07-02-09 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
NO NEVERLAND BURIAL FOR MICHAEL JACKSON: Family unable to obtain required residential exemption for private property.
*All plans for Michael Jackson's public and private funeral at Neverland are cancelled after his family was unable to obtain a residential exemption required for a burial on private property.
"Contrary to previous news reports, the Jackson family is officially stating that there will be no public or private viewing at Neverland," says a Jackson family statement. "Plans are underway regarding a public memorial for Michael Jackson, and we will announce those plans shortly."
Colony Capital, the investment company that purchased Neverland in May 2008, tried to get an exemption for burial. "They couldn't get it in time," a Colony spokesperson says.
There were also reports Wednesday that Jackson's body is being held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills. William Martin, communications director for the funeral home, won't confirm or deny if Jackson will be buried there.
DIANA ROSS NAMED BACKUP GUARDIAN IN MIJAC WILL: Plus, Debbie Rowe gets nothing in 2002 document filed Wednesday in LA.
*Michael Jackson's July 7, 2002 will was filed Wednesday in a Los Angeles court, naming his mother the guardian of his children and Diana Ross as a successor guardian to his mother if necessary.
The will, which estimated his worth at the time at more than $500
million, gives his entire estate to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. The
documents said Jackson's estate consisted almost entirely of "non-cash, non-liquid assets, including primarily an interest in a catalogue of music royalty rights which is currently being administered by Sony ATV, and the interests of various entities."
His mother, Katherine Jackson, is named as a beneficiary of the trust. Jackson's longtime lawyer John Branca and John McClain, a music executive and a family friend, are named as co-executors of the will.
Debbie Rowe, his former wife and mother of two of his children, was left out of the will entirely, according to the Associated Press.
"I have intentionally omitted to provide for my former wife, Deborah Rowe Jackson," Jackson's will said.
In a statement, Branca and McClain said: "The most important element of Michael's will is his unwavering desire that his mother, Katherine, become the legal guardian for his three children. As we work to carry out Michael's instructions to safeguard both the future of his children as well as the remarkable legacy he left us as an artist we ask that all matters involving his estate be handled with the dignity and the respect that Michael and his family deserve."
USHER WANTS PATERNITY TEST ON NAVIYD?: Plus, Tameka files court papers saying she didn't see divorce coming, contrary to reports.
*The National Enquirer is reporting that Usher wants a paternity test done on his youngest child – 6-month-old Naviyd – because he and his soon-to-be ex-wife Tameka were having little to no sexual relations at the time she conceived.
“The first thing Usher said was, ‘How did this happen?’ - because he was gone a lot, and their sex life was very, very limited,” a friend of Usher told the tabloid. “People have been telling him that around the time the little boy was conceived, Tameka got together with another man.”
Tameka, however, claims Naviyd is Usher's child and says it was the singer who was being unfaithful at the time.
“She says that although they weren’t spending much time together, they did get together for one night of passion. And that’s when she got pregnant," the source said.
Meanwhile, E! is reporting that Tameka's new court filing states she and Ursh have not been separated since July 2008 and, in fact, were "intimately together" less than a week before he started divorce proceedings.
She had "every reason to believe her marriage was intact," her attorney stated in documents filed Monday in Atlanta.
Tameka's filing seeks to ensure that her estranged husband takes care of all of her legal fees pertaining to the split and continues to support his family financially, according to E! Online.
Usher filed for divorce June 12, checking off "irretrievably broken"
as his reason to end the marriage and requesting joint custody of the couple's two sons.
KEYS CHARITY RAISES MONEY DURING BET AWARDS: Keep a Child Alive collects over $130,000 in donations during on-air plea.
*Alicia Keys' appearance on the 2009 BET Awards Show Sunday night raised more than $130,000 from more than 26,000 mobile donors who texted their donations to Keep a Child Alive, the non-profit organization co-founded by the singer to provide health care and housing to children with HIV/AIDS in Africa and India.
During Alicia Keys' acceptance speech for the BET Humanitarian Relief Award, Keys asked viewers to text ALIVE to 90999 to give $5 through their mobile phones, saying, "Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something."
Seconds after texting in, users received a message back asking for confirmation. Mobile donors confirmed by replying "YES" via text message.
The $5 donation will be added to their next mobile phone bill.
"We are thrilled with the results from Alicia's shout out. With a ten-second call to action we raised over $130,000 to support Keep a Child Alive's life saving work," said Elizabeth Santiso, Vice President for Keep a Child Alive.
This May, the television show American Idol featured Keep a Child Alive. The segment featured Alicia Keys and Rwandan rapper Noah, asking viewers to text in donations. The promotion raised over $500,000 and is the largest one-time amount raised through text donations to date.
MIJAC-THEMED BET AWARDS SETS VIEWING RECORD: Over 10 million tune in to make ceremony most-watched cable program this year.
*Sunday's BET Awards drew 10.7 million viewers to rank as the most-watched program on a cable network this year – beating the 10.6 million viewers of last week's divorce episode of TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8,"
according to Nielsen Media Research.
The audience for the BET Awards, which became a tribute to Michael Jackson following his death three days earlier, was easily the biggest in the history of the event, which began in 2001. It has reached as many as 6.6 million viewers in 2006.
"It meant so much to all of us to be there for our audience at this emotional time," said Debra Lee, chairwoman of BET Networks.
The telecast, featuring numerous tributes to Jackson by performers and honorees, was the week’s No. 2 primetime program in 18-49, No. 3 in total viewers and No. 1 in persons 12-34 (5.2/17). In total viewers, it ranks No. 1 among all cable telecasts for the calendar year.
QUINCY WON'T ATTEND MICHAEL'S FUNERAL: Producer says he 'can't handle it.'
*Quincy Jones, the producer of Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall" and "Thriller" albums, says he won't be attending the funeral for Michael Jackson because he can't bear to bury another close friend.
"I won't go to any more funerals as long as I live," he tells "Entertainment Tonight." "I can't handle it."
Meanwhile, Q reflects on his relationship with the King of Pop in a revealing blog for the Los Angeles Times.
"[Michael] was so shy he'd sit down and sing behind the couch with his back to me while I sat there with my hands over my eyes with the lights off," Jones writes.
He says he and Jackson had just two months to record a follow-up album after "Off the Wall."
"I told Michael that we needed a black rock 'n' roll tune — a black 'My Sharona' — and a begging tune for the album," Jones says. "He came back with 'Beat It' and Rod came back with 'The Lady in My Life.' Rod also brought in 'Thriller' and Michael sang his heart out on it. At one point during the session the right speaker burst into flames, which none of us had ever seen before. How's that for a sign?"
Adds Jones, "There will be a lot written about what came next in Michael's life, but for me all of that is just noise."
"I promise you in 50, 75, 100 years, what will be remembered is the music," Jones concludes. "It's no accident that almost three decades later, no matter where I go in the world, in every club and karaoke bar, like clockwork, you hear 'Billie Jean,' 'Beat It,' 'Wanna Be Starting Something,'
'Rock With You' and 'Thriller.'"
BILLBOARD FLOODED WITH MIJAC RECORDS: Singer owns entire top nine positions on Top Pop Catalog Albums chart.
*The King of Pop is once again the king of Billboard, as the late entertainer this week holds the top nine positions on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Jackson himself has a record eight out of the top 10, while a Jackson
5 compilation also finds its way into the upper tier.
The singer's "Number Ones" is at No. 1 with 108,000 (an increase of
2,340%) while "The Essential Michael Jackson" and "Thriller" are in the Nos.
2 and 3 slots with 102,000 and 101,000, respectively. Last week "Number Ones" was the only Jackson title on the chart, at No. 20 with 4,000 copies; both "Essential" and "Thriller" re-enter the tally this week.
Additionally, his classic 1979 studio set "Off the Wall" re-enters at No. 4 with 33,000 while his 1987 album "Bad" returns at No. 6 with 17,000.
At No. 5, the Jackson 5's "The Ultimate Collection" debuts with 18,000.
Jackson's fourth studio album for Epic Records, 1991's "Dangerous,"
re-enters at No. 7 with 14,000 while his 2001 compilation "Greatest Hits:
HIStory -- Volume 1" also comes back to the list at No. 8 with 12,000.
Finally, Jackson's 2004 box set "The Ultimate Collection" charts its first week on the Pop Catalog chart, arriving at No. 9 with 11,000.
The lone non-Jackson-related set in the top 10 is a reissue of the "Woodstock" movie soundtrack, which bows at No. 10 with 8,000.
In the week just before his death (ending June 21), Jackson's titles sold a combined 10,000. This past week, his solo albums sold 415,000, 58% of which were digital downloads.
Additionally, the 415,000 albums sold just last week is nearly 40% more than what Jackson's catalog had sold the entire year up through June 21 (297,000).
JACKSON GLOVE FROM VICTORY TOUR ON SALE: 'Suit of Lights' item headed for auction in October.
*One of only two Michael Jackson electric-white gloves used in a special segment during one of his music tours is preparing to hit the auction block and expected to fetch six figures, an auctioneer told Reuters on Tuesday.
Joseph Maddalena, who heads auction house Profiles in History, said the item was consigned by glove designer Ted Shell and worn by the singer on the Jacksons' 1984 Victory Tour.
"Michael Jackson is 'The Gloved One.' That's his nickname. That is one thing he'll be remembered for," said Maddalena, who said the glove comes with a letter of authenticity from Shell.
Over the years, he wore many gloves when he performed, of course, but the glove being sold by Profiles in History is one of only two made for Jackson's "Suit of Lights" on stage. Shell not only designed the glove, but he went on the Victory Tour to protect and maintain the glove. After the tour ended, Jackson gave him one glove and kept the other, according to Maddalena.
The glove is emblazoned with bugle beads, Austrian crystal rhinestones and fitted with 50 small lights powered by a small battery placed in the cuff of the glove. The glass light bulbs were wired on separate circuits making them twinkle at random for added visual impact on stage.
"I estimate (the value) at $60,000 to $80,000, but it could sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars," Maddalena said.
The Profiles in History auction, set for October 1 and 2, also includes costumes Jackson wore on stage, a platinum record for the 20 millionth copy of "Thriller" and a fedora the singer wore that says on the headband that it was made expressly for Jackson.
JACKSON'S NANNY DENIES 'PUMPING STOMACH' STORY: Grace Rwaramba says article from British newspaper is false.
*Michael Jackson's former nanny, Grace Rwaramba, is denying a story first reported in a British newspaper that quoted her as saying she regularly had to pump the singer's stomach to prevent him from overdosing on pain killers.
Rwaramba recently posted the truth on the blog of her friend, Mallika Chopra, who also knew Jackson.
"I am shocked, hurt and deeply saddened by recent statements the press has attributed to me," Rwaramba wrote. "I don’t even know how to pump a stomach!!"
Mallika Chopra is the daughter of longtime Jackson friend and spiritual advisor Deepak Chopra – who also denied the British report when it was released, saying Rwaramba did not know how to pump a stomach.
MIJAC'S ELDEST WAS TO PERFORM IN LONDON SHOWS?: Michael Jr., 12, was reportedly set to take the stage. AEG says that's news to them.
*Fox News is reporting that Michael Jackson's 12-year-old son Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (also known as "Prince") was set to make his stage debut with his famous father during the London concert tour.
Over the years Jackson had made an overtly conscientious effort to shield his three children from the public eye, but his longtime family confidante and biographer Stacy Brown told Fox that MJ had been working behind-the-scenes with Prince Michael who was going to both sing and dance on-stage.
Concert promoters AEG said they had "no knowledge" that this was going to happen.
And although Brown also said that Michael "didn’t really want to do any of the shows" he had one other important reason aside from financial needs to go ahead with it.
"Michael really wanted his children to see him perform," said Brown, adding that he truly was dedicated to rehearsing and "up to the standard"
that he always managed to deliver in the past.
DIDDY RECALLS MICHAEL AT ONE OF HIS PARTIES: 'When you meet MJ I don't care who you are, it's like all cool points go out the window.'
*Sean "Diddy" Combs says he's still torn apart over the death of Michael Jackson.
"You can meet President Obama, you can meet Oprah, LeBron or you can meet me," Diddy told Fox News on Saturday night. "But when you meet MJ I don't care who you are, it's like all cool points go out the window.
"I saw him at one of my parties one time, he just showed up and it was like he bummed the whole entire party out. I couldn't keep it together around him, I wanted a picture, to kiss and hug him.
"His music makes me feel good, makes me dance, it was the definition of what a musical artist should be. Musical artists should make you feel something and make you feel good and entertain you and the impact he had really made me believe in magic."
He added, "David Copperfield [doesn't] really make me believe in magic, but when I saw the moonwalk … 'Motown 25' was life changing for me too. It changed my life, Michael Jackson was the truest definition of having your mind blown."
FERRIGNO DISCUSSES MIJAC'S WORKOUT ROUTINE: 'Incredible Hulk' says singer didn't want his chronic back pain to hinder his tour prep.
*Actor Lou Ferrigno, best known for his role as "The Incredible Hulk," spoke to People.com about the workout regimen he designed for Michael Jackson to prepare him for his 50-date comeback tour.
"When the promoter hired him to do the tour it wasn't any question for me to train him again because he knew that he trusted me especially with toning and shaping his body," says Ferrigno, who had worked with Jackson on another tour 15 years ago. "Being such an icon and he couldn't afford to have any injuries."
Implementing the same type of routine he had for Jackson years ago – "conditioning, toning, and increasing his flexibility and stamina" – Ferrigno says the King of Pop, "wanted to increase strength in his legs.
"The workout wasn't any heavy resistance. A lot of stretching and a light walk on the treadmill," Ferrigno tells People. "Being 50, his body went through a lot of stress getting ready for the tour, but he was awesome."
Like others who had seen Jackson rehearse, the singer's death came as a surprise for Ferrigno. "I was devastated. I mean I was shocked. I still think of it as like a joke or a like a dream," he says.
Ferrigno even recalled how Jackson wanted to show him one of his signature moves.
"He heard I was in the running to do 'Dancing with the Stars,' so he said that he would teach me the moonwalk if I did the show," Ferrigno says.
"We had a lot of fun."
AEG ANNOUNCES REFUND POLICY FOR LONDON GIGS: Fans either offered their money back or chance to purchase special MiJac-designed ticket.
*The 750,000 fans left with tickets for Michael Jackson's sold-out London concerts now have a way to get their money back if they so choose.
AEG Live, the promoters of the concert series to have kicked off July
13 at London's O2 Arena, are offering patrons (who paid between $85 and
$125) full refunds or the chance to purchase a ticket specially designed by the singer, they announced Tuesday, according to People.com.
The options take effect starting July 1 at www.MichaelJacksonLive.com. According to the site, "The tickets printed with the special lenticular process were inspired and designed by Michael Jackson for the fans attending his shows."
JESSE SAYS DON'T KILL YOURSELF OVER MIJAC: Activist sends message to distraught fans who have attempted suicide following singer's death.
*According to the U.K.'s Sky News and Gary Taylor, president and owner of the fansite MJJCommunity, at least 12 Michael Jackson fans have committed or attempted suicide in the wake of his passing.
The news has prompted Rev. Jesse Jackson to come forward with pleas to keep hope alive.
"This is a time when hearts are heavy. There is great pain but great cause to celebrate Michael's life," he says, according to E! Online. "It made Michael happy saying 'We Are the World.' Don't self destruct. We fall down sometimes, we get back up. That's the right thing to do. In Michael's name let's live together as brothers and sisters and not die apart as fools."
Pavel Talalayev, a Russian Jackson impersonator who spent years and thousands of dollars on cosmetic surgery to look like his idol, was among the first to attempt to take his own life.
"I started receiving calls from other fans, I tried to calm them down…And then I let myself go," he told Russian news site Life.ru, as translated by MosNews, after his rescue by doctors. "I don't know why the doctors saved me. I want to be with Michael."
The Barcelona Reporter is reporting an additional fan death in Tunisia.
CYNTHIA MCKINNEY INTERCEPTED IN ISRAEL: Former congresswoman part of peace activist group trying to break Gaza blockade.
*Former U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney was among foreign peace activists on a ship that was intercepted Tuesday by the Israeli navy for trying to break a blockade of Gaza.
A statement said the Greek-registered freighter Arion ignored a radio message from the Israeli military saying it would not be allowed to enter Gaza waters and ordering it to turn back, reports the Associated Press.
The statement said naval personnel boarded the small vessel without any shots being fired. The military said those on board would be handed over to immigration authorities on arrival in the southern port of Ashdod, and humanitarian cargo would be trucked into the Gaza Strip after a security check. The ship arrived at Ashdod port after nightfall.
Also among the 20 passengers onboard under the Free Gaza Movement were Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire and other activists from Britain, Ireland, Bahrain and Jamaica.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Israel was planning to free the crew and passengers. “Nobody wants to keep them here,”
he said. “They will be released as soon as they are checked.”
The Free Gaza Movement has organized five boat trips to Gaza since August 2008, defying a blockade imposed by Israel when the militant group Hamas seized control of the territory from its Palestinian rivals in June 2007.
STARS DONATE VOICES TO FOLKTALES AUDIOBOOK: Alfre Woodard-led group gathers celebs for Mandela's ' Favorite African Folktales.'
*In honor of Nelson Mandela, Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA) and Hachette Audio produced an audiobook edition of Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales, an award-winning book of stories hand-picked by the Nobel laureate.
Among the performers voicing stories in the July 7 release are LeVar Burton, Ricardo Chavira, Don Cheadle, Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Parminder Nagra, Sophie Okonedo, CCH Pounder, Jurnee Smollett, Blair Underwood, Forest Whitaker, and Alfre Woodard, who served as the audiobook's director.
"I was privileged to be with Nelson Mandela last year in London, where he challenged us, saying, '...our work is far from complete. Where there is poverty and sickness, including AIDS, where human beings are oppressed, there is more work to be done. It is in your hands now,'" said Woodard, who co-founded ANSA in 1989. "With this audiobook, ANSA pays tribute to our friend and hero, Nelson Mandela. It will take the hands of all mankind to lift that burden and carry on the work. We hope you will join us and support this effort."
Archbishop Desmond Tutu recorded a message to the world's children, and African music legends Johnny Clegg and Vusi Mahlasela composed original music.
• ANSA is a nonprofit organization working in South Africa and the U.S. to combat HIV/AIDS, assist children orphaned by the disease, educate and empower youth, advance human rights, and build bonds between our nations through arts, culture, and the shared pursuit of social justice.
RUN-DMC OWNS CORNER OF HOLLIS QUEENS: City council approves renaming 205th Street and Hollis Avenue after rap group.
*The New York City Council approved a new bill that renames a major street corner in Hollis Queens after its famous native sons Run-DMC.
The corner of 205th Street and Hollis Avenue will from now on be called "Run-DMC JMJ Way," according to the New York Times.
JMJ refers to the group's DJ Jam Master Jay (born Jason Mizell), who was gunned down in a Jamaica, Queens recording studio in October 2002. His killing has not been solved.
The group's other rap pioneers are Joseph Simmons, known as Run, and Darryl McDaniels, known as DMC. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April.
McDaniels also has donated memorabilia for a proposed Hollis Hip Hop Museum in the Queens neighborhood.
Queens Councilman Leroy G. Comrie represents the area and said he hopes the renaming of the street and talk of the museum would help "economically revitalize this particular neighborhood as a potential tourism attraction," according to the Times.
MIJAC WANTED TO END 50 CENT/GAME BEEF: Game says King of Pop called him out of the blue offering to mediate.
*In an interview with MTV News, The Game claims he got a personal phone call from Michael Jackson one day in which he offered to help end the rapper's beef with rival 50 Cent, which was sparked in 2005.
"I was on tour in Canada, sitting in my room, cutting my hair," Game told the music channel, recalling Jackson's phone call. "I was messing my hair up. Then my road manager knocks on my door. Boom, boom, boom. He told me, I got MJ on the phone. I ran and snatched up the phone."
A British man was on the line and eventually connected the two artists. A nervous Game said Jackson started the conversation by talking about music and complimenting him on his records like "Hate It or Love It"
and "How We Do." Then the King of Pop asked about the rapper's children before eventually moving on to the matter at hand.
"He got to this one thing that makes me laugh, man." Game explained.
"He said, 'I don't know how you're gonna feel about this, but I want to ask you something. I don't want you to judge me, but I don't really know everything that's going on between you and 50. But I want to be the middleman behind you putting this situation to bed.'"
Jackson wanted the two to meet, with him serving as a mediator, according to Game. The rapper mentioned Jackson's outreach in his new song, "Better on the Other Side," a tribute to the late singer that features Chris Brown, Diddy, Boyz II Men and Mario Winans.
Although 50 and Game eventually put their differences aside, Jackson wasn't involved. Game said MJ wanted all three of the artists to collaborate on a song together. But, unfortunately, "It just never manifested," Game said.
ITTY BITTY BITS: "Beyonjay" and "Palmart" double date; Bey launches Sasha Fierce junior apparel line; J.Lo's new fragrance; Soulja Boy irks British family.
*Beyoncé and Jay-Z went on a double-date with Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin in Beverly Hills Sunday night following the BET Awards. The couples hit up Madeo Restaurant and were "definitely having a good time and laughing," an onlooker told People.com. At one point, the group switched seats so the ladies could sit next to each other in the booth while the guys sat on the outside.
*Speaking of Beyonce, she partners with her mother Tina Knowles and their existing design label House of Dereon to launch her junior apparel label, Sasha Fierce for Dereon, just in time for back-to-school, reports WWD. The brand’s name plays off the singer’s on-stage alter ego, and will encompass everything from sportswear to shoes, jewelry and eyewear. And while the main collection includes more simple staple pieces, like a one-shoulder dress, a bodysuit, jackets and jeans, the collection’s accessories, Tina reveals, “are really over the top.”
*This October, J.Lo will launch another follow-up to her fragrance Glow, with Coty. My Glow by Jennifer Lopez is said to contain floral notes including lavender, water lily, white rose peony and heliotrope. The mom to 16-month-old twins Emme and Max found inspiration for the new scent close to home. The dual-sided cap is embossed with a baby boy and girl that mirror soaps in Jennifer’s nursery, and the box reflects her baby shower invitations, reports People.com. Eaux de toilettes will start at $49 for a 50 ml. bottle and the collection will also feature a body lotion for $30.
*Soulja Boy fans have bombarded a British family with phone calls after the rapper featured their telephone number in his song, "Kiss Me Thru The Phone." Ever since the track was released in the U.K. in May, a couple from Lancashire, England, has received around 60 calls a day from fans hoping to speak to the rapper. The digits are not listed in the British telephone directory. In America, the number goes directly to a recorded message from the hip hop star.
EUR FILM REVIEW: Afghan Star
Aspiring Afghani Pop Stars Risk Wrath of the Taliban in Uplifting Documentary
Film Review by Kam Williams
*If you want to know why we’re fighting in Afghanistan, all you have to do is watch this uplifting documentary distilling one season on the country’s equivalent of American Idol down to a nail-biting hour and a half.
Forget the fact that the contestants on the reality series Afghan Star are far less talented than even the also-rans routinely humiliated by judge Simon Cowell stateside, losers like William Hung and Sanjaya.
No, this film is as much about off-camera survival strategies as about onstage performances.
Because of the resurgence of the Taliban in the region, the entrants risk life and limb simply by appearing on the show. This predicament persists even though the season finale is so popular that over a third of the nation’s population tunes in.
For remember, under repressive Taliban rule, singing and dancing were outlawed, and women were denied any education and required to cover themselves in basic black from head to toe. But once America deposed the religious zealots, some semblance of normalcy returned, in part prompted by the Western-style programming introduced by the Tolo TV network.
Directed by Havana Marking, Afghan Star focuses on the diverging fates of four of the finalists from among the thousands of hopefuls who initially auditioned. Rafi, 19, and Hameed, 20, are intrepid young crooners whose desire for fame outweighs their fear of a fatwa, aka a death sentence. But the guys’ bravery is easily eclipsed by that of Lima, 25, and Setara, 22, since what apparently really gets under the skin of the still-powerful Taliban mullahs is the idea of women as entertainers.
The plot thickens when Setara summons up the gumption not only to dance during her act but to uncover her hair to boot. This daring decision prompts Muslim fanatics to issue a fatwa. I wonder what would happen if they showed those nutty Neanderthals a couple of BET booty calls music videos. I bet they’d drop dead from apoplexy right on the spot.
Anyhow, Setara gets evicted by her landlord, is shunned by friends, and has to go into hiding while still on the show. And all this for hopes of landing a paltry $5,000 grand prize. I won’t dare reveal who emerges victorious, but I’m not sure there are any winners in a land where females lives are ruined just for exercising God-given freedoms as fundamental to the human condition as walking and breathing.
Proof positive you can’t bomb people back to the Stone Age, if they’re already there. A flick likely to leave you grateful and counting your blessings.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In English, Pashtu and Dari with subtitles.
Running time: 87 minutes
Studi Zeitgeist Films
To see a trailer for Afghan Star, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZkru47SfGA
EUR FILM REVIEW: Away We Go
Couple Searches for Place to Raise Child in Unorthodox Road Comedy
Film Review by Kam Williams
*Verona (Maya Rudolph) is six months pregnant, but it doesn’t look like she put much thought into whether she was ready to bring a baby into the world.
After all, she’s repeatedly informed her slacker boyfriend, Burt (Jon Krasinski), that she’ll never marry him.
The aspiring DJ is not exactly great father material, being an unemployed, 33 year-old college dropout who fritters away his days in such unproductive pursuits as whittling a piece of wood and taking a self-defense classes.
Being older, African-American, and with a loudly-ticking, biological clock, Verona doesn’t entertain the idea of an abortion, since Burt does adore her, even if the feelings ain’t exactly mutual.
Besides, because the couple had moved to Colorado to be near his parents (Jeff Daniels and Catherine O’Hara), she reasonably expects to get their full support. Unfortunately, upon informing them of the impending arrival of their grandchild, Burt’s racist mom rudely asks “just how black” the infant will be, while her equally-insensitive husband impulsively announces that they’re moving to Belgium and have already put the house on the market.
With no reason to remain in the region, Verona and Burt decide to embark on a cross-country journey to find the perfect oasis to give their kid a wholesome “Huck Finn” childhood. And that wacky endeavor provides plenty of opportunities for levity in Away We Go, a screwball comedy directed by Oscar-winner Sam Mendes (for American Beauty).
The ensuing adventure reads like a rudderless road version of Juno, as it revolves around a wisecracking mom-to-be and the unfit sperm donor she doesn’t really know or need. The difference with this baby mama drama is that the couple is approaching middle-age and planning to keep their little bundle of joy.
The peripatetic pair’s ports-of-call include Phoenix, Madison, Montreal and Miami. And along the way they encounter a menagerie of colorful characters ranging from Verona’s loose-lipped, Tourette’s syndrome afflicted ex-boss (Allison Janney) to Burt’s uptight, New Agey cousin (Maggie Gyllenhaal) with an Elektra complex. Meanwhile, they also confront the source of their own dysfunction only to discover that they are in fact meant for each other and to find the sweetest solution to their where to raise the baby dilemma.
Although the resolution feels far too rushed to be convincing, the wry ride there is nonetheless delightful enough to make the trip worthwhile.
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity and sexuality.
Running time: 97 minutes
Studi Focus Features
To see a trailer for Away We Go, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAEZNb9w-rk
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: Becoming Post Racial
*“Race has no place in American life or law.” President John F. Kennedy spoke these words the evening of June 11, 1963 following the desegregation of the University of Alabama. In the speech Kennedy delivered that evening he chose not to appeal to legal arguments; rather he asked Americans to look into their collective hearts and weigh the moral question of continued racial discrimination. “The heart of the question,” said Kennedy “is whether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities…”
This week the Arizona state legislature answered that question with a resounding, “yes!” The state legislature cleared the way to place the Arizona Civil Rights Initiative or ACRI, on the Ballot in 2010. ACRI is a constitutional amendment that would prevent the state from discriminating on the basis or race or sex in the areas of public employment, contracting or education.
The action taken by the State legislature now makes it possible for the people of Arizona to actually decide if their state (and ultimately our nation) agrees with the sentiments of former President Kennedy.
That is not to say the opposition rolled over. No longer able to gum the petition process; they resorted to stalling tactics and back biting.
Hispanic legislators claimed that Rep Steve Montenegro, who sponsored the measure in the assembly, was not truly Hispanic because he is Puerto Rican and not Mexican. No doubt this must come as a shock to the Obama Administration. Judge Sonia “wise Latina” Sotomayor is being hailed as potentially the first Hispanic to sit on the United States Supreme Court. Sotomayor is Puerto Rican. The good news is that thanks tot his revelation Senate Republicans are now free to oppose Sotomayor. Because she is Puerto Rican and not Mexican, Republicans need no longer fear losing the Hispanic vote.
More fascinating were the words of State Representative Cloves Campbell. During testimony before a legislative committee Campbell insisted that special preferences [based on race] would be necessary for years to come. When asked exactly how many years he responded, “400 years!” Thus Campbell provided credence to the growing sense that he took the small bus to school and also that a good many supporters of racial preferences are more interested in exacting payback then they are in actually realizing equity.
The Rationale of Campbell and others that favor preferences is that they are needed to ensure diversity. Racism in America is systemic so if left to its own devices the system will naturally deny Black people (and other minorities) access. As proof they offer what is known as disparate representation or disparate impact. In other words the fact that a particular minority group is not statistically represented in any endeavor or policy at the same percentage they are of the population is proof of discrimination and it is therefore necessary to cook the books as it were.
The problem, of course is that people are not statistics they are individuals and ought to be judged as such against the same criteria. The very idea of disparate group representation as a rationale for race preferences turns that proposition on its head as it also does the idea of equality before the law and equality of opportunity. It is as if in answer to Kennedy’s question supporters of preferences have said, “Not so fast.”
They must be made to explain how this nation will ever move beyond its ugly history of racial discrimination if we not only allow but encourage government to discriminate based on race. They must tell us if they believe “the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.” Finally they must explain to the citizens of Arizona (and the larger American citizenry)-- what could be more important than having a state constitution unequivocally affirm that it must treat all of its citizens equally and without regard to race?
In 1963 Kennedy asked the country to make a moral decision. In the age of Obama those that continue to support racial preferences must do likewise. They must ground their opposition not in legalese or political correctness but in the terra firma of moral correctness. They must follow the lead of the Arizona legislature and examine their consciences and then take the fist steps toward a truly post racial society.
Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like A White Boy” available wherever books are sold.
BETWEEN THE LINES: Michael Joseph Jackson: The BADDEST Entertainer Our Generation Ever Saw
Anthony Asadullah Samad
*Our hearts have been heavy for about a week now since the news broke that pop star, Michael Jackson, died suddenly from a heart attack (of some sort). Everything, and when I say everything—I mean EVERYTHING, has been bumped from the news cycle. Not just the 24 hour news cycle, or even the 72 hour news cycle, I mean for seven days straight, it’s been about the “King of Pop.” People used to joke about how large Michael Jackson was. They thought it was “hype,” even some megalomania playing out. But you never know how much you love something or someone until it’s gone. All week, television, cable networks, radio stations and night clubs—around the world have been paying tribute to Michael Jackson. Some people are bigger in death than they were in life as the martyr effect takes greater hold of our emotions and memories as time moves on. I don’t know if that will be the case for Michael Jackson. Since the time we first laid eyes on him, Michael Jackson was the baddest entertainer we ever saw.
Maybe it’s a generational effect that affects every generation—I doubt it. There are few that defined American culture, even fewer that defined world culture. Of those few, I totally missed Frank Sinatra’s prime (though I’m not sure I really wanted to see it), caught Elvis while I was young but wasn’t impressed. The Beatles were the big bang of rock culture so it affected me when John Lennon was killed in 1980. But Michael Jackson’s music is the soundtrack of your life if your were born between 1955 and 1965. You could also include 1975 and 1985 if you really wanted to. You know, every generation thinks their life was harder, their leaders were greater and their music was the best. If you doubt it, just put four generations in a room (like I can) and ask the question, Who was (is) the greatest entertainer ever. My grandfather will tell you, Cab Calloway, my father would tell you Sammy Davis, Jr. and my son would tell you Usher (!!??). But for my generation, there was nobody better, coming or going, than Michael Jackson. Not taking anything from the others, but while they may have defined their generation’s music—none of them defined their generation’s culture. It terms of people of color, Michael Jackson was the Jackie Robinson of entertainment. He didn’t just break the colorline, he obliterated it. He changed the music game.
From the time he was 12 years old when I first saw him at the Forum in Los Angeles with his brothers (my mother must have spend a week’s pay to send us), or saw him at Dodger Stadium during the Victory Tour or at the Sport Arena (and Madison Square Garden) during the Bad Tour, there was no one greater than Mike. I never even thought about buying a red leather jacket before I saw Mike’s. Never quite bought into the glove, or the high water pants, but it didn’t matter. If fact, the Madison Square Garden performance was the greatest single performance I ever witnessed. It was the night after the Grammys, and after dominating the Grammys with the greatest selling album of all-time, Thriller, Jackson’s follow-up album, BAD, didn’t win a single grammy (even though it is the only album in history to have five (5) number one singles released from it). Of course, there was some “hateration” going on. Michael Jackson didn’t say a word. He just came out next night and gave the performance of his life. People after the concert just said, “G*dDAMN, that Michael Jackson is a bad muthaf----!!!” He spellbound the crowd, and for there, he went on to spellbound the world. Michael Jackson’s discography is huge. This week, they’ve played music I had forgotten about. It was like, “Dang, I remember that.” We get so inundated with Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad, you tend to forget all the music that came before and after it. Michael Jackson, through his music, will live forever. His influence on the music industry, the video industry, the clothing industry and merchandising industry will never be forgotten. Mike was a brand before branding became popular. We got “Michael fatigue” not because we got tired of the music (we never got tired of the music), it was because got tired of seeing him—he was so heavy in rotation.
Even when Michael Jackson changed himself, we never changed on him. Even when he put himself in “situations,” we rooted for him. We might not have left our kids with him or liked the eccentric behavior very much, but we never stopped loving him or his music. And wherever he showed up, we stopped and watched. Why? Because Michael Jackson was the baddest thing we ever saw. Excitement personified. Our generation lost a part of themselves last week. The person who sang the soundtrack of our generation left us to enjoy our memories in his memory. He was so bad, he asked you the question, because he knew that you knew the answer. Who’s BAD?
We will miss him terribly, but we will treasure him always.
Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D., is a national columnist, managing director of the Urban Issues Forum (www.urbanissuesforum.com) and author of the book, Saving The Race: Empowerment Through Wisdom. He can be reached at www.AnthonySamad.com
GLENN'S STRATEGIES FOR WELL-BEING: Cardiac Arrest and the Death of Michael Jackson
*Michael Jackson, the American pop legend, died of a cardiac arrest in a Los Angeles hospital just weeks before he hoped to resurrect his four-decade career with a series of sold-out shows in London.
The King of Pop was working for the past few weeks with a team of top choreographers to perfect a new dance move to rival the moonwalk. Four mornings a week, an SUV with darkened windows drove Michael Jackson through the gates outside a nondescript building near the Burbank airport. He spent the next six hours on a soundstage.
Jackson planned to perform between 18 and 22 songs, joined by smoke, fire, and acrobats in the concerts. Ten dancers were working with Jackson, scampering across as many as 22 different sets, in what was to be the biggest, most technologically advanced arena show – and the most expensive – ever mounted!
Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), who has known Jackson for 15 years, said Jackson was “very energetic” during workouts and “was in fantastic shape”. Ferrigno, 57, said he last trained with Jackson about three weeks and would go to the singer's home three or four times a week.
The two used tools like exercise balls and did a lot of core training to get Jackson in shape. "He didn't look like he was in pain because he was on the treadmill. He did the stretching exercises." In addition to training, it seems that Jackson kept a strict diet.
A four-hour physical with an independent physician this spring found no medical problems.
But now, Michael Jackson is dead? How Did Michael Jackson Die?
Well, after suffering a cardiac arrest, a little more than 24 hours after his last rehearsal, the King of Pop went under a deep coma and later on declared dead by the staff hospital.
For many of us, until the death of Michael Jackson, sudden death from cardiac arrest is a major health problem that's received much less publicity than heart attack.
The most common underlying reason for patients to die suddenly from cardiac arrest is coronary heart disease. Most cardiac arrests that lead to sudden death occur when the electrical impulses in the diseased heart become rapid (ventricular tachycardia) or chaotic (ventricular fibrillation) or both. This irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) causes the heart to suddenly stop beating.
The heart has an internal electrical system that controls the rhythm of the heartbeat. Problems can cause abnormal heart rhythms, called arrhythmias. There are many types of arrhythmia. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or it can stop beating. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart develops an arrhythmia that causes it to stop beating. This is different than a heart attack, where the heart usually continues to beat but blood flow to the heart is blocked.
There are many possible causes of cardiac arrest. They include coronary heart disease, heart attack, electrocution, drowning, or choking. There may not be a known cause to the cardiac arrest.
What is clear is that there are ways to lower one's risk of sudden cardiac death such as eating healthy, exercising, not smoking and taking aspirins. The trouble, though, is that patients often don't think they're at serious risk until they are actually experiencing an attack. In about a third of all sudden deaths due to coronary disease, death is the first sign that anything major is wrong.
A sudden cardiac arrest is, of course, unexpected, but the process that causes it may begin many years before. In middle-aged men, it's virtually always caused by degeneration in the wall of a coronary artery.
The sad fact is that the majority of acute heart attacks are associated with "non-significant" plaques. These plaques may suddenly rupture, which quickly leads to the formation of a blood clot. The blood clot acutely occludes the coronary artery, causing a heart attack.
Brain death and permanent death start to occur in just 4 to 6 minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest can be reversed if it's treated within a few minutes with an electric shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. This process is called defibrillation. A victim's chances of survival are reduced by 7 to 10 percent with every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation. Few attempts at resuscitation succeed after 10 minutes.
According to NCHS Data Warehouse, 325,000 coronary heart disease deaths occur out-of-hospital or in hospital emergency departments annually.
The term "massive heart attack" is often wrongly used in the media to describe sudden death. The term "heart attack" refers to death of heart muscle tissue due to the loss of blood supply, not necessarily resulting in a cardiac arrest or the death of the heart attack victim. A heart attack may cause cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death, but the terms aren't the same.
Sudden death in people under age 35, often due to hidden heart defects or overlooked heart abnormalities, is rare. These sudden deaths often occur during physical activity, such as a sporting event.
Millions of elementary, high-school and college athletes compete every year without incident. Still, when sudden cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death in a young person is due to a heart abnormality, it's often triggered by physical activity. Fortunately, if you're at risk of sudden death, there are screening tests to see if you have a heart defect and precautions you can take to protect your heart.
Cardiac arrest is obviously a serious medical emergency. The mortality (death rate) from cardiac arrest can be decreased by providing immediate CPR and prompt defibrillation. Many public places are now equipped with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that allow lay persons to provide emergency defibrillation in case of cardiac arrest.
Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one.
Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!
This column is intended for informational purposes only. If you have a medical concern, please see your health provider
Glenn Ellis, author of Which Doctor?, is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures around the country on health issues relevant to the African-American community.
E-mail me at glenn@glennellis.com
For good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com
VERONICA'S VIEW: Michael Jackson – R.I.P.
Veronica Hendrix
*The CNN breaking news alert that popped up on my Blackberry on Thursday, June 25th at 2:20 p.m. still leaves me speechless and in disbelief. It read:
Pop singer Michael Jackson has suffered cardiac arrest.
The flurry of breaking news alerts and text messages and emails that followed were as frenetic and chaotic as those typically dispatched during an emergency such as a catastrophic earthquake or a Category 5 hurricane.
When his death was confirmed from an avalanche of Blackberry alerts, it felt like a catastrophic event had just taken place. And I, just like so many, had to take a moment to wrap my mind around the loss of such a musical genius and the void it would leave on our collective psyches.
Michael’s songs were part of the soundtrack of my life. And when I was having a moment dealing with life’s struggle, I would often fall back on my favorite MJ ballad, “You Are Not Alone.” (A bit of trivia here: this was the first song in the 37-year history of Billboard Magazine’s Top 100 List to debut at number one.)
I grew up with MJ. I became conscious listening to his heart-felt songs. The maturity of his lyrics made me along with every other starry-eyed young girl fall deeply in love with him.
Who could forget the 1970 appearance of the Jackson 5 on the Ed Sullivan Show? Oh my God it was spellbinding. It was a commanding and brilliant performance by the strikingly handsome young man flanked by his equally handsome brothers.
What made this an unforgettable moment for me was not only that he was black just like me, but he embodied what Donny Hathaway said was “to be young, gifted and black.” For me he was a symbol of someone who held promise for the future as Donny’s song said we all did. At that moment Michael and the Jackson 5 were that promise incarnate. It was undeniable and it made me proud and incredibly hopeful that the world view and future of black folks would shift for the better now that the pathway had been illuminated by this young, gifted and black rising star.
As his celebrity catapulted into the stratosphere specifically after the “Thriller” album, which by the way turned the music industry up-side-down, I began to identify less and less with him. His physical transformation dimmed the affinity that bound him to me or to us as a people. He became a pop icon; he belonged to the world, boundaries that transcended the block, the avenue and the district.
But that didn’t eclipse his musical genius. In my mind his music became personified, its own entity, separate and apart from the man, his public struggles, failed marriages, scandals and litigious existence. But one thing that never got lost in the morass of the rumors and controversy that surrounded his life was his gentle spirit and philanthropy. I think these two attributes were at the core of what truly defined him.
The distinction that he held as a father is what I identified with in my later years because I am a parent too. At the end of the day a parent who loves their child will protect them by any means necessary. Michael was no exception. And upon his passing, the thought of his children growing up without their father brought a flood of tears to my eyes. They are the ones who will suffer an incalculable lost. For them, his untimely demise is indeed a catastrophic event, one that will shift their young lives.
The numerous tributes to MJ have been comforting and fitting, particularly the musical tribute on local radio station KJLH in Los Angeles. Their play list took me back and made me “Remember the Time” when I feel in love, had my children, struggled to prevail over disappointment and the moments I danced up in the club with unbridled fervor until my hair got nappy.
I was struck by the audio portion of MJ’s last interview with Ebony Magazine by Bryan Monroe, editorial director at Johnson Publishing Company. Michael said,
“I always wanted to create music that influences and inspires people. You want what you create to live,” said Michael. “I know the creator will go but his work survives,” Michael continued quoting Italian painter Michelangelo. “That is why to escape death I attempt to bind my soul to my work.” And he did bind his soul to his music. May his voice R.I.P (Reverberate Into Perpetuity).
Michael Jackson, dead at age of 50. So mu
