Kinda crazy that this continues to happen. First, I find out that two of my favorite actresses, Rosalind Russell and Angelina Jolie, share the same birthday. Now, I find out that two of my favorite singers, Dinah Washington and Michael Jackson, also share the same b-day. Two very unique, beautiful voices who had lives with many highs and lows. Two unique souls who left too soon.
To be frank, I mainly heard Dinah during those K-Tel commercials during the 80s. And then there was that drag queen on Sally Jesse Raphael who sang To Sir With Love in the voices of a dozen of fantastic female singers like Doris Day, Eartha Kitt, and of course, Dinah. Finally, when I hit college, a Tower Records moved in a block away from campus and I finally bought one of her CDs - finally, I found my favorite female voice. Sure, Ella's voice had this elegance and grace about it, but there was something about Dinah. It could be sharp, tarty, soulful and kinda bell-like. Plus, I read up on her life in the liner notes - too much drama and upheaval, largely due to the desire to 'fit the part'. At any rate, I just loved her voice and the fact that she was so scrappy in life.
And as for Michael, some of his life shadows Dinah, although I never heard of him pulling a weapon out on anyone. He had similar hang ups about his looks, but had the financial means and the upgraded technologies to do something about it. Sadly, his improvements alienated some and was used against him at every turn. Nevertheless, I love him - the everchanging looks, the dancing, the smile, and of course, that voice. A beautiful, bell-like quality. Michael was just moving, whether he was on top of the world or in the midst of a crisis and he remains that way, even though he is gone.
Showing posts with label memorium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label memorium. Show all posts
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Rue McClanahan... gone
I realize that Rue passed away weeks ago, but I needed to mark her passing, regardless of how much time has passed.
For me, The Golden Girls' Blanche was an acquired taste. I understood Rose's innocence, Dorothy's doubts, and Sophia's scrappiness, but Blanche was one of the elements that I had to grow on; fortunately, once I hit my 20s, I finally 'got' Blanche. And in subsequent years, I realized that of all of the characters, Blanche came 'of age' during the run of the show. Yes, Blanche was known to be the sexy, promiscuous one of the bunch, but you also saw how she repaired her damaged relationships with her children, grapple with her own aging (getting a pacemaker comes to mind, along with doubting her allure, albeit temporarily), deal with the residual pain of being widowed and adapting to life choices of family members (brother Clayton's homosexuality and Big Daddy's marriage to a younger woman and his long ago affair with her nanny).
But enough with the internal reconciliations - some of Blanche's best moments involved the rest of her roommates. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my favorite Blanche clips on Utube, like when Blanche was trying to comfort Rose and Dorothy after they had a falling out due to their children sexing each other. Or the clip when Blanche taunted Sophia while she was on a date with Fidel Santiago, resulting in one of Sophia's best burns. But the clips I did find illustrate the awesomeness of Blanche, which Rue McClanahan portrayed with effortless panache.
For me, The Golden Girls' Blanche was an acquired taste. I understood Rose's innocence, Dorothy's doubts, and Sophia's scrappiness, but Blanche was one of the elements that I had to grow on; fortunately, once I hit my 20s, I finally 'got' Blanche. And in subsequent years, I realized that of all of the characters, Blanche came 'of age' during the run of the show. Yes, Blanche was known to be the sexy, promiscuous one of the bunch, but you also saw how she repaired her damaged relationships with her children, grapple with her own aging (getting a pacemaker comes to mind, along with doubting her allure, albeit temporarily), deal with the residual pain of being widowed and adapting to life choices of family members (brother Clayton's homosexuality and Big Daddy's marriage to a younger woman and his long ago affair with her nanny).
But enough with the internal reconciliations - some of Blanche's best moments involved the rest of her roommates. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my favorite Blanche clips on Utube, like when Blanche was trying to comfort Rose and Dorothy after they had a falling out due to their children sexing each other. Or the clip when Blanche taunted Sophia while she was on a date with Fidel Santiago, resulting in one of Sophia's best burns. But the clips I did find illustrate the awesomeness of Blanche, which Rue McClanahan portrayed with effortless panache.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Happy Birthday, Marilyn Monroe!!!
She was an unexpected surprise to me, a fact that may be lost on some. Like many so-called icons, she was talked up so much, that I didn't want to look into why so many loved her. But thanks to ole skool, commercial-free, actually showing classic movies American Movie Classic, I got a sample of why so many found Marilyn special.
She really was special - vulnerable and absolutely adorable. Sexy, of course, but that's only incidental, IMO. She was soft, both in manner and in appearance, something that women should aspire to more often.
Loved Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, especially because of the friendship between Dorothy and Lorelei. Marilyn was rarely paired with other women, in terms of friendships, and no, I can't count How to Marry a Millionaire because that was more about strategy. I wished that Marilyn was paired with more women, in terms of onscreen relationships - maybe it would've made her seem less threatening, although I still have a problem with women being threatened by another woman's sexuality, especially when the sexuality is far from pornographic or superficial. After all, Jean Harlow was often pair with Una Merkal and that onscreen pairing did wonders to add dimension to Harlow's persona (and it was fun and funny).
At any rate, this clip is the reason why Marilyn was added to my list of actresses/stars whose tears at the hands of another warrants butchy, ass-kicking wrath, because some hearts should not be hurt, whether accidentally or intentionally.
She really was special - vulnerable and absolutely adorable. Sexy, of course, but that's only incidental, IMO. She was soft, both in manner and in appearance, something that women should aspire to more often.
Loved Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, especially because of the friendship between Dorothy and Lorelei. Marilyn was rarely paired with other women, in terms of friendships, and no, I can't count How to Marry a Millionaire because that was more about strategy. I wished that Marilyn was paired with more women, in terms of onscreen relationships - maybe it would've made her seem less threatening, although I still have a problem with women being threatened by another woman's sexuality, especially when the sexuality is far from pornographic or superficial. After all, Jean Harlow was often pair with Una Merkal and that onscreen pairing did wonders to add dimension to Harlow's persona (and it was fun and funny).
At any rate, this clip is the reason why Marilyn was added to my list of actresses/stars whose tears at the hands of another warrants butchy, ass-kicking wrath, because some hearts should not be hurt, whether accidentally or intentionally.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Gary Coleman... gone
I like how fans are giving celebs their flowers while they are still hear. I really love how Betty White is getting hers; kinda dubious about Brett Michaels is getting his, especially if the flowers seem to be ill-gotten (The Apprentice). Nevertheless, people should let others know that their efforts are appreciated while they are coherent and healthy enough to appreciate it. Sadly, Gary Coleman didn't get his until he was in a coma, so who knows if he ever heard or knew about them.
Didn't much care for the press' treatment of his death on Friday, especially the way The Insider handled it. Yes, they were respectful, but they were also deceitful and hypocritical. They should've acknowledged that their stage was the scene of one of Gary's last public humiliations and that it was at the hands of legal expert Lisa Bloom, who preceded to do a victory lap on various 24/7 news outlets like CNN and HLN. I hope our peroxided Ursula relished the amulet containing Coleman's outburst because hopefully, her conduct after the unwarranted confrontation will be remembered, just as Nancy Grace's grilling of Melinda Duckett continues to be a black mark.
At any rate, I hope that at some point, Gary was proud of his work on television. As I said in a previous post, I will never understand this conspiracy of making people/audiences forget. Gary Coleman was more than 'What'cha talkin' 'bout, Willis?' Hell, the first season of Diff'rent Strokes wasn't made by that line. It was the sincerity of the performances. It was the writing. It was the chemistry among the actors. It was the way that the child actors melded with their adult counterparts. It was too bad that Diff'rent Strokes drifted away from those elements and at points, became too preachy and heavy. But then again, the audience was partly to blame, since they had certain expectations on how things should've played out onscreen and off, resulting in limited opportunities for the younger actors.
Nevertheless, Gary Coleman possessed a spark. And while he carried it onto Diff'rent Strokes, he had it long before, as demonstrated on previous guest starring appearances like on Good Times and The Jeffersons. His appearance on The Jeffersons was one of my favorite performances - loud/smart-mouthed Raymond, George's nephew from Chicago. Little Raymond gave Uncle George the blues BIG TIME!
Doing good work, at some point, is better than never doing it at all. And the fact that Gary did it while battling serious health problems deserves additional consideration. Hopefully, NOW, Gary will find some peace and maybe, a resurgent (albeit procrastinated) amount of respect.
Didn't much care for the press' treatment of his death on Friday, especially the way The Insider handled it. Yes, they were respectful, but they were also deceitful and hypocritical. They should've acknowledged that their stage was the scene of one of Gary's last public humiliations and that it was at the hands of legal expert Lisa Bloom, who preceded to do a victory lap on various 24/7 news outlets like CNN and HLN. I hope our peroxided Ursula relished the amulet containing Coleman's outburst because hopefully, her conduct after the unwarranted confrontation will be remembered, just as Nancy Grace's grilling of Melinda Duckett continues to be a black mark.
At any rate, I hope that at some point, Gary was proud of his work on television. As I said in a previous post, I will never understand this conspiracy of making people/audiences forget. Gary Coleman was more than 'What'cha talkin' 'bout, Willis?' Hell, the first season of Diff'rent Strokes wasn't made by that line. It was the sincerity of the performances. It was the writing. It was the chemistry among the actors. It was the way that the child actors melded with their adult counterparts. It was too bad that Diff'rent Strokes drifted away from those elements and at points, became too preachy and heavy. But then again, the audience was partly to blame, since they had certain expectations on how things should've played out onscreen and off, resulting in limited opportunities for the younger actors.
Nevertheless, Gary Coleman possessed a spark. And while he carried it onto Diff'rent Strokes, he had it long before, as demonstrated on previous guest starring appearances like on Good Times and The Jeffersons. His appearance on The Jeffersons was one of my favorite performances - loud/smart-mouthed Raymond, George's nephew from Chicago. Little Raymond gave Uncle George the blues BIG TIME!
Doing good work, at some point, is better than never doing it at all. And the fact that Gary did it while battling serious health problems deserves additional consideration. Hopefully, NOW, Gary will find some peace and maybe, a resurgent (albeit procrastinated) amount of respect.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Lena Horne... gone
Saying that the world has gotten a little less pretty would be a tool bag thing to say. Something that a pedestrian observer would say who knew little about Lena Horne. Mind you, I am not an expert on all things Lena Horne - not by any stretch. However, I was fortunate enough to pay attention when programs like PBS's American Masters decided to delve beneath the glossy, arrestingly beautiful veneer, revealing a rather complex woman who, despite her beauty, which opened some doors, was wounded by the times she lived in and through. Unfortunately, these difficulties get a passing acknowledgment, but hopefully, if her life story makes it to the screen, she will get more of a due than she's getting now.
Of course, I will always remember her for Cabin In the Sky, Stormy Weather, and her appearance on Sanford and Son. And The Wiz too. But this commercial was probably Lena's last public appearance.
Of course, I will always remember her for Cabin In the Sky, Stormy Weather, and her appearance on Sanford and Son. And The Wiz too. But this commercial was probably Lena's last public appearance.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Dixie Carter... gone
It is unfortunate that my first entry for April is about this. Mind you, Suzanne and Charlene were my favorites, which is not to say that Mary Jo and Julia were slouches, because they were not. Especially, Julia.
Julia Sugarbaker.
It's strange, but lately, I've been thinking about sitcom rants - Steve's bathroom and naked bottoms rants on Coupling; Edina's rants about the laws and the sucking away of fun in favor of political correctness on Absolutely Fabulous. Yeah - the Brits know how to write fantastic rants. But the Bloodworth-Thomasons of the late 80s and early 90s were no joke and thankfully, they cast Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker and she delivered the goods every single time.
Carter, a conservative, remarked that everytime she had to give a Julia tear, which was usually in a liberal vein, the Bloodworth-Thomasons had to give her an opportunity to sing on the show. I assume that this clip was a result of the under the table bargain. And it's just funny as hell!
And rarely did Julia make a misstep, but when she did, it was fantastic:
But Carter's signature, beyond the much lamented cocky walk and great legs, was her rants. One of my favorites didn't require her to yell or anything, but I think of it whenever I go into Barnes & Noble or any bookstore. It involved Julia attempting to buy Tess of the d'Urbervilles and a kid was minding the register - a kid who obviously wasn't that into books. He didn't know where Julia could find Tess because he never heard of it, but he knew where she could find 'the hind end of a cartoon cat' that you could attach to your car window with suction cups. Just the way Julia pronounced 'literature' - classic. I hope to find that clip, but there are others that are classic Julia 'The Terminator' Sugarbaker moments. Like this:
So... a hat tip to one of the last great big shouldered, big-mouthed dames to ever grace night-time television.
Julia Sugarbaker.
It's strange, but lately, I've been thinking about sitcom rants - Steve's bathroom and naked bottoms rants on Coupling; Edina's rants about the laws and the sucking away of fun in favor of political correctness on Absolutely Fabulous. Yeah - the Brits know how to write fantastic rants. But the Bloodworth-Thomasons of the late 80s and early 90s were no joke and thankfully, they cast Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker and she delivered the goods every single time.
Carter, a conservative, remarked that everytime she had to give a Julia tear, which was usually in a liberal vein, the Bloodworth-Thomasons had to give her an opportunity to sing on the show. I assume that this clip was a result of the under the table bargain. And it's just funny as hell!
And rarely did Julia make a misstep, but when she did, it was fantastic:
But Carter's signature, beyond the much lamented cocky walk and great legs, was her rants. One of my favorites didn't require her to yell or anything, but I think of it whenever I go into Barnes & Noble or any bookstore. It involved Julia attempting to buy Tess of the d'Urbervilles and a kid was minding the register - a kid who obviously wasn't that into books. He didn't know where Julia could find Tess because he never heard of it, but he knew where she could find 'the hind end of a cartoon cat' that you could attach to your car window with suction cups. Just the way Julia pronounced 'literature' - classic. I hope to find that clip, but there are others that are classic Julia 'The Terminator' Sugarbaker moments. Like this:
So... a hat tip to one of the last great big shouldered, big-mouthed dames to ever grace night-time television.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
One of my Sunday morning rituals... to be gone
For the last 10-15 years, I usually do two things, without fail: watch CBS Sunday Morning; and watch At the Movies. Last week, an announcement came - At the Movies is being canceled.
A colossal disappointment to me and I've been very vocal about not allowing critics to dictate people's movie choices, namely mine. I came to this conclusion last year because the two Bens were at the helm, plus I exposed myself to Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB way too much. But I fixed part of the issue by not camping out at RT and IMDB and the powers that be at Disney took care of the other problems. And now, it looks like Disney think that they are fixing things by canceling At the Movies altogether, but per usual, Disney went a bit too far.
Disney were idiots to not negotiate with Roger Ebert to keep the thumps up/down rating system and they were definitely idiots for hiring the smarmy, much too green Bens, and having a panel of critics discussing films like it was a lightning round on a game show. Yes, Disney was very stupid. But the one thing they got right was hiring A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips, who did manage to recapture some of Siskel and Ebert's chemistry. Sure, they were within the league of Ebert and Roeper, but it was good enough and certainly, compelling enough to watch.
The time to cancel the show was when Ebert finally had to bow out. Not to take anything away from Richard Roeper, since he didn't do anything wrong, but Ebert was the last vestige of the Siskel and Ebert brand. His presence was reassuring to people. But with him gone and Disney's stubbornness about trying to keep some trace of the Siskel and Ebert legacy (read: the thumbs up/down), At the Movies became just another movie review show... for a time. I truly believe that Scott and Phillip could've made a successful go of it, if given a legitimate chance.
Disney, of all companies, should've understood how certain components can solidify a brand. How many years have 'When You Wish Upon a Star' been their signature song? And if that wasn't enough of an example (although it should've been), they could look at my other favorite, CBS Sunday Morning. That show suffered a huge blow when Charles Kuralt died, but they took their time and found a suitable replacement in Charles Osgood. And most importantly, they retained the show's identity by not changing the opening credits too much and keeping the trumpet fanfare. That trumpet fanfare is part of CBS Sunday Morning's identity, and although they rerecord the fanfare every few years, it retains its integrity.
Subtle things like this is important to people. I only wished that, along the way, Disney would've recognized this and treated At the Movies with the respect that it deserved.
Well, at least I have it until August.
A colossal disappointment to me and I've been very vocal about not allowing critics to dictate people's movie choices, namely mine. I came to this conclusion last year because the two Bens were at the helm, plus I exposed myself to Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB way too much. But I fixed part of the issue by not camping out at RT and IMDB and the powers that be at Disney took care of the other problems. And now, it looks like Disney think that they are fixing things by canceling At the Movies altogether, but per usual, Disney went a bit too far.
Disney were idiots to not negotiate with Roger Ebert to keep the thumps up/down rating system and they were definitely idiots for hiring the smarmy, much too green Bens, and having a panel of critics discussing films like it was a lightning round on a game show. Yes, Disney was very stupid. But the one thing they got right was hiring A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips, who did manage to recapture some of Siskel and Ebert's chemistry. Sure, they were within the league of Ebert and Roeper, but it was good enough and certainly, compelling enough to watch.
The time to cancel the show was when Ebert finally had to bow out. Not to take anything away from Richard Roeper, since he didn't do anything wrong, but Ebert was the last vestige of the Siskel and Ebert brand. His presence was reassuring to people. But with him gone and Disney's stubbornness about trying to keep some trace of the Siskel and Ebert legacy (read: the thumbs up/down), At the Movies became just another movie review show... for a time. I truly believe that Scott and Phillip could've made a successful go of it, if given a legitimate chance.
Disney, of all companies, should've understood how certain components can solidify a brand. How many years have 'When You Wish Upon a Star' been their signature song? And if that wasn't enough of an example (although it should've been), they could look at my other favorite, CBS Sunday Morning. That show suffered a huge blow when Charles Kuralt died, but they took their time and found a suitable replacement in Charles Osgood. And most importantly, they retained the show's identity by not changing the opening credits too much and keeping the trumpet fanfare. That trumpet fanfare is part of CBS Sunday Morning's identity, and although they rerecord the fanfare every few years, it retains its integrity.
Subtle things like this is important to people. I only wished that, along the way, Disney would've recognized this and treated At the Movies with the respect that it deserved.
Well, at least I have it until August.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
To counterbalance the funk I'm in
Apparently, MJ, despite being gone, has inked an unprecedented recording deal with Sony, which promises at least $250M to his estate. Good news, right? Except, I had to hear this from the anchors of World News Now. They showed a segment about other late recording stars and how many records they sold after they died. Freddie Mercury and Queen made around $30M in record sales since Mercury's passing in '91; Kurt Cobain and Nirvana made around $27M in record sales since Kobain's suicide in '94; and Elvis made around $31M in record sales since his death in '77.
And yet, when they talked about Michael, they poor talked it, saying that his record sales have falling off sharply?
Errr... Jeremy and Vinita... Michael Jackson died less than 9 months ago and he made $31M in record sales since then. $31M for pre-existing material that people have likely bought two or three times prior to his death, due to changes in recording mediums. We are talking about new material that fans are obviously hungry for. And sorry, douches, but the reason why the single This is It didn't do better was because of Paul Anka's ridiculous hissy fit. If he would've shut up and talked to the executors instead of taking it to the Inside Editions and Extras, he would've gotten some major bank. But, as Kelly Bundy would say... Case of rum, case of rum.
That annoyed me, but again, a divine spark has directed me to this little gem. MJ was so adorable in this, which makes me even happier that more money is coming in for his children.
And yet, when they talked about Michael, they poor talked it, saying that his record sales have falling off sharply?
Errr... Jeremy and Vinita... Michael Jackson died less than 9 months ago and he made $31M in record sales since then. $31M for pre-existing material that people have likely bought two or three times prior to his death, due to changes in recording mediums. We are talking about new material that fans are obviously hungry for. And sorry, douches, but the reason why the single This is It didn't do better was because of Paul Anka's ridiculous hissy fit. If he would've shut up and talked to the executors instead of taking it to the Inside Editions and Extras, he would've gotten some major bank. But, as Kelly Bundy would say... Case of rum, case of rum.
That annoyed me, but again, a divine spark has directed me to this little gem. MJ was so adorable in this, which makes me even happier that more money is coming in for his children.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Peter Graves... gone
I realize that many will remember him and Mission Impossible, or as that creepy-@$$ed pilot from Airplane!, but I prefer to remember him as one of the hosts of A & E's Biography, my prime time staple during the 90s. And for this:
Saturday, February 13, 2010
To fellow MJ fans... a word
For months, I've lurked on various MJ fan sites/discussion boards in the hope of hastening the mourning process and for the most part, doing this was helpful. However, I have come across pockets of fans who are overzealous in their appreciation of MJ's contributions to their lives. They come off as overly sensitive and possessive and worse, they think that their 'taking up for Michael' is some sort of divine mission - not an exaggeration, given that some have made him into some sort of deity.
Michael Jackson wasn't a deity. He was a man. A very special man, but a man. And yes, I have on, more than a few occasions, engaged in overindulgent behavior when it comes to this man; however, I haven't forgotten about the gift that this man bestowed on me and numerous others: the ability to be receptive to new experiences.
It is very hard to remain receptive in the current world, because you are constantly assailed with vindictiveness, mediocrity, and outright pantload, but it is a battle worth waging. Mercifully, a little part of me held on to receptiveness, despite Mary Hart and Entertainment Tonight's infiltration of the We Are the World 25 Haiti recording. Thanks to the bad editing and Mary Hart's posturing, I was fully prepared to hate the update. How thoroughly wrong I would've been.
First of all, for me, nothing will ever overshadow the original version of We Are the World. I loved that song so much, I even bought the full length LP, which feature other artists like Steve Perry, Prince, Tina Turner and Bruce Springsteen. I remember singing it, along with my classmates, in music class. That original version is entrenched inside of me; however, I would be lying if I didn't say that I am feeling the updated version, especially the new material featuring rappers/hip hop artists. Initially, I thought, along with many, that Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones were posturing when they implied that MJ would be on board with this version, but I honestly think that they were right. MJ was many things, but mostly, he was a collaborator. He fed on the creative energies of others, especially the 'others' who were, seemingly, outside of his comfort zone.
Did the new version have big-marquee names like the original version? No. Has something like this been done before? No. But thinking back on the other charity singles like Do They Know It's Christmas? or Hands Across America, or Voices that Care or even the hip hop charity/public awareness projects like Self Destruction or We're All In the Same Gang, We Are the World seems to be the only single that withstood the test of time and can be improved upon without the threat of destroying it's original integrity.
No, it's not mandatory for fans to embrace the updated version, but for pete's sake, don't use your reticence to manipulate MJ's actual legacy. MJ was not Norma Desmond, folks - so desperate to cling onto past glories that they became distorted to grotesque proportions.
He was a man who wrote a pretty good song, which clearly, still has a life of its own. Wouldn't that make MJ happy?
Michael Jackson wasn't a deity. He was a man. A very special man, but a man. And yes, I have on, more than a few occasions, engaged in overindulgent behavior when it comes to this man; however, I haven't forgotten about the gift that this man bestowed on me and numerous others: the ability to be receptive to new experiences.
It is very hard to remain receptive in the current world, because you are constantly assailed with vindictiveness, mediocrity, and outright pantload, but it is a battle worth waging. Mercifully, a little part of me held on to receptiveness, despite Mary Hart and Entertainment Tonight's infiltration of the We Are the World 25 Haiti recording. Thanks to the bad editing and Mary Hart's posturing, I was fully prepared to hate the update. How thoroughly wrong I would've been.
First of all, for me, nothing will ever overshadow the original version of We Are the World. I loved that song so much, I even bought the full length LP, which feature other artists like Steve Perry, Prince, Tina Turner and Bruce Springsteen. I remember singing it, along with my classmates, in music class. That original version is entrenched inside of me; however, I would be lying if I didn't say that I am feeling the updated version, especially the new material featuring rappers/hip hop artists. Initially, I thought, along with many, that Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones were posturing when they implied that MJ would be on board with this version, but I honestly think that they were right. MJ was many things, but mostly, he was a collaborator. He fed on the creative energies of others, especially the 'others' who were, seemingly, outside of his comfort zone.
Did the new version have big-marquee names like the original version? No. Has something like this been done before? No. But thinking back on the other charity singles like Do They Know It's Christmas? or Hands Across America, or Voices that Care or even the hip hop charity/public awareness projects like Self Destruction or We're All In the Same Gang, We Are the World seems to be the only single that withstood the test of time and can be improved upon without the threat of destroying it's original integrity.
No, it's not mandatory for fans to embrace the updated version, but for pete's sake, don't use your reticence to manipulate MJ's actual legacy. MJ was not Norma Desmond, folks - so desperate to cling onto past glories that they became distorted to grotesque proportions.
He was a man who wrote a pretty good song, which clearly, still has a life of its own. Wouldn't that make MJ happy?
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Frances Reid... gone
She was 95 years old, so the thought of her having a long life is somewhat comforting. However, I found out about her passing at the hands of an incompetent morning show female DJ who didn't have the decency to know her name.
HER NAME WAS FRANCES REID, DIP$H!T!!!!!
And while it is easy to assume that the DJ in question never watched Days of Our Lives, any soap fan would, or rather, should know the name Frances Reid. She portrayed one half of one of daytime's most indelible soap couples: Alice Horton.
I remember back in the 80s when I dared to switch from CBS to NBC. It was the summer and I was on summer vacation. Reid's Alice Horton was one of the first friendly faces that greeted me. Naturally, there were others like Anna DiMera, Marlena, Calliope, Liz, but Alice Horton was the one who jumped out the most. Such a lovely, welcoming, and at times scrappy presence in the sea of youthful blondes angling for screen time.
And she made homemade donuts... a lot. Who does that except Alice Horton.
And in between being in charge of Salem U's candy stripers, she would willingly help her granddaughters, because it was always her granddaughters, get out of scrapes of their own making. Hope and Jennifer Rose, mainly, although according to soap lore, Julie was a roustabout herself, but that was before my migration.
That initial summer of Days viewing was when Bo and Hope were on the run in New Orleans and Gran would do her best to help keep Larry off of their tail. This was back when Kristin Alphonso had a normal percentage of body fat and neither Bo nor Hope wore on fans' patience with their inexplicable tendency to ruin their romance. Very good memories, given that Alice would help, but never crossed the threshold into being a busybody. She was the grandmother you wish you had. And whenever Alice and Tom celebrated a milestone within their marriage, it was as much of an event as Roman and Marlena, and later John and Marlena, Bo and Hope, Jack and Jennifer, Steve and Kalyla, and any number of supercouples that passed through Salem. If anything, Tom and Alice's celebrations were more precious because they were the benchmark of what couples should be: supportive, faithful, loving, and ever-growing.
Needless to say, it was huge blow when MacDonald Carey passed away in the early 90s; however, Alice's ability to endure and still represent the solidness of the Horton union, even in widowhood, continued to make an indelible impression on Days viewers. And while I jumped ship from Days when Nadia Bjorlin left Days (initially), I still sought out examples of couples similar to the Hortons on other soaps and frankly, there were none to be found. And sadly, that kind of commitment isn't really prized in the current soap climate.
My hope is that Days writers will take their time and create a fitting tribute for Frances Reid. I remember that after Carey passed, Days waited several months to address Tom Horton's passing onscreen. Reid's passing seems even more significant, given that she was the last vestige of the simpler, more elegant part of the Horton legacy. And given that the older fans are still livid about Days' current tendency to cater to their younger demographic, the writers had BETTER do right by Reid and the longtime fans.
Man... I loved Reid's face.
HER NAME WAS FRANCES REID, DIP$H!T!!!!!
And while it is easy to assume that the DJ in question never watched Days of Our Lives, any soap fan would, or rather, should know the name Frances Reid. She portrayed one half of one of daytime's most indelible soap couples: Alice Horton.
I remember back in the 80s when I dared to switch from CBS to NBC. It was the summer and I was on summer vacation. Reid's Alice Horton was one of the first friendly faces that greeted me. Naturally, there were others like Anna DiMera, Marlena, Calliope, Liz, but Alice Horton was the one who jumped out the most. Such a lovely, welcoming, and at times scrappy presence in the sea of youthful blondes angling for screen time.
And she made homemade donuts... a lot. Who does that except Alice Horton.
And in between being in charge of Salem U's candy stripers, she would willingly help her granddaughters, because it was always her granddaughters, get out of scrapes of their own making. Hope and Jennifer Rose, mainly, although according to soap lore, Julie was a roustabout herself, but that was before my migration.
That initial summer of Days viewing was when Bo and Hope were on the run in New Orleans and Gran would do her best to help keep Larry off of their tail. This was back when Kristin Alphonso had a normal percentage of body fat and neither Bo nor Hope wore on fans' patience with their inexplicable tendency to ruin their romance. Very good memories, given that Alice would help, but never crossed the threshold into being a busybody. She was the grandmother you wish you had. And whenever Alice and Tom celebrated a milestone within their marriage, it was as much of an event as Roman and Marlena, and later John and Marlena, Bo and Hope, Jack and Jennifer, Steve and Kalyla, and any number of supercouples that passed through Salem. If anything, Tom and Alice's celebrations were more precious because they were the benchmark of what couples should be: supportive, faithful, loving, and ever-growing.
Needless to say, it was huge blow when MacDonald Carey passed away in the early 90s; however, Alice's ability to endure and still represent the solidness of the Horton union, even in widowhood, continued to make an indelible impression on Days viewers. And while I jumped ship from Days when Nadia Bjorlin left Days (initially), I still sought out examples of couples similar to the Hortons on other soaps and frankly, there were none to be found. And sadly, that kind of commitment isn't really prized in the current soap climate.
My hope is that Days writers will take their time and create a fitting tribute for Frances Reid. I remember that after Carey passed, Days waited several months to address Tom Horton's passing onscreen. Reid's passing seems even more significant, given that she was the last vestige of the simpler, more elegant part of the Horton legacy. And given that the older fans are still livid about Days' current tendency to cater to their younger demographic, the writers had BETTER do right by Reid and the longtime fans.
Man... I loved Reid's face.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
CBS Sunday Morning's Hail and Farewell... they didn't even have to say his name
Some people accuse me of being a morbid person just because I look forward to the Memoriam portion of the Oscar, SAG, and other award show telecasts. I'm hardly morbid, as demonstrated by my avoidance of the obituary section of my local newspaper. I just believe that you should give those who passed away their props.
In line with that belief, I tuned into CBS's Sunday Morning for their yearly Hail and Farewell segment. Per usual, I recorded the segment and I have to say that I appreciated how they handled this year's segment. Sure, Brittany Murphy was missing from the reel, which is somewhat bothersome, but Sunday Morning is pretty good about showing deaths of significant people from various segments of American life and culture, so I won't quibble too much.
Michael Jackson led the retrospective, but the curious thing is that they never mentioned his name. And I'm pretty sure that his segment was the longest, with more clips of him in his glory, from childhood to pre-accusations. They just showed clips of him performing at various ages. And Charles Osgood touched on all aspects of his public life, without getting vulgar or snarky. And his comment 'But when he was gone, we were reminded, once again, at how it all began - with that extraordinary talent', it was absolutely appropriate and consistent with the way Sunday Morning handles their stories and segments.
This is not to say that MJ was singled out for his downturns. During Ted Kennedy's segment, Osgood didn't mention the accident - they used front pages of newspapers/old news clips, and old footage of Kennedy himself addressing the accident. And like with the MJ segment, the description of Kennedy's life and accomplishments ended on a somewhat upbeat note.
Now, they didn't address the embarrassing Oral Roberts incident in which he told his TV viewing audience to send money or God would kill him - and that was fine with me. It was a grotesque thing to do, but like the others, his accomplishments were at the forefront.
And I do think that Paul Harvey had some cringe-worthy moments too, but I think that Sunday Morning wanted to maintain their usual elegance instead of being obnoxious finger pointers.
But back to MJ - they didn't even have to say his name. I'm pretty sure that they said James Brown's name when he passed. And Marvin Gaye. And Gene Kelly. And Fred Astaire. And Sammy Davis Jr. And both Harold and Fayard Nicholas. The not having to say his name treatment is reserved for the higher tier of legends like Chaplin. If it's within his ability, I bet that thought made MJ smile.
In line with that belief, I tuned into CBS's Sunday Morning for their yearly Hail and Farewell segment. Per usual, I recorded the segment and I have to say that I appreciated how they handled this year's segment. Sure, Brittany Murphy was missing from the reel, which is somewhat bothersome, but Sunday Morning is pretty good about showing deaths of significant people from various segments of American life and culture, so I won't quibble too much.
Michael Jackson led the retrospective, but the curious thing is that they never mentioned his name. And I'm pretty sure that his segment was the longest, with more clips of him in his glory, from childhood to pre-accusations. They just showed clips of him performing at various ages. And Charles Osgood touched on all aspects of his public life, without getting vulgar or snarky. And his comment 'But when he was gone, we were reminded, once again, at how it all began - with that extraordinary talent', it was absolutely appropriate and consistent with the way Sunday Morning handles their stories and segments.
This is not to say that MJ was singled out for his downturns. During Ted Kennedy's segment, Osgood didn't mention the accident - they used front pages of newspapers/old news clips, and old footage of Kennedy himself addressing the accident. And like with the MJ segment, the description of Kennedy's life and accomplishments ended on a somewhat upbeat note.
Now, they didn't address the embarrassing Oral Roberts incident in which he told his TV viewing audience to send money or God would kill him - and that was fine with me. It was a grotesque thing to do, but like the others, his accomplishments were at the forefront.
And I do think that Paul Harvey had some cringe-worthy moments too, but I think that Sunday Morning wanted to maintain their usual elegance instead of being obnoxious finger pointers.
But back to MJ - they didn't even have to say his name. I'm pretty sure that they said James Brown's name when he passed. And Marvin Gaye. And Gene Kelly. And Fred Astaire. And Sammy Davis Jr. And both Harold and Fayard Nicholas. The not having to say his name treatment is reserved for the higher tier of legends like Chaplin. If it's within his ability, I bet that thought made MJ smile.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas, Michael!
I realize that, for many years, MJ was conflicted about celebrating Christmas, given that he was raised as a Jehovah Witness, but there were instances when he did celebrate the day. Personally, I'm not a huge celebrator of Christmas either, unless I'm hanging out with my niece or my friends' kids. Children always make Christmas and since I will have to wait another day to see the niece, I wanted to post these MJ videos, mainly because I suspect that he will be on many people's minds today.
First...a cameo appearance in Why, a music video with his nephews, aka 3T. A few weeks ago on Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, 3T, specifically, TJ and Taj were discussing their hesitance to return to the recording studio for their project because that was where they learned of their uncle's death. After seeing how much their uncle's death is immobilizing them, I sought out their music video and I have to say that it's becoming a favorite. Not only were these boys talented, it was evident the affection they had towards their uncle and him them. MJ was totally beaming with pride and it's a beautiful thing to see.
And obviously, while the nieces and nephews are likely having a hard time today, I'm sure that it's worse for Prince, Paris and Blanket. Here's a clip of the final installment of MJ's Private Home Movies, featuring Prince and Paris. Right now, I can't watch it because it makes me too sad.
Here's hoping that those who loved MJ will have more joy and peace than sorrow on this day.
First...a cameo appearance in Why, a music video with his nephews, aka 3T. A few weeks ago on Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, 3T, specifically, TJ and Taj were discussing their hesitance to return to the recording studio for their project because that was where they learned of their uncle's death. After seeing how much their uncle's death is immobilizing them, I sought out their music video and I have to say that it's becoming a favorite. Not only were these boys talented, it was evident the affection they had towards their uncle and him them. MJ was totally beaming with pride and it's a beautiful thing to see.
And obviously, while the nieces and nephews are likely having a hard time today, I'm sure that it's worse for Prince, Paris and Blanket. Here's a clip of the final installment of MJ's Private Home Movies, featuring Prince and Paris. Right now, I can't watch it because it makes me too sad.
Here's hoping that those who loved MJ will have more joy and peace than sorrow on this day.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
An early Christmas gift... from the FBI
So a couple of days ago, the FBI released Michael Jackson's FBI files. Apparently, there were so many requests for copies that the FBI decided to post 300+ pages on their website.
Lucky us... lucky public.
Because, instead of depending on the media to 'interprete' the results, the public can pour through the pages themselves and reach their own conclusions. I did, on Tuesday and Wednesday, and reached this conclusion - MICHAEL JACKSON WAS INNOCENT!!!!!
The FBI found NOTHING!!!!
No kiddie porn was found on any of his 16 computers.
The FBI had to investigate allegations of abuse that weren't made through law enforcement agencies, but through tabloids and overzealous ambitious 'journalists'.
When Jordan Chandler was asked to testify in the Arvizo case, he threatened legal action against Tom Sneddon if he pressed the matter.
Mind you, the thing that killed me about the Chandler part was that he cited that he 'did enough' for the shady DA already. Yeah... 'did enough' as in let Daddy make the allegations and collect a huge paycheck for it'... yeah... that's 'doing enough'.
There were threats made by a Janet Jackson stalker promising to kill MJ if he didn't shell out some cash; dude eventually showed up at the Havenhurst estate and was prompted arrested and jailed.
The two witnesses, MJ's former employees, were pursued for questioning in the Philippines - nothing could be made of their testimonies because with every check they received from the tabloids/tabloid television shows, their stories escalated (read: the lies grew bigger than Babe the Blue Ox).
There were several documents that were duplicated; some were redacted in order to protect the identities of the witnesses, but they were still worth reading, especially if you were a longtime MJ fan. Longtime fans can fill in the redacted spaces for themselves.
As for the media coverage of these files, I am not the least bit surprised that they took a salacious approach to the relevations, although I do marvel at their convenient memories. For example, the Terry George angle. A lot of the media outlets are implying that Terry George had to endure a phone sex call from MJ back in the 70s; but they fail to mention that this dude's account, much like most of the so-called witnesses in the '04 trial, changed, depending on whom he was talking to at the time. Upon MJ's death, he even went as far as making a tribute website to MJ, which is absolutely consistent with someone who was 'violated' by said decedent. And apparently, after the so-called unpleasantness, George continued to call MJ until his parents cut him off because he ran up a huge phone bill. And when he called MJ numerous times collect, MJ didn't accept the calls. Much like Gavin Arvizo, George apparently couldn't quit MJ, even after MJ 'violated' him. Like Arvizo, George acted like a jealous b*tch when MJ distanced himself from him. And like Arvizo, he turned not to law enforcement, but to an outside party (read: the press) to get some sort of satisfaction and maybe even MJ's attention.
Seriously... what is it about MJ that brought out the Alex Forrest b*tch out of men?
At any rate, please, read the FBI files yourselves and don't depend on Inside Edition or Entertainment Tonight to tell you the straight dope. After all, Entertainment Tonight is produced by a former Hard Copy producer - hence, the re-emergence of hackjob whackjob Diane Dimond. An outfit that had no qualms propping up an obviously grief-stricken and thoroughly chemically impaired Anna Nicole Smith in front the cameras months following her son's death, through her attempts to lie about her child's paternity, her death, the Daniellyn paternity/custody fight, etc. This outfit that very nearly aired an alleged Heath Ledger drug tape mere days after his death - until TPTB felt the full measure of HW's wrath aka dozens of high profiled stars/agents threatened to boycott their show and cut off their access to the A-list. And let's not forget about their refusal to recant their 'Angelina gives birth to twin daughters Amelie and Isla' story, in which Mary Hart subsequently challenged Angelina to emerge from doctor-instructed bed rest in order to prove that she hadn't delivered the girls.
Entertainment Tonight, while glossier than Hard Copy, is just Hard Copy in drag. Count on them for glossy interviews; count on them for weekend box office numbers; but DO NOT count on them to interprete legal documents. Read them yourself.
And BTW, ET, the so-called tape that was found by customs... the report didn't say that they wouldn't disclose what was on the tape; the report said that due to it being a fifth generation reproduction, they couldn't definitively determine the contents of the tape. Big fcuking difference, @$$hats!!!!!
MJ was innocent.
And another BTW... isn't it scary how easily your FBI file could be padded, if tabloids were so inclined?
Lucky us... lucky public.
Because, instead of depending on the media to 'interprete' the results, the public can pour through the pages themselves and reach their own conclusions. I did, on Tuesday and Wednesday, and reached this conclusion - MICHAEL JACKSON WAS INNOCENT!!!!!
The FBI found NOTHING!!!!
No kiddie porn was found on any of his 16 computers.
The FBI had to investigate allegations of abuse that weren't made through law enforcement agencies, but through tabloids and overzealous ambitious 'journalists'.
When Jordan Chandler was asked to testify in the Arvizo case, he threatened legal action against Tom Sneddon if he pressed the matter.
Mind you, the thing that killed me about the Chandler part was that he cited that he 'did enough' for the shady DA already. Yeah... 'did enough' as in let Daddy make the allegations and collect a huge paycheck for it'... yeah... that's 'doing enough'.
There were threats made by a Janet Jackson stalker promising to kill MJ if he didn't shell out some cash; dude eventually showed up at the Havenhurst estate and was prompted arrested and jailed.
The two witnesses, MJ's former employees, were pursued for questioning in the Philippines - nothing could be made of their testimonies because with every check they received from the tabloids/tabloid television shows, their stories escalated (read: the lies grew bigger than Babe the Blue Ox).
There were several documents that were duplicated; some were redacted in order to protect the identities of the witnesses, but they were still worth reading, especially if you were a longtime MJ fan. Longtime fans can fill in the redacted spaces for themselves.
As for the media coverage of these files, I am not the least bit surprised that they took a salacious approach to the relevations, although I do marvel at their convenient memories. For example, the Terry George angle. A lot of the media outlets are implying that Terry George had to endure a phone sex call from MJ back in the 70s; but they fail to mention that this dude's account, much like most of the so-called witnesses in the '04 trial, changed, depending on whom he was talking to at the time. Upon MJ's death, he even went as far as making a tribute website to MJ, which is absolutely consistent with someone who was 'violated' by said decedent. And apparently, after the so-called unpleasantness, George continued to call MJ until his parents cut him off because he ran up a huge phone bill. And when he called MJ numerous times collect, MJ didn't accept the calls. Much like Gavin Arvizo, George apparently couldn't quit MJ, even after MJ 'violated' him. Like Arvizo, George acted like a jealous b*tch when MJ distanced himself from him. And like Arvizo, he turned not to law enforcement, but to an outside party (read: the press) to get some sort of satisfaction and maybe even MJ's attention.
Seriously... what is it about MJ that brought out the Alex Forrest b*tch out of men?
At any rate, please, read the FBI files yourselves and don't depend on Inside Edition or Entertainment Tonight to tell you the straight dope. After all, Entertainment Tonight is produced by a former Hard Copy producer - hence, the re-emergence of hackjob whackjob Diane Dimond. An outfit that had no qualms propping up an obviously grief-stricken and thoroughly chemically impaired Anna Nicole Smith in front the cameras months following her son's death, through her attempts to lie about her child's paternity, her death, the Daniellyn paternity/custody fight, etc. This outfit that very nearly aired an alleged Heath Ledger drug tape mere days after his death - until TPTB felt the full measure of HW's wrath aka dozens of high profiled stars/agents threatened to boycott their show and cut off their access to the A-list. And let's not forget about their refusal to recant their 'Angelina gives birth to twin daughters Amelie and Isla' story, in which Mary Hart subsequently challenged Angelina to emerge from doctor-instructed bed rest in order to prove that she hadn't delivered the girls.
Entertainment Tonight, while glossier than Hard Copy, is just Hard Copy in drag. Count on them for glossy interviews; count on them for weekend box office numbers; but DO NOT count on them to interprete legal documents. Read them yourself.
And BTW, ET, the so-called tape that was found by customs... the report didn't say that they wouldn't disclose what was on the tape; the report said that due to it being a fifth generation reproduction, they couldn't definitively determine the contents of the tape. Big fcuking difference, @$$hats!!!!!
MJ was innocent.
And another BTW... isn't it scary how easily your FBI file could be padded, if tabloids were so inclined?
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
And one more thing...
Jackson 4 and I do realize that you were Michael's brothers, but who the fcuk are you to include his songs on your setlist? And pray tell... who's going to sing MJ's songs - Jermaine?!!!
Of course Jermaine - the one who groused ever single time Michael's songs received any sort of attention and acclaim?!!!
It's already bad enough that the Jackson 4 will be performing J5 songs, which was mainly performed by Michael; now they want to bite from Michael's solo efforts?
And Jermaine possibly performing them? Like he performed Smile at the memorial? I was trying to be respectful but not saying $hit, given that he was performing at his brother's funeral, but some months have passed, so I can say this - Jermaine sucked!
Sucked hard!
Sucked profoundly!
Sucked even worse than his hair!
SUCKED!!!!
So the brothers to take leave of that idea, or possibly face the Michael Jackson curse. Because there really is a Michael Jackson curse going on. We already saw it with the tribute concert getting no bites. We saw how horribly Jermaine's career tanked after the Word to the Badd bull$h*t! Jackie, Tito and Marlon seem cool enough and don't seem to deserve the wrath of the curse - Jermaine, on the other hand, seems to be begging for it.
If the curse obliges, I hope I don't miss it.
Of course Jermaine - the one who groused ever single time Michael's songs received any sort of attention and acclaim?!!!
It's already bad enough that the Jackson 4 will be performing J5 songs, which was mainly performed by Michael; now they want to bite from Michael's solo efforts?
And Jermaine possibly performing them? Like he performed Smile at the memorial? I was trying to be respectful but not saying $hit, given that he was performing at his brother's funeral, but some months have passed, so I can say this - Jermaine sucked!
Sucked hard!
Sucked profoundly!
Sucked even worse than his hair!
SUCKED!!!!
So the brothers to take leave of that idea, or possibly face the Michael Jackson curse. Because there really is a Michael Jackson curse going on. We already saw it with the tribute concert getting no bites. We saw how horribly Jermaine's career tanked after the Word to the Badd bull$h*t! Jackie, Tito and Marlon seem cool enough and don't seem to deserve the wrath of the curse - Jermaine, on the other hand, seems to be begging for it.
If the curse obliges, I hope I don't miss it.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Was Ryan White the reason why?
The Michael Jackson story continues to grip me and refuse to let me go, or rather, I refuse to let it go. I think I can't let it go out of guilt. As a kid, I loved Michael Jackson wholeheartedly and unapologetic, despite the rampant verbal insults towards him and his possible sexual orientation. Those barrages bounced off of me so easily. However, when I became an adult, I seemed to become more cowardly and less intuitive, allowing my opinions to be tainted. It is not to say that I believed the accusations, but I believed that something had to be there in order to warrant the seemingly endless onslaught. And I was well into my feeling sorry for myself because I was molested phase, which was not a fun phase to go through. It was fine that I went through it, especially since I, for the most part, have come through it feeling like my old intuitive self, but it did come at the cost of MJ. I have never met him and was never in a position to meet him, let alone see him in a concert, but good vibes can be felt, especially when it's contrary to the tsunami of negativity he experienced. I regret that I wasn't there to cheer him through his darkest moments, although I'm well-aware that it may have been possible that he would've never felt or knew about it.
Now to the 'journalists' and pundits who made their careers out of MJ's misfortunes, yes, racism could've been a factor in the voraciousness of their stories. Jealousy and envy could be a factor. But I think that looking at what these 'journalists' zero in on can reveal the real story, specifically, they zero in on the Jordan Chandler case of 1993. For these people, that was when Michael Jackson's life began and ended, at least that is what they think. But as an 80s child who watched him during the Thriller/Bad/Dangerous period, there was more going on with him than him counting his money or collecting gold and platinum albums, or receiving humanitarian awards from presidents and other dignitaries. Ryan White happened to him.
Ryan White, for those who wasn't alive during the 80s, was a 12 year old hemophiliac who was given tainted blood, which resulted in him getting AIDS. A Kokomo, Indiana native, he was harassed when he attempted to return to school. Some loving parents decided to pull their children out of school because they feared the danger this boy's condition could pose for their own. Mind you, this was the 80s and a lot was not known about HIV/AIDS, but this disease gave a lot of people permission to act ignorantly. I even remember towns blocking the burials of those who succumbed to the disease, citing that they believed that the disease would seep into the groundwater. The hysteria back then was very reminiscent of the hysteria associated with Obama's attempt at reforming America's health care system, but back then, so-called 'good parents' didn't think twice about stepping all over the rights of a 12 year boy who was trying to return to some normalcy, despite his dire diagnosis.
Many celebrities stepped into the White family's fight, but when Michael Jackson entered into it, it was a game changer. While it wasn't like Michael Jackson was wagging his fingers at the parents who mobilized and tried to re-establish segregation, the fact that Michael Jackson, a Black man who always had his sexuality questioned, publicly befriended a child who had 'the gay disease', I would think that this action made these parents look like bigger fools. Michael Jackson was at the top of his game, and yet, he wasn't scared of being felled by this disease. Not only did he establish a friendship with Ryan and his family, he opened his home to them often and when they invited him into their home, he readily accepted it. Imagine that... a California liberal behaving like the stereotypical Midwesterners, while legitimate Midwesterners acted like cowardly fascists.
When Ryan died, Michael attended the funeral and continued to follow up with Ryan's survivors, especially his mother. He also wrote a tribute song for Ryan, Gone Too Soon, and included it on his Dangerous album. While some would've closed this enlightening, yet emotionally draining chapter of one's life, MJ seemed to be motivated by what happened to Ryan and the Whites and made a concerted effort to make sure that children and families who could feel isolated and ostracized by a paranoid and often ignorant community not feel isolated. So he opened Neverland Ranch wide and allowed various types of children with various kinds of life circumstances to have a temporary escape. And for several years, Neverland Ranch fulfilled Michael's purpose; unfortunately for Michael, he never considered that all families weren't like the White family. It was likely that before Ryan's illness, the Whites were good people, therefore post-diagnosis/prognosis, they remained good people. In addition, they experienced adversity and knew the sting of being let down by their greater community, therefore, an added sense of humanity and empathy may have colored them. Unfortunately for Michael, not every human being is capable of accepting kindnesses and possibly, paying it forward. There are those who are so empty that the accumulation of too much is still not enough. And the same people can't grasp the concept of reciprocity.
Just look at the Chandlers - neither children were sick. Their fathers were self-made men... and yet, nothing MJ did for them was ever enough. Jeanne White invited Michael to stay at her house; Evan Chandler invited Michael to stay at his house - but eventually asked Michael to pony up some dough to build a new wing. Michael hung out with the single parent family headed by Jeanne White at his home or their home; while he hung out at both the Schwartzes and Chandler home, he also footed the bill when still-married June, along with her two children, traveled with him to Monaco. Initially, I'm sure that MJ felt a sense of satisfaction in helping and befriending these people, but what did they ever really give him in return? Lawsuits, negative publicity, and quite likely, a serious case of self-doubt about acts that were supposed to be giving, supportive and loving.
By some miracle, MJ rebounded emotionally, when he decided to help the Arvizos. This time, the family was working class and one of their children was legitimately ill, therefore they would accept his help and support without a nefarious agenda, right? Mind you, the family was a two-parent household -- although later, the father was shoved out due to alleged domestic violence. The family eventually stayed at Neverland; however, Michael was never invited to their home, mainly because the house/apartment was struned with big ticket items conned out of other celebrities. While Michael wasn't present during Ryan's subsequent treatments, he was available or reasonably accessible during Gavin's treatments. Like with Ryan, Michael lavished Gavin and his family with luxuries in hopes of bolstering their spirits. But unlike Ryan, Gavin did recover and returned to his lying larcenous self and got major backup from his family, the DA's office, and the ever-ready band of liars posing as journalists. From there, the perception that Michael Jackson trolled for unsuspecting child meat after sampling Jordan Chandler's began.
For those who lived through the 80s, they know that so-called journalists' time lines regarding MJ's associations with children is shaky at best; however, these journalists and their made up propaganda served another possible purpose - redemption for the American parent. Immediately after MJ's death, many pundit posed the rhetorical question 'Would you allow MJ around your children?' in which they would automatically answer 'No.' And while this exchange totally obliterate the point of rhetorical questions, it does reaffirm the American parent's position that they are good parents because of this particular stance. Maybe taking this stance against MJ now will erase the ignorance that they readily engaged in when it came to Ryan White... right?
Wrong!
Because these journalists, on behalf of these American parents, are setting up more children to be ostracized due to parental ignorance - the Jackson children. Will they get the gentle kid-glove treatment that the reputed Jordan Chandler/Gavin Arvizo liars got? I don't think so. Just look at the 'tact' they demonstrated towards these mourning children - incessant molestation talk, questions about their true paternity, their on-air pleas for possible egg/sperm donors and surrogates to come out of hiding? If this was anyone else besides Michael Jackson, these journalists wouldn't have the cheek to go there and essentially put the whole system of surrogacy and alternative reproductive practices in jeopardy.
Michael Jackson was a rare bird - he was an adult who actually learned something and tried to apply that lesson to the way he lived his life. He learned from Ryan that all children wanted was to be treated fairly and equally - something that Michael was continuously denied during his life and after his passing.
However, there is always hope if astute, free thinking people do some independent investigations instead of depending on the Nancy Graces/Diane Dimonds of the world. These people aren't receptive or intuitive; therefore, they work hard to add more people to their ranks and already, the world is becoming a louder, more detached place.
On the flip side, here's a clip of two dudes who were obviously receptive to MJ's brilliance and created something pretty fabulous in its wake.
Now to the 'journalists' and pundits who made their careers out of MJ's misfortunes, yes, racism could've been a factor in the voraciousness of their stories. Jealousy and envy could be a factor. But I think that looking at what these 'journalists' zero in on can reveal the real story, specifically, they zero in on the Jordan Chandler case of 1993. For these people, that was when Michael Jackson's life began and ended, at least that is what they think. But as an 80s child who watched him during the Thriller/Bad/Dangerous period, there was more going on with him than him counting his money or collecting gold and platinum albums, or receiving humanitarian awards from presidents and other dignitaries. Ryan White happened to him.
Ryan White, for those who wasn't alive during the 80s, was a 12 year old hemophiliac who was given tainted blood, which resulted in him getting AIDS. A Kokomo, Indiana native, he was harassed when he attempted to return to school. Some loving parents decided to pull their children out of school because they feared the danger this boy's condition could pose for their own. Mind you, this was the 80s and a lot was not known about HIV/AIDS, but this disease gave a lot of people permission to act ignorantly. I even remember towns blocking the burials of those who succumbed to the disease, citing that they believed that the disease would seep into the groundwater. The hysteria back then was very reminiscent of the hysteria associated with Obama's attempt at reforming America's health care system, but back then, so-called 'good parents' didn't think twice about stepping all over the rights of a 12 year boy who was trying to return to some normalcy, despite his dire diagnosis.
Many celebrities stepped into the White family's fight, but when Michael Jackson entered into it, it was a game changer. While it wasn't like Michael Jackson was wagging his fingers at the parents who mobilized and tried to re-establish segregation, the fact that Michael Jackson, a Black man who always had his sexuality questioned, publicly befriended a child who had 'the gay disease', I would think that this action made these parents look like bigger fools. Michael Jackson was at the top of his game, and yet, he wasn't scared of being felled by this disease. Not only did he establish a friendship with Ryan and his family, he opened his home to them often and when they invited him into their home, he readily accepted it. Imagine that... a California liberal behaving like the stereotypical Midwesterners, while legitimate Midwesterners acted like cowardly fascists.
When Ryan died, Michael attended the funeral and continued to follow up with Ryan's survivors, especially his mother. He also wrote a tribute song for Ryan, Gone Too Soon, and included it on his Dangerous album. While some would've closed this enlightening, yet emotionally draining chapter of one's life, MJ seemed to be motivated by what happened to Ryan and the Whites and made a concerted effort to make sure that children and families who could feel isolated and ostracized by a paranoid and often ignorant community not feel isolated. So he opened Neverland Ranch wide and allowed various types of children with various kinds of life circumstances to have a temporary escape. And for several years, Neverland Ranch fulfilled Michael's purpose; unfortunately for Michael, he never considered that all families weren't like the White family. It was likely that before Ryan's illness, the Whites were good people, therefore post-diagnosis/prognosis, they remained good people. In addition, they experienced adversity and knew the sting of being let down by their greater community, therefore, an added sense of humanity and empathy may have colored them. Unfortunately for Michael, not every human being is capable of accepting kindnesses and possibly, paying it forward. There are those who are so empty that the accumulation of too much is still not enough. And the same people can't grasp the concept of reciprocity.
Just look at the Chandlers - neither children were sick. Their fathers were self-made men... and yet, nothing MJ did for them was ever enough. Jeanne White invited Michael to stay at her house; Evan Chandler invited Michael to stay at his house - but eventually asked Michael to pony up some dough to build a new wing. Michael hung out with the single parent family headed by Jeanne White at his home or their home; while he hung out at both the Schwartzes and Chandler home, he also footed the bill when still-married June, along with her two children, traveled with him to Monaco. Initially, I'm sure that MJ felt a sense of satisfaction in helping and befriending these people, but what did they ever really give him in return? Lawsuits, negative publicity, and quite likely, a serious case of self-doubt about acts that were supposed to be giving, supportive and loving.
By some miracle, MJ rebounded emotionally, when he decided to help the Arvizos. This time, the family was working class and one of their children was legitimately ill, therefore they would accept his help and support without a nefarious agenda, right? Mind you, the family was a two-parent household -- although later, the father was shoved out due to alleged domestic violence. The family eventually stayed at Neverland; however, Michael was never invited to their home, mainly because the house/apartment was struned with big ticket items conned out of other celebrities. While Michael wasn't present during Ryan's subsequent treatments, he was available or reasonably accessible during Gavin's treatments. Like with Ryan, Michael lavished Gavin and his family with luxuries in hopes of bolstering their spirits. But unlike Ryan, Gavin did recover and returned to his lying larcenous self and got major backup from his family, the DA's office, and the ever-ready band of liars posing as journalists. From there, the perception that Michael Jackson trolled for unsuspecting child meat after sampling Jordan Chandler's began.
For those who lived through the 80s, they know that so-called journalists' time lines regarding MJ's associations with children is shaky at best; however, these journalists and their made up propaganda served another possible purpose - redemption for the American parent. Immediately after MJ's death, many pundit posed the rhetorical question 'Would you allow MJ around your children?' in which they would automatically answer 'No.' And while this exchange totally obliterate the point of rhetorical questions, it does reaffirm the American parent's position that they are good parents because of this particular stance. Maybe taking this stance against MJ now will erase the ignorance that they readily engaged in when it came to Ryan White... right?
Wrong!
Because these journalists, on behalf of these American parents, are setting up more children to be ostracized due to parental ignorance - the Jackson children. Will they get the gentle kid-glove treatment that the reputed Jordan Chandler/Gavin Arvizo liars got? I don't think so. Just look at the 'tact' they demonstrated towards these mourning children - incessant molestation talk, questions about their true paternity, their on-air pleas for possible egg/sperm donors and surrogates to come out of hiding? If this was anyone else besides Michael Jackson, these journalists wouldn't have the cheek to go there and essentially put the whole system of surrogacy and alternative reproductive practices in jeopardy.
Michael Jackson was a rare bird - he was an adult who actually learned something and tried to apply that lesson to the way he lived his life. He learned from Ryan that all children wanted was to be treated fairly and equally - something that Michael was continuously denied during his life and after his passing.
However, there is always hope if astute, free thinking people do some independent investigations instead of depending on the Nancy Graces/Diane Dimonds of the world. These people aren't receptive or intuitive; therefore, they work hard to add more people to their ranks and already, the world is becoming a louder, more detached place.
On the flip side, here's a clip of two dudes who were obviously receptive to MJ's brilliance and created something pretty fabulous in its wake.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
CBS is getting their NBC on
So now, CBS is getting rid of As The World Turns.
The ax will come down nearly a year to the day that they killed Guiding Light.
So in September 2010, CBS's daytime line up will consist of two Bell soaps - The Young and the Restless and Bold and the Beautiful. While the thought of these two soaps surviving is reassuring, given that they are pretty good, at times, it's still disheartening that CBS can clip two shows that were on-air for a sum total of 120+ years. It just seems cruel and shortsighted, especially when there is a network (NBC) who pulled the same crap back in the 90s and they are still suffering.
Mind you, I haven't watched As The World Turns in years, mainly because I got sick of the incessant Carly and Lily whining. How many times can Jack and Carly and Lily and Holden break up and make up before it becomes contrived? But I have to say that one of my favorite ATWT storyline was when young Will Munson bumped off the biggest whiner, Rose, using antifreeze. I really enjoyed that storyline. I also dug the Emily screwing around with Chris, her sister/daughter's fiance and everything came to a head at the altar. But that whole story was topped off when Hal forgave Emily for the transgression. I also like the storyline involving Jack having amnesia and hooking up with a different Julia than the bat$h*t one of yore; unfortunately, she was whiny too. But for me, the most pointless storyline ever was when Margo and Jessica were at each other's throats over that football player.
I remember watching this show back in the day, specifically, during the day when Meg Ryan portrayed Betsy. You could see her potential even back then. I vaguely remember Marisa Tomei and Julianne Moore, but barely. I think that this was during the time when I went over to NBC, but who knows. I think that ATWT was a little too sophisticated for my childlike mind, although, again, I found Meg Ryan absolutely appealing as an actress.
With the end of ATWT, the ranks among NYC-based soap operas continue to shrink. It's wrong to generalize, but you can definitely tell the NY soaps from the West Coast soaps, in terms of acting. The late Benjamin Hendrickson aka Hal Munson comes to mind. Fantastic character actor whose loss severely damaged the show. I have no idea what else contributed to ATWT's demise; however, yet again, TPTB aren't leading by example. If they don't care about their shows, why should potential audiences invest their time and sentiment to them?
The ax will come down nearly a year to the day that they killed Guiding Light.
So in September 2010, CBS's daytime line up will consist of two Bell soaps - The Young and the Restless and Bold and the Beautiful. While the thought of these two soaps surviving is reassuring, given that they are pretty good, at times, it's still disheartening that CBS can clip two shows that were on-air for a sum total of 120+ years. It just seems cruel and shortsighted, especially when there is a network (NBC) who pulled the same crap back in the 90s and they are still suffering.
Mind you, I haven't watched As The World Turns in years, mainly because I got sick of the incessant Carly and Lily whining. How many times can Jack and Carly and Lily and Holden break up and make up before it becomes contrived? But I have to say that one of my favorite ATWT storyline was when young Will Munson bumped off the biggest whiner, Rose, using antifreeze. I really enjoyed that storyline. I also dug the Emily screwing around with Chris, her sister/daughter's fiance and everything came to a head at the altar. But that whole story was topped off when Hal forgave Emily for the transgression. I also like the storyline involving Jack having amnesia and hooking up with a different Julia than the bat$h*t one of yore; unfortunately, she was whiny too. But for me, the most pointless storyline ever was when Margo and Jessica were at each other's throats over that football player.
I remember watching this show back in the day, specifically, during the day when Meg Ryan portrayed Betsy. You could see her potential even back then. I vaguely remember Marisa Tomei and Julianne Moore, but barely. I think that this was during the time when I went over to NBC, but who knows. I think that ATWT was a little too sophisticated for my childlike mind, although, again, I found Meg Ryan absolutely appealing as an actress.
With the end of ATWT, the ranks among NYC-based soap operas continue to shrink. It's wrong to generalize, but you can definitely tell the NY soaps from the West Coast soaps, in terms of acting. The late Benjamin Hendrickson aka Hal Munson comes to mind. Fantastic character actor whose loss severely damaged the show. I have no idea what else contributed to ATWT's demise; however, yet again, TPTB aren't leading by example. If they don't care about their shows, why should potential audiences invest their time and sentiment to them?
Monday, December 7, 2009
Oh... my... lady parts!!!! - December edition
There are certain circles on the internet who relish in using Michael Jackson as their personal sex toy. Myself, I think it's kinda creepy, not because he is gone, but because of how he would've felt about the graphic details that some women are going into online.
I am a romantic to the core. And I readily admit that I was totally in love with Michael Jackson ever since Rock With You. But my love remained pure - plus my mother didn't explain sex to me, so I had to rely on soap opera sex to fill in some holes and eventually, the Adam and Eve catalogs that practically came through my college dormitory walls. Even then, I couldn't bear using MJ in that way. Even while trolling through You Tube and finding tribute videos centering on the gold pants he rocked during the HIStory tour, I couldn't go there, although seeing him move around in those gold pants looked all kinds of right. Anyway, while looking at old clips of him in concert can be stimulating, there is something about MJ in the short film "Ghosts".
The super white T-shirt... check.
The somewhat baggy pants that accentuated his long lean legs and pert dancer's butt... check.
The spats... check.
The flowing hair... check.
The beautiful dark brown eyes... check.
And most importantly, that phenomenal mouth of his. For me, MJ had the sexiest mouth in rock and roll. Fcuk Elvis, Mick Jaggar, Stephen Tyler, and Dave Grohl. Watching MJ sing, or talk, or emote, or scream, or whatever his dear heart wanted his mouth to do. I'm telling ya... that mouth does more for me than seeing bare naked male junk.
Here's a piece of Ghosts featuring the song 2Bad. His mouth, along with his dancing, and dude was pushing 40...
Oh...
my...
lady parts!!!!
I am a romantic to the core. And I readily admit that I was totally in love with Michael Jackson ever since Rock With You. But my love remained pure - plus my mother didn't explain sex to me, so I had to rely on soap opera sex to fill in some holes and eventually, the Adam and Eve catalogs that practically came through my college dormitory walls. Even then, I couldn't bear using MJ in that way. Even while trolling through You Tube and finding tribute videos centering on the gold pants he rocked during the HIStory tour, I couldn't go there, although seeing him move around in those gold pants looked all kinds of right. Anyway, while looking at old clips of him in concert can be stimulating, there is something about MJ in the short film "Ghosts".
The super white T-shirt... check.
The somewhat baggy pants that accentuated his long lean legs and pert dancer's butt... check.
The spats... check.
The flowing hair... check.
The beautiful dark brown eyes... check.
And most importantly, that phenomenal mouth of his. For me, MJ had the sexiest mouth in rock and roll. Fcuk Elvis, Mick Jaggar, Stephen Tyler, and Dave Grohl. Watching MJ sing, or talk, or emote, or scream, or whatever his dear heart wanted his mouth to do. I'm telling ya... that mouth does more for me than seeing bare naked male junk.
Here's a piece of Ghosts featuring the song 2Bad. His mouth, along with his dancing, and dude was pushing 40...
Oh...
my...
lady parts!!!!
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