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'MAGIC DRAGON' WRITER ON 'MAGIC NEGRO' SPOOF: Peter Yarrow says it's 'not only offensive, it is shocking and saddening.'
*Peter Yarrow, the co-writer of the 1963 children's song "Puff the Magic Dragon," says he is disappointed with the recent spoof of his tune that targets President-elect Barack Obama.
Tennessee Republican Chip Saltsman, a candidate for Republican National Committee chairman, included "Barack the Magic Negro" on a CD sent to RNC members for Christmas.
The song was first played on conservative political commentator Rush Limbaugh's radio show in 2007 and was drawn from a Los Angeles Times column that suggested Obama appealed to those who feel guilty about the nation's longtime mistreatment of African-Americans.
"Barack the Magic Negro" was described by Saltsman as "political satire," but Yarrow disagrees. He wrote the following in response to the controversy.
The sending of a Christmas greeting by Chip Saltsman to the members of the Republican National Committee that includes a recording of the so-called parody, "Barack the Magic Negro" is not only offensive, it is shocking and saddening in the extreme. It flies in the face of America's deeply held hope for a new era in which common ground and mutual respect characterize the exchanges between our national leaders.
I and my co-writer of "Puff," Lenny Lipton, have been eagerly awaiting an end to the mean-spiritedness, outright disrespect and bigotry that was commonplace prior to this last presidential election. What might have been wearily accepted as "the way it was" in the campaign, is now unacceptable. Obama is not a candidate. He is the President-Elect, and this song insults the office of the Presidency, the people who voted for him, as well as those who did not -- and taking a children's song and twisting it in such vulgar, mean-spirited way, is a slur to our entire country and our common agreement to move beyond racism.
It is almost unimaginable to me that Chip Saltzman who sent the CD, would seriously be considered for the top post of the Republican National Committee. Puff, himself, if asked, would certainly agree.
MORE CELEBS PAY $50Gs FOR INAUGURATION TIX: Surprisingly, Oprah Winfrey's not one of them…at least not yet.
*Fox411 columnist Roger Friedman gives an update on the celebrities who have paid big money to attend Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony next month.
He writes: "Island DefJam’s L.A. Reid has put in $50,000; Magic Johnson sent in $25,000; Steve Ballmer CEO, of Microsoft, added $100,000; 21-year old Matthew Palevsky, son of philanthropist Max Palevsky, opened his piggy bank and got out $25,000; tech billionaire Rick Aversano, $50,000; and add to the list also as 'bundlers' — people who put together a number of donations under one listing — 'That 70s Show' creators Bonnie and Terry Turner ($100,000)."
Still missing from the list, however, is Oprah Winfrey, who is arguably Obama's most vocal supporter. She appeared with him on the campaign trail and is moving her show to Washington D.C. for a week to celebrate the historic occasion.
So far, Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks have each paid $50,000 to attend the ceremony. Also contributing $50,000, according to Friedman, are Jamie Lee Curtis and husband Chris Guest, James Lassiter, Ron Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Foxx, Robert Zemeckis, Berry Gordy and “Cosby Show” producer Marcy Carsey.
In the $25,000 group: director Reginald Hudlin, former Motown president and Democratic supporter Clarence Avant, Lionel Richie's ex wife Brenda, James Farentino's ex-wife Debra, and “Terminator” producer Gale Hurd, who’s also the ex-wife of both Brian DePalma and James Cameron.
BET SETS INAUGURATION DAY SCHEDULE: Network plans extensive coverage of historic swearing in.
*BET will offer extensive live coverage of Inauguration Day next month, bearing witness to the swearing in of the nation's first black president, Barack Obama.
Cameras will capture the oath-of-office and parade from four locations, including ground and rooftop sites on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Anchoring the coverage will be Hill Harper of CBS' "CSI: NY," former CBS "The Early Show" host Rene Syler and Jeff Johnson, who hosts a weekly BET news program.
"This is an opportunity to be the best we can be," said BET's programming chief Stephen Hill. "We see this as an opportunity to inform and inspire our audience, which is what we always try to do."
BET marked President George W. Bush's last inauguration with a news brief, to say "Oh, it happened. What a shame," he added.
The network is also preparing several reports to air during the coverage, including pieces about Michelle Obama; the people who helped elect the new president; Obama's international appeal; and his security detail, asking, "Who is willing to take a bullet for a black man?"
The children of Dr. Martin Luther King will share their thoughts on Obama for a special titled, "King to Obama: Repurposing the Dream."
BET, as the older of the two networks and the one with the wider reach, believes it has an advantage over TV One's planned inauguration coverage – because BET is the only one with a news division. Producers plan to take full advantage by featuring simple historical explainers about presidential inaugurations throughout the day; the network reasons that many who will be watching have never seen one before.
"This is the first time in a long time a lot of people in our audience feel they are really part of the process of selecting a leader for the United States of America," Hill said.
As previously reported, the channel is planning a prime-time entertainment special taped earlier, "Yes We Will: The BET Inaugural Celebration," and will also sponsor its own inaugural ball, which will be featured in live cut-ins.
TV ONE PLANS FULL DAY OF INAUGURATION COVERAGE: Network to follow event for 21 straight hours.
*TV One will mix live footage and taped specials in its full day of inauguration coverage to celebrate the swearing in of Barack Obama, the nation's first African American president.
Inauguration Day programming begins Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 7 a.m. (all times ET), with a special episode of "The Gospel of Music" with Jeff Majors that pays tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King and President-elect Obama, followed by two hour-long documentaries about the president-elect: "Believe: The Barack Obama Story" and "Barack Obama: The Man and His Journey."
Live coverage begins at 10 a.m. and will be anchored by the team that led TV One’s live coverage of the Democratic National Convention and election night in Chicago’s Grant Park: Art Fennell, host and managing editor of "Art Fennell Reports" on CN8, The Comcast Network; and Joe Madison, XM Satellite and WOL-AM radio talk show host.
Joining the anchors throughout the day will be Tom Joyner, Rev. Al Sharpton, TV One commentator Roland Martin, Tom Joyner Morning Show news correspondent Jacque Reid, pollster Shawnta Wolcott, and Russ Parr Morning Show personality Alfredas.
TV One’s anchor position overlooks the West Front of the U.S. Capitol where the swearing-in and Inaugural Address will take place. In addition, Jacque Reid will be at the West Front for interviews and reporting.
The network will have multi-camera live coverage of all the day's events, from President and Mrs. Bush leaving the White House, to President-elect and Mrs. Obama en route to the Capitol, to the new president’s trip down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House to view the parade. The swearing-in ceremony, the Inaugural Address and the Inaugural Parade will all be covered live, with the special insights and context from an African American perspective. Alfredas will be reporting with live reaction from the people gathered on the National Mall to witness history.
From 6-10 p.m., TV One commentator Roland Martin will host an evening devoted to the new president, including Martin’s personal insights and observations about the man and his historic presidency. The night will also feature special programming, including: the documentary "Barack Obama: The Man and His Journey," a co-production between Ebony/Jet Entertainment Group and Codeblack Entertainment that explores the dynamics of change in America through an intimate look at the personal and political journey of President-elect Barack Obama; Martin’s NAACP Image Award-winning interview, "In Conversation: The Senator Barack Obama Interview"; and "In Conversation: The Michelle Obama Interview," the interview Martin conducted for TV One with the incoming First Lady as a precursor to the Democratic National Convention in August.
TV One’s live evening coverage, which airs from 10 p.m. – midnight, will be co-anchored by Reid and Jamal Munnerlyn of TV One Access, with contributions from Michaela Angela Davis and other fashion and style experts, who will report from multiple balls and high-profile inaugural events around Washington. TV One will offer a wrap up of the day’s events from midnight – 1 a.m., and re-air the inauguration from 1-3 a.m.
“TV One is proud to bring the opening chapter of the Obama presidency to our viewers, and it’s especially meaningful that this historic occasion is the day after we celebrate our own fifth anniversary on the Martin Luther King birthday holiday,” said TV One President and CEO Johnathan Rodgers. “We plan to offer our viewers who can’t be in Washington – and maybe even some who are here – a ring-side seat for the most important political and social events, and to convey a sense of the excitement, the pride and the meaning of this event for African Americans and for all Americans.”
BASSETT, HANCOCK RSVP FOR 'PURPLE BALL': Inauguration party to honor troops, war vets and bipartisanship.
*Angela Bassett and Herbie Hancock are among the celebs set to attend "The Inaugural Purple Ball," one of 10 official balls scheduled for inauguration night, and an evening intended to celebrate "the spirit of bipartisanship and diversity."
Leaders from entertainment, politics, business, the military, media, non-profit and community organizations from across the country will attend the exclusive formal dinner occurring on Jan. 20 at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington D.C.
The evening, a benefit for the ERACISM Foundation founded by Louis Gossett Jr., will include a tribute to the troops of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and war veterans.
Other celeb attendees will include Patricia Arquette, Amy Brenneman, Josh Lucas, Ed Harris, Ashley Judd, Kate Walsh, John Cusack, Brendan Fraser, Lisa Marie Presley, Bradley Cooper Tim Robbins, and Susan Sarandon.
A presidential toast will be made by Hill Harper, as guests "will be feted to a delicious champagne dinner, surrounded by exquisitely laid lush purple velvet and breathtaking crystals," according to a press release.
For ticket or event information, please visit:
http://www.inauguralpurpleball.com.
EVA MARCILLE AND LANCE GROSS ENGAGED: 'House of Payne' actor got on bended knee at family's Christmas Eve celebration.
*"America's Next Top Model" winner Eva Marcille is engaged to her boyfriend, "House of Payne" star Lance Gross, following a proposal that took place in front of their families on Christmas Eve.
Surrounded by family and friends, Gross got down on one knee and presented Marcille with a 3.36 1895 Pave Cartier ring, reports Essence.com.
“I cried. It was totally unexpected. I’m still in shock,” Marcille told the Web site. “I could not even sleep because I was afraid that I might wake up from the most beautiful dream ever.”
Gross described the exact moment that he showed her the ring. “Eva asked, ‘Baby, is this real? Baby, are you playing with me?’" he recounted. "Then she said, ‘Forever and always: Yes, Yes, Yes!’ and jumped up and hugged me crying and then she did her happy dance.”
The two haven’t set a wedding date but are strongly considering a summer wedding in 2010.
“I’m proud to call Lance mine because I was in love with him before we ever met. He’s my dream guy,” says Marcille, who currently stars on the CBS soap "The Young and the Restless."
View photos of the couple at Essence.com:
http://photos.essence.com/galleries/eva_marcille__lance_gross/image/84462
BAD ECONOMY STALLS JAY-Z'S PLANNED HOTEL: Real estate project on hold while partners try to raise more cash.
*The New York Times is reporting that the development of a hotel backed by rap mogul Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter has been put on hold due to the ailing economy.
In 2007, the rapper invested in a real estate development venture called J Hotels which acquired a $66 million mid-block parcel in Chelsea, New York to build a high-end hotel.
Charles Blaichman, one of Jay-Z's partners, told The Times that they have been seeking up to $370 million from various banks to begin construction but have not been successful.
"A year ago it would have seemed a reasonable amount. Not now," said Blaichman. "Even the banks who want to give us money can't."
Jay-Z's predicament is part of the larger problem affecting the real estate market nationwide. According to research, almost $5 billion worth of property projects in New York City have been delayed or cancelled because of the current economic crisis.
JAIMEE FOXWORTH EXPECTING FIRST CHILD: Plus, 'Family Matters' star says she's been sober since completing 'Celebrity Rehab.'
*Actress Jaimee Foxworth, best known for her role as Judy Winslow on "Family Matters" until a drug habit landed her on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab," has announced that she is five months pregnant by her longtime boyfriend.
"I haven't been this happy in years," the 29-year-old entertainer tells People.com. "I am excited about what the future holds for us."
After Foxworth lost all of the money she earned while playing the youngest child on "Family Matters," she turned to making adult films and developed a marijuana addiction. She appeared on "Celebrity Rehab" during its first season in January to kick the habit.
"Being sober has opened my eyes to a whole new world," she says. "I've been through a lot of pain in the past and I never really wanted a child until recently. I now look forward to years of joy to share with my child."
According to People, Foxworth plans on releasing an autobiography in mid-2009 and is working on a hip-hop album and a reality show.
DALLAS COWBOY VS. DISGRUNTLED FAN: Linebacker Bradie James roughs up protester picketing team and coach following Sunday's debacle.
*Compounding a season-ending loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys were met with angry fans outside the team's training facility, and at least one armed with a picket sign that apparently went too far.
The fan wore a sandwich board that read "Cowboys have no heart' on one side and "Wade is an embarrassment to the star" on the other, according to ESPN's Ed Werder. Linebacker Bradie James spotted it while driving outside of the facility and immediately took offense.
According to ESPN, he stopped his vehicle and demanded the fan give him the sign. When the man refused, James removed it from him, breaking the man's eyeglasses in the process.
Both parties were taken into the Cowboys' offices and after a discussion, no charges were filed.
The fan was disgusted by the team's 44-6 loss to Philadelphia, which eliminated the team from playoff contention.
INDIA.ARIE HAS ANOTHER 'TESTIMONY': 'Love & Politics' due in February with first single 'Chocolate High' featuring Musiq.
*India.Arie is preparing to drop a second volume in her series of "Testimony" albums.
"Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics," a follow up to 2006's "Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship," is scheduled for release on Feb. 10 from Universal Republic.
The lead single, "Chocolate High," features Musiq Soulchild, while second single "Therapy" includes Jamaican roots artist Gramps Morgan. Production was contributed by Arie, Novel and Dru Castro, among others, reports Billboard.com.
Arie launched her own label, Soulbird Music, in June, with the release of singer Anthony David's album, "Acey Deucy." The artists teamed for the single "Words," which is up for a Grammy for best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals.
Here is the track list for "Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics":
"Intro -- Grains"
"Therapy"
"Psalms 23"
"Chocolate High"
"He Heals Me"
"Interlude -- Grains"
"Pearls"
"River Rise"
"Yellow"
"Better Way"
"Interlude -- Grains"
"Long Goodbye"
"Ghetto"
"The Cure
"Outtro -- Grains"
SINGLETARY MADE PERMANENT 49ER COACH: Team announces move Sunday following comeback win over Redskins.
*The San Francisco 49ers announced Sunday that Mike Singletary, who has served as the team's interim coach since Oct. 21, will return next year as head coach under a four-year deal.
"Mike Singletary's leadership ability has galvanized the players and coaching staff to deliver improved results on the field," general manager Scot McCloughan said. "By turning the second half of the season around, he has accomplished what few interim head coaches have been able to do.
"After discussions with ownership, we agree that Mike has earned the head coach position. I look forward to working with Mike to continue to build on the momentum he has created as we prepare for the 2009 season."
With Sunday's 27-24 win, Singletary guided the 49ers to a 5-4 finish, including wins in four of their last five games. The Niners fired Mike Nolan after he went 18-37 in parts of four seasons and never made the playoffs.
"I find myself in the middle of something, feeling very fortunate to be surrounded by all of the good people around me," said Singletary, who played 11 years with the Chicago Bears as a linebacker and went to 10 Pro Bowls. "Now it's just a matter of continuing to hype it up, continuing to move forward and keep our eyes on the vision that we have."
'GULLY CREEPA' DANCE CREATOR KILLED: Ice, a.k.a. David Alexander Smith, was behind move done by Usain Bolt at Olympics.
*David Alexander Smith, the Jamaican entertainer who created the dance performed by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt to celebrate his Olympic victories, was shot to death at a Kingston bar, reported Radio Jamaica.
Popularly known as "Ice," Smith was shot and killed Friday morning at a bar following an altercation with the attackers. Police suspect that robbery could be a motive, as the attackers reportedly drove off with the dancer's rental car after the murder.
Smith's "Gully Creepa" dance, popularized in a song by dancehall star Elephant Man, received worldwide attention after Bolt, a triple Olympic champion, broke world records in the 200 meters finals at the Beijing Olympics in August and celebrated one of the victories by removing his shoes and performing the dance.
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER MARIAH BABY RUMOR: Plus, mathematician upset over her explanation of album title 'E=MC2.'
*Fox411 columnist Roger Freidman says a source in Mariah Carey's camp assures him that the singer is not pregnant, despite numerous tabloid reports to the contrary.
As previously reported, the New York Post quoted a source on St. Barts who claimed Carey "is definitely pregnant" and described the entertainer as "zaftig." The source also cited her decision to cut down her strenuous workout routine as an indication that she is preggers.
"Of course, the light work out sessions could be because Carey is trying to get pregnant and just isn’t there yet," Friedman wrote in his Monday column. "That would make sense."
"Alas, I am assured by those close to her that still, no baby is in sight," he wrote. "Carey and young hubby Nick Cannon have been on vacation in Aspen and St. Bart’s. But photographs of Carey, who hasn’t been shy about getting in front of the cameras, reveal a still flat stomach on a pretty well toned body."
Meanwhile, a mathematician is upset with Carey over her recent comments about the title of her latest album, "E=MC2," which references Albert Einstein's famous mass-energy equivalence formula.
Carey has described its meaning as "emancipation equals Mariah Carey times two." But Dr David Leslie, a university mathematics lecturer in England, told BBC News: "The 'two' in the equation means C squared, not MC multiplied by two. The correct reading of the equation is E=MCC, so perhaps Mariah's re-interpretation should have been 'emancipation equals Mariah Carey Carey'?"
REV. FRED SHUTTLESWORTH HOSPITALIZED: Civil Rights leader being treated for pneumonia and dehydration.
*Civil rights icon Fred Shuttlesworth has been moved from a nursing home to the intensive care unit at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham to be treated for pneumonia and dehydration, his family tells local Fox news affiliate WBRC.
His wife said that the family is asking for everyone's prayers for a speedy recovery.
Rev. Shuttlesworth is a civil rights activist who led the fight against segregation and racism as a minister in Birmingham in the 1950s and 60s. He became pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham in 1953 and co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957.
He helped organize the Freedom Rides in 1961 and survived two attempts on his life in the late 1950s.
WE REMEMBER JAZZ GREAT FREDDIE HUBBARD: Influential trumpet player died Monday at age 70.
*Jazz great Freddie Hubbard, a Grammy-winning trumpet player who collaborated with such musicians as Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, died Monday, a month after suffering a heart attack. He was 70.
According to the Associated Press, Hubbard died at Sherman Oaks Hospital north of Los Angeles. He had been hospitalized since suffering the heart attack a day before Thanksgiving.
Hubbard was born in Indianapolis, where he had studied at the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music and with the Indianapolis Symphony. He moved to New York in 1958 and hooked up with such jazz legends as Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley and Coltrane.
"I met Trane at a jam session at Count Basie's in Harlem in 1958," he told the jazz magazine Down Beat in 1995. "He said, `Why don't you come over and let's try and practice a little bit together.' I almost went crazy. I mean, here is a 20-year-old kid practicing with John Coltrane. He helped me out a lot, and we worked several jobs together."
Hubbard played on more than 300 recordings, including his own albums and those of scores of other artists. His earliest records included "Open Sesame" and "Goin' Up" for Blue Note in 1960. He won his Grammy in 1972 for best jazz performance by a group for the album "First Light."
CIVIL RIGHTS ICONS TO GRACE 2009 STAMPS: Terrell, Spingarn, Evers, Hamer among pioneers to be introduced in Feb.
*A dozen pioneers of the civil rights movement will be honored with stamps scheduled for release Feb. 21 in New York, the postal service announced Monday.
Included are writer and lecturer Mary Church Terrell; journalist Mary White Ovington; J.R. Clifford, the first black attorney licensed in West Virginia; Joel Elias Spingarn, who endowed the Spingarn Medal, awarded by the NAACP for outstanding achievement by a black American; Oswald Garrison Villard, a founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and Daisy Gatson Bates, who mentored nine black students enrolled at all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., in 1957.
Also gracing stamps will be Charles Hamilton Houston, an architect of the civil rights movement; Walter White, who conducted undercover investigations for the NAACP; Medgar Evers, an NAACP official in Mississippi until his assassination in 1963; Fannie Lou Hamer, a Mississippi sharecropper who fought for black voting rights; lifetime activist Ella Baker and NAACP leader Ruby Hurley.
Meanwhile, Anna Julia Cooper will be No. 32 in the postal service's Black Heritage series. The educator, scholar, feminist and activist gave voice to the African-American community during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Richard Wright, author of "Native Son," will be the 25th writer commemorated in the postal service's Literary Arts series.
FLA. CITY MOVES TO RENAME STREET FOR OBAMA: City officials in Hollywood considering request to ditch Pembroke Rd.
*With Barack Obama yet to serve one day as president, a couple in Hollywood, Florida has already asked city officials to name a street after the president-elect.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is reporting that Thomas and Theresa Smith, activists in the city's predominantly black Washington Park neighborhood, have formally requested that all, or at least part, of Pembroke Road be renamed Barack Obama Boulevard.
"He's the first black president of our country, the first!" said Thomas, who sent the request to the mayor and commissioners last month. "That's an accomplishment in itself already."
Most of the city's streets are already named after presidents and a number of city commissioners seemed receptive during a recent city meeting. Staffers warned, however, it's going to take something short of a presidential order to make it happen anytime soon.
Pembroke Road is a state road, and commissioners will first have to pass a resolution asking state officials to consider the name change. The city's request will then need state legislative approval. If approved, the city will have to pay for the new street signs and notify area residents and businesses, said City Clerk Pat Cerney.
Hollywood is not the first Florida city to consider naming a street after Obama. Officials in Opa-locka last week unanimously approved the naming of President Barack Obama Avenue as a dual designation of Perviz Avenue from Atlantic Avenue to Oriental Boulevard.
Obama's name will also adorn street corners in St. Louis and in the town of Masaka in Uganda.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Globes tap Fishburne; Stedman flies coach; Murphy's night out; 'Joe Turner's' revival; more J.Lo/Marc rumors.
*New "CSI" star Laurence Fishburne has been added to the list of presenters for next month's 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards. The actor joins two other newly-announced additions – "Gossip Girl's" Blake Lively and "The Dark Knight's" Aaron Eckhart. Previously-announced presenters include Drew Barrymore, Jake Gyllenhaal, Simon Baker, Salma Hayek and Jennifer Lopez. Sacha Baron Cohen, Ricky Gervais and Seth Rogen will also be on hand, as will new mom Amy Poehler.
*Oprah Winfrey's boyfriend Stedman Graham apparently prefers to fly coach. Gossip blogger Janet Charlton says: "Stedman flies around the U.S. for business and although Oprah has offered him the use of her private jet, he refuses and instead has become a frequent flier on Southwest Airlines. A friend says 'Stedman is proud and doesn't rely on Oprah for anything. She's generous with her own plane, but he prefers to fly commercial and usually in coach.'"
*Charlton also has the latest on Eddie Murphy's club outings. "Last week, on Monday, he showed up at Area with a woman who was described as 'the Pam Anderson type' only younger. She was chomping gum and blowing bubbles and one observer snickered that it looked like Eddie paid for her company. The following Monday Eddie returned to Area with Shawn Wayans and Arsenio Hall. The guys were described as 'energetically pursuing' women. They grabbed the pretty girls who walked past their table and sent a bodyguard to pick up others for them.
*Lincoln Center Theater's forthcoming Broadway revival of August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone has been booked into the Belasco Theatre, reports Broadway.com. Set in 1911, the play tells the story of Herald Loomis who, after serving seven years hard labor, journeys North with his young daughter and arrives at a Pittsburgh boarding house filled with memorable characters who aid him in his search for his inner freedom. Previews will begin March 19, with opening night set for April 16, directed by Bartlett Sher. Casting and design team members have not been announced.
*The latest breakup rumor in Jennifer Lopez/Marc Anthony-land is that the couple is planning to announce their divorce while on stage. The parents of 10-month-old twins Max and Emme will supposedly make the news official "right after Marc's show at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 14," a friend of the couple told the New York Daily News. "Jennifer is planning on joining Marc on stage for a surprise duet. Things haven't been right for a while now, and they thought it would be a bittersweet farewell. ... They're definitely planning a clean break in February." Anthony's publicist said "none of the rumors are true."
EUR FILM REVIEW: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Brad Pitt Stars in Adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic
Film Review by Kam Williams
*Very loosely based on the classic tale of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a melancholy meditation on love, mortality and loneliness revolving around a baby (Brad Pitt) born old who grows younger over the course of his life.
This melancholy parable was adapted by Academy Award-winner Eric Roth (Forrest Gump) who managed to stretch a 14-page short story into a meandering, 167-minute parable of Biblical proportions.
Directed by David Fincher, the film opens in New Orleans at the end of the First World War where we find Benjamin's mother (Joeanna Sayler) dying during childbirth being followed by his father's (Jason Flemyng) wrapping the inexplicably-aged infant in swaddling clothes and secretly depositing him on the back steps of the local old folks' home.
Fortunately, he is soon discovered and adopted by the place's nurse, Miss Queenie (Taraji P. Henson), a selfless, mammy-like figure who altruistically decides to care for him the best she can.
Although her odd-looking, little octogenarian is initially beset by an assortment of infirmities, Queenie can't help but notice that there is something which sets Benjamin apart from the rest of the residents of her assisted living facility. For, while they continue to deteriorate and die, he miraculously has his vitality restored, and gradually gets back his hearing, eyesight, hair, and so forth.
Eventually, Benjamin not only feels fairly spry, but independent enough to bid Queenie and company adieu and sets out to explore the world on his own. And with an uncanny sense of timing rather reminiscent of a Forrest Gump, he proceeds to embark on an epic journey which lands him in the middle of a number of events of historical import over the ensuing decades, such as a World War II naval battle and a NASA rocket launch.
And whereas Forrest was fond of repeating the refrain "My momma always said, 'Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get,'" Benjamin relies on Queenie's equally-maternal words of wisdom, a sage warning that "You never know what's coming for you." The parallels between the pictures don't end there, either. Like Forrest, Benjamin has an endearing naivete about him, and he also yearns for an elusive love interest (Cate Blanchett).
All these similarities can easily be explained by the fact that Eric Roth wrote the script for both movies, and he's undoubtedly attempting to regenerate some of that magic by resurrecting some of the same gimmicks that won him an Oscar for Gump. At least Button's reverse aging theme is unique, allowing for a sufficiently novel and compelling plotline. Furthermore, Fincher's painstaking attention to detail during each era is nothing short of spectacular.
A relatively-morose morality play likely to land its share of accolades during award season provided everyone stops comparing it to Gump.
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, smoking and brief war violence.
Running time: 167 minutes
Studi Paramount Pictures
To see a trailer for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFtTEALMV30
EUR DVD REVIEW: Battle for Haditha
DVD Docudrama Reenacts Massacre of Innocent Iraqis
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*Remember when your mother warned that playing all those gruesome video games would desensitize you to violence? Now witness Exhibit A: Battle for Haditha, showcasing Generation Kill's all volunteer army in all its glory.
On November 19, 2005, a roadside bomb detonated by Iraqi insurgents exploded under a vehicle killing Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas, while wounding a couple of his comrades.
The IED attack so outraged other Marines from Kilo Company riding in the convoy that a dozen of them allegedly went on a rampage later that day, slaughtering 24 innocent civilians living in the City of Haditha.
Though originally covered up, the incident later came to light because part of the massacre had been captured on videotape by a student with a camera. Consequently, several soldiers were court-martialed and charge with murder.
Was their overreaction warranted, given the stress they were under from the day-to-day rigors of patrolling the streets of a village where they were treated as invading enemies? And aren't all things now fair in war, anyway, given America's disavowal of the Geneva Conventions?
These are the fundamental human rights questions posed by this super-realistic docudrama which takes a long look at ethnic cleansing from both the perspective of the cleansed and from the point-of-view of the perpetrators of the crimes against humanity. The film stars actual veterans of the Iraq War, and has the authentic feel of footage shot on the front lines of the conflict.
A patriotic rationalization to support the troops, regardless of the transgression, since it's Bush's fault that they were sitting ducks in a godforsaken desert where they're the only available outlet around for every terrorists' anti-American impulse. What's next, a picture suggesting that we have to excuse the Abu Ghraib atrocities, too, as reasonable interrogation
tactics?
Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
In English and Arabic with subtitles.
Running time: 97 minutes
Studi Image Entertainment
DVD Extras: Commentaries by director Nick Broomfield and by co-star Elliot Ruiz, "The Making of" featurette, a conversation with co-star Eric Mehalacopoulos, casting tapes, an interview with Elliot Ruiz, and a theatrical trailer.
To see a trailer for Battle for Haditha, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPUWkhlGNjo
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: Anthropo – who?
*The Associated Press recently described Global warming as "a ticking time bomb that President-elect Barack Obama can't avoid," and that "global warming is accelerating."
Ironically this report preceded a report of record low temperatures in my home town of Denver Colorado; Las Vegas receiving its heaviest snowfall in 33 years and a cold spell sweeping through southern California that brought snow fall to the beach community of Malibu.
AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein dismissed such inconvenient truths arguing that the fact that we are experiencing cooler global temperatures in 2008 “actually illustrates how fast the world is warming.”
The arrogance of manmade global warming hucksters seems boundless. And it gets more bizarre. University teachers Jules Boykoff and Maxwell Boykoff, authored a report "Journalistic Balance as Global Warming Bias; Creating Controversy Where Science Finds Consensus" arguing that attempts by media to report both sides of the global warming issue is actually a form of bias. In all fairness Borenstein and the Boykoff’s may be from what columnist Kathleen Parker might call the oogedy-boogedy wing of the anthropogenic global warming crowd. Clearly for them up is down, in is out and evidence will never shake their belief in those things unseen. Nevertheless, if actually reporting the opinions of scientists that remain skeptical of manmade global warming creates controversy (to say nothing of revealing the absurdity of the present hysteria) never let it be said that I didn’t do my part.
Following are a few quotes that you may or may not have read in the main stream press.
“It is a blatant lie put forth in the media that makes it seem there is only a fringe of scientists who don’t buy into anthropogenic global warming.”
-- U.S Government Atmospheric Scientist Stanley B. Goldenberg of the Hurricane Research Division of NOAA.
“Since I am no longer affiliated with any organization nor receiving any funding, I can speak quite frankly….As a scientist I remain skeptical. The main basis of the claim that man’s release of greenhouse gases is the cause of the warming is based almost entirely upon climate models. We all know the frailty of models concerning the air-surface system”
-- Atmospheric Scientist Dr. Joanne Simpson, the first woman in the world to receive a PhD in meteorology, and called “among the most preeminent scientists of the last 100 years.”
Warming fears are the “worst scientific scandal in the history…When people come to know what the truth is, they will feel deceived by science and scientists.”
-- UN IPCC4 Japanese Scientist Dr. Kiminori Itoh, an award-winning PhD environmental physical chemist.
“Many [scientists] are now searching for a way to back out quietly (from promoting warming fears), without having their professional careers ruined.”
-- Atmospheric physicist James A. Peden, formerly of the Space Research and Coordination Center in Pittsburgh.
“The present alarm on climate change is an instrument of social control, a pretext for major businesses and political battle. It became an ideology, which is concerning.”
-- Environmental Scientist Professor Delgado Domingos of Portugal, the founder of the Numerical Weather Forecast group.
“Earth has cooled since 1998 in defiance of the predictions by the UN-IPCC….The global temperature for 2007 was the coldest in a decade and the coldest of the millennium…which is why ‘global warming’ is now called ‘climate change.’”
-- Climatologist Dr. Richard Keen of the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Colorado.
“If we go back really, in recorded human history, in the 13th Century, we were probably 7 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than we are now and it was a very prosperous time for mankind,” Lehr said. “If go back to the Revolutionary War 300 years ago, it was very, very cold. We’ve been warming out of that cold spell from the Revolutionary War period and now we’re back into a cooling cycle.”
--Dr. Jay Lehr a senior fellow and science director of The Heartland Institute.
“All previous [IPCC] “projections” were wrong. The most recent example is the period from 2000 to 2008. IPCC predicted warming but temperatures went down while CO2 increased.”
-- Timothy Ball PHD. Climatology, renowned Environmental consultant and former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg.
Consider this a late gift from me to you.
Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like A White Boy” available wherever books are sold.
THE BRIDGE: Top Ten Thoughts From 2008
By Darryl James
*2008 was like A Tale Of Two Cities. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times.
On the one hand, the economy is so deep in the toilet that some people can’t imagine that things will get better.
On the other hand, we’re so far down, that there is nowhere to go but up.
2008 was a history-making year for African Americans and Americans in general, with the election of Barack Obama.
In the midst of jubilation over the election of America’s first Black president, some people are forgetting that institutional racism still exists, a war is still raging in the Middle East and some people can’t eat or hold on to their places of shelter.
2009 promises to be a much better year, if only because we will finally get rid of the warmongering idiot who has helped to depress the world economy while making his oil rich buddies even richer.
While there are lists of top ten news stories and top ten Black news stories, this is my top ten list of things that stuck in my craw and stayed on my mind.
Add your own.
Top Ten Thoughts From 2008:
1. Why are so many Black people acting like Barack Obama will save us and that all we have to do is sit back and wait?
Instead of waiting on Jesus or the President-elect, we need to get down to the business of self-improvement and creating our own reparations by repairing ourselves.
2. Why is anyone surprised that big business is getting bailouts while the average citizen who has fallen on hard times is receiving the cold shoulder from a government that has claimed to be about small government interference?
We’ve been hearing the Republican Party talk about how Welfare cripples people and that the government should not be in the business of “saving” people, yet Bush and his cronies have no qualms about providing Welfare to big business, while offering a few crumbs to the average taxpayer. Now, ain’t that a kick in the chiclets?
3. Why would anyone give two craps about the fate of OJ Simpleton?
Some folks are still talking about how the fool got away with murder, but I guess he was feeling rather Teflon and got caught up. Personally, I just don’t want to keep hearing about him and if that means he goes bye-bye for a long time, then so be it. It’s a fate of his very own design.
4. Why are so many racist *ssholes pretending that all is well in the world for African Americans just because a Black man has been elected president?
In addition to the fact that Barack Obama is the president of the entire nation, there is no way he could attack all of the issues that Black people face. In four years as president, he won’t even be able to deal with all of the issues the nation faces. And, he is only ONE MAN!
5. Why won’t anyone admit that we are in a Depression?
For decades, Americans have used the expression “Harder than times in ’29,” referring to the era of the Great Depression. Currently, many Americans are beginning to compare those times with the times we are enduring. And really, there are a great many similarities—too many, in fact, to deny that we are actually in a Depression.
6. Shouldn’t we do more than mourn the death of comedian Bernie Mac?
Why can’t we take his death as a clear sign that no matter how much fame and wealth a person has, personal health should still be taken seriously? Bernie Mac was under the care of a doctor, but he was still living in ways hat helped to cut his life far too short.
7. Why are the oil companies playing with our emotions?
Gas prices were as high as giraffe booty and then suddenly took a plunge. We already know that they will climb sky high again, so why don’t the oil companies confess that they are just trying to see what they can get away with, which of course, is everything.
8. Why isn’t it clear to everyone that Iraq is the new Vietnam?
Certainly, the presence of American soldiers helped to stem the tide of violence in Iraq, but five years into the game, there is still a great deal of violence and mayhem. It’s beyond time to pull out and let that sovereign nation plot it’s own course while we plot our own.
9. Why should American Automakers get a government bailout when they have been avoiding any responsibility to the American consumer?
Let’s see…bigger vehicles and few alternative fuel vehicles, plus crappy quality…why don’t we just let ‘em fall apart and see who else steps in?
10. Will Americans actually allow the change on the horizon to come to its full fruition?
American came a long way in the 1960s with the change brought on by the Civil Rights Movement and upheavals in societal norms. Yet, violent psychos and virulent racists helped to stem the tide on the bright future American was on its way to enjoying. We have a great deal of promise currently, even in the midst of all the financial meltdowns, but Americans will have to get out of their own way in order for the best to come into existence.
2009--bring it on!
Happy New Year!
Darryl James is an award-winning author of the powerful new anthology “Notes From The Edge.” He released his first mini-movie, “Crack,” and will soon release his first full-length documentary. View previous installments of this column at www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.
THE MO'KELLY REPORT: Latin Beauty Queen Goes Pablo Escobar
*What better way to close the year than to tell the story of one Laura Zuniga? If you haven’t heard the news, Laura is the 23-year-old reigning Miss Hispanic America and Miss Sinaloa 2008.
Meaning, she’s hot.
WAYYYYYY hot.
But that’s only HALF of the “news.” Earlier this week, Zuniga was busted for handguns, semi-automatic rifles and $53k in cash.
That's the "other" half of the news.
Meaning...when she’s not practicing her “impromptu” answers on how to make the world a better place she is cutting her product and cutting major drug deals in her native land of Mexico.
Yes, nothing like a beauty queen moonlighting as the female/Mexican version of Tony Montana or Pablo Escobar. Couldn’t you just imagine how Zuniga might have fared in the Miss World or Miss Universe pageant? Or better yet, what did the “talent portion” of the Miss Hispanic America showcase of Zuniga’s “skills?”
(Random yet ubiquitous uber-macho Latin male pageant host holds up a microphone to announces the next contestant. Non-Spanish-speaking viewers at home watch the English translation dart across the bottom of the screen.)
“And now, Laura Zuniga, of Sinaloa will come to the stage and share her extraordinary talent of…”
(He turns and looks to a stage director off-stage)
“Is this right, this isn’t a mistake?...ok, if you say so. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Sinaloa’s own Laura Zuniga as she shares her talent for…(pause)…consummating a drug deal.”
(crowd offers smattering of confused applause, Zuniga wheels out a glass table, a credit card, one single brick of cocaine, razor blade, 9mm handgun, a semi-automatic rifle and an Adidas bag of non-sequential hundred dollar bills)
“The first thing any successful drug dealer needs to know is how to cut pure cocaine. You can use baking soda, Enfamil, chlorine, sugar…your choice. Each has benefits and drawbacks. A credit card (she holds it up) usually works nicely to get it done."
“Then, when the motherf******* come in wanting to buy, (she picks up rifle, aiming at host’s head)…point the rifle like so…at his dome, so when sh!t jumps off, you’re ready to squeeze off a few rounds if the ‘consumer’ gets a little froggy.”
(Show host signals to producers in truck with executioner slash across throat to cut to commercial)
Presently, Zuniga and seven of her “accomplices” are being detained on charges ranging from racketeering, drug trafficking, guns and money laundering.
Grand slam. Racketeering, drug trafficking, guns and money laundering. That's a round-tripper in the world of drug baseball.
Is it just Mo’Kelly, but if you’re living a high-profile lifestyle, one common to beauty pageant contestants, doesn’t that exclude you from excelling in the clandestine underworld of the drug trade? Celebrities don't make good drug dealers, and there are plenty of reasons as to why.
If you are a foot-soldier cutting product, cutting deals and popping caps in domes, doesn’t that mean life as a celebrity probably is not in the cards for you? Aren’t you just “slightly” more recognizable come the late-night meeting down at the docks or in the back room of some equally undesirable Mexican location?
(Two Mexican drug factions meet an undisclosed location in Culiacan. There is the stereotypical table, ammo and cash all cinematically positioned for review. Zuniga cuts open a brick of coke and inserts her pinky nail. Mo'Kelly translates their Spanish conversation for your convenience below.)
"Sh!t tastes right. Good product. We'll give you 18k per kilo...can you work with that?"
"Hey, I know you...aren't you Miss Sinaloa 2008? I remember your talent portion of the pageant...you rocked! The semi-automatic rifle did it for me."
"No, that wasn't me, besides I'm way hotter."
"I don't know about "way hotter," but you sure are way dumber. I'm a Federali and you're under arrest, Miss Sinaloa 2008. Should've stayed on stage in a bathing suit and heels; much safer there. You have the right to remain silent chica."
Props to the Latin drug queen. Nothing sexier than an amoral beauty queen who knows how to rob, steal and kill.
Uh, not really…
The Mo'Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published weekly at www.eurweb.com. It is meant to inform, infuse and incite meaningful discourse...as well as entertain. The Mo’Kelly Report is syndicated by Newstex and Blogburst. For more Mo’Kelly, http://www.mokellyreport.blogspot.com.
Morris W. O'Kelly can be reached at mokellyreport@sbcglobal.net and he welcomes all commentary.
VERONICA'S VIEW: A Little Hope and Help for a Happy New Year
Veronica Hendrix
*This year has been as trying as it has been triumphant.
The nation finally came out of denial and officially declared that we are knee deep in a recession, and have been since December of 2007, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.
And the nation finally rose above the racial rancor and elected Senator Barack Obama as the first African American President in our history.
It has been a year of joy and pain, sunshine and rain to be sure. The American dream had been shattered on one hand and emboldened on the other. It has been a year of shock and awe inspiring events.
The prospect of a new year still fills me with childlike hope and anticipation that the new year will be better than the old one. This time I feel particularly hopeful as I await the inauguration of our President-Elect.
As the final days of 2008 come to a close, I don’t have any particular resolutions that I am pondering or percolating over. I think I’ve evolved beyond making resolutions for resolutions’ sake. However, many of the same goals I set last year like strengthening my faith, strengthening my relationships, and strengthening my earning power will carry over into the new year.
But what I have vowed not to carry over into the new year is the sense of trepidation and uncertainty that has permeated this year as a result of the unprecedented collapses in our economy and the downturn in our communities. I believe that our best days as a nation, as a community and a people are ahead of us. And I would like to offer some spiritually influenced advice to bolster your resolve and increase your faith as you embrace the endless possibilities of the new year.
Fast. In the religious community, a spiritual fast is more than denying the body food. It is a discipline believed to promote spiritual cleansing and renewal. With the rollercoaster array of events that have taken us on a wild ride this year, it’s time to fast from feeding our fears, worries and stresses about things we can’t control. And just like spiritual fasting, this will take discipline, restraint and self control. Letting go of negative thoughts, negative experiences – and yes negative people – will require intervention, maybe even divine intervention. So look up.
Cleanse. As I mentioned fasting is a way of cleansing the spirit, also the mind, body and soul. It rids the body of toxicity on multiple levels. The new year is a perfect time to cleanse your life of the failures, hurts and disappointments of the past. The best laid plans can fail. People are fallible and prove it time and time again. It’s a part of life, but not a terminal state we can’t recover from. As our elders always say, “let go and let God.” Delve into what these time-honored words really mean in relationship to your life. And just do it.
And finally, have hope in your future. Ok this is not as spiritual as the first two points, but spiritually based. My favorite sacred passage is found in Jeremiah 29:11. You know it. And if you don’t, commit these words to memory. They are: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “Plans for good and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” These are comforting words in tumultuous times. They center me and anchor me.
As you let go of 2008, remember you can’t change the past, so let it go and don’t drag the past over the threshold of the new year. Never forget that you’ve been given a future and a hope. That’s money in the bank, even when the balance says zero. May you have a happy and prosperous New Year. Peace and blessings to you and your family. And as God gives us grace, I will see you next year in Veronica’s View. (If you have comments about Veronica’s View, email them to vsview@yahoo.com.)###
AUDREY’S SOCIETY WHIRL: KENNEDY CENTER HONORS
Morgan Freeman, George Jones, Barbra Streisand, Twyla Tharp, and Pete Townshend & Roger Daltrey are the 2008 Recipients of the 31st Annual Kennedy Center Honors at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
By Audrey J. Bernard, Lifestyles/Society Editor
*On Sunday, December 7, America celebrated the ex
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