The 79th ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS.

So many days later… here it is Ladies and Gentleman… the 2007 Restrospective Oscar Commentary…

I took two pages of notes during the show… but given the proximity of the post to the actual show, I’ll keep it short and sweet so it can still be a lil fresh.

Given that I was in [surprise, surprise] a rehearsal that night… I was lucky enough to have a friend who was able to TiVo the Oscars and we all went to his place, cracked some bubbly and watched the telecast.

Just as I was leaving the rehearsal … Delta Lesley called me… I didn’t answer b/c I hadn’t yet seen for myself, but I know what she was calling about. Thank you girl, sorry I didn’t answer. Don’t take it personal.

So the awards… I loved Ellen, she is too funny. I think most of her genious is in her delivery. She can make a normal everyday sentence funny, and I loved that red velvet suit. She can rock a tailored pant suit like nobodies business. That is how the Lezzies do black tie, and we love it. She was on point until she got that WACK concocted Gospel Chior to come through to ‘hype’ everybody up… too bad none of the black people stood up… nor did they look that amused.

JHud looked gorgeous in the audience… I saw her when they had all the nominees stand… [and B was still sitting. Yes. Yes she was.] she was working that dress… im just glad they told her to lose that sparkly cropped jacket that someone lied to her about on the red carpet… no I did not bash Miss Hudson… we pardon her b/c, as I said… someone LIED to her. It was not her fault. Someone lied to B about her wig choice… and that was her fault. B’s not Miss Hudson’s. You know that was the same wig from the Grammy’s. Not that she can't repeat… but y she trying to perp-like. Switching wigs every day. She got the public appearance wig… the video wig… the awards show wig… AND she thinks she is 2 people in one? Sasha… Hello!? We may have a disorder on our hands folks.

Why Nicole Kidman said "DreamgWirls"… CLOWNED… don’t let me see her in public… you know I will. Psych a like… when am I ever gonna see her ass. Lol. I’m kinda upset Eddie didn’t win, he is overdue for some big time recognition. Many people think that it’s because of all this crap surrounding Norbit – which I have yet to see… but I still want to.

I was so happy that JHud won the Oscar… just because I am happy for her. However, winning something so prestigious right out of the box makes it hard to live up to yourself for the rest of your career. Where can she go now? As much as I hope not, I fear that she will now be living in her own shadow. Granted, she is a singer, not really an actress, so who knows if she will ever be nominated again? And you know as soon as she won that the negativity started… Even though I didn’t think it was a good idea for her to win, but I’m not gonn dog she out now that she did.

Why was Anika Noni Rose not sitting with the DREAMGIRLS cast? WTF… whatever she has a Tony Award… which hold more caliber than both an Oscar and a Grammy in my opinion… Theatre is a much harder monster, and her award ‘Supporting Actress in a Musical’ combines acting (the Oscar) and singing (the Grammy) and dance if needed... triple threat WHAT?


THE PERFOMANCE
JHud worked that red dress, and that song... AND I am soo mad B tried to get a piece of it… I mean, you already stole Jamie from her in the movie… now you want her song at the Oscars…. You have sang at the Oscars before… damn. Be chill. Anika looked GORGEOUS… AND… she knows that she tore it up… that note!!! Ya’ll know. If ya’ll forgot, log on to youtube right now. YAAAAS. And As far as them winning… some people think that the 3 songs cancelled each other out. While they all may have been voted for, they lost out because you know what the say, divided we fall, so… we’ll know next time.

Other notables:
-Mr Whitaker in the Best Actor category… I’m cited for him, I want to see that movie, I haven’t yet… BST represent…
-Will Smith’s son = too too cute…
-Pilobolus Dance Company = AMAZING. (They did the formations of the nominated movies for best picture.) I think that my fav forms were the Oscar, and the one for The Devil Wears Prada. I thought they were amazing when I saw them here… so shoot I should have met them… I would have been the best backstage groupie if I’dda known they were gonna be going to the Oscars and rubbing elbows with people I might need to be knowing. YOU KNOW?

Well my deepest apologies for this being almost 2 weeks late…. But I had to let ya’ll know what I was thinking anyway. Aiight? Lata! Lew.

Update: Where I Be

Hey all. As always, i am so very busy doing any and everything. But i do have some good posts coming... a few are still in the editing process. But just a heads up, due to scheduling conflicts, i will not be able to bring you a play by play Oscar post. I know, i know. But i will have a commentary on the 3 DREAMGIRLS performances, and Miss Hudson coming real real soon.

Just a reminder to all the readers, don't be afraid to comment on posts, how am I supposed to know what you all think if i do not hear from you? And also, be selective in the sharing of this blog, while i welcome all readers the nature of the content, would not appeal to just anyone. we still are in the south... ::shudder::

Lastly... i attended the AKA Black History Luncheon this 'morning' and am sad to say that attendance was embarrassingly low. Not counting the sorors, who put on such a wonderful Luncheon, the number of non-black students in attendance, out numbered the number of black students in attendance. That is EMBARASSING. Is this what we do when we have a chance to get together and celebrate our history? And you wonder why we can't move past 1 month. Shame you you William & Mary, shame. And yes, i do recognize that some of you had legit appointments, trust, if anyone knows what it is like to busy, it is me. But those of you who saw the meeting with your pillow as more important that coming out and celebrating US. i have no 'appropriate' words for you at this time.

The Hate You Gave Lil’ Infants…

WARNING: This issue is thick, and cannot merely be skimmed. Make sure you allot adequate time for reading. Make sure no one is reading over your shoulder. Buckle up. And read on.

As promised… here is the issue on the Delta Phi “Thug Life” Party… but wait!? What’s this… the FB group has been removed!? The party going down this Friday… was originally titled the Thug Life party… I know. I seen the facebook event with my own two eyes. But now, what I’m sure is the same party, has changed it’s name to “Bling, Bling, I like Shiny Things!!” I guess they’re trying to be more PC, and good for ‘em… I was bout to have words with somebody... However, I still think that the theme is backhanded and not so subtly“race-laced.” You know that half of them lil white kids, who grew up in suburbia, ain’t got a thug bone in they bodies, will still show up in wifebeaters with bandana’s on their heads… or better yet “do-rags” -that they may wear incorrectly- as they chuckle with their friend about how they found it in the “black people section [of a store]” as if that were a point of humor. [And of course their will be “bling”] I swear though… people try my patience. I am not a racist… but sheeit. As my jam from the original Sister Act soundtrack says “No ignorance, should never be excused. I’ll do my best to shake off their attitudes.” . . . but some time. It don’t work. I ain’t trying to get people riled up or nothing… but this is the world we are living in people… People try to pull shit like this every damn day… and will continue to do so until we say “HEY!!” I’m bout to do ‘em like my mamma do and ask ‘em “What in tha world is your major malfunction?!” You know black folks be using words that don’t seem to be fitting together quite right, but you get what they saying? I like that one though… cause if I’m asking what your major malfunction is… I have already acknowledged that you have more than one… and was kind enough to only ask you to proclaim one, saving you some prime embarrASSment… can I get an AMEN? I told ya’ll I was gonn have to preach on this hea’. Done got ma’ English all broke down…

But to continue on… I think that there is an underhanded, skewed, selective, obsession with African American culture in this country. People wanna be black. But only when it’s cool. And they’ll never admit it. This ain’t nothing new. I know ya’ll know this. People wanna dance like black folks dance, sang like black folks sang, lay out in the sun all day… to get darker… and was not dark skin the factor that made our people so discriminated against back in the dayday*? I mean come on! I have, on numerous accounts talked with our lesser melanined brethren, and often they seem taken aback by my inference that tanning is a way of subtly achieving temporary blackness… Of course, all deny this fact, saying that that it is not true… yet they too are often so quick to make the comparison:

Beach Week 2004: Lewis the only black person around in a house full of drunken white people. Two girls having laid on the beach ALL DAY, have just popped the tops on their Bud-Lights. One turns to the other a proclaims “Ohmygod [Sue], you are like soooooooo blackrightnow.” They giggle. And SCENE.

It’s amazing what people do… when they think your not watching. It’s amazing what people say, when they think that no one hears them. And the saddest part of all is; this stuff lives inside of people who consider themselves non-racist, and think that equality has been achieved. Whose fault is that? Normally I love pointing fingers. [I love looking down my arm, to see a single finger, flexed, pinpointing a target far off, (or generally close enough for them to see me but I don’t give a damn.) It reminds me that I have fingers…] But really, whose fault is it?

I think, regardless of fault, we as a community – I know this is getting long as hell – I think we as a community are letting ourselves down… Perfect example. Kanye’s song “Gold Digger” has made it almost impossible for anyone to sing along and not think, or say, the word nigger. I don’t listen to a lot of rap because I don’t find it very positive, or soothing for that matter, but this song incorporates a word, that is usually able to be erased (for sale at Wal-Mart) without much ado, into the rhyme scheme. And don’t tell me that people are really walking around saying “-but she ain’t messin’ wit no broke, broke.” without knowing the true lyric. To refer back to one of my earlier points… Who is there to sensor, that non-black person, rolling in the car –thinkin they hard – from saying every word, and completing every rhyme the song requires. In the CHORUS no less… Thank you Mr West, you’ve done us proud. But it’s not just him, the word has existed in music long before he came one the scene. I myself used to even argue, if it’s our music we should be able to say what we want to say… Yeah, well it may be our music, and our lives that we write about. But more ears than “our ears” are listening. Didn’t you mama ever talk about not airing your dirty laundry? This is the same thing. We run around saying it, and wonder why, the word hasn’t disappeared. We get mad as hell when a white person says it… yet we have comedians like Bradley Lewis, coming to this campus and making jokes out of the word and it’s associations, and getting a packed house of 700 white kids to laugh at the word that had tarnished American history and you wonder why?! If you have ever watched My Super Sweet Sixteen, I tell you… 80% of them rich orange country kids always want some rapper to perform at their parties. And if they get their wish, you bet your bottom dollar they, and all of their party guests knew every single word, good bad or indifferent. Yea, it’s our music, our lives, but who is listening?

In closing I’m gonn say this. When day one of the State of the Black Union graced this campus, I did not skip class, -because being a defiant negro will ONLY get you jail time- but as soon as I was finished for the day, I went for the last hour. And I was blessed enough to a) be in the presence of the phenomenal figure head, the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, and to b) hear an 11y.o. boy asked a question so simple, yet so profound, it still rings in my ears daily. And his question was this. He said “Can we be enslaved again?” Whether or not he knew the magnitude of his question I do not know… but the answer to his question is evident every day… the answer to this question you have read – and thank you for reading all of this. The answer is simply, yes.
We have to put forth positive images that won’t be ridiculed in parties like these… I guarantee you, NO frat will ever try to have a “smart black folks party,” and I sure as hell would not be caught dead at a “hick-fest.” So why do we allow this to happen? No, our people were not the first “thugs,” nor were we the first people to wear “ice”-though we were prolly the 1st to call it that. The problem is that our community is the one currently associated with these things, and the connotations are generally negative. It is not solely our fault, but we are not doing every thing we can to reverse it. Those of us who allow this to continue to be associated with our people, and the celebrities who play into these images, are our society's cultural slaves. The perpetuators, and the masses who support them, are the “Massahs.” And parties like these; are our shackles.

“If we always take a back seat, we might as well be chauffeured by defeat”
-Me, ‘Be Proud’: an original composition to be performed at the AKA Luncheon.

*Dayday: 1.Way back in the day. 2. Back in the day x’s 2. 3. A long ass time ago. Ex. Back in the dayday our people said “Givus us free” because they were enslaved and treated unfairly. Nowadays our people still say “Givus us free,” but they just cheap as hell.

**Party Update**

As you can see in the picture to the left... no bling... just dressed like black folks... Throwing up signs with limited knowledge of their true meanings or background. Call a spade a spade right!? I think some people got some 'splaining to do I.M.O. We gotta cleanus us up... untide and redefine what others see, and emulate.

the LIFE of a DREAMGIRL

Our girl JHud, is on LIFE mag. GET IT! This is a much better look than what them people at VOGUE tried to do. She looks down to earth, and we like that. I'm glad she is getting so much attention these days... but i don't think i want her to win the Oscar. I know, I know, I will explain it all leading up to my Oscar post. Rest assured, I only want what is best for her, but not like i know her like that, but you know. Aiight, that was just a lil tease, more later. Lew.

Stole...

WELL... ya'll know I'm psychic right? In my most recent post, i talked about how we still waitin on miss rowland's sophmore album... please pause for a moment of silence as word out IS... her album is being pushed back yet another time. This time though, it looks like B's sister, Matthew and Tina other daughter, Miss (teen marraging, baby having, devorcee, who can't act OR SING) Salon... scuse - Solange is RE-releasing her failed solo album Solo Star. And thus, Kelly's album will now be lost like Atlantis. I mean, the trax are going to be stale by the time we hear them... I tell you people... them Knowles' is dirty, straight up and down. If this happens to not be true... then i will rectify... but i would not be surprised. "Kelly girl, YOUR life... was stole"
P.S. just a lil tid-bit i came across... y when DC3 was taking time off... Kelly's bottom lip got smaller... maybe it's just me... but her nose looks a little smaller too... i mean i know she was young and peoples faces change a little... but... but. Ya'll be the judge. get out those album covers and compare.
**Update 2.18.07 - the reported rumor seems to be false as Kelly has a new single on the radio, and the album, reportedly titled "Miss Kelly," is due out soon.** check out some of her new stuff.

Strike A Pose

So JHud is on VOGUE. GET IT GIRL! Read the caption, pause and reflect. In the silence i know you can hear B in the back ground growling. "B, sit. stayyyy." Connotations aside, i do love what Jen is doing though, she is getting the dizzam thizzang. Meanwhile, B is on Sports Illustrated, in a bathing suit.
Word out is that DC3 will make an appearance in the the 'Get Me Bodied' Video. So nice of Mr Knowles to make sure that the other girls he manages conveniently had nothing to do. Can they please release Kelly's album already? I mean damn, they threw that shit in the Knowles family freezer... and locked it. Michelle needs to get out before she gets too close, I'm sure Mr Knowles pushed back her album too. Her third one is past due.

... and as my RA kindly posted on my door "Happy Thank-you-for-being-a-part-of-my-life Day! <=you know you are lonely when. HA. Leave comments, request, etc. Later. Lew.

Upcoming topic: The Delta Phi "Thug Life" Party. I might have to preach on it.

The 49th ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS.

Startin off with a Biggun. The 49th Grammy Telecast 2007. Did you or didn’t you watch? I mean I’m bout to talk about it… if you didn’t watch. Read carefully. If you did… buckle up.

So pre-show… on E! I watched. You know I did. Akon… bro, if you gonnna wear a white suit… lookin fresh and clean clean, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. Whiten your teeth… mmmmk? Shakira was wearing one of B’s old wigs… HA. She must have been shoppin at Salvation Army for the Stars. And India.Arie… I mean girl… love you but… damn… y would you spend money to get a nappy weave? We saw you bald not long ago…. And there is only so much that miracle carrot oil and a flat iron will do. WE AINT BUYIN IT. Why John Legend’s mamma? Look like she was wearing the SAME HAT, from the same show, the year before.

Pre-Show High Light - JHud WORKED that red dress…

OK… on to the show… I liked the setup… They were in the basketball area this year. It was nice to see the Police reuni- wait… shit… I don’t remember them being together in the first place, that aint my type of music… but they was good. Watching old people rock out gives me inspiration… I just think of how their grandkids must feel, watching Gramps think he is extra sexy. Ahahaha. Too much. Jamie knew he was crazy for that C-Walk comment and saying “If this was BET, that joke would kill.” He gonn get fired. The Dixie Chicks was ok… they don’t wow me. B still trying to get people to look at her, and re-recognize her work from DREAMGIRLS… singing “Listen” The song aint that great. On the carpet, I thought she was wearing her real hair… but then, when she was performing… which was underwhelming, I seen the line from the lace front. Mary won best R&B album. [number 2] Go girl. (Her first win was for R&B song – "Be Without You," in the pre-cast.)

So Justin Timberlake was “playing the piano” looked like he was just playing the cords… or about 3 notes in sequence, I mean that’s what it looked and sounded like… he was still backed up by about 4 keyboards… go fool someone else, I aint hating though… it was a hype performance. Well… that before he went all webcam-like onstage. WTF? Mary won numba 3, best female R&B vocal. B, stay seated.

The John’s and Corinne’s performance was… chill. Corinne Bailey Rae is too too TOO cute. But I wonder when she gonn let them baby doll curls and that headband rest. John’s song was nice, I haven’t been keeping up on my JL, not gonna lie. I think I had gotten so extra-hyped about him after seeing him here… and since I wasn’t re-stimulated, I aint get re-hyped. I dunno y they put those 3 together. The Grammys have become so about collabos that some of the performances have stopped making sense. It looked like Corinne could only play her songs… and after her song was over, she was just up there guitar-less, looking like a backup girl, center stage.

Shakira and Wyclef was hype. She do got rhythm… but it is real obvious that she be doin her own choreography. Congrats to DC3(Country style), the Dixie Chicks for the song of the year award… even though I dunno anyone that was jamming to that song… majority rules I guess. Ha. I LOVED THE MILITARISTIC APPROACH with which Gnarls Barkley tackled Crazy… ya’ll know thas my ringback right. And I think that the choir bout did me in…. too much… THAT is how you do the Grammys. And fuck a grill… did he have a gold plated mic? YAAAAS. Congrats Luda on the Rap album win; And yes, cutting your hair is the ticket to success for black men in THIS society.

Mary did it a lil diff for the Grammys. Classy with the orchestra. Tore it up… sang right to her man… Ionno what that last part was… but she did it up. Congrats to the Southern Baby Chickens again... Then there was some country performance… sounded like food break music to me. Is it just me… or are pop country singers sounding more and more black, and Miss Underwood won the New artist Grammy too. Congrats.

Smokey Robinson… Lionel Richie… and hometown Chris Brown. Nice combination… 3 generations of R&B… although they could have fit more generations between Lionel and Chris Brown. Smokey was trying to dip out of that falsetto on some of them notes… ionno about that. I’m mad CD came out stepping on the Grammys… AND THEM LITTLE KIDS… EXTRA WOW. And WHY he hit the Michael pose at the end. ---- and then Christina Aguilera immediately following with the James Brown tribute… WHY her? Were none of James Brown’s contemporaries available? No other black folks? and notice how the camera went right to Jamie after…. To get the black person’s response. I tell you. The quote of the night: “There is one [type of] music that travels everywhere, and that’s black American music” – say something WE DON’T KNOW. But it is nice to reiterate the facts for those who forget. And ok… so they cleaned up the Aguilera => Brown tribute with the ‘In Memoriam’ montage ending with Chris Brown’s footwork and the shrouding of the mic center stage. I was ok with that.

Loved the Earth Wind and Fire, Luda, and Mary collabo. Love that song too. Mary… girl, you is a supastar, please make sure that if your hair –which we saw earlier- did not have highlights, that you do not go and put on a wig with highlights in the same hour. I did like her red sexy halter pants onesee The kids with candles was a nice touch. Felt bad that EW&F didn’t do more.

And can I say that I’m mad that the GRAMMY telecast became, call in and vote for Justin’s new girl… I mean why? If any of ya’ll texted in… I have a slap waiting for you. JT performed twice… couldn’t they have just saved him until that poor girl’s “Grammy Moment.” And as much as I would hate for it to be the case, I feel like we will never hear from that girl again. I know ya’ll saw her on some club girl status too… she wasn’t feeling herself enough to be a star'ah she almost went cross-eyed starting a T.I. Record of the year went to the “3 Nice Texas Girls” Good for them. The Red Hot Chili Peppers didn’t do it for me, maybe they did for you. Did they really say that Scarlett Johansson was recording an album?! Lawd. And them Chickadees won album of the year. And that was that. Pretty good show, but just like the humor in this post... she show lost steam.

And Now, while I have your attention… my fellow students… can we acknowledge the fact that Bradley Lewis was horrible last night at the comedy show… he said what he wasn’t, but I think he was sadly, sadly mistaken. No Home trainin… and it’s sad because he gets paid to act like that… with the powerful inspiration and BSP that was in the room the day before… Rev Jesse L. Jackson, etc. I was saddened that the space was almost instantly tarnished with that man’s presence. I hope that UCAB, as well, was abhorred by that man’s routine, and I hope that someone let him know.
Tracy Morgan was good. I wasn’t rolling… but there was a constant chuckle. The N-word was used very little, I think I counted 2 or 3 times… but it was defiantly under 5 unlike Mr. Lewis. Just my 2 cents. feel free to leave yours.

Aiight ya’ll. until next time… Lata! Lew

Guess who's Bizzack!

My bad. i was gone. and i hope ya'll can find it in your hearts to forgive a brotha... but i was busy. and i aint promising weekly updates or nothing like that... but when the world rumbles... you will here about it. HERE. now that spreading the word is easier than FB wall posts i may expand my commentary to more than just the craziness of the entertainment industry, it may get a lil' political... but not too much so. thanks for joining me... and here it is. my brain on a platter. read on if you dare.

spread the word!

coming soon... Grammy Awards 2007