Rihanna on Chris

So a several day news blitz has finally come to an end tonight (hopefully) on 20/20 with the Dianne Sawyer interviewing Rihanna about the now legendary abuse that happened so many months ago.

My question is why now? Why are you coming to tell this story so many months later?

Did it have to do with the push back she admitted receiving in the interview from her corporate endorsers? Is it perfect free publicity for the new album that is dropping soon? Or is it that she is finally at a place where she can discuss this?

Whatever her reason I am glad that Chris has talked to Larry King and Rihanna now has had her moment to get her version of the story out... that this goes away. Because neither one of them are mature enough to be dealing with this in the media spotlight. There are a lot of issues ere that need to be dealt with and its unfortunate that their parents and handlers are allowing this to be played out in public. Now I must say she looked absolutely amazing as she recounted the story of the night and why she went back to him, but hopefully we are now done.

So You Think You Can Dance... season 6 begins

I thought this past summer's series was mediocre at best... and so far this season of So You Think You Can Dance is not grabbing my attention. But as a fan of dance I will watch faithfully each week.

I have always been a fan of dance, even before my years working at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where I was exposed to many different dance styles. But Tap has never been a favorite... never even a like for me. Very surprised that they decided on three tappers... and their opening introductions are so annoying. I was disappointed at the judges decision to send Arianna home. Not only was she a cutey... but she was by far not the worse female dancer last night.

Victor Smalley and Bianca's Travis Wall's routine was by far my favorite. Victor is a cute guy and probably the only thing to swoon over this season. He definitely brought it in that routine. The contemporary piece was steamy, passionate, and filled with emotions, that also required a lot of strength to accomplish the moves.

I am excited to see what the choreographers bring this season while Victor is a cutey... I guess every season can't have Danny Tidwell...

The Almost Real Housewives of Atlanta... are back...

The ladies are back with a New Attitude, in the Same ATL... and last night's episode was full of plenty laughs... from the beginning to the very well scripted end. But for me the humor came from things I am sure the producer's weren't planning... or were they?!

The new season started off with NeNe showing off her yet again rented house with no furniture but bragging about some multi thousand dollar drapes... "Really NeNe... Really?" . The house was definitely the deal and is allegedly in the same neighborhood as baller Lisa. A tour of the house shows that other than a pool table the house is empty... but the uber late Dwight and his over the top gayness to the rescue. Hopefully he decorates the house better than his fashion sense.

Kim is back and now that "Big Poppa" has kicked her to the curb... she is off to her next hair brain idea of creating a wig line... with no knowledge of hair or interest in learning... I am sure this idea will go as far as her country CD.

Lisa had the most boring storyline in the first episode... debating on having a second child at 38... I hope she doesn't turn into the boring one that is no longer on the show... can't think of her name for the life of me.

Speaking of last season's boring one, Kandi from Xscape joins... she brought me a lot of comedy from when she walked into Lisa's house with that awful hair style... to when she was singing in her home studio sounding quite awful... to when her daughter said she didn't want her mother to marry the man with 6 kids... pure comedy.

But by far the best part of the first episode was the obviously scripted fight between She by Sheree and her alleged party planner. This woman has no job or career but has more parties than anyone in Atlanta... I wonder are these rent parties? Remember the fashion show with no fashions... how dreadful. The fight while fake was quite funny... especially when the planner tells She by Sheree that her mother is a bitch too...

I am definitely looking forward to seeing what the writers and producers have in store this season. It will be interesting if the She by Sheree and NeNe truce lasts and if Kim finds a friend after what seems like everyone ganging up on her.

The MJ/Pepsi Commercial... ouch

Music is back... Thanks Maxwell

It has been 8 years but this past Tuesday, Maxwell finally released "BLACKsummers' Night," the first part of a trilogy he plans to deliver over the next few years. I first mentioned his return in February 2007... and it took a full 2 and a half years for it to come to fruition.

Worth the wait... I am unsure but I will say I have thoroughly enjoyed the CD this past week. Maxwell's approach to this album is the same as his prior albums and what makes him stand out as an artist. Unlike the current selections of R&B music on the scene, whose music is meant to be catchy, quickly absorbed and feature lyrics that would be better suited for a nursery rhyme or sidewalk jump rope.

For me his stand alone hits on the album are Prettywings, which has been tempted and teased since 2007 and Bad Habits, the CD opener, and Fistfull of Tears. Like his other albums I can listen all the way through and will definitely use the CD as background music at the next dinner party. Unlike other music out there Maxwell not only uses but features live instrumentation.. which for me is one component of great music.

Seeing that I saw Maxwell in concert back in November... and the album is coming out 8 months later... I hope he doesn't fall victim to lack of marketing from Sony.

I think the genius of this album will become more apparent as the subsequent parts of the trilogy are released... but definitely think it was worth the purchase and constant rotation for awhile.

Jennifer Hudson performs for Mike

8 month preggers and still perfoming!

Yes I Still Hate BET...

I said it back in 2007... and I will say it again... I hate BET. So here goes after watching the BET Awards my top 10 reasons why I am considering suing BET and Debra Lee for the defamation of the African American character.

10. Yes we all know that 3 days is a short amount of time to pull together a TV Show... but yet you decided to bill this event as a tribute to Michael Jackson. Instead you should have just had an Oscar type montage to MJ and planned a more fitting tribute to the world's top entertainer at a later date. But no you give us some half ass tribute with Ciara singing instead of dancing, too many performances by Ne Yo and Jamie Fox, and subjecting America to Jamie's drunk coonalish behavior.

9. The endless commercials for Tiny and some other random chick and Neffie and her former crack head mother's show. Apparently all you have to do is get knocked up by some infamous rapper or possibly be related to a mediocre singer to get a TV show and coon for America.

8. Why is the production always half ass on your live shows... camera men walking across the stage during segments... or Jamie staring at the camera continuously asking "are we back are we back??"

7. And speaking of production... whose little cousin was working the censor button last night?

6. Did we not learn anything from the R. Kelly drama or the allegations against Michael Jackson... to have Drake performing with a bunch of little girls on stage as he sings "Every Girl in the World".

5. Why did so many people seem to be drunk/high/crazy? From Jaime to Ving Rhames... some shit just doesn't need to be tolerated and I blame the producers, directors, and Debra Lee for that nonsense going on.

4. Did BET really think, New Edition would have been the best group to do that "tribute" performance... of course not the background singers mics were louder than theirs.

3. We got two or three 30 second tributes to local heroes but yet a 2 minute faux trailer for a Wanda and Shenene movie. You really know how to inspire.

2. For allowing TI's sperm carrier to get on TV with her broken English and accept an award for him with those two hoods.

1. That dress that Debra Lee wore, Tyra's hair, T-Pain's chain, Taraji's hair, and Zoe's presentation speech.

Now my mother always said if you are going to say something bad... say something good as well. So the only good things I can say are... I enjoyed seeing KeKe Palmer (if that girl didn't look like Angela Bassett's daughter)... Maxwell and JayZ's performance were both on point...

I wish BET would have died and MJ came to do a tribute to them.

Michael Jackson: 1958 - 2009

So many memories of my childhood involve Michael Jackson...

... seeing Captain EO so many times at Epcot Center while i lived in Orlando.

... the evening after my father's funeral I remember sitting quietly in my great aunt's house watching the premiere of the Bad video.

... watching the Wiz on TV with my mother... and later being involved in a production of it during high school.

... my very first concert was the Bad Tour at the Summit in Houston.

Michael, without any doubt, will always be known as the most talented musician/entertainer ever... and I thank him for the many great memories he has given me over the years and all the music I will always enjoy.

SYTYCD.... Dance Dance Dance

So we are in the second week of So You Think You Can Dance and as much as I love this show... this season has not yet captured me like previous seasons. Each week I look forward to seeing the different dance styles and if they can pull it off... but I am not tuning in to see any one dancer yet.

Like Season 3... I was glued to my TV to see Sabra and Danny dance their way from the top 20 to the top 2.




Hopefully someone will pull my interest more into this season...

Real (Boring) World Comes to DC

So it has made the post and several Washington, DC blogs... Real World DC officially begins taping on the 20th of this month. So following Bravo's announcement that it's bringing "Real Housewives" to Washington, and the anti-black CW is bringing their reality show"Blonde Charity Mafia" to DC as well... Washington will finally get a dose of MTV's long running and first reality show.

Of course many of the blogs like the Anti-Real World DC are already setting out to disrupt and chronicle the annoyance of the show before it even starts. (sounds a little pessimistic and sad if you ask me... I mean can you at least wait till the first night of taping when you have your first of many run ins with your new drunken neighbors!)

I personally think the only reason to ever be in Dupont is to visit the G Star store... I may only run into the film crew and alcoholic tweens if the venture out to other parts of the city. While I am sure the show will be as boring as the past 15 seasons... maybe the news and blogs of the taping will be interesting.

Wanting to be a Princess... is a big deal.

I personally think a course in cultural sensitivity and diversity should be mandatory for everyone to graduate high school. I think we all could benefit from learning how to appreciate other's differences.

So recently I was sitting around with coworkers at lunch when a news story about the controversy over Disney's new African American princess came on. One coworker of another race couldn't understand why some people were upset that the first African American princess didn't have an African American prince. She stated I thought we have gotten pass the stigma of race mixing.

I simply turned to her and asked her when she was a little girl didn't she play with dolls and dream of being a princess and finding her prince? For 70 years Disney has been in the business of aspiring play and dreams... and it is important for all little girls to see that they could be princess just like all little boys need to see they could one day be princes. And little girls need to see that boys that look just like them could be princes as well.

Since living in Orlando at an early age, I have always been a Disney fan. And since first hearing Anika Noni Rose's voice I have been a fan. So it is needless to say this holiday season I will be sneaking away from work for a matinee or borrowing someone's child to go see this movie.

You Know Who I Miss...

Mya Wilkes...

When the show first started and Joan use to talk to herself in those little bubbles... I was turned off and I didn't start watching Girlfriends again until my girl Jill Scott start guest staring on the show.

But Mya with her 'hood' persona use to crack my shit up on the regular. Everything from the "O Hell NO!!" to the "O Hell Yes!!".. to the way she use to get Toni Childs together for being bourgeoisie ... Lynn for being a ho and Joan... well for being Joan.

Toni Childs: Maya, how'd you get so smart?

Maya Wilkes: Oh, girl, I'm an authoress. I gots to know stuff.

Toni Childs: I guess you don't "gots" to know grammar.

Maya Wilkes: At least I didn't miss my baby's first doctor's appointment!

Toni Childs: At least I didn't leave my baby on the bus!

Maya Wilkes: Bus *stop*! Get it right, bitch.

Hopefully Golden will land a job soon that can show off her comedic talents...

SYTYCD... is back!

just skip to minute 1:04



I may be laying on a beach or maybe by the infiniti pool... but know my DVR is recording the season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance...

Not quite Obsessed...

With films with such promise like Valentino, The Soloist, and American Violet out... I was quite shocked to see me settling into the AMC Courthouse Friday night to watch Obsessed. Don't get me wrong I don't mind a updated version of Fatal Attraction and definitely don't mind watching Idris Elba but going to the opening night of a Matthew and Beyonce Knowles produced movie would never be first consideration.

But there I was sitting in the theater wondering how the loud and ghetto team chunk had found the Courthouse theater in Arlington distracting me from Bey's performance.

Now I would never say that Bey is an awful actress. I mean if you exclude Pink Panther, Fighting Temptations and the Austin Powers movie... she actually has some not so bad movies. I think she did a good job in Cadillac Records and well Dreamgirls was ok as well. But acting will never be her first talent.

Seeing the storyline was far from original... you just couldn't help shaking your head at Idris' every action... are straight men really that naive or was this just a movie. I found myself laughing along with Team Chunk at Ali Larter's character throughout the movie. The best scene in the entire movie is by far the fight between Beyonce and Ali near the end of the movie, when Bey delivers "Hold on Derek... Let me call you back." when Idris interrupts the catfight.

Not an awful movie... but definitely no nominations for this one... well other than an Image or BET Award.

An Hour of Tasha Mack... I'd be in heaven

So the Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Mara Brock Akil is hoping CW will accept the change of The Game going from 30 minutes to an hour long dramady.

However Hollywood Reporter feels that this may be a long shot seeing it is already on Friday nights when no one watches TV and as they say "an hour long "Game" wouldn't necessarily mesh well with CW's other dramas, which are skewing younger and far less urban, and a format switch after three seasons also would complicate a potential syndication run of the show. "

Why don't they say they want the channel to be lily white instead of less urban?!?! You just got to love those code words.

Bill Mahr on the culture of America's Next Top Model

And finally, New Rule: If you go to a cattle call audition for "America's Next Top Model" and get caught in a herd-like stampede, the title you really deserve is "America's Next Top Sirloin." Now, if you missed what happened when Tyra Banks sent out the "Bat Signal" last Saturday -- and asked women to come and try out for her show, here's a few seconds of it. [video clip shown of street mob rushing the building]

Work it, girls! Riots are fierce! You know, the big difference between this and an actual cattle call is that cows are better organized. And slimmer. People, please, I'm trying to help!

Look, instead of almost getting trampled to death trying to figure out if you're a top model, just ask yourself some basic questions: Are you six feet tall? Are you equal parts Brazilian, Ukrainian and Eskimo? Is Tom Brady f**king you? No? Then you're not a top model. You're just a hot chick with your thong sticking out.

Now, I'm not trying to be mean. It's just that being a model isn't a job that random doofuses off the street can apply for, like working at the Gap, or being head of the Republican National Committee.

Real models don't wait on lines. They snort them. A real model doesn't audition. She's chosen. One minute, you're a normal 14-year-old girl sucking down a chili dog outside a Tastee Freeze; and then a talent scout hands you his card, and then sleeps with you and never calls again. There, you're a model.

Which brings me to AIG. Not really, but there is a connection, which is, when did Americans become the something-for-nothings? When did we get this Lotto mentality that our only chance for success was to be plucked from obscurity and dropped onto Bret Michaels' Love Bus?

Or maybe it was when the super-wealthy - you know, the ones who create jobs when they get huge tax breaks - except they don't; they buy antique commodes and lap dances - maybe it was when those "job creators" stopped trickling the money down, leaving the working class with none of the gains and all of the cynicism that goes with thinking the game is fixed.

Maybe that's what leads to "Guitar Hero" culture, where everyone wants to be a rock star, but nobody wants to learn the chords.

You know, Paris and Nicole and Kim are nice girls. But, let's not forget, they do and have done nothing. Not even acted in anything they'd admit to. But, they're not reviled or dismissed for being ciphers. They're adored for it. Because they exemplify the national ideal: they got a lot for doing nothing.

The AIG guys wanted a lot for not just doing nothing, but for failing - no matter that they are the very people who schemed their company into the ground - they want their bonuses. And Myrna from Long Island wants to be a "Top Model"! F**k reality!!Well here's a reality check. America's actual top model for the last four years has been the Toyota Camry.

Lady O and Tyler P in Business Together

So on "Oprah Fridays (Live)", my girl O announced that Tyler and herself have a movie coming out later this year?

I need some details?

Who wrote it? Who will direct it? Who will star?What is it about?

Could you imagine Sophia and Medea in a movie?

Celebrating 50 Years of Ailey

For the past 12 years, I have attended the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's U.S. tour and this year the company celebrates its 50th Anniversary and kicks off its tour tonight here in Washington.

I am quite excited to be able to attend two shows during this engagement which includes a brand new Anniversary Highlights program that spans each decade of Ailey's phenomenal career and features excerpts from many of Alvin Ailey's most popular and beloved ballets: Blues Suite, Streams, Choral Dances, Mary Lou's Mass, The Lark Ascending, Hidden Rites, Night Creature, Cry, Phases, Landscape, For "Bird" – With Love, Caverna Magica, and Opus McShann. Ailey, a fellow Texan, choreographed over 79 ballets during his lifetime, with the most famous being Revelations.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is one of the few opportunities to see the diversity of African American culture, art, and talent in a two hour span.

Dinner and a show... the way life should be lived.

Real World: Boring

I know see why I stopped watching this show years ago... Real World: Brooklyn kicked off last night and was as white washed as ever and boring as ever. They increased the cast from 7 to 8 and yet only two minorities made it to the house in Brooklyn. While JD is definitely needed latin eye candy for MTV, even his killer smile couldn't save this yawnfest. And the addition of a trans-whatever (i never get the term right so why try now) didn't help either.

Oh by the way thanks Tyra and Isis now transies are in the in thing for reality tv.

Maybe when I am absolutely bored on a Saturday and there is nothing on HGTV... I will tune in to the marathon just to see what fiery latin fever JD serves up.

And I am pissed I stayed up till 1130 to see this first episode... seeing I was bored and over it by 1145.