How is everything? Another week gone by, another twenty
cents made as OJ gets sent to prison for at least nine years, Illinois governor
Rod Blagojevich gets arrested for trying to sell President-elect Obama’s senate
seat, and unemployement continues to rise with Bank of America planning to cut
more than 35,000 jobs in the next three years.
Congratulations to Usher and wife Tameka on the birth of
their new baby boy. Shout out to the sounding boards for reconnecting with old
friends while keeping the lane open for new friends.
In the meanwhile, it’s time for…the Last Word for the week
ending Dec. 12, 2008
1. New Edition Members Branch Off for Another Side Group
Whether solo or in a group setting, the members of New
Edition have stood the test of time with classic hits and concert performances.
Now Ralph Tresvant, Bobby Brown and Johnny Gill are taking a page out of the
Bell Biv DeVoe book and forming their own collective.
According to Brown, the new group, called The Heads of
State, has recently started working on their forthcoming CD as well as their
respective solo albums. The motivation to create the trio sprung from a
realization that bringing the six-man New Edition unit back was not going to be
possible.
“We weren’t going to do a reunion tour with New Edition, so
we decided to keep it moving so we came up with the group,” Brown shared with
EUR’s Lee Bailey, as he also revealed the Heads are gearing up for a
full-fledged tour. “You got the three leads, so you can’t mess with that.”
I don’t know about this one. Ralph and Johnny are cool. But
Bobby? They may want to invest in an on the road bail bondsman. Let’s pray on
this tour that Bobby spends more time on stage than in the courtroom.
2. Jamie Foxx Endorses Pit Bull for First Dog; Obama
Makes Megan Fox’s Sexy List
Although he’s preparing to release his new album Intuition on Tuesday (Dec. 16), Jamie Foxx took time out to
offer his suggestion for the type of dog President-elect Obama should get to
occupy the White House.
Despite suggestions leaning towards a hypoallergenic canine,
The Oscar winner already has the perfect dog in mind for the incoming president
and his family.
“A pit bull,” Foxx told The Associated Press as he joked that, “(I’m) trying to pick out Barack
Obama’s Christmas puppy right now, so we’re working hard on that. I think I’m
going to get him a pit bull, we just got to keep it street.”
A pit may be cool, but it may not be a good look for the
White House. And while Mr. Foxx inspects pit bulls for Barack, it is the
Chicago-based politician’s way with words that has had an effect on a fox…Megan
Fox.
“I think he’s very sexy,” the Transformers star told E! Online. “And God help me because I
hope I don’t get in trouble for saying this, but I think he’s so articulate and
so intelligent and so charismatic when he delivers speeches, that there is
something very sexy about that – very! And he’s also very slim and lean.”
There it is. One woman’s take on what is sexy. Let the
feedback begin.
3. Toni Braxton Steps Up for Autism Awareness
She may not have won on Dancing With the Stars, but Toni Braxton is making positive moves towards
raising awareness of autism. The Grammy winner narrates a new PSA on autism as
she urges parents and other adults to take steps to learn more about the
warning signs of the developmental disorder.
“All of us – parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles,
teachers and family friends to children – must become familiar with the
red flags for autism,” said Braxton. “The earlier children are diagnosed and
early intervention begins, the better chance a child has of a brighter future.”
In addition to emphasizing the importance of checking for
autism, Braxton notes that one in 150 children are now diagnosed with the
condition. The issue strikes a personal chord with the singer as 5-year-old son
Diezel was diagnosed with autism at age three.
4. Will Smith Gets Green Light from Jada on Rosario
Dawson Love Scenes
Looking at the success Will Smith has had in movies, it’s a
no-brainer that he can hold his own with anybody onscreen.
But it may come as a surprise that the rapper/actor had a
case of nervousness when filming his love scenes with Rosario Dawson, the
co-star of his upcoming movie Seven Pounds.
Fortunately, Will got a pep talk and an official green light to handle his
business from his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith. Needless to say, Jada did not mince
words when telling her husband what he needed to do.
“Jada said, ‘Listen, I know you’re uncomfortable, but you
better not embarrass me,’” Will told People.com. “She said, ‘When you do that
love scene, you better show ‘em what you’re working with!’”
And while Jada is there to bring out the lover in Will, the
Grammy winner does have a code he follows when he prepares to get intimate with
his big screen love interests.
“My grandmother was really firm about how men are supposed
to treat women,” Smith said. “So for me, my worst nightmare is for an actress
to…feel like I’m taking this opportunity to get a little quickie feel –
you know, some legal cheating going on! I just need, specifically women, to
feel comfortable around me. I just don’t want to feel like I’m that dude.”
I can understand Will not wanting to feel like that dude,
but when your wife is encouraging you to do what you do for a love scene, it
may be a moot point. Nothing like a woman who is behind her man 100% in
whatever or whoever he does.
5. Keith Sweat Becomes the New Voice of McDonald’s
Chicken McNuggets
He’s begged his way into the hearts and CD players of fans
for years. Now, Keith Sweat is using his singing talents to help McDonald’s
celebrate the 25th anniversary of its popular Chicken McNuggets.
“Celebrating 25 years of Chicken McNuggets at McDonald’s is
a throwback to an era where music was fun and R&B ruled the airwaves,”
Sweat said. “I wrote my own special tribute that I think both McNuggets fans
and music lovers will appreciate.”
25 years of McNuggets? Wow. It seems like it was only
yesterday when I ordered my first 20 piece McNuggets to go with the super size
fries and drink.
Those interested in hearing Keith’s tribute song can visit
www.thesweathotel.com, where you can join the official McNuggets Lovers Club
and post testimonials through Dec. 19.
A McNuggets Mania prize pack filled with Arch Cards and more will be
given to the person deemed the biggest “McNuggets Lover.”
You know it’s a sad day when a singer goes from wooing honey
dips to singing about barbecue dips.
6. The Cosby Show Gets a P#### Upgrade
As a kid growing up, The Cosby Show and A Different World represented must-see TV for me. And while many folks got a nice picture
of family life from the Huxtables, the show that Bill Cosby built is getting a
sexual makeover courtesy of the p### industry.
According to AVN.com, production has already started on the
spoof, titled Not The Cosbys XXX. The
film’s producer, Jeff Mullen revealed that sexy scenes would take place in a
set that resembles Lisa Bonet’s character Denise Huxtable’s bedroom. In
addition, a p### star has been tapped to play Cosby’s Cliff Huxtable.
Not the Cosbys XXX is
the latest in a string of p### spoofs on popular TV Shows. Among the shows that
have been parodied are The Brady Bunch, Three’s Company, The Facts of
Life, Gilligan’s Island and Married With Children.
What’s next? With the way the economy is, don’t be surprised
if word comes down that Gary Coleman is auditioning to return as Arnold for the
p### remake of Diff’rent Strokes. In the
eyes of some, it could be a step up from those payday loan commercials.
7. Boyz II
Men Let it Snow for Christmas
Now that the holiday season is in full swing, we got Boyz II
Men in the spotlight this week with their Brian McKnight assisted Christmas
Classic “Let It Snow.”
Enjoy!Let It Snow – Boyz 2 Men
In Other Words…
* Add Fergie to
the list of stars who have their own line footwear. The Black Eyed Peas member
is gearing up to release her two-part shoe line, Fergie/Fergalicious, in
February 2009.
According to Fergie, the collections sprang from a desire to
“express my style sensibilities through the shoe designs, and create looks that
fashionable women will love to wear,” Prices for the “Fergie” line range from
$89 to $129, while the “Fergalicious” line will be priced between $49 and $59.
* Tyler Perry has notched another court victory under his
belt. The Associated Press reports that
Donna West lost her federal lawsuit against the entertainment mogul over
accusations he stole material from her play “Fantasy of a Black Woman” for the
movie adaptation of his hit play Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
Jurors found that West did not present evidence that
supported her claim of copyright infringement. Perry maintained that his
screenplay for Diary of a Mad Black Woman
was an original work. Nevertheless, West’s attorneys plan to seek a new trial.
* Fantasia Barino has become the latest casualty of the
current housing crisis. The American Idol
winner’s Charlotte, NC home is being put on the auction block in January by
Broward Energy Partners. According to court documents, the Florida-based
company agreed to pay more than $68,000 of Barino’s taxes in October 2006.
Although Barrino repaid $10,000 of the loan, Broward later sued for full
compensation, but the singer failed to appear in court to defend the lawsuit.
In October, a judge agreed to allow the company to the money
from Barrino, plus 8 percent interest and court costs. The home, which is
valued at $1.1 million, is not in foreclosure but is being used to compensate
the company that loaned Barrino money to cover taxes.
A judge agreed in October to allow Broward Energy Partners
to recover the money from Barino, plus 8% interest and court costs. That was an
estimated $65,541 in September, according to the court documents. Despite her
being in danger of losing the residence, Barino has a second home located not
far from the endangered home that she is not at risk of losing.
* Times must be pretty rough for Michael Jackson. Media
sources report that the King of Pop is putting his famed glittery glove on the
auction block. The glove is various items from Jackson that will be on display
before the auction begins on April 21, 2009. Bids for the items will be
accepted in person and online as the sale of the items will be broadcast live
on Auction Network. A portion of the proceeds will be donated by Jackson to
MusiCares, a charitable organization that helps musicians in need.
* Is she or isn’t she? That’s the question of the moment
when it comes to Janet Jackson. According to Life & Style magazine, an insider close to the singer confirms
that the real reason Janet pulled out of her Rock Witchu tour is because she is
pregnant with boyfriend Jermaine Dupri’s child.
That would be cool, but the only thing is Dupri denied his
girl was pregnant during a chat with Usmagazine.com on Sunday (Dec. 7). Add
that to Janet’s desire to start a family and it’s up for grabs. No matter what,
I guess we’ll know in few months if she’s expecting. Baby bumps are hard to
hide.
