Chris Rock seems to have tweeted up a bit of controversy over the July 4th holiday. The comedian, whose latest project is executive producing Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell for FX, ruffled more than a few feathers after sending out this message to his followers: “Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren’t free but I’m sure they enjoyed fireworks.”
Rock is certainly no stranger to controversy, especially when it comes to explorations of racism and stereotypes. One of his most controversial bits, “Niggas vs. Black People” from his 1996 special “Bring The Pain,” is also one of his most beloved, though he has backed off of performing it since. As Rock later told 60 Minutes, “By the way, I’ve never done that joke again, ever, and I probably never will. ‘Cos some people that were racist thought they had license to say nigger. So, I’m done with that routine.” (more…)
Former Olympic Sprinter, Michael Johnson
Four-time gold medalist Michael Johnson believes the question of why black athletes dominate Olympic sprint competitions shouldn’t be taboo. In the lead-up to the London Games, he’s trying to broach the controversial topic. Johnson, who recently had his lineage traced back to West Africa as part of a British documentary, told the Daily Mail that slavery has “left an imprint through the generations.”
The eight men who ran in the 100-meter finals — all African-American or African-Caribbean — in Beijing are believed to have been descended from slaves, according to the documentary. “Difficult as it was to hear,” Johnson said, “slavery has benefited descendants like me. I believe there is a superior athletic gene in us.” (more…)
Death at a Funeral by Ooh Papi
Grade B-
A nearly shot-for-shot remake of the 2006 British comedy about a family gathering that spirals blissfully from one disaster to the next, the new version is completely unnecessary and sloppier than it should be. It’s also still funny, partly thanks to smart casting in a few key roles and partly because farce this ironclad cannot be denied.It’s because of a superior cast that this version of “Death at a Funeral” is the rare comedy remake that’s funnier than the original.
Death at a Funeral addresses the question of whether a British comedy featuring a bunch of white guys can translate into an American setting with a group of (primarily) black characters. Since the answer is “yes,” this says something about the flexibility of the premise and the universality of the jokes. When gauging the appeal of the humor, it’s fair to remark that there’s something for everyone. The comedy runs the gamut from low-brow to high-brow, from physical to intellectual, from gross-out bathroom hijinks to the differences between a minister and a priest. The biggest laughs, however, come from Tracey Morgan. (more…)
Playahata Times: Entertainment Section Rock’s Wife goes natural By Ooh Papi
Atlanta – Chris Rock gave his movie going audiences a few surprises in his documentary Good Hair but yesterday he can home to a surprise of his own when he saw his own wife sporting afro puffs. Chris Rock told radio station 90.3 fm that he was not totally surprised to see Malaak’s new look. Rock said that his wife mentioned how cute Lady of Rage hairdo was several times last week and ordered a few 90’s era albums she was on, off of Amazon.
“My wife doesn’t even listen to rap anymore so I thought that was odd”.
Chris said “as a comedian you get a feel for people naturally that is where the humor comes from. So I sensed a bigger change was coming on soon. I just did not realize that soon would be 9 days”. (more…)
A African American female filmmaker is suing Chris Rock for $4 million dollars and trying to block the release of his upcoming documentary “Good Hair” from National release. “Good Hair” was be released in certain cities on Friday and goes nationwide on Oct. 23.
Regina Kimbell sued Rock and several film companies in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday, claiming Rock’s project is a copycat of her film, “My Nappy Roots.”Kimbell states she screened her film for the comedian in 2007. The lawsuit states “My Nappy Roots” traces the business and cultural history of black hair care and has otherwise only been shown at colleges and film festivals since its completion in 2006.Her lawsuit claims several of elements of her film have been blatantly copied.Rock’s publicist declined to comment.
When Chris Rocks daughter, Lola, came up to him crying and asked, Daddy, how come I dont have good hair? the bewildered comic committed himself to search the ends of the earth and the depths of black culture to find out who had put that question into his little girl’s head! But Will this movie harm more than it helps the image of African American women?
we find out today as GOOD HAIR opens in theatres all over America. Shout out to AJASS Models and the naturally natural folks of the 60′s.
A African American female filmmaker is suing Chris Rock for $4 million dollars and trying to block the release of his upcoming documentary “Good Hair” from National release. “Good Hair” was be released in certain cities on Friday and goes nationwide on Oct. 23.