What’s the word, daydreamers? Here we are at the starting point of another weekend after five days filled with Obama making good to sign his newly approved economic stimulus package on President’s Day, a New York Post editorial cartoon generating outrage and protest from people who believe the image is racist, and Illinois Senator Roland Burris going on the defense as demands for his resignation surface amid reports he raised money for disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich while seeking a U.S. Senate appointment.
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Congratulations to Salma Hayek, who got married on Valentine’s Day. Shout out to the sounding boards for forgiving and forgetting……
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And now the next episode of…the Last Word for the week ending Feb. 20, 2009
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1. Chris Brown Tops Facebook Group’s Most Wanted
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Apologies may be the first step in seeking forgiveness, but it’s never a guarantee towards halting an ass whooping.
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According to Fox News, LA Boxing President Anthony Geisler is spearheading efforts to give Brown his just desserts with the creation of a new Facebook group, I Just Want to Fight Chris Brown. The martial arts expert cited a desire for the crooner to see “what it’s like to face a real opponent” as the basis behind the group.
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To date, there are at least 45 people who would like to see Geisler and Brown go one on one in the ring. In addition to advocating a match between the two celebrities, the I Want to Fight Chris Brown group encourages members to join if by any chance, they want to have a crack at Brown after Geisler finishes his turn.
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I can’t say it’s a big surprise to see folks lined up to give Chris a taste of his own medicine. Let’s hope his dancing feet can cash the check his ass wrote on Rihanna. With folks lined up to knuckle up, odds are Chris may get beat down from wall to wall.
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2. Halle Berry Steals Film Role as International Jewel Thief
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Boyfriend or not, Halle Berry has more than her fair share of admirers. So many in fact that she could put her ability to steal hearts to good use for her next film role.
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Variety reports that Berry will star in Who is Doris Payne, an upcoming movie based on Payne, a real life international jewel thief whose career spanned five decades.
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For those (like me) who don’t know, Doris Payne was known as a career criminal that dressed in fancy clothes and stole high priced jewelry during the day while stores were open. Her last encounter with authorities came after she stole a $36,000 diamond ring from Neiman Marcus in 2005. She was 75 at the time.
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Sounds like an interesting film. For the record, I don’t think Halle would have many problems taking things without permission.
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3. Jazmine Sullivan Revisits Acting Past for the Future
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As her latest single says, Jazmine Sullivan is not afraid of Lions, Tigers and Bears. Now the songstress can add acting to that list as she prepares for her close up with a role in Red Tails, film director Anthony Hemingway’s story on the legendary Tuskegee Airmen.
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According to Sullivan, the role isn’t too big of a stretch.
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“I play a singer who entertains soldiers,” the singer told Billboard. “I’m really just entertainment for them, but I kind of get a little relationship going with one of them. So that’s very exciting.”
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While Red Tails may be seen as Sullivan’s first foray into acting, the Grammy-nominated vocalist harbors previous experience that served as a launching pad.
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“I used to act when I was younger, in little plays,” said Sullivan, who attended Philadelphia’s Creative and Performing Arts high school and revealed that she has a TV project in the works. “It never was really a passion of mine. It’s just something I did and I could do. Anything where I can be creative, I like to do.”
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Sounds like a wide-open future. In addition to Sullivan, fans can also catch singer/songwriter Ne-Yo in Red Tails. As long as she directs her energy towards making hit records and memorable films and not busting my raggedy car’s windows or anything else, then I’m cool with whatever she does.
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4. Tracy Morgan Hosts Four-Alarm Fish Fry at Home
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Leave it to Tracy Morgan to create havoc within his own apartment.
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Media sources report that the New York Fire Department came to the former Saturday Night Live star’s aid after a four-alarm fire was started at his 16th floor Trump Place residence early Wednesday morning
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The culprit? A defective fish tank.
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TMZ reports that the blaze was caused after a light bulb in one of Morgan’s fish tanks busted. At this time, it is unclear whether the 30 Rock star was at home at the time of the fire. Around 8:30 a.m., 78 firefighters from 25 units arrived on the scene to take care of the fire. Damage was minimal at the apartment as it consisted of mainly smoke damage to the walls. Adjacent apartments and units below Morgan’s place (including one occupied by The View co-host Sherri Shepherd) sustained some water damage that probably came from the fire hoses rather than the actor’s aquarium.
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And in case you were wondering, nobody got hurt from the incident, not even the fish that were caught up in the whole situation.
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With his fish safe and sound, a grateful Tracy expressed his gratitude via the following statement:
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“A fire broke out in my Manhattan apartment this morning, apparently starting with a lamp attached to my fish tank. The sprinklers promptly activated and the NYFD came by to make sure it was contained,” the entertainer said. “Fortunately, the fire did not spread and no one in the building was injured – even the fish are OK. My thanks to the New York Fire Department for their quick action.”
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Once again, something to make you say, “Tracy Morgan, you’ve done it again.”
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5. Taraji P. Henson Maintains Oscar Nominated Motherly State of Mind
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For someone with an Oscar nomination, Taraji P. Henson is anything but a souped up diva. Although she admits to being “still kind of numb” about all the exposure she’s gotten from being recognize by the Academy.
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“I’m waiting for someone to say, ‘Wake up!’ I’m just really excited about it, and trying to enjoy each and every moment,” Henson told USA Today while alluding to sharing something in common with the character she portrays in the Brad Pitt film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
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“I am a mom in real life,” Henson told USA Today. “Once a mom, always a mom…It’s like riding a bike: You never forget how to be a mom.”
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Those motherly qualities proved to be an asset for Henson, who earned her critical praise for her Oscar nominated role as Queenie, the woman who raises a baby who ages in reverse after finding the newborn on her doorstep.
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Like her character, Henson has a son of her own. And while it would be easy to play the star role outside the movie studio, Taraji keeps it real when it comes to making sure her son Marcel has a full stomach everyday.
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“My son gets breakfast every morning. I don’t buy cereal,” said the single mom, who takes it upon herself to drive Marcel to his basketball games. “Sometimes he wants scrambled eggs. Sometimes he’ll have bacon. Or pancakes. He gets home-cooked meals every day. “Even if I have a 5 a.m. call, I’ll cook and leave his food in the microwave before I leave. You expect a child to succeed and do well in school, but how are they going to do that if they have no brain food?”
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That’s what I’m talking about. Be a star, but leave the celebrity status at the door when you check in to the house. Looks like Taraji has the right mind state as she prepares to get glammed up for the Oscars.
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“…at the end of the day, I’m still TJ. That’s what my family used to call me, and they still do,” she said. “Besides, I haven’t gotten any calls from Spielberg yet. Or George Lucas. Still waiting.”
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Hopefully, the wait won’t be too long. You can find out if Taraji takes home the Oscar when the 81st Academy Awards airs live at 8 p.m. on Sunday (Feb. 22).
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6. Terrance Howard’s Chris Brown Connection Comes to Light
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Days after retracting a statement he made supporting Chris Brown, Terrence Howard has found himself under the same microscope.
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The Smoking Gun has gotten its hands on police and court records that bring to light Howard’s 2001 arrest on suspicion of assaulting his wife, Lori McCommas.
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According to the site, the incident stemmed from a phone conversation the couple had that resulted in the entertainer breaking down the front door of McCommas’ house. Howard and McCommas had been estranged for two years before to the incident occurred.
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Dated Sept. 17, 2001, the Whitemarsh Police Department report goes on to note that Howard ended his argument with McCommas by saying “Don’t disrespect me by hanging up on me or I’ll come over and hurt you.”
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McCommas later called 911 and began talking to the dispatcher when Howard arrived and tried to get in. The report notes that the Iron Man star “broke the front door down and ran through the screen door in the kitchen. Howard then grabbed the victim’s left arm and punched her twice with a closed fist in the left side of the face,” the report states.
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Howard eventually confessed at the scene of the incident to breaking the door and hitting his wife, according to police, who also revealed that the entertainer was booked on suspicion of simple assault, making terroristic threats, harassment and stalking, and disorderly conduct.
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Howard pleaded guilty in 2002 to disorderly conduct after posting $20,000 bail. He is currently separated from McCommas.
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Funny how the past comes back to bite you. You never know when your show of support can open the door to your trick whooping past.
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In Other Words…
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* It took them a while, but the folks at Disney have added a Black princess to their character world. Dreamgirls star Anika Noni Rose was on hand Monday (Feb. 16) when the company debuted a new toy line inspired by its upcoming holiday film The Princess and the Frog.
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Rose, an admitted fan of Disney fairy tales, will provide the voice of the lead character, Princess Tiana, who is Disney’s first new princess since Mulan in 1998. Disney is thinking big with Tiana as the company hope’s the princess’ film debut will bring back musicals and 2-D animation to the Disney family.
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*After a string of family films, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is returning to the action genre with an appearance in the film adaptation of the 1960s animated series The Adventures of Johnny Quest. According to Moviehole, the former pro-wrestler will play Race Bannon, the series’ tough guy special agent who is hired to guard and train Johnny Quest, an 11-year-old who accompanies his doctor father on various adventures.
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* Ziggy Marley is getting a familiar helping hand as he prepares to release his first children’s album Family Time. The Tuff Gong release, which is slated to hit stores May 5, will include assistance from Marley’s mother Rita, sister Cedella and daughter Judah, as well as Paul Simon, Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson, T#### Hibberts, Elizabeth Mitchell, Laurie Berkner and Jamie Lee Curtis, who narrates two stories.
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* As moviegoers welcome Madea back to the big screen with Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail, the entertainment mogul is stepping up to help get teens in Atlanta of the street. Media sources reveal that Perry has donated $110,000 and a brand new 15-passenger van to Covenant House Georgia homeless shelter. The money will be put toward operating costs and the complete renovation of Covenant House Georgia’s Crisis Shelter for homeless adolescents in Atlanta.**To get the latest AllHipHop Alternatives Features, follow us on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/AHHalternatives**
