I was about a week late watching the BET Awards so I am pretty behind. I was busy so don’t judge me.
I have been watching the BET Awards since 2001. Every year, I am sitting and waiting to see who will perform, who will show up and my favorite part of all, the tributes for the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. In 2001 I was only 8-years-old but seeing black people party and celebrate other black captivated me. Even back then. Now with a shift in music, the last award show I think I distinctively remember enjoying in full was in 2010, partly because of Chris Brown’s tribute to Michael Jackson. Up until this year I wasn’t really impressed with the show. I still watched because you know it’s for us and by us but it was just me watching. So this year I didn’t know what to expect, but fortunately, I wasn’t let down. So the opening. I knew Beyoncé’s would be there. After the year she has had I just knew she was going to come and either open or close the show. What I didn’t expect was for her to bring out Kendrick and set the stage on fire. To sing Freedom was a great choice. It definitely packs a lot of power and intensity. The clothing and the fact that all of her dancers wore an authentic black hairstyle was a major plus for me. Opening with one of my favorite excerpts from Martin Luther King’s I Have A Dream speech really got me excited as well. People can say whatever they want about Beyoncé but she knows how to put on a show. And of course Kendrick, who exudes a type of energy that he can only bring, took it to a whole new level. I will for sure say that since Monique’s back to back openings in 2003 and 2004, is one I won’t forget. We all know that the shade that BET threw at the Billboard awards was simply iconic, but we also knew that if they did not deliver, a dragging of the century would occur. Again I was hesitant because last year, that tribute to Queen Janet Jackson left a bad taste in my mouth. So I was going to raise hell if they messed up this tribute to Prince. I was nothing less than impressed with the tributes. First I LOVED the idea of breaking it into parts throughout the show. So first it was Stevie Wonder, Tori Kelly and Jennifer Hudson. I am going to say it, they could have left Tori out of it. It just wasn’t working for me. I get that she is talented but she still looks like she is trying to grasp onto the concept of the big stage and she didn’t work the song like I thought she could. I don’t know if they asked Chaka Khan and if they did, did she turn it down, but I’d rather see her up there, no shade just a preference. I am so happy that Stevie got to redeem himself after what Madonna did to him. BOYYYYYY, Jennifer Kate Hudson. I don’t think anyone would ever really sing Purple Rain in the church, but she took me there. I was listening to her sing and I felt my heart expand. To see the crowd be moved the way they were and see her passion and power push through in that song was moving. I had to ask the people around me if I was the only one getting emotional. The way she performed the song reminded me of how I felt when John Mayer killed his guitar solo at MJ’s memorial. Then The Roots, Bilal and E. Badu came through to put some funk on it. The Ballad of Dorothy Parker was a perfect song for Erykah because I don’t think anyone else could bring the soul and funk she brought to the lyrics. So I was trying to figure out who told Prince to enter Bilal’s body during his performance. It’s rare that when you see someone try to act like another performer that it looks authentic and not forced. I don’t know how many performances he watched before the show but he had me shouting. Janelle Monae’ of course worked the stage. She has this aura about her that just captivates you. She has noted Prince as a hero forever so I expected nothing less but greatness from her. And she performed by favorite song, I Would Die 4 U, so she won! Sheila Escovedo aka Sheila E. took me overboard. Watching her was amazing. She worked the hell out of that stage, the drums and the guitar. She is an artist, a musician. It’s clear why Prince worked with her. And to keep it hype with songs that make you dance was perfect. She looked and sounded amazing and I don’t think anyone better could have been a part of this tribute. This was like a perfect home going. Almost done guys. I first fell in love with Jesse Williams when I started to binge watch Grey’s Anatomy. After his speech, I was so in awe of him. Now I knew he was down for the cause but he gut punched everyone awake with that speech. To call out systematic racism, prejudice, and money hungry celebs (who were in the audience) was probably the best speech I have ever heard at the BET Awards. He was not apologetic, stated complete facts and was chewing the hell out the gum. Didn’t know if I was listening to Malcolm, Martin or Rev. Jesse Jackson. If the show would have just consisted of the opening, the Prince tribute, his speech and the Lifetime Achievement Award, it could have been completely perfect. There were some raised eyebrows and deep sighs, (Nicki Minaj winning best female hip hop, that’s why she didn’t come because she knew she was going to win), with some award winners but that was to be expected. A lot of performers left me annoyed *cough Desiigner* but some also left me “turnt up”. This award show wasn’t the best one I have ever seen but it’s the best one I’ve seen in a while. So job well done BET. I will see you next year.
0 Comments
I finally finished all four parts of Roots. It took me a little longer than expected but I made it to the end. Approaching this post I was more focused on comparing this retold story to the original but I don’t think that is important. I think there are more important views to take on this. Not to say that view is not important, it just doesn’t so much matter to me anymore. So many thoughts ran through my head but because of time and my word limit I created for myself, I will share with you my most pressing ones.
First; I don’t like the fact that everyone’s primary idea of the retelling of Roots is to compare it to the original. I understand that times have changed and people believe that Hollywood has ran out of ideas, but I see no harm in bringing this story to light again. As a millennial, I know that most people associate the name Kunta Kinte with jokes. From The Chapelle Show to Madea, most people just know the “your name is Toby” or the “chopped foot” jokes. That’s all I knew until I took it upon myself to watch the original. A lot of people won’t go and watch historic films/series like this on their own because it’s “out of date” or they don’t know any of the actors present. So this story being retold with familiar faces in the middle of a time where people are willing to learn about their history people are still consumed with TV and I believe that the retelling was important. Two; One of my favorite things that I saw in this series that I think somewhat fails these days is the importance of tradition. How Kunta was named and how he named her daughter, Kizzi, how she named her son, how George named his last child and his last child Tom named his, you see how tradition keeps you rooted and bound together. However you also see how tradition seems to dwindle away. It started to take longer for the Kinte line to name their children the same way because the stories weren’t being told as soon or as often. You also saw how the difference in time and location even changed the way people become receptive to learning about tradition, let alone teaching it. I believe that traditions have nonexistent in a lot of homes due to the lack of consistency and interest. Three; I was impressed with the cast as well as the acting and how they portrayed each character. I hate to use this word but this rebirth of the show seemed a little more “polished”. The series made me realize that some of the things my family lacked in tradition and growth are some of the things I wanted to restore into my family. I have no true knowledge about my family’s history. There were rarely ever stories told about generations before me and I’ve always wondered. It makes me realize about how much people had to work to survive and how much technology has taken over that no one seems to be interested or have time to tell stories anymore. No matter how long it took for someone to tell the story about Kunta Kinte or his father, Omoro Kinte, the story never changed. The feeling and pride it gave people never changed either. Traditions and stories of my life is something that I hope to instill in my children if I ever have them. Some people said they were sick of this type of role being portrayed on TV, a slave. But there are so many stories that go untold or forgotten in that time period. I don’t want people to get it mistaken that just because we play slaves on TV does not mean we can’t, won’t or haven’t played anything else. I would imagine playing a slave, is the hardest role a black actor could portray. Like I said these are only a few of the thoughts that I had about this series so if you don’t see a point that thought should be included, or disagree with every point I made, comments are welcomed. As always… #StayProminent P.S. I am trying to figure out if Laurence Fishburne is a decedent of Kunta Kinte or was he just telling the story. The Billboard Music Awards or the BBMAs, is an award show to highlight the triumphs in music ranging all genres. For decades this award show has showcased the greatest talents of the time and awarded them for their success. Besides the Grammy’s it is safe, in my opinion, to say it’s the next best thing. Some of the greatest artists of all time have dominated this ceremony; Whitney Houston winning 15 awards in one night, Usher winning 14 in one night, Adele winning 12 and of course my fave, Janet Jackson winning 15 in one night and holding the record of the most awarded for 33 total. This year’s awards show was beginning to new success stories but also a few “uh-oh’s”. The show opened with the iconic Britney Spears. I “fan-girled” so hard. I remember singing her songs in my karaoke machine when I was a little girl. It was a happy moment for Britney fans because after he breakdown those few years back, I think people have continued to doubt her, but her performance showed us that it’s still “Britney Bitch!”. I have the same critique every time I see her perform. You can tell that she is counting “5,6,7,8…” in her head while she dances and to be honest, she is a little stiff. But she gets the job done and I enjoy it. She also won the millennium award, and I believe it was greatly deserved. She has been a force through good and bad times in this business and it’s great to have her back. With a great start, I thought it would get better. I was only half right. Justin Beiber’s performance was disappointing to me. Especially since I loved the album. It screamed Chris Brown, yet it just didn’t hit the same as if he just wasn’t into it. And to be honest, I am still not sure if he sang live the whole time. P!nk stole my heart, again with her performance. I don’t know what her thing is about flying over her audience but just like her Grammy’s performance in 2010, I was here for it. Her new song, Just Like Fire, is classic P!nk. Touching meets” bad assery” and I am in love with it. Rihanna AMAZED me. She was absolutely gorgeous and her vocals were shocking. I never thought Rih was a bad singer but I never thought that was in her. She let the world know that she really is an artist that night and I applaud her. And she sang my jam, Love on the Brain so I was most definitely feeling her. I really got into the show once I saw The Go-Go’s perform. I don’t know who in my family played We Got the Beat as I was growing up, but I knew all the words and enjoyed every second of them. And they all looked amazing. Sadly, I cannot say the same for everyone. While most of us are still upset about the untimely death of Prince, we knew that there would be a great tribute. To my surprise they picked Madonna. Which is pretty much going against Prince’s wishes, but that is another discussion for another day. I am assuming Madonna’s outfit was her take on Prince’s Purple Rain costume, and it wasn’t that bad. It read classic Madonna fashion. But she sang Nothing Compares to You which is Sinead O’Connor’s song and was only written by Prince. I don’t know how that falls in line with a tribute. And she sang the WHOLE song. You spent half of a tribute singing another person’s song? Really? Anyway, she starts to sing Purple Rain. *Sigh* First, her vocals were trash. Second, she did not sing the song in classic way we all enjoy. When you pay tribute to someone, sure, make the song your own, but don’t so much to the point where we barely recognize it. Then the nerve to literally drag Stevie Wonder into this. How did she even get in contact with him? It didn’t help the performance one bit. It just made us feel bad for him. She went on to say “you can honor Prince no matter color or age.” She must not have read our tweets because that was not the issue. The issue was the fact that it was an overall horrible performance. Award shows bring out the best and worst of me as a lover of music. But nonetheless, I love them. They give me something to enjoy and obviously something to talk about. This past year in music has been great. The best I have seen in a while actually. And with the BBMAs I get the feeling more greatness is on the way. Until next year. As usual…. #StayProminent. For more information on the show click HERE The Academy Awards or The Oscars gave out their first award in 1929. Having it first being broadcasted on the radio and then on TV for the first time in 1953. It started out for the obvious reasons which are to celebrate and award those of excellence in TV/Film. Since the start there have been almost 3,000 Oscars handed out to actors over the course of 87 years. Since the first award, The Oscars have become the highlight of the year for those in the business.
It wasn’t until 1940 that black people started to get “recognition” for their roles in this business. I put recognition in quotation marks because of the roles they get recognized for. Anyway, Ms. Hattie McDaniel was the first black woman to ever receive an Oscar for Gone with the Wind. This created a sense of hope, determination and pride in black actors then and black actors now. It took 12 years for the Academy Awards too recognized and to be quite honest, who is really surprised by that. What I am surprised by is that over the course of 87 years, only 18 black people have won an Oscar. That is 18 out of 3,000 awards given have gone to African-Americans. About half of those awards are argued to be roles that were stereotypical roles of African-Americans. Luckily people like Sidney Poitier (two time winner), always refused to play roles that demeaned African-Americans. Nonetheless, seeing representation at these award shows, accepting these awards keeps that hope that Hattie McDaniel gave us all those years ago. Now with this past year of the Academy Awards, there has been a lot of backlash from the black community. Of course it comes from the lack of wins, the lack of nominations and of course the primary recognition of the roles that are not positive ones. There was the suggestion of black people boycotting the award show and some people actually did not go. Which I had mixed feelings about. Most recently another black actor, Michael Jai White did an interview about how the Oscars ruin black actors’ careers. He mentioned that the moment that a black actor is either nominated or wins an award, their career seems to downgrade after that. In his statement he mentioned Jennifer Hudson, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Angela Bassett. Now this irritated me. Basset was nominated for an award in 1993 for What’s Love Got To Do With It and I count at least 8 films after that were successful including Waiting To Exhale(1995) and Notorious (2009). Then Denzel Washington won two awards between Glory (1989) and Training Day (2001) and had great films to follow each like The Preacher’s Wife (1996) and The Book of Eli (2010). Lastly we have Jennifer Hudson whose primary career is to sing who won an Oscar for Dreamgirls (2006) but also had The Secret Life of Bees (2008) and Chiraq in (2015). These are ONLY three recipients out of the 18 I mentioned earlier. The point of all of this is to consider how far we have come in this industry of film and how much further we have to go. I find it quite uncomfortable for people to have people not want us there or demean us for being considered or winners. After it not being an option and black actors busting their butts and celebrating to get there, it just pretty much sucks. But like most things, when black people don't feel like we are being accepted or appreciated, we make our own. We find ways to make people see and hear us. We don't let people knock us off of our game. I don't doubt that in time, we take over the Academy Awards or we find an alternative. Anyway, I support black actors, ALL of them. Congratulations to all EIGHTEEN winners! As Always… #StayProminent As you all know the 90s was the greatest era when it came to a lot of things, at least in my opinion. Fashion, movies, music and of course TV, it was an iconic era in history. It seemed like everything flowed together and it just made sense. Growing up I watched everything 90s, All That, A Different World, Fresh Prince, Family Matters and Full House. All these shows were the highlight of my day either before school, after school or my Saturday’s off. So when I saw that Full House was coming back with a twist, I was obviously excited.
When shows like Full House try to make a comeback you initially get excited but at the same time you get really nervous. So many times when it comes to remakes or comebacks, original cast members don’t return, the script is trying too hard and after 30 years, you would think the aging process would make things uncomfortable. Well let’s just say, 30 years looks pretty good on the old cast of Full House. I was extremely pleased to hear that every original cast member, except Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen would be returning to the house. The show literally picks up where you think it would be after 30 years has passed. When the show originally aired, people felt as if they were a part of the Tanner family and they could relate to a lot of things going on in the show. So with the comeback, it was imperative that it gave off that same vibes. I personally wasn’t let down. Fuller House is basically a mirror version of Full House just it’s now based on the kids living their now adult life. DJ is basically in the same situation Danny was in, a newly single parent with 3 children to raise. Stephanie is who Uncle Jesse was, the rock star relative who comes to help with the kids but soon learns that means making some changes with their bachelor/bachelorette lifestyle. And of course there is Kimmy who would be considered the now Joey in this show. Kimmy is the goofy friend who also moves in to help and lend a hand with the kids. It was almost sad to see everyone older than when we all remember them because let’s be honest, once a show goes off the air, no matter how many “where are they now?” we see, our memory keeps them at the age of the last episode. But the show made me so comfortable. It reflected back on past episodes, made references to those iconic catch phrases and even some behavior is nearly identical. The show makes you feel like you grew up with them while the camera was off. It was good to see this show stick to its roots and let it play out on its own. It was a comeback that was anticipated and successful. I’m hoping that with plenty of great reactions that in the future there will be a season two. It will most definitely give me a 90s dose with a modern twist. Hopefully some other 90s sitcoms will take a hint. If you haven’t watched Fuller House yet, get to the nearest Netflix account and hit play. As always… #StayProminent I watched the premiere of Underground on WGN last week and I was so into it. For some reason I am always into shows or movies that have to deal with slavery, or the civil rights movement. I think the reason for that is because it keeps me grounded. Some days I think that my life is just so hard and I am going through it. The moment, I watch those films; it’s a reminder that my life could be a lot worse. It also reminds me of how we as black people got here and why some things are the way they are.
Now anticipating this premiere solely came from the cast at first. I love Jurnee Smolett-Bell ever since those few episodes I saw her in on Full House and Eve’s Bayou and I have always been a fan of Christopher Meloni aka Detective Stabler. But that was just at first glance. The more I watched the previews, the more intense it seemed to me and the more intrigued I became. So of course last Wednesday, I tuned in at 10pm with the other 2.5 million viewers over a four play run. Watching the first episode, for some reason I was expecting for it to be Django Unchained meets Book of Negroes and in all honesty, I believe that I got that. It gave me the heartache that I got from the Book of Negroes but it also gave me raw and mischievous like from Django. I am trying to say as much as I can without giving away too much. Like most, well let’s say all, slavery based TV shows or movies, you see the one white person that is extremely aggressive, the head mistress who could really care less about the slaves’ pain and the master who literally just looks at this like a business and only is interested in his own well-being. Now what stumped me in the premiere was the amount of twist and turns within relationships. There was compassion where you didn’t expect it, there was jealousy where it shouldn’t have been, there were brothers who lived and thought on two different ends of the spectrum and of course there was some love in places you may not even notice the first time. The one thing with series and movies like Underground is having that feeling of, should I watch this or shouldn’t I? It seems like people always want to watch black people as slaves. Why did WGN get the highest rating for the premiere of this series versus all the other series? Just like why when black people receive Oscars, it’s always for a corrupt or “demeaning” role? I also have this thought that, I wonder if white people love playing these superior roles because they can say they ‘N’ word over and over and feel that sense of power? But in the end, I watch it because it’s real. I watch it because in one way or another, those series and movies send messages that are still prevalent in today’s world. I watch it because I never want to forget. Overall, I am really excited to see what this series will have to offer. I know there will be some twist and turns. I also know that there will be some twist and turns and some moments that make me cry. I am a cry baby and I am not ashamed. It’s always good to stay grounded people. Stay in tune and stay aware. It’s also good to support our black actors. Hope that you all take a look at the show and enjoy. As always… #StayProminent First, let me apologize for not posting last week, MI weather was not my friend and I got sick. But without further ado, let’s jump right back into the swings of things.
I am not the active TV watcher I once was, but I do still enjoy my share of good TV shows. Black-ish of course is in the mix of shows I enjoy on a weekly basis. There is so much life, laughter and “real-ish” incorporated into that show. There is always something for everybody. When it comes to TV, it is so hard to find some quality. Even when we finally find a show that interests us, there is always that chance that eventually it will be a disappointment. That can happen with the script, the plot or even the cast we just never know. But luckily, two seasons into Black-ish, we haven’t had that problem. Black-ish is more than a show that offers a few laughs, it is a show that offers you an outside perspective on your own life. It gives you those extra pair of eyes to see what is really going on in the world. The show offers such a great balance between showing you what’s real and making you laugh as an individual or even as a family. In season one, I had to get used to the dynamic of the show. I also believe that the show was playing it safe in a sense. It gave you those “Full House” life lessons with a bunch of laughter and most of them seemed to be a little general. The only thing that I only found to be specifically targeted to black people was when Dre (Anthony Anderson) was in the office or having a flash back about his childhood. It was a great show but it was nothing compared to season two. When season two premiered, it came out the gate making everyone uncomfortable or pay attention to an issue that has been taboo for years; the legendary “N” word. Everyone has had that conversation at some point about who can and cannot say it, should it be said period, turning a negative into a “positive” and what harm it can cause. Black-ish did an amazing job at explaining all points of view but still leaving that option up to you. The most recent episode is what hit me the most. “Hope” was an episode based around the way black people get treated when it comes to media and law enforcement. It talked about how all the unarmed black people who were gunned down and how no one involved had any consequences. There were some jokes incorporated about which person they were talking about and getting prepared for a riot, but even in those jokes the reality of it was that it was real life, real possibility and really happening. The thing about this episode that really hit me hard is that it’s current. Having them speak and get emotional about things that I think about on a regular is intense. Also the fact that Pops (Laurence Fishburne) and Ruby (Jennifer Lewis) are speaking on similar things from their younger days frightens me and makes me wonder if 20 years from now, will I have to have these same conversations with my own children. Regardless of all the heart wrenching and gut busting episodes, there are also episodes about love, being your spouse’s best friend and the importance of family. This show brings the real world right into your living room, but it also brings what you seem to miss in your own life onto your TV. It’s not too much to handle but it is far from sugar coating. Each episode gets better and better and I am excited to see what the future episodes/seasons will have to offer. #StayProminent I haven’t been that impressed lately with the set list when it comes to the films on Netflix. Either they have been on there forever, or I’m just not interested in those movies. But for the last couple of days, the movie Brotherly Love has been popping up on my suggested movies list and I have seen it mentioned on my Facebook and Twitter timeline. So the other day, I took it upon myself to press play. Needless to say, I loved it.
This movie had a very unique cast. From Macy Gray to Quincy Brown, who I am still in the works of getting past who is parents are and truly accepting him as an actor. It also had Ms. Keke Palmer who has had a successful career in the film industry and the handsome Cory Hardict, who I believe does not get the credit he deserves as an actor. The point I am trying to make is, the cast is eclectic in the sense of style and experience, but nonetheless, I was really impressed. It eally sucks that I use this word, but it was almost a typical “hood” movie. Taking place in Philly, you have an older brother who makes his money the wrong way, takes care of everybody, the sister who dreams of being a star and the younger brother who wants to go to the NBA. I’m sure a few of us can think of one or more movies with a similar story line. So what makes this movie different? A few things actually. In this movie, there seem to only be one man who was in charge of entire operation. Usually you see a small group of guys running errands or what some people like to call, drops. But in this one, Cory aka Junior, seemed to be the only one making money. Also there wasn’t a lot of flash. I saw a gold chain here and there but, there were no million dollar cars, minks and bottles of champagne at every gathering. There was literally just a desperate desire in a brother that his younger siblings, Sergio (Eric Hill Jr.) & Jackie (Keke Palmer), dreams come true. With money to be made, for the most part, no one was making the money to say they were rich, but to help those ones around them they loved. Most movies like this can seem overdone or really cliché, however Brotherly Love seemed real. I think the reason I got pulled in the way I did was because in a few of the scenes or even the relationships, it was easy to relate too. But like all movies, there was a plot twist (one I can’t give away). Brotherly love only brought in a little under $500,000 at the box office but it was most definitely quality acting. It’s something that could happen on a daily basis and I know people who have actually lived this life. It sucks it took me almost a year to watch this movie, but like they always say, better late than never. If you don’t believe me, watch it now (currently streaming on Netflix). I believe my biggest reason for applauding this movie came from the fact that I can relate. With people who I love making money by any means necessary, making sure that I was taken care of and running into some trouble. I could understand that desperation and that desire for a better life. I knew that with one different decision, that family could have been my family. That’s how you know you’ve made an amazing movie when those watching can see themselves in the characters. I genuinely can’t say I’ve had that in a while. Either way, I applaud to this amazing cast and to Mr. Jamal Hill (writer and director) on a wonderful film. #StayProminent In the past few weeks we have heard that “The Oscars do not recognize actors of color”, “The Oscars recognize people of color but only for playing corrupt roles”, “BOYCOTT THE OSCARS” and the most recent one, “Joseph Fiennes is going to play Michael Jackson in a comedy about a road trip around 9/11”. Yeah the last one is the one I want to talk about.
I have been meaning to publish a post about this movie for a while now. But I had so many mixed, biased and altering feelings about it so I decided to wait until I had them in order. With this post, I am open to any comments, remarks, refutes and or ideas. I am no film maker nor am I from Chicago, so I can only speak based on my own perspective. If during reading my post you feel some type of way, you are free to RESPECTFULLY share your thoughts. So here we go… Thought One; I have always been a fan of Spike Lee. From She’s Gotta Have It to the documentary Bad 25. There was always a satiric but serious thought to his films. There was something playful, but a deep message at the same time. When I learned of Chiraq my immediate reaction was full of excitement. I automatically assumed it would be shedding light on some issues and of course it has some of my favorite people starring so of course, I am here for it. There was already a buzz about there being backlash but initially, I did not pay it any attention. Thought Two; In most scenarios with a Spike Lee Joint, he gives his perspective on a story line which can easily be associated with a real life issue. He also adds an aspect, as I previously mentioned, that can be somewhat satiric. Now when he did that in Do The Right Thing and Jungle Fever it was acceptable because it was a story that he made up. It was something that can be relatable but wasn’t in direct correlation with someone’s life. However when it comes to his recent film, these are the lives that people live day to day. The violence that he wants to portray in this movie has actually killed people’s sons, daughters, sisters and brothers. This is not a story line, but real life. So to profit off of the idea of black on black crime and say that in one way or another that the love or sexual relationships either fuel or control those “gang related” incidents, is in fact disturbing. People in Chicago LIVE this life, not watch it on TV for entertainment. SIDE NOTE: this is not the only or message he is sending in the movie! Spike has all the power to show the world REAL but instead he decided to put a twist on it for his own vision to make money. In the process, hehas disrespected the lives of those who experience this. He has also, based on the preview, ignored the issues that really harm and pose a threat to the people who live there. Thought Three; As stated in thought one, I have been a Spike Lee fan since I was capable to grasp a concept. Coming into my own line of thinking, I have never looked at Spike as the type of person to purposely look to make money at the cost of his people. He has brought a lot of attention to plenty of issues, celebrated people and accomplishments that some people tend to forget. Spike is also good for acknowledging arts within people some may never see. This story line is similar to, Miami Tail (Starring Trina, 2003), so I can say that Spike is not the only one to come up with this idea. It is a movie. He never said it was supposed to be based solely on facts. He also has produced movies in his own style and just because we don’t like it does not mean he has to change who he is. I believe that Spike got an idea like any movie director and acted upon it. He got a vision for a movie, wrote it down and here we are. I do not think certain people like, Angela Bassett or Jennifer Hudson, who was born and raised in Chicago, would be a part of something that was set out to purposely insult someone. I don’t think his intentwas to hurt anyone, but I do believe it could have been handled differently. Now the movie was released Dec 4, and though I have yet to see it because it is not playing in my city, I am sure it is a good film overall. At the end of the day, the best way to let Spike know you do or do not support him is what you do or do not pull out of your wallet. Now folks once I see the film in its entirety, I will be sure to update you on my full reaction and thoughts! See the official trailer below. Stay Prominent! |
What Will You Find Here?Catch up on the latest updates with TV and movies here. This is where I share all of my feedback on the hottest things to create a buzz on the TV screen. |
The Prominent |
"A good actor with an opportunity has a shot; without the opportunity it doesn't matter how good you are." |