Fall News: The Late Edition

[DSTCHAOS]

Okay, I've received my first email forward about this mess.

I hate email forwards and I hope black people don't get on the email forward tip about his tangent. I mean, some of us actually watch the news and don't rely on the Blackweb for the latest.

So this dude sends the forward of the video clip and says something to the effect of he would've done so-and-so if he had been there. Mannnnnn, you wouldn't have done anything!!! And anything that you would've done would've made the situation worse and made you look stupid.

[jojapeach]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Geesh. I don't blame some people for not keeping up with that nonsense. What other groups have gone through these name transformations? Not many.

Instead of focusing on what TO call us, folks should just worry about what NOT TO call us as a group: NIGGER, NIGGA, COLORED, PORCH MONKEYS, etc.

And when white people ask "what do you want to be called" I tell them to call me by my name.

The nonsense is supposed to be "politically correct", which makes these terms comfortable for the masses. IMO, Michael Richards does not care to appeal or relate to the American masses. He shouldn't make fake apologies about the words he let out of his mouth because he doesn't care about the people affected by them.

And when did Caucasian come into use? I don't recall hearing that from the white kids or my white teachers in elementary or middle school. The Caucaus Mountains have been around for centuries, but the term "Caucasian" has not. Neither has Anglo-American, Asian-American, Cuban-American, Mexican American, etc.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by jojapeach

And when did Caucasian come into use? I don't recall hearing that from the white kids or my white teachers in elementary or middle school. The Caucaus Mountains have been around for centuries, but the term "Caucasian" has not. Neither has Anglo-American, Asian-American, Cuban-American, Mexican American, etc.

I don't know when Caucasian came into use. Probably over the past 30 years when people started having race debates and discovering how "race" is socially constructed versus biological. I used to hear about Caucazoid, Negroid, and Mongoloid when I was younger.

I think of these categorical names as important for record keeping purposes only. I certainly don't walk around hyphenating groups. My biggest thing is that I try to avoid using racial epithets or objectifying a group of people in my language and actions.

[Munchkin03]

[QUOTE=ChanelLover;1360299]First Kanye calls bi-racial women "mutts" in Essence. Then he says he loves "mutts" because what else would they use for videos.

Kanye needs to have his jaw wired shut...again.

As far as the Michael Richards thing, I don't care. It's not as if he's relevant anymore anyway. I loved him as Kramer...but that's not Kramer.

Two of the black guys who were at the Laugh Factory just came on the Today show. They said it was a bunch of them, they went out to celebrate a friend's birthday. Their group was mixed with blacks, asians, whites and latinos. They said they got there late and must have been making too much noise (not purposely), then they sat down and ordered drinks from the waitresses.

That's when Michael Richards said that the loud blacks and mexicans were there Then one of the guys yelled out that he wasn't funny. That's what started it all. Richards made it seem like they were heckling him from get go and that's why he got so mad

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by MsSweetness

Their group was mixed with blacks, asians, whites and latinos.

And whose birthday was it, The United Nations? Well obviously racism is dead and Richards is just late getting the memo.

Originally Posted by MsSweetness

That's when Michael Richards said that the loud blacks and mexicans were there

LOL.

That in and of itself wouldn't have offended me because many FUNNY comics make racial humor all the time without going too far. But since Richards isn't really FUNNY he was unable to make us poke fun at ourselves, as comics are usually capable of doing.

Instead of the tirade, Richards should've said something to the effect of "I'm not funny?! Yeah, okay then how about you enjoy your cheap seats and shut the hell up so the rest of the audience can hear me."

[jojapeach]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Kanye needs to have his jaw wired shut...again.

As far as the Michael Richards thing, I don't care. It's not as if he's relevant anymore anyway. I loved him as Kramer...but that's not Kramer.

True, but it was a shock to my system, and I live in The South. I'm one of 6 black people in my office, and there are about 20 of us. We all get along pretty well in our multicultural space. To hear someone broadcast that just smacks you back into general reality that we have a long way to go.

I kept it in, but Kanye disturbs me more. I know it's just music videos, but these music videos that objectify and exploit women are seen by young impressionable people everyday. One thing I always infer from the videos is that the average black woman isn't pretty enough anymore because I rarely see us. I have my own self-awareness, but how many 18 year olds or even 8 year olds are that aware? On top of that, he labeled biracial women as a name reserved for animals...in a publication for Black women.

This is one time Kanye should've kept his mouth shut. Then again, it's another case of putting your true self out there for the world to see. I'm not biracial, but I'm completely offended by Kanye.

But for all the outrage, will we do anything about it?

[Sophist08edLady]

Patty Jackson's 411 for the week of November 20th, 2006

EVERYBODY HATES DIVORCE! Comedian Chris Rock has had a change of heart, and now the Rocks are gonna work it out. A few weeks ago, Chris announced he was divorcing his wife of 10 years Malaak Compton. They have two young daughters, ages 2 and 4. When the news came out, it shocked many of his fans and a lot of people thought he was losing it. Chris’s private life has always been under the radar. But, when the news came out about trouble in his marriage, the stories of him and other women started surfacing. Did you know he used to date Madonna before he got married or his affair with Video Vixen Karrine Steffans? She’s also known as Superhead, and reports have it she’s expecting a baby with Bobby Brown. She is writing a new book about her exploits, and Rock is featured prominently. Years ago, a Hungarian model tried to blame Rock for fathering her child, but the DNA tests cleared him. Who knew Rock was a player. Apparently, someone advised him it was not in his best interest to make an enemy out of his wife. After 10 years of marriage and two kids, he would have to pay through the nose to get out of the marriage. In the words of the late Singer Johnnie Taylor: It’s Cheaper to Keep Her.

Eddie Murphy speaks! Murphy is doing promotional interviews for the movie Dreamgirls. He plays the role of R&B Singer “James ‘Thunder’ Early.” I saw the movie at the preview screening last week. Eddie Murphy is the truth in this movie. He does his own singing, and for the first time, we see him display his dramatic acting skills. On a recent episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Murphy revealed that he was able to get into his troubled character because at the time of filming he was going through a very painful and public divorce with his wife Nicole. Eddie is very tight lipped about his life, and he rarely gives interviews, but on December 18th, he will be appearing on the Bravo Network on the popular show Inside The Actor’s Studio. The one on one interview show with James Lipton gives viewers an up close and personal look at their favorite actors. Despite an amazing career (Coming to America, Nutty Professor, and voice over work for Shrek), Murphy is sometimes more known for known for scandal, for example the transsexual pick up scandal of the late 90’s and his divorce from his wife of 12 years. He is also the father of six children. Murphy is amazing in Dreamgirls, and he could get an Oscar nomination for his role. As for his love life, he was dating former Spice Girl Mel B, a.k.a. Melanie Brown, but she blew it big time. Murphy’s mom Lillian often arrives in town to help her son with his kids, and Mel B started complaining. Lesson number one, if you want to become the wife, you can’t diss your man’s mother. In an act of desperation, Mel then proclaimed she was pregnant hoping he wouldn’t dump her. When Murphy realized she was lying and nothing more than a manipulative drama queen, he dropped her like a hot potato. He is currently dating the ex-wife of Babyface, Producer Tracey Edmonds.

The BET Network has put together a TV special celebrating the life of Gerald Levert. On Sunday at 12 noon, they will air their half hour special, and it features Gerald’s daughter and his many friends and former singing partners. Levert passed away last week at the age of 40. When the BET Network would air their specials, you could always count on Gerald to bring the house pain. Remember his tribute to Patti LaBelle when he got down and rolled in the floor to pay homage to her? Mark your calendars and set your recording devices. This special is a keepsake. At the time of his death Gerald, was working on two projects. A new album that is coming out next year and a book with his father Eddie Levert called I Got Your Back, about father and son relationships.


Janet Jackson is shooting down reports that she is pregnant and canceling her world tour. She says the tour will go on next year despite low record sales. Friends of Janet are concerned about her and the state of her relationship with Jermaine Dupri. They blame him for the album’s failure. She continues to talk about her sex life with Dupri. A lot of people feel she is talking way too much about her private life, and it is hurting her popularity.

New albums in stores this week include Patti LaBelle’s first gospel album, The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle.

Forever, For Always, For Luther: Volume 2 featuring Will Downing, Patti Austin, Najee and Norman Brown.

Rapper Jay-Z is out of retirement with Kingdom Come.

Toni Braxton’s Las Vegas revue has been extended through August 2007.

When the movie musical Dreamgirls is released, you are going to witness the amazing singing talents of Jennifer Hudson. Hudson plays the role of “Effie White” made famous by Jennifer Holliday. She nails the Holliday classic And I Am Telling You. Hudson first found fame on American Idol, but she lost out to Fantasia. Simon Cowell had the nerve to tell her she didn’t have what it takes. Wait until you see Dreamgirls. Hudson is a star, and she just signed a deal with Whitney Houston’s Mentor Clive Davis. A new album is expected next year.

Grammy Award Winning Artist Kanye West continues to suffer from Foot in The Mouth disease. In an upcoming interview with Essence magazine, West states if it wasn’t for race mixing and biracial women, there would be no video girls. He then goes on to refer to biracial women as Mutts, proclaiming that he and his friends like Mutts.

There is life after The View for Star Jones, and she has found it on the TV One Network. Jones will be hosting and producing a show that will deal with issues in the African American Community. The first special is set to air in December. After striking out on deals with the major networks, Jones is turning to Cable TV to start a new career path.

Playwright/Producer David E. Talbert has tapped Actor Morris Chestnut to produce and star in his latest production Love In The Nick of Tyme. The play features the music of Singer Vivian Green, and it is coming to Philly next year.

Is Actor Darius McCrary, who is best known for his role as “Eddie Winslow” on the TV show Family Matters, infected with HIV? Spokespeople for the actor have not responded to published reports about the his condition. Fans of McCrary want him to make some sort of announcement. If he is infected, is he getting the help he needs?

In a day and age where most couples are breaking up, it’s good to know there is a couple that is still going strong. Actors Courtney Vance and Angela Bassett are the proud parents of twins (via a surrogate), and they are going to tell all about their amazing love story. The couple has a new book coming out in January called Friends: A Love Story.


Is Former Basketball Player Rick Fox dating Actress Sharon Stone. Fox, the ex-husband of Vanessa Williams, says he and Sharon share a best friend and the same agent. He states he enjoys her company, but he is still looking for someone to settle down with and have a relationship.

As Whitney Houston continues her recovery and getting her life in order, she is also clearing out old debt. In 1993, she purchased a $6 million estate in Morrison, New Jersey. She hasn’t lived in this home for years, and she currently owes $1 million in overdue mortgage payments. She will either have to pay off the mortgage, or sell the house to avoid foreclosure.

Mike Tyson, a male prostitute? The ex-boxing champ is considering taking a job as a male escort for women to make money. Tyson has fallen on hard times, and he is looking to make money any way he can. He is also trying to strike a deal for his own reality show.

How hot is Dancing with the Stars Champ Emmitt Smith? TV Execs were so impressed with his charisma and personality, they are trying to convince him to do a talk show. I love Smith’s wife Patricia. She used to be married to Martin Lawrence. She is a former beauty queen who was on hand every week to cheer on and support her husband. With her looks and personality, I could see her on television.

The Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige team up for the song Never Gonna Break My Faith. The song, written by Rocker Bryan Adams, is featured on the soundtrack to the movie Bobby. The movie, directed by Emilio Estevez, is about the assassination of Bobby Kennedy. The movie features Demi Moore, Laurence Fishburne, Nick Cannon and Joy Bryant.

Actor Michael Richards, who is best known for his role “Kosmo Kramer” on Seinfeld, made headlines earlier this week after going on a racial rant at a Los Angeles comedy club. Richards says his act was interrupted by a group of hecklers. Upon realizing they were Black, he then proceeded to go on a three minute racial tirade using the n-word over 20 times and making slavery references. Richards clearly has a problem, and he talked about it on appearance on The David Letterman Show. He apologized, and he says he can’t explain why this rage fires out of him. He says he feels busted over this. Richards has a problem, and he needs help. There is no excuse. If you get a chance to see the tape, you can feel his hate. Yes, we have come a long way, but racism and sexism still exists in this country. It remains a problem.

Singer Ruth Brown is being remembered for her famous singing style. The 78-year old Grammy and Tony winner died from complications of a heart attack and stroke late last week. She is best known for the hits Teardrops In My Eyes and Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean. She was a major influence for Aretha Franklin and Etta James. Brown not only paved the way for them, but it was her efforts that started the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. The foundation provides medical and financial assistance to aging R&B stars. Brown first found success in the 50’s. Then, after fading record sales, she took time to raise a family and work as a maid, schoolteacher and bus driver. In the 70’s, she enjoyed a career resurgence, and went on to win a Tony Award for the musical Black and Blue.

I had a chance to sit and interview Musiq Soulchild last week. He’s best known for the hits Who Knows, Just Friends and Half Crazy. He has a new recording home with Atlantic Records, and he will be releasing a new project next called Luv And Musiq, featuring the single ‘Buddy’.

Eva The Diva is making a change. Eva Pigford, the former winner of America’s Next Top Model, is dropping Tyra Banks as her manager. She is also getting rid of her last name. Eva will now be known as Eva Marcille. Marcille is her middle name. Eva says with the changes, she is looking for a new start. Out of all the winners of the Top Model reality show, she is the most famous.

WDAS Radio is gearing up for the release of another Classic Soul album. Volume 11 is due out in stores next week, and it features such hard to find classics as I’d Rather Be By Myself by Ebo. The live versions of the classic songs Devotion, by Earth Wind & Fire, and I Can Tell By The Look In Your Eyes, by Frankie Beverly & Maze. Jesus Is Love by The Commodores, Moments In Love by The Art of Noise and You’re All That Matters To Me, by Deniece Williams, just to name a few. Butterball, the legendary programmer of WDAS, says he still enjoys putting together these albums, and people really appreciate having hard to find songs. He feels this is the best album yet.

At the movies, it’s Denzel Washington in Dйjа Vu. The mysterious action drama is set in New Orleans.

Upcoming movies: The Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith and his son, Jaden Smith, opens December 15th.

Dreamgirls, the movie musical with Jamie Foxx, Beyonce, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose and Danny Glover.

Singer Michael Henderson is coming to Philly on Saturday, November 25th. Henderson is best known for the hits You Are My Starship, Be My Girl, In The Night-Time and At The Concert. Henderson will be doing two shows, 7pm and 10pm, at North By Northwest, 7165 Germantown Avenue. For more info call 215-248-1000 ext. 0

WHAT’S THE UNDERGROUND BUZZ?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This female Singer is talented and pretty. She has a new project out, but she barely registers on the radar screen. She has a horrible attitude, and she prefers to act like a thug. She would be a much bigger star if she dropped the hood act. But, she won’t listen to anybody, and her new album is just collecting dust with low record sales. (Ya'll gurl Monica?)

[jojapeach]

Originally Posted by Sophist08edLady

WHAT’S THE UNDERGROUND BUZZ?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This female Singer is talented and pretty. She has a new project out, but she barely registers on the radar screen. She has a horrible attitude, and she prefers to act like a thug. She would be a much bigger star if she dropped the hood act. But, she won’t listen to anybody, and her new album is just collecting dust with low record sales. (Ya'll gurl Monica?)

Sounds like the homie. *sigh* Could also be Keyshia (sp?)Cole, but she doesn't have a new album right now, does she? *sigh, again*

I think it was said in another thread, but her music seems to have devolved from mature, grown-up tastes to hood hop and high school mess. Time to grow up, sweetie.

[Conskeeted7]

As far as the Kramer incident goes, every white person has some knowledge of where the word came from and what it represents, specifically when said from a White person to a Black person. With that knowledge, there is no justification for using that word if you are not Black. If you are Black and decide that is how you would like to classify yourself, that is up to you. However, I can find no justification for anyone else to use a word with such strong racist connotation for any purpose at all, comedic or otherwise.

The BET tribute to Gerald was pitiful. I was hoping to see more of a "E true hollywood story" type show. It was a half hour of clips from walk of fames and a few 5 second sound bites. They really could have done him more justice.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by jojapeach

Sounds like the homie. *sigh* Could also be Keyshia (sp?)Cole, but she doesn't have a new album right now, does she? *sigh, again*

I think it was said in another thread, but her music seems to have devolved from mature, grown-up tastes to hood hop and high school mess. Time to grow up, sweetie.

I think a lot of people think Keyshia Cole's hood persona is endearing. Her reality show won her a lot of fans, too. Maybe she would be a bigger star without the thug act but I don't know.

I automatically thought Monica because she started off as a cutesy singer with a "tough attitude" back in the early 90's. Then the tough attitude turned from cute to "sitchogrownassdown." I think her duet with Brandy in '98 was the last time people really gave a damn about her.

[Steeltrap]

Glad that Chris and Malaak appear to be working things out. As I've said, Malaak elevates Chris, sort of like Tonya elevated 5-foot-4 inch Spike Lee.

Emmitt Smith and his wife on TV, talking: sounds interesting. Although it wouldn't be as fabulostic as BGA and Soror Starrah.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Steeltrap

Emmitt Smith and his wife on TV, talking: sounds interesting. Although it wouldn't be as fabulostic as BGA and Soror Starrah.

His wife is a pretty woman but had on too much makeup. I always thought he was funny looking but he has a cuteness about him--nice smile and a nice career drive.

[madmax]

Originally Posted by Conskeeted7

As far as the Kramer incident goes, every white person has some knowledge of where the word came from and what it represents, specifically when said from a White person to a Black person. With that knowledge, there is no justification for using that word if you are not Black. If you are Black and decide that is how you would like to classify yourself, that is up to you. However, I can find no justification for anyone else to use a word with such strong racist connotation for any purpose at all, comedic or otherwise.

They can't do that to our pledges. Only we can do that to our pledges.

[Honeykiss1974]

Richards to appear on Jesse Jackson show