Beyonce's New Year's resolution is at once ambitious and surprising. The multitasking superstar, who was seemingly everywhere in 2009, hopes to spend a good chunk of 2010 not working.
"It's definitely time to take a break, to recharge my batteries," says Beyoncé, 28. "I'd like to take about six months and not go into the studio. I need to just live life, to be inspired by things again."
Beyonce filming commercial for Nintendo
Not that Beyoncé won't be visible in the coming months. Just a few days before Christmas, she's in Long Island City, shooting a pair of commercials for the Nintendo video game Style Savvy, which is introducing items from Deréon, a casual lifestyle extension of the House of Deréon line that Beyoncé created with longtime fashion adviser Tina Knowles— also her mom. The spots will air on Nickelodeon in March, in the week before the Kids' Choice Awards and during the show.
Before that, of course, Beyoncé will perform on the Grammy Awards broadcast Jan. 31 on CBS, where she's up for 10 trophies, more than any other artist, including album, record and song of the year. The last is for her slamming manifesto Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), one of 2009's most ubiquitous singles (3.5 million downloads sold) and its most-streamed video. The album, I Am ... Sasha Fierce, has sold 2.7 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
"I still haven't really digested it yet," Beyoncé says. The Grammy nominations were announced Dec. 2, two days before her spouse and fellow pop icon Jay-Z turned 40. "I was focused so much on my husband's birthday — I threw a big party — that I didn't really think about it. But it's really an honor."
Brian Hiatt of Rolling Stone, which recently named Beyoncé one of the top eight artists of the decade, doubts she'll have a sweep, given the momentum of industry "It" girl Taylor Swift and other up-and-comers such as Lady Gaga. "But if (Beyoncé) loses in all 10 categories, it will have absolutely no effect on her career," Hiatt says.
Always a hard worker
For the former Destiny's Child frontwoman, the nominations were a sweet coda to an especially productive and demanding period.
"I've always worked hard, but I feel like I worked harder this past year than I have since I was just starting out. I just had all these great opportunities. It started out with singing At Last," the song Barack and Michelle Obama chose for their first dance as first couple. Beyoncé serenaded them at a ball hours after the president's inauguration.
In the spring, the singer launched the I Am ... Tour, which took her to 110 cities around the world. Despite her hectic schedule, Beyoncé was determined "not to just perform and stay in the hotel. I visited the pyramids in Egypt. I saw the Great Wall of China and went out in the middle of the ocean in Australia to see the whales. I actually got sprayed in the face. I made some great memories this year and really learned to enjoy life."
So much so that "when I got home, I wrote out a contract with myself. I made a list of everything I want to do that has nothing to do with music. Well, some of it does. But I promised myself that I would not go back on tour or in the studio until I finished these things."
The to-do list consists of "random things. I want to go to restaurants, maybe take a class, see some movies and Broadway shows." (Beyoncé says she would love to do a stage musical, eventually.) She's also keen to spend more time with her 5-year-old nephew, Daniel, whose mom is Beyoncé's younger sister, Solange, 23. "He's a wonderful kid, amazing, so smart. And I spoil him, so it's a lot of work. He's a 24-hour job."
Still, Beyoncé doesn't expect her sabbatical from the music business to be easy, or even necessarily successful. "It will be the hardest thing in the world for me to make myself not do an album and shoot a video and turn it in and say, 'I'm ready!' I already have all these melodies and ideas in my head. I have to tell myself, 'Sit down! Sit down!' "
She already has planned a reprieve from her reprieve, in fact: Two weeks of concert dates are scheduled in South America and the Caribbean in February to accommodate additional demand from the I Am ... trek. (She recently generated controversy by performing at a private New Year's Eve party hosted by Muatsim-Billah Gaddafi, a son of the Libyan leader. A statement from her agency and management firms notes that the annual event has "a long history of booking internationally known artists.")
She'll also launch a signature fragrance that month, Beyoncé Heat, with Coty. And there's no saying that a great film script won't come along. Beyoncé's portrayal of R&B legend Etta James in 2008's Cadillac Records earned the best reviews of her acting career and provided something of a revelation.
"I learned that drama is probably what I'm best at. I really enjoy it, too — though it can be emotionally draining. Now I know I need to take time out for a project like that, rather than juggle it with 50 other things. I'm only one person."
'Grace under pressure'
For someone who has been so famous, and so famously driven, for such a long stretch, Beyoncé still manages to convey a gentle, self-deprecating quality in person. Former Vibe and Spin editor Alan Light says her mix of indomitability and accessibility is one key to her enduring appeal. "She seems to have it all, but there's still this thing in her that you can relate to. The persona is one of graciousness and grace under pressure."
That was certainly evident at the MTV Video Music Awards, when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech by suggesting her winning video was inferior to Single Ladies and Beyoncé responded by inviting Swift to share her own triumphant moment. "When someone does something like that on the fly, you can't say it's totally made up," Light says.
Fans can be found everywhere
Beyoncé allows that she takes pride in maintaining a positive image. Out in New York recently, "I accidentally walked into the men's room, which was so embarrassing. But then I met this young lady in the (women's) restroom, and she was like, 'You're one of the only artists that my daughter and I both love, and I want to thank you for helping to bring us closer together.'
"That kind of compliment makes me feel so good. And I think that my own relationship with my mom, though that has nothing to do with my music, inspires mothers and young girls. That's not something I try to do, but I'm aware of it and happy about it."
Source: USA Today
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Video After The JumpATLANTA (MyFOX ATLANTA) - Atlanta police said Monday that a million dollars in jewelry and electronics were stolen from singer Usher Raymond. The incident happened across the street from one of Atlanta's busiest shopping malls.
Raymond and a second man told Atlanta police that their vehicle was broken into on Dec. 14 when the pair stopped at an AT&T store near Lenox Mall.
According to the police report, the vehicle was described as a black GMC Yukon. Raymond said and there was over a million dollars worth of jewelry, $50,000 in furs and clothing and about $20,000 in cash stolen.
A witness said they saw a Chevy Impala with tinted windows drive up next to the SUV. The witness told police a man got out of the Impala and popped open the door to the SUV.
The incident is still under investigation.
Source: MyFoxAtlanta
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American Idol fans, start preparing those goodbye tributes: Simon Cowell announced today that this year’s ninth season will be his last. The irascible judge told the nation’s TV critics in Pasadena, CA that he will team with Fox to launch a stateside version of his popular UK show The X Factor in fall 2011. “We did talk about me staying on both shows but when we looked at the practicalities of that, it was impossible,” Cowell told the press. “In my opinion, it’s like having a good player and a good football team. The two have to be okay together. I believe it’s not my show, but it’s still very close to me. We made sure when we did this, that I would be protected. I’m confident it will continue to be the No. 1 show. Everyone is committed to keeping it that way.”
Like Idol, X Factor is a televised talent search that pits contestants against one another and the prize is usually a recording contract. The UK version was responsible for the launch of Leona Lewis, among others. The show divides contestants into four categories — guys, girls, groups, and singers of all ages — and already airs in many countries. “It’s a big, big production,” said Cowell, who literally signed his contract with Fox at the press conference today. “In the UK, we have 200 applicants every year. There is no upper age limit on X Factor and groups are allowed to enter. We gave ourselves time to set it up. It gives us time to work out who the judging panel will be.
“I’m doing X Factor in America because I believe I can find someone incredibly talented through this process,” Cowell continued. “This country, thank God, has got thousands and thousands of people still waiting to be discovered. I want to find a star at the end, I genuinely do.”
Cowell said he was offered more money to stay on Idol but it wasn’t about the cash. “I felt like doing something different,” he said. “I want to leave Idol this year bigger and better than it’s ever been before. Having already done the auditions, it feels fresh, it feels relevant. I like the contestants this year. This final year for me feels different. I never would have wanted to walk out when the show was No. 21 in the ratings. You want to leave on a high. It’s been a fantastic time. We’re going to do something new. America needs a different type of show.”
As for Cowell’s replacement, the Fox suits said they have plenty of time to figure out how to make up for the huge void. “We are not going to find a Simon clone to do what he does because he is one of a kind,” said Peter Rice, Fox entertainment chairman. “The reason we are making the announcement in January is to give ourselves time and allow people to come forward. We were frankly surprised at the enthusiasm in replacing Paula. We have to make sure the chemistry is as good as it can be. So I don’t think we will rush into that.” As for Ellen DeGeneres’ quip to EW recently about her threatening to bolt if Cowell leaves, Rice deadpanned, “I think she was making a joke.”
Speaking of Abdul, Cowell did have some promising news about the ex-Idol judge: ”I adore Paula. Whatever happens, I will be working with her in some capacity because I miss her. You’re gonna have to watch this space!”
EW.com
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Unreleased songs from 2005-2007
Tracklist:
1. Rock The Mic (ft. Tipsy) (2007)
2. You Ain’t A Killa (2006)
3. In the Ground (Part 1) (2006)
4. Can’t Stop The Reign (2006)
5. Hand Over That (2006)
6. Nigga You Need (2005)
7. I’m Not Sorry (with Fitted) (2005)
8. Niggas Bleed (with Fitted) (2005)
9. Hard Liquor (with Fitted) (2006)
10. Nigga Cry Now (2007)
11. In The Ground (Part 2) (2006)
12. Dead Wrong (Remix ft. The Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, & Busta Rhymes) (2007)Download HereRead more…
NEW YORK - Mark McGwire finally came clean Monday, admitting he used steroids when he broke baseball's home run record in 1998.
McGwire said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday that he used steroids on and off for nearly a decade.
"I wish I had never touched steroids," McGwire said in a statement. "It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era."
McGwire also used human growth hormone, a person close to McGwire said, speaking on condition of anonymity because McGwire didn't include that detail in his statement.
McGwire's decision to admit using steroids was prompted by his decision to become hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, his final big league team. Tony La Russa, McGwire's manager in Oakland and St. Louis, has been among McGwire's biggest supporters and thinks returning to the field can restore the former slugger's reputation.
"I never knew when, but I always knew this day would come," McGwire said. "It's time for me to talk about the past and to confirm what people have suspected."
He became the second major baseball star in less than a year to admit using illegal steroids, following the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez last February.
Others have been tainted but have denied knowingly using illegal drugs, including Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and David Ortiz.
Bonds has been indicted on charges he made false statements to a federal grand jury and obstructed justice. Clemens is under investigation by a federal grand jury trying to determine whether he lied to a congressional committee.
"I'm sure people will wonder if I could have hit all those home runs had I never taken steroids," McGwire said. "I had good years when I didn't take any, and I had bad years when I didn't take any. I had good years when I took steroids, and I had bad years when I took steroids. But no matter what, I shouldn't have done it and for that I'm truly sorry."
Big Mac's reputation has been in tatters since March 17, 2005, when he refused to answer questions at a Congressional hearing. Instead, he repeatedly said "I'm not here to talk about the past" when asked whether he took illegal steroids when he hit a then-record 70 home runs in 1998 or at any other time.
"After all this time, I want to come clean," he said. "I was not in a position to do that five years ago in my congressional testimony, but now I feel an obligation to discuss this and to answer questions about it. I'll do that, and then I just want to help my team."
The person close to McGwire said McGwire made the decision not to answer questions at that hearing on the advice of his lawyers.
McGwire disappeared from the public eye following his retirement as a player following the 2001 season. When the Cardinals hired the 47-year-old as coach on Oct. 26, they said he would address questions before spring training, and Monday's statement broke his silence.
"I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989/1990 offseason and then after I was injured in 1993, I used steroids again," McGwire said in his statement. "I used them on occasion throughout the '90s, including during the 1998 season."
McGwire said he took steroids to get back on the field, sounding much like the Yankees' Andy Pettitte two years ago when he admitted using HGH.
"During the mid-'90s, I went on the DL seven times and missed 228 games over five years," McGwire said in the statement. "I experienced a lot of injuries, including a ribcage strain, a torn left heel muscle, a stress fracture of the left heel, and a torn right heel muscle. It was definitely a miserable bunch of years, and I told myself that steroids could help me recover faster. I thought they would help me heal and prevent injuries, too."
Since the congressional hearing, baseball owners and players toughened their drug program twice, increasing the penalty for a first steroids offense from 10 days to 50 games in November 2005 and strengthening the power of the independent administrator in April 2008, following the publication of the Mitchell Report.
"Baseball is really different now - it's been cleaned up," McGwire said. "The commissioner and the players' association implemented testing and they cracked down, and I'm glad they did."
San Francisco Chronicle
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When Beyonce recorded the song "Ego" I don't think she was talking about Mayweather or Pacquiao, but she might as well have been. In what has become maybe the biggest fight in the history to not happen due to anything other than injury. We need to take a look at the real reason why.
Both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr would have been guaranteed a minimum of $30 million dollars apiece. Possibly more depending on the number of Pay-Per-View buys. So money is not the issue.
This is the type of fight where legends are born. Because no matter who would have won or lost there is no denying that these two are the best pound for pound boxers in the world today.
Both Manny and Floyd are worried about the legacy they will leave behind. And despite what you may hear or read in the media, neither one of these guys is scared of the other. Both of them have fought the best fighters out there and never ducked anyone. The only way to solidify their legacies and not leave behind any lingering questions is to fight each other and prove who is the best.
That puts away those questions.
Now let's get down to it. Why these gladiators and their trainers, promoters, mediators and lawyers etc, couldn't make this fight happen.
It really is simple and comes down to one thing, both fighters EGOS
The Mayweather camp is simply asking for too much when it comes to Olympic Style drug testing and here's why.
Each state has a set of rules in place when it comes to unarmed combat. It has taken years to perfect these rules. To let one fighter dictate an unprecedented new set of rules cannot be allowed. It would open the door for other fighters to make up rules as they see fit. At that point what would be the purpose of having an Athletic Commission?
Nevada tests fighters for drugs and steroids after each fight. But they are also tested randomly throughout the year.
I spoke directly with Keith Kizer who is the Executive Director of The Nevada State Athletic Commission. He said the "random testing is used to deter fighters from using banned substances knowing a test could come at any time". That system seems to be working quite well.
In other words Floyd needs to lighten up and get real if he wants this fight and I believe he does.
As far as Pacquiao, I don’t believe any of this hogwash about being superstitious regarding his blood being taken too close to the fight, therefore weakening him.
He’s just not going to let Mayweather Jr or any fighter for that matter tell him what to do before a big fight. At this stage of his career who could blame him?
Manny has never tested positive for any illegal substance in 55 professional fights. Nor has he had issues with putting the wrong kind of padding in his hand wrappings or been accused of being a dirty fighter inside the ring
The exact same thing can be said about Floyd in his 40 fight career.
The argument that it’s not possible for Manny to have made the leap from smaller weight classes to where he is now is also ridiculous. He started fighting as a 106 pound 16 year old. He is now 31 years old fighting at 147 lbs. A natural progression as his body matured.
Many fighters such as Sugar Shane Mosely, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, RobertoDuran & Sugar Ray Robinson have started at lower weight classes and moved up as high as light heavyweight while still maintaining some power.
At this point I’m sick of all the finger pointing from both sides and just want to see a great fight from the world’s two best fighters.
Here’s hoping they put their egos aside and get in the ring to decide once and for all who is the pound for pound champ.
If not, the sport of boxing will take its biggest loss yet
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Video After The JumpThe Unveiling: Lil Wayne's 'The Nino Brown Story, Pt. 2' DVD
Over the Christmas break, we brought you guys some exclusive clips from DJ Scoob Doo's "The Nino Brown Story, Pt. 2." The DVD gives you the most up close and personal footage of Lil Wayne ever.
Well, since everybody has been talking about our preview on Facebook and Twitter, being the cool dudes we are, we decided to give you a little more. In this exclusive, we catch Wayne in some rare studio downtime. Instead of recording, he's talking about the ESPN show "Jim Rome Is Burning."
Wayne said he had quite the time watching Rome rail against Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin. Of course, Kiffin was the talk of the sports world when Weezy referenced him on his No Ceilings mixtape via the "Banned From TV" freestyle.
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CNN) -- James Cameron's completely immersive spectacle "Avatar" may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.
On the fan forum site "Avatar Forums," a topic thread entitled "Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible," has received more than 1,000 posts from people experiencing depression and fans trying to help them cope. The topic became so popular last month that forum administrator Philippe Baghdassarian had to create a second thread so people could continue to post their confused feelings about the movie.
"I wasn't depressed myself. In fact the movie made me happy ," Baghdassarian said. "But I can understand why it made people depressed. The movie was so beautiful and it showed something we don't have here on Earth. I think people saw we could be living in a completely different world and that caused them to be depressed."
A post by a user called Elequin expresses an almost obsessive relationship with the film.
"That's all I have been doing as of late, searching the Internet for more info about 'Avatar.' I guess that helps. It's so hard I can't force myself to think that it's just a movie, and to get over it, that living like the Na'vi will never happen. I think I need a rebound movie," Elequin posted.
A user named Mike wrote on the fan Web site "Naviblue" that he contemplated suicide after seeing the movie.
"Ever since I went to see Avatar I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na'vi made me want to be one of them. I can't stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it," Mike posted. "I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in 'Avatar.' "
Other fans have expressed feelings of disgust with the human race and disengagement with reality.
Cameron's movie, which has pulled in more than $1.4 billion in worldwide box office sales and could be on track to be the highest grossing film of all time, is set in the future when the Earth's resources have been pillaged by the human race. A greedy corporation is trying to mine the rare mineral unobtainium from the planet Pandora, which is inhabited by a peace-loving race of 7-foot tall, blue-skinned natives called the Na'vi.
In their race to mine for Pandora's resources, the humans clash with the Na'vi, leading to casualties on both sides. The world of Pandora is reminiscent of a prehistoric fantasyland, filled with dinosaur-like creatures mixed with the kinds of fauna you may find in the deep reaches of the ocean. Compared with life on Earth, Pandora is a beautiful, glowing utopia.
Ivar Hill posts to the Avatar forum page under the name Eltu. He wrote about his post-Avatar depression after he first saw the film earlier this month.
"When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed ... gray. It was like my whole life, everything I've done and worked for, lost its meaning," Hill wrote on the forum. "It just seems so ... meaningless. I still don't really see any reason to keep ... doing things at all. I live in a dying world."
Reached via e-mail in Sweden where he is studying game design, Hill, 17, explained that his feelings of despair made him desperately want to escape reality.
"One can say my depression was twofold: I was depressed because I really wanted to live in Pandora, which seemed like such a perfect place, but I was also depressed and disgusted with the sight of our world, what we have done to Earth. I so much wanted to escape reality," Hill said.
Cameron's special effects masterpiece is very lifelike and the 3-D performance capture and CGI effects essentially allow the viewer to enter the alien world of Pandora for the movie's 2½-hour run-time, which only lends to the separation anxiety some individuals experience when they depart the movie theater.
"Virtual life is not real life and it never will be, but this is the pinnacle of what we can build in a virtual presentation so far," said Dr. Stephan Quentzel, psychiatrist and Medical Director for the Louis Armstrong Centerfor Music and Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. "It has taken the best of our technology to create this virtual world and real life will never be as utopian as it seems onscreen. It makes real life seem more imperfect."
Fans of the movie may find actor Stephen Lang, who plays the villainous Col. Miles Quaritch in the film, an enemy of the Na'vi people and their sacred ground, an unlikely sympathizer, but Lang says he can understand the connection people are feeling with the movie.
"Pandora is a pristine world and there is the synergy between all of the creatures of the planet and I think that strikes a deep cord within people that has a wishfulness and a wistfulness to it," Lang said. "James Cameron had the technical resources to go along with this incredibly fertile imagination of his and his dream is built out of the same things that other peoples' dreams are made of."
The bright side is that for Hill and others like him who became dissatisfied with their own lives and with our imperfect world after enjoying the fictional creation of James Cameron, becoming a part of a community of like-minded people on an online forum has helped them emerge from the darkness.
"After discussing on the forums for a while now, my depression is beginning to fade away. Having taken a part in many discussions concerning all this has really, really helped me," Hill said. "Before, I had lost the reason to keep on living -- but now it feels like these feelings are gradually being replaced with others."
Quentzel said creating relationships with others is one of the keys to human happiness and that even if those connections are occurring online they are better than nothing.
"Obviously there is community building in these forums," Quentzel said. "It may be technologically different from other community building, but it serves the same purpose."
Within the fan community, suggestions for battling feelings of depression after seeing the movie include things like playing "Avatar" video games or downloading the movie soundtrack in addition to encouraging members to relate to other people outside the virtual realm and to seek out positive and constructive activities
CNN
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While Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gets pilloried by some Republicans for having once said that President Barack Obama is "light skinned" and only employs a "Negro dialect" when he wants to, there's this from the always-ready-to-offend Rod Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois in the new Esquire (we've deleted two obscentities):
"It's such a cynical business, and most of the people in the business are full of (@#$%) and phonies, but I was real, man --- and am real. This guy, he was catapulted in on hope and change, what we hope the guy is. What the (@#$%)? Everything he's saying's on the teleprompter. I'm blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. I grew up in a five-room apartment. My father had a little laundromat in a black community not far from where we lived. I saw it all growing up."
As the AP reminds us, "the twice-elected Democrat was impeached and removed from office last year after federal prosecutors arrested him on corruption charges that included trying to sell Obama's old U.S. Senate seat. He has pleaded not guilty."
Source: NPR
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LOS ANGELES, Calif. --
Near the end of the hit film “Avatar,” the villain snarls at the hero, “How does it feel to betray your own race?” Both men are white — although the hero is inhabiting a blue-skinned, 9-foot-tall, long-tailed alien.
Strange as it may seem for a film that pits greedy, immoral humans against noble denizens of a faraway moon, “Avatar” is being criticized by a small but vocal group of people who allege it contains racist themes — the white hero once again saving the primitive natives.
Since the film opened to widespread critical acclaim three weeks ago, hundreds of blog posts, newspaper articles, tweets and YouTube videos have made claims such as that the film is “a fantasy about race told from the point of view of white people” and reinforces “the white Messiah fable.”
The film’s writer and director, James Cameron, says the real theme is about respecting others’ differences.
In the film (read no further if you don’t want to spoil the plot) a white, paralyzed Marine, Jake Sully, is mentally linked to an alien’s body and set loose on the planet Pandora. His mission: persuade the mystic, nature-loving Na’vi to make way for humans to mine their land for unobtanium, worth $20 million per kilo back home.
Like Kevin Costner in “Dances with Wolves” and Tom Cruise in “The Last Samurai” or as far back as Jimmy Stewart in the 1950 Western “Broken Arrow,” Sully finds his allegiances soon change. He falls in love with the Na’vi princess and leads the bird-riding, bow-and-arrow-shooting aliens to victory over the white men’s spaceships and mega-robots.
Adding to the racial dynamic is that the main Na’vi characters are played by actors of color, led by a Dominican, Zoe Saldana, as the princess. The film also is an obvious metaphor for how European settlers in America wiped out the Indians.Robinne Lee, an actress in such recent films as “Seven Pounds” and “Hotel for Dogs,” said that “Avatar” was “beautiful” and that she understood the economic logic of casting a white lead if most of the audience is white.
But she said the film, which remained No. 1 at the box office domestically for the fourth straight weekend with $48.5 million and is second among all-time top-grossing films worldwide, still reminded her of Hollywood’s “Pocahontas” story — “the Indian woman leads the white man into the wilderness, and he learns the way of the people and becomes the savior.”
“It’s really upsetting in many ways,” said Lee, who is black with Jamaican and Chinese ancestry. “It would be nice if we could save ourselves.”
Annalee Newitz, editor-in-chief of the sci-fi Web site io9.com, likened “Avatar” to the recent film “District 9,” in which a white man accidentally becomes an alien and then helps save the aliens, and 1984’s “Dune,” in which a white man becomes an alien Messiah.
“Main white characters realize that they are complicit in a system which is destroying aliens, AKA people of color … (then) go beyond assimilation and become leaders of the people they once oppressed,” wrote Newitz, who is white. “When will whites stop making these movies and start thinking about race in a new way?”
Black film professor and author Donald Bogle said he can understand why people would be troubled by “Avatar,” although he praised it as a “stunning” work.
“A segment of the audience is carrying in the back of its head some sense of movie history,” said Bogle, author of “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies & Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films.”
Bogle stopped short, however, of calling the movie racist.
“It’s a film with still a certain kind of distortion,” he said. “It’s a movie that hasn’t yet freed itself of old Hollywood traditions, old formulas.”
Writer/director Cameron, who is white, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that his film “asks us to open our eyes and truly see others, respecting them even though they are different, in the hope that we may find a way to prevent conflict and live more harmoniously on this world. I hardly think that is a racist message.”
There are many ways to interpret the art that is “Avatar.”
What does it mean that in the final, sequel-begging scene, Sully abandons his human body and transforms into one of the Na’vi? Is Saldana’s Na’vi character the real heroine because she, not Sully, kills the arch-villain? Does it matter that many conservatives are riled by what they call liberal environmental and antimilitary messages?
Is Cameron actually exposing the historical evils of white colonizers? Does the existence of an alien species expose the reality that all humans are actually one race?
Although the “Avatar” debate springs from Hollywood’s historical difficulties with race, Will Smith recently saved the planet in “I Am Legend,” and Denzel Washington appears ready to do the same in the forthcoming “Book of Eli.”
Bogle, the film historian, said that he was glad Cameron made the film and that it made people think about race.
“Maybe there is something he does want to say and put across” about race, Bogle said. “Maybe if he had a black hero in there, that point would have been even stronger.”
Source: Access Hollywood
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(CNN) -- Some 24 million Chinese men of marrying age will find themselves lacking wives in 2020, partly because of the country's one-child policy, which has led to the abortion of female fetuses, state media said Monday.
Sex-specific abortions have led to a large male population born since the 1980s, the China Daily newspaper said, citing a study conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
The gender imbalance means that the next decade will see many intergenerational marriages: young men married to women much older than them, the study said.
China's Communist Party implemented the one-child rule three decades ago, amid fears that the country would not be able to feed a skyrocketing population. The policy has prevented about 400 million births, China Daily said.
Couples living in cities are barred from having more than one child, unless neither parent has siblings. In rural areas, the law allows for a second child under certain circumstances. And the guidelines are looser for ethnic minorities with small populations.
Enforcement varies, but usually takes the form of fines to discourage extra births.
The policy has curbed population growth, and has led to forced sterilization in some parts of the country, the U.S. State Department said. Because of a traditional preference for male heirs, many Chinese also have aborted female fetuses, according to human rights groups.
Even within the country, calls to overhaul the law have increased in recent years, China Daily said.
But China has said it will maintain its one-child policy for at least another decade.
Nearly 200 million Chinese will enter child-bearing age in the next 10 years, Minister Zhang Weiqing told China Daily two years ago. He said abandoning the policy during this period would cause "serious problems and add extra pressure on social and economic development."
"After the new birth peak ends, we may adjust the policy if there is a need," he said.
China's population, which stands at about 1.3 billion, is growing at the rate of 0.6 percent. It is expected to peak around 1.6 billion by 2050, the U.S. State Department said.
Source: CNN
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Actor/producer Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, right, and co-producer Randall Emmett talk about their movie "Gun" filming in Grand Rapids.The movie business is booming in Grand Rapids — literally.
A little black powder, some sand to push the doors open, a bit of propane to cause a fire, earplugs for everyone in the vicinity and — whoomp! A police car explodes into flames inside the former Lear Corp. plant, 2150 Alpine Ave. NW, Sunday afternoon, where the action movie “Gun” was being filmed with star, producer and screenwriter Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.
A voice yells “Cut!” and two Walker firefighters extinguish the blaze. The sprinklers don’t go off, the set is secure and the scene is successfully captured on camera. Special effects supervisor Ken Gorrell was satisfied.
“We had one take, and that’s it,” he said, lighting a cigarette after completing the shot. “It looks like we don’t have to (add any effects in post-producton). Inside this building, everything filled in nicely.”
Fire erupts from a police car during an explosive scene from the movie "Gun" filmed at the former Lear plant on Alpine Avenue NW on Sunday afternoon. The movie starring Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and Val Kilmer is being shot in various locations in Grand Rapids.
The big boom will be part of the climactic shootout sequence in the film, in which Jackson — best known as a multiplatinum-selling hip-hop star — Val Kilmer and John Larroquette (“Night Court”) play arms dealers. AnnaLynn McCord (“90210” and “Nip/Tuck”) stars as a manipulator of the big arms transaction, and James Remar (“Dexter”) portrays a cop trying to break up the smuggling ring.
“This is the final confrontation,” Jackson said, wearing a white shirt stained with fake blood, while seated inside a trailer next to producing partner Randall Emmett. “We’ve been shooting this scene for two days. There’s been a lot of action, and now we’re covering some of the details.”
Earlier on Sunday, Jackson was creating more noise, wielding a massive .50 caliber gun that weighs 85 lbs. Notably, it’s not the “Gun” of the title, which refers to his character’s two-hander Smith and Wesson pistol. The gunplay left an acrid smell lingering from the morning’s scenes, also filmed inside the chilly warehouse.
“It’s the big takedown today, the heat of the battle,” Remar said.
“We need the heat of the battle to keep us warm,” he joked.
“Gun” began shooting Dec. 27, and principal photography will wrap Thursday. Budgeted at less than $3 million, the movie is a product of Emmett and Jackson’s Cheetah Vision Films partnership. They plan to shoot three films in Michigan in 2010 to take advantage of the state tax incentives. Emmett said they will debut the film at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Emmett and Jackson filmed “Caught in the Crossfire” locally last year with Grand Rapids-born director BrianMiller; it has not been released yet. Kilmer, who wrapped his “Gun” scenes on Thursday and left town, also starred in “The Chaos Experiment,” which shot locally in 2008 and is now available on DVD.
Jackson and Kilmer co-starred in the thriller “Streets of Blood,” released on DVD last year. Their relationship on that film’s set prompted Jackson to recruit the “Batman Forever” and “Top Gun” actor for “Gun.” Jackson also hand-picked director Jessy Terrero (“Soul Plane”) based on their previous music-video collaborations.
“He’s my biggest client in the video world,” Terrero said. “I knew him when no one knew who 50 Cent was.”
The soft-spoken Jackson talked in great detail about his involvement with the film from top to bottom: He wrote the script’s first draft, serves as its music director and even helped select cameras and cast members. He said he has been offered acting roles, but prefers to pursue “projects that have the level of artistic integrity I want to be associated with.”
Jackson is currently balancing his film work with his music career. He released his new album “Before I Self Destruct” in November, and will take part in concert tours between movies this year. The bonus DVD that comes with the album features a film Jackson directed himself.
“50 isn’t one of those actors who get producer credit but don’t really do anything,” said Emmett, who has produced dozens of films, including “Righteous Kill” and “88 Minutes.” “It’s exciting for me to work with someone as committed as he is.
“He brings his own mobile studio with him,” Emmett added. “He’ll have three-and-a-half minutes between takes, and you’ll see him in his trailer working on music. He makes everyone else feel lazy.”
Also working hard is McCord, who has flown back and forth between Los Angeles, where she’s still shooting “90210,” and Grand Rapids to film her scenes.
“This is the type of role I want — I love action films,” she said. “My agent sweet-talked the ‘90210’ producers so I could shoot both.
“I wanted to work with Curtis,” she added. “We have wonderful chemistry, and we’re having lots of fun together.”
The actress has had some down time in G.R., though; she drove go-carts at Craig’s Cruisers on a recent day off.
“I love it here,” she said. “Los Angeles is not based in reality. It’s nice to be somewhere that’s chill, and you’re not surrounded by a bunch of pretentious L.A. people.”
Actor James Remar, center, plays a cop in the movie "Gun" filmed in Grand Rapids. His son Jason, left, has a small part in the explosive scene shot in the former Lear plant on Alpine Avenue NW on Sunday afternoon.
Pics : Mark Copier Of The Grand Rapids Press
Story: John Serba Of The Grand Rapids Press
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James Cameron's "Avatar" dominated the North American box office for the fourth weekend in a row, earning $48.5 million and becoming the second-highest-grossing film of all time.
So far, Cameron's other mega-hit, "Titanic," which remained No. 1 for 15 weeks straight and garnered $1.8 billion in global sales, is the only movie to top the $1.34 billion worldwide earnings of "Avatar."
But box-office watchers believe that as curious movie fans flood the theaters to catch the must-see sci-fi adventure, the "Avatar" aliens could sink "Titanic."
"I believe anything is possible with this picture. Nothing would surprise me," said Bert Livingston, a 20th Century Fox distribution executive.
Meanwhile, "Daybreakers," starring Ethan Hawke as a reluctant vampire, opened at No. 4 with an estimated weekend take of $15 million.
Two other newcomers, the romantic comedy "Leap Year" and Michael Cera's dorky-teen flick "Youth in Revolt," landed in the sixth and ninth spots, earning $9.2 million and $7 million, respectively.
"Sherlock Holmes," starring Robert Downey Jr. as the iconic sleuth, spent a third weekend at No. 2 with sales of $16.6 million, and "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" was No. 3 for a third week with $16.3 million.
NY Daily News
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Video After The JumpI think we finally have our answer for why there probably won't be a Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Manny Pacquiao fight.ESPN boxing analyst and former trainer Teddy Atlas has learned of explosive private emails sent from the Pacquiao Camp to the camp of Mayweather Jr.
According to Atlas, who is very highly thought of in the boxing world. Manny's people wanted to know what kind of penalty he would face if he tested positive for a banned substance. And could those results be kept confidential for the benefit of boxing.
He also brings up a very good point. Asking if Manny is clean and has nothing to hide why would he walk away from a $30 million dollar payday?
Fast forward to the 9 minute mark to hear Atlas expose Pacquiao.
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Tracklist:
01. DJ Whiteowl - Intro
02. Papoose - Glock Busta (Feat. Biggie)
03. Tony Yayo - Gettin’ Money (Obama)
04. Styles P And Chinx Drugz - We Getz Busy
05. Styles P - Send A Kite (Feaat. Dwayne Collins)
06. Lil’ Wayne - We Made It (Feat. Kevin Rudolf And Jay Sean)
07. Juelz Santana - Home Run (Feat. Lil’ Wayne) (Snippet)
08. Lil’ Wayne - Freestyle
09. Jay-Z - The R.O.C. Cafe (Feat. Beanie Sigel, DJ Premier, And M.O.P.)
10. DMX - We Stay Flawless (Feat. N.O.R.E. And Ja Rule)
11. Mobb Deep - 2 The Death (Feat. Kool G Rap And M.O.P.)
12. Mobb Deep - Somebody Gotta Do It
13. Un Pachino And Chinx Drugz - You Must Be Crazy
14. N.O.R.E. - Exhibit CNN Pt. 1
15. Capone - Exhibit CNN Pt. 2
16. Joe Budden - R.I.P.
17. Styles P - Interlude
18. Styles P - 16 Barz
19. J.R. Writer - I’m Just Warming Up
20. Maino - 2010 Predictions
21. Grafh - Freestyle
22. Pokerface - Verbal Intercourse 2K10
23. Mazaradi Fox And A.T. - We On That Shit
24. L. Black - Skinny Jeans
25. Yelawolf - Dear Mama
26. Lil’ Wayne - Girl U Nasty (Feat. Mack Maine, Jae Millz,And Tyga)
27. Snoop Dogg - Connected
28. Lil’ Wayne - Run This Town Pt. 2 (Chops Remix)
29. Smitty - FreestyleDownload Here
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Tracklist:
01. Try Me
02. Every Morning
03. Quarantine
04. Where Do I Go
05. Live Comfortable
06. Drop That Top
07. Always Be My Bitch (Feat. Al Pac And Mac Mustard)
08. Bad Whiskey
09. Bigga Make Me Cum
10. Eye For An Eye
11. Max And Scar (Feat. Scarlett O’Harlem)
12. Picture Me Rolling
13. Chase You Home
14. Have You Seen Her
15. She Touched It In Miami
16. Walk The Streets Alone
17. Tattoos On Her Ass
18. I Wasn’t There
19. Cops Come Thru
20. Go Go Go
21. Henny
22. Blow Me A Dub ‘09
23. What Am I Gone Do
24. I Don’t Wanna Go Back
25. Letter To StacksDownload Here
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Tracklist:
01. Cam’ron - Gangsta Grillz 2 Freestyle
02. Cam’ron And Vado - Stop It 5
03. Cam’ron - Let’s Talk About It (Feat. Jadakiss)
04. Cam’ron And Vado - Arab Muzik
05. Cam’ron And Vado - Caveman
06. Cam’ron - Cuffin’ (Feat. Gucci Mane)
07. Cam’ron - Get It (Feat. Mase)
08. Cam’ron And Vado - Ohh Baby
09. Cam’ron And Vado - Different Cloth
10. Vado - Talk To ‘em
11. Cam’ron And Vado - Cocaine
12. Vado - Go Hard (Feat. Cassidy)
13. Cam’ron And Vado - You The Baddest
14. Cam’ron And Vado - We Here Now
15. Cam’ron And Vado - Horror Story
16. Cam’ron - Stupid Wild (Feat. Gucci Mane)
17. Cam’ron - Lennox And 7th
18. Cam’ron And Vado - Professional
19. Cam’ron And Vado - We In This Thang
20. Cam’ron And Vado - Blockstars
21. Cam’ron And Vado - Harlem (Feat. Freeky Zekey)Download Here
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