What’s up peoples? It’s the final month of 2008 and the week
jumps off with India and Pakistan beefing over last week’s attack on Mumbai,
President-elect Obama introducing his national security team as he nominates
Hilary Clinton for Secretary of State and the official word that we are in a
recession despite an increase in business on Black Friday.
R.I.P. to legendary folk singer Odetta, who died Tuesday
(Dec. 2) of heart disease. Shout out to the sounding boards for bringing the
heat in freezing conditions.
OK, let’s cut to the chase…the Last Word for the week ending
Dec. 5, 2008.
1. Akon, Diddy and Jamie Foxx Put Bid in for First Black
James Bond
The action, the gadgets, the exotic locations, the women.
Nobody ever said being James Bond was dull. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a
shock that we may one day see a Black 007 on the big screen. We’re already
getting a Black president, why not a suave and cool super-spy to protect us
from those bent on ruling the world illegally.
Enter three entertainers who want to fill Bond’s shoes after
Daniel Craig’s gangsta spy stint is up. Up first is Akon, who has Pussycat
Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger picked out to be his Bond girl should he
make the cut.
“A lot of people don’t know that I’m heavily trained in
martial arts. And when it comes to cars – that’s my thing. I was raised
on cars,” Akon told the Sun. “I could do
acting. It would probably take me six months to a year of training to make sure
I’d get the role.”
If all else fails, Akon says he’ll come out of his own
pocket to make his Bond fantasy a reality with a movie version of his own. He
could get T-Pain to play Q and make a bunch of vocoder/Auto-Tune inspired
gadgets to bring the bad guys to their knees with too much use.
Not to be outdone, Jamie Foxx is saying he would have no
problem taking on a British accent for the role as he would “put a little swing
in it. A little Hip-Hop, you know.”
Not only that, but the Oscar winner would keep it real by
switching up Bond’s favorite drink for something a bit different. “Maybe not
drinking martinis, but drinking some Hennessey maybe,” Foxx joked with Access
Hollywood. “Bond would drink dark liquor.”
If these guys are serious, they had better catch up to
Diddy. The rap mogul has already started his campaign for the Bond role by
using the ad for his new I Am King fragrance as a screen test for the part.
“This is my audition tape for the next James Bond,” Diddy
said about the clip, which features him dressed in a tuxedo with a bevy of Bond
girls on location in the South of France. “There is a Black President and it’s
time for there to be a Black Bond.”
So those are the contenders. If you ask me, we already have
a Black 007. His name? Shaft. John
Shaft.
2. Amy Winehouse’s Blake Takes Blame for Singer’s Drug
Habit; Goes from Rehab Back to Jail
Now that Amy Winehouse has emerged as 2008’s most talented
crack head, her husband Blake Civil-Fielder has finally admitted to being the
one that started his better half’s transformation from Grammy winner to hot
international mess.
“I dragged Amy into it and without me there is no doubt that
she would never have gone down that road. I ruined something beautiful,”
Civil-Fielder told Britain’s News of the World. “Crack is the nastiest drug… But I was weak and an addict and I let
Amy take some. I didn’t stop it from happening. For that I take full
responsibility. It became something we did as well as heroin. And then our
lives fell apart.”
Civil-Fielder goes on to recount how Winehouse was so
affected by him that she adopted his habit of self-mutilation when trying to
deal with their situation. Now that he’s confessed, Civil-Fielder feels she
should put an end to his marriage to Winehouse so she can fully kick her habit.
“It scares me to death that I can’t fix Amy. But for her
recovery, I have to leave her alone. I will never stop wanting Amy and loving
her and craving her. More than anything I am addicted to Amy. I will do
anything for her – and that includes walking away.”
As it stands now, Amy is in a private hospital receiving
ongoing treatment for a bad reaction to medication she was taking. According to
the Sun newspaper, Civil-Fielder, who
was released into rehab a month ago, has now been sent back to prison after
failing a drug test. As a result, he’ll have to serve the remainder of his
27-month sentence with his release set for 2010. Apparently, before getting
sent back up North, Blake visited Amy in her hospital bed, and well, he got the
business before dressing in stripes again. Gross.
Despite rumors of a looming divorce, Winehouse’s reps have
denied any happenings with their client in terms of a split.
3. Chris Brown and Rihanna Named in Photographer Lawsuit
They may not admit to being a couple, but Chris Brown and
Rihanna have come together as they face a new lawsuit from a newspaper
photographer.
E! News reports that
Luis Santana, a photographer for The St. Petersburg Times, is suing Brown and Rihanna for $1 million over
claims that bodyguards for the entertainers beat him up and confiscated and
broke his camera after he saw them leaving the Vintage Ultra Lounge together in
early May. According to Santana, he was invited to the club to take pictures of
the singers as they celebrated Brown’s 19th birthday. Although he was told he
couldn’t photograph the couple inside the club, Santana stated that Brown’s
bodyguards let him shoot the entertainers in the parking lot.
“Once I snapped
pictures of Chris and Rihanna, Chris jumped out of the limo and his bodyguards
began chasing me,” said Santana, who filed the lawsuit on Tuesday (Dec. 2).
“One of the guys ripped my shirt off and grabbed me. They threw me to the
ground and started kicking me. One of the guys put his knee in my face and was
pressing down. I thought my jaw was going to break.”
At this time, no charges have been filed in the case in
light of the police receiving conflicting stories of what happened. The $1
million Santana seeks will cover the cost of the camera and the photos lost as
well as compensation for his injuries and emotional distress.
4. Gary Coleman Gets Fined for Bowling Debacle
He may not be as famous as he was in the late ‘70s and ‘80s,
but Gary Coleman continues to keep his name out there by appearing in court
over less than stellar conduct.
The Associated Press
reports the 40-year-old former Diff’rent Strokes star was ordered to pay a $100 fine on Tuesday (Dec.
2) after pleading no contest to a disorderly conduct charge. The charged
stemmed from an incident at a bowling alley in September.
Court documents state that Coleman’s wife took a man’s cell
phone as the guy was taking pictures of the child star with his cell phone
camera. A scuffle later ensued, after which Coleman ran into the man with his
truck as he was backing out of the parking lot.
In addition to disorderly conduct, Coleman pleaded no
contest to a reckless driving charge, which will be waived if he doesn’t have
any other violations within a year.
Why can’t Gary be like Emmanuel Lewis and lead a
trouble-free life? With the court cases and anger management issues, don’t be
surprised if he starts a rap career. Look for his debut, “Little Things
Poppin’, Big Mess Droppin’ (What’chu Talkin’ ‘Bout?) at a 99 cent bin near you.
5. TLC Takes
a Sleigh Ride For Christmas
Last week it was the Temptations. This week it’s TLC delivering
some Christmas cheer with their version of the holiday classic “Sleigh Ride.”
It definitely gets you in the mood for the holidays as T-Boz and Chili and the
late Left Eye show how much fun it is to be among family and friends during the
Christmas season in the song’s video. R.I.P. Lisa. You are still missed. It’s
tracks like these that make us remember how much joy you brought to us.
Enjoy!Sleigh Ride – TLC
In Other Words…
* Looks like Tyler Perry can scratch one court case off the
list. Variety reports the actor/mogul reached an agreement with the Writers
Guild of America on Wednesday (Dec. 3) regarding a contract covering writers on
his hit show House of Payne and upcoming
spin-off Meet the Browns.
The new deal came after five months of negotiations and
accusations that Perry fired four writers around the same time because they
wanted WGA coverage. Perry countered the claims by saying the scribes, three of
whom were WGA members, were let go because he was unhappy with the quality of
their work on House of Payne and Meet
the Browns. Despite the agreement, the WGA
admitted the pact with Perry did not involve the reinstatement of the four
writers.
* Jordin Sparks is adding clothing designer to her resume as
she aligns with Wet Seal. The clothing store will carry Sparks, a new line of
holiday dresses designed by the American Idol winner. An assortment of holiday dresses will kick off the line, which
will late include casual apparel and accessories. Dress sizes, which range in
size from XS to XL, will be priced from $30 to $55.
* There is more to Nick Cannon than being Mr. Mariah Carey.
The actor and occasional rapper has taped a new PSA for this year’s Bowl for
Kids’ Sake campaign. The campaign is noted for being the largest fundraiser for
Big Brothers Big Sisters, an organization dedicated to helping children to
reach their potential through professional supported one-to-one relationships.
Cannon’s Bowl for Kid’s Sake will debut in American Eagle
stores this spring.
* You can’t say that fame has made Will Smith too busy to
spread a little good cheer. According to reports, the rapper/actor took time
out recently to visit sick children at a Miami Children’s Hospital. Smith, who
was in Miami to promote his upcoming movie Seven Pounds, handed out stuffed animals and DVDs and signed
autographs during his surprise visit as well as reportedly making a generous
donation to the Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation.
* The spirit of the holidays is contagious. Not only for
Will Smith but also for Jamie Foxx. The Oscar winning actor/vocalist recently
joined High School Musical 3 star Corbin
Blue for “Feed The Need,” a youth-led food drive inspired by his upcoming film The
Soloist.
The entertainers are currently promoting their cause through
PSAs that are running online and in schools. Borrowing from the film’s message
on the power of music, youth who sign up for the drive on DoSomething.org
become eligible to win one of five $1,000 grants for an arts or music program.
* Move over
Kanye West. Madonna has become the new face of Louis Vuitton. Media sources say
that the Material Girl will be featured in the clothing brand’s next fashion ad
campaign.
The campaign will include six pictures of Madonna that are
slated to occupy various fashion magazines in February. A Parisian theme of
Marc Jacobs’ hit spring Vuitton collection will be presented in the campaign as
a smoky French bistro provides the setting. The first photos will spotlight
slouchy bags in monogram canvas and monogram-embossed leather, along with
ethnic-inspired sandals, bangles and sexy ready-to-wear.
Working with Madonna proved to be a great experience for
Jacobs, who was impressed at Madge’s assumed various poses that ranged from
arching her back to recline on bentwood chairs to shooting a leg straight up in
the air without any problem. “She’s so sure of herself as an icon and as a
woman. It was her idea to do the fishnets,” the designer said.
