2010 Razzie winners

It's now official. The winners of the worst that Hollywood offered in 2009 have been identified and given their Razzie honors they richly deserved.

The list of movies should not be a surprise to most. Some of the top money films of 2009 filled the lists and the only real shock is that people flocked to the films in the first place.

Starting things off is one of the films I really hated and a source of controversy

Worst Picture – Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Worst Director – Michael Bay, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

This beat out my pick of Land of the Lost. Still, I did mention

I reviewed it, and still am amazed that people paid money for this crap. Then again people bought pet rocks too."

Worst Actor – All Three Jonas Brothers, Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience

Enough said there. Though I still think the hatch job Steve Martin did on Pink Panther 2 would have killed Peter Sellers if he wasn't dead already.

Worst Actress – Sandra Bullock, All About Steve

What were the odds of Bullock taking both a Razzie and an Oscar in the same year? I thought she would be a close runner up, but I admit I was again wrong.

Worst Supporting Actor – Billy Ray Cyrus, Hannah Montana: The Movie

Worst Supporting Actress – Sienna Miller, G.I. Joe

Worst Screen Couple – Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper, All About Steve

Worst Remake Rip-Off Sequel – Land of the Lost

Did you really think this bomb of a movie wouldn't win some Razzie? I picked GI Joe in part because I thought Land of the Lost would win the worst picture award. Neither was worth the time to see, or the film it was made with.

Worst Pictures of the Decade – Battlefield Earth

Definitely a bad movie. But there were so many more that deserved this title even more. Still of the horrendous choices J-lo has to feel a bit better that she missed this award.

Worst Actor of the Decade – Eddie Murphy

Honestly I disagree with this. Given his last several films belong on Pluto along with the film of the same name. But the man has talent. Even in his horrible films he plays multiple roles, and usually at least 1 or 2 are decently done. And his work in Dreamgirls really should have raised him up a notch on the competition.

I stand by picking Mike Meyers for destroying the legacy of Dr. Suess.

Worst Actress of the Decade – Paris Hilton

While I gave this to Mariah Carey, there is no question that even her acting does have more talent than Hilton - barely. But Hilton has a lot of money. You would think she would have paid to ensure she didn't win. Then again, maybe she paid to make sure she did, since this will be the only award she ever wins based on her "talent".

Well I didn't do so well this year overall. I missed quite a few film predictions, though several matched my previews, reviews, and special mentions. I don't feel bad though. When it comes to this low on the scale of entertainment, they are all mired in muck.

The Halloween costumes of the rich and famous

Since I was showing off my Halloween costume earlier, I thought I'd take a look at what some celebrities and entertainers decided to wear as well. My thought was that with all the money and access to professional make-up and sci-fi people, some of the costumes they could get must be fantastic.

That was the idea. But it seems that wealth, fame, and opportunity is not enough for some. A few examples of that are best shown by the following:

Paris Hilton is worth more money she will ever be able to count. And she rarely seems to be adverse to spending money to look as good as her near anorexic body can be made to look. But obviously her Halloween fashion was something more akin to her own dreamy self-image than anything else.



Kelly Osbourne is someone you would expect to be able to really come up with something bizzare. Or at least different. Yet her costume seems more akin to what a housewife in the suburbs and little time might throw together at the last minute.



Nicky Hilton seems to be afflicted with the same lack of taste as Paris. While this imitation of class is better, it's still a far cry from interesting or good looking. Then again that does sum up the Hiltons, doesn't it.



Shanna Moakler was trying for a flapper look. But if this is how flappers looked in the 1920's, I can see why the fashion died off. Still it's better than any of the above.



And perhaps the worst costume has to go to... Lamar Odum. This poor man's attempt at a half-assed Halloween costume is just embarrassing. It makes Khole Kardashian look bad just being next to him. The fact he went out in public with this boggles the mind. Even the Hiltons look better.



Of course there were more than a few celebrities and entertainers that looked great, even classy and sexy. Like Bette Midler



and Jessica Lowndes (whomever she is)



And of course I wanted to include Adrina Partridge



But after looking over many of the failures and successes of far too many of the famous, I think that on average most of the people that I know were more committed and looked better this Halloween. Good for us, and shame on them.

The end is nigh - Paris Hilton confirms it

In news surely signaling the end of the civilized world, Paris Hilton has become a part of history.

No it wasn’t as the worst actress ever, and it’s hard to be worse than Mariah Carey in Glitter or Jennifer Lopez in Gigli. It wasn’t for being the most vapid and talentless celebrity since… well since she showed up, either.

Paris Hilton in fact has had a quote recorded in the Oxford Book of Quotations.

The quote was

“Dress cute wherever you go, life’s too short to blend in.”

Now generally Oxford is considered a higher place of learning. Tomes using the name tend to be reference materials with some considerable standing. Most consider being in an Oxford reference material a high honor. Yet I think they really have dropped their prestige on this one.

Paris Hilton is someone who in a generation, if it takes that long, won’t be remembered. As she shouldn’t be. But if this is the best kind of quote coming out of the world at this time, I’m afraid to wonder if anyone will be around to care.



Honestly, I hope this is based the Hilton business making a bribe. The family that controls the huge hotel conglomerate just felt that Paris needed a publicity make-over (badly), and that this might lend some substance to a person adverse to such. If so, I’m sure that this is an attempt to obfuscate the jail sentence and the notoriety that mockery of justice logged into the history books.

If it turns out to have been the result of a massive bribe, I will feel so much better. Because it means that the world is not going to hell in a hand-basket.

Paris Hilton may not be a slut, but...

So for the record, Paris Hilton has stated that she is not stupid, or a slut. She felt compelled to mention this before the MTV premiere of a documentary on her life hits the airwaves in a few days. I suppose that answers that.

But having read her response, and the fact that she claims that the image the public has of her being a rich, bratty, idiot is all an act, I thought a comment was necessary. I can use a quote one of my oldest friends once said (not sure if he made it up or heard it somewhere) that I have never forgotten

“You may not be a ho. But you are in the clothes of a ho, you act like a ho. So you can understand if I am confused and treat you like a ho.”

Paris Hilton acts like a slut. She acts like an idiot. In fact if this is just a marketing scheme the woman needs to be provided an Oscar. If this is an act, then why the hell did she not use all this massively incredible skill in any movie which she has appeared in?

As I recall, the coverage of her arrest and imprisonment all stemmed from a single act. Hilton was so incapable of normal responsibilities that she failed to heed the notice of suspension of her driver’s license that was in the glove box of her car when she was arrested. So either that was a brilliant plan to drum up media coverage of her flippant disregard of the law, and the excess of her wealth trying to abuse the legal system, or she is just too dumb to drive.

Look there are just too many reasons why this extremely skinny, extremely spoiled, extremely lucky heiress can be called slut, idiot, airhead, fool, brat, and insignificant. And I can only think of 1 reason why she would like to change that image (reality). The trust fund that ensures she never needs to work or live in the real world, can be taken away if the family get upset enough. In fact, such rumors were swirling just before Hilton stopped being the tabloid pin-up girl about 1 or 2 years ago as I recall.

Perhaps jail brought a dose of reality to Hilton. Perhaps the fear of losing more money than some countries GDP sobered up her actions. Or perhaps this is an elaborate marketing trick to make her popular, again (for whatever reason find her interesting in the first place). Whatever it may be, the end result is the same.

Paris Hilton ‘wears the clothes’, and has the mannerisms of a prostitute. She appears to be about as business minded and intellectual as a crackhead (and to me a similar figure). She has almost as much acting ability as the former Taco Bell Chihuahua. But if I am mistaken, you can understand why.

And what in the world justifies a documentary on Paris Hilton? Beyond having a sex tape, going to jail because of her own stupidity, and having been the progeny of a very blue-blood lineage, there is nothing interesting about her. It might just be me, but Anna Nicole Smith contributed more to the world, and will have a more lasting effect than Hilton. The standards at MTV really have just gone to ground.

Movie news: April 1st 2009

Ok, in more serious news that you may not have noticed today I saw that Calvin Broadus, best known as Snoop Dogg, has joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Snoop Y. I would say I am shocked, but then again, its all Fo Shizzle My Nizzle, as he would say.

Also in the news today is the fact that The Hobbit will soon be in brought to fans across the world. But unlike what most have been lead to expect, Peter Jackson has been contracted to make the JRR Tolkein novel into a musical play. There is no news on who will play the vital role of Bilbo Baggins, but so far Paris Hilton has been confirmed to play Gollum. This may be the first role that I think Hilton is thin enough to make look good.

In yet more news that I just cannot fathom I have heard that Denzel Washington is in talks to take the role of Blondie in Spike Lee's remake of The Good The Bad and the Ugly. The Lee Van Kleef role is already confirmed as going to Benicio Del Toro, with the likely role of Tuco the Rat going to either Eddie Murphy or Martin Laurence. I suppose either of the 2 will have to gain weight or wear a fat suit for the role. Still I find it unsettling that the revisioned film, which I generally dislike, will be filmed in modern day Los Angeles with gangs substituted for the Civil War factions. So far Clint Eastwood has denied any comments.

Still I have to say that the Howard the Duck remake is the biggest news of the day. I am amazed that anyone would take on this idea. Stephen Speilberg may be a genius, but I continue to think this is beyond him. I remain against this remake, even as I have learned that several movie studios are jumping at the script. It has to be the fact that somehow Speilberg got Tom Cruise to say yes to play Howard. I never thought there was enough money in the world for that. But at least Cruise will not need an accent.

Given that today is All Fool's Day, I'm taking all this news with a pound of salt, at least. We can all only hope that tomorrow we will wake up and know that this has all been a big joke. Really a big joke.

The Razzie Award nominations are out

Ah, what is January without the annual Razzie Award nominations. Not that 2008 was a year lacking actors, actresses, and films aplenty for the nominations. In fact I’m sure the judges had quite the time trying to narrow the field.

But the Razzies generally pick the top of the worst of any given year. And unlike the Oscars, the film nominated here you have definitely heard of, and sadly might have seen. Such is the shame of Hollywood year after year.

For 2009 we have the following, with my comments included:

Worst Picture:

Disaster Movie
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
Meet the Spartans
The Happening - boring
The Hottie & the Nottie – any movie that would have Paris Hilton in it should automatically be nominated, if not win.
**Why is The Day The Earth Stood Still not in this?**

Worst Actor

Mike Myers - The Love Guru
Eddie Murphy - Meet Dave - What is wrong with Murphy these days. He can be so much better than this.
Al Pacino - 88 Minutes and Righteous Kill
Mark Wahlberg - The Happening and Max Payne - Neither film was worth the money
Larry the Cable Guy - Witless Protection - How he cannot win I can’t imagine.
**I know everyone seems to disagree, because he is dead, but Heath Ledger’s Joker sucked.**
***And Keanu Reeves deserves to be in this group more than Wahlberg does, for his work in The Day The Earth Stood Still***

Worst Actress

Jessica Alba - The Love Guru and The Eye - She is just really bad.
Cameron Diaz - What Happens in Vegas - Embarrassing
Paris Hilton - The Hottie & the Nottie - The must win choice. The other ladies may have tried but they all have far more talent in their sleep than Hilton at her best (if such a moment exists).
Kate Hudson - Fool's Gold and My Best Friend's Girl
The Entire Cast of "The Women" - Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Meg Ryan.

Worst Supporting Actor

Uwe Boll, Postal
Pierce Brosnan - Mamma Mia! - How far we have fallen since The Matador and Bond.
Ben Kingsley, The Love Guru, War, Inc., The Wackness - I like him, but War, Inc. just puts him over the top in this one.
Burt Reynolds, Deal and In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
Verne Troyer, The Love Guru and Postal.

Worst Supporting Actress

Carmen Electra - Disaster Movie, Meet The Spartans - Hey, be nice she can’t do better.
Paris Hilton - Repo! The Genetic Opera; - Yet another film proving that were it not for money she would have nothing to justify her life
Kim Kardashian - Disaster Movie
Jenny Mccarthy, Witless Protection; - She deserves it just for appearing in the film
Leelee Sobieski - 88 Minutes, In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale

Worst Screen Couple

Uwe Boll and Any Actor, Camera and Screenplay
Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, What Happens In Vegas - The only words I have are, I understand why they got a Razzie
Paris Hilton and either Christine Lakin or Jorel David Moore, The Hottie And The Nottie - Again the queen of too much money and no talent stands out.
Larry The Cable Guy and Jenny Mccarthy, Witless Protection; - Giving Paris Hilton the only kind of competition she deserves.
Eddie Murphy In Eddie Murphy, Meet Dave. – Not really a couple now is it?

Worst Prequel, Sequel, Remake Or Rip-Off

The Day The Earth Stood Still - Horrendous remake, the writer should be slapped.
Disaster Movie
Meet The Spartans
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Speed Racer - Someone was on drugs when they filmed this. Give me the original cartoon anytime.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - George Lucas can’t need the money that bad, can he?
**Max Payne fits this category, as it is a ripoff of the video game. And a bad ripoff at that.**
***Again in the ripoff, a film that stole from at least 3 other films - Doomsday. If you missed it, be happy.***

Worst Director

Uwe Boll - Tunnel Rats, In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale And Postal
Jason Friedberg And Aaron Seltzer - Disaster Movie And Meet The Spartans - And anyone expected better in these ripoff ideas?
Tom Putnam - The Hottie And The Nottie - Paris Hilton, do I need to say anything more?
Marco Schnabel - The Love Guru
M. Night Shyamalan, The Happening. – The best film to put you to sleep.

Worst Screenplay

Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer - Disaster Movie And Meet The Spartans - The obvious favorites to win.
M. Night Shyamalan - The Happening
Heidi Ferrer - The Hottie And The Nottie
Doug Taylor - In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
Mike Myers and Graham Gordy, The Love Guru
**Actually I don’t understand how The Day The Earth Stood Still missed this category**

Worst Career Achievement

Uwe Boll - "Germany's answer to Ed Wood" - Ed Wood was funny at least.

Such are my thoughts of the films worth of Razzie’s in 2008. Perhaps you know of a film that deserved to be on this list? Let me know because no one should need to own a DVD of films of this quality. Even if you need a Frisbee in an emergency.

Oh and here is an early prediction for 2009, Notorious will top a few of the categories here.

How much for a Yahoo accolade?

I noticed something over the weekend. Yahoo had a little blurb on the top movie stars of 2008. It was an interesting photo selection for one big reason. Almost every one of the people they were touting had a flop in 2008.

The list starts with Gong Li. You may not recall her name. Then again you probably didn't recall Hannibal Rising, with good reason. The list moves on to Nicole Kidman. She has become synonymous with Hollywood failure, which the film Australia confirms yet again. But then the list loses all perspective. It goes into a tailspin of stupidity.

The next "actress" on the list is Paris Hilton. A woman so without talent she couldn't make sex look interesting to watch. Her claim to fame was the film the Hottie and the Nottie. The hottest thing about the film is akin to the apparent intelligence of Hilton - just not being there at all. Is the possibility she will inherit a major company really that important to Hollywood?

The list moves on to Jennifer Lopez. Who is lauded for giving birth to twins. Which does deserve notice. But not on a list of top movie performers. Even when some thought she had a movie career she was bad. And she hasn't gotten better.

To disguise the fact that there were so few good movies and to bolster the huge number of movie stars with flops the list then goes international with Aishwarya Rai. She is a top Bollywood actress. I've never seen her in a film and have no comment.

But the list jumps back to the ridiculous with Hillary Duff and her performance in the mega-flop War, Inc. I reviewed that movie and to summarize both her performance and the movie, disappointing and a waste of time.

The list goes on to name Mary Kate Olsen, The Wackness, Lindsey Lohan, Chapter 27, Jessica Alba, The Love Guru, right up to Angelina Jolie. Jolie is the only actress on the list with a film the average person can say they saw, and actually liked. She is the only woman on the list (perhaps excluding Rai) that had films that made real money. In effect only she and perhaps Rai deserve to be on a list of top movie stars. The rest need to be on the top of a pile of dung for their performances.

The list then turns to men. And the choices are only moderately better. The star is with Tom Cruise because of his appearance in the flop Tropic Thunder, but more likely the Valkyrie movie that has yet to show. Next we get Patrick Swayze - because he has pancreatic cancer. Like Lopez I have to wonder how that has anything to do with movies. It's sad, but it does not go to the top of a list of movies.

Then the list does another odd change of direction. They pick Denzel Washington, who did not have a film in 2008. But at least he was nominated for an award this year. That's closer to a reason to be on this list then most. The list then flies off with failures like Bankock Dangerous (remake) with Nicolas Cage, Orlando Bloom - also without a movie this year. At this point we finally get to someone who was in a movie that made money and most people saw (for the men).

Will Smith is 5th with Hancock and the upcoming Seven Pounds. And right above him on the list is Brad Pitt with a flop - Burn After Reading - and the nominated Benjamin Button arthouse film. Leonardo DiCaprio broke even as I recall with Body of Lies but took 3rd. Next is Johnny Depp who like Bloom and Washington didn't have a film, and like Washington was nominated. And of course 1st went to the dead guy Hollywood can't stop talking about - heath ledger.

This entire list is Bollocks. Of the entire group Aishwarya Rai, Angelina Jolie, Will Smith, and Heath Ledger deserve to be on it. Maybe an honorable mention to Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. That's it.

I don't know what pipe the people at Yahoo are smoking, but it must be powerful. Either that, or there must be one hell of a kickback coming from advertising for Yahoo to tout this kind of rubbish as a top list of anything. Maybe if they named it the Top Movies Stars of 2008 - whose companies gave us a lot of money. Or is that too long.

And people wonder why the quality of movies is dropping faster than the average IQ of a high school graduate. When you can buy accolades who needs writing. It's just sad.

$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.

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?

R Kelly trial to start, or will it?

“5 years and counting. What might that refer to? Could it be the Iraq war? It could also be the amount of time since R Kelly was supposed to go to trial for the alleged rape of a minor…”

“Will R Kelly finally go to court and stand trial for his actions – and will the family of the girl that was raped still be working for him?”

I made those comments back in September 2007. Now in May 2008 with 2 days to go before the start of the trial, another delay looms, and the media still isn’t paying attention. I cannot describe how angy this makes me. A rumored and widely acknowledged pedophile is running around free and evading the law and the news media can’t be bothered.

The media makes me sick in cases like this. Wesley Snipes is an entertainer, and Black, so no time was wasted in painting him as a felony criminal – even after he was found innocent of all but the least significant charges. OJ Simpson can’t walk across the street without a news crew documenting it (as they virtually have for over a decade) – and he was found innocent. Rev. Wright had 35 years of religious service and work for the equality and imporvement of quality of life wiped out by five 10 second polispeak soundbites – and he wasn’t running for an elected position.

But when it comes to real crimes the major news media has it’s head stuck up it’s collective a**. The Jena 6 case was ignored for months. The Megan Williams case was granted all of 30 seconds and will never be uttered again. Sean Bell was discussed form the cops perspective, without ever mentioning the conflicts in their stories, and pushed to a corner as quickly as possible. Now the actions of 15 cops in Philadelphia is set to be accepted as merely a slight over reaction among a small group of officers – completely obfuscating the connection to and growing trend of excessive police brutality to people of color nearly exclusively.

And we can add R Kelly, a pedophile whos targets are near-pubescent girls. The daughters, neices, and sisters in the Black community that are supposed to be protected by the law and the community. Yet the news media can’t be bothered to know anything about this case, because Britney Spears cut her hair, Amy Winehouse is a crackhead that got arrested again, and Paris Hilton is a spoiled rich brat who was arrested for violating the law and is placed into entertainment events because she has too much money to offend.

Of course how can we blame the major news media. African Americans regularly support this vile and disgusting man every time he has a concert or makes a record. Grown women still swoon to his words and gyrations on music videos, actively ignoring the fact that were they standing in front of him naked he would prefer a clothed 13 year old next to them. What makes him any less dispicable than the Mormons in Texas?

And not a single complaint has come from the major news media about the judge’s running of the case.

“Vincent M. Gaughan, a Cook County circuit court judge… essential goal, according to one of his orders: "To preserve the dignity of the court and the integrity of the proceedings." That's an especially powerful, ironic argument, given widespread concern that Kelly is receiving preferential treatment because of his celebrity status.”

The media has been consistent in complaining that Black entertainers get treated preferentially by the legal system. They point to OJ, Wesley Snipes (who was sentanced beyond any parity according to all experts in such matters), and numerous rappers like Snoop Dogg. Yet they can’t seem to be able to see R Kelly or the fact they are giving him a pass that is underserved or justified. And many African Americans laud this as a positive.

Of course R Kelly hasn’t been taking this vacation from the law lightly. He’s used the time to lay low, keeping out of the direct spotlight – letting potential jurors only know about his records and not his deeds. He’s employed the father of his victim, paying cash to keep his a** out of jail and possibly buying testimonies in the process (isn’t that called inciting perjury – and a crime in itself?).

I once quoted

“As Huey states in one episode, [I paraphrase]
“America has done a multitude of injustice to Blacks, but that does not mean everything is an injustice, or that this makes every African American a hero.”

The fact that R Kelly can sing a song, is Black, and entertainer and has some money does not make him a hero. The fact that video tape proves he is a pedophile does make him a criminal and in need of imprisonment in my view. And the news media ignoring this case makes the injustice to African Americans no less palpable than when the media ignored Jena, Megan Williams, Sean Bell, or ignored the innocence of Wesley Snipes.

The major news media has a position and it seems to be clear. It could be said as:

• If a Black is popular and well off – find something to take them down. Crush their lives if possible. (Stories on Michael Jordan gambling on golf games, stories claiming Tiger Woods' wife was in a porno, searching for infidelities in Bill Cosby’s life or others, and so on).
  
  
• If they are guilty, or even suspected of a crime against a White, convict them at every turn (Wesley Snipes, OJ Simpson, and on).
  
  
• If they are committing, or suspected of, a crime against themselves or African Americans. Spin it as positive as possible. Publicize it as often as possible. And if it has no positive edge, ignore it. (R Kelly, Snoop Dogg and more)
  
  
• If they are the victim of a crime – only if commited by a White – ignore it. If it can’t be ignored then blame the African American and support the White (Duke rape case, Megan Williams) but never allow guilt to be a fact.
  
  
• And for any other case not covered, just look for the most negative portrayal of any person of color as possible, or avoid the issue. (How many Amber Alerts have you seen on the news for Black children? How about in the past year?)
  

So I have to wonder if R Kelly will ever get into a courtroom. Or if the media will cover it if he does. Or is the victim in the case (who is now 23 and thus won’t look as obviously a victim as she would have 5+ years ago) going to have her short past used as a weapon against her.

What would you bet?

Wesley Snipes unfairly sentanced to 3 years, Willie Nelson free

So I was wrong. Not by a lot, but wrong all the same. Wesley Snipes was sentenced today to 3 years of prison by a judge in Florida today. I had expected him to receive no jail time and probation.

“Mr. Snipes was found guilty of 3 counts of not filing a tax return. Those were misdemeanor counts. He was up for 16 years in prison, that pundits were sure he would be convicted for, and based on the misdemeanors he will almost assuredly spend no time in prison.”

Given that the various pundits were nearly demanding his incarceration I found it interesting that he was found innocent by a jury, and that it was not publicized. There was massive media in convicting Snipes before the trial ever started as I have written. Now that he has been unfairly penalized, the media is all over this in a manner they have avoided on the positive news of this case.

Mind you that before the sentancing many entertainers offered letters defending his character. Some of those included Denzel Washington, Woody Harrelson, and Judge Greg Mathis. At least in the case of Judge Mathis, the hope was not in obtaining leniency but in ensuring a fair sentancing. That obviously did not happen.

Unlike Willie Nelson who lost a case with the IRS, owing $32 million, and received no jail time or probation Snipes was placed in jail. This reminds me of the various cases where crack dealers receive severely harsher penalties while those convicted for cocaine receive lesser punishment. In these examples of what is known to occur commonly, we see that being Black virtually ensures the longest jail sentances.

Remember that in this case we have Snipes with no prior criminal record, this is a non-violent crime, it’s a misdemeanor, and he’s a celebrity (which usually helps). Add to that that the IRS paid Wesleyt Snipes a full $7 million dollar refund, and waited 5 years for the red flags to go up.

At what point is this not the Government picking on a Black man? They used tax loss even for years in which Snipes was acquitted of failing to file a return. And the fact is criminal tax prosecutions are relatively rare. The judge in this case wanted to make a point and hurt Mr. Snipes, not unlike the courts and juries that went after OJ Simpson after he too was found innocent. They just couldn’t let the African American man walk away when they knew (in their minds), and wanted him to be found guilty and suffer in jail. Again, if you think I am wrong just refer to Willie Nelson and his freedom though he was found guilty for $32 million.

And I have to ask, why must the media play up the negatives of this case. From day one they framed this, in 30 second soundbites, to enhance the presumed and pre-convicted guilt of Mr. Snipes. Similar in the way that 35 years of sermons of Rev. Wright were summarized into five 10 second polispeak soundbites to be used against him and Senator Obama.

The media seems to take great joy in promoting any image or story that presumes guilt of African Americans. Yet they are remiss in dealing with obvious events of Whites commiting atrocities and repugnant racial attacks. Just look at all the news coverage given to Megan Williams as compared to Bobbie Cutts or the manner in which the death of Sean Taylor was covered, or the brief coverage of Michael Richards, or the unabashed and unrelenting proclamation of innocence of the Duke Lacrosse team, or the 3 month long coverage of Anna Nicole Smith as opposed to the virtual fleeting coverage of James Brown’s death. And I can go on.

With this kind of media coverage, is there any question why Senator Obama gets such strong polling, and yet reflectively few White votes? Or that Wesley Snipes is now going to serve 3 years in jail for something a comparable White entertainer didn’t spend 5 minutes in jail for?

Hell, Paris Hilton had petitions and multiple pundits proclaiming she was unfairly sentenced – though she flaunted the law and was a menance to the lives of the public on roads. Yet I’ve heard only Judge Mathis on the news media saying the same thing (the sentancing) for Wesley Snipes.

What a world we live in. And what major media we have telling us about it. Keep your eyes open because the America they are selling us isn’t the Friends they want us to believe in, but a more colorful and diverse reality. Until they get a chance to spin the polispeak against us.

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.

Update on Sean Taylor of the Redskins Football team - 1.24.2008.1

I decided to do a search on Sean Taylor, the Redskin’s football player that was killed in his home at the end of November 2007. The reason for the search is because of the media attention to Heath Ledger's death. I am sorry that he is dead, but I am noticing the amount of time that is being dedicated to his death.

Similar to the months of coverage of Anna Nicole Smith’s death (or Stacy Peterson), there is no end to the rumors, minor insignificant facts, and minutiae that is being uncovered about the man. This is fine for TMZ and other institutions that waste your time. I can even see how Greta Van Susteren, of Fox News, would cover it [I find her program to be the equivalent of ambulance chasing news coverage]. But without outside factors (like a hint that this was a murder and not a suicide or accidental overdose – which often is the same thing), the time spent on this sad event is troubling to me.

Thus I wanted to go back and compare the on-going coverage to a recent death. Sean Taylor’s death was covered by all the major news media. It did get a few hours of news coverage over roughly 3 days. By news coverage standards that is huge. Of course the follow-up of the case has been sporadic and less well done. Like the fact, reported on Canadian Press that,

“Sean Taylor, the first player voted posthumously to the Pro Bowl, will have his jersey number worn at the game by two of his former Washington Redskins teammates.

The NFL announced Wednesday tight end Chris Cooley and tackle Chris Samuels will both wear No. 21 at the game Feb. 10 in Honolulu.”

Another fact that has been less covered is the Fund that has been created to take care of Taylor’s daughter.

“Cooley and Samuels will each wear his own name on the back of the jersey, above the No. 21. The jerseys will be auctioned after the game, with the proceeds benefiting the Sean Taylor Memorial Trust Fund that was established for Taylor's daughter, Jackie.”

The difference is this:

• Taylor was murdered, Ledger has been reported as not.
  
• Taylor’s murder seems to have been done by 4 individuals that have been arrested. Coverage has not fully confirmed this fact, thus his killers may be at large (though this is unlikely).
  
• Ledger has received sympathetic commentary by pundits. Many have explained his past drug use on various reasons, and drawn correlations to this being involved with his sudden death. None of the coverage has been accusatory or negative.
  
• Taylor was maligned constantly. Pundits gave as much time to rumors and past facts that indicated a negative view of Taylor, as actual facts in the case.
  
• Ledgers is portrayed as had having a positive growing future prior to his death.
  
• Taylor was portrayed as having a negative past, a complicated future, and minimalization of his achievements.
  

Why am I mentioning this, and why now?

I realize that Heath Ledger has just died. I can imagine how his family and friends are taking this sudden and shocking news. I do not intend to be insensitive.

But the fact remains that the media is unjust and biased in its coverage. And that pisses me off. I’m tired of reading about the death of an African American celebrity/entertainer a week after the event. Or that their life is minimized, and coverage short and sporadic. Then a White celebrity/entertainer dies and up to a week, or even months of coverage ensue.

I’m tired of hearing all the wonderful things about drunken drug addicted ignorant White entertainers (a la Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, ect) that need our sympathy. Then I get to hear all the negative mean items about African American entertainers that survived and overcame gangs, poverty, inadequate education systems, social bias, racism, and sometimes more.

But to say this in retrospect does not have the same impact as watching the news today and seeing the impact. Pay attention to the news, and note what is being said. See how much is said about the tribute to Sean Taylor. See how they describe Sean Taylor’s life. Then wait a few months and watch how Heath Ledger will be discussed in what I expect will be a grand scale when the next Batman movie comes out. Watch how much time will be given to remember the positive aspects of Heath, several months from now.

Is this the perfect time? No. But there never is in such matters. But if we cannot celebrate the past of our heroes and entertainers equally, then how can we expect anything else to be equal? If we are not the same in death, how can we be the same in life?

If the major news media can’t be colorblind in death, then I don’t need to know about that death. James Brown was not buried for a month and the major media never noticed. But Anna Nicole Smith, who’s body was a matter of legal debate – exactly the same as James Brown’s was and at the same tme, received multiple days of live coverage.

I don’t want to insult the dead. But I do want to criticize the living. Because the little things matter, a lot. And I’m tired of the lopsided commentary that only exists to subtly and directly stereotype and minimize the existence of any person of color.

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.

The anti-Wesley Snipes movement continues on - 12.18.2007.1

If I told you that an A-list American actor made a public announcement about the government and its injustice, and no one covered it, would you believe me. Think about that.

When Ellen DeGeneres cried about a puppy, it was news for 2+ days. When Rosie O’Donnell got into a battle of name calling with Donald Trump, it was news for over a month. When Anna Nicole Smith died, 3 months. And Paris Hilton has been a week each incident. And that’s just off the top of my head.

How much news did Hanoi Jane Fonda get in her various anti-America rants? Or Sean Penn? Bill Maher? The major news media seems to salivate any time that a celebrity or entertainer makes an announcement or is in the news.

But there is a difference. Even in the worst cases of the news that was apparently targeting bad behavior there is a difference. At the worst of news on David Hasselhoff, Lindsey Lohan, Alec Baldwin, or Don Imus there was a sense of sympathy.

But when the A-lister is African American things change. Compare any of the coverage I’ve mentioned above with the coverage of James Brown’s death, OJ Simpson, Al Sharpton, Michael Vick, or Wesley Snipes as an example. Particularly Wesley Snipes at this moment.

Back in late 2006 there was an onslaught of news about charges made by the Government against Mr. Snipes. There were quick and deliberate statements made, while Mr. Snipes was out of the country working (which I think the Government knew considering the resources available to them).

I stated in October 2006

“I have some issues with this whole thing. First is the fact that the government accepted an amended claim of 0 income and made a refund of $7,000,000 without a red flag popping up is not Mr. Snipes fault. I would think someone would have noticed before now. And to suddenly issue a warrant without contacting an individual that has international travel as a normal course of business seems extreme. So far as has been reported no attempt to contact Mr. Snipes has been done.”

I then went on to say in that same post

“As a celebrity it would not be unusual for him to be on vacation, or on a trip, outside the country or in seclusion. It would not be strange for Mr. Snipes to be working on a film somewhere in the world, and not immediately aware of what is going on here in the United States.”

To my knowledge there was not a single major news media organization, nor the U.S. government, that stated the abovementioned thought. 2 days later I was proven correct.

“Well I’m not sure if Mr. Snipes is exactly innocent, but I do agree that he is being railroaded. The media has worked hard to portray him negatively, though there have been no facts to go on.”

Continued in Part 2...

From foolish to fools, in the news

So for a collection of events that range from the useless to abominably stupid I give you the following things I’ve noticed in the news. And I do mean that these stories are in that range. Why such attention is paid to these items I can’t imagine.

That said, here we go.

Possibly the one thing that will get the most attention deals with a revelation from J.K. Rowling revealing that one of the critical characters of her Harry Potter series, Dumbledore, is gay. Surprising to most I suppose, I just don’t understand why this came out. It’s obviously not relevant to the character or it would have been in the book. It doesn’t change the storyline, or the manner of how all the characters act. And it’s not like there is another book to go. What’s the use of giving a background that the writer didn’t feel was important enough to write about? It seems like gratuitous marketing to me.

On a note that just brings me cheer, there is Paris Hilton and the Spike Awards show. Paris was a presenter for an award along with actors from her current show Repo! The Genetic Opera. [I have to say the website makes this look as bad as it sounds. A supposed Rocky Horror-esque show, I’m just not sure what to think. Only something that seems this bad would want to have Paris Hilton as part of the cast.] As Hilton took the stage she got the kind of attention her apparently mindless, irresponsible lifestyle deserves, boos. Non-stop until she left the stage. I get giddy knowing that there are more than a few people out there with taste.

And last in the list of the bizarre comes news that Amy Winehouse refuses to stop taking drugs and drinking. An overdose from earlier in the year seems not to have fazed this woman. Her excuse for this perhaps thinly veiled display of extended suicide in slow motion? Life is too short, and

"I’m quite an insecure person. I’m very insecure about the way I look. I mean, I’m a musician I’m not a model. The more insecure I feel the more I drink.”

I have heard crackheads with better reasons for what they do. Obviously I think Winehouse has a problem. It could be said that sadly this may not be a long-term issue. But I find it hard to feel sad to someone that knows what they are doing, and chooses to go headlong into actions that will inevitably kill themselves. Perhaps this is just another act of genetics improving the gene pool in action?

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.

6 abuse and torture Black woman in West Virginia - 9.12.2007.2

Where the hell is the outrage! I mean it. I am constantly upset with the major news media for what they do and do not refer to in reference to African-Americans. I have mentioned how the major news media glosses over events such as the Sean Bell shooting, or the Michael Richards explosion of bile. On the other side is how the media seeks out any and every bit of information to condemn an African American long before the question of guilt or innocence can be determined, such as in reference to the Bobby Cutts case. And of course, there is always the immediate assumption of innocence that tends to go along to any White American accused of crime, especially when it involves African Americans or in comparison to coverage given to African-Americans with a similar accusation. Just look back at the coverage from day one on the Duke Rape case. It's infuriating.

But right now I'm just pissed off! It was just announced that something happened on Saturday and is just hitting the airwaves. This crime is heinous, deplorable, and maddening to say the least. It seems that Saturday in West Virginia six people have been arrested for sexually abusing, beating, and terrorizing a Black woman for no reason (as if there could be some justification) other than the color of her skin. Read that sentence again, I don't want to have to say it again.

This horrible and vile act has taken five days to be reported by the media. So far I've seen roughly 5 minutes of coverage in total, over the last hour. Let me be clear, I watch the news for roughly 10 hours every day. Its part of my search for news and items to speak about on this blog and the others I write for. When I say five minutes, that means since 9:30 a.m., and the first announcement on this news story occurred at roughly 3:30 p.m. today. This is not the lead story on Fox News, or CNN. The coverage is still being developed, five days after the arrest occurred.

So where has the major news media been. I understand that the earthquake in Indonesia is important, but I think that having a little bit less news on that and a bit more attention on this matter is justified. I really want to hear from the major news media, in particular, the cable news networks, why this was not discussed sooner or why there is no more information. In this same five-day period in the past these news networks were able to determine the entire work history and family for Bobby Cutts. In this same amount of time they were able to criticize the work and life of the woman who alleged rape at Duke. In the same amount of time, five days, I was told more about the life of Anna Nicole Smith than I could've cared about, if I actually cared. Major news media spent more than five days in discussing the crime and punishment of a seemingly drunken, disorderly, talent less, and possibly brainless rich brat - Paris Hilton.

At 4:00 p.m. CNN is leading off with the Democratic response to the report about Iraq. On Fox News we’re being told about tropical storm Abbas and then onto the lawsuit against Countrywide by its employees. CNN went on to discuss the departure of Tony Snow, and how the President will present the news that the surge in Iraq is reportedly working.

Displeased is not the word. Anger touches on it just a bit.

If this were, six Black men and women who had committed the same crimes against a White woman, I guarantee it would be the leading news story shortly after the arrest in West Virginia on Saturday. I don't think anyone in this nation would argue that fact. Where the hell are the facts about Frankie Brewster, her son and all the rest of the people involved in this case? Where is the history about where they work, whether they were arrested, whether they take drugs, and everything else about these people? Where are the cries from the announcers denouncing this act, and the moral outrage that it could occur! Where's the news coverage!

Why can't the news media present this story in the same manner and with the same attention to detail that they provide to other cases, where African-Americans are assumed to be the aggressor, and/or criminal.

I would love to hear the argument from the media or any other organization or individual that can justify why this case does not have more national attention than it has received to date. But I honestly do not expect to hear a response from the media or anyone else with that justification, because it does not exist. It was an injustice that was done to this woman. It's an injustice that the federal government will not pursue this as a hate crime when any sane person hearing the facts of this case, as has been presented understands that it is a hate crime, by definition. It is an injustice that the news media has, can, and will persecute African-Americans, Latinos, Hispanics, Asians, and every other minority solely because they have been accused of a crime. And when an atrocity occurs, committed by a White American they are excused, apologize for, and glossed over.

Some may not think racism still exists in America; among other things the six people in West Virginia, arrested on Saturday, including Frankie Brewster and her son, prove it does exist. The coverage by the major news media, prove that such racism is not only pervasive but a blind eye is turned toward it. I don't want to speak more about this right now, it angers me. But I will be back to this.

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...

Paris Hilton back in orange - 7.30.2007.1

Take a look at the picture above and observe it well. Yes I know it’s Paris Hilton. As sad as this girl is, actually pitiful is more the term I’d use, I have to think the executives at the Fox show The Simple Life are worse. That is because the talent less heiress was made up like the Great Pumpkin, or perhaps for an appearance on The Simpson’s, and that is being described their interpretation of a Black woman.

For some reason, and I am lost as to why, Paris is being changed to look Black. It has something to do with her television program that continues to be shown season after season. But I am insulted that this is what they consider Black on that program.

I don’t know when looking like Farah Fawcett with a really bad fake suntan became the equivalent of being Black. Didn’t any of them get to see the program Black.White. Couldn’t they afford that makeup team? Or did they somehow think that Mr. Gene Wilder’s comedic act of desperation, devised by Mr. Richard Pryor, from Blue Streak was somehow spot on.

I know I often joke with friends that I have the ultimate suntan base, it cost me nothing and I have it year round. Even so, a suntan is nothing like the hue I have gained from my Puerto Rican father and Black mother. Paris does not look like any Black or Hispanic person I have ever seen from anywhere in the world.

I don’t care that a low quality, mind-numbing show is using a gimmick to get viewers. I expect that, since that is the premise of the program. But I do have issue when someone tries to ‘revision’ the Al Jolson blackface just to get a ratings bump. It’s distasteful and insulting. If say Lil Kim was to appear for a show in clown white makeup, pretending to be Caucasian I think some might find that insulting. Same thing here.

If the execs at Fox have no idea of how a Black person looks, here are a couple of hints.

Have you heard about Wesley Snipes? Why not? Part 2 - 6.18.2007.3

Continued from Have you heard about Wesley Snipes? Why not? Part 1 ...

MSNBC had similar thoughts as Smoking Gun with a headline that reads Wesley Snipes blames racism for tax charges.

In piecing together the facts as they appear to be I gather that Mr. Rosile and Mr. Khan have not been charged, though they have 2000 clients that have allegedly made false claims with the IRS, exactly the same as Mr. Snipes though for less money. Yet only Mr. Snipes has been singled out as a ‘co-conspirator’.


Does any of this ring as odd to anyone else besides me? From the first day Mr. Snipes has been made out to be a thuggish rogue [in the worst meaning of the words] hiding from the government that he has wronged. Yet even a casual reading of several of the news releases shows that this is not the case.

The government apparently indicted Mr. Snipes while he was away working, without bothering to ask his publicist or manager if he was working. He was picked out of 2000 clients to be the poster child of government acting tough on taxes. When Mr. Snipes arranged to meet the cops to be taken on the charges made when he had no voice in the country (nor knowledge that he needed one) the media jumped on the story as if he were a fugitive, like he was a crackhead running from the police with 2 strikes over their head.

Rather than applying justice for this crime equally on all those suspected of committing it, only Mr. Snipes has been charged. Others that acted in exactly the same manner seemingly have walked away clean. And it should be noted that if the charges are correct, the IRS received a tax return that requested a $7 million return, which they paid and not a single red flag popped up for 5 years. Yet they are on me if my quarterly taxes are late.

This appears to be a set-up of classic proportions. Media and hoopla on charges made when there can be no response, near sensationalism on negotiated actions that occur without resistance. An atmosphere of implied guilt, and a brush off when potentially credible reasons for racial bias are voiced.

Where is the preferential treatment that ALL entertainers are supposed to get? Where is the media covering his side of the story? Actually where is the media since the moment they got photos of Mr. Snipes in handcuffs? Where are the petitions asking that the charges be dropped? Where are the cable news networks spending a week discussing every angle and public view of the case. What about the pundits speculating how this affects the Dow Jones. Anna Nicole Smith, Paris Hilton and several other entertainers and celebrities got this kind of treatment. Even during the Imus debacle, Snoop Dogg got more attention.

No matter what the outcome of this case, and I am still following it, this feels wrong. But I’m sure that the media isn’t doing anything different just because of the race of this one entertainer?

This is what I think, what do you think?

Why OJ Simpson won't talk about Paris Hilton Part 3 - 6.12.2007.3

Continued from Why OJ Simpson won't talk about Paris Hilton Part 2...

The media may be afraid of taking on an accurate representation of the Paris Hilton saga. The media may wish to minimize other newsworthy facts of the day. They are reducing the importance of news and leaving the public little to consider on matters of national importance, from the up coming Presidential election to our justice sytem. I mentioned how off-balance the media can be,

“… I want to see the media put this kind of pressure and influence behind a Black defendant the next time there is a questionable case. I want to hear the media declarations of innocence for a poor black kid. ...

And I’d love to see the outrage when, let just say as an example, 2 teenage white girls rob a bank in the south … and the charges are dropped from a felony charge to misdemeanors even though they were caught on tape…

… Fox News is going to reveal the name of the accusing rape victim?? Even without the charges, this is a wrong thing. … And her PHOTO!!! So this is fair? What a nice first. And her age and family background. Might as well give away her address. And her past history!!! This is so wrong.”

Don’t think this is only Fox News doing this. I’ve seen similar actions on national broadcast news, cable e-zine channels, and local news stations. It happens across the nation.

But I won’t accept this at face value. Entertainers and celebrities need to be treated no different than everyone else. Justice, especially, must work from the top down to work at all. News agencies need to report the facts and not slanted biases who’s purpose is to confuse the issues at hand. When the media allow political candidates to respond to questions of national importance in soundbites, or they bring entertainers and celebrities into matters of law we the public lose.


Am I a nuetral voice of the nation? No, I’m an opinionated African American Puerto Rican man, that owns and writes blogs. I don’t pretend to be more than that. In that I am honest and direct. In reading this blog you get to see where I stand, and you can comment in ascent or descent. The media does not allow this. It’s not their job.

So I say to the media, stop using Black entertainers and celebrities to promote an agenda that has nothing to do with the subject at hand. Stop using the OJ Simpson case as a reference to every trial and criminal case you disagree with. Stop injecting racial overtones to issues that do not have them. Most of all stop insulting my intelligence and my race. I am not amused, entertained, nor informed when you do.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Why OJ Simpson won't talk about Paris Hilton Part 2 - 6.12.2007.2

Continued from Why OJ Simpson won't talk about Paris Hilton - part 1...

Given that both men inspire mixed emotions for me, I still do not condone the media using them to mire the inequality and lopsided justice being given to Ms. Hilton.
To the credit of Mr. Simpson I must state that he too feels the media is failing in its purpose. In a recent interview Mr. Simposn states,

”In this day and age, when someone not serving me in Kentucky, with no argument, is a story and we don't know that someone is going up in space and we know more about Paris Hilton going to jail, something is wrong”>

Mr. Simpson is right. This is a farce, made worse by the media whether or not it is something the Hilton family desires or promotes. Seriously what does Mr. Simpson or Rev. Al Sharpton have to do with the legal system? What possible connection could they have to this case? There is none.

While Rev. Sharpton has taken this case to promote his cause in highlighting the injustice in the jailing policies of this nation and California in particular, he is not part of the issue at hand. Whether Rev. Sharpton succeeds or not, the fact remains that Ms. Hilton has been treated preferentially and there is no question that ANY other woman would not be treated in a similar manner. This is obvious and to involve him beyond this point is not reporting the news but molding it. When the media molds news we get ‘yellow journalism’ and false reporting.

That is part of the reason Mr. Simpson has held back from discussing this case. It has nothing to do with him. He just happens to be the favorite ‘whipping boy’ of the media. Since the start of the overly-publicized trial, in which he received representation equal to that of many notable celebrities, entertainers and rich individuals, the media has been beating up on him. To this day, cable news (I will single out Fox News as I watch it predominantly) often finds ways of mentioning the OJ Simpson trial on virtually every trial from Phil Spector to this case with Paris Hilton. It makes no sense.

Beyond the fact that many in this nation cannot accept the verdict in the OJ case, virtually a decade later, there is no cause for this. Mr. Simpson had a case where the benefit of high priced lawyers worked for African Americans, something that rarely occurs in our legal system. All the benefits that the price-tag of such lawyers provide were bestowed upon Mr. Simpson and he prevailed. How often has that happened before? Too many to count, just not for Black defendants.

But I digress. Why do the media want to focus this case on Mr. Simpson? To bring his name into a discussion of injustice? Odd since his trial is a clear example of justice on a fair and level playing field. I would again state that it is a manner in which to obfuscate what is happening with Ms. Hilton. It is an example of soundbite news that has proliferated every aspect of the news. Here is an example of what I mean,

“I have friends all over the country, none of them heard a word about the latest events in the Sean Bell Case. I’m in New York State, barely any comment in the last 24 hours. I do watch a lot of cable news, but I’m not glued to it so there may have been somewhat more coverage. But I can say that in 4 hours I saw 2 mentions of the case for 45 seconds each. In the same time I saw 5 minutes of Anna Nicole Smith, and 6 mentions and 12 minutes on the woman shot by unknown individuals in her bed. There was no less than a half hour of information about the Boy Scout that was in the woods. Seem fair?

Concluded in Part 3...

Why OJ Simpson won't talk about Paris Hilton - 6.12.2007.1

Well I am shocked. Why? Because Mr. OJ Simpson is being asked to comment about Paris Hilton. This is all just too much. The insanity has gone to levels that are far too high.

I have mentioned previously that it might be speculated that Rev. Al Sharpton was being asked to comment on the jailing/release/jailing of Ms. Hilton
as a diversion on behalf of the Hilton family. In essence it is plausible that the Hilton family has tried to change the tone of this story, away from the liberal application of punishment against Ms. Hilton, to one that is more racially motivated. I stated,

“But be ready for the general news media to spin this in to a race issue. If they do it will divert attention from Paris Hilton to Rev. Al Sharpton. It will obscure what happened with issues that while real, do not apply here. Its smoke and mirrors played in front of televisions across America. And it may well happen.”

I continue to feel this is the case. In furtherance of the abovementioned quote is the fact that now Mr. OJ Simpson is being pursued for comment. Now I have had my disagreements with both Mr. Simpson

“Personally I will say this. The charges were wrong and the police failed in the investigation. ... Also little things bother me about the evidence. One item that always stuck in my head is the single bloody sock. If a sock is soaked with blood, so therefore are the feet, and if this sock is found next to a bed on a white carpet where are the bloody footprints? ... As for the trial, it was an example of what money can do for a person. If this were a rich white athlete or other entertainer, I don’t see there being quite the same outrage. The defense did what they were paid for....

and with Rev. Sharpton

“… Well, Rev. Sharpton did start the National Youth Movement in 1971. In his bid to run for president in 2004 he campaigned on issues such as: Increase political consciousness and awareness, affirmative action and anti-death penalty policy, economic justice at home, and others. … The Rev. Sharton is not known for these things though. The Tawana Brawley case of November 28, 1987 is what made him a national figure. He is also known for his slurs to Jews, Koreans and Whites in general. … deserve quality as opposed to a flashy and questionable voice in an arena as important as politics? …”

Continued in part 2...

Start the party, Paris Hilton is back in jail - 6.8.2007.1

With glee I can say the semblance of justice has been returned. I like the judge in this case. Money and politics has not swayed him. Skinny ultra-rich trust fund, in my opinion inept, individuals beware – you can go to jail too.

There is nothing that satisfied me more than hearing that Paris Hilton was screaming, “It’s not fair” when the judge stated that she must serve all 45 days in jail. Her attempts to avoid appearing before the court today failed. The judge had police officers go to her house and take her to the courtroom to appear before him. The pleas that her medical issue, whether a rash or impending mental impairment, could not be handled by law enforcement officials fell on deaf ears. Then he remanded her to jail for the full 45 day period and not the 23-ish days he had to serve previously.

I have no sympathy. The fact she is crying and reportedly in shock is no surprise. I equate this to punishing a 3 year old, they don’t like it and often they may cry. Perhaps, in my opinion, if such discipline were applied to this seemingly vapid woman then she would not have the problem she has now. This is all consequences of her own actions, and no one else’s. The fact she doesn’t want to go to jail is neither surprising nor unusual. Her attempts to avoid punishment are obvious and insulting. Equally obvious is that judges don’t like to be insulted.

If Paris Hilton has a nervous breakdown, I will not feel pity. She can go to a mental facility just like anyone else would. If she is so without mental fortitude that she can’t handle a month and a half in solitary confinement, without the lavish luxuries she is accustomed to, she has larger problems in her life. I hope that this deprivation of wealth and celebrity will teach her a lesson that she seems to have never learned in life. A dose of reality can only do her good.

This is what I think, what do you think?