Thursday, April 16, 2009
For Some Reason,I Really Like "Taking The Stage"!
I don't know why I am so taken with this particular reality show.But,I watch MTV's "Taking The Stage" every week.A lot of folks have compared it to "Fame".I just find this group of talented teens exciting to watch.It's definitely a docu-soap.And since I was raised on soap operas & tabloids,that's probably why I find it so intriguing.Tonight is also the "Making The Band" finale.So,for me,it's going to be a MTV night!
As for "Taking The Stage",I want to see what drama unfolds in the love triangle that is comprised of Jasmine,Tyler,& Mia.Here's more about the show from Pop tower:
"What would you do in order to fulfill your dreams? For the young stars of MTV's new reality musical series "Taking The Stage," the answer is anything. Premiering Thursday, March 19 at 10p.m. ET/PT on MTV, "Taking The Stage" is a one-hour 10-episode reality musical series conceptualized and executive produced by Nick Lachey (98 Degrees), that will follow the lives of five talented students at the School For Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) in Cincinnati, Ohio. A reality musical series executive produced by feature film and theatre producer Marc Platt who also serves as creative consultant ("Honey," "Legally Blonde," "Nine," Broadway Musical "Wicked"), the show is the first of its kind to be scored with music performed by cast members in-scene. Each episode of "Taking The Stage" will feature songs and dance routines written and choreographed by the cast.
In the heart of Cincinnati, SCPA is a prestigious school that draws young people from all backgrounds dedicated to pursuing careers in the arts. The school has an illustrious history of producing some of the entertainment industry's most renowned dancers, singers and musicians from Sarah Jessica Parker ("Sex and the City") and actress Carmen Electra ("Starsky & Hutch"), to actor/director Todd Luiso ("High Fidelity"), actor Rocky Carroll ("NCIS") and singer Nick Lachey. SCPA is not the average high school and gaining entrance is not an easy task, as every student must audition before being accepted. The curriculum is so rigorous, that the students who have been there the longest call themselves "survivors." Honing their skills will take everything they have but to achieve it they will have to focus all their energy and make sacrifices along the way.
While they are some of the most talented teenagers in the country, they will still have to navigate the same trials and insecurities that all teenagers face which are obstacles that threaten their chances at success."(END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here.
Today Is Jackie Robinson Day! But,Where Are All The Black Baseball Players At?
Today is the day when baseball players across America will be sporting the number 42 on their backs.That was baseball player Jackie Robinson's number.And he was instrumental in changing society by breaking the color barrier.But,there is a question that many black fans of baseball have asked.Where have all the black players gone? Here's more on that from The Seattle Times:
"Ken Griffey Jr. was instrumental in the way baseball celebrates Jackie Robinson Day, suggesting to commissioner Bud Selig more than a decade ago that players for this one day a year be allowed to wear No. 42, which has been retired by MLB. This year's celebration, taking place today throughout the majors, has been expanded to all players wearing No. 42.
" I just wanted to say thank you in my own little subtle way, and that was it,'' Griffey said Wednesday of his original proposal. " That's what it's about: Giving back to the people that helped you.
"I knew the (Robinson) family. It was just my way of saying thank you. I had no idea it would be something like this. I think this is a great cause. There's a lot of people in here that wouldn't be in here if it wasn't for him. The family deserves this. You never know how long it would have been if he would have failed.''
Griffey said he was steeped in the history of Negro League Baseball as well as Robinson's struggles by his father, Ken Griffey Jr., as well as some baseball pioneers he encountered.
"Well, I had Joe Black, Brooks Lawrence, Chuck Harmon Sr., who all were good friends wth my dad. They figured I should know a little about baseball history, or just history itself. They proceeded to drill me on certain things. Then getting to play in pro ball, I had a guy named Willie Mays pull me aside every year. They didn't tell you like they were drilling it into your head. It was more them telling stories like a grandfather would tell their grandson. That's how I learned about certain things. "
Griffey has strong opinions on the decline of African-American players in the major leagues, and how baseball can began attracting more African-Americans to the ball fields and ball parks.
"First of all, they've got to start off with better commercials,'' he said. "The commercials are (bad). Think about it. You look at the NBA, NFL, their commercials, and they make you want to go out and play basketball, go play football. They show the excitement of the game itself. In baseball, it's come to the bleeping All-Star Game. And that's it. They don't show the excitement of the game."(END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here.
Are You Celebrating Confederate History Month?
On an annual basis,some people pay tribute to the Confederacy during the month of April.It is called "Confederate History Month".Personally,I find the whole concept to be very distasteful.Whether the descendants of Confederate soldiers want to admit it or not,the Confederacy will forever be associated with slavery.
That is why I find it offensive when I see someone toting a Confederate flag.I,for one,take no pride in America's racist past.And that is exactly what comes to my mind when I hear that word.Confederate is almost like a bad word to me.Because I cannot imagine what would have happened to folks like me had they won the Civil war.I shudder to think!I will never be able to honor the Confederacy or its history.
Here's an article from a 2004 edition of the Washington Times:
"However, some lawmakers and the state NAACP are criticizing the efforts to commemorate the Confederate half of the war, and called the resolution "offensive."
"When the state starts getting in the business of honoring the Confederacy, whose goal was African-American enslavement, we feel that has no place in the public domain," said King Salim A. Khalfani, executive director of the state National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "It brings to light the cause of the Confederacy and they were clear they wanted to maintain the institution and even expand it."
Sen. Richard L. Saslaw, Fairfax County Democrat, said the resolution was flawed, and asked it be renamed Civil War History Month. His efforts were unsuccessful.
"I'm not saying we should close the door on history," Mr. Saslaw said. He said he couldn't support celebrating a group of people who would have enslaved 20 percent of Virginia's population.
Mr. Saslaw, Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, Arlington County Democrat, and Committee Chairman Thomas K. Norment Jr., Gloucester County Republican, voted against the resolution. No blacks sit on the committee.
However, the Rev. Wilson E. Shannon, a black minister from First Baptist Church in Richmond, said issuing the proclamation could stop the polarization of races.
"It's time we celebrate history in a way that shows parity," he said, alluding to the Black History Month that begins tomorrow. "There is pain when we investigate the past but also pride."(END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here.
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