40th Annual NAACP Image Awards

For those that are needing another Awards show fix until the Oscar Awards, there is hope. The 40th Annual NAACP Image Awards show is just over 24 hours away. Rejoice.

Actually this awards show should be interesting for more than the fact that it highlights the achievements of people of color, something rarely done by the Academy Awards. This year is also the 100th anniversary of the NAACP. Thus I expect the television broadcast to be quite special.

There will be stars a plenty as well. Halle Berry and Tyler Perry will be presenting. Which says nothing of those celebrities in attendance. All of whom I expect to note the significance of what the NAACP has done over the years.

A special honoree will be Muhammad Ali. He is a man well deserving of recognition and I am happy to know he will be singled out for praise. He is one of the major catalysts in some of the changes that have occurred in sports, television, and international perceptions of African Americans. More should credit what he has done and achieved.

Another honoree will be Russell Simmons. He has been highly influential beyond just music. He has been a great role model of how successful any African American businessperson can be. His empire of clothing, music, finance, televison and film ventures is the match of most any business. Such is the power of a mind dedicated in its purpose.

But on the pure awards front here are a few of the categories and my thoughts.

Outstanding Picture:
"Cadillac Records"
"Miracle at St. Anna"
"The Secret Life of Bees"
"Seven Pounds" – I expect this to win
"Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys"

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Derek Luke – "Miracle at St. Anna"
Don Cheadle – "Traitor" - This is my pick
Jeffrey Wright – "Cadillac Records"
Rob Brown – "The Express"
Will Smith – "Seven Pounds" - The main competition

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Alfre Woodard – "Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys"
Angela Bassett – "Tyler Perry’s Meet The Browns" - Probable winner
Dakota Fanning – "The Secret Life of Bees" - main competition
Queen Latifah – "The Secret Life of Bees"
Rosario Dawson – "Seven Pounds"

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Cedric the Entertainer – "Cadillac Records"
Columbus Short – "Cadillac Records"
Dev Patel – "Slumdog Millionaire" - Great choice for popularity with the Oscars
Mos Def – "Cadillac Records"
Nate Parker – "The Secret Life of Bees"

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Alicia Keys – "The Secret Life of Bees"
Beyoncé Knowles – "Cadillac Records"
Jennifer Hudson – "The Secret Life of Bees" - The winner
Sophie Okonedo – "The Secret Life of Bees"
Taraji P. Henson – "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
"Ballast"
"Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom"
"Rachel Getting Married"
"Slumdog Millionaire"
"The Visitor"

I am amazed that this category did not include A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy or Diary of a Tired Black Man. I would really have loved to see Diary win too. But such controversy is beyond the NAACP I suppose.

Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture
"Captain Abu Raed"
"The Class"
"Mongol" - Possible winner (but I have not seen it)
"Song of Sparrows"
"Under the Same Moon"

Outstanding Documentary
"The Black List"
"Black Magic"
"CNN Presents: Black in America"
"Dare Not Walk Alone"
"Trouble the Water"

I have no idea in this list, but I would guess it will be CNN. Mostly because of the very positive coverage of President Obama throughout the election.

I am not covering the television choices because I feel that there really is no choice available. There are virtually no lead actors, and too little diversity in television to really have a selection to choose from. That is not the fault of the NAACP, but Hollywood and its double standards. [Though I will say that Sean Combs should never win.]

So with that said, there is your next Awards fix.

Russell Simmons to Presidential candidates: I have a question - 1.29.2008.1

So here is something you don’t hear about every day. In fact it’s something you probably have not heard about at all.

Many celebrities, entertainers and notable figures in America are involved with the Presidential candidates. Most are endorsing this candidate or that one. Famously so far in this nomination cycle there has been Ted Kennedy, Jon Voight, Viggo Mortensen, Chuck Norris, Barbara Streisand, and of course Oprah Winfrey. That is just to name a few of those involved at the moment.

The various Presidential candidates love the attention that famous figures bring to their campaigns. Most of the time. There are exceptions, one of those being when they are getting questioned by the famous. Then it’s not something they want to get into so publicly. Just as often, it’s something they won’t respond to either.

Case in point is the fact that Russell Simmons, the equally famous brother of Rev. Run, currently known for his Run’s House cable television show and previously for Run-DMC the rap group. Mr. Simmons is a respected businessman, a mogul that launched his career with rap hip hop and has expanded from there. None question his acumen, nor his dedication to improve the lives of African Americans. He has long been a symbol of success, without the need to degrade women and exploit stereotypes as say Bob Johnson – creator of Black Entertainment Television – did.

Recently Mr. Simmons joined with Dr. Benjamin Chavis, and health and spirituality author Deepak Chopra in sending an open letter to the Presidential candidates.

“The questions included asking the candidates to discuss their thoughts on being inclusive of people who might not be part of the political mainstream, the importance of diversity, issues related to the environment, poverty, the war in Iraq, and how to move towards, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. put it, a “beloved community” where all humans are treated with respect , justice and love.”

Considering the enormity of what the next President of the United States will be deciding, choosing paths that will determine the direction and presence of the nation for at least the next decade or longer, I commend their action.

I just hope they get a response.

Given the fame and success of these individuals, and the ability to influence and connect with the vast numbers of hip hop and rap fans of voting age, I would expect they will get a response. Except that this response has been pledged to be released, uneditied, to the public. Based on my own experience, that may not get a response.

Since 2006 I have been awaiting responses from several of the Presidential candidates. I have sent out letters and contacted the various campaign staffs, all to no avail. To date, not one candidate has responded to the letters I have sent out. I suspect that it is the fact that I will be releasing the answers, verbatim, for the public to view. While I reach Americans and international readers in over 60 nations besides virtually every state of the nation (including Alaska) and number my readers in the tens of thousands each month, the fear is that everyone will see their written responses, I suspect.

A written response is undeniable. It’s not like a speech or debate, where they are limited in the scope of their answer or can be misunderstood in the context of their answer. It does not provide the candidates wiggle room to say one thing and then flip that answer later. Plus in reaching the world, they will not be able to tailor the answer to a specific groups or local concern. Listen to how every candidate speaks about farming issues in Iowa; cars, unions, and industry in Michigan; religion and race relations in South Carolina; and you see that they often change the focus of how they sell themselves. And if you listen closely you will find that they at times contradict what they have said at different times in front of different groups. But a written answer does not allow for a forgetful mind or a short, overly simplified, ambiguous (non-)answer.

Thus I expect that while the fame and recognition of Russell Simmons far exceeds my own, he will receive the same response I have. None at all.

And that is an insult and shame.

The candidates hope to be the President of America. To be the leader of the nation. I understand that every question sent to them cannot be responded to. I understand that their staffers qualify who gets to be acknowledged based on their own biases. I can accept that my tens of thousands of readers may not be enough for the candidates’ radars (though it is more than enough to change the elections of 2004 and 2000 combined), or that the emphasis I have to Black and Hispanic/Latino issues is “too controversial”. But that is not true of entertainers.

Presidential candidates use entertainers and celebrities to buy votes. Their fame is the currency they use to convince voters of the worth of the candidate. But it is those same notable figures that have the ability to get answers individuals like myself are denied. And they should be able to have that reply and put it in the public view.

Barack may want my sister to vote for him, and will use Oprah to gain her attention and trust for that vote. But shouldn’t Oprah share, in writing if possible, the answers to questions of importance that Obama gave her to gain her trust and endorsement? Wouldn’t it be equally as compelling to know that the concerns of Oprah, or George Clooney, or Rick Schroder or whatever celebrity/entertainer are the same as ours and the answer that made them sure this was the right choice?

I think so. But to do so is to be honest and direct. 2 things that politicians are not known for, no matter who they are. But I hope to be proven wrong.

We will see if Russell Simmons gets his answer. I hope he does get one, and that it is shared with us all. It’s what should be done. But I won’t get my hopes up, no matter the fame, recognition and deserved success of the person asking the questions.

Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy - 10.13.2007.1

Keep an eye out on the horizon for a new movie that will be coming out probably next year. The movie is called Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy.

This is not a comedy show, like The Kings of Comedy or Mr. Eddie Murphy’s RAW. This is a documentary. Now before you say well that’s too boring and I won’t see it, listen to who is involved.

Beside the fact that it is being co-produced by Mr. Robert Townsend, who is no slouch in his own right, it contains interviews with some of the top Black comedians around today. That includes D.L. Hughley, the Wayans brothers, Paul Mooney, Tommy Davison, Reynaldo Ray, Marla Gibbs, Eddie Griffin and Katt Williams.

But this documentary, like Black comedy, will also include political commentary and thoughts from the world of hip-hop from noted individuals like Dr. Cornel West, Stanley Crouch and Russell Simmons.

At just 90 minutes some of the best go from their comedy routines to the roots of what is happening in the Black community and how they transform these topical and emotional events into humor. From Don Imus, to OJ Simpson, to Jena 6 and more.

If this doesn’t sound like something you want to keep an eye out for, what else is there for you to look forward to? How often are you able to not only see where the comedy comes from but how and why it affects us all. How comedy interacts with all the facets of life in America, especially for those of us who often have no other voice to carry in the media and public.

With the people associated so far, one thing is certain. There will be quality and depth and intelligence. Insight and debate will ensue. Critical questions will be posed. And isn’t that one of the things that we expect from movies?