This is a touchy subject...

[Chris Wallace]

They may be the worst offenders. Again, as much as I like the bodies of Esther Baxter & Ki-Toy Johnson, they can do better.

 

[KenK]

They may be the worst offenders. Again, as much as I like the bodies of Esther Baxter & Ki-Toy Johnson, they can do better.

Excuse me, I'm just gonna need a minute. . . . .

 

[MaskedManJRK]

A little off-topic, but right now I'm listening to the radio & there's a debate regarding Janet Jackson, & her posing nude for the upcoming Vibe cover. I think it's a bad idea, especially for someone who's been in the business as long as she has. Who comes from such a talented family & is as established as she is. There's no need to do the whole "sex kitten" thing. It's right up there w/Halle wearing that costume in "Catwoman". While women of all races have made the mistake of confusing objectification with empowerment, I think it's worst among black women.

Eh, I don't think you're wrong in this, but I feel that if a woman wants to pose nude, then it's her choice, but I will say this:

It's sad fact, but nowadays the Jackson name really isn't respected at all. I mean, when your father's a child-beating bastard, your brother's a child molester, your sister's a cheap imitation of you, and you pulled a cheap stunt at the Super Bowl, it's just not respected anymore. Hell, this legit cover story might help her get away from the other s**t her family's been into.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

I know this isn't exactly about the thread topic, but it sort of applies.

If you're looking for a potentially great film, you might want to check out Forest Whitaker's 'The Last King of Scotland'. I've seen the trailer, and it held promise for me.

Damn, I saw the trailer for it too and thought of posting it here. Looks pretty good, espicially Forest's role of Idi Amin--I'm surprised the guy who played the supportive sidekick for most of his career can play such a chrismatic, yet f**ked-up guy like him.

Here's the trailer, if you're interested: http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/thelastkingofscotland/trailera/

 

[Chris Wallace]

Eh, I don't think you're wrong in this, but I feel that if a woman wants to pose nude, then it's her choice, but I will say this:

It's sad fact, but nowadays the Jackson name really isn't respected at all. I mean, when your father's a child-beating bastard, your brother's a child molester, your sister's a cheap imitation of you, and you pulled a cheap stunt at the Super Bowl, it's just not respected anymore. Hell, this legit cover story might help her get away from the other s**t her family's been into.

1-I don't personally believe that Michael's a child molester. He may have done some stupid things where that was concerned, but the accusers' stories never added up to me.
2-there are PLENTY of pale imitations of both Michael & Janet in show business.
3-I don't see how portraying yourself as a ****/eye candy-again-would help your or your family's image.
Yes she does have freedom of choice, but it should be tempered w/wisdom. My main issue is that as a 40-year-old showbiz vet, she's sending out the wrong message. 20 years ago her statement was "Listen to me! I have something to say!" Now it's, "Look at me! I'm sexy!"

 

[KenK]

1-I don't personally believe that Michael's a child molester. He may have done some stupid things where that was concerned, but the accusers' stories never added up to me.
2-there are PLENTY of pale imitations of both Michael & Janet in show business.
3-I don't see how portraying yourself as a ****/eye candy-again-would help your or your family's image.
Yes she does have freedom of choice, but it should be tempered w/wisdom. My main issue is that as a 40-year-old showbiz vet, she's sending out the wrong message. 20 years ago her statement was "Listen to me! I have something to say!" Now it's, "Look at me! I'm sexy!"

Yeah, and I agree with you on Michael Jackson, as I've always felt what happened to him has been a simple case of people just not wanting to accept his eccentric behavior. The man has simply never been a real child. He never had a chance to grow up normally, and it's shaped the man-child he is today. People were only going to put up with it so much before it just came off as weird. Between that, a musical career that had been in decline since the History album, and the extremes he's gone to to change his appearance, and you've got a cabal of people who will do anything to find a way to remove him from society.

Look at R. Kelly. This man had over 20 counts against him when the sex tape of him peeing on a minor came out, now, there are only about 7 or 8 remaining, and the case still hasn't gone to trial! Why? 'Cause he still makes money for people. Kelly's always had more of a niche audience anyway, so it's not like he's ever been at Michael's level of popularity, but he maintains whatever popularity he started out with. The industry knows they can squeeze whatever they can out of him until the trial comes around. There's also the fact that the victim in question is a black girl. And if mainstream media has taught us anything, it's that darkies aren't worth covering. Elizabeth Smart, Shondra Levy, Laci Peterson, that dumb blonde chick in Aruba or wherever, these are the girls who make the national news. Should anything happen to such sweet beautiful flowers and they'll have to whole country pullin' for them. No one gives a rat's ass about R. Kelly peeing on some teenage black girl!!

 

[terry78]

^LOL, as much as some people want to deny it, if the girl that had been peed on was white, best believe they'd be calling for Robert to be lynched to the fullest extent. Kobe barely got out of his scrape. Mama always said them white wimmens are nothin' but trouble.

 

[Chris Wallace]

The hypocrisy in the R.Kelly/Michael Jackson situation can't be overlooked. But I think there's more than just race involved here. Why? Because it's not just an issue of how the law & the media handled them, but how the black community responded. We pretty much turned our backs on Michael as soon as the allegations hit the airwaves. But we continue to give R. Kelly superstar treatment. Despite the fact that he married Aaliyah while she was 15. Despite the fact that he refers to himself as "The Pied Piper of R & B" (Am I the only one who remembers that the Pied Piper led children astray with his music?) Despite the fact that there's a freakin' VIDEOTAPE! Despite the fact that all there was against MJ was hearsay; inconsistent hearsay at that. We turned on him because 1-he doesn't put out the kind of hip-hop flavored music that our community is so enamored with. 2-all we ever hear in the press is what an oddball he is. 3-many of us feel like he's turned his back on us, & 4-I find this one to be the biggest of all, HIS ACCUSER WAS MALE. Not just white, but male. R. Kelly is accused of basically the same crime, but against a female. Add to this the race issue, and the question of why these kids' parents sent them to his house in the first place.
It's all symptomatic of the mentality that is sweeping our community. Your entertainment is a reflection of your culture, & right now the African-American culture is in sorry shape.

 

[The Sage]

^LOL, as much as some people want to deny it, if the girl that had been peed on was white, best believe they'd be calling for Robert to be lynched to the fullest extent. Kobe barely got out of his scrape. Mama always said them white wimmens are nothin' but trouble.

LOL. Didn't even think about that.

 

[Mr. Walters]

As a white person a lot of the films made by black filmmakers seem to be geared towards a black audience and a lot of the humor goes over my head. I'm not trying to sound racist or anything it's just that I don't get a lot of black humor. I don't like comedies from black filmmakers, and I don't like black comedians. But their are a few black filmmakers out there who make movies for people...regardless of skin color. I have no problem with these films, as I can relate to them better. I also consider Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and Morgan Freeman some of the best actors in history.

 

[Chris Wallace]

Don't confuse "black" humor with "ghetto" humor. I don't happen to find most "ghetto" humor funny at all. I get the jokes; I'm just not amused by them.

 

[terry78]

^Agreed in that respect. People call anything to do with rap, thug type stuff, or acting in an uneducated fashion "black." Don't associate us with that. We're a race of people, not a genre.

 

[Chris Wallace]

I remember a time when the American Music Awards had a "black" category; not "soul" or "R & B", but "Black". I found that so offensive. But it came back to bite them when they put Sheila E. in the running, she won, & then they found out she WASN'T. Ha!

 

[Chris Wallace]

And Mr. Walters, we are NOT pointing the finger at you here. If anything, you're a victim of the very type of miseducation that this thread is designed to target.

 

[Mr. Walters]

/\I know you are not, because I don't confuse black humor with ghetto humor. What I meant is I am not able to relate to a lot of the material, so it kinda goes over my head. And it does go both ways too. I am Irish American and from Boston originally, and there are a lot of inside jokes in the film Good Will Hunting, that unless you are Boston Irish, might just go over your head too.

 

[Red Mask]

No one gives a rat's ass about R. Kelly peeing on some teenage black girl!!

Holy smokes! I've been out of touch for too long! That is criminal!

 

[Chris Wallace]

You didn't know?

 

[kane9321]

Black Entertainment Television....IS THE WORST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE! - MLK, The Return of the King

bro,I havent watched bet since they stopped doing that video show with donnie simpson

 

[Red Mask]

You didn't know?

I didn't know the girl was underage. The reports I read didn't seem to emphasize it. Damn.

 

[Chris Wallace]

bro,I havent watched bet since they stopped doing that video show with donnie simpson

You mean the one where they just played R&B videos? That's been a pretty long time, dude.

 

[kane9321]

^LOL, as much as some people want to deny it, if the girl that had been peed on was white, best believe they'd be calling for Robert to be lynched to the fullest extent. Kobe barely got out of his scrape. Mama always said them white wimmens are nothin' but trouble.

take that back..you hippie

funny funny stuff

 

[kane9321]

You mean the one where they just played R&B videos? That's been a pretty long time, dude.

told you its been a long long time. That when bet was great

 

[Chris Wallace]

Well, if you wanna know what you've missed, read my previous posts. You'll see it wasn't much.

 

[Red Mask]

One of the few things I liked about Lady in the Water was the role played by M. Night Shyamalan. He played an Indian American whose words would affect the future of America. His book would change the minds of the people and maybe create a great future. That to me he is closer to Moses or Jesus than Superman could ever be because he's bringing the Word. And the Word is good.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

One of the few things I liked about Lady in the Water was the role played by M. Night Shyamalan. He played an Indian American whose words would affect the future of America. His book would change the minds of the people and maybe create a great future. That to me he is closer to Moses or Jesus than Superman could ever be because he's bringing the Word. And the Word is good.

Wait a minute--you're telling me that M. Night Shyamalan, in a movie that he also wrote and direct, had a role as a Jesus-esque' leader?

...

That is egotistical beyond all normal comprehension.