The Streets are Talking: Bravo’s ‘Work Out’ Loses Sponsor

We know that Jackie Warner, fitness guru and star of Bravo’s Work Out (Tuesdays 10 p.m.) is hot ghetto mess of an individual– the poster child for unprofessional behavior.   For the past two and half seasons, Bravo has looked the other way as Jackie openly dated one employee and made sexual advances towards others.  But this latest screw up in which Jackie and/or her assistant Lisa made disparaging remarks about the breast implants of a client who happened to be a cancer survivor and the decision by Gatorade (Propel) to pull its sponsorship, may leave Bravo wondering if Jackie, despite the show’s popularity, is more of a liability than an asset. 

It seems that last week’s episode in which the comments were made and in which trainer Brian Peeler, who was fired by Jackie for confronting her about those remarks (the woman was his client), was the last straw for some of the show’s viewers. They took their grievances to Gatorade, makers of Propel water (which you see everywhere on the show, or shall I say, used to), and the beverage maker issued the following statement:

On behalf of The Gatorade Company, we want to thank you for contacting us and sharing your concerns about the relationship Propel has with the TV show The Workout, specifically around the incident where one of Jackie Warner’s trainers makes a comment to Jackie about a client’s breasts. What made this exchange even more troubling was the discovery the woman being discussed is a breast cancer survivor. 

We have watched the episode in question, and we too were surprised and saddened to see the conversations unfold between these trainers. Since this episode aired, we have heard from many viewers of The Workout who are also consumers of our product, and we understand and relate to your disappointment in what occurred. 

We have notified Bravo we no longer wish to be associated with The Workout and will be pulling our commercials. Furthermore, we will not renew our sponsorship of this program in subsequent seasons. Please note, because this season’s episodes, and past seasons’ episodes, have already been filmed and edited, moving forward you may still continue to see Propel used in the show.

We take very seriously the concerns you have shared, and we understand why there is discomfort for our consumers with an association of Propel and The Workout, given the unfortunate events that unfolded during this week’s episode. We hope our immediate actions send a clear message to the community that we greatly value what you have to say, agree with your sentiments, and appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns with us. (Source)

Wow, she really did it this time.  Those adoring housewives, for whom she was a cute lesbian crush, have turned on her like rapid dogs and rightfully so.  I saw the episode and I was shocked but not surprised.  I guess I’ve become somewhat numb to Jackie’s antics which seem a bit over the top this year — even for her.  

Now the wait is on to see who files the first lawsuit against Jackie (and possibly Bravo/NBC Universal and the producers of the show).  Let’s see, could it be Peeler?  He’d have a great “wrongful termination” suit. Could it be the client?  I can just imagine the money that her attorney would ask for “pain and suffering”. Oh, she can also claim “loss of income” since she is also a fitness model and could say that editors/photographers, since the disclosure, are reluctant to work with her. The possibilities are endless.  

From the looks of things, it seems that Jackie’s next major appearance may be in a California courtroom. And what a show that will be. 

Related Post

Bravo’s ‘Work Out’ Returns:  Jackie’s Back and She’s as Messy as Ever

 

 

 

 

 

Friend of Murdered Student Tyshawn Bierria Speaks Out on Black on Black Violence

Yesterday, hundreds were arrested  in New York City as they protested the acquittals of the officers involved in the Sean Bell shooting.  Today, funeral services will be held for 22-year-old SUNY-Delhi student Tyshawn Bierria.  Both young men were black.  Both were murdered.  One, Bell, shot by New York City police officers.  The other, stabbed to death by black men his same age.  One’s death sparks a movement. The other’s death goes relatively unnoticed. 

Friend of Bierria and Baruch College student, Gabriel Hitt, reflects on the lack of outrage expressed when both the victim and the perpetrator are black. 

 

Just five days after three New York City detectives were acquitted on all charges in what is arguably the most significant police brutality case in the city’s history, it is evident that the people one would expect to have learned from the case of Sean Bell haven’t learned much. 

The murder of Tyshawn Bierria, who was stabbed outside of his SUNY-Delhi dorm and who died on Friday after being taken off of life support, is an illustration of the senseless acts which magnifies the self-hating disease that plagues young black men throughout America.

Tyshawn Bierria was not troubled. In fact, he was a senior undergraduate who was set to graduate in just two weeks.  One has to ask how a young man, who managed to avoid the stereotypical lifestyle of an inner city youth, could die in such a manner?

In Chicago, there have been over 100 murders since January, most of them black on black crimes. Yet, people are quickly outraged over Sean Bell, and seem quite complacent when murders occur in their own backyard.

I’m in no way trying to minimize the significance of Sean Bell. But It doesn’t make sense to only shout that the cops are killing us when we are killing each other at a far greater pace. The fact is that black men are more likely to be killed by other black men than they are to be killed by police.

Still, Al Sharpton, Jeff Johnson, Nas and other public figures are not protesting, writing songs and speaking out about that!

In order for black people to move in the right direction towards change, as Senator Obama has made it the essential point of his campaign, people cannot continue to accept what has become normal for our black inner city youth.

I, myself, have seen my cousin buried at the age of 19. I have witnessed people in my community continue to destroy each other and have seen enough. I challenge the leaders in our community, as well as our councilmen and public figures to take a stand. Because if we do not take a stand now, we will continue to see our people fall.

‘Bearing Witness’ Excerpt Included in ‘60 Seconds to Shine’ Monologue Anthology

Because I am such a quiet, humble and self-effacing soul, I rarely sing my own praises or self-promote like I should.  (I am good, aren’t I?)  But seriously, I wanted to let you know that an excerpt from my memoir, Bearing Witness: Not So Crazy in Alabama (no fakery included), is featured in 60 Seconds to Shine IV: 161 One-Minute Monologues from Literature (Smith & Kraus). You will find my contribution on page 10.

To find out more info or to purchase a copy of the anthology, click here.

To find out more about Bearing Witness: Not So Crazy in Alabama, which tells of my adventures as a Harlem native living in Montgomery, Alabama, click here.

Related Post

The Best Things in Life May Not Be Free but My Book, ‘Bearing Witness’, Is

 

Call Dr. Drew. I am a Dlisted Addict

I just have to share this with someone.  Since you are my new best friend, it might as well be you.  I have a new addiction that no 12-step program will cure. (I think I may have said this before, but I am serious this time.) I am Carla Ray Thompson (Yes, my middle name is “Ray”. What you got to say about it?) and I am addicted to Dlisted.

One of my dear charges (aka students), told me about the super snarky, extremely funny uberblog about the sick and twisted lives of celebrities.  One page view and I was hooked.  (I know, I am bit a late to the party but I did make it.)

Dlisted is far better than the recently New York Times-profiled site Jezebel with all its self-congratulatory smugness whose commenters are prissy little beyotches in comparison. 

The following is my favorite Dlisted quote courtesy of the Michael K, the blog’s man in charge (and a fine man at that) taken from the post, “Miley Can’t Come Out to Play Today”: 

“Disney’s the meanest pimp on the stroll. They perfume their whores with kisses when everything is fine and dandy, but they are quick to burn their asses with a hot curling iron the minute they fuck up in the smallest way.”

Heaven help me. 

 

 

Louise Hay Healed My Life

The woman responsible for keeping my crazy in check is not my mother (she only adds to the madness), but New Age guru Louise Hay.  Many years ago, I picked up a copy of Hay’s book, You Can Heal Your Life, whose manifesto can be summed up rather simply:  “Change your thinking. Change your life.”  Lord knows, at the time, I had to change. I needed to be free — free of the raging anger, free of the self-loathing.  And the application of Hay’s simple message to my life set me free.

After immersing myself in every New Age tome I could put my hands on from Love is Letting Go of Fear to The Road Less Traveled, I decided to take a break from the constant introspection that was slowly leading to self-absorption. I was becoming too involved in “fixing” myself — meditating on this affirmation or that one, visualizing this outcome or that. 

Several years into this journey of self-discovery, I realized that there are some aspects of my personality, although imperfect, need not be fixed. I like my snarky sense of humor and my brashness. I can do without my hair trigger temper that seems to flare up at the most inopportune times like when the surly cashiers at Whole Foods at Columbus Circle in NYC start giving me attitude.  But those bouts of anger arise far less often than they used to.  I have also moved on to Christian purveyors of the New Age doctrine like televangelist Joel Osteen author of the bestseller, Your Best Life Now (who would, of course, adamantly deny that he is a follower but I know my kind).

With that said, I was happy to see the New York Times Magazine article on Louise Hay (“The Queen of the New Age”).  The detailed piece talks about the woman – her journey and her business. Hay is the founder and co-owner of the successful publishing company, Hay House which last year “sold 6.3 million products, taking in $100 million, 8 percent of which is profit.”

Of the thousands of words written, the final paragraph of Mark Oppenheimer’s piece struck a chord: 

At You Can Do It! events, when Hay signs her books, she stands behind a lectern; when I asked her why she would stand for hours on end, signing hundreds of copies on her feet, she was surprised I need to ask. “Because,” she said, “they all want to hug me.”

Me too, Louise.  Me too.

 

 

 

Jay-Z Closes $150 million Deal with Live Nation. Big Pimpin Indeed.

Jay-Z, rap impresario and former chief executive at Def Jam, has “closed a $150 million deal with concert promoter Live Nation that will finance his own entertainment venture and handle is recordings and tours for the next ten years.” (Crain’s New York Business)

Live Nation’s deal with the man former known as Shawn Carter is the promoter’s most expensive to date.  Other beneficiaries of Live Nation’s deep pockets include Madonna ($120 million) and U2 ($100 million).

Is Jay-Z and Live Nation a match made in heaven?  That remains to be seen.  In a recent New York Times article about the travails of the rap group, The Roots (“New Album, New Fears, Same Old Attitude”), it was reported that hip hop CD sales declined approximately 30 percent in 2007. 

No problem, you say, Jigga can rely on the paper he gets from touring and selling merchandise.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  In the same article, Richard Nichols, manager of The Roots implied that hip hop heads aren’t nearly as loyal as supporters of indie bands and that CD sales drive concert attendance   “There’s a winner-take-all kind of thing that kicks in with black culture, and definitely with hip-hop,” Nichols said. “If you’re doing contemporary white music, you can be a Deerhoof or Panda Bear or Grizzly Bear” ( critically favored but noncommercial indie-rock acts) and you’re not really judged on your sales impact.” 

As for selling merchandise, even a long established urban brand like Phat Farm is catching hell. In the first episode of her self-titled show, “Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane”, Kimora Lee Simmons, former model and fashion diva, who recently took over the brand stated that it was “struggling” and needed reinvigoration.

If Jay-Z doesn’t deliver, his failure may not be just his own but it may deliver the death blow to hip hop as a viable commodity. 

For more details about the deal, click here.

Related Posts

Has Hip Hop’s Reign in Making It Rain Ended? (The Ride)

“Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane” Season Two: Taking Fabulosity to the Next Level (The Ride)

Because We Are Tired: Americans Respond to Media Coverage of the Presidential Race

I am glad to know that I am not the only one.  As reported by Briebart.com, according to a new Pew Research poll, a majority of Americans feel that the news media is “devoting too much coverage of the campaign.”

Here are the details from Briebart.com:

Americans say the media are devoting too much ink and airtime to the US presidential race, amid growing criticism that news coverage has focused on the superficial instead of important issues.Half of the public, 51 percent, say news outlets are offering “too much coverage of the campaign,” according to a weekly poll by the Pew Research Center.

That was a marked rise from January, when only 36 percent believed the news media was devoting too much attention to the White House race…

A majority of 54 percent said they wanted news organizations to devote more airtime to the global food shortage. Only three percent of all US news focused on the food shortages, compared to 44 percent on the White House contest.

I wonder if the news media is paying attention and will actually begin to report on matters that really matter to “average” Americans.  Probably not.  

Buzzing about Nickelodeon’s “The Mighty B!”

Please send an ambulance and a hearst.  I’ll get into the one that comes first.  It doesn’t really matter anymore. I’ve completely lost my mind and self respect. (The loss of my self respect began over two weeks ago when I started watching the VH1’s “Ego Trip’s Miss Rap Supreme”, a contest for budding female MCs. Jesus take the wheel, please!)

I am ashamed to admit this (and you know that I am as shameless as they come), I had been waiting, in earnest for the premiere of the new Nickelodeon cartoon, “The Mighty B!” (Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. EDT).

Yes, I said Nickelodeon. I love SpongeBob of “SpongeBob Squarepants” (Look at me talking about a big yellow sponge as if he was a real person) and the crazy cast of characters from Bikini Bottom. I watch the show at least once a day (Okay three times, but please don’t tell anyone. Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated.) When I heard that one of the writers from Spongebob teamed up with comedic actress and Saturday Night Live cast member Amy Poehler to create and produce “The Mighty B!”, I was all in and ready for a good time.  

Watching the promos, I began to bond with the hapless Bessie Higgenbottom, a 10 year old who is missing a tooth or two , (and a lot good sense), so devoted to her scout troop, the Honeybees, and to getting all 4584 badges that she wears the uniform day and night.  And in times of trouble, she purportedly morphs into “The Mighty B!” — a superhero of her own creation complete with wings and a stinger. 

I thought if the show was a good as the promos. surely it wouldn’t disappoint. But it did, just a bit. In the first episode, we formally meet Bessie who lives in San Francisco (Yes, I real city!) with her beleaguered single mom, who either owns or works in a coffee shop and her tag-a-long brother little brother.  We also meet Portia and Gwen snobby members of her scout troop and learn that Portia’s mom is hosting a dog show in which the winner receives a scout badge.  

Well, you know our girl Bessie, had to get a dog and fast. But first, she had to get her mother’s permission. We see Betsy in the coffee shop with her mother rattling off in rapid succession the reasons why she should have a dog.  Betsy keeps talking and talking–on the trolley home, and in her mother’s bedroom as her mom tries to sleep. Finally, Bessie’s mother relents and agrees to the dog, much to Betsy’s delight. 

Bessie ropes, literally, an abandoned mutt she names Happy into being her dog. On the day of the event, Happy abandons Bessie. Feeling guilty, he later returns to save the day and puts on a performance of a lifetime complete with a breakdancing number with Bessie working the 1s and 2 as DJ.

But the contest is rigged for Portia’s mom has paid off the judge. Although Happy is the clear winner, the judge says he will give the award to the owner of the pure bred dog.  He opens Portia’s dog’s mouth to expose teeth which are broken and ragged. As it turns out, Portia’s dog is a rat.  Happy wins and Bessie is awarded the animal appreciation badge. What?  I was bit confused. The dog is really a rat?  My willing suspension of disbelief was violated and for a minute I  began to question how and why such a thing could happen. I live in NYC and have seen a rat or two in my day — roaming the City parks at night, traveling along the subway tracks trying to get home (oh wait, that is there home) — and I have never once mistaken them for a dog. 

I also take issue with the pace of the show which is a bit fast even for me — someone for whom minutes seem like hours.  Also, of the four new episodes that I viewed (two on Saturday, two on Sunday), I saw Bessie transform into her Mighty B persona only twice. When it happened, it was quite brief and did not advance the story nor add to its humor.  

I guess you are wondering why should Nickelodeon or anyone care what a grown woman thinks about a cartoon?  Well, “Spongebob Squarepants” isn’t the ratings success it is solely because a lot of children are tuning in.  Yes, they watch the show but I also know many adults who watch it as well. 

Honestly, I am no longer enthusiastic about the program. I am glad that it doesn’t include too much wink and a nod, snarky adult humor but it does at times it tries to be a bit too pseudo-intellectually funny. Maybe I like my cartoons more escapist. Tales of a sponge who lives an adventure-filled life on the bottom of an ocean is much more suited to my taste.

So, what are my final thoughts about “The Mighty B!?

 Cute?  Yes.  Funny?  No?  Appointment viewing?  Not. Will tune in when I get a chance?  Yes.

Hooked on Madonna Once More. And All It Took Was “4 Minutes”

Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie, the Material Mother who was once the Material Girl and who will forever be the Mother of Reinvention, is back with a vengeance.  In her 25 year-plus reign, countless obituaries have been written, each one heralding the death of her career as a pop icon.  Time and again, Madonna, who will turn 50 in August, has proven her critics wrong.  Take it from this sistah, if and or when Armageddon takes place, the only things rising from the ashes will be rats, roaches and Mrs. Ritchie.

As for me, I been a fan for years but for years, I have been lukewarm about her music, and have been even less accepting of work outside of the studio.  I don’t want the woman who brought me “Sex” wrapped in a silver package complete with glossy photos to write Kabbalah inspired children’s books and to speak with a faux British accent.

Today, I am a true believer in all that is Madonna. And all it took was “4 Minutes”, the Timbaland-produced, first single from her new CD, “Hard Candy” to make me genuflect in reverential awe.  The moment I heard the song, with its hard driving danceable beat, I was hooked and soon became one of the over 1 million people who have downloaded the song since its debut five weeks ago.  Only one other artist, Rihanna, has exceeded 1 million digital downloads in the same period of time. 

With the overwhelming success of “4 Minutes” and her free 30-minute performance for 2,200 at New York’s Roseland Ballroom, a event for the fans who began standing in line on Monday at 10 a.m. to be one of  the 750 people to receive the wristbands that guaranteed free admission which were distributed at 6 a.m. on Wednesday for the performance later that evening, Madonna has put all pretenders and wannabes on notice.

And who might these contenders for the throne be?  

Amy “Because I Was High” Winehouse

Mariah “Can you help me reach my notes?  They are too high” Carey

Whitney “Oh Hell to the Naw”  and “My voice is cracked.” Houston

Britney “Have you seen my panties because I know you have seen me show my ass?”  Spears

Rhianna  (Who? What?  Maybe?  Never!)

No, not much competition there.  

Oh, did I mention that Madonna will be making an appearance on Black Entertainment Television’s (BET) music video countdown show, “106 & Park”, this Friday (May 2 at 6 p.m. EDT), for the first time in the show’s history.  According to BET, “["106 and Park"] is prepared to give Madonna a welcome celebration like never before. To predict her next evolution, [hosts] Terrence and Rocsi will get Madonna to foresee the future. Rocsi will also do yoga positions that Madonna will comment on, and Terrence will do some dance moves for her to judge. Madonna will also introduce her new video 4 Minutes, featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland.”  

Sounds like a blast or a hot ghetto mess. Either way, it should prove to be quite entertaining because Madonna knows how to put on a show. It will be appointment viewing for me.

Haven’t heard the song yet? Do you want to have “4 Minutes” with Madonna?  I am telling you the song is more addictive than crack and Cmeth combined.  You will need a 12-step program to keep you from hitting the replay button for the nth time.  If you dare, click here for the video. “4 Minutes”  with Madonna is better than “Sex”.

 

 

 

Note to Media Regarding Rev. Wright: Do Not Feed the Demagogue

It was painful to watch. But for brief intervals, I could not take my eyes off it — the train wreck that is Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Jr. which was on display for the world to see during a live televised news conference at the National Press Club on Monday. I was filled with a stomach churning combination disgust and embarrassment at the cocksure bombast exhibited by the former spiritual father of Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama. The not-so-good Reverend seemed to bask the glow of the spotlight.  Finally, he had his 15 minutes of fame. Unfortunately, it was at the expense of one of his most famous congregants.

Knowing how devisive a national figure he was proving to be why would Reverend Wright choose to speak now on the eve of two important primaries, North Carolina and Indiana? Why now when the furor generated from his previous remarks seemed have died down, if just a bit?  Some have supected that something more sinister is afoot.   Why would a man who purports to champion the cause of black America be so hell bent on orchestrating the demise of someone who possibly can take, not only the black race but the nation, to the next level?  

The answer is really quite simple.  It’s just old fashioned tried and true haterism.  Yes, Rev. Wright is a hater.  His love for “his people” does not supersede his love for himself.  He is not man after God’s own heart but a man seeking the “hearts” of whatever “fan” base he can draw to himself.  And yes, he resents, as any hater does, the ascendency of someone who can easily garner the attention he so craves.

Reverend Wright neglects to understand that it not “we” but “he”.  The movement may get you to the base of the mountain but the climb is often a solo effort.   It seems that if Obama is unwilling to share the glory with Wright, the Reverend is determined to make him share the misery.

And Wright may be successful in his efforts thanks, in no small part, to the media.  As they have helped to give relevancy to “leaders” who operate in a similar vein, most notably, Reverend Al Sharpton and Reverend Jesse Jackson, they will give, if they continue to cover his antics, similar “power” to Reverend Wright.

So, I implore you, members of the media, please do not feed the beast that is Reverend Wright’s ego.  I will do my part; please do yours. 

On Tuesday, afternoon, Barack Obama responded to Wright’s televised comments at a press conference in North Carolina:

“I’m outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle we saw yesterday,” Mr. Obama said, speaking to reporters here today. He added, “I find these comments appalling. It contradicts everything that I’m about and who I am…”

“[The comments] offend me, they rightly offend all Americans and they should be denounced,” he said. “That’s what I am doing very clearly and unequivocally here today.”  (For full transcript, click here)

Good for Obama for standing up to Wright and standing up for himself.  But if Wright is true to form, this may turn out to be a protracted game of the dozens.

Update 

It seems that my alma mater, Northwestern University, was going to give Reverend Wright an honorary degree, but no more according to Bloomberg:

Northwestern University withdrew its offer to give the Reverend Jeremiah Wright an honorary degree at this year’s commencement because of the controversy over past sermons by the former pastor to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama

The honor was withdrawn in March after recorded excerpts of Wright sermons, denouncing the U.S. government and suggesting its policies were to blame for the Sept. 11 attacks, began circulating on the Internet and were broadcast on television.

In a statement released today, Northwestern spokesman Alan Cubbage said the university…was concerned that the furor over Wright would disrupt the June commencement ceremonies.

“In light of the controversy around Dr. Wright and to ensure the celebratory character of commencement not be affected, the university has withdrawn its invitation to Dr. Wright,” Cubbage said.

The offer was rescinded in March. This action may have been the final blow to the Rev’s ego that led to Monday’s shenanigans.