Michael Jackson and BET Tribute

Before I shred the 2009 BET Awards I must say I am impressed with how quickly they pulled together the performers who learned a Michael Jackson song and or dance routine to honor him. Now on to Michael Jackson's death and the 24 hour coverage. I grew up with a sharing a room with a play cousin (not really related) who is 2 year older and we would drift off each night talking about what we were going to be when we grew up. Cindy was going to Hollywood to be a singer and she was going to marry Michael Jackson. I believe Michael was a musical genius and one of the best entertainers we have ever seen.

We are caught of guard by his sudden death but talk radio host Bill Cunningham said it best, Michael did not cure cancer, bring peace to the Middle East and most of all he is not a person we would want our children to immolate. Yes he toured the world causing fans to fill stadiums, drop to their knees and cry but you would be hard pressed to find anyone to trade places with Michael Jackson. It would be even harder to fine anyone that would allow him to babysit their children. I know that he was never found him guilty of those charges but once cash exchanges hands it looks like hush-money.

If you remove the accusations of child molestation he was still very strange and that's ok most artist are quirky. There is a long list of entertainers that have danced to their own music but if you choose to sleep in an oxygen chamber, cover your children with colorful scarfs, marry Elvis's daughter, pay someone to have your children and keep the kids from their mothers you should expect some criticism. I understand why the E channel would have 24 hour wall to wall coverage but the news stations need to concentrate on what is going on in Washington D.C., they may try to pass the healthcare bill during the funeral.

Ebony and Jet magazine were created when black America did not have a voice but when the modern black media refuses to cover negative aspects of black celebrities and scream racism when "they" cover the incidents it is not fair. I want to know the good and bad of what any public figure does, if you are famous and accept all the money and perks, guess what we are going to call you out if you marry your step-daughter, I wish would ever watch another Woody Allen movie and I find it creepy that actors will work with him and fans still want to support his projects.

I mention race because Jamie Foxx mentioned "black" so much during the award show that paid tribute to Micheal Jackson. He said that MJ was our black man loaned to others but he is our black man. "We have a great black president" and "Make some noise black people" are just a couple of quotes. They could have truly honored Micheal if the show was not focused on promoting Jamie Foxx's up coming tour, "Blame it on the alcohol" is a very positive message for black people. They were honoring a great performer but Jamie told a penis joke and talked about having unprotected sex during an HIV commercial, very tasteful.

Back to the Jackson family and the pain of such a sudden loss. Families commonly reunite and stick together during times like this but they had a distant relationship with him at best. I remember an interview with Janet months after the birth of Prince and she had never seen the baby, they were rich enough to fly anywhere in the world and she had not met her nephew. Reports are that those children didn't know the Jackson family and I only hope that is not true. It is horrible when any child loses a parent but normally they have had a relationship with extended family members to help with the healing. Joe Jackson obviously in deep sorrow, used his interview on the red carpet as an opportunity to say he wishes that the world had recognized Micheal's talent when he was alive, huh? and he is working on a Blue-ray project, more information later,"Always be closing", (Glengary Glenross).

I had never watched the BET awards so I don't know the flow of a normal show and who gets honored. I don't know why LeBron James brought 2 people on stage to accept his award and thanked Micheal for what he did for basketball, I had no idea he played or was he thinking they were honoring Michael Jordan? Most of all I want to know what happened to Lil Wayne and T-Pain during their childhood. T-Pain said during his speech, "You know what I'm saying" and the answer was no, I had no idea. My sister would say they are poets of modern hip-hop, I never liked poetry.

I picture Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton stuck in the doorway of the Jackson mansion trying to squeeze in to be named official spokesperson of the family. Those 2 had to clear their schedule of what I don't know since they seem to make a living hogging the spot light and turning everything into a racial conflict. They must keep a bag packed like a pregnant woman ready to leave and give birth at anytime, you never know when a poor black stripper trying to make a descent living might get rapped some rich white boys.

Rest in peace Micheal your music touched the world and made so many stop, think and feel. He is the King of Pop.

My Sister's Keeper

We heard that the ending was altered and the reviews were lukewarm but our book club loved the novel and we had to see this film. The cast was A-1 but if you think it is the Abigail Breslin show you are wrong. Abigail is great but the young woman that plays Kate is amazing. If Sofia Vassilieva is not nominated for an Oscar I will be disappointed, every time she was on the screen I cried. Spoiler alert, you need to bring lots of tissue, you will ugly cry, I am talking Terms Of Endearment level of tears. My face was in pain from trying to hold back in the presence of friends. If you read the book you will probably wish they had true to the original story. If you have not read the book and you need a good cry, go. If you want to witness the tale of a mother willing to do anything to save her daughter, go see this film. In the news we hear of moms drowning kids to be with a new boyfriend but this woman was a determined mama bear willing to rip out the throat of anyone who got in the way of her mission, she wants to save her child. Jason Patric is great as the dad and Cameron Diaz in her first role as a mom is awesome. Many families experience the pain of having chronically ill children and this film allows you to see the day to day pain and the heart wrenching choices they are forced to make. If I never read the book I would give it 4 stars but I read the book so I am forced to give it 2 and 1/2 stars.