How to lose a girlfriend like a rockstar

The world of entertainers and that of the rest of the us are very different. Take the example of Robbie Williams. This is a man that in any other circumstance would be sure to be single.

Robbie Williams was in Australia and being interviewed by a local radio station about his latest album "Reality Killed The Video Star". During the interview he was told that Sydney, Australia has a reputation for marriage proposals - which is the first I have heard of this reputation. Williams then did the following:

"Williams turned to [actress and girlfriend Ayda] Field and said: "Is there anyone you want to get married to?"
She replied: "This is so awkward."
To which Williams said: "Will you marry me?"
After a pause, Field, 30, answered: "Yes, I'll marry you."

That, most would assume, was a marriage proposal. Not the most romantic or memorable way to do it, but still a proposal nonetheless. Except we are talking about entertainers. And spokesman for Williams denies he is now engaged. Too bad Robbie Williams mom wasn't clued in. Reports are that Williams mom now states that the couple is very excited and planning a wedding soon.

So we have Williams people saying that it was a joke. You have Williams mom thinking it was real. Who knows what Ayda Field is thinking.

Were this regular people I would expect that Williams would come home to find the remains of his things that weren't completely burned on the sidewalk - being the ultimate punchline for his very public joke. In fact if this were any of the women I know, upon hearing that the proposal was a joke, Williams would be seriously hurt and instantly single.

Maybe that's what he was hoping for? To be single again. But if we don't see Williams for a while, if he misses any interviews or public appearances, I would expect that Ayda Field had a very non-verbal conversation with him about the matter. If you love celebrity gossip I say keep an eye out on this couple.

Don't mess with Disney

There are a few things that just can't be done. Or at least not without stirring up the ire of one of the largest and most powerful media companies in the world.

The Walt Disney Company is known for a couple of things. Family animated films is perhaps one of the best know items. And as an example the characters Mickey Mouse, Bambi, and Snow White may be one of the oldest and most widely known of their family films.

But over the years there have been literally hundreds of.. less than family oriented takes on these characters. In fact Snow White has been the subject of more porn revisions than any other topic or subject ever. In fact, as I recall, no film in the world has had more revisionist remakes than Snow White.

Which is likely the insiration for this ad



It's not the Snow White you grew up with.

This version is the child of an ad agency promoting a new beer in Australia. The concept is "Anything but sweet". And the ad is obviously just that. It definitely reflects more on the porn revisions than Disney.

How this sells beer, I'm not quite sure. Condoms sure. Maybe even cigarettes. But beer? I suppose you have to be Australian to get it. (Though I'm surprised none of the characters are in blackface - or is that a line even Australians won't cross much like South Africa in the past)

Obviously Disney isn't happy. The ad is currently pulled from the internet, and next to impossible to find. Though Disney hasn't said anything publicly, there is little doubt they are involved with the sudden disappearance.

I will say this for the ad makers - The Foundry - Ho White and the Serven Dwarves is effective. It caught my attention as well as Disney. It may not sell beer, but it sure will drive attention.

I wonder what will be next?

France and Australia have more in common than you think

Wait, France and Australia? They are on opposite sides of the world. Literally. They don't have a share history. The people in Australia like beer, France has wine. Australia is mostly a big desert known for Mad Max and Mel Gibson. France has the Eiffel Tower, cheese, and hasn't won a war (or really mattered) since a short guy named Napoleon.

These things are all true. But they are very similar in their desire to display buffoonery that mocks Blacks. For Australia its the Aborigine people that are the special focus of this backwards kind of thinking. In France it's usually Moroccans, but they really stepped up the insults with the latest venture into pugnacious "art".



The French Vogue magazine, in all its brilliance, decided that supermodels needed more attention. Which is fine if not a bit absurd. But when it came time to have photos of Black models they decided that blackface was a far more appropriate and fashionable thing to do. Yes, blackface. The key part of the minstrel show that the uneducated and repugnant of the 19th century loved.

I realize that there aren't a lot of models, or supermodels for that matter, that are women of color. It's a problem the entire fashion industry can't seem to figure out. Then again, in my experience, it's far easier to find White women the size and flat board curvaciousness of Olive Oil. And as I have said before

"I have to believe that the designers are the biggest group of fetishists in plain public sight. That's the only explanation. The women they use, or airbrush, are so far from the norm that Janeane Garafalow (her politics) is mainstream in comparison. Obviously they just saw one Popeye cartoon too many. Especially Ralph Lauren."

Still I find it hard to believe that none of the Black supermodels were available. I mean there is Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, Iman, Alek Wek, Liya Kebede, Chanel Iman. I mean the photographer, Steven Klein is an American. Couldn't he have had the balls to simple say what Harry Connick Jr. said to the nation of Australia? Did Klein think that no one in America would notice, or care?

Perhaps I'm not as artsy and cultured as our European "friends" or as burly as those down in Australia. But at least I am in the 20th century. Though the fact that both these nations consider racism and prejudice a normal and current way to deal with people of color in their own nations.

Vogue knows better than what they did. They had the ability to bring in Black models, they have the intelligence to know this is offensive. They knew that they were insulting tens of millions of people of color around the world. But maybe they are just like the Australian audience for Hey Hey, its Saturday night! in that they just don't care.

Considering that Blacks across the world have contributed to freedom (including saving the French in WWI, WWII, and Viet Nam), made innovations that have eased life and saved untold millions of people over the centuries, and the least of all - President Obama - you would think they might have a bit of a wake-up call. But it seems not.

I would suggest to every reader I have that buys Vogue to skip it for 3 months (or more if you would like). Send them a message in a color they are sure to respect and understand - money. Blackface is an insult. ANYWHERE in the world to ALL people of color. Perhaps France and Australia would like to join us in the 21st Century on that.

Australia - A great country if you are White

If you haven't heard about this yet, I am sure that you will soon. Harry Connick Jr. was in Australia recently, on a program that some of my older readers will recognize as a copy of The Gong Show. Basically it was the poor man's version of American Idol back in the 70's when the concept of "reality" television meant a live event.

Connick was a guest on the show, which seemed to be a return trip for those on it. The "entertainers" had been on the show years prior and were back to give it one more go. All this is fine.

But then came a group called "Jackson Jive". And it was with this group that were were again shown the racist attitudes that most of Australia has.



I have known many Australians. They were good people. I'm sure there are many in Australia right now. But there is no question that the racial attitudes of the nation is more akin with 1950's America that the 21st century.

I just don't know where to start with what I think is wrong with this. The group in blackface is probably the big thing. When I first saw this I was stunned. It was the last thing I expected.

Connick is either a master of control, or the other celebrity judge beat him to getting the gong for this group. Which is a nice sign that some in Australia have good taste. But did you hear the crowd? they were loving that group. They were loving the blackface. It just makes me think how much lynch mobs must have loved hanging a Black person back in the days of America no one wants to talk about (the last known lynching was in the 80's by the way).

Connick, much to his credit gave the group a 0. I suppose negative numbers are shunned in the show. And I do like the way that Connick was clearly displeased and uncomfortable. But the judge in the middle gave that group a 7! I wonder how she would rate a lynching? I hope that all the Aborigine people near her stay clear after dark.

The other part of the video that I think was great was that Connick made it clear that this was unacceptable. That had he known this was to be on the program he would not have appeared. It's the least that could have been said to a crowd that really just didn't care. Notice that there was no apology, except to the American sensibilities of Connick. The host, like the judge and crowd thaought that depicting people of color as buffoons was perfectly normal and humorous.

Perhaps the most chilling part of this is that the clueless morons that comprised the Jackson Jive are all professionals. Doctors and 1 psychiatrist. This is an example of what the professionals in Australia do in their downtime. It's sickening.

In one fells swoop, this show and these doctors along with Australia, insulted every person of color in the world. They disrespected the memory of one of the most famous and influential entertainers in the world. And they reinforced the abysmal treatment of the original natives of their country - that are still systemically treated to bias and hate.

Some will likely say that Harry Connick Jr. knew what was going to happen. That he was just covering his butt with his fanbase and America in general.

I disagree with that thought. You can see his displeasure, his anger, with this performance. I genuinely believe that Connick had no idea, and would hope he was fighting walking off the set.

In all this is just yet another reminder that the problems of race relations are not just an American thing. It's not just something that happened in the past. Across the world people have ignored the lessons of history and will reap the bitter pain that these kinds of actions create.

Pass this video around, especially to anyone that might be considering a trip to Australia.

Brawlin at the Belmar 2009 - pro competition

To give all my readers a feel of what was seen by those at the 3rd Annual Brawlin at the Belmar BMX Dirt Jump Competition, I decided to fix a camera just on the ramp and capture every jump of the pros. This way you get to hear the reactioon of the crowd and see exactly what the pros did.

The feild of pros was no small group. They included X-Games champions, the winner of the 2008 Belmar competition (Chris Doyle who I interviewed), a local Central New York pro, and a couple of guys from as far as Australia. And the competition was firce. They were all going for the win, and the enjoyment of the crowd.

You really could tell they were all experts as there were many great trick jumps, lots of air off the ramp, and very few crashes or failed jumps. Considering the degree of difficulty, I really was impressed by several of the BMX pros. Though I think that age and experience really too the stage as the older bikers seemed to have the edge.

The following video is basically uneditied. It's the first couple of competition runs for the pros. Out of this group 5 finalists were picked, and they had 4 runs each. I will have a video of that as well.

Pros in the competition include in order:

Adam Rich, Mike Potasney, Ryan Worth, Garrett Williams, Tom Arkiss, Tom Dylan, David Kaye, Chris Doyle, Ben Hill, Tim Rose (Australia), Kye Ashworth (Australia), Chip Slaterly, Pete Schmidt, Brian Foster, Chris Childs



I also plan to make a video of the very best jumps by the pros from the competition. Just give me a bit of time to edit through all the video I took.

Golfing in Australia just got longer

Over the years golf courses around the world have extended their grounds to counter the improvements of technology, and golfers like Tiger Woods and John Daly. It’s something that has become commonplace, and by now almost everyone has already made their changes. Except for one course in Australia, where the concept of big eludes even the Texas definition.

Australia? Yes, the country down under. Known for kangaroos, Paul Hogan, and extreme bias against the aboriginal people that were the original owners of the country, the country now hosts a golf course that is so unique that I doubt another like it will ever be built.

This par 71 golf course, Nullarbor Links, is roughly 848 miles long. Yes, that is miles and not a typo. Not even Daly can drive that. In fact, it is so long a course that it takes 3 days to play one round. Some of the holes are 60+ miles from each other. It is actually longer than England.

Now before you bewilder your mind with thoughts of greens that roll forever, I’ll tell you the gimmick. There is just 1 hole each in towns stretching across Southern Australia. The goal is to spike tourism as golfers travel across the nation, hitting some of the lesser known spots and landmarks along the way.

Will this idea work in the global recession? Would anyone spend 3 days playing the same round of golf? Is the idea of driving an hour or more to reach the next tee worth the time to get to Australia? Well the answers will come in October when the course opens up.

Oh, as an added bonus you do get a certificate if you finish the course. No word yet on the cost though. Which I really can’t imagine. Guaranteed it won’t be cheap. But I’d consider it if any of the proceeds actually went to charities for the Aborigines.

Bones and just bones in Australian Miss Universe competition

When I saw the photo I just had to speak. My first thought was

“Wow, that’s what Olive Oyl would look like in person.”

That is Australian Miss Universe hopeful Stephanie Naumoska. If you look at her photo and think that she should have been competing for the poster-child for anorexia, I would agree. To say she is just bones would be only a modest exaggeration.

Naumoska is 5’ 11” and weighs just 108 pounds. There is no compliment or beauty in those numbers. The fact that she was allowed to even try-out for the pageant amazes me. Officials should have taken the woman to a hospital, or McDonald’s for emergency Big Mac’s.

I just don’t get it. Where is the beauty in having a figure only Olive Oyl might compare with? I suppose that somewhere in the world there exists someone who finds pipe cleaners sexual, but beyond that fetish is the reality that Naumoska looks horrendous. Because she is too thin.

There is no exaggeration when I say I have pre-teen nephews that weigh more than she does. I think I’ve owned dogs with more weight. I certainly would find such a woman repulsive to go out with. But isn’t there anyone in Australia with the guts and concern to say these things to this woman?

I pray that none of my readers every looks in a mirror or at this image and sees this kind of emaciation as a sign of anything but desperate need of food. Beauty cannot be found in a pair of jeans, and it certainly can’t be found with unhealthy diets.

Perhaps the worst thing about this situation is that there are some in the pageants and other industries that support and defend this kind of torture and slow death. One such foolish defender of anorexia, in my opinion, is pageant director Deborah Miller who said

“Naumoska, …had Macedonian heritage, which accounted for her extreme thinness.”

What the hell does that mean? I’ve never heard of such a thing. In fact neither had nutritionist Susie Burrell who went on record with the Herald Sun disputing the assertion. As far as I am aware a Macedonian is Greek. And Greek women are healthy, which Naumoska is not.

Suffice to say this woman failed in her bid to become Miss Australia. The only real question is how she got past the door for the competition in the first place.

Midnight Oil: the concert and the controversy

Does anyone recall a rock band from Australia called Midnight Oil? It was a good band back in the day. They had a few hits in America, fueled by MTV (back when they played music videos) and the fact that the lead singer of the band reminded many of the guy from The Hills Have Eyes (the original film).

Well I was brought back to those days on seeing the news that Midnight Oil will be doing a concert to help raise funds for victims of the recent horrendous fires that claimed 210 lives and thousands of homes in Australia. The odd thing about this charity concert is the fact that lead singer Peter Garrett is now environment minister in the government. Talk about a switch of careers.

The reason this is getting international attention is really sad though. Rather than talking up the benefit, the AP piece [Australian minister rejoins Midnight Oil rock band] discusses how some are finding it difficult to reconcile the songs of Midnight Oil and Garrett’s current political position. It seems fans believe that the songs picked for the concert are less anti-government than the band is known for. And those in the government are upset that the controversial themes of the band’s music may affect the government.

To give you an idea of what they are talking about, check out the video of one of their American hits



The theme is Aboriginal rights. In fact this song directly states that Australia should be returned to the Aboriginal natives. That would be like a band here stating that Manhattan should be returned to the Native Indians. And the lead singer was the Secretary of the Interior.

Of course the fact is that Peter Garrett stopped playing with Midnight Oil back in 2002. Plus, when he was picked for his current position (in a Government that is far less liberal in its views) his past was a well known fact. Taking these facts into account, with the thought that he is not trying to make a political point but help some of the people of Australia, I think he needs to be given some slack.

Personally I have met Garrett. It was back in 1998 as I recall, on 43rd and Lexington in New York City. I was a stockbroker at the time, out for lunch, and saw him crossing the street. My best friend and I waited for him to cross and said hello. He was polite enough to stop and speak with us for a couple of minutes. He is really tall, the video does not make it clear how tall. And I’m 5’ 10”.

Suffice to say that I enjoy his music. I am impressed with the band’s stance on Aboriginal rights. I respect the intention of helping Australians with a charitable concert.

Politics and music may often clash, but when compared to the suffering that music can help relieve it is unimportant. I hope that Midnight Oil plays their most controversial songs, with Garrett up front and in the crosshairs of television cameras worldwide – if it helps to raise more money. Because that’s really the only important thing about the concert.

AC/DC proves rock and roll is a train on the tracks

AC/DC. Are they a metal band, or rock n roll? It’s a question many wonder about, but honestly who cares. They are just good and that’s all that really matters.

The band is one of the few that can state they cover 3 decades of performance and solid hits. They have gone from Australia (their home) to England, America and the world. They have sold over 200 million records, cleared the 2004 Greatest 100 Artists All -Time List of Rolling Stone, and they just released another album – Black Ice and the single Rock n Roll Train.

The band has survived the loss and replacement of several members. They have outlasted changes in world music fads. They have cleared the hurdle of time. So it’s no surprise that their current tour is filling stadiums.

One of their recent performances gives you a taste of the showmanship of AC/DC, and the quality of their music. This is the single Rock N Roll Train, live.



In an era of music that is sampled, oversampled, and infusing nearly every genre with rap, it’s refreshing to see a band do original work again. Some bands change with the times, some fad over time, and AC/DC is among those that just pass time doing what they do best.

And just to compare here is a view of AC/DC in the past



and one more



Yeah they still got it.

Australian movie exec calls Forest Whitaker 'ugly, black, unbankable'

Australia is an interesting nation. The people I have met from that nation have been pleasant and good natured. They have provided America with several excellent entertainers, most notably Mel Gibson (who is American but grew up in Australia).

Yet that nation had, and continues to have many problems. The interaction with the native Aboriginal population is in many ways similar to the slavery issues that were found in America. Even to this day there are extreme racial conflicts between the 2 groups, though the distance to the rest of the world helps to ensure that most of this news is unseen.

It is perhaps because of this racially derisive past and present that an Austrailian film executive felt the need to claim this about Forest Whitaker

“Even if he wins the Oscar he's ugly, he's black and he's unbankable.”

Bollocks! Who the hell is this executive?

I realize that Australia, along with neighbor New Zealand, have gotten quite a bit of attention from Hollywood in recent years. I understand how they might see their importance growing with this greater influence. But that does not justify such comments.

Forest Whitaker is an acclaimed actor, director and producer. His credits include:

• Last King of Scotland – where he received an Oscar, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and BAFTA Awards
  
• Color of Money
  
• Bird – Cannes Film Festival Award and Golden Globe nomination
  
• Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai - an exceptional film that I recommend people see
  
• The Shield
  
• Fast Times at Ridgemont High
  
• Good Morning Viet Nam
  
• Platoon
  
• The Crying Game
  
• Prêt-à-Porter - National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble
  
• Panic Room
  
• The Great Debaters
  
• A Rage in Harlem
  
• Waiting to Exhale
  

I could go on as his career spans 26 years. In fact he will be working steadily into 2010, where he will be directing and acting in It's A Wonderful World about Louis Armstrong. There aren’t many actors that can be assured of leading roles 2 years in the future, and those that can are the best in the entertainment industry.

Somehow I think the fact that Whitaker is this successful, in all aspects of film, does not only make him bankable – it makes him one of a few actors that are bankable over decades.

To say that Whitaker is ugly is just a base, moronic, and unrealistic comment. It’s similar to the inane argument made by racists that people (usually implying Whites) will not go to see a film starring an actor/actress of a different color. The financial success of films by Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Samuel Jackson, Jamie Foxx, and Forest Whitaker to name but a few prove that to be absurd drivel.

Now the issue at hand was the upcoming movie Winged Creatures, directed by Australian director Rowan Woods. To the credit of Woods he fought to have Whitaker as the lead. He believed that the ability, look, quality, and bankability of Whitaker would be an asset to his film. And he would not budge on his choice of lead.



The Australian entertainment industry responded to this with a racially based slap-in-the-face. The initial budget of the film was $11 million, it was cut to $4.5 million. Who did the racists want? Al Pacino or Michael Douglas. Now I personally don’t think that Al Pacino was ever the most handsome leading man. And Michael Douglas is a good looking guy, but his age shows through these days. So the reality was that they just wanted a White face as lead.

To the credit of the director, Woods, he was able to fill out his cast – on a budget that was a pittance of the initial target – with actors of high quality. I have to believe that each of these actors had no problem with a Black man, and more importantly a quality actor who happens to be Black, as the lead. The other actors are:

Guy Pearce, Kate Beckinsale, Dakota Fanning, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Jennifer Hudson

Racism is a despicable thing in any nation or part of the world. It is usually based in unfounded, illogical, small-minded, envious, mindsets. It is the reason that so many are persecuted by so few. It is the worst image of any group of people.

Again I note that the Australians I have met have been great people. The director of Winged Creatures helps to show that not every Australian is the closed-minded, repugnant, imbecilic racists that seem to populate their entertainment industry (and more than just a few in Hollywood too).

But I think that future directors should think twice before going to Australia for a film. Because if the film has anyone that is Black it seems they will shun the film. And in an industry that is supposed to represent the boundless depth of the human imagination, this repressed limited and potentially psychologically damaged view is a cancer that sours the best of work.

**I want to thank the owner of 1800blogger for bringing this to my attention, and D.C. Moviegirl for speaking on this**