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10-21-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
'IRON MAN' FIRING SHOCKS TERRENCE HOWARD: Actor says he found out he was dropped from film when rest of the world did.
*Terrence Howard says he found out about Don Cheadle replacing him in the forthcoming "Iron Man" sequel the way everyone else did – by reading it in the trade magazines.
The actor told NPR that he expected to play an expanded role in the sequel – especially since his character – which goes on to become the superhero War Machine – uttered the words "Next time" in the first film, sending comic book fans into a flurry of anticipation.
But, Hollywood Reporter and Variety magazines reported last week that Howard would be replaced by Don Cheadle in the sequel. Howard said it was the first time he had become aware that his contract was terminated.
He explained to NPR: "It was the surprise of a lifetime. There was no explanation. [The contract] just...up and vanished. I read something in the trades implicating that it was about money or something, but apparently the contracts that we write and sign aren't worth the paper that they're printed on, sometimes. Promises aren't kept, and good faith negotiations aren't always held up."
'BEES' PULLS $11.1 MILLION OVER WEEKEND: Queen Latifah film lands in third place at the box office.
*"The Secret Life of Bees," starring Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Dakota Fanning and Sophie Okonedo, earned $11.1 million over the weekend to open in third place, according to Web site Bloomberg.
The film beat Oliver Stone's "W," a biography of President George W.
Bush that took in $10.6 million to place fourth.
Mark Wahlberg's "Max Payne" topped the box office with $18 million, followed by "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" at No. 2.
"'The Secret Life of Bees' is arguably the most successful picture of the openers," said Brandon Gray, president of Burbank, California-based Box Office Mojo LLC, which tracks ticket sales. "It didn't have the hype of 'Max Payne' or 'W.' and it was originally scheduled for limited release and went wide instead. That is a solid opening."
Fifth place "Eagle Eye" stars Shia LaBeouf as a man forced into a deadly political conspiracy. Rounding out the top 10:
6. "Body of Lies,' with Leonardo DiCaprio ($6.9 million) 7. "Quarantine' ($6.3 million) 8. "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist' ($3.9 million) 9. "Sex Drive' ($3.6 million) 10. "Nights in Rodanthe' ($2.7 million)
PACMAN JONES ENTERS REHAB: Troubled cornerback goes in for alcohol treatment following suspension by NFL.
*Suspended Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones entered an alcohol treatment facility "in another part of the country," team owner Jerry Jones told The Associated Press on Monday.
"It's totally done through and by the NFL," he said.
The league suspended Jones for at least four games last Tuesday for violating its personal conduct policy. Six weeks after being reinstated from a 17-month suspension because of repeated legal problems, Pacman was involved in an alcohol-related scuffle Oct. 7 with one of his bodyguards at a private party in Dallas. Team officials hired the bodyguards to try and keep Jones out of trouble.
"They lost their job when he got suspended. They lost it because there's no more Adam to look out for," Jerry Jones said.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will determine the full length of the suspension after the Cowboys play Nov. 16 at Washington. Goodell has said a lifetime ban remains a possibility.
OBAMA SAYS COLIN POWELL WILL BE ADVISER: Should senator become president, former general will have role in administration.
*In an interview with NBC's "Today," Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said former Secretary of State Colin Powell will have a role as a top presidential adviser in his administration.
"Whether he wants to take a formal role, whether that's a good fit for him, is something we'd have to discuss," Obama said Monday, a day after Powell, a four-star general and President Bush's former secretary of state, endorsed him.
Powell, a Republican, did not inform Obama of his endorsement before announcing it on NBC's "Meet the Press," Obama told "Today." Powell called Obama a "transformational figure" in the nation's history and expressed disappointment in some of McCain's campaign tactics. But, Powell said, he didn't plan to hit the campaign trail with Obama before the Nov. 4 election.
"I won't lie to you, I would love to have him at any stop," Obama said with a grin Monday. "Obviously, if he wants to show up he's got an open invitation."
LONE SURVIVING 'FOUR TOP' MOURNS STUBBS: Abdul 'Duke' Fakir said he was performing in Nevada when the bad news broke.
*Abdul "Duke" Fakir, the only remaining original member of the Four Tops, says he was performing in Nevada Friday when he heard that original band member Levi Stubbs had died.
Calling his former bandmate and godfather to his eldest son "a great man," Fakir says he's suffering "a big hurt."
He tells Billboard.com: "It (show in Nevada) was a fun engagement, but I didn't really want to be there. I was hurting the whole time. I really wanted to just come back home, but we do not disappoint the fans. That was one of the hard weekends for me.
"I saw him about a week ago and he looked healthier. His face was fatter and he was smiling and he was in good spirits. I really thought he'd pull through longer than he did."
Paying tribute to his late friend's vocal ability, Fakir says, "He had such power. He had a baritone voice and a tenor range. He could do anything with his voice. He could take you anywhere with it. He could take you to a love scene. He could take you dancing. He could take a great old standard and make you feel like you're right there in that song. Just an amazing voice, an amazing interpreter, an amazing man."
OPRAH EN ESPANOL: Chicago-based talk show is being made available in Spanish through SAP and closed captioning.
*"The Oprah Winfrey Show" has expanded its reach into the Latino community with Monday's launch of its Spanish version through Secondary Audio Programming and closed captioning.
According to the Associated Press, the Spanish-language offerings are currently available in the country's six largest Hispanic TV markets, including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston and Dallas.
More cities are expected to be added this season.
"The Oprah Winfrey Show" is now in its 22nd season. It's syndicated to 214 domestic stations and 139 countries.
WE REMEMBER DEE DEE WARWICK: Dionne's older sister died Saturday in New Jersey.
*Soul singer Dee Dee Warwick, the older sister of R&B veteran Dionne Warwick, died Saturday at a nursing home in South Orange, NJ, reports the Associated Press. She was 63.
Family spokesman Kevin Sasaki said she had been in failing health in recent months, and her sister was by her side when she died.
Warwick was best known for her string of hits in the 1960s and 70s, including "Foolish Fool," "She Didn't Know (She Kept on Talking)" and a version of "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" that was later covered by Diana Ross and The Supremes.
Warwick was twice nominated for a Grammy Award and sang backup for Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and others before launching a solo career.
She was the niece of gospel singer Cissy Houston and a cousin of Whitney Houston.
The Newark-born talent was a teen when she began singing with her older sister in the late 1950s. The two performed as The Gospelaires and also collaborated and sang with the Drinkard Singers, a long-running gospel group that also featured some of the Warwicks' aunts and uncles and was managed by their mother.
Most recently, Warwick provided background vocals for her sister's one-woman autobiographical show, "My Music & Me," which played to sold-out crowds in Europe this year. She also performed on the title song from Dionne Warwick's gospel album, "Why We Sing," released January 2008.
OMAROSA VS. BONNIE HUNT: 'Apprentice' villainess uses talk show host's comments to plug 'Bitch' book.
*An innocent comment from talk show host Bonnie Hunt is being used by television personality Omarosa as fighting words to help sell copies of her new book "The Bitch Switch."
On Monday, Hunt was speaking with her studio audience about Omarosa's new dating show to be produced by Donald Trump, who executive produces and stars in the reality series that made her famous, "The Apprentice."
"I don't understand the rewarding of behavior that is less than classy," said Hunt. "I don't get it. And we create these stars or whatever it is. I don't understand."
In response to those three sentences, her book reps released the following statement:
"I'd rather play a bitch than be a bitch. To understand the difference, Bonnie Hunt needs to take a lesson from my new book, 'The Bitch Switch.' In these days of political and social insults running rampant, I'm saddened by Bonnie Hunt's need to resort to playground name calling. I want to support a talented lady who's trying to survive in a tough industry, and I regret that she doesn't choose to do the same. Why use her fledgling show to start a catfight she could never win?"
As for Omarosa's dating show, the series will follow her attempts to find true love.
"It’s a dating show, but it’s business meet romance," says Andrew Litinsky of Trump Productions, who will be producing the unscripted series.
"Love is serious business and that’s what Omarosa knows."
GEORGE BENSON RECEIVES JAZZ HONOR: Guitarist gets his 'Masters' from National Endowment for the Artis.
*Guitarist George Benson was honored by the National Endowment for the Arts as one of its 2009 Jazz Masters, the nation's highest jazz honor.
At the ceremony, Benson, 65, remembered his humble beginnings in Pittsburgh as he thanked his stepfather, who hand-made his first electric guitar when he was a teenager and introduced him to Benny Goodman's recordings with electric guitar pioneer Charlie Christian.
The ceremony also recognized the other 2009 Jazz Masters: drummer Jimmy Cobb, 79, who played on such landmark albums as Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" and John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" but was also known for his sensitive accompaniment of vocalists Washington and Sarah Vaughan; and Snooky Young, 89, the veteran big band trumpeter whose career includes a 25-year stint with Doc Severinsen's "Tonight Show" orchestra.
Rudy Van Gelder, the first recording engineer to be named a Jazz Master, was honored for his work on such seminal recordings as Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" and Sonny Rollins' "Saxophone Colossus."
Toots Thielemans, whose harmonica has been heard by generations of children on the "Sesame Street" opening theme, is the first European-born musician, harmonica player and baron (he was given the title in 2001 by King Albert II of Belgium) to be named an NEA Jazz Master.
SOULJA BOY PREPARES DECEMBER RETURN: 'Crank That' creator back with sophomore release.
*Soulja Boy Tell'em, the teen whose song "Crank That (Soulja Boy)"
sparked a dance craze in 2007, returns Dec. 16 with his sophomore set "iSouljaboytellem," a follow up to last year's debut album "SouljaBoytellem.com."
The Collipark Music/Interscope project is led by the single "Birdwalk," which will be serviced to radio this week. An accompanying video is slated to debut shortly afterward, reports Billboard.
The new set features production from Mr. Collipark, Polow Da Don and Soulja Boy himself. Other tracks on the album include "Yamaha Mama"
featuring Sean Kingston and "Turn My Swag On," which will be released virally.
In addition, Soulja Boy, who recently signed a multi-year sneaker and apparel contract with Dallas-based clothing company Yum Shoes, will reveal the first line of the shoe in November. He will also launch his own animated series on his Web site next month.
LIL WAYNE RE-RELEASING 'CARTER III': Plus, Monday court appearance becomes tutorial on marijuana.
*Lil Wayne says he'll be re-releasing his current multi-platinum album "Tha Carter III" with all new tracks.
The project will be in addition to next year's release of "Tha Carter IV," as well as his 20-song mixtape "Dedication 3" to be offered on his Web site. He's also collaborating with T-Pain for a 2009 duet album called "T-Wayne."
While accepting one of his many honors at the BET Hip Hop Awards on Saturday, Lil Wayne said he's also expecting the birth of his son in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, TMZ.com is reporting that Lil' Wayne attended a court hearing in New York regarding his weapons case, but it quickly turned into "an impromptu Marijuana 101 lesson in the process."
TMZ reported Monday: "The Weez's assistant was up on the stand today and under blunt questioning from the DA, explained in great detail how pot is "something we always have" on the tour bus. Wayne's bud also said the star only smokes "dro" -- which, as the assistant explained, is short for "hyDROponically grown" weed (i.e., the good s**t). The court was, we're told, buzzing. Not everyone was so stoked - our spy says Wayne sat, head in hands, watching his lawyer battle to get the case skunked. They're all due back in court in December."
BRANDY STILL UPSET OVER CAR CRASH: Singer speaks to Ryan Seacrest about upcoming two-year anniversary.
*Brandy says she continues to deal with the pain of knowing that her role in a freeway car accident took the life of another human being in December 2006.
"It was just a tough situation to go through," she told Los Angeles DJ Ryan Seacrest Monday. "I can't really talk about it in any great detail because of legal matters but it was just something that I don't like to think about often."
The singer escaped vehicular manslaughter charges over the collision, which killed Awatef Aboudihaj, but almost two years on, Brady admits she's still haunted by the incident.
"You have to understand that you don't intend for things like that to happen; it's an accident... and that's how you get through things like that.
"I prayed a lot and I had great people around me to help me up and lift my spirits and I got through it... but I don't even think that I'm all the way over it. I don't think you can ever get over something like that - but I'm able to live my life without feeling the way I did in the beginning.
I'm a lot more cautious driving, you don't want anything like that to happen again."
Brandy says the emotional pain she endured in the weeks and months after the crash is evident in her new songs - one new track, "Right Here (Departed)," is a tribute to her friends and family members who stuck by
her: "A lot of people can relate to that song because everyone needs someone to be there for them."
EUR DVD REVIEW: The Incredible Hulk
Incredible Adaptation Arrives on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*This Marvel Comics adaptation features Ed Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner, a scientist who was conducting research with gamma rays when something went horribly wrong in the lab.
Via the magic of flashbacks we learn that he was left with a short fuse which transforms him into an invincible green behemoth whenever he loses control of his temper.
We also know that his girlfriend Betty (Liv Tyler) was knocked unconscious in the same accident and that her father, General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) blames Banner for his daughter’s injuries.
As the story unfolds, we find Bruce on the lam and working in a Brazilian bottling factory where he’s been quietly trying to find a cure for his condition while keeping a low profile. But then, a cut on the finger leads to a bit of his blood dropping into a container of soda about to be shipped to America. And before you can say “Ay Caramba!” a crack team of Army commandos soon descends on the place. The mild mannered Banner, who had been incommunicado for almost six months, loses his cool and morphs into The Hulk in order to escape.
He returns to the States, and enlists the assistance of Betty, only to have her dad’s henchman, Blonsky (Tim Roth) still on his tail. Worse, Blonsky turns into a superhuman freak called The Abomination after voluntarily being injected with an experimental radioactive serum.
This development inexorably leads to a colorful showdown in Harlem of all places. At that juncture, special effects take over, as the protagonist and his nemesis knock each other up and down 125th Street in a cartoonish battle royal.
Between its uncomplicated plot and high-impact action sequences, this kid-friendly adventure provides a practically-perfect escape for fans of the comic adaptation genre. Can anybody spell sequel?
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for violence, frightening sci-fi images, and brief suggestive content.
In English and Portuguese with subtitles.
Running time: 113 minutes
Studi Universal Studios Home Entertainment
3-Disc DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, feature commentary, alternate opening, digital copy of the film, a half-dozen featurettes, and more.
To see a trailer of The Incredible Hulk, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_JHpLY7S_A
EUR DVD REVIEW: Stuck
Horror Flick Based on Real-Life Crime Released on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*On Friday, October 26, 2001, 27 year-old Chante Mallard, an African-American employed as nurse’s aide, was driving under the influence following a night of partying when she hit Gregory Biggs as he was crossing the street.
The homeless white man landed on her hood, critically injured but alive, and Chante decided to drive home without reporting the accident to the police.
Instead, she invited her boyfriend, Clete Jackson, over, and they continued to drink alcohol, smoke pot, do Ecstasy and make love, while Mr. Biggs gradually finally bled to death over the weekend.
Monday morning, the couple dumped his body in a park with the help of Clete’s cousin before setting the car on fire to destroy the evidence. And the only reason the trio got caught is because Chante was later overheard joking about the incident.
Stuck, a gruesome crime saga only loosely based on the above events, stars Mena Suvari (American Beauty) as Brandi, a white girl sporting corn rows and dating an overbearing black drug dealer named Rashid (Russell Hornsby). Just past the point of departure, she runs into a street person (Stephen Rea) with her car in an accurate recreation of the aforementioned accident. However, the screen version of the story departs considerably from the facts after that, portraying Brandi as a sympathetic figure and only her Svengali-like boyfriend as a monster.
While the two proceed to mate like rabbits in a controlled substance-fueled frenzy, the picture introduces an array of colorful passersby, from a kid chasing an errant soccer ball to curious illegal aliens to a dog walker to nosy neighbors, who come close to discovering the semi-comatose hobo moaning in Brandi’s garage. Surprisingly taut and absorbing, even if you’re already familiar with the facts of the famous case, Stuck turns out to be a grisly horror flick not to be watched on an empty stomach.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for nudity, profanity, explicit sexuality, drug use, graphic violence and disturbing images.
In English and Spanish with subtitles.
Running time: 85 minutes
Distributor: Image Entertainment
Disc DVD Features: Audio commentary, theatrical trailer and three featurettes.
THE MO'KELLY REPORT: Limbaugh and Buchanan - The Clown Princes of Politics
*Rush Limbaugh “did his job.”
As a syndicated radio host, Limbaugh’s “job” is to rankle the nerves of dissenting listeners and Democrats alike; while also playing to the most extreme brand of conservatism.
Limbaugh isn’t about providing intelligent dialogue, he’s about providing affirmation for those brandishing ideologies counterintuitive to constructive political discourse. His fans don’t tune in to be informed, they seek to be affirmed.
Know the difference. Affirmation is not to be equated with information.
Limbaugh expresses his listeners’ thoughts and regurgitates their often-less appreciated sentiments…regardless how inane, inaccurate and wildly insensitive they might happen to be along the way.
To be flippant, Limbaugh’s “job” is to be the obligatory clown at the pre-pubescent birthday party…complete with red wig, floppy shoes and boorish balloon art.
That is his “job” as an entertainer and he does it exceptionally well. Somehow, I believe Cole Porter would have been quite proud of Rush Limbaugh.
“All the world, loves a clown.”
Pat Buchanan, a racial arsonist of historic proportions in his own right; is charged with the task of stoking the fires of White angst, using whatever embers and incendiary devices available to generate the greatest blowback bang for the buck.
“First, America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here that 600,000 black people, brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known.”
Pat Buchanan - A Brief for Whitey
Really Pat? Through slavery and segregation we “reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity” we’ve ever known?
Honestly? That’s like pissing down Mo’Kelly’s leg, telling him it’s raining and becoming indignant at him for not appreciating the umbrella you tried to sell to him in the meantime.
So know that when a pill-popping clown and Mr. Molotov Race-Cocktail band together in the opinion that the recent endorsement of Senator Barack Obama by Colin Powell was because “Obama is Black;” it is what it is. It is both expected and a teachable moment about the realities of race in America. Clowns and racial arsonists do what they are charged with doing. Let’s not be surprised.
But…
Let’s surely not let the moment pass without facts and intelligent discourse making our point in rebuttal.
When Dr. Henry Kissinger endorsed John McCain, did anyone publicly query whether it was because John McCain was (also) White? Maybe a high-profile syndicated radio host has and I just didn’t hear it. And maybe another former candidate for the White House and TV commentator posed it and I just didn’t see it.
Maybe…but unlikely. Feel free to email the proof to mokellyreport@sbcglobal.net if it should ever appear.
Did anyone question whether the San Francisco Chronicle endorsed John McCain, simply because he was White?
For all the talk about Bill Ayers, there’s been relatively little talk about Senator John McCain “pal-ing around” with G. Gordon Liddy.
Breaking into the DNC offices would be accurately characterized as “un-American” in nature. If you are involved in a plot which eventually leads to the resignation of the president, you probably are questionable company at best when we assess presidential candidates’ “associations.”
At the very core of racism is the implication that African-Americans are inherently inferior, first and foremost on an intellectual level. In this instance we are somehow intellectually incapable of making informed decisions without having race trump reason, if you buy into Limbaugh and Buchanan’s misguided “logic.”
To dismiss the impeccable credentials of one Colin Powell and allege that race won out is not only shamefully insulting, it’s indicative of racism at its “finest.” To imply that Powell can not see “past” his ethnicity denies the facts and historical truths that Powell has never, ever made any political or professional decisions to appease or curry favor with African-Americans.
To question why Powell would support Barack Obama, but not also question why this country has only had White male presidents with hair parted from left to right is disingenuous. If we are going to argue the “merits” of this election season on the “merits” of race, then let’s look at the fullness of American history.
To historically allege that only White men are worthy of leading the United States of America, when half the world has already had a woman lead them at one time or another is a telling and damning fact about this country. 43 consecutive White, male presidents in a row in the face of a bevy of other female world leaders is proof positive of this country’s historical reluctance and resistance to forge forward in any truly progressive nature. The candidacies of Gov. Sarah Palin and Senator Hillary Clinton are not “historic;” not when juxtaposed against the many female world leaders over the past decades. Although we’ve been in the business of exporting democracy, we have not been honest in just how dysfunctional our own democracy has been here at home.
Yet and still, nobody publicly was asking whether such a long “streak” of 43 in a row was anyway connected to racial or gender pride. Not surprisingly, racism and patriarchy are kissing cousins.
Did Rush Limbaugh publicly question the women of Ireland who supported and voted into power President Mary McAleese along gender lines?
Did Pat Buchanan question the intellectual honesty of German women simply because they supported and voted into power Chancellor Angela Merkel?
Margaret Thatcher anyone?
We’re the ones stuck in the dark ages and I don’t mean Colin Powell.
To never have had even a choice in the HISTORY of this country other than White men is undeniable proof of racial (and gender) preference; NOT the lone exception. If Limbaugh and Buchanan want to have a discussion about the merits of race in voting allegiances, might I refer them to the photos of the first 43 presidents of this nation.
Use them as a starting point fellas and then get back to me.
Mind you, Africans, African-Americans and women have been in this country for EVERY one of our presidential elections, but the only discussion of racial preference in this election from the likes of Buchanan and Limbaugh emerges when arguably the most honorable man in all of America goes (once again) against convention on principle alone?
Really Rush…honestly Pat?
It wasn’t enough for Colin Powell to have been a professional soldier and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It’s not enough that he is a former Secretary of State. It’s not even enough that he has largely been absent from the Bush-Bashing fest, when arguably he has more reason to join in on the fun than any of us.
When it came down to Powell offering his informed, influential and most importantly…INDEPENDENT-minded opinion, the FIRST criticism leveled at him trumpeted race.
They didn’t attack his credentials and they couldn’t. They didn’t attack his record. They couldn’t attack his long-allegiance and service to the Republican Party.
The FIRST criticism leveled at him trumpeted race.
Black Republicans…take note. Use that a pointed reminder about your “level of acceptance” within the party. The FIRST chance the pill-popping clown and Mr. Molotov Race-Cocktail had to attack Colin Powell, they treated him just like any other African-American and with the same level of racial contempt.
So noted.
Make up your mind Republicans. You castigated Black Democrats for characterizing Powell as a “sell-out” once upon a time. Now, you’re calling Powell a race loyalist?
He can’t be both. You “admired” him prior to now…no reason to stop. His single-mindedness is the only constant in this equation…that and classic Republican ignorance.
The Mo'Kelly Report is a syndicated entertainment journal with a political slant. It is to meant to incite meaningful discourse as well as entertain. For more of Mr. Mo’Kelly, please visit http://www.mokellyreport.blogspot.com. Morris W. O'Kelly can be reached at mokellyreport@sbcglobal.net and he welcomes all commentary.
THE BRIDGE: A Cultural Revolution;
By Darryl James
*Right about now, two of the most influential Black men in America have embraced a unified goal based on what is best for the nation, which also happens to be very good for the Black race.
While some people have previously misidentified Colin Powell as a sellout, he has always made it clear that he was proud of his race and that he understood the struggle Blacks face in modern times. These positions are a complete divergence from typical Black Republicans, who are eager and happy to ignore racism in their party, while pretending that the playing field is level for all races in America.
In his endorsement of Obama, Powell made it clear that his support of the presidential candidate was not about race, but about who is better prepared to effect change and lead the nation in a forward direction. He even warned the nation of racial hatred in the race for President and chastised his own Republican Party for personal attacks on Barack Obama.
Powell’s endorsement across party lines is huge and will sway many who have been wavering. He didn’t have to deal with his shared racial background with Obama, the results are good enough.
As November 4 draws near, it becoming more apparent that Senator Barack Obama will become President Barack Obama.
What does that mean for Black people in America?
It does not mean instant political or mental freedom, although a modicum of both will come as part of the package.
It also does not mean that Blacks will be guaranteed Reparations or any other direct favor from the President, who will be President of the entire nation, not just President of Black people.
What it means is that we have to take the lead from Obama and put in work ourselves.
It means that we, as a people must begin to work to make Obama’s life easier, not the other way around.
And one major way we can accomplish this is by creating a revolution that has very little to do with what Barack Obama will do as president.
A Cultural Revolution is what we need as a people.
Embracing a Cultural Revolution means that we will define who we are and what we are, as well as what we will believe. That also means that we have to draw hard lines in places that will make many people uncomfortable.
Whether we are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Atheist or still trying to figure it out, we must stop waiting for God, waiting to exhale or waiting for Reparations to get ourselves together. We must believe that we are impossible to destroy as a people and that no other people are going to come to our rescue.
That having been said, we must learn to place our differences aside and work with each other to chip away at our problems, piece by piece.
For example, I have been about Cultural Revolution for quite some time and have delivered messages toward that end in my writing. Even for those who do not agree with me or with my methods, they must understand that some people will agree with me and there will be progress.
As a people, we must trust this understanding because there has already been progress. Such progress in thinking and in action has resulted in the first serious Black candidate for president.
Barack Obama is a part of our Cultural Revolution, because his face on the presidency will change the face of Black Americans in the world arena.
As a part of the Cultural Revolution, we stop hating those who disagree with us and join one faction or the other. No one has a right to hate if they are not also active. Hating without being active makes one a hater and clearly--the damned enemy.
The time for discussing methods has long passed. There are plentiful methods in the atmosphere--choose one.
The time for excuses has long passed. There have been enough excuses offered to the universe without real action.
We can be Democrat and Republican, Pro Life and Pro Choice, but most of all, we must be Pro Us and many more of us are right now.
If you can not be Pro Black, please don't fight us, just walk away and no one will care or ask you to look back or come back.
This revolution can not be steeped in religion, which means specifically that Christians can no longer be at the forefront of the revolution as Christians, because they have largely failed us after the Sixties, when they began to focus far too much on materialism.
And, I’m certain this will garner a modicum of hatred, but it has to be said that Black women can not be feminists and participate in this revolution.
Does that mean that Black women have to put their gender struggles aside? No. What it means is that Black men must respect their struggles, and please pay attention: Black women must also join the other Black women in respecting the Black man's struggles.
Feminism has caused many of our sisters to embrace gender politics that are contrary to Black gender unity. Many of them hate me just for saying so. But the majority of Black women ARE NOT feminists and therefore, can not change anything from the outside with white-oriented gender politics. Sisters must stay within and seek change for both sides. If any are not willing to do so, please urge them to walk away.
And, for the Black men who have watched other Black men fail, whether they are falling out of the school system, or falling prey to gangs--you can not be a part of this revolution if you blame the victims. We are not victimizing each other, we are simply third party victims of Cultural Imperialism and a war against anything that is not white and rich. Ask the Latinos, because they realize that they needed a Cultural Revolution and the nation is paying attention.
No one will pay attention to attempts to become homogenized, or any attempts to slip away from the burden of being Black in America, which is why the only way to take full advantage of a president who looks like us is to redefine who we really are.
Next Week: Outlining the Revolution
Darryl James is an award-winning author of the new powerful anthology “Notes From The Edge.” 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.
VERONICA'S VIEW: Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Veronica Hendrix
Domestic Violence is a deliberate pattern of abusive tactics used by one partner in an intimate relationship to obtain and maintain power and control over the other person.
October is recognized as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Each year more than three million women and adolescent girls across the United States are physically assaulted by their husbands or intimate partners. And each year about four thousand are murdered by a partner whom they have loved. These are not only staggering statistics, they are abhorrent.
Paula Petrotta is the former Executive Director of the Los Angeles City Commission on the Status of Women. She led the organization for over fifteen years before her retirement. Since 1975 this city agency has been working to not only change public policy, but also educate the public and policy makers about domestic violence, the number one public health and safety issue affecting women and girls across the nation. Before she left the City, we talked candidly about the dynamics of domestic violence, words she wanted want to leave with women and girls who not only live in the City, but around the nation.
Veronica: Is domestic violence a private matter, simply a lover’s spat?
Paula: No. It is a crime punishable by law. Because of changes in the law, intimate partner violence is treated just as seriously as any violent crime, and in many cases it can be more volatile and even deadly.
Veronica: What is domestic violence?
Paula: It is physical violence such as pushing, shoving, slapping, hitting, choking, stalking, beating. It also includes emotional abuse and economic control such as verbal insults, isolation from family, and withholding of financial resources, just to mention a few – all to gain control and diminish a person’s self esteem. It’s interesting to note that before a woman will even report an incident of domestic violence, she has been physically abused at least seven times or more.
Veronica: Then why do so many women stay in abusive relationships?
Paula: There are many reasons - fear, religion, culture, economic. However, the dynamics of domestic violence are very complex. There is a cycle that exists in domestic violence situations. It is made up of three phases: the tension building phase where there is yelling, coercion and threats; the violence phase where there is physical and sexual abuse; and the honeymoon phase where there are apologies, blaming and promises that the violence will stop. It’s the honeymoon phase that both parties rationalize the violence and diminish what has occurred. The abuser is remorseful and attentive and the victim is convinced the violence was just a bump in the road. Unfortunately, the interval between these phases tends to get shorter in duration, repeating itself throughout the relationship again and again. For some women that cycle is broken by something catastrophic or otherwise.
Veronica: Catastrophic or otherwise?
Paula: Yes, such as severe injury. Nearly 30% percent of women who visit medical emergency rooms are treated for injuries related to ongoing domestic abuse. Violence against women escalates particularly during pregnancy with 37% of pregnant women reporting they experienced physical abuse during their pregnancy. For many women it’s when domestic violence metastasizes into child abuse – and that nexus has been well documented – that the instinct to protect her children compels her to leave. Statistics have also shown that this is the most dangerous time for a woman because she is most likely to be seriously injured or killed when she is trying to leave her abuser.
Veronica: If a woman is in a violent relationship, what should she do?
Paula: She should establish a safety plan for that inevitable moment when she will have to leave. That means gathering information like birth certificates, extra car keys so she can get away, money, vital records, and important documents. She should identify a safe place she can go because her abuser will attempt to find her at the home of family members or close friends. I recommend that she begin the process of obtaining a restraining order in these instances. It gives legal credence to what she is doing and he can be arrested if he violates that order. There are hotline numbers she can call to get advice if she has time to do that. But if it is an emergency, she needs to get out and take her children with her.
Veronica: What about violence in the workplace? There have been reported cases of women and their co-workers being injured and even killed at work as a direct result of domestic violence.
Paula: Domestic Violence costs American companies millions of dollars each year in lost productivity and health care costs. If you look at the rate of homeless women on the street, 50% of them are there because they had to flee a domestic violence situation. We know that domestic violence doesn’t stay at home when the victim goes to work. It typically impacts the workplace with threatening calls and unwanted visits from the abuser. If this does occur, employers and security staff should be made aware of it because it is an issue of safety for all concerned. Fortunately, California is one of the few states that allow corporate restraining orders.
Veronica: Paula, what’s the bottom line you want people to understand about domestic violence?
Paula: The bottom line is that you have a right, no matter if you are a man or woman, to live in a relationship that is free from domestic violence. It’s a human right. And you and your intimate partner have a responsibility to ensure that your children live in an environment where they are not exposed to domestic violence. It’s all too often a learned behavior, and by exposing your children to domestic violence in their home you are essentially raising the next generation of abusers as well as victims. Breaking the cycle starts with you.
* * *
Domestic violence doesn’t discriminate. It impacts women of all cultures, races, occupations, income levels, and ages. And it also impacts men, as a small percentage have been reported to have been victimized by female and male intimate partners. If you are a woman or a man who is in an abusive or violent relationship, arm yourself with the facts. For more information about domestic violence call (800) 799-SAFE (7233) or visit the Family Violence Prevention fund at endabuse.org/resources/facts.(If you have comments about Veronica’s View email them to vsview@yahoo.com)###
TURNER’S TWO CENTS: LEVI STUBBS, “SOUL MEN,” AND THE COLIN POWELL EFFECT
By Cameron Turner
LEVI’S LEGACY
*The Four Tops signature tune “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” is my favorite song of all time. I was three years-old when that legendary Motown jam soared to the top of the charts and to this day I get happy whenever I hear it. My two daughters (ages 10 and, very shortly, 12) realize this and they’ve been known to crank the volume when “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch” comes on so we can dance around the living room together.
So, when Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs passed away this weekend at the age of 72, I took it kind of hard. But more than a sense of grief, Mr. Stubbs’ death reminded me of how important it is for us to celebrate and preserve the rich, eclectic and incredibly creative history of black American music.
Every time one of our musical greats of yesteryear goes on to glory, we lose a corporeal link to our artistic past. Fortunately, their recordings live on and the music that touched us back in the day is just waiting to groove present and future generations. Great music remains great – relevant, exciting, provocative and fun -- no matter how many decades or trends come and go. I defy anyone, of any age, to listen to Levi Stubbs’ soaring voice on Four Tops classics like “Just Ask the Lonely,” “Baby I Need Your Loving” or “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” and not feel a charge down in your soul.
So, if you aren’t doing so already, pull out your old records, tapes and CDs and play them around the house and in the car for your kids. Make sure their iPods have plenty of music from Motown, Stax, Atlantic, Chess, Philly International, Solar, Blue Note and the other legendary labels. You’ll be educating the youngsters and keeping the legacy alive. And don’t be surprised if you find yourselves dancing around the living room!
SOUL HISTORY ONSCREEN
Black music history will get a big screen celebration with two highly-anticipated movies coming out in the next month and a half. “Cadillac Records” (due December 5) recreates the 1950s heyday of the seminal blues, R&B and rock ‘n roll label Chess Records. “Cadillac’s” all-star cast includes Beyonce as Etta James, Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters, Cedric the Entertainer as Willie Dixon and Mos Def as Chuck Berry. Can’t wait to see this one and to give you my two cents! Meanwhile, I can’t rave enough about the flick due on November 7; “Soul Men” stars Samuel L. Jackson and the late, great Bernie Mac (in the last and best performance of his stellar but too-brief Hollywood career) as old school back-up singers who reunite after not speaking for 30 years. It’s fall-outta-your-seat hilarious, warm-hearted, grown up (the R rating is well-deserved) and full of poppin’ music from the 1960s and ‘70s golden age of soul music, particularly the sounds that came out of Memphis-based Stax Records.
“Stax is kind of where I was because I was in Tennessee and Atlanta and I knew guys that were a part of that record label,” Jackson remembers. “I was a huge fan of Carla and Rufus Thomas, Otis Redding and James and Bobby Purify. That particular label was the label of the Southern youth, more so than Motown.”
Jackson and Mac did their own singing and dancing for “Soul Men” and when you see them doing their thing – whether it’s jamming a Rufus Thomas number at a country western bar, or going through steps while changing a tire on the side of a desert highway – you can tell these men loved the music and (even though they fuss and fight throughout the movie) love each other. I’ll have more to say about “Soul Men” in the next few weeks.
A quick observation about the election before I sign off.
POWELL PUTS MCCAIN ON THE ROPES
John McCain is trying to act like Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama is no big deal. But underneath his nonchalance, McCain knows better. Having the enormously popular Republican ex-Secretary of State and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff cross party lines to support his opponent was a major blow to McCain’s struggling campaign. But the Arizona senator tried to downplay it by pointing out that several former Secretaries of State – Henry Kissinger, Lawrence Eagleburger, James Baker – are on his side, as are some 200 retired generals and admirals. But, as impressive as that roster of allies seems, it is no match for the unique stature that Colin Powell holds with the public. Powell is revered and listened to by Americans of every political, racial, ethnic and socio-economic group so he could easily influence undecided voters. Ask everyday Americans (including Joe the Plumber and Joe Six Pack) if they care what Lawrence Eagleburger thinks and they’ll probably say, “Who?” Ask them if they care what Colin Powell thinks and you’ll get a chorus of “Yeses.”
But even with Powell in his corner and the polls in his favor Obama does not have this election sewn up. He’ll need massive voter turn out on November 4 – with black voters participating at record levels -- to seal his historic victory. With two weeks to go until election day, we would all be wise to remember the grammatically-challenged yet truthful wisdom of Yogi Berra: “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over!”
Thanks for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents.
THINK! IT AIN’T ILLEGAL…YET!
THE JOURNAL OF STEFFANIE RIVERS: It’s the Economy, Stupid
*A recent CNN article questioned whether U.S. Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s cross demographic appeal would usher him into the White House or if racism would raise its ugly head and deny him on Election Day.
National polls show the Democratic presidential candidate with a six point lead over his Republican opponent. But pollsters say the Bradley effect could become a determining factor in this historical election.
The Bradley effect, named for former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, is a proposed explanation for a discrepancy between voter opinion polls and election outcomes in American political campaigns when a white candidate and a non-white candidate run against each other. Bradley, an African-American, lost the 1982 California governor's race despite being ahead in some polls because voters said they were undecided or likely to vote for Bradley. Yet, on Election Day, they voted for his white opponent.
Although I'm sure the Bradley effect has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in a number of elections, there’s at least one reason it doesn’t apply this time; there aren’t six months of primary elections for Governor as there are for president.
Primary presidential elections are the best indices for the general election.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to conclude there aren’t enough African-American voters alone to elect Obama president. A majority of his support must come from non African-Americans, something he already has proven he can command.
Between last January and June Obama won 54 percent of the Democratic vote during the primary election season securing his party’s nomination. Not only is he the first Black man to win an Iowa Caucus where 95 percent of the residents there are White, Obama won a number of primaries in former southern Dixiecrat states over the Clinton political machine, and 75 percent of Democrats voting from abroad due to military and other obligations. In just three months Obama has gathered significant support in six swing states, including Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
There should be no doubt that Obama has the support of the Democratic Party, as well as that of some well-known Republicans.
Even former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican, has publically endorsed Obama for president. And if that’s not enough, Christopher Buckley, the son of deceased preeminent conservative William F. Buckley, endorsed Obama for president. Since then Buckley Jr. has quit his post at the National Review magazine that his father founded. Buckley Sr. probably is turning over in his grave.
For people who profess to support Obama knowing full well they intend to vote for his Republican counterparts, they should do some soul-searching.
What are they afraid of? Has their quality of life and that of the people they know and love gotten better or worse in the last eight years? If Obama’s campaign is more agreeable than his opponents’, what sense does it make not to vote for him because he’s a Black man? It makes as much sense as it does to cut off your nose to spite your face.
Steffanie Rivers is a free-lance journalist living in Dallas, Texas. For public speaking inquiries, comments or questions email her at teamtcbadvertising@hotmail.com.
ROBERTSON TREATMENT (America’s Premiere Urban Lifestyle Column) Issue 12, Edition 13: The Sky’s The Limit for Rob Brown
*Hollywood insiders are predicting big things for actor Rob Brown who with his current role as the late football half-back, Ernie Davis (the first African American awarded a Heisman Trophy), in “The Express,” firmly cements his position as a face to watch in films. Ironically for all the fanfare, the 24-year old actor has largely eschewed the industry in favor of more personal pursuits that includes recently earning a Psychology degree from Amherst College, and choosing to live in his native Brooklyn instead of Hollywood. Brown is indeed an atypical actor, but so is the work that he brings to his craft. The Robertson Treatment recently spoke to the very focused and humble young man about his life that is full of possibilities.
ROBERTSON TREATMENT: How much did you know about Ernie Davis before getting your role in this film?
ROB BROWN: I had heard of him, but did not know a great deal about his career. There are probably some running-backs who know nothing about him. Which is sad because Ernie is like the Jackie Robinson of his sport. Like Robinson, he was a real trailblazer who overcame tremendous obstacles to transform football. Playing him in this movie allowed me to learn a great deal about him and my hope is that more people will become interested in his life and what a great example he was as a man.
RT: What made him so special?
RB: I spoke to people who knew Ernie and more than 40-years later they all told me the same thing: that he lived his life both on and off the field with a degree of humility and dignity that is extremely rare. To his fans, he was special because of the superior discipline and athleticism that he brought to the sport. Overall the way Ernie impacted people is that he made them better by his example. He was a rare breed.
RT: What kind of preparation did you undergo for the part?
RB: I watched a lot of his play tapes to get a sense for how he moved on the field. I also spoke with like Jim Brown, who was his mentor, to a gather nuance for the part. As I learned more and more about him, I discovered that we actually have a lot in common. I’m a black man who also attended a predominantly white college, so I certainly know first-hand what it’s like to live in this skin on a day-to-day. I also played football in high school and college, so I knew a little about that experience as well.
RT: Given your success as an actor, why was it so important for you to pursue your degree?
RB: Not going to college was never even a consideration for me. As I was growing up my mom always stressed the importance of higher education, so achieving that has always been something that I’ve strived to do. Actually, it’s my acting career that’s been an anomaly because having this career is not something that I never saw coming until it fell into my lap. When I was working with Sean Connery on my first film (“Finding Forrester”), he made a point of telling me to get my degree. A lot of people find it surprising, but my decision to attend college was supported by my agent and entire team in Hollywood. Everyone wanted me to go and do it. Fortunately, while I was in college, I did a couple films to keep my feet wet, but otherwise my priority was earning my degree.
RT: Why do you continue living in Brooklyn instead of Hollywood.
RB: I love living in Brooklyn; it keeps me centered and grounded. My family lives there and so do most of my friends, so its home for me. I come out to LA a lot for work, but right now I see o reason to move there.
RT: What’s next for you?
RB: I do not have any projects on the table right now, which is all right with me since I’ve either been in school or working for a very long time. A lot of my friends are getting their Masters, and since my mom is a Social Worker, I have considered going back to school to get a MSW. I would love to have a career like Don Cheadle who does his work as an actor and lives the rest of his life. I definitely want to pursue other roles as an actor, but I also want to serve my community.
BEST BETS – TV: Chocolate News with David Allen Grier
The 2008 TV season has a hit on its hand with comedian David Allen Grier’s new half-hour series, Chocolate News. Airing on Comedy Central. Visit www.comedycentral.com for airdates in your area. Not since Living Color has TV been so much fun!
AUTOMOTIVE SPIN – 2008 BMW 650I COUPE
Wow Factor: The BMW 650i Coupe is the kind of car that inspires fantasies. Long, low and wide, this ride is a sporty ride built with all of the classic exterior features that drivers expect from BMW. Clearly a high-end vehicle, the 650i coupe is a definite head-turner that will leave you feeling like the big man on campus.
Ride: The 650i Coupe is outfitted with a 4.8-liter, V-8 engine that produces 360 horsepower and 360 pounds-feet of torque. Add to that the car has a 6-speed transmission and superior suspension, which virtually guarantees a smooth ride on a variety of rode surfaces.
Comfort: With new standard equipment that includes active head and knee protection, the 650i Coupe is also outfitted with BMW's iDrive system: a console knob controls multiple comfort and convenience functions. The iDrive system even includes six "favorite" buttons that can save radio stations, navigation locations or phone numbers.
Spin Control: Although it comes at a hefty price (MSG $75,600.00), the car actually performs with an economical level of fuel efficiency getting 15 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highways. Add to that its great looks, superior styling and state-of-the-art high tech features and what you have a real winner.
Grade: A
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