Monthly archive of February 2007
The Pros v. The Joes
Every Thursday, Spike TV airs a show called "The Pros v. The Joes." It's the type of show you might expect from Spike TV, a network targeted to men. It's an hour of airtime in which so-called "regular Joes" get to face off with professional athletes in tests of skill. Last week's episode, for example, featured three competitors in a home run derby with Jose Canseco, trying to tackle former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin and standing tall against former NBA star Kevin Willis in a rebound competition. By the time UFC champion Randy Couture stepped into the Octagon with the three amateurs, the audience is left cringing in the hopes that no one gets hurt. It's like watching a train wreck waiting to happen.
Strangely enough, that's also the way I felt when watching Joe Biden's announcement of his presidential campaign yesterday. Certainly, Joe Biden is no ordinary Joe when it comes to politics. But when you put the "presidential" prefix in front of him, he just seems to choke. Yesterday Biden launched his campaign and immediately came under fire for coarse and insensitive remarks he made about his three leading rivals, Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. As if to underscore the point that his campaign might be a joke, he finished the day with a previously scheduled appearance on Comedy Central's hit "Daily Show with Jon Stewart."
Posted in politics on February 1 2007, 10:48AM | Read More | Comments (8)
Zulema Launches Fashion Week
For many of us, the name Zulema Griffin first popped into our consciousness when the fashion designer was competing in Bravo's hit TV show Project Runway. But for others, Zulema was already a well known name in the industry. She began her career as a fashion model with the prestigious Ford modeling agency, appearing in the pages of Bazaar, Essence, Interview and other magazines. At the beginning of her career, she went to castings during the day and worked nights as a hostess in New York City restaurants. And it was there -- where the Parson's School of Design graduate wore her own clothes -- that a movie director noticed her dress and hired her as a costume designer.
The rest, as they say, is history. For many reasons, Zulema became the most memorable figure on the second season of Project Runway. Aside from her fashion statements, she was also responsible for the most memorable line in the history of Project Runway. In the midst of a team challenge where fellow designer Kara broke down and was unable to finish her task, Zulema gave out marching orders to her weaker teammate. "I don't care if you cry and cut," said Zulema, "but you better cry and cut." So today, as New York kicks off fall fashion week with Zulema's show this morning, I thought it would be a good time to sit down and talk to Zulema herself.
Posted in pop culture on February 2 2007, 12:57AM | Read More | Comments (8)
Get Dressed With Lloyd Boston
Lloyd Boston is one of those people who seems prepared for any occasion. One day he's hanging out with Star Jones or appearing on The Today Show. The next day he's out at a neighborhood party. Whether it's appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, doing his regular guest spot on The Today Show, or socializing with friends, Lloyd moves smoothly from one group to the next.
It's hard to describe Lloyd with a single adjective. He's a bestselling author of three books, an accomplished artist, a frequent television commentator, a style editor on NBC's Today Show and an expert guest on ABC's The View. I've known him for years, but I've never had the chance to really sit down and talk to him about what he does. So what better time to interview him than during New York's fashion week? In fact, if you happen to be watching The Today Show this morning at 9:05 Eastern, you will get to see for yourself why Lloyd Boston is so in demand.
Posted in pop culture on February 5 2007, 5:06AM | Read More | Comments (12)
Role Modeling With Eva Marcille
If you don't recognize the name Eva Marcille, that's because the name is relatively new to the public. You may remember her as Eva the model, the winner of America's Next Top Model with Tyra Banks. Or you may remember her as Eva Pigford, the name she went by before she dropped the last name and replaced it with her softer sounding middle name. Or you may remember her as Eva the host, a role she now plays on the new BET J television series "My Model Looks Better Than Your Model." And if things go well with her newest career venture, you may soon remember her as Eva the actress.
As part of the ongoing fashion week series on this web site, I thought it would be a good time to sit down and talk to Eva about her career. And it's good timing for her show too. After a short winter hiatus, the BET J show is scheduled to return this month to air the semi-finals and finals competition.
Posted in pop culture on February 6 2007, 12:34PM | Read More | Comments (9)
Of Drag Queens and Pastors
Washington -- Only minutes after returning to my hotel last night after a speech, I turned on the news to see the first pastor. Ted Haggard, the "disgraced" conservative evangelical leader who resigned his post last fall after he revealed a gay love affair, had announced that he is now "completely heterosexual." I laughed out loud at the news. Only minutes later, I heard from a friend that the drag queen Shirley Q. Liquor was coming under fire now from mainstream gay organizations. That got me thinking about drag queens and pastors.
Next I turned on The Tonight Show, which I rarely watch when I'm at home, and saw Tyler Perry speaking to Jay Leno. It seemed like a good interview, so I kept watching. Perry was on the show to promote his new movie, Daddy's Little Girls, which sounds like an awfully sweet title. But near the middle of the interview, Perry announced that Bishop Eddie Long of Atlanta stars in the film. This was the same Bishop Eddie Long who had condemned homosexuality and led a march against gay rights from the Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta. I have nothing against Tyler Perry, so don't take this the wrong way. But does it seem a bit odd that a black man who dresses in drag would embrace a pastor who condemns LGBT relationships?
Posted in sexuality on February 7 2007, 8:07AM | Read More | Comments (82)
The NBA's First Gay Player
By now, you've heard the news that former NBA player John Amaechi is coming out of the closet in his new book. Amaechi will become the first current or former NBA player to disclose that he is gay. That alone is significant. It's also significant that the news comes just 15 months after WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes came out herself. That means the ranks of professional basketball have provided two new black gay athletes in just over a year.
When you add professional wrestler Orlando Jordan to the mix, that means three black pro athletes have come out since October 2005. I'm glad that Amaechi, Swoopes and Jordan are all out in the open. That's an important first step to breaking down barriers in the sports world and beyond. Maybe they will inspire other athletes and everyday people to come out too. But there's another step that needs to be taken soon as well. Black people need to see these athletes in the black community.
Posted in sports on February 7 2007, 6:08PM | Read More | Comments (42)
Why Is The GOP Picking On Nancy?
It was a week in which an aging pop star simulated a phallus with his guitar during the Super Bowl halftime show, a controversial Snickers ad was pulled from TV for homophobia, a love-struck astronaut was arrested for attempted murder, and a tragic young actress met her tragic death. So maybe it should come as no surprise that Republicans in Congress would create a media-ready scandal to challenge new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi, second in line to the presidency, is accused of wasting taxpayer dollars because she may end up flying in a larger and more expensive military jet than her predecessor Dennis Hastert had used when he was Speaker. And why would Pelosi need such a big plane? Because Pelosi, a Democrat from California, has to fly 3,000 miles from Washington to get back to her home district, while Hastert, a Republican from Illinois, only had to fly to the Midwest. Hastert's old plane is not capable of making nonstop flights to California. So that's the controversy?
Posted in politics on February 9 2007, 12:12PM | Read More | Comments (10)
Not Ready To Make Nice
Memphis, TN -- Hollywood sent a message to Washington last night. By selecting the Dixie Chicks to win nearly all the top prizes, the music industry basically put President Bush on notice. I know it's just entertainment and it's just a TV show, but I couldn't help feeling the power of politics in the air last night. I watched the Grammys with my young godsons who really don't know much about the Dixie Chicks, but as I explained the controversy to them, I couldn't help feeling a sense of history.
It was just a few years ago in this country when the right-wing lunatics were ready to ban the Dixie Chicks because the group's lead singer, Natalie Maines, had criticized George W. Bush. At the time, America was consumed with shallow, self-congratulatory xenophobia poorly disguised as patriotism, and war-loving citizens attacked the peace-loving French by renaming "french fries" as "freedom fries." Yes we were a stupid people back then, just a few years ago. Whooped into a war frenzy by 9-11 and the Bush war buildup, we lost sense of who we are. The Dixie Chicks were among the first to remind us, by challenging the president on his lies.
Now the majority of Americans are finally coming around to the truth. But if the American people can stand up to the president and the Dixie Chicks can stand up the president, why won't our elected officials stand up to the president?
Posted in music on February 12 2007, 10:28AM | Read More | Comments (19)
When Homophobia Hits Home
A few weeks ago, I found myself arguing with a conservative straight white man about the existence of anti-gay prejudice. During a commercial break in a televised CNN debate, he had the audacity to argue that gay people are not discriminated against in America. I rattled off the standard list of examples of how gays can be fired from their jobs, not hired, denied promotions, rejected for apartment applications, and so many other ways in which anti-gay prejudice is still legal in America.
But one of the most glaring ways in which homophobia still exists is in hate crimes and hate speech. We've all heard about Matthew Shepherd and Sakia Gunn and Rashawn Brazell, but there are scores of less publicized examples of hate crimes taking place every month. And even more ominously, there are literally thousands of incidents of anti-gay hate speech every day in America. One such incident took place just yesterday in, of all places, liberal New York City. Devon Christopher (pictured on the right) was minding his own business at the subway station when the station attendant launched into a mean-spirited gay bashing. Devon tells his story below.
Posted in sexuality on February 13 2007, 8:44AM | Read More | Comments (58)
Is America Ready For A ___ President?
There has been a lot of attention paid recently to the historic campaigns being mounted by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Clinton, of course, would be the first woman president and Obama would be the first black president if elected. Some have even talked about Bill Richardson's campaign, which would make him the first Latino president in U.S. history. But there hasn't been as much attention paid to the challenges facing the Republican field in the upcoming election. And in some ways, it may be just as hard for them as it is for the groundbreaking Democrats.
Of the three leading candidates for the Republican nomination -- Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain -- each of them has considerable baggage of his own. Giuliani would be the first president who had been married three times. McCain would be the oldest president ever elected. And Romney would be the first Mormon to be elected to the White House. Those issues, according to a new USA Today Gallup poll, are more threatening to voters than a candidate's race or gender.
Posted in politics on February 14 2007, 1:55PM | Read More | Comments (6)
Philly Gun Ad Creator Gunned Down
The creator of a controversial Philadelphia ad campaign that depicted a black man in the crosshairs of a gun has himself become a victim of gun violence. In a sad twist of irony, Mark David Norris, a black gay man, was killed by gunfire in Philadelphia Monday night. The Philadelphia press described it as "the worst mass shooting in Philadelphia in more than six years."
Last summer, an HIV awareness ad campaign launched by the city of Philadelphia was abruptly pulled out of concern that the ads might appear to glamorize gun violence in a city that is already plagued by crime. Philadelphia's AIDS Activities Coordinating Office had contracted with a company called Zigzag Net to create a social marketing campaign to promote HIV testing for men who have sex with men. The ads were announced in late May, but they quickly came under fire from activists.
Then Norris, the founder of Zigzag Net, met a tragic end when he was slain in a violent mass murder that took place in his own office complex.
Posted in politics on February 14 2007, 4:24PM | Read More | Comments (9)
Tim Hardaway: "I Hate Gay People"
Just a week after former NBA player John Amaechi came out of the closet as the league's first openly gay player, another NBA player is making news for his words on homosexuality. Retired Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway told a radio show that he hates gay people and that he would never want a gay player like Amaechi on his team.
Hardaway said: "First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team. And second of all, if he was on my team I would really distance myself from him. I don't think that he should be in the locker room while we're in the locker room...I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. Yeah, I'm homophobic. I don't like it. There shouldn't be a [place] in the world for that or in the United States for it. So I don't like it."
Hardaway made the comments while he was a guest on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket. Hardaway even said if he did find out that a teammate was gay, he would ask for the player to be traded or to be bought out of his contract because it would make other players feel uncomfortable in the locker room. He later apologized for the remarks during a live telephone interview with WSVN Channel 7. "Yes, I regret it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said I hate gay people or anything like that. That was my mistake."
Mistake? That's no mistake, Tim Hardaway. That's your pure unadulterated homophobia coming out. It's one thing to slip up and use a word like "fag" or "faggot," but it's quite another thing to say in public that you "hate" an entire group of people. That is inexcusable. I am not the least bit sorry to say this. Tim Hardaway's broadcasting career should come to a screeching halt. No apologies, no excuses, no rehab. Just fire his ass anywhere and everywhere he works with the media. Then maybe he'll remember what it's like to be a member of a discriminated minority group.
Posted in sports on February 15 2007, 8:54AM | Read More | Comments (138)
The Great Iraq War Debate
"Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving, or who have served, bravely and honorably in Iraq. Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush, announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq."
It took the U.S. Congress four years to begin a serious debate about a war that has already cost tens of thousands of lives. But today, the U.S. House of Representatives is finally poised to pass the first resolution against the war that the American public turned against long ago.
The words of the resolution (shown above) are simple and symbolic. But depending on who you talk to, this nonbinding resolution will either (a) hurt our troops and embolden the enemy or (b) do nothing at all.
Posted in politics on February 16 2007, 9:53AM | Read More | Comments (5)
Charles Barkley Responds To Hardaway
Shortly before I went on CNN last night, I was in the makeup room watching Wolf Blitzer interview former NBA star Charles Barkley in Las Vegas. You may not always agree with Barkley, but his comments last night were right on the money. I don't have a transcript, but Barkley basically acknowledged the open secret that the NBA does have gay players. He said he had played basketball with gay teammates, that he had gay friends, and that he had no problem with gay people. He also said it was disturbing to hear a black man like Hardaway discriminating against another group of people.
In an earlier interview on Thursday on TNT, Barkley said, "I played with gay guys. I got gay friends. Only God can judge other people. I don't care if a person is gay or not. Any jock who thinks he's never played with a gay guy is sadly mistaken. Any team you've been on at some point in your life you have played with a gay guy." Thank you Charles Barkley for putting it out there.
Posted in sexuality on February 17 2007, 1:38PM | Read More | Comments (36)
When I See You, I See Me
Kenneth Winfrey Reports
It's still colder in New Mexico than I've seen in 5 years, and the weather isn't the only thing that seems to be proving unpredictable. Life here for me is full of surprises. In a pleasant surprise, my friend (a.k.a Fratman1906) came to Albuquerque for a visit. That makes 2 visitors from friends I simply would not have without keithboykin.com.
I must say the past few months, in general, have been somewhat unpredictable. On one hand, predictability is appealing because we can feel confident when we know what happens next. On the other hand, it can also be a sign that growth and change have been stunted. Predictability leaves no room for surprises, pleasant or otherwise. That's why I am starting to appreciate the way life weaves the good and the bad to create change in my life for growth.
Posted on February 19 2007, 1:15PM | Read More | Comments (9)
Why Is The Peace Movement So White?
The thought hit me at church on Sunday as I pulled up in a cab to the North Presbyterian Church on 155th Street in Harlem. As I paid the driver and stepped out of the cab, I noticed a small crowd of liberal protesters carrying signs and banners against the war. That was no surprise. After all, I had come to this church for a town hall meeting on the Iraq War. The featured guest and speaker at the town hall session was Harlem's own Congressman Charlie Rangel.
What surprised me was not the demonstrators outside. Instead I was surprised that all of them were white. I was surprised but I was not shocked. I had seen white liberals gathering at other events in the black community many times before. And anyone who has ever attended church in Harlem has seen the throngs of white tourists who flock to the popular churches to sit in the balconies and absorb a part of black culture. So the group outside was not a shock. But when I walked inside the church I got the shock of my life. Almost everyone inside the church was white.
Posted in politics·race on February 20 2007, 11:41AM | Read More | Comments (44)
Beyond Beats and Rhymes
I just finished watching Byron Hurt's documentary Beyond Beats and Rhymes on PBS. It's a one-hour film exploring violence, misogyny, homophobia and masculinity in hip hop music and culture. Byron Hurt is no ordinary documentarian. A former college football quarterback and self-described former "ladies man," Hurt has been a lifelong fan of hip hop, and he brings his appreciation of the culture into his examination of the serious issues.
As you might expect for a quality documentary on PBS, Hurt interviews many of the key players and observers, including Mos Def, Busta Rhymes, Michael Eric Dyson and Russell Simmons. But beyond the usual suspects, Hurt also goes to the streets. He questions sexist men at the Daytona Beach spring fling and bikini-clad women who are verbally and physically harassed by some of the men. And he's not afraid to confront powerful people with probing questions they don't want to answer. Busta Rhymes, Russell Simmons and BET's Stephen Hill all flinch when Hurt asks them about their responsibility.
Posted in pop culture on February 21 2007, 2:10PM | Read More | Comments (30)
You're Gonna Love Her
I'm changing my favorites for American Idol. Just yesterday morning I expressed my support for Antonella Barba, LaKisha Jones and Melinda Doolittle, but after watching last night's show I have to replace Antonella Barba with Stephanie Edwards. Stephanie kicked off the show with an inspired rendition of Alicia Keys's version of "How Come You Don't Call Me." Melinda hit it with Aretha Franklin's "Since You've Been Gone." But it was LaKisha Jones who brought down the house with her show-stopping finale performance of Jennifer Holliday's legendary "And I Am Telling You."
The women were head and shoulders above the men from Tuesday night's show. In fact, the women were in an entirely different class. It's still way too early to make predictions, but I can't see any of the men who can sing as well as the top two or three women. And no one can belt out a song better than LaKisha Jones. Based on the women's show, Amy Krebs should be packing her bags for Seattle. Nicole Tranquillo and Haley Scarnato are also in danger of going home.
Posted in music on February 22 2007, 12:01AM | Read More | Comments (25)
Fox Attacks Obama
This week the media reported extensively on the fighting between Barack Obama, his new supporter David Geffen, and Geffen's former allies Bill and Hillary Clinton. Here's how it went down. Geffen criticized the Clintons. Hillary Clinton's campaign responded by challenging Obama to disavow Geffen. Then Obama's campaign shot back that the Clintons had no problem supporting Geffen while he was raising money for them. That's all an interesting side show, but meanwhile there's another attack going on that deserves our attention.
I've always known that Fox News is filled with biased second-rate journalism. Despite the motto of "fair and balanced" reporting, it's little more than a mouthpiece for conservative white Republicans. Knowing the truth is one thing, but seeing it is another. And now there's a new video that shows how Fox has gone on the attack against Barack Obama. As with the "swift boat" attacks of the 2004 presidential campaign, Fox is leading the conservative charge again with McCarthy style lies, distortions and misinformation.
Posted on February 23 2007, 11:21AM | Read More | Comments (20)
Two Out Of Three
Hollywood almost did the unthinkable last night. Almost. Forest Whitaker and Jennifer Hudson took home Oscars for best actor and best supporting actress, but the big surprise was Alan Arkin's upset victory over early favorite Eddie Murphy in the best supporting actor category. That meant that this year's Academy Awards ceremony would not make history as the first to give out three golden statuettes to black actors in three of the top four categories.
Still it was historic. It was a night when two other black actors -- Will Smith and Djimon Hounsou -- were also nominated for Oscars, but the buzz was always with Eddie, Jennifer and Forest. That's because they were actually expected to win, and that's highly unusual in Hollywood when black actors are sometimes nominated for the top prizes but rarely win. Maybe that's because the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences includes only 110 African-Americans out of 5,830 members. That means the Academy is just 1.9 percent black in a country where blacks make up about 13 percent of the population.
Posted in movies on February 26 2007, 9:47AM | Read More | Comments (41)
One Bomb Can Really Ruin Your Day
These two events could not have been scripted with more tragic irony. First there was First Lady Laura Bush appearing on CNN's Larry King Live last night. The first lady seemed to claim that the situation in Iraq is actually relatively calm right now, but the media continue to harp on the isolated incidents of violence. "Many parts of Iraq are stable now," she said. "But, of course, what we see on television is the one bombing a day that discourages everybody." Although she neglected to mention the tens of thousands of people who are dying from these daily bombings, Mrs. Bush's misinformation about her husband's war is not entirely surprising.
But then there was this news early this morning. A suicide bomber in Afghanistan blew himself up outside a U.S. military base where Vice President Cheney was visiting. Cheney was said to be the target of the attack. Although he was unharmed, 23 others -- including several American soldiers -- were not so lucky. They were killed by that one bomb. All this, of course, goes to the heart of Laura Bush's statement of callous indifference to the real suffering going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. The first lady was actually half right. It only takes one bombing -- in Iraq, Afghanistan, or the U.S. -- to step on the Bush Administration's carefully scripted news story of the day.
Posted in politics on February 27 2007, 11:59AM | Read More | Comments (15)
So Now He's Black Enough
A month ago I was riding in a taxicab in Washington, D.C. when the driver, an older black man, struck up a conversation with me. I rarely see black American cab drivers in New York, so I was particularly interested to hear what he had to say. He explained that most of the cab drivers in mostly black D.C. are not black American. As a longtime DC resident, he was part of a dying breed, he said. We compared notes about Washington and New York, and chatted about trivial things. And then the subject of politics came up.
This black man who was old enough to remember Dr. King and the civil rights movement told me that he supported Hillary Clinton for president. "And what do you think about Barack Obama?" I asked. "Oh, I wish he would take his marbles and go home," said the driver. His remarks stunned me at the time, but they seemed to reflect the sentiments expressed in a couple of public opinion polls that showed Senator Clinton besting Senator Obama for black voters in the presidential race.
Posted in politics·race on February 28 2007, 10:50AM | Read More | Comments (47)
