White House Motown Tribute: What's Wrong With This Picture?

 
   Wednesday morning I learned something pretty interesting.  Word got out that President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama (in conjunction with PBS) will host a concert for Black History Month. Entitled "The Motown Sound: In Performance at the White House", the concert will take place on February 24 and broadcast on PBS station at 8 PM on March 1st. The acts include such musical talents as Smokey Robinson, Jamie Foxx, Nick Jonas, Ledisi, John Legend, Natasha Bedingfield, Sheryl Crow, John Legend, Amber Riley, and more.
 
   Sounds like an amazing show, right? I love that the Obama's find time to include such fun and entertaining events into their busy schedules.  There is just one teeny, tiny issue I have. That's the lineup for a Motown tribute??  What's wrong with this picture? Where is the Motown representation? The record label has such a rich history that includes producing a lot of tremendous talent.  How can you pay tribute to it without including more acts that helped bring it notoriety? I'm sure that Smokey will do a wonderful job but what about Stevie Wonder, the Jackson brothers(they probably need work), The Temptations(they still have one original member), or Boyz II Men(they're contemporary but they were signed to the label and released an album of Motown covers)? Despite any business differences or unresolved issues that may exist, they all started their climb to fame at Motown Records.

    I don't know about you all, but when it comes to tributes I want more than just a group of singers performing classic numbers from an artist or record label.  I want to see the subject of the tribute perform in some capacity (if possible). I also want the line up to make sense. Don't just get any artist with an ounce of talent to participate in a tribute. I'm sorry but Nick Jonas and Sheryl Crow seem kind of out of place to me.And while I'm on the topic(and being completely honest with you all), the talent picked for the Aretha Franklin tribute at Sunday's Grammy Awards was a bit odd to me as well. This is the Queen of Soul you're honoring.  Did all of those performers embody soul?? I'm just sayin'.

   I don't know.  Perhaps I am over thinking this.  Or maybe I'm letting my nostalgia for the "good old days" of Motown color my perception.  Maybe there will be lots of classic Motown acts in attendance simply enjoying a great show.  I'm certainly no insider to know all the details. ;-)

Readers, what is your take on this? Am I crazy?  Do you think the line up is solid? What other contemporary artists do you think can (literally) sing the praises of Motown. Let me know!
 

2011 Grammy Awards-10 Random Questions

I have a confession for you all: I was super excited about this Grammy Awards. It's the first one to air since I started this blog and I was going to watch, tweet, and blog about "Musics big night!"  Sadly, that night was far from big. It was minuscule and extremely underwhelming.  I spent the majority of the evening wondering: Why are the Grammy Awards so boring?!??

Despite my limited attention span, I managed to watch the entire show. Here are some other life changing(read: trivial) questions that came to mind:

• Was I the only one who found the Aretha Franklin tribute underwhelming? Vocally, Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, Yolanda Adams, Martina McBride, and Florence Welch sounded great but it missed a certain...umph!

• Why was Lady Gaga's performance so dull?!? The song, outfit, and dancing were all extra bland.

• Will Janelle Monae ever wear an outfit that has color in it?

• Is Justin Bieber the reason why Usher insists on singing and dancing like a teen?

• At what point will Jada & Will tell Jaden that rapping just might not be his strong suit?

• Why do they invite rappers if they're going to bleep out half of what they say?

• Why was Cee-Lo dressed like Big Bird's cousin? And why did it work sooo well in an over-the-top way?

• Can Rihanna stop yodeling at every. freakin'. awards. show? In fact, she should limit the singing altogether and just dance. 

• Did Eminem sign a contract stating he must look pissed off 24/7? 

• Do the music Powers That Be think we believe Drake has chemistry with Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, or any random chick they put him on a track with? News flash: We don't.  

I hope next year the Grammy Award organizers find some way to make the show more entertaining. After all, three hours is a LOT to fill. My ideas? 1)A host might help break up the monotony of performances and award distribution. 2)Mix up the types of performances. Two consecutive slow songs brings down the flow. 3)Is it possible to cut down on the length? Let's be real, they only give away a few awards on camera anyway. The rest is just filler. Trim the fat please!

Dearest readers, did you watch the 2011 Grammy Awards? What were your thoughts? Favorite/least favorite moments? Let a sista know!

Will the Kardashians PLEASE Sit Down?!

Wednesday morning I was enjoying my day off by lounging around and watching the Wendy Williams Show (How YOU doin'!?). During the Hot Topics segment, she discussed the new unisex fragrance from Khloe Kardashian and her husband Lamar Odom. I already knew they were jumping on the perfume bandwagon and thought that was crazy enough.  I should have known that when the Kardashian's are involved, there is always room for more crazy.

Check out the commercial for Khloe and Lamar's Unbreakable:

*Deep sigh* Must they be so extra?!? All of the time?!! This ad doesn't make me want to buy anything from these two. I do, however, have questions.

Why the gratuitous shots of their wedding rings? Do they think they have to remind us of their loooove?
Why are they naked? And why do I feel like this could have been filmed at their home...in their bedroom? O_O
Why is she wrapped around  him like a human bodysuit? Is this her idea of being a classy spokeswoman?
Could the dialogue be any more nondescript? What are they even talking about?? (I think my ears shut down once my eyes got assaulted by the visuals)

Readers, talk to me. Am I bugging out? Have I somehow missed the artistic merit behind this commercial? Let a sista know!

Oh, and here is one more Kardashian gem(Just in case you somehow missed it LoL)   ;-)

The Media Elitist Speaks: The Pepsi Commercial Controversy

For many, the Superbowl is about the final match up between the two best teams in the NFL.  I am not one of those people. For me, it's all about the commercials.  After all, the commercial are a major part of the game.  Advertisers spend exorbitant amounts of money on their spots and they're hoping that their ad will be unique enough to capture shopping dollars from viewers.  With all of that on the line, it's a battle to see the biggest, funniest, flashiest, and most outrageous commercials.

Sunday night's Superbowl was no different--the commercials were full of gimmicks and celebrity endorsements.  One commercial, however, has generated a lot talk that I'm sure the ad executives didn't anticipate.  If you somehow miss the cries of outrage from African American women everywhere, here is the ad in question:

I won't lie to you all, I didn't see anything wrong with this Pepsi ad the first time I watched it.  The beginning sort of confused me but when the couple ran after hitting the white woman with the can? I laughed. I watched it again Monday morning and still didn't feel much.  I wasn't outraged and I didn't feel like suddenly running out for a Pepsi.  I just chalked it up to a Three Stooges style of comedy and moved on.

Apparently my first reaction fell into the minority.  I soon realized that many people were offended. Offended? But why? I asked myself (and a friend I knew wouldn't judge me) these questions and soon learned the answer. Angry black woman stereotypes + physical abuse + white woman lust=indignation and frustration.  So I thought about it and watched the commercial again.  I recognized all the elements.  Far too often, African American women are portrayed as sassy and snappy in the media.  Must we get hit with this notion over and over and over again?!? Is there any doubt that the commercial would have been equally effective if the woman gave her man a "no you don't" look and replaced his junk food with a healthier option? Couldn't a mischievous look from her, play off of a bewildered one from him and still lead to comedy gold? Wouldn't a different twist be the man catching his woman drinking something unhealthy and mimic her behavior by switching it with a Pepsi Max? If the scowls, kicks, and googly eyes at another woman were gone completely, would the commercial simply fall apart? We may never know.

I have another confession--while I see and understand the issues, I am still not outraged.  I feel sort of bad that I'm not bonding with sisters over this issue but it hasn't really hit me in that same way. However, I completely agree that the media desperately needs to diversify the way African American are depicted. We're constantly shoved into a box that will never bring to light all that we are.  It may be easy to brush it off by saying, It's just a commercial or It's TV-It's meant to entertain but for those with no real insight to who we are, it becomes an assumed reality. And that's something I just can't brush off with ease.

This was the (relatively) easy part: identifying and discussing the problem. Now for the tough part: finding solutions.  How can we start to see changes in the way we are depicted? My theory? We need to start grooming our young people to not only work in media, but also to seek out higher level positions(I know, I know--I have such big dreams).  Perhaps large scale letter writing campaigns to major ad companies would become a persistent enough voice to get heard (in time).I also hope that students studying media in school(whether it's PR/Advertising, radio production, or television/film) are learning that techniques that can lead to success in their field and ways to execute them without compromising our public perception.  These ideas may not be feasible right now, but the reality is that we need to find some way to inspire change unless we want to have these same discussions 50 years from now.


 So Dear Readers, it's time to get your feedback: What are your thoughts on this Pepsi commercial?  Has your opinion changed in any manner? Do you have any idea on how we can diversity our public image?

I'd love to hear from you!

Tyler Perry Slated to Star in NONTyler Perry Studios Production

I was browsing through my timeline on Twitter Tuesday morning when I saw Tyler Perry’s name appear in a few tweets.  Assuming it was something funny, I read a little closer.  Phrases like, “Tyler Perry as a leading man” and “Idris Elba should not lose roles to Tyler Perry” jumped out at me.  I didn’t know the full story but I knew it couldn't be good.

                So like the glutton for punishment I am, I did a quick Google search for Mr. Perry. My search brought up one article and the headline jumped out at me: “Tyler Perry to play Alex Cross” Okay, this was bad and getting much worse. I read on: Tyler Perry has signed on to play the role of Alex Cross -- the crime-solving D.C. detective in James Patterson's seemingly never-ending series of popular novels -- in a new movie called "I, Alex Cross." The article later made a passing reference to Idris Elba who was originally slated to take on the title role.

I admit that I've never read a James Patterson novel. I didn't even see the first Alex Cross film that starred Morgan Freeman. I don't think it's that relevant. Here is the main issue at hand: Tyler Perry is set to star in a movie that he didn't write, direct, or produce(for now—who knows if that'll change). He is set to star in a movie that takes him outside of Madea's orthopedic shoes and gray wig. Perry is set to star in a movie that will require real acting. Real acting...from Tyler Perry!! Much like Spike Lee, Tyler Perry has a tendency to cast himself in just about every film he released. This is unfortunate because, well, Perry's acting leaves a lot to be desired. His performances rely on lots of grinning and laughing. That is not exactly the foundation of an effective actor.

I don't mean to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but something about this whole situation seems suspicious. Idris Elba is highly regarded in the acting community as a outstanding performer. So how did he end up losing a role to Tyler Perry?! Did someone look at the two and honestly think, “Never mind Elba's impressive resume. Tyler Perry is our man!” I'm sorry. I can't believe that. I refuse to believe that. What I do believe is that Perry's bank account coupled with his clout are powerful resources in Hollywood. And I will leave it at that.

Needless to say, if this movie does come out I probably will not see it. I'm trying to imagine Perry playing a detective and I'm drawing a blank. That can't be a good sign. But like I said, I'm a glutton for punishment. I'll read all the reviews and, if I can suspend my disbelief, maybe I'll spend a dollar to rent it from Redbox. Maybe.

Dearest readers, what are your thoughts about Mr. Perry getting more involved in the world of acting?

Would you consider seeing this movie?

Am I being too hard on him/too cynical?

I'd love to hear from you!

* Source

The Media Elitist Recommends....ANACOSTIA:The Series(Sex, Betrayal, Kidnapping, and a Dog Named Pussy)

Photo By: The Media Elitist

This blog is entitled I Am...The Media Elitist because I love all forms of mass media. Whether it is television, radio, movies, or internet, I love diving into them and seeking out the educational or entertainment value. I also have a tendency to be quite critical and set the bar high in terms of quality. Every now and then, something comes across my radar that is so outstanding that I fall in love. When I find a new blog that I enjoy, I will go back and read the archives. I will eagerly anticipate sequels of movies I love. Basically, once I become a fan, I'm a fan for a long time.

Currently, I am intrigued by the web series ANACOSTIA. Created by native Washingtonian Anthony Anderson, ANACOSTIA is quite possibly the juiciest series you may ever watch. Seriously. This show has everything. There is a “who done it” murder mystery, kidnapping, resurrections from the “dead,” infidelity, romance, betrayal, alcohol abuse, a pimp, and a dog named Pussy. The fact that ANACOSTIA is shot on location in the Washington, DC area(with a great deal of it taking place in the namesake neighborhood in Southeast DC) and includes a majority African American cast makes the experience even more enjoyable.

ANACOSTIA truly is an experience because it goes far beyond just watching an episode and going on with my day. Here is how things usually go: I see a message on ANACOSTIA's Facebook fan page or Twitter page announcing that a new episode is available for viewing. Then I rush to the Vimeo page to watch it. Usually, I am pausing several times throughout to gasp/laugh aloud and many times I have to rewind to make sure I didn't miss anything. On average, the episode are about 15 minutes so you have to pay close attention so you don't miss any key plot points. Now, the best part of the experience is interacting with other fans via Twitter. Many of us tweet while we watch the show, expressing shock at character antics and theorizing on what is to come. Sometimes another fan notices something I missed or has a feel about the motives of a character that differs from own. So much occurs in the episodes and part of the beauty of ANACOSTIA is that you're always left with tons of questions and wanting more(I'm convinced that Anthony Anderson is the king of cliffhangers). I'm sure that our tweets about the show are extremely confusing to anyone who doesn't watch. That is why I'm always pleased to educate anyone who messages me asking, “What in the world is this ANACOSTIA that you keep talking about?!”

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending the ANACOSTIA brunch and award nomination celebration. Held at Twelve Restaurant & Lounge, the event was sponsored by Mr. Briggs Management, LLC (Interesting note, I went to high school with the founder of Mr. Briggs Management. Go SWW!). It was a laid-back scene with mimosas flowing and delicious food being served. Attendees watched select episodes from season 2 and then engaged in a Q&A session with the cast. It was inspiring to learn that one reason why Anthony Anderson created the show was to fill the void of limited job opportunities for actors in DC. Because he saw an issue and was proactive enough to work towards fixing it, many actors in our area are able to further pursue their craft. Phenomenal!

I can wax nostalgic about how much I love ANACOSTIA(which I really do) but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the outstanding cast. You can see growth from week to week, as the actors push their characters just a bit further. The on-screen chemistry—whether it is between friends, lovers, or enemies—has an intense level realism. My final note about the cast of the cast of ANACOSTIA is this: They are truly genuine people. Instead of witnessing a lot of overly inflated egos, I saw a group of people who really get along. I watched the way they interacted with each other—they danced and joked around with the comfort of lifelong friends. They were also extremely appreciative of all the fans for their support.

Dearest readers, The Media Elitist highly recommends watching ANACOSTIA. The show is not only entertaining, but it also tackles very real issue with a lot of heart. Catch up on previous episodes here and be sure to tune into the Season 2 finale this Friday!

30 Day Letter Writing Challenge

I have a confession: Starting and keeping up with this blog is very difficult for me.  While I love to write, I often question my abilities.  This is especially true when I know someone else is going to read my work.  Wondering if they'll enjoy it or understand it makes me obsess over every paragraph, sentence, and word. It's actually quite annoying.

So, despite my initial apprehension, I've decided to take on the 30 Day Letter Writing Challenge to challenge myself and what I think I am capable of accomplishing.  I'm taking on the challenge because the writer in me is hiding and I need to let her know that it's time step out proudly into the world!

Below are the details for the challenge. Try it yourself--you don't have to send them or share them.  Just write them and see where the process leads you.  And, of course, check back here for some of my letters that will be posted. Dearest readers, you are also my witnesses--I will start and complete this challenge! *nods firmly and puts foot down*

The 30 Day Letter Challenge
WRITE A LETTER TO THESE PEOPLE :
Day 1 — Your Best Friend
Day 2 — Your Crush
Day 3 — Your parents
Day 4 — Your sibling (or closest relative)
Day 5 — Your dreams
Day 6 — A stranger
Day 7 — Your Ex-boyfriend/girlfriend/love/crush
Day 8 — Your favorite internet friend
Day 9 — Someone you wish you could meet
Day 10 — Someone you don’t talk to as much as you’d like to
Day 11 — A Deceased person you wish you could talk to
Day 12 — The person you hate most/caused you a lot of pain
Day 13 — Someone you wish could forgive you
Day 14 — Someone you’ve drifted away from
Day 15 — The person you miss the most
Day 16 — Someone that’s not in your state/country
Day 17 — Someone from your childhood
Day 18 — The person that you wish you could be
Day 19 — Someone that pesters your mind—good or bad
Day 20 — The one that broke your heart the hardest
Day 21 — Someone you judged by their first impression
Day 22 — Someone you want to give a second chance to
Day 23 — The last person you kissed
Day 24 — The person that gave you your favorite memory
Day 25 — The person you know that is going through the worst of times
Day 26 — The last person you made a pinky promise to
Day 27 — The friendliest person you knew for only one day
Day 28 — Someone that changed your life
Day 29 — The person that you want tell everything to, but too afraid to
Day 30 — Your reflection in the mirror