Lindsey Lohan is the milkaholic

By now I am sure everyone has seen the latest in the line of commercials for E*Trade featuring the E*Trade Baby. First seen during the Super Bowl, it has become a popular commercial. In fact too popular for one Hollywood starlet.



Lindsey Lohan has just sued E*Trade for $100 million dollars, claiming that the commercial is based on her life. In addition Lohan believes that just the mere mention of her first name is enough to register in the minds of the public her image.

Personally I believe Lohan should be given another drug test to find out what she is on this time. Seriously, the E*Trade commercial is about her? Because the baby in the commercial has the same first name, which happens to be a popular name for women. Get real.

Yes it is true that the baby Lindsey is accused of being a "milkaholic", as well as being unscupulous enough to steal the boyfriend of another woman. And I can see the correllation to Lohan in that she is known for her drug addictions, alcohol abuse, and less than honorable actions in relation to Aaron Carter, back in 2001. Then again, most recently Lohan has been connected to being bi-curious or a lesbian due to her former relationship with Samantha Ronson, which ended in 2009.

So is the baby in the E*Trade commercial enough of a loser to evoke images of Lohan and her career? Honestly, not until Lohan opened her mouth. But forevermore the joke will not only be the style of the television commercial, but the fallen star of Lindsey Lohan.

Perhaps that is the point though. Lohan hasn't been in the tabloids in a while. Her last car crash was in 2007, about the last time that anyone paid attention to her drug and alcohol abuse issues. She has made 4 forgetable, if completely unseen, films since 2007. Her celebrity today is more akin to a has-been than a current star. And as they say, "No publicity is the only bad publicity in Hollywood".

Obviously the lawsuit will fail. Not only because there appears to be no direct connection to Lohan, but because Lohan is not interesting, talented, or even infamous enough to be known by a single name - except perhaps as lush or druggie or untalented by the particularly cruel.

Time and again the younger crop of entertainers are willing to do and be associated with anything that will place their sorry faces in front of cameras and tabloid pages. The longer such actions go on the more sad and pathetic the acts of desperation appear. This is no exception.

Lindsey Lohan does not deserve $100 million for anything, the least of which is an association of her name to anything with talent, innovation, and even a spark of creativity. If anything, E*Trade should sue her for marring the image of their television commercials with her.

Jamie Foxx vs. Miley Cyrus - Foxx is a loser

"It takes a lifetime of work to create a reputation, and mere moments to destroy one."

I think we all have heard some variation of the above quote. Everyone except Jamie Foxx it would seem. Honestly, I know his grandmother taught him better than that.

Yes I am speaking about the attack that Jamie Foxx made against Miley Cyrus. Carried on Sirius Satellite Radio, it contains massive profanity and horrendous comments.

**Warning, the following has language not suitable for young visitors.**


Now I am no fan of Hanna Montana or Miley Cyrus. In fact I have never heard or seen a thing she has done. But she is a young child. She does not deserve this. No child does.

When this starts off, I was not instantly offended. Celebrities and entertainers all learn to have thick skins quickly as they are all critiqued and subjects of comments both fair and foul. While it's in poor taste to take on a child about their looks, as a celebrity it's not much different than when an entertainer walks the red carpet and hoards of bloggers and the media harshly comment about the clothes worn.

But the fact that someone would call the child a B**** just because of something they overheard about her is harsh. Even worse is that anyone would say that about a child because they don't like the child's choice. Such action is low, and speaks poorly of the person who does so. Even if they are in the Hollywood industry.

It's when Jamie Foxx starts into his tirade, calling for Cyrus to

"..make a sex tape and grow up. Get like Britney Spears and do some heroin... Do like Lindsey Lohan and [garbled] lesbian and get some crack in your pipe... Catch Chlamydia on a bicycle seat; That's what I want."

I just lost all respect for the man.

He is goading the child to do drugs. To ruin her life - professionally and personally. To become physically ill. What real man says these things to a child?

I somehow doubt that comments like this were the reason for Foxx's success. But such arrogance and insensitivity could likely be a cause for his failure. No matter how good he has proven himself to be, such behavior is unconscionable.

The difference between these comments and those of Don Imus are minor. While Cyrus is a celebrity and thus open to public comment, she is still a child and deserves respect and a modicum of decency. And the only real saving grace for Foxx is that he is on private radio. People made the choice to pay for this service and to hear such language and commentary, drivel really. Thankfully this is not something available on public airwaves. Had it been so, I would demand his being fired and a boycott, just as I did with Imus.

But while Foxx may save his work for now, his image is tarnished forever I believe. And he can only blame himself for this. His ego has written a check that his ass is going to cover to his detriment.

The thing that I don't get is that listening to Foxx speak about the lessons he was taught by his grandmother would seem to be diametrically opposed to the behavior he has displayed on the radio. I don't think its Cyrus that has something to fear but Jamie Foxx. He sounds like a man falling into the trap of quick fame that has claimed the lives and careers of countless Hollywood stars and entertainers.

That Oscar will not make fans, nor drive people to see his movies. That chip on his shoulder will not encourage people to see his portrayals in theaters. The audacious and blatant disrespect for a minor will definitely light a fire in families and kill ticket and DVD sales for a long time to come. And he deserves every bit of such retribution and displeasure.

If a man said such things about Jamie Foxx's sister, or grandmother, I bet he would be in a rage and want to kick their ass. How are his words any different? If a White man said such things about a Black woman, there would be an outrage among liberals across the nation. This there should be. But that same righteous indignation deserves to be directed at Jamie Foxx now.

"Stupid is as stupid does"

Living proof of that can be found in the words of Jamie Foxx and his cohorts on the radio. This isn't a Black/White thing. It's a dumbass thing.

Jamie Foxx needs to get on national television and apologize sincerely to Miley Cyrus. Because he should at least be man enough to do that. I'm sure his grandmother raised him well enough to know that.

Lindsey Lohan pisses off Stevie Nicks

First there was Hillary Duff igniting a celebrity feud with Faye Dunaway with her acceptance of the role Dunaway made famous, Bonnie of Bonnie and Clyde. Now it seems another starlet of questionable talent is stirring up her own bit version of the Hatfield’s and McCoys.

This time around it is Lindsey Lohan how has ruffed up the ire of a far more talented and respected celebrity. Stevie Nicks, of Fleetwood Mac fame, has outright rebuffed the notion of Lohan buying the rights to portray Nicks in a movie of her life.

“Over my dead body. She needs to stop doing drugs and get a grip. Then maybe we'll talk,” stated Nicks.

Strong words. I don’t think there is any question on the impression Stevie Nicks has of the acting ability and lifestyle Lohan has displayed for tabloids across the world. You can’t blame Nicks either, Lohan has done it all to herself.

Of course this comes at the same time that Lohan’s latest film has been deemed to horrendous to be shown in theaters. In fact it would seem the film is so bad it won’t even go straight to DVD. Yes, the only place that Labor Pains will be seen is on ABC Family Channel.

Which leads me to wonder, if Lohan’s last film was so bad it has been reduced to a TV movie, and her personal problems are so much of a factor in her struggling career, why is anyone looking to give her more work?

At least Duff had the job before being put in her place by an actress with more skill than Duff could hope to grow into.

Lindsey Lohan beats jail again

Sometimes it must be good to be a young, drugged out, alcoholic. At least that seems to be the message that both Lindesy Lohan and the criminal justice system in L.A. seem to be sending the public.

It was announced that Lohan had an arrest warrant issued in relation to violating terms of her sentencing. Which sentencing is the question one should ask, as she has been arrested several times. It seems that the case in question was the May 2007 DUI and car crash (which she tried to flee from). The one where she seems to have taken a car that was not her’s, chased a former assistant, allegedly injured the passengers, and was in possession of cocaine that mysteriously was not included in the arrest charges though it was in her blood.

That incident was the 4th car incident she has had. Overall she has been arrested twice that I can recall. She has been drunk and driving as well as found in possession of cocaine at least 3x. For all of this, she has received the extremely harsh penalty of 84 minutes in jail. Oh, she also has been in and out of drug rehab 3x. I know we all can feel her pain.

After the May conviction, she was given 3 years probation and required to finish an alcohol abuse program. Which she reportedly did do. But it seems someone screwed up the paperwork. Thus the judge thought she had violated her release and was about to send her back to jail. But Lohan’s lawyer cleared up the misunderstanding.

Still I am waiting to see how many times it takes this celebrity to appear in front of a judge before she gets the treatment that normal people get. Hell, I’d love to see her get the punishment a White girl would normally get, because I can tell you one thing with absolute assurance – if she was Black, her name was Shaniqua, and this happened in the Bronx, she’d still be in jail for the 3 year sentence she would have gotten.

I honestly hoped that Lohan was going to go to jail. And I don’t me the revolving door stay that she, Daniel Baldwin, Snoop Dogg, Michelle Rodriguez, and Paris Hilton (initially) received. I mean the kind of prison time that real people get. Because as a celebrity she should be held to a higher standard, not a lower one.

I believe that people in the eye of the public like this should get the harshest treatment. Every time they don’t the message being sent out is that a person with money, and or celebrity, can do anything. That there is a visibly separate line of justice. And that line often sees color very clearly. [Yes there are times when entertainers of color are treated with the same hands off kid gloves, but there are more times where they are not. Wesley Snipes and OJ Simpson come to mind.]

Well Lohan should thank her lawyers, and make sure his retainer is paid to date. She should also send a Easter card to the judge, the prosecutors, and the police department. They all seem to be fans. At least until their daughters decide to follow in the footsteps of their television idol. Then I wonder how much sympathy they will have for Lohan.

Audi television commercial says we are all not the same

Ah the holiday season. It’s a time of credit card debt, long lines at shopping malls and department stores, and occasionally a truly inspired television commercial. I recall somewhere in the back of my mind a time around now that would be called the Thanksgiving and then Christmas Holidays and family gatherings, but that’s a bit fuzzy and a long time ago. And it’s not my point.

The television commercials promoting the purchases you need to make to ensure the happiness of your loved ones are interesting. Often television can provide dramatic insight to the real mood and thoughts of the nation. This is never more true than during a holiday, or the Super Bowl. And Audi really made a statement early into the season.

Now I have to admit that I did not notice the problem in this commercial the first time I saw it. It was a friend of mine who saw it on Friday and asked if I had noticed something glaring in the commercial. I finally found a copy of it and I wonder if you will see the problem.



You only need to pay attention to the details of the commercial to get the message. It’s subtle and visual, and only on for 2 seconds.

Need help? I did at first too. Look at the road that each guy gets. It’s not the design of the road, it’s the size of it. And that says a lot, especially when each home is considered too.

The Black couple have a piece of the road, a very small piece. They have a decent if not plainly decorated home. There is no extravagance, and their clothes are neither new nor impressive.

The next couple is White. They have a far bigger piece of road. The style the room is decorated in seems to imply an apartment while the art, furniture, lamps, and books imply white-collar professionals. That means the apartment is a condo. And this implies a higher income than the Black couple.

The last couple are also White (or at least the man is, and the woman could be argued to have some Latina traits though I don’t see it). They have a huge home, and an equally large section of road.

I realize that Audi included middle-class African Americans in their commercial. I know they are projecting an image of success for them as well. And obviously they want African American customers. But that’s just a secondary thought. They really are saying that they want White customers. And that they value White customers over Black ones.

Some might say I am overly critical of the television commercial. I think not, because when you have only 30 seconds to make a statement everything that is seen is part of your message. There are teams of people making more than I do each, pouring over every detail in this commercial and then another group of even better paid people that approve the idea and pitch it to Audi. And then Audi’s really well paid people go over it all before it gets a greenlight.

Audi doesn’t care if Billy Joe working at the gas station likes the commercial. They don’t care if Santiago working at the printing company watched the commercial. They want people with money and tons of it. And that is reflected in the commercial.

What the commercial really says is if you are Black and can put some money together you might be able to own an Audi. If you are a yuppie in the city you can own their car, and if you relax at the country club you are a member of on the weekend and live in the suburbs you need to own this car. Because it’s the White guy with the big house that gets the car in the end.

Now I will say again that I didn’t pay attention to this commercial the first time I saw it. But I have watched it since a few times. And I’m happy that Audi has joined the growing number of companies targeting African Americans for their products. It’s nice to see that at least commercials are willing to acknowledge the existence of, and buying power controlled by, African Americans. They are ahead of television programming that continues to emphasize a view of the world more akin to 1960 than 2000.

But that does not mean I enjoy the message they are sending out. It’s not as bad as the insulting commercials that McDonald’s puts out that are obvious in their targeting of African Americans via stereotypes in the media. But the message is not as positive as it could have been either. Simply having all the pieces of the road the same size (hell they could have used the same piece for all it mattered) would have been enough. A simple statement that all the customers that could afford an Audi are equal in their eyes, and welcome. But that isn’t what they believe according to their commercial.

Again, commercials are the window to the thoughts in the back of the collective minds of the nation. It’s the backhanded compliment (like when Colin Powell and President Obama are called clean and articulate), or the obliviousness of using terms based on racial segregation and Jim Crow that thankfully stopped being used 25 years ago (Lindsey Lohan ring a bell?).

I’m not saying that every commercial has to include African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Indians (who you really never see at all) and every other group in America. But I am saying that when the majority of commercials exclude all these groups, and when the small portion that do show us imply imperfections and secondary status, I speak on it. It means to me that America still has a long way to go. That it’s not just people in Pennsylvania or West Virginia that have problems. That the world continues to feed upon the negative images our media provides, diminishing the nation by diminishing parts of our nation.

Do I like the Audi? Yes I do. Would I buy one after seeing this commercial? I might. But what I would rather see are commercials for whatever product that includes people just like me, in exactly the same manner as they target anyone else. Because I have the same Rights, money, and dammit I have earned it.

Celebrities and entertainers that should retire

Things in Hollywood tend to happen in 3’s. Whether it’s a franchise of movies (before everyone stops caring about the series of films), celebrity deaths, or now early retirement. The current news flash about the silver screen is that Joaquin Phoenix, Angelina Jolie, and Nicole Kidman have all lost the acting bug. But does it matter?

What happened to the old days where good actors and actresses worked until they stopped getting roles or just sucked so bad that they stopped trying? When did entertainers publicly announce the fact that directors and Hollywood execs had lost faith, or found them too problematic, and stopped taking their calls?

Now this may not be true of each of the above movie stars. Angelina Jolie still packs in the crowds and her movies have been quite good of late. WANTED was a good film and made decent money (though she was way too skinny). Changeling seems to be doing alright in theaters, Beowulf and Kung Fu Panda don’t count as they were animated. And she was nominated twice for her work in A Mighty Heart. So to see her give up film work is a bit of a loss. Then again no one is really looking forward to Lara Croft 3.

Joaquin Phoenix is still riding high off of his work on Walk the Line (which was excellent). But his work on Gladiator, Ladder 49, and Hotel Rwanda easily cover the lesser known Two Lovers and Reservation Road. And the fact that he is Puerto Rican (which most do not seem to focus on) is a bonus to me at least. But like many actors, music is a drive that is currently consuming him.

Nicole Kidman though needed to retire years ago. Seriously, her retirement is more the fact that she does not deserve the pay she makes. The last success she had was Happy Feet, which was animated. It could be argued that Cold Mountain was a hit, but you really need to go back to The Hours or Moulin Rouge – roughly 8 years ago. Her career seriously peaked in 1990 with Days of Thunder, which former husband Tom Cruise (and the NASCAR cars) had more to do with.

But if every one of these actors stopped making films, who would care? Besides their fan clubs, not many. These are not the Humphrey Bogart’s, John Wayne’s, Lucille Ball’s, Lena Horn’s, or Katherine Hepburn’s of film. 2 of the 3 are very good, but not a single one is great. Their loss really amounts to nothing.

It’s not like the masses are losing anything. And telling the world that you won’t make another bad film we wouldn’t watch on DVD (mostly in Kidman’s case) only means we have something to look forward to, not lament.

No what this really says to me is that Hollywood is sitting on it’s laurels too much. That too many are overhyped. That the dearth of real talent is more obvious today than perhaps at any point in movie history. And that many of the more bankable and successful actors and actresses are still not going to get the attention they deserve.

If anything I hope this leads to a flood of retirements among the current crop of entertainers out now. Perhaps the following could retire and save us the movies, trailers, and DVD’s that flood the market now. I’d love to hear that the following are going to avoid smiting my eyes in 35mm

Johnny Knoxville
Vince Vaughn
Jennifer Lopez
Halle Berry (yes she has an Oscar, but name the film she won for. Or a great role she has done? Or a great film she was in.)
Jennifer Aniston
Ashton Kutchner (he was bad on television. Take away Demi Moore and you have nothing worthwhile about him)
Topher Grace
Ben Stiller
Leonardo DiCaprio (over-hyped)
Jessica Alba (looks but no talent)
Hillary Duff
Lindsey Lohan
Jean Claude Van Damme
Steven Segal (his time is passed)
Beyonce Knowles (stick to singing)
DMX
Ja Rule
Virtually every gangsta rapper
Cedric the Entertainer
Ben Afflect

The list is not perfect (there should be more on it) but in each case it is clear that the people here are each in need of serious acting classes, or at least better screening of the scripts they agree to.

I’m sure some will not agree with at least a few of these choices. Every actor that makes it to the big screen has a few fans. And looks trump talent these days. But not one of these actors or actresses can match up to real talent – thankfully they don’t even appear in movies where real talents appear. As I recall none of the above have performed with

Denzel Washington
Jamie Foxx
Robert Downey Jr.
Terrence Howard
Michael Douglas
Al Pacino
Benicio Del Toro
Johnny Depp
Kiera Knightley
Susan Sarandon
Tom Hanks
Forest Whitaker
Morris Chestnut

I don’t think I need to go on.

But if you could pick anyone to remove from movie screens and television forever who would you pick? Do you agree with my choices, and who might I have left out?

Lindsey Lohan: unpleasant words from an unpleasant mind

I heard about it yesterday, and found it on Youtube today. The brilliance of Lindsey Lohan is stunning to behold I must say. If you have not heard about this I now present you with Lohan handing out a compliment.



The key moment in this conversation is the 13th through 19th seconds. In 6 seconds Lohan both states he thrill at an Obama win, and then insults him harshly. It’s so simple and obviously so common that Maria Menounos of Access Hollywood doesn’t even notice.

Colored. As in the defining word in Jim Crow laws and segregation that prevented Blacks from voting, or even sitting on a bus, for nearly 100 years.

I have a friend, who is 50, and he mentioned to me what she had said and asked why it was a big deal. He honestly had no idea though in several years I’ve never heard him utter the word once. For the benefit of others in the world, it is a big deal to many. NEVER call an African American colored.

That one word was used, along with the n-word in less polite circles, to describe African Americans. And it was meant as a derogatory term. It was a means of separating and belittling. It was meant as a way of inferring both difference and dislike.

Is it a hateful word? Not entirely, depending on the person that states it. But I can say that I have never heard the term uttered by anyone under 60 before. I’ve encountered diehard racists that never used the term, though they did use the n-word with frequency (while they had teeth). And in the years since 1970 the only reference I have been aware of for that usage is when someone is trying to be polite in public and does not want to use the n-word. It’s a tell that would be like jumping up and down at a poker table.

The fact that Lohan uses this term does not surprise me. I am sure that her circle of drug addicted, drunken friends are anything but the most enlightened souls. Often the most ignorant, stupid, small-minded, weak-willed, imbecilic and verbally constrained people are drunks, drug addicts, and/or racist. Which makes perfect sense when considering the crowd around Lohan.

But I did notice that Access Hollywood seems to be taking up for Lohan’s racial remark by stating

“We believe the word in question that Ms. Lohan used was unintelligible.”

Unintelligible? Hardly. I heard it a clear as a day. And it is not some kind of made up word out of the dictionary only Don King uses. It was very intelligible. And no one should be trying to obscure what she said.

I know that the NAACP has stated that they think the use of colored was

“…outdated and antiquated but not offensive.”

And I disagree. Not one friend I know, nor any person of color I have ever known would find her comment inoffensive. Perhaps if I were born in the highly racist 1950’s or earlier in America it wouldn’t matter. But I and most Black Americans alive today were not. Nor was she.

Is it racist? No. Is it racially insensitive and insulting, Yes. The mere fact that as America has become less racist the term has ceased being used is proof enough of that. One day the term Black may be as well. But right now, there is no reason why Lohan would use such a term without being in an environment that fosters and promotes negative stereotypical views of Blacks.

One thing is for sure, the fact that much of America didn’t blink an eye, like Maria Menounos and the editors of Access Hollywood, tells me that thinking of Black people as second-class and offensive still is as much a part of America as it was half a century ago.

President Obama is Black, and that one act did not change America’s racist heritage nor the racially charged problems of today.

$25,000 for 84 minutes of Lohan

Last year several actresses, among many other entertainers, made a mockery of the legal system. There was Paris Hilton with her whirlwind trips in jail, and Britney Spears who seemed as dangerous to herself as anyone else. And there was the case of Lindsey Lohan.


Lohan was in the middle of her drunken, cocaine addicted, self-destruction phase back in October 2007. It was anything but pretty as the photo above shows.

But she also went to some extremes.

“There is a report out that states Lindsey Lohan has spent at least $7,000,000 solely on drugs, rehab and hotels. Oh, I nearly forgot the lawyers. They got a bit of that roll of bills too.”

One of the more notable events was her arrest after chasing her former assistant in a commandeered car. She was high on cocaine at the time, and plead guilty. Her punishment was an eye-popping 84 minutes in jail. 2 arrests on cocaine possession and she stole a car that had people in it to harasses and endanger 3 other people in another car, and she only spent 84 minutes in jail. Mockery barely touches what this was.

And I addressed that in my other post on this obviously troubled celebrity.

“Isn’t that nice. All the drug charges from 2 arrests within 3 months of each other apparently will not be pursued. They are just going away. I bet you have had that happen to you. I bet you’ve read about similar things happening to your brother/cousin/son/father. I bet the non-famous first-time offending college student with a DUI and a joint let in the car by another student got the same kind of leniency. I’m sure that hundreds of African Americans are treated with the same kid gloves.”

But for all my protest the legal system felt no need to punish the celebrity.

But the 3 men that were in the commandered car, and who were accused by Lohan of possesion of the drugs in Lohan’s pockets, may do more than the legal system has.

The 3 men have filed a lawsuit in excess of $25,000 for the battery, false imprisonment and that the actress was negligent when she allegedly took over the SUV involved in the arrest. This says nothing of her attempts to frame the men on drug charges. I think they asked for too little. And the Lohan camp are facing this lawsuit because for a year they failed to come to a settlement.

If I were on the jury of the civil case I would be pleased to know that this is the chance to hand out a punishment that the law failed to do. I know that juries in the west love to do this. The OJ Simpson case, in L.A. and Vegas, is a prime example of using (civil) law to gain their pound of flesh. And these women, celebrities more for their excesses than any performance they have ever done, need something to cause them to pause.

These men deserve to receive $100,000 each. It’s not like this pop celebrity can’t afford the penalty, or that she hasn’t wasted far more money on extremely more trivial and illegal items.

I hope that this sets a precedence. I hope that assistants assaulted by temperamental supermodel bosses, drunken seemingly brainless socialites scoffing laws, and entertainers that are as addicted and mindless as the zombies found in some of their films all get civil suits for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Because they impact the youth, and there is a respect of law that they should be happy to at least pretend to uphold.

If Lindsey Lohan loses this case it will mean she was penalized $297 for each minute in the jail facility (not even behind bars) that she spent in 2007. Her lawyer likely costs at least that much. But if it prevents even one more celebrity from a drunken, drug fueled spree then it is worth it.

Bad tattoo ideas from Lindsey Lohan and India

So as I was wandering the web reading thru a few posts, websites and news reports for something of interest in the tattoo world I ran into 2 items. One is on Lindsey Lohan; the other is on tooth tattooing.

All I have to say about the normally alcohol and cocaine besodden entertainer is that the tattoos she has gotten to match her girlfriend is a stupid thing to do. Just as I would never advocate getting the name of a spouse or partner (though children and especially deceased parents makes perfect sense) tattooed anywhere on a body, the same applies to tattoos of any symbolic nature. Though the stars and hearts they have now seem rather basic, if these women ever break up (Hollywood entertainer splitting-up? Impossible) they will have the same situation as if they had inscribed the other former-significant other’s name on them.

As for tooth tattooing, what? I didn’t know such a thing was possible let alone desired. But in fact it is. It’s becoming popular in India at the moment, and I would have to imagine that it’s only a matter of short time before some rapper abandons their silly metal filled mouth accessories for this new event.



The positive about a tooth tattoo is the fact that it is easily removable. Of course like all tattoos a professional should be the one doing the work, lest damage be caused.

But I still have to wonder why? I understand the fact that like most tattoos this would only be visible if it is shown off. My 4 tattoos can’t be seen unless I remove my shirt and display it, this would be the same idea. Except at a distance – say in an interview – it would look like you have spinach in your teeth.

And what might you put on a tooth? You really can’t put in a lot of detail, it’s too small. Too many colors and your teeth look diseased to a casual observer. Too many tattoos and you look like a stereotype of a redneck. It just seems to promote the look of anything but clean and attractive.

Now I’m not saying that tattoos look unclean or unattractive. I think they can look great. And I’m not saying that teeth that look so white as to be reflective are any more attractive than a bar of soap. But there is a line for my preferences.

I’d love to hear from someone in India that has one of these tattoos. Maybe that would shed some light on the subject.

Until then I suppose I just have to wait for the inevitable rapper to ‘highlight’ yet another fad for their teeth that will be done in a manner that only entertainment executives with products to sell would love.

Janet Jackson: Intelligence, success, and fame are not enough

Over the weekend I noticed something and I doubt many have spoken on it. Janet Jackson was in the news again about her Super Bowl costume issue. It seems that after years of comments and threats by the FCC, the whole thing is now passed over as if it never happened.

Isn’t that interesting. CBS will receive no fine

“This is an important win for the entire broadcasting industry because it recognizes that there are rare instances, particularly during live programming, when it may not be possible to block unfortunate fleeting material, despite best efforts," the CBS Network, which had the misfortune of unwittingly broadcasting the Super Bowl debacle, issued in a statement.”

Justin Timberlake, who committed the act of infamy, has walked away from this scandal without ever being touched by it. The fact that he may have caused the problem in the manner he removed the cloth was never his fault. His career, whatever you may think of it, has continued unabated.

But Janet Jackson has been mired with this scandal. She has effectively become blackballed by the media and entertainment industries. Did anyone notice that she had an album out recently? Now Janet Jackson has had so-so albums, and mega-hits, but in her entire career I have never known her to release an album and not hear any of the songs, nor see/read commentary about it. Her worst album (before the latest) sold more records than most entertainers on a good day.

The media just can’t let go of less than 15 seconds of footage. The mostly bare single breast of this Black woman is just that powerful I suppose. I have to imagine that were both breasts to have been bared, half the population of America would have died. I mean that’s the way the media and a few fringe fanatical groups seem to act.

But is that fair?

Hmmm, CBS promotes the UFC – which is a violent sport. Unlike boxing it has no elegance, it’s just about raw power. That has to be good for the kids. I'm sure the soap operas that were the staple of CBS and broadcast television, with more breasts and ass appearing than some soft-core porn, really has to be good for kids in the afternoon.

And the entertainment media loves women. I mean look at the attention poured all over Britney Spears as she has desperately tried to implode. She went to rehab for as long as it take me to piss, then cuts off her hair. Mega-news story. I’m sure it inspired many drug addicts, and more than a few young girls, to try a new fashion design. That’s positive.


There is the insanely untalented Paris Hilton. Bad porno tape, can’t act, can’t sing, can’t even open her glove box to see the letter telling her she can’t drive. But she is insanely rich. So rich that she almost pulled off a get out of jail card. If she has a positive to impart on the American public I am still unaware of it.


Anna Nicole Smith, drug addict (possibly while pregnant), promiscuous, arguably lecherous, with a sole talent being she had a great body. Months were devoted to her death at the near exclusion of all other news and facts at the time. Literally I do not recall another story that has been on the news that much – hours of news hours dedicated to a woman that was about as important as wet paper. Seriously, even Britney Spears has more talent. Message to kids – if you have the right curves you can get money and no one will care how many drugs you take. If you are a guy, either make a lot of money for this kind of girl to take, or be sleazy enough to leech money from her drug-addled ass.


Lindsey Lohan, the drunken party girl that was desperately trying to end her movie career. After years of building up a host of fans that were not old enough to appreciate talent, Lohan was more than happy to drink herself into oblivion. Her quick trips to rehab were only slightly longer than Spears, but thankfully she had her mom to lean on while she drank and did drugs.

Amy Winehouse, the reported crack addict with a voice. So deep into drugs and alcoholism that she couldn’t perform and has been arrested multiple times. And she doesn’t care what anyone thinks because she told us that. At least her man is just as deranged and besodden as her, so it’s a match set in love and not money.

I could go on, but what are the similarities of these women?

They are all White, they all are being promoted and covered by the media (thus making them all money), and they all have been filmed, photographed and discussed ad nausea since Janet Jackson was at the Super Bowl.

So was the outrage that Janet Jackson’s accidental exposure occurred, or was it something else. None of the women I mentioned have half her talent or longevity in entertainment. Janet is not on drugs, does not cover magazines drunk or in scandals (other than the one event). She has never been linked to anything negative that I can recall. And no one questions her ability to think and do business – she broke all records for an artist contract that even her brother did not match at one time.

In fact she should be a role model for young women, proving that women (especially Black women) beside Oprah and Maya Angelou can succeed on their own doing what they are best at. Yet she his blacklisted and blackout by the media in favor of women who are such messes I can’t imagine most of them surviving to be 35.

So what’s wrong with the major media? What’s going on in the entertainment industry? What the hell are Hollywood and music execs thinking?

I tell you what, if I had a daughter – or were it one of my nieces – and the worst moment in a career she made that garnered her tens of millions of dollars, fame, and comfort over decades was the momentary equivalent of her dress slipping I’d be happy for her. No drugs, no scandals, no court taking away her children because she is unfit as a mother, no drunken binges and car accidents that could kill innocents, no crimes, no whispers of anorexia, never selling her body for money.

Seriously ask yourself this question, which woman would you want your daughter, sister, niece, or mother to emulate? Then ask why being Black, successful, talented, and intelligent is worthy of a media excommunication?

Oprah mistaken to show pregnant "man"

I understand that Oprah Winfrey is an entertainer. Her purpose is to provide something to give women something to watch and talk about at bridge meetings, the office, and the spa. While she occasionally hits on real subjects of note, most often she revels in man-hating topics, movie promotion interviews and nonsensical topics that would never have made the airwaves before the Robert Downey Show (a mid-80’s program that was the inspiration for Jerry Springer).

But I just find the subject of a recent show to be objectionable and wrong. This is my personal opinion, and has little to do with Oprah beyond her allowing the subject to hit the airwaves. What was the show? A pregnant man.

Well that is what it was billed as, but in fact that is a lie. Every newscaster that has touched on this story has made the reference of this being a man that is pregnant. That is physically impossible, and untrue. In fact it is a woman that is pregnant. Not that this obvious fact of nature matters to the state of Oregon – the home of the city of Eugene that can’t figure out how to speak to African Americans.

Let me explain that this falls into a category of items I call “We can, but we shouldn’t”. Like injecting poison into your body – otherwise known as botox injections. Or breast implants for teenagers. Or as in this case changing your sex.

The “man” in this case is actually a woman, who partially changed her body to resemble a man’s. She is “married” to a woman. She maintains the reproductive organs of a woman. Thus she is a woman, and the fact she is pregnant proves it. Worse is the fact that if she raises the child in this family setting. That kid, mark my words, will be the most screwed up kid in quite some time.

I do not agree with people trying to be smarter than nature and “fixing” their sex. I do not agree with these people raising a child. And I mean transgendered not gay when I say these people. Nature said they were male or female, and unless they are a hermaphrodite [which this woman in question has functionally become] that is all there should be.

Science may be capable of cloning creatures (which I disagree with), manipulating DNA (another bad idea), and moving around body parts – but human beings are not smart enough to know neither why these things exist as they do nor how they affect their surroundings. We just aren’t. And in promoting the belief that we are this smart, Oprah does society a disservice.

My greatest objection to this is because of my personal belief. It is because of the impact on the unborn child and society. It is one thing for a grown adult to manipulate their body in an unnatural way (all cosmetic surgery is unnatural and generally unnecessary), but promoting that as normal or positive – as being on Oprah makes it – is bad, in my opinion. And to raise a child in a family that is sexually confused and societal pariahs is unfair and conductive to problems in that child’s emotional if not intellectual growth.

Appearing on Oprah just gives fuel to others to follow in this manner, just as the antics of Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, and Paris Hilton (among others of both sexes) promote and fuel drugs, drunken binges, anorexia, ill-behavior and such. Or in another manner it’s like the way that Columbine has caused the copycats since that event.

I do not see a single positive to society, or the unborn child, by the actions of Oprah in promoting this act. It was wrong, but sadly the genie is out of the bottle. As such I give my condolences to the future children of the transgendered parents.

Some things in this world we can do, but we just shouldn’t.

The uplifting theme of 2007

I wanted to try and find something that could sum up 2007 in a visual and vocal manner. Something that could express the world and its current status. So YouTube was one of my eventual stops. And there were many choices.

I threw out all the fights and stupid human tricks. Out went anything that had to do with Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, and the other dregs of humanity. Out went the political gaffes and posturing.

In the end I found a simple man, who works like everyone else, with ordinary looks. A guy that you wouldn’t notice on the street, and a manner that is best described as shy. He, Paul Potts, is my reminder that with all the turmoil and strife and idiocy in the world the human spirit can attain far more than what we see on the major news media everyday.

I share this with you and wish you a happy holiday.

Feeling bad for Lindsey Lohan

**This can also be seen at All American Blog, where I am a contributing author.**

How much is 7 million dollars worth? For some it’s a lifetime of relaxing under a sun, a sign of corporate success, the advertising cost of a product line, 2 commercials during the Super Bowl, or a host of other things. And for at least one woman it was a waste of time.

There is a report out that states Lindsey Lohan has spent at least $7,000,000 solely on drugs, rehab and hotels. Oh, I nearly forgot the lawyers. They got a bit of that roll of bills too. The sum net gain for Lindsey Lohan after spending this relatively huge sum of money? A reputation in shreds, few job prospects, and the honor of being slightly more responsible than Britney Spears, but not quite as good as Paris Hilton. There is a dubious honor indeed.

Honestly, the money is not what gets me. Lot’s of people with wealth waste it on frivolous items. Whether its yet another world record yacht, a birthday party that spans 2 continents and includes dozens of wanna-be’s and associates, or platinum and diamonds adorned in the most illogical and unattractive places one could imagine that are legal to be shown. Far too many celebrities, entertainers and successful people run through cash almost as fast as a New York City broker drinks the morning coffee. The real shame is everything else.

This young woman has failed herself in the worst way possible. She has failed 2x this year in rehab. She has failed in obeying the law. She has failed to support her career. And at this pace she will inevitably fail to continue to live.

Will it make a difference in my life if Lohan dies? No. She wouldn’t even make it to a footnote in my mind of entertainers and celebrities that died far before they should have. But it will make a difference to millions of women. Because of the example she has set before them.

How many young actresses will not be able to get a job for fear of their melting down like Lohan, Spears and Hilton? How many young girls will believe that success demands the excesses these women have displayed? How many will believe that lack of discipline and drug use are acceptable?

Too long the media has enjoyed the tragic vortex that is these women’s lives. Too many have seen the adoration (as some might call it) that they have received. Too little has been done to say there won’t be more examples exactly like these in the near future.

What should have happened is that the Hollywood executives should have refused to employ Lohan without daily drug tests. That Spears should have been prevented from going on stage. That Hilton was thrown in jail a long time ago. But that didn’t happen. Nothing did, except that all those groups and many many other organizations made a lot of money displaying the downfall of these women.

You know, at one time pictures of a star without undergarments would have never been published. There is no benefit to the public for such photos. At one time older stars would have reprimanded the celebrities and set them straight. At one time companies would have fired the irresponsible for acts that are morally questionable. But that seems like a far off time indeed.

So what will happen to the next young star? What happens when one of these ladies, or some other famous figure in trouble is found dead of an overdose or some other act of idiocy? Will anything change?

I think one thing will. It will cost more money to get the same kind of exposure. And someone will come along and pay for it. $7 million (or any amount like it) just isn’t worth what it used to be, I think.

Michael Vick gets jail, Lindsey Lohan gets away Part 3 - 8.22.2007.3

Continued from Michael Vick gets jail, Lindsey Lohan gets away Part 2...

Why are minorities upset with the legal (note that I did not use Justice) system in America? Can you see any reason why there could be any claims of imbalance in the execution of the law? I know some would say that it’s just because of the fame of these people, except fame seems not to always balance the scale. And that says nothing of the less famous cases, like the 2 teenage White girls that were videotaped as they robbed a bank. Caught 2 days later, after they were on a spending spree in the mall openly discussing the robbery, the felony charges were also dropped without more than a whisper from the media that had previously been interested (for a day) in this case. Amazing that others were arrested for conspiring on this bank robbery as well, and they were charged with felony crimes. Oh, did I forget to mention this was in Atlanta, this year, at least some of those given felony charges were Black, and that the Blonde White girls were 18 and 19 so capable of being charged as adults?

It’s not the law I am upset with in all these cases. It’s not the crimes that were committed, allegedly in some cases. It’s the treatment of these cases by both the media and the legal system. How dare they pick and chose what charges count and for who. I would never get these breaks or assumptions of innocence.

I would not have such lax media coverage. The media would be up my ass, discussing my high school grades and every girlfriend I ever had. They would ask every person I ever worked for, and guys I served with. They would seek out every secret or misstep I ever had and all the while discuss how horrible I was and that everyone should have seen it coming.

With the legal system I would probably be shot, or at least beaten, during the arrest. I’d get enough of a bail to equal the GDP of some nations for what the above were all charged with. The D.A. would try to portray me as a drug kingpin, and I’d be charged each drug count separately just so I could qualify for the 3 strike rule (mandating extreme lengths of prison confinement), not to mention the DUI charges. The prosecution would claim I’m a drunk and addict, using the system to try to avoid punishment. I’d get more years than I’ve been alive to date.

It’s this discrepancy, and lack of equal attention that pisses me off. The fact that I, and my family and friends, could not get this kind of treatment if I paid for it. This is insane. It’s maddening.

How dare the D.A. not follow-up the drug charges against Lindsey Lohan. How dare they minimize the flaunted abuse of the law. How dare the major media treat this like some kind of kids fluff piece. And some question why minorities distrust and avoid the legal system. What reason do we get to embrace it? What equality comes from it?

I do not condone breaking the law. I love my nation, and have served it. I believe in this nation, and even with all the glaring flaws find it to be the best in the world. That does not mean that I am happy with the slaps in the face I’ve lived my life experiencing. When the Sean Bell murder receives the same attention as Lohan getting 6 felony drug charges dropped, which is none, I am disgusted.

I don’t want to write more about this now.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Michael Vick gets jail, Lindsey Lohan gets away Part 2 - 8.22.2007.2

Continued from Michael Vick gets jail, Lindsey Lohan gets away Part 1...

You might expect that this would be serious. Felony charges, drugs, multiple DUI’s, injuring a passenger, reckless driving, a verbal altercation, and a history of negative issues and the use of rehab counseling as a façade to avoid legal punishment. Of course it seems you would be absolutely wrong.

But let’s reflect on what case might this be like. To be fair I will pick another White, skinny, often drunk and potentially drug-addled, woman of similar age. To go one step further I will find someone with a similar level of ability, and respect of the law. Let’s see. I guess I’m let with Paris Hilton.

Well what do we see? Paris was arrested, through an act of idiocy she did herself, a denial of responsibility (blamed her assistant for not telling her she could drive though she had the papers in the glove compartment of her car. Guess there was no Black men on staff or nearby.), jail time given (45 days) and an act of lopsided justice in that 3 days were served initially. I know, every minority gets to have this same type of reduced charges, and minimized jail time.

You might say but how is that like Lohan? Why could we be wrong that felony drug charges are serious and imply a long sentence? Because it seems that the Los Angeles D.A.

“…almost certainly will not file cocaine charges in connection with Lohan's DUI bust Memorial Day weekend in Beverly Hills, the site [TMZ] said.

…July 24 arrest … could charge Lohan with felony cocaine possession, and bringing cocaine into a correctional facility — also a felony. But the D.A. is inclined not to file those felony charges either, sources told TMZ. “

Isn’t that nice. All the drug charges from 2 arrests within 3 moths of each other apparently will not be pursued. They are just going away. I bet you have had that happen to you. I bet you’ve read about similar things happening to your brother/cousin/son/father. I bet the non-famous first-time offending college student with a DUI and a joint let in the car by another student got the same kind of leniency. I’m sure that hundreds of African Americans are treated with the same kid gloves.

Like Mr. Michael Vick. Even though he is famous, and at least as rich as Lohan, he is easily having several felony charges completely dropped in his case. I bet that the D.A. in his case is planning to completely ignore the federal charges he was initially arrested for, especially since no drugs were involved. Not that there is any media attention on this.

I mean it’s not like there has been continuous news on Mr. Vick (who I continue to see as guilty, and I stand by my initial thoughts on his case) since charges were rumored. Just the same as there has been continuous news on Lohan, and the massive coverage on the news that the D.A. will be dropping the drug charges from 2 different arrests (which would be 6 charges in all). It’s all over the web and the major news media.

Continued in Part 3...

Michael Vick gets jail, Lindsey Lohan gets away - 8.22.2007.1

There is a lot of news out today that is irritating me, but I’ll try to get to it all. The first item is Lindsey Lohan. I will start by mentioning I’ve never seen a movie with her in it, never seen her music videos or any of the Disney stuff she did when she was in her teens. Basically I know nothing about the young woman beyond what I have seen in news reports of her various drunken escapades, and crimes. If my opinion of her is beneath that of rappers, you can see why.

What I do know is that Lohan has often been in the company of equally drunken and insipid Paris Hilton. She had 3 car accidents in 2005, of which at least one was considered intentional yet she was not charged. [You try that and see if you aren’t arrested.] In this year Lohan has been to drug rehab 2x, in January and in May after being in another accident where she was charged with DUI; but there were no drug charges made even though she was found in possession of “useable” amounts of cocaine.

Let me pause. What in the world is a “useable” amount of cocaine? Isn’t that possession of an illegal substance? Would ‘useable’ also equate to distribution weight? Possession is enough to get a charge, and easily would be enough to get me, or any other Black man or woman, charged and in jail. I have never heard of ‘useable’ amounts of drugs referred to when any rapper, or Black celebrity, has been found in possession of drugs. Who is this skinny White girl doing to get off these charges, could be one thought some might have.

Back to the point. Shortly after getting out of rehab, on July 24th, Lohan gets into a drunken car chase. She is arrested for DUI again. At the jail her pockets are searched, cocaine is found and those charges are added. Throughout this time Lindsey Lohan claims that she was not driving the car (which she did not own) but that a Black guy in the car was the driver. She failed to mention that this same Black guy was injured by her when he tried to get her to stop driving. She also claimed the drugs were not hers, and I do recall that she mentioned that the also belonged to the Black guy.

Pause again. Has anyone besides me noticed the default answer to situations used by various criminals, that are non-African American, to blame a specific or ambiguous Black guy for a crime they committed to avoid penalty? Do you recall the mother, in the middle of a deserted highway that claimed a “big black guy” carjacked her with her kids in the backseat, and then drove the car into a body of water killing the kids? There was a national outrage, everyone searching for this mysterious black guy. Until they realized the mother did it herself. There have been many other cases but you get the point. Luckily this time, the Black guy was believed (probably since he was injured by Lohan). [He never got an apology for that accusation by the way]

Back to the case at hand. Lindsey Lohan was charged with DUI again (2nd time this year, and less than 3 months after her last arrest) and 3 felony drug charges. This time the term “useable” was not combined with her drug possession. Imagine that.

Continued in Part 2...

Isaiah Washington makes me think - 6.29.2007.1

Newsweek has just published an interview with Mr. Isaiah Washington, that seems to be getting interesting comments. Many are probably familiar with recent troubles for Mr. Washington. He called a former cast-mate a f*****, twice. The second time backstage of an Awards show. This lead to a reported homophobia counseling and then to his dismissal from Grey’s Anatomy.


According to the interview [which has an interesting title], what has been reported is not everything that was going on. As is often the case, the media played up aspects of the issue and ignored others, according to Mr. Washington. There is no question that Mr. Washington made the comment, though he claims the context was quite different.

"Patrick and I had a philosophical disagreement that got out of hand and that I regret a great deal," Washington says. "I said a lot of negative things that were never reported, but there was one word that caught everyone’s attention, particularly someone who wasn’t even in the room with us. It was a fight between two men that shouldn’t have happened. But someone heard the booming voice of a black man and got really scared and that was the beginning of the end for me. I see that now, but I didn’t then."

Regardless of how anyone might feel about his comments, Mr. Washington does go on to make a strong point, and I wonder how often this will be mentioned in the mainstream media,

"If a black man can’t get forgiveness in this country, when so many other people like Robert Downey Jr. and the governor of California get second and third chances … I think that says a lot about race and this country where we stand."

That one statement got me wondering. How many websites and media sources were covering that comment and what it means? When I found this interview on Newsweek’s site I noticed 2 other items. One skips this part of the interview entirely. The other, which appears to be a British site, does mention it in part.

So is Mr. Isaiah Washington correct? Who might have been forgiven for similar actions? Well of course there are the numerous problems of Mr. Downey. The ‘Govenator’ is accurate too. But is there anyone else? Well there is Mr. Mel Gibson’s widely covered comments about Jews, which was excused by his drunkenness – but he still said it. And there are the comments of Mr. Michael Richards at the Laugh Factory. But his friend Mr. Jerry Seinfeld came out to publicly state that he wasn’t like that. I’m sure comparisons to Ms. Lindsey Lohan and Ms. Britney Spears could be made as well. But I think Mr. Gibson and Mr. Richards are the most recent and most applicable.

In Mr. Gibson’s case, he apologized and went back to his alcohol abuse counseling. He then released his movie Apocalypto, which did very well. Today there is barely anyone speaking about it. During the incident there were many that came to his side, and the media made a big deal about his being drunk at the time.

Continued in Part 2...