07-14-09 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
A&E IN LIMBO OVER JACKSONS REALITY SHOW: One-hour special following Michael's brothers was to serve as a backdoor pilot for possible series.
*Before Michael Jackson's death last month, A&E had been working on a one-hour special following his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy as they planned for a new album and reunion tour.
Tentatively titled "The Jackson Family," the special was commissioned months ago and intended as a possible "backdoor pilot" for a future reality series.
It was scheduled to air sometime next year with the network taking a "wait and see" approach before deciding whether to turn it into a weekly series. But with the June 25 passing of Michael, the fate of the entire project is now up in the air.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, no additional video has been shot since the singer's death, and the footage already in the can will now take on an elephant-in-the-room aspect with Michael's death foremost in the minds of viewers.
It's safe to assume that the one-hour special will be amended to reflect current circumstances. But the cable channel said Monday it has yet to decide any course of action.
"We have started discussing internally and with the family but have not yet decided what direction to take with the show," said A&E executives, in a statement. "We are respecting the family's wishes right now, and at the appropriate time we will all decide what direction this program to take, so stay tuned."
According to the Hollywood Reporter, producers of "The Jackson Family" had already wrapped footage that mixed day-to-day activities with one-on-one interviews in presenting the family's current incarnation as entertainers and entrepreneurs.
AEG CONSIDERING A MIJAC TRIBUTE CONCERT: Promoter deciding how best to move forward with production.
*Still dizzy from the extremes of preparing Michael Jackson's 50-night O2 Arena stand one minute, to his televised memorial the next, AEG is currently mulling how to best present Jackson's final work to his fans.
The company is considering a tribute concert at London's O2 utilizing the massive production that was put together for his "This Is It" concerts, reports Billboard.
"We're just starting to get into that now, to figure out how to unveil all the stuff we have to the world," says Randy Phillips, CEO of AEG Live. "I think at some point we'll show Michael's last masterpiece, This Is It, to the world."
This Is It intellectual property, including Jackson's "mini-movies"
produced for the shows, is "all locked up at the Staples Center in the vault. The production, staging and all that is in warehouses under lock and key," said Phillips. "And the dancers and everyone else want to do the show for the world one time, so we kind of have them on hold, but we don't have anything confirmed yet."
Speculation has been that the tribute show might be staged on what would have been Jackson's 51st birthday on Aug. 29. "That would be the ideal time, but we're not sure we can get it together in time," Phillips says.
Regarding the MJ This Is It merchandise, Phillips says it is selling "big time" on the Web site and will be offered at retail at some point. "I have a book of 300-plus of the most amazing items Michael designed with Bravado that are just spectacular, the best merch I've ever seen in my life," he says.
RURAL FAMILY DOC NEW SURGEON GENERAL NOM: Dr. Regina Benjamin is the first woman and first African American to sit on AMA board.
*President Obama announced Monday he has chosen Dr. Regina Benjamin, a family practice doctor from the Gulf Coast, to serve as the country's new surgeon general.
The rural family physician has long provided medical care on the Gulf Coast. In 1990, she founded Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in the fishing village of Bayou La Batre, Alabama – the shrimping town best known as the birthplace of Mykelti Williamson's character Bubba in "Forrest Gump."
Benjamin's clinic was heavily damaged by Hurricane Georges in 1998 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but Benjamin rebuilt it each time and continued to offer medical care to the village's 2,500 residents.
Many of her family practice patients are uninsured, according to the MacArthur Foundation, which last year awarded her one of its $500,000 "genius" grants. Her patient population includes immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, who make up a third of Bayou La Batre's population.
Benjamin received a bachelor's degree in 1979 from Xavier University of Louisiana, attended Morehouse School of Medicine from 1980 to 1982 and received a doctor of medicine degree in 1984 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
She completed her residency in family practice at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in 1987 and has served as CEO of the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic since its founding in 1990.
She earned a master's degree in business administration in 1991 from Tulane University. Benjamin also served as the associate dean for rural health at the University of South Alabama's College of Medicine and as president of the State of Alabama Medical Association from 2002-2003.
She is the first woman, first African-American woman and first person younger than 40 to sit on the board of trustees of the American Medical Association, serving from 1995 through 1998.
The position of surgeon requires Senate confirmation.
TABLES TURN ON KARRINE STEFFANS: New DVD documentary from singer Norwood alleges fake tears on Oprah and more.
*Karrine "Superhead" Steffans is getting a taste of her own medicine with the release of "Kiss and Tail," a DVD documentary from singer Norwood Young that reveals even more secrets about the former music video vixen than she has already told.
In the video, Young claims that Steffans admitted faking her tears during an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to promote her 2006 best-seller, "Confessions of a Video Vixen."
Per the New York Daily News, Young also claims in the film that Steffans secretly recorded men during sex, and threatened her boyfriend Darius McCrary with a knife.
McCrary himself appears in the documentary. Even though Steffans says he's now her husband, he calls her a "scorpion" and alleges she "socks" her 11-year-old son.
Steffans declined to comment, except to say she's talking with her lawyers.
PRODUCTION BEGINS ON 'KARATE KID' IN BEIJING: Will and Jada's son stars opposite Jackie Chan and Taraji P. Henson.
*Production began Saturday in Beijing on the long-gestating update to the 1984 hit "The Karate Kid" from Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment, Columbia Pictures and the state-run China Film Group.
"Kung Fu Kid," directed by Harald Zwart, stars Smith's son Jaden in the starring role originated by Ralph Macchio, while Jackie Chan plays the kung-fu master/mentor who trains the bullied boy to be an accomplished fighter.
Chan and Smith, along with Smith's parents and sister Willow, attended a traditional Chinese ceremony to mark the start of the shoot Saturday. Photos on China Film Group's movie news Web site show the Smith family and Chan holding incense sticks.
Smith, Chan, Zwart and others symbolically removed a piece of red cloth covering a movie camera, after which Smith gave Chan a hug, according to video posted on Chinese news Web site Sina.com. His hair done in a huge Afro and wearing a bright red track jacket and blue pants, Jaden Smith stood and waved when he was introduced. His father ruffled his hair when he sat down.
Chan said on his Web site he also attended the younger Smith's 11th birthday party last Wednesday, where he and Will Smith posed for pictures with young performers wearing red and yellow costumes with dragon patterns.
Ken Stovitz, one of Will Smith's partners in the production company Overbrook Entertainment, said at the ceremony Saturday that "Kung Fu Kid"
will be set in modern-day Beijing. China Film Group chairman Han Sanping said shooting will last three months.
NAS FIRES BACK AGAINST KELIS IN COURT FILING: Rapper says he's not making as much money as she thinks.
*Nas has filed legal papers to counter allegations made by his estranged wife Kelis that he is rolling in money but unwilling to share.
The rapper says he's paid her more than she claimed in court papers, and that he earns less than she contends, according to Nas' filing, uncovered by TMZ.com.
Kelis filed papers alleging Nas pocketed $11 million for his album deal. Nas counters in his new filing, "I did not receive even half that amount"... claiming it's more in the neighborhood of $4 million.
Nas also claims his income is declining, and he's only pulling in
$147,165 a month. He says his expenses total $71,371.96 a month, which includes $10,000 in clothing, hair, toiletries and personal effects.
Kelis, who is about to give birth to their child, claims Nas hasn't paid a penny for child or spousal support since he left her. Nas, who says he wants to be "fully involved" in the parenting of their child, claims he's agreed to pay $350 for a stroller, $450 for a baby sling and $1,598 for two cribs.
Nas also said he believes $5,000 per month in child support is reasonable since the baby will just be a newborn.
BLACK BROADWAY'S OBAMA BOUNCE: Great White Way sees more African American plays/musicals since presidential election.
*Playwrights and theater observers say both President Obama's election and more open theaters and audiences have helped bring more stories of black culture to the New York stage this year, reports Reuters.
When the Commander-in-Chief took his wife, Michelle, to a Broadway play by African American playwright August Wilson about a black father's search for freedom, ticket sales for the production spiked.
Both on Broadway and off-Broadway, plays and musicals about black culture or issues of race are being praised and more productions are in the works.
"Now is the time to strike," said playwright Tracey Scott Wilson, whose play "The Good Negro" about the civil rights movement had a successful off-Broadway run this year.
The election of the first black U.S. president is having an enormous influence on culture and theater, Wilson said. "Obama is everywhere," she said. "This is a seismic event."
Some plays shown off-Broadway include "Ruined" by New York playwright Lynn Nottage, about rape in a Congolese brothel; "Inked Baby" by Christina Anderson about environmental racism; and Carlyle Brown's "Pure Confidence,"
a drama set in the world of Civil War-era horse racing.
On Broadway, Wilson's "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," sold well; a musical revival of "Dreamgirls" about a group of black musicians opens in November; and a new musical, "Memphis," that opens in October looks at the roots of rock 'n' roll set against the segregation polices of the 1950s U.S.
South.
And, in one of the most anticipated events, American playwright David Mamet premieres a new play in the fall called "Race." Mamet, whose plays often address themes of masculinity, has not said what the play is about, but a producer told The New York Times, "I think the title speaks for itself."
TIMOTHY WRIGHT'S SON TAKES OVER NYC CHURCH: David Wright installed as pastor of late father's congregation.
*The son of late gospel singer Timothy Wright was installed as pastor of his late father's New York City church during a service Sunday, according to the Associated Press.
David Wright, 30, became leader of the Grace Tabernacle Christian Center Church of God in Christ. He had previously served as the Brooklyn church's music minister.
Family spokesman Will Bogle says several musical groups participated in the installation, a poignant celebration for a congregation that has grappled repeatedly with loss in the last year.
The Rev. Timothy Wright died in April, nine months after being injured in a car crash near Loganton, Pa. The crash killed his wife and grandson as they returned from a Detroit conference.
Wright was known as the Godfather of Gospel. He received a 1994 Grammy nomination for his album "Come Thou Almighty King."
VEGAS PLANNING A MIJAC B'DAY TRIBUTE: Benefit concert would feature cast members in current shows on the Strip.
*Sin City will be the site of a Michael Jackson benefit concert that would take place at the Palms Hotel and Casino, inside The Pearl venue, a spokesperson for the hotel confirmed to "Access Hollywood."
The tribute show, to be held on Jackson's Aug. 29 birthday, will feature “cast members in current shows on the Strip to the big guys, along with some bands,” “Jersey Boys” star Erich Bergen told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Bergen, who is also co-producing the event, said other components to the show will be announced at a later date.
In related news, KVBC Las Vegas reported that Michael’s brother, Jermaine Jackson, may soon be meeting with executives at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel to discuss a possible show featuring members of the Jackson 5.
WARHOL PORTRAIT OF MJ REMOVED FROM NY AUCTION: Organizers say a flood of interest prompted the decision.
*Due to an onslaught of interest in an Andy Warhol portrait of Michael Jackson that was up for auction in New York, organizers have decided to remove the item from the block.
The Vered Gallery in East Hampton says enormous interest prompted the decision, reports the Associated Press. The auction was to close Sunday.
The 30-by-26-inch painting shows a smiling Jackson in a red jacket from his "Thriller" days. Pre-sale estimates ranged anywhere from $1 million to $10 million. The portrait is reportedly owned by a New York collector.
Gallery co-owner Janet Lehr says in a statement she wants to offer the 1984 work to "the greatest number of prospective purchasers."
FANS SHOW UP AT LONDON'S O2 MONDAY: People sang, danced and lit candles on what would've been day one of his 50-night concert run.
*Michael Jackson's death didn't stop hundreds of fans from showing up at London's O2 arena on Monday, which marked what would have been the start of his 50-concert run.
According to the Associated Press, fans brought candles and flowers to lay outside the 23,000 seat venue. Some danced and sang his songs, others wrote tributes and watched images of Jackson beamed on a big screen.
Social networking sites and Michael Jackson fan sites had encouraged people to come to the arena Monday to remember the singer.
MINORITY BROADCASTERS ASK FOR GOVT AID: Letter outlines collective financial woes that threaten to wipe out their businesses.
*Media Week is reporting that several dozen minority broadcast groups are seeking financial assistance from the government, claiming their business is "close to becoming an extinct species" without federal assistance.
In a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner dated Sunday, July 12, Bustos Media, Entravision Communications, Multicultural Broadcasting Companies, Spanish Broadcasting System, Inner City Broadcasting, the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters and several others, warned that their companies are on the brink of financial failure.
"Financial foreclosure will roll back decades of work by the federal government to encourage more minority voices in the broadcasting industry,"
the broadcasters wrote.
The groups pin their current financial predicament on the recession, credit crisis and a number of other factors, including "no-minority dictates by advertisers," "changes in Arbitron audience measurement," "deflated ad
pricing" and the collapse of the automotive advertising category.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Tyra treats her staff; Akon dodges court papers; Shang signs with Codeblack.
*Tyra Banks reportedly took her talk show staff on an overnight retreat to the Borgata Hotel last week. According to the New York Daily News, the jaunt was capped with an expensive dinner at Wolfgang Puck. The gesture was a show of thanks as the production team prepares to begin season five.
*A woman trying to serve Akon with court papers over child support payments claims he is dodging process servers, who even showed up at Michael Jackson's memorial in an attempt to catch him - but still had no luck. Sara Coleman has already had a paternity test done that proves her 6-month old child was fathered by Akon.
*Incite Talent Management (ITM) has announced a new deal with Codeblack Entertainment in the signing of comedian/satirist Shang. The deal includes the distribution and digital rights to past content owned by Shang in the form of CDs and DVDs as well as the inclusion of future content.
Shang will be recording and producing ringtones as part of the package, as well as short video vignettes and sketches for airing on CodeblackTV. In addition, Shang's debut CD, "Shangry!!" on Uproar Records will be re-released and marketed.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Push
Sci-Fi Mindbender Released on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*Nick (Chris Evans) is a so-called Mover born with the ability to manipulate objects with his mind, a trait he inherited from his late father.
13 year-old Cassie (Dakota Fanning), on the other hand, is a Watcher, which means she can see far into the future.
The source of their superhuman powers is a Nazi scientific experiment gone haywire during the Holocaust in which kids were fed milk with radioactive iodine.
Consequently, there’s a whole race of mutants roaming the Earth, including Pushers, who are capable of altering others’ minds; Bleeders, who can rupture eardrums by emitting high-pitched sounds; Sniffs, the psychic equivalent of bloodhounds; Stitchers, who can heal the sick instantaneously; Shadows, who can block the clairvoyant visions of Sniffs; Wipers, blessed with the ability to erase memories temporarily or permanently; and Shifters, masters at creating optical illusions.
Freaks with telepathic talents tend to attract the attention of despots with world domination in mind. So, it’s no surprise to learn that a clandestine U.S. spy agency called Division has been rounding up any rogue mutants.
Thus, just past the point of departure of Push, we learn that a team of agents led by Henry Carver (Djimon Hounsou) has tracked the trails of Nick and Cassie to Hong Kong and plans to bring them back to America to put them to work first in service of the government. The plot thickens when the two young expatriates decide they’d rather remain free, and proceed to pin their hopes on finding Nick’s ex-girlfriend, Kira (Camilla Belle), the only person known to have escaped the clutches of Division successfully.
So, the chase is on, and the surprisingly-cerebral sci-fi adventure which ensues unfolds in a fashion that’s not always easy to follow, adding up overall to an alternately thrilling and thought-provoking roller coaster ride which you’ll probably have to watch more than once to comprehend completely. For, although the “fugitives on the run” storyline might sound fairly conventional on its face, appearances can be deceiving when you’re your dealing with an ensemble of supernatural characters able to morph at will.
A harrowing mindbender which successfully blends elements of X-Men, The Matrix and Memento while adding some of its own unique sci-fi flava.
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity, teen drinking and intense violence.
In English and Cantonese with subtitles.
Running time: 111 minutes
Studi Summit Entertainment
DVD Extras: Audio commentary by the director and cast, deleted scenes with director’s commentary and “The Science behind the Fiction” featurette.
To see a trailer for Push, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsDWFWupyYU
EUR FILM REVIEW: Humpday
Straight Guys Decide to Star in Gay Porn in Homoerotic Comedy
Film Review by Kam Williams
*During their college days, Ben (Mark Duplass) and Andrew (Joshua Leonard) had a reputation on campus as party animals.
But that was a decade ago and since then Ben has started a career, settled down and married, while slacker Andrew has remained as wild as ever and never really amount to anything.
So, it’s no surprise that the two would have drifted apart and lost touch over the intervening years.
But then Ben and his wife (Alycia Delmore) get the shock of their lives one Friday evening when Andrew shows up at their house unannounced, looking for a place to stay. Understanding Anna agrees to let his old pal crash at their place, and even encourages them to hang out, never suspecting for a second that her faithful husband could possibly be tempted to get involved in any naughty mischief.
However, Andrew takes Ben to an orgy being run by a lesbian named Monica (Lynn Shelton) at a den of iniquity named after Dionysus, the Greek god associated with ecstasy and indulgence. Patrons there are into very kinky forms of copulating such as the woman who likes having a dog lick peanut butter off her.
Ben knows not only that Anna is home cooking pork chops but that they have an after-dinner date since she’s ovulating and they’ve been desperately trying to have a baby. This makes what he does next all the more bizarre when talk at the swinging soiree turns to an upcoming annual pornographic film festival.
For, under the influence and egged on by the rest of the degenerates at Dionysus to express their longtime love for each other, Ben and Andrew on a mutual dare decide to co-star in “Tender is the Butt,“ a gay porn flick, and to enter it into competition at the so-called Humpfest. And despite being straight, they kiss each other before making plans to rent a motel room to shoot what they refer to as a homoerotic art film. Of course, Anna is furious when Ben stays out late, so he doesn’t let on that he’s about to cheat on her with another man.
This is the wacky point of departure of Humpday, an offbeat farce directed by Lynn Shelton who also plays Monica. Riveting, if not exactly realistic, the sitcom’s shocking subject-matter alone is probably too much for the average audience to handle. Nonetheless, very open-minded viewers are likely to find enough laughs along the way to make this raunchy romp worth it while waiting see whether Ben and Anna’s marriage can survive man-on-man infidelity once he and the truth come out.
Gives ‘bosom buddies’ a whole new meaning!
Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated R for graphic sexuality, pervasive profanity and a scene of drug use.
Running time: 93 minutes
Studi Magnolia Pictures
To see a trailer for Humpday, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvWGvnQrqHM
THE BRIDGE: What Michelle Obama Represents For American Women
By Darryl James
*There was an ignorant email going around right after Barack Obama was elected to the White House.
The email was from a Black woman, announcing to Black men that if they use Obama as a shining example, they can realize that it is possible for Black men to be successful and still have a Black woman on their side.
On its face, the email seems harmless. The pretense is a celebration of President Obama and the love he shares for his wife. But, the underlying message of the email is that he is rare in being a successful Black man and loving a Black woman.
That underlying message is wrong and problematic indeed.
The most essential problem with the message was that Black men have never believed that it wasn’t “okay” to have a Black woman on their side when achieving success. In fact, most successful Black men who are married are actually married to Black women. According to the latest Census statistics, 95% of all Black men who are married are married to Black women.
The only people who are obsessed with the Black man’s alleged pursuit of the white woman are white man, and now, sadly, Black women.
The 95% of Black men who are married to Black women represent a shrinking portion of the overall population. Black men are still marrying Black women, but fewer of us are getting married.
Frankly, we’re losing because so many Americans have become hyper-materialistic, lazy and shallow.
The above indictment includes men, but many American women refuse to take the weight for the changes they have made. If anyone dares to outline those changes, they are accused of “blaming the victim.”
Who are the real victims?
The Black Love that has taken up residence in the White House should be celebrated. But, if we flip that ignorant email on its head, there is, however, a great message that can be garnered from Michelle Obama’s existence as First Lady.
That message is to Black women and women of all colors in America who have been duped by feminist propaganda.
The message is simple: A successful man wants, needs and will be buoyed by a woman like Michelle Obama.
Instead of focusing on the erroneous message of Black men abandoning Black women, any woman would do well to focus on the real issue, which is: “What kind of woman does a successful man want?”
The simple answer is: “A woman like Michelle Obama.”
Ask a successful man who is divorced or never married what he needs and he will tell you that he needs a woman to support his dream, to provide him with unwavering love and a commitment through any challenges that may come.
And before the ignorant brigade begins to march, remember that I said ask a “successful man,” not a woman. Women have been speculating far too much about what men want, but men actually know what we want.
Anyone care to listen?
Let’s take a look at who Michelle Obama is and what she has done to be in the enviable position of First Lady.
First, we know from friends of Michelle that she was never a woman who pursued “sexual freedom.” In other words, whatever she did with other men won’t be coming to light, because she was a lady who didn’t think that being promiscuous was equal to freedom just because “men did it.”
Second, we know that she wasn’t a woman who talked about men being “beneath her level.” She didn’t care about who was on what level. We know this because when she met the skinny man who would become her husband and our president, she helped him get a job instead of looking down on him for not having one.
And, we know that she wasn’t so career-minded that she wanted to delay family. She created a plan with her man that allowed them both to be successful as a team, while raising a family. Imagine that.
But the other thing we know about Michelle Obama is that she has supported her husband from day one—from when he was nothing until he was the leader of the free world.
And we know that she comes with no excuses—with no perm, she stays in the gym to keep that beautiful physique very much intact. Not that a perm is bad, but having no perm at all trumps the women who gain weight because they don’t want to go to the gym and sweat out their “do.”
What man wouldn’t want a woman like Michelle?
After all, Michelle comes free of relationship propaganda.
At the end of the day, when the leader of the free world comes home, please believe he does not want to hear about how men are dogs, lazy, beneath the level of women or in any other way, horrible creatures. What he wants is some love and affection, some comfort and security in the woman he loves and who loves him.
Sadly, far too many American women think that being a strong woman means being argumentative (standing up for themselves), selfish (refusing to share even the cost of a date) and unaffectionate (not wanting to be touched the “at the wrong time,” because sex is often confused with affection) and unable to commit (“I don’t have to take this…”).
The above list of things that many American women believe make them strong actually comes from other American women and rarely are spoken by American men.
In other words, many American women have turned themselves into something that American men simply do not desire, yet complain about how many American women are growing older without spouses or children.
It’s not that I don’t feel for them, it’s just a case of the chickens coming home to roost.
Seriously, let’s be grownups for a moment.
It’s okay for a woman to truly not care about being single if the men she finds don’t want who she is. But it’s not okay to pretend that men should change to accommodate the choices that many “successful” women have made. What else could result from women deciding that they would pursue life in the footsteps of men?
It’s one thing to pursue success. It’s quite another to pretend that such success “intimidates” men, or to spend so much time pursuing that career that romance, marriage and family are placed on hold until it’s too late to have a family and too discomforting to enter into the kind of compromising required in a marriage.
Think about it—many of the women who are older and unmarried talk about “not settling,” “needing someone on their level,” and how “men want too much domestically.” These statements are indicative of not being willing to compromise.
A great deal of things have been said about Michelle Obama. Not all of them are pretty.
While American men who know what they want and need in a relationship dream of a Michelle clone, some of the things that American women are saying are not so very nice. Some say she is actually not that pretty. That BS falls from the lips of too many women who were probably the same women who made such ignorant, evil statements about Denzel Washington’s wife.
Again, being real—they wouldn’t dare say that if she were in the same room.
But if you ask the average American man about Michelle Obama, he will tell you about how much he wants to find a woman just like her—a beautiful, smart , successful, strong woman who is down for her man.
Ladies, it’s not that complicated—if you want a man like Barack, you must be a woman like Michelle.
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 JOURNAL OF STEFFANIE RIVERS: Too Little Too Late
*Some commonly used drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decades ago are being reviewed because of their link to deaths and organ failure when used in heavy doses or in combination with other approved drugs.
In the 36 years between 1969 and 2005 the deaths of 91 people have been linked to pain killers containing propoxyphene. Propoxyphene is the ingredient in widely used Darvon and Darvocet. The opiate, used to treat mild to moderate pain, has been on the market since 1957.
And although acetaminophen is one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States for treating pain and fever, overdoses of acetaminophen have been linked to 56,000 emergency room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations and 458 deaths during the 1990’s, according to the FDA.
Tylenol, Nyquil and Pamprin contain acetaminophen. A FDA advisory panel has recommended that the FDA put updated warnings about the use of these over-the-counter drugs. Vicodin and Percocet each use a combination of acetaminophen and narcotics. The same panel wants the FDA to take them off the market altogether.
Even though deaths and near death incidents have been documented for years, the FDA’s advisory panel voted 20-17 to make these changes just in recent days. Hundreds of people have lost their lives and only three panelists make up the majority who want see changes in the system.
How many more people have to die to get those 17 naysayers to vote in favor of saving lives and what information was revealed in the last few days that caused them to take action moreso than the deaths of 91 people? Could it be the death of music icon Michael Jackson and the probability that his death was a result of a drug overdose that led to a heart attack? Say it ain’t so, FDA!
Don’t tell me that one Michael Jackson equals more than hundreds of other people. I’m a MJ fan the same as millions of others, but I can’t get with that fuzzy math.
According to CNN and FDA researchers, the information used to determine the latest round of FDA recalls and warnings has been known for years. The only new piece of the puzzle has been the death of Jackson. My deductive reasoning skills are sharp. My mama didn’t raise no fool.
This is another example of why the FDA and its affiliated agencies need an overhaul.
And while I’m on the subject of Michael Jackson: I know he intended to go on tour in July, but damn! When is his family going to stop parading his body around and bury him so his spirit can rest in peace? As I write this it’s been more than two weeks since his untimely death and he’s still above ground. Jackson, like the FDA, should be laid to rest.
Steffanie Rivers is a free-lance journalist living in the Dallas, Texas metroplex. See the video version of her column at youtube.com/steffanierivers. To schedule speaking engagements or to send questions or comments email her at teamtcbadvertising@hotmail.com
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"The first and best victory is to conquer self." — Plato
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
July 14: Singer Tameka Cottle of Xscape is 34. Musician taboo of Black Eyed Peas is 34.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Yauwa.com is targeted at people from Africa around the world to meet and network on just about anything and everything. Find it here: www.Yauwa.com
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
July 14, 1891: Inventor, J Standard was awarded a patent for making the refrigerator. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
