I think we need to make sure we do our part to support lady “O” in her time
of need.
Eurweb is reporting “Brass at Hearst, which publishes the 2.4
million circulated publication with Winfrey, had downplayed the impact of the
show’s ending on the magazine, saying they expected fans to turn to it to get
their Oprah fix.
To their surprise The Oprah Magazine’s newsstand sales plunged 32 percent
to 413,363 in the second half of last year (after an 8 percent falloff in the
first half), according to just-released Audit Bureau of Circulations figures. By
comparison, all measured consumer magazines’ single-copy sales dropped 10
percent. Adweek reports….
The rep said that with the economy soft and the
show ending, a dropoff in newsstand sales wasn’t a surprise and pointed out that
newsstand sales of the January issue were up 28 percent to 825,000.
Winfrey recently did a interview with extra explaining why she started
OWN:
“The reason I did OWN was I wanted to continue
the platform to speak to people in a way that made them feel inspired. And
that’s been harder than I thought it would be, but it’s also been as exciting as
I thought it would be.”
Meanwhile, the daytime talk queen is
struggling to win viewers to her new Oprah Winfrey Network, a partnership with
Discovery Communications, where her audience is a fraction of what it used to
be.
Amid low viewing figures, Rosie O’Donnell’s show on OWN has laid off 30,
moved to a smaller studio and scaled back the program.”
Go support O, by buying a copy of O Magazine!
CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Marian Anderson
A photograph of Anderson by Carl Van Vechten taken in 1940.Marian Anderson
(February 27, 1897 – April 8, 1993) was an African-American contralto and one of
the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. Music critic Alan Blyth
said "Her voice was a rich, vibrant contralto of intrinsic beauty. Most of her
singing career was spent performing in concert and recital in major music venues
and with major orchestras throughout the United States and Europe between 1925
and 1965. Although she was offered contracts to perform roles with many
important European opera companies, Anderson declined all of these, preferring
to perform in concert and recital only. She did, however, perform opera arias
within her concerts and recitals. She made many recordings that reflected her
broad performance repertoire of everything from concert literature to lieder to
opera to traditional American songs and spirituals.
Anderson became an important figure in the struggle for black artists to
overcome racial prejudice in the United States during the mid twentieth century.
In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused permission for
Anderson to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall. The incident
placed Anderson into the spotlight of the international community on a level
unusual for a classical musician. With the aid of President Franklin D.
Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Anderson performed a critically
acclaimed open-air concert on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, on the steps of the
Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.. She performed before a crowd of more than
75,000 people and a radio audience in the millions. Anderson continued to break
barriers for black artists in the United States, becoming the first black
person, American or otherwise, to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York
City on January 7, 1955. Her performance as Ulrica in Giuseppe Verdi's Un ballo
in maschera at the Met was the only time she sang an opera role on stage.
Anderson was also an important symbol of grace and beauty during the civil
rights movement in the 1960s, singing at the March on Washington for Jobs and
Freedom in 1963. She also worked for several years as a delegate to the United
Nations Human Rights Committee and as a "goodwill ambassadress" for the United
States Department of State. The recipient of numerous awards and honors,
Anderson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963, the Kennedy
Center Honors in 1978, the National Medal of Arts in 1986, and a Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award in 1991.
KNOW YOUR HISTORY!
Denzel and Crew attends The "Safe House" Star-Studded NYC
Premiere
They're no strangers to big screen movie screenings, and Ryan Reynolds and
Denzel Washington were on-hand for the New York City premiere of “Safe House” on
Tuesday night (February 7).
The “Green Lantern” stud and his “Unstoppable”
co-star both looked handsome on the red carpet and smiled for several photos
before disappearing inside the Big Apple's School of Visual Arts Theatre.
Also in the house for the film’s debut were “Higher Ground” star Vera
Farmiga and the lovely Molly Sims, who proudly showed off her growing baby
bump.
Of working on the crime/mystery caper, Mr. Reynolds recently told CBS
News about the pleasures of teaming up with an iconic actor such as Denzel. "You
learn so much from working with a guy like him. He brings a kind of discipline I
don't think I've ever seen before. It's just in his DNA," Ryan revealed.
Directed by Daniel Espinosa, “Safe House” hits theaters today!
Van Vicker to receive Achievement Award at Pan African Film
Festival
Actor Van Vicker has been nominated to receive a special award, the African
Channel Creative Award, at the 20th edition of the Pan African Film Festival
(PAFF) scheduled to come off at a Night of Tribute on Friday, February 10 at the
Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Los Angeles, California.
Van is
listed among seven others who organizers say have impacted immensely on their
fields and contributed diversely to the development of stage, television and
film production among blacks.
In a citation, organizers of the awards
described Van Vicker as “one of Africa’s hottest movie stars, he’s one of the
most sought-after Nollywood actors. The award-winning actor has appeared in more
than 100 movies, including Paparazzi: Eye in the Dark, Royal War, Broken Tears,
Return of Beyonce and Princess Tyra. He’s been nominated twice for an African
Movie Academy Award.”
Among the eight special awardees, the Pan African Film Festival will honor
award-winning actress Loretta Devine with its highest honor for this year,
Lifetime Achievement Award for her work on stage, television and film.
The
six other recipients include, Meagan Good - Beah Richards Rising Star Actress
Award, David Oyelowo - Canada Lee Rising Star Actor Award, Mr. Leon Garr -
Community Treasure Award, Jewel Thais-Williams - Community Service Award, Jimmy
Jean-Louis - The Africa Channel Diasporan Award, Eric Kabera and the Rwanda
Cinema Centre - The Africa Channel Visionary Award.
One of Van’s movies, Paparazzi: Eye in the Dark will be screened on
Saturday, February 11 during the festival.
PAFF was founded in 1992 by
award-winning actor Danny Glover, Emmy Award-winning actress, Ja’Net DuBois and
executive director, Ayuko Babu, an international legal, cultural and political
consultant who specializes in African Affairs.
PAFF is a non-profit
corporation dedicated to the promotion of ethnic and racial respect and
tolerance through the exhibit of films, art and creative expression. The goal of
PAFF is to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works,
particularly those that reinforce positive images, help to destroy negative
stereotypes and depict an expanded vision of the "Blackexperience".
PAFF holds the belief that film and art can lead to better understanding
and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and
lifestyles, while at the same time, serve as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on
the important issues of our times.
This year’s festival selected a total of
160 films, representing 30 countries, 91 feature length films (narrative and
documentaries) and 67 short films.
The festival will hand out prizes for Best Documentary Feature, Best
Documentary Short, Best Narrative Short, Best Narrative Feature, and Best First
Feature Film, as well as audience favorite awards at the close of the festival.
.
And I’m telling you….I Ain’t gonna stop playing
Effie
Jennifer Holliday Returning to the Stage as
Effie
Back in 2006 when the Dreamgirls movie came out, Broadway's original Effie
White, Jennifer Holliday, made a big deal about Jennifer Hudson stealing her
legacy.
This year Ms. Holliday is returning to the stage as Effie White one
more time to reclaim her sense of self...
Jenn will star as Effie White in the St. Louis Muny Theater production of
Dreamgirls this summer and insists this time will be her last.
"I don't want to turn into (Sunset Boulevard
character) Norma Desmond or, remember that scene in Mommie Dearest, when Joan
Crawford's grown daughter is in the hospital and she sees her mother on TV,
playing her role in a soap opera? I think I can just get away with it one more
time."
Well we'll see!
Are you ready for a Missy and Timbaland comeback?
WOW….Seven years.It’s startling to believe that it’s been that long since
Missy Elliott released a studio album.
Indeed, fans of the star have waited
with fervent patience, tiding themselves over with the vast array of material
she cooked-up for other artists.
However, their patience is set to be
rewarded this June when the game-changing femcee makes her long-awaited
return.
Speaking to MTV News this week, Elliott’s longtime collaborator Timbaland
dished on their joint comeback, saying:
“Me and Missy are both coming with
our albums at the same time, and it will be in June.
Right now, we’re preparing to get both our videos, our first singles, shot
kinda at the same time. We want to do it as a movement and
spontaneously.”
The news follows the 40 year old’s recent revelation that she
suffers from Graves Disease – an autoimmune ailment she asserts will not hold
her back.
Which is just as well, as the industry craves her creative flare.
She redefined the concept of the female MC, and we can’t wait to see her do it
again!
MEGAN GOOD looks Red Hot in Red for VIBE
Vixen!
She's single, 30, a veteran in the game, and screams sex without even
trying. The uber beautiful Meagan Good is covering the brand new digital issue
of VIBE VIXEN. And she's revealing all about her dream role playing Whitney
Houston (yeah, she said it), having a few deep loves but never losing herself in
the relationship, and how she keeps her good Christian girl values while
constantly playing the sexpot.
She's had a few boyfriends (most recently NFLer Thomas Jones whom she's no
longer with), is very vocal about her love for God, and made a bold announcement
that she wants to do Whitney Houston's life story. And we can't believe it's
been 16 years already since the "Californication" co-star burst on the scene in
her Eve's Bayou days. Peep Meagan Good's interview highlights:
On Her Dream Role Playing Whitney Houston:
"I
want to do Whitney Houston's life story. I think that would be an incredible
story to do. I talked to Whitney a little bit about it, and she's open to it, so
I want to see what happens with that. Hopefully, in the very, very near future.
She has Sparkle coming out, and I've heard good things about it already. I heard
she looks beautiful, she sounds beautiful, she looks healthy and she's the
Whitney that we know and love. And so I think that would be a great place for
her story to end and really just be beginning, if they were to do her life story
right now."
On Flexing Her Singing Skills
I always said that
I didn’t want to sing because I wanted to be considered a very serious actress,
not an entertainer, but singing is a passion of mine, rapping is a passion of
mine, and in the way that we decided to do it, it’s very fun. We’re not taking
ourselves too seriously, and our vibe is kind of like Beastie Boys mixed with
Gwen Stefani. We kind of just do what we want to do; that’s what I love about
it. The music is fun, and I think that the audience that we’re trying to reach
will definitely be receptive to it. It’s not negative; it’s not saying ‘Boy, you
want me’ and all this other crazy stuff. It’s about girls having fun and
respecting themselves and being fly, doing their thing.
On her crazy moments in love:
"I mean, when you
find yourself walking out on the side of freeway in a different state at three
o'clock in the morning because someone has pissed you off, and you are
completely convinced that you're walking to the airport that is over an hour
away, you've pretty much lost your marbles there. [Laughs] Yeah, I'm not crazy
like I'll bust the windows out your car. I don't like to be vindictive, but I am
the type of person that'll be like, 'You know what? Nigga forget you, and I'll
be on my own!' [Laughs] I'm one of those people who will mentally check out when
I get so mad."
On Playing Uber Sexualized Roles While Maintaining Her Good Christian
Beliefs
I think that [sexual activites] natural
things. I think that, for me, it’s about portraying a character creatively and
artistically as an actress. I believe that God has gifted me as an actress and
intends for me to use that gift, but He also intends for me to use it to glorify
him. So, if I’m playing the most perfect, religious girl then nobody gets
anything out of it. It’s like being a Christian and only hanging out in church.
When I play a character, I try not to judge her because ultimately it’s about
where she ends up and what she learns from the journey, no matter what happens
along the journey. Does she become a better person?
On Keeping Her Skin & Looks Close To Perfection
You know, my mom and my dad look fairly young now too. My mom
always taught me as a young girl to stay with over-the-counter products, so I’ve
been using Clearasil since I was a teenager. The only thing I use that’s not
over-the-counter is eye creams. There’s this one, Peter Thomas Roth, and it is
incredible. It takes the bags away, it takes dark circles away, it makes it so
smooth under my eyes. It trips me out how good this eye cream is. Then, I’m
trying to make healthier choices when I eat, I’m trying to work out a little bit
and I’m trying to drink more water. You know, the usual things. Mainly, I try to
stick to a facial regimen that I do morning and night. At this point, it’s about
being preventive. Everything I do from here on out is about keeping it the way
that it is.
New Music From that Butch Queen Raz B
It's been a while since we heard from Raz B, who famously accused Chris
Stokes and Marques Houston of molesting him while he was a member of B2K but Raz
is back with a new song called Na Na Na..
Take a Listen:
GURL MAKE IT STOP!
Chris Brown and Rihanna to Perform at Grammy’s for their
death Match Anniversary
Chris Brown is set to make his Grammy comeback three years after his
violent assault on Rihanna at a pre-Grammy bash nearly cost him his
career.
According to reports, Brown will hit the stage at the show at the
Staples Center in Los Angeles, although his performance has yet to be officially
announced.
In the wake of the assault, his reputation plummeted. He has been a no-show
at the prestigious music award ceremony since.
However, the Look At Me Now
hit-maker has managed to bounce back with multiple mixtapes and the multi-hit
album, FAME (Forgiving All My Enemies).
The album earned him three Grammys
nominations, including one for the Best R&B Album.
Rihanna will also
perform at this year's awards. The couple were meant to perform together at the
2009 Grammys.
The 23-year-old We Found Love singer is up for four awards,
including Album of the Year for her platinum-selling Loud.
M.I.A has been MIA on seeing her son and Boyfriend so he
calls it QUITS!
Rapper M.I.A. has split from her environmentalist fiancé Benjamin Bronfman,
according to reports today.
The London-born star is believed to have called
time on her long-term relationship after living a 'separate life' from her
long-term partner.
According to the New York Daily News, M.I.A., real name
Mathangi Arulpragasam, spends most of her time in the UK while Benjamin lives in
New York.
M.I.A. and Benjamin met in New York in 2008 and in 2009, she gave
birth to their son Ikhyd Edgar Arular Bronfman, who turns three on
Saturday.
Benjamin, 29, is the son of Seagram heir Edgar Bronfman Jr and
former guitarist for the punk reggae band The Exit.
An insider told the
paper that M.I.A., 36, is hardly in New York and Ben's mother, Sherry Bronfman,
is helping to take care of Ikhyd.
A source told the paper that she 'sometimes
goes six weeks without seeing' her family.
M.I.A., who was born in Hounslow, north-west London, has previously
spoken about getting married and her immigration issues.
She ruled out a
'quickie' wedding to Bronfman and said: 'That's what they (immigration
officials) want me to do, but I'm not going to lose my integrity for that
s**t... I actually want a nice wedding.
'I'm not going to blow that. If they're gonna kick me out, it's going to be
a fight, it's an important fight to have.'
M.I.A. is currently at the centre
of a storm over her flipping her middle finger in an obscene gesture during her
Super Bowl performance on Sunday.
The singer was performing with Madonna and
Nicki Minaj during the Queen of Pop's 12-minute medley at the half-time show,
and they sang their new song Give Me All Your Luvin' when she made the rude
sign.
It prompted the NBC network, which broadcasted the game, to apologise to
viewers but according to reports today, the incident left Madonna
'fuming'.
According to the British paper The Sun, Madonna was not very happy,
not only because she considered it unprofessional, but also because she stole
her thunder.
A source told the paper: 'Madonna wasn't impressed. She prides
herself on professionalism. M.I.A .did nothing similar in rehearsals. Nobody
knew she was going to pull this stunt.
'Madonna wanted to put on a
world-beating performance. But everyone ended up talking about this girl's
middle finger.'
Nicki Minaj & Ricky Martin For MAC’s Viva
Glam
Nicki
Minaj and Ricky Martin are the new faces for MAC’s Viva Glam Ad Campaign!
And they look FAB!
Kanye and his Famous Rider!
The demands that Artists have are ridiculous.The rider from Ye's Australian
appearance reveals a couple of out there requests...
According to leaked
reports Kanye demanded all drivers must wear 100 per cent cotton: No man-made
fibers.
He also had Versace towels shipped over which were cut into smaller
sizes so he could wipe his face on stage.
Diddy’s Baby Mama and FOOTSTOOL Kim Porter's Three Brown Girls
HIT UP "Cocktails And Conversation” In Atlanta
In Atlanta, Kim Porter, Eboni Electra, and Nicole Johnson aka Three Brown
Girls hosted "Cocktails and Conversations" at Taste of the City.
The fab trio (who run their own event and marketing firm) chatted with the
audience and answered questions via Twitter.
They posed with recording artist Vawn.....
And Eboni tweeted,@3BGONLINE (ThreeBrownGirls) w/ the homeboy CLAY
RUBICON!!! The official Brown Boy
FUN TIMES!
MADONNA VS LADY GAGA…WORLD TOURS 2012???
You should have known this might happen. Since Madonna announced her world
tour on Monday. Now Lady GaGa has done the same but announcing the “Born This
Way” Ball stage.
First Madonna; The tour will play 26 European markets, including London,
Paris, Milan and Berlin, before hitting North American shores beginning Aug. 28
in Philadelphia. Twenty-six shows are planned for North America, including a
Sept. 6 show at New York's Yankee Stadium, and an Oct. 10 performance at the
Staples Center in Los Angeles. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale beginning
Feb. 10 in Tel Aviv and the U.K., with North American tickets going on sale
beginning Feb. 13. Tickets for North America are available at Ticketmaster.com
and LiveNation.com.
And then Lady GaGa Seemingly idle as of late, Pop force Lady GaGa has
revealed that’s been everything but that as she gears up for the launch of her
latest tour – the ‘Born This Way Ball’.
Taking to Twitter the star unmasked
the stage for the trek. And in true GaGa fashion, it’s must be seen to be
believed.
Via Lady GaGa:
If indeed replicated to the magnitude of the shot above, it’d easily serve
as one of the grandest tour stages we’ve seen yet.
And as much as GaGa’s
material didn’t move us this go round, one can’t but respect her hustle. This is
a woman who ran her first major tour on relative a loss so as to pump more into
its staging and all-round extravagance. A practice which has seen her emerge as
a premier performing force. A practice, moreover, which has paid off handsomely
(see: Forbes list). More power to her! However Madonna is still QUEEN!
Noted Liar and Tea Party Piglet Karen Handel Defensively
Resigns From Komen
Karen Handel, the anti-choice Georgia conservative behind Susan G. Komen's
defunding of Planned Parenthood, has resigned from her post as the charity's
Senior Vice President of Public Policy. The resignation comes in the wake of
growing criticism of the charity's evident political agenda, and Handel's
apparent inability to depoliticize the bodies of the women whose health she was
supposed to be promoting.
According to her predictably defensive letter, obtained by the Associated
Press, Handel admitted to supporting the Planned Parenthood debacle that led to
public outcry, but doesn't admit that she had anything to do with this "granting
model change."
Here's the letter, in full,
Dear Ambassador Brinker:
Susan G. Komen for the Cure has been the recognized
leader for more 30 years in the fight against breast cancer here in the US – and
increasingly around the world.
As you know, I have always kept Komen's
mission and the women we serve as my highest priority – as they have been for
the entire organization, the Komen Affiliates, our many supporters and donors,
and the entire community of breast cancer survivors. I have carried out my
responsibilities faithfully and in line with the Board's objectives and the
direction provided by you and Liz.
We can all agree that this is a challenging and
deeply unsettling situation for all involved in the fight against breast cancer.
However, Komen's decision to change its granting strategy and exit the
controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood and its grants was fully vetted by
every appropriate level within the organization. At the November Board meeting,
the Board received a detailed review of the new model and related criteria. As
you will recall, the Board specifically discussed various issues, including the
need to protect our mission by ensuring we were not distracted or negatively
affected by any other organization's real or perceived challenges. No objections
were made to moving forward.
I am deeply disappointed by the gross
mischaracterizations of the strategy, its rationale, and my involvement in it. I
openly acknowledge my role in the matter and continue to believe our decision
was the best one for Komen's future and the women we serve. However, the
decision to update our granting model was made before I joined Komen, and the
controversy related to Planned Parenthood has long been a concern to the
organization. Neither the decision nor the changes themselves were based on
anyone's political beliefs or ideology. Rather, both were based on Komen's
mission and how to better serve women, as well as a realization of the need to
distance Komen from controversy. I believe that Komen, like any other nonprofit
organization, has the right and the responsibility to set criteria and highest
standards for how and to whom it grants.
What was a thoughtful and thoroughly reviewed
decision – one that would have indeed enabled Komen to deliver even greater
community impact – has unfortunately been turned into something about politics.
This is entirely untrue. This development should sadden us all greatly.
Just
as Komen's best interests and the fight against breast cancer have always been
foremost in every aspect of my work, so too are these my priorities in coming to
the decision to resign effective immediately. While I appreciate your raising a
possible severance package, I respectfully decline. It is my most sincere hope
that Komen is allowed to now refocus its attention and energies on its
mission.
Sincerely,
That Karen Handel is a lying liar of the highest order, spewing exactly the
sort of bullshit we've come to expect from Komen in the last week. A famously,
rabidly anti-choice politician enters an organization and spearheads a push to
defund a pro-choice organization? How is that a mischaracterization? Again,
Karen Handel thinks we are all dumb.
Further, if Komen thinks that Handel's resignation is an "exit strategy" to
the controversy they've drummed up in the last week, they're even more out of
touch than they appeared when Nancy Brinker lied to Andrea Mitchell on the air
during her Damage Control Tour 2012. Critical eyes are turned to Komen, and
there's a lot more to this story yet to unfold.
But in the meantime, good
riddance to a person who is surely destined to become an anti-abortion rights
folk hero for her irresponsible, dishonest policking and famously valuing
proto-life over living, breathing women.
Pilar Saunders called 911 claiming one of Deion’s Lady
Friends ATTACKED HER!
Pilar Sanders called the police yesterday claiming she was attacked by one
of Deion's female friends...
From TMZ
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ,
Pilar told officers a woman named Laura arrived to the mansion to see Deion ...
but Pilar told Laura she was not welcome in the home and asked her to leave.
We're told Laura refused ... and after some words were exchanged, Laura
threw an object at Pilar ... striking her in the eye.
Pilar grabbed her
phone and called 911 ... and told police Deion was present during the
altercation, but didn't do ANYTHING to diffuse the situation.
Cops tell TMZ ... no arrests were made and the situation is under
investigation.
Pilar's lawyer tells TMZ, "Pilar was taken to the hospital
emergency room as a result of the injuries she sustained during the
assault."
The lawyer adds, "This is an opportunity for Deion to use his 'Century-21
celebrity status' to set an example as to how to lovingly care for his wife and
children during divorce proceedings."
Deion denies Pilar's claims saying it was his aunt and
not some friend.
Khloe & Lamar New Promo Photos
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom’s our back with Season
2 on February 19, 2012.
Everybody’s favorite Kardashian sister Khloe is back with her the second
season of the “Khloe & Lamar” and this time around, we’ll get to see if
Khloe’s marriage can withstand Lamar getting traded to the Dallas
Mavericks.
Jazmine Sullivan Confirms New Album In the
Works
Even though the talentless still reign supreme, the successes of vocal
divas as of late is reassurance that there is hope yet. For, without question,
what the industry has ‘needed badly’ would be the prowess of a vocalist
comparable to that of ‘Need U Bad’ beauty Jazmine Sullivan.
Last year may have seen the 24-year-old announce an ill-received departure
from music, but now fans can rejoice at this weekend’s Twitter
announcement:
YAY!!!
Kalenna has some Hot New Promo Pics
Kalenna will make her first solo mixtape, Chamber of Diaries, available for
free download February 13th, via her website.
Her album cover and artwork channel a strong and regal character in which
Kalenna wants to use to officially introduce herself as a solo artist.
About
her new venture, she states:
“I want people to know
that I have experienced a lot of the same struggles they have faced in their
lives. At the same time I want be a role model for my fans by keeping two feet
on the ground and standing for what I believe in.
I wanted to talk about situations that occur
between women and men in relationships. I want women to understand, and be
empowered by taking into consideration the male perspective in different
situations."
The mixtape features producers Rodney Jerkins, Ryan Tedder, D Mile,
Firstborne and Shakespeare. And offers a sound that infuses up-beat tempos, and
melodic lyrics to evoke emotion.
Hot pics.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART”
FILES
“Chatty Cathy”
Talking so much that it’s somehow convenient to have your phone holster on
your head? I guess it’s not hard to figure out how your got your Mouthy Bi’atch
nickname.
