their parents lock eyes and fall in love across a crowded auditorium at a medical conference.
After a whirlwind romance, Nancy and Robert decide to marry and move in together. This means that their spoiled sons must not only live under the same roof but also share the same bedroom. The new step brothers’ instant dislike for each other initiates an escalating turf war marked by infantile antics like Brennan rubbing his private parts on Dale’s sacred drum set, and the latter getting even by threatening to sleep with his mother.
The pranksters prove to be particularly fond of fart jokes and sexual preference slurs, in case you find either of those brands of humor particularly appealing. When not appealing to the lowest common denominator, Step Brothers devotes most of its energy to a steady stream of product endorsements, including Mountain Dew, Heinz Ketchup, Oreo Cookies, Izod Clothing, Doritos Corn Chips, Pepsi, Callaway Golf Clubs, Kitchen Aid Appliances , Bekins Van Lines, Wells Fargo Bank, Range Rover, Outback Steak House, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Hallmark Cards, Hustler Magazine, Zildjian Cymbals, Ampeg Amplifiers, Star Wars, CBS’ Cold Case, Metallica and Corona Light Beer, to name a few.
In between all the shameless ads, the plot revolves around the newlyweds getting fed up with the sibling rivalry and giving their sons a month to find a job and another place to stay. Too bad this re-teaming of Ferrell and Reilly failed to generate any magic, as did their prior outing in Talladega Nights.
And with exhibitionist Ferrell finding excuses to expose himself in numerous movies, he’s leaving himself in danger of going down in cinematic history as the man who nude too much.
Poor (0 stars)
Rated R for crude humor, sexuality and pervasive profanity.
Running time: 98 minutes
Studi Columbia Pictures
See a trailer of Step Brothers, here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHnvULVOtz8
EUR TV REVIEW: Black in America
Over-Hyped CNN Special Fails to Measure-Up to the Buzz
The CNN special report “Black in America” was such a disappointment that it’s not really worthy of a detailed review.
The only reason I’m even bothering to do a post mortem on the program is because it had been so hyped by the network that it enticed millions of viewers to tune in on successive nights.
Hosted by Soledad O’Brien, the series was aired in two parts, the first entitled “The Black Woman and Family,” the second, “The Black Man.”
However,
Click for the latest Obama - Political headlines
Share and Bookmark |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
