Showing posts with label awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label awards. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Black folks, we gotta do better...

Black people are the most negative amongst each other out of all the races on this earth.

Disagree if you want but that statement is true. The Academy Awards held this past Sunday is proof of that.

Let me start by saying congratulations to my favorite hairy-legged banshee Mo'Nique for winning the Oscars Best Supporting Actress category for her role as Mary Jones in the film "Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire". It was well deserved. I mean, she was the best. (And congrats to Sandra, although I wanted Meryl to win.)

Now, as I was saying, the Oscars telecast brought out the negativity, jealousy and hateration from black people. They complained because the ceremony used a certain clip from the movie Precious. Y'all know, the chicken run. Guess what? It won Best Adapted Screenplay. It was a very popular scene. Why not show it? Of course, those that still have that slave mentality were offended because it was a big black girl with some fried chicken. Y'all know how us black folk be bout dat fried shikkin!

Then there's the complaint about the Oscars only awarding black actors for playing roles "depicting the black race in the worst way possible." HUH?! Like, really???

Denzel Washington for playing a crooked cop. Halle  Berry for tricking out a white man. Jennifer Hudson for being a big, washed up singer and a single mother hiding her child from the baby daddy. Mo'Nique was an unemployed, neglecting, hateful and abusive single mother that didn't give a shit that her daughter was raped by the man she loved. Jamie Foxx was a blind singer and womanizer. Forrest Whitaker as a brutally animalistic polygamous dictator. All of these award-winning actors portrayed characters which BLACK people nitpicked as the negative roles.

Have we forgotten? Hilary Swank as a transgendered man in Boyz Don't Cry. Glenn Close as a psychotic lover in Fatal Attraction. Charlize Theron as a lesbian serial killer in Monster. Kim Basinger as an neglectful alcoholic mother in 8 Mile. Are these negative roles? I don't hear any WHITE people complaining about anything.

Um, if I'm not mistaken, the roles played by ALL of the actors I've mentioned, both black and white, actually depict REAL LIFE SITUATIONS. Regardless of race - black, white, Asian, middle eastern - all of these characters EXIST on this earth. They're REAL and have been brought to life on the big screen to show the people who don't know how it is to live this way or what real people go through. This world is not all "peaches and cream", and people need to realize that. Real people exists that relates to these stories about real life. Nothing about these characters are typical "black" roles.

All of these actors were recognized for their performances, their range and the emotion they bring to the characters. They broke away from the normal, typical roles they usually play. Look at Training Day and the rest of Denzel's work, Monster's Ball and Halle's resume, or even Precious and Mo'Nique's credits. Notice a difference? These roles are the hardest to portray and those with the extraordinary acting abilities were selected to bring them to life. Any actor, no matter what race, could have played the crooked cop in Training Day but they wouldn't even amount to half the job Denzel did. He owned that role. And who would have thought Mo'nique could be taken seriously and tackle a role that required some real acting chops to get to the deepest and darkest, most screwed up depths of the human soul? Well, guess what? She signed, sealed and delivered it straight to that Oscar win. Mo was Mary Jones.

Does Will Smith deserve an Oscar? Of course he does, based on his roles in Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness. The reason he lost both is because Denzel (Training Day) and Forrest (Last King of Scotland) took home the prize. But since "we black folks" love to nitpick the negatives, let's REALLY look at the two films: Ali was a cheater and Gardner was homeless single father with a kid whose mother abandoned. Still think he should have won? *Roll-eyes* Anyway, Will's time is coming but I have to say I feel that he's being typecasted into comedic and good guy roles without realizing it.

I'm sure Asians in Hollywood aren't happy that most of their movies are about karate. Native Americans must be up in arms that they're always being represented by tanned white actors. When was the last time you saw a comedy or a love story, let alone black comedies and love stories, that was Oscar-worthy? Yeah, I thought so.

Check this list of Academy Award-winning African Americans:
•Hattie McDaniel, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Gone With the Wind (1939).
•Sidney Poitier, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Lilies of the Field (1963).
•Louis Gossett, Jr., Best Actor in a Supporting Role for An Officer and a Gentleman (1982).
•Denzel Washington, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Glory (1989).
•Whoopi Goldberg, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Ghost (1990).
•Cuba Gooding, Jr., Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Jerry Maguire (1996).
•Halle Berry, Best Actress in a Leading Role for Monster’s Ball (2001).
•Denzel Washington, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Training Day (2001).
•Sidney Poitier, Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award “for his extraordinary performances and unique presence on the screen and for representing the industry with dignity, style and intelligence.” [awarded at the 2002 Academy Awards Ceremony]
•Jamie Foxx, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Ray (2004).
•Morgan Freeman, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Million Dollar Baby (2004).
•Forest Whitaker, Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Last King of Scotland (2006).
•Jennifer Hudson, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Dreamgirls (2006).
•Mo'Nique, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Precious: Based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire (2010).
•Geoffrey Fletcher, Best Adapted Screenplay for Precious: Based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire (2010).

I'd say that's a GREAT list. This is better than having films like Friday After Next or Booty Call or Baby Boy being recognized. Those movies damn sure not Oscar-worthy.

I'm getting so sick of my people and this slave mentality B.S. We can't even praise or uplift one another but we're quick to bring each other down with negativity. It's getting old...seriously. We cannot advance living this way. We need to open our eyes and our minds. Are we THAT overly sensitive? If so, it's for all the wrong reasons and the wrong topics.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

BET Honors...at church!!

"It's a marvelous feeling to be looked at and not judged. Judge not for your flaws but for your triumphs."
-Whitney Houston

Kicking off Black History month the right way and with a great start, Buffoonery Entertainment Television (BET) aired its 3rd annual BET Honors was aired Monday night. The network was honored the excellence and paid tribute to some of the most famous successful members of the African-American community. This year's Honors recipients include Dr. Keith Black for Public Service, Queen Latifah for Media, Sean "Diddy" Combs for Entrepreneurship, Dr. Ruth Simmons for Education, and lastly, my favorite crackish diva, Whitney Houston for Entertainment.

Each recipient was given a special tribute performance by select singers. I took the time out to bring you the highlights:


Kim Burrell - I Believe In You And Me
Paying tribute to her dear friend and uber (stan) fan Whitney Houston, Kim brought down the house with her stirring rendition of Whitney's classic "I Believe In You And Me". I've had the privilege to witness this woman work the mic and piano live when I was in middle school, and I damn near caught the Holy Spirit. So, naturally, I knew Kim was going to knock it out the park. But I'll be DAMNED!! Kim knocked it out the park, the neighborhood, the city AND the state! Poor Nippy can't even get happy without people accusing her of being high, strung out or drunk. Whitney STANS for Kim like a fan would STAN for Michael Jackson during one of his concerts. Ne-Yo said it: Whitney's "most favorite voice on the planet." That's evident by her leaping out of her seat like the ice cream man was passing by a child.


Jennifer Hudson - I Will Always Love You
I've always said it. Simon Cowell has always said it. Any singer should never, EVER touch a Whitney Houston classic. I'm talking about the classic that sat on top of the Billboard charts for a consecutive record-breaking 14 weeks. The one that became one of the biggest, best-selling songs from the biggest, best-selling soundtrack to one of the best-selling films of all time. Yes, the classic and timeless "I Will Always Love You". So naturally, when Jen-Jen sang the opening lines of the song, I immediately thought, "She 'bout to fuck that shit up and Nippy going to jail tonight." But, to my surprise, Jenny held her own. Known for oversinging and lack of control, the girl came a long way. If Whitney approves, which she did, then it was alright with me.

Whitney is living proof of God's work. To comeback from crack rock bottom to living a better life and selling 2 million albums worldwide is amazing.

Now, I could not leave out Aunt Mary and Mama Patti taking me back during their performances. Patti Patti showed out on the vocals and gave this Nicki Minaj chick that she's the queen of random facial expressions during a show. 





Queen Mary showed us why the 90's was the best decade in music. 





Monday, February 1, 2010

The thing called the Grammys....

Last night was the biggest night for music. It was also the biggest joke. You didn't need to watch it to know that as evident by the fact that a certain southern bouncy bottom belle had ten nominations and a certain small town country prom queen (is she still like 16) had 8. Plus, stan drama: a certain group of stans were hating very hard on that country prom queen. Then again, they hate anyone they see as a threat. Can you say, dee-lusional?

Let's start with The Performances:
Lady Gaga opened the show. With her, you never know what to expect. She began showstopping performance with her super number one hit, "Poker Face", and concluded by joining a sparkly rhinestoned Elton John at a pair of conjoined pianos for her song "Speechless" and his song "Your Song". It set the tone for the Grammy telecast and I couldn't wait to see who could top her. I love this chick. A+
Beyonce did as I expected. She started off big with a SWAT/military drill team, paraded down the aisles to the stage, and stood in place to kick off her seeming-to-be big show. Did she follow through? Hell no! She performed her boring hit song "If I Were A Boy", a song I hate. She sang, screamed, sashayed, FELL. She even covered Alanis Morisette's "You Oughta Know". *Cringe* Of course, the S.T.A.N.S. love their GAWDESS and gave her WAAAY too much praise. A crotch grab would have made this more interesting. C-
P!NK - what else can I say? Quietly walking out while singing the song "Glitter in the Air", I almost wasn't going to like the boring stand-there-and-sing. It just wasn't her. Then she stripped from the rob and started flying, flipping, spinning and showering. It was like watching the Cirque du Soleil. Ah-mazing! Third best of the night. A
Black Eyed Peas performed their new single, "Imma Be" - which, by the way, goes the fuck AWF! - and their number one hit, "I Gotta Feeling", another song that goes the fuck AWF! B
Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain, George Clinton and Doug E. Fresh - "Blame It"...#EpicFAIL!!! It was like the BET Awards. I felt offended. WTF was that shit? And I'm not going to touch the subject of his sister who happens to be mentally challenged. The people on Twitter were so wrong for calling that girl "Precious". Not funny at all. Positive: Slash is a BEAST on the guitar. F-
Andrea Bocelli - A+ for SANGIN' "Bridge Over Troubled Water" during Haiti tribute. Mary J. Blige - D- for SCREAMIN' "Bridge Over Troubled Water" during Haiti tribute.
Drake, Lil Wayne and Eminem were bleeped during their entire performance. Literally, the ENTIRE damn performance. Is it that serious, FCC? What was the purpose of the Grammy's having them on the stage then? Positive: Travis Barker is a BEAST on those drums. I can't even grade them.
The Michael Jackson Tribute: The song - "Earth Song", my most favorite MJ tune. The performers - Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood all KILLED IT, Smokie Robinson was nice and Usher failed. The over-hyped 3D? #Fail. Prince Michael and Paris accepting the Grammy honor for their dad, the King? #Priceless. Best of the night. A

Some of The Winners:
Record of the Year: "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon. (Well deserved. Beats out "Halo" by Bouncy, "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas, "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga and "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift.)
Album of the Year: "Fearless" by Taylor Swift. (Lady Gaga's "The Fame" was robbed. Oh well, better her than Beyonce. #EpicFail)
Song of the Year: "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" by Beyonce. (This is a songwriters award. Maxwell's "Pretty Wings" or Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" should have been the winner. #Fail)
Best New Artist: Zac Brown Band. (Condolences to Keri Flopson.)
Pop Vocals Female: "Halo" by Beyonce. (I'll settle for this one even if I preferred P!NK's "Sober".)
Pop Vocals Duo/Group: "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas.
Pop Vocal Album: "The E.N.D." by Black Eyed Peas.
Dance Recording: "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga.
Electronic/Dance Album: "The Fame" by Lady Gaga.
Rock Vocals Duo/Group: "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon.
Rock Song: "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon.
Rock Album: "21st Century Breakdown" by Green Day.
R&B Vocals Female: "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" by Beyonce. (This is NOT R&B nor is it any impressive vocal performance. Melanie, Jazmine or Lalah should have taken this home.)
R&B Vocals Male: "Pretty Wings" by Maxwell. (The way it should be.)
R&B Vocals Duo/Group: "Blame It" by Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain. (Eh. It was more popular than the others but the others were better quality.)
R&B Vocals Traditional: "At Last" by Beyonce. (Another one Bouncy shouldn't have won. Anthony Hamilton, Ann Nesby, Calvin Richardson <---- Any one of them would have been the better winner.)
R&B Song: "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" by Beyonce. (I'd be okay with this if it was about popularity and sales. However, it's a SONGWRITERS award. To me, this award is about the lyrical content and quality of the song. "Single Ladies" seems like it was written by a bunch of 5th graders. "Pretty Wings" by Maxwell or "Lions, Tigers and Bears" by Jazmine Sullivan should have taken this one. Plus, I consider "Single Ladies" a Pop song, not R&B.)
R&B Album: "BLACKsummer'snight" by Maxwell. (Well deserved.)
R&B Album Contemporary: "I Am...Sasha Fierce" by Beyonce. (Trey Songz's "Ready" was more deserving than this horrible mess. Hell, Whitney Houston's "I Look To You" should have been nominated and taken this one.)
Rap Solo: "D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)" by Jay-Z. (Either this or Kid Cudi's "Day N Nite".)
Rap Group/Duo: "Crack A Bottle" by Eminem, 50 Cent and Dr. Dre. (Eh. I'd have gone with "Amazing" by Kanye West and Young Jeezy.)
Rap/Sung Collaboration: "Run This Town" by Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West. (Kinda tough category. "Knock You Down" by Keri Hilson, Kanye West and Ne-Yo was my joint, and so was "Dead and Gone" by T.I. and Justin Timberlake.)
Rap Song: "Run This Town" by Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West. (Again, another tough one. Kid Cudi's "Day N Night", T.I. and Justin Timberlake's "Dead and Gone", and Jay-Z's "D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)".)
Rap Album: "Relapse" by Eminem. (I never heard this but I would have given this to Common for "Universal Mind Control or Q-Tip for "The Renaissance".)
Gospel Song: "God In Me" by Mary Mary.

Bouncy should NOT have 16 Grammy's. Half, maybe. But 16? Hell no. Aretha has 19. Quincy Jones has 27. Michael Jackson, 14. Whitney, 6. Celine, 5. You see where I'm going with this?

And now...the Fashion:
 
Bey finally gave me a Red Carpet look I like. Best Dressed Winner. Then she performed:
 
The lackluster performance was done in a dress that Rihanna modeled in Vogue a few months ago.
 
...then this travesty. Are those chains?
 
Rihanna doing what she does best...owning it!
 
Lady Gaga be doing the most...
 
And I love it!
 
J.Hud looks nice. She better WERQ that new weight loss!
Melanie is a pretty girl but the bottom of that dress is like a bean bag.
 
Yep, Rihanna's big twin sister is MJB.
 
P!nk looks great. The dress has scales, kinda like a mermaid.
 
Then comes Ciara. More like C-Error. A mess!
 
And Britney just HAD to upstage her. A hot ass mess is an understatement. SMH!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Congrats to the Beast...

First, let me just say congrats to actress/talk-show host and screaming banshee queen Mo'Nique on her win at last night's Golden Globes. The much-deserved win was for her supporting actress role of Mary in the critically acclaimed film, "Precious".

Second...Mo'Nique. Now, hunny, you are headed to the Oscars, dah'lin. Please, please, PLEASE...SHAVE THOSE DAMN LEGS!!!!!!



NOOOOOO BAY-BEEEEEEEHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Also congrats to my aunt Meryl Streep and my girl Drew Barrymore. #Shoutout to err'body else.