Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls
Photo by Quantrell Colbert
Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls is an admirable attempt to translate the popular stage play’s message of black female pain and empowerment to the big screen. But is the “T.P.” treatment the best approach for this complex material?
If we could forget for a moment that Tyler Perry’s latest film is a less-than-stellar re-envisioning of Ntozake Shange’s highly lauded, Obie-award winning 1970s choreopoem, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf, we might catch a glimpse of the brilliance that initially made Perry so successful. Though he’s made over 20 films, a filmmaker he is not — but oh, I bet the man could pen an engaging play.
Steve Harvey Introduces Jesus Christ
This old video of popular comedian Steve Harvey has been making the rounds on the Internet lately. I can’t believe he gets an entire audience on their feet clapping for Jesus. Wow…it would have been cool if God just strolled out on stage after that and blew everyone’s minds.
Chris Brown Consults Minister and Mom
When celebrities make a faux pas like drug use, criminal activity, or bankruptcy, we all know there are only two ways to get out of trouble: rehab or spirituality. So it should come as no surprise that following his arrest for assault on girlfriend and singer Rihanna, Chris Brown says he’s consulting his minister and mother for help. In a video released last Monday, a remorseful and scripted Brown publicly apologized for his violent actions.
Many people who watched the video felt it was an ill-advised idea, serving as a pathetic and disingenuous attempt to salvage what’s left of his career from the ashes of public disgust. However, Brown did seem to take some responsibility for his actions. Recognizing the disappointment he caused among family, friends, and fans, he said, “My mother and my spiritual teachers have taught me way better than that.” Then he went on to say, “God has been generous in giving me the ability which has brought me fame and fortune. I have done a lot of soul-searching and over the past several months I’ve talked with my minister and my mother and I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand what happened and why.”
My question is, who knew Chris Brown had “spiritual teachers,” and more importantly, how is his minister guiding him through this healing process after the fallout? Though the video alluded to some sort of soul-searching, sharing a few details of what he’s discovering about himself and his relationship with Rihanna might actually be the ticket to restoring Brown’s career. Many young couples who have been in similar situations could benefit from this public couple’s growth. Unfortunately, Brown remains tight-lipped until future interviews.
What to do you think? Chime in below in a quick poll.
Who Was That Asian Girl At Michael Jackson’s Memorial?
After the parade of stars crossed the stage at the Michael Jackson Memorial on Tuesday, only one question remained–who was that Asian girl singing “Heal the World” like she was somebody? Well, I’ve been grinning from ear to ear, because while the media’s been speculating on her identity, I recognized her as the incredible vocalist, Judith Hill, a fellow Biola University alumna.
Back in the day Judith’s powerhouse voice could be heard echoing off the walls of Crowell Hall at the Biola campus, while she studied under Dr. John Browning to get her degree in music composition. The biracial artist (her mother is Japanese) has been a Christian since she was young. On her website, she says, “I had a pretty good life in my childhood. Me and God were friends since the beginning. That helped a lot.”
After college, Judith went off to France to sing background vocals for pop star Michel Polnareff. The tour opened her up to a host of experiences, enriching her life story and deepening the richness of her sound. After a brief hiatus from music to battle some personal demons of family issues and depression, this June she was back and stronger than ever, ready to join Michael Jackson on tour in London…that is until his fateful death.
BlackVoices columnist Jawn Murray says somebody better sign Judith Hill.
Her strong appearance at the Michael Jackson Memorial has been praised by the industry and fans alike. Now Rolling Stone reports that Judith and her fellow members of the Michael Jackson “This Is It! Tour” will be a part of a tribute concert AEG is planning.
Well, all I can say is good luck to you Judith. Despite the bleak circumstances of Michael Jackson’s funeral, you couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to showcase your skills. In front of an audience of literally every record label, musician, producer, executive, etcetera, you held your own, out sang Mariah Carey and literally stole the show. Just keep the faith and remember your Biola friends when you blow up!
Want more of Judith Hill? Check out the performance below of her performing “One Love Forever” back in 2008.
Michael Jackson: Solomon Sans Wisdom
Michael Jackson is dead at 50. And that’s the end of it. On a day already made gloomy by the death of actress Farrah Fawcett, the King of Pop’s earthly reign came to an end.
And while I’m devastated for his family, mourning alongside countless fans around the world, my heart is mostly numbed by the news. After hours of watching media coverage of Michael’s death — the replaying of his music videos, the reaction interviews with celebrities, and the speculation over what will happen with his children and multi million-dollar estate — I am empty.
My sadness seems echoic, its source distant and remote. After all, the Michael Jackson I love died years ago, back in the ’90s before pajama-clad court appearances and fatherhood foibles turned him into a shadow of the king he once was. That Michael, the one from Off the Wall and Thriller who provided the soundtrack for the ’80s and inspired generations of men to float like feathers on their feet, died long ago. And though he’s periodically released new albums like HIStory or Invincible, hoping for a resurrection as if singing careers rise from the dead like Lazarus, I, like many of his fans, have been grieving the loss of the man he once was for decades.
Jon Minus Kate Plus 8: The Gosselins Divorce
So the marriage is over for Jon and Kate Gosselin, the Christian parents of fraternal twins and sextuplets that stole America’s heart when their exuberant and loving family of 10 opened their lives on Discovery Health and TLC. And though I can’t say I’m surprised to hear of their divorce–the gossip mongers have been speculating about it ad nauseum for the past six months–I am saddened by the very public dissolution of the Gosselins’ marriage. No one deserves this. To have to explain a divorce to children, family, and friends is hard. To justify that decision on national television as entertainment for an audience of millions of strangers is cruel and unusual punishment.
And what’s likely to be most disappointing about this news will be…well, the news. It’s 11:30 in New York, only hours since the episode announcing their separation aired, and already the headlines blasting alerts of the couple’s heartbreak are spinning a web of speculation, gossip and cruelty online. The media loves to eat its young and spit them out.
So in case we’ve all forgotten, I wanted to jot a quick reminder (to myself included) that these are real people. Those are actual children. 
The Gosselins aren’t a fictional family dreamed up by producers or knit together by network executives and publicists. Long after we’ve forgotten about the show, perhaps in a few years when we’re greedily consuming the next spoonful of reality drama on television, this family will still exist. We must remember that the comments we make today, the scrutiny and judgment we pass, will live on once the cameras stop rolling.
And I for one don’t need the devastation of Aaden Gosselin weighing on my shoulders. And I certainly don’t want a 15-year-old Leah Gosselin to stumble across my self-righteous words in 10 years while doing a Google search of her family and fall into some sort of crisis. It’s just not right.
So yes, Jon and Kate are divorcing. And our condolences go out to their family, as they go out to all families suffering through a divorce. We pray they find peace in the midst of mourning the loss of their marriage, and we wish them great joy as they forge ahead into a future unknown.
There is much we could say, but let’s leave it that, eh?
Photos courtesy of Michael Pilla, Discovery Communications, LLC.
Slummin’ It After Hollywood
Have you been reading the controversy over the child star of Slumdog Millionaire whose home in the slums of Mumbai was bulldozed a couple of weeks ago? Head over to UrbanFaith.com to get my take on Hollywood’s responsibility to ongoing support for the stars of its films living in depressed areas of the world.
Also, in this week’s installment of Pop & Circumstance, I’m talking about the rumors flying over the possible fall of Ebony and Jet, my hesitations on the new cast of The Real Housewives Washington, D.C. and Ashanti’s role in the revival of urban classic “The Wiz.”
Style Files: Israel Houghton
I asked gospel music favorite Israel Houghton his thoughts on what’s currently fashionable in faith. Here’s what he had to say:
“Trends” is always a scary word for me because I think that also epitomizes something that is going to go away. Many people would call worship a trend. It’s gone beyond just the four walls of church, and it’s on radio. It’s one of the few genres in music that based on how much goes into it versus how much comes out of it makes a significant profit every year. It’s a small part of the music industry, but it’s one of the most profitable parts of the music industry. So, some would call it a trend. But I would say no, we’re just a little more aware of it, and you have more people who aren’t necessarily worship artists becoming worship artists because it’s working. That does concern me a little bit.
I would say if there are certain buzz words right now, things I am hearing a lot of are a new emphasis on the grace of God, the love of God, the compassion of God, and the finished work at Calvary that took place for us. I find myself writing a lot from that perspective right now, helping people understand that you don’t have to achieve God’s love; you just have to receive it. It’s amazing when you start feeling something in your heart and then you get out and realize this other guy in Singapore is feeling the same thing, this other worship leader in London is feeling the same thing, and this gal from Vancouver is feeling the same thing. You think okay well good—I think I’m in the right zone with this.
To read more of Israel Houghton, go to UrbanFaith.com for my full-length interview with him on his latest album The Power of One, as well as his ideas for building diversity into a church.
Diddy Says to “Lock In”
I don’t know what to do with P. Diddy. Of course he doesn’t subscribe to any religion in particular, but the former altar boy does operate out of his monotheistic Catholic and Baptist background. He’s been known to call God his “secret weapon,” the explanation for his continued success.
Last year, in an interview with UK newspaper Telegraph, he said, “To be honest I don’t follow a religion now. I just follow right from wrong, so I could pray in a synagogue or a mosque or a church. I believe that there is only one God.”
While we could certainly spend all day critiquing his faith, listing the number of inconsistencies between his supposed beliefs and actions, I’m not sure what that would prove. Okay, so one day he tweets “God is great” and then another he tweets about a 12-hour tantric sex session. At the basis of our analysis we’d probably find that he’s overwhelmed, struggling to reconcile his understanding of God’s power with the allotment of power he’s been given due to his success in the entertainment industry. For a man who’s building a multi-million dollar empire on the premise of a slogan like “I Am King,” it must be difficult to get off the throne of his own life.
But that’s neither here nor there. I wanted to talk about Diddy today because of his recent campaign to encourage fans to “lock in” (see above video). For the past year Diddy has taken over the internet, maximizing viral marketing through YouTube, MySpace, Twitter, etcetera. You name the social networking media, and he’s using it. He’s even created his own language, what he refers to as a set of “P. Twitty Nation terms” like “let’s go,” “don’t stop,” and “let’s get it.”
Recently Diddy has added “lock in” to the mix. On a mission to spread positivity and encouragement to a million people, the man who’ll probably be remembered as the definition of an opportunist is mobilizing an army of optimists. In the face of economic stress, he’s asking fans to stay focused, ignore distractions, and trust that things will turn around for the better.
What do you think of this “lock in” movement?
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