American Blog

Mr. Vass is author of www.blackentertainmentblog.com and owner of www.cafepress.com/nova68

Excuse me for a moment as I take a second to give myself a bow. Yes I got 5 out of 7 right – 71% - which I call pretty respectable. If you are wondering why I’m so pleased with myself, of the guesses I made on January 9th for the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards [Bad films and Screen Actors Guild Awards hopefuls - 1.9.2007.1] I came pretty close to a clean sweep.

Not too bad for a regular guy. Perhaps the Oscar Award voters are paying attention. They should be. Considering how they have completely disconnected with the public, again, in not nominating Dreamgirls for Best Picture. I would love to hear the reasoning on why it was not nominated. I will give the SAG Awards the benefit of doubt on Little Miss Sunshine, at least they recognized the talent in Dreamgirls by giving them a nomination for best ensemble (basically best picture).

The snub really irritates me. 8 Oscar nominations, but not best picture. Never in 79 years has the leading nominated film not been a best picture. If it is so highly regarded how can it not also be best picture? This reminds me of the fear in 1993, when Malcolm X was not nominated for best picture, nor Mr. Spike Lee for best director. Yet there was large critical acclaim for the film, it won several awards (lesser ones but still won all the same), and Mr. Denzel Washington was easily recognized for his portrayal. In that case though I think the political commentary of Mr. Malcolm X was too much for the predominantly liberal white Oscar committee. [By the way I think this was the reason Mr. Washington won the Oscar. Often the Oscars will give a deserving actor/actress an award in a later good movie for a phenomenal role they were passed over on previously.]

The excuse for Dreamgirls escapes me. It’s popular, making money, still in movie theaters, well done and critically acclaimed – even before the Oscar nod. The only reason I can see for it to get snubbed as it has is a horrible and deplorable reason. I can only hope that isn’t the reason.

But to get back to the point of this post, I am sure that my winning choices will win the Oscar Awards as well. The choices that apply anyway. My congratulations to the winners, Mr. Hugh Laurie (you really should see him play the title character House. Biting wit and sarcasm matched with intense ability. Well written and balanced by an excellent cast), Mr. Forest Whitaker (a long time favorite of mine. His work in Ghost Dog is especially good, though his role as Idi Amin is even better), Mr. Eddie Murphy (I spoke about him in What does Eddie Murphy make you think of? - 12.22.2006.1), Ms. Jennifer Hudson and all the other winners.

Now let’s see how I do for the Oscars.

This is what I think, what do you think?

The following comments are the explicit thoughts of Mr. Michael Vass. There should be no inference that this opinion is shared by any other individual or corporation. Mr. Vass is author of www.mvass.com and www.balckentertainmentblog.com:

I have been listening for months now and I have a question. Since shortly before the mid-term elections of 2006, there has been a cry to ‘have a political solution’ to the war in Iraq. There have been calls to end the war because it has been going on for too long. There needs to be a ‘change’ in our policy. And so on.

 

I want to consider each of these demands. The first I have to question is the political solution. Can anyone mention to me a single war, or even a conflict, that has ended solely via politics? Seriously, just name one. The American revolution, The French revolution, The American Civil War, Viet Nam, Korea, WWI, WWII, The Six Day War, the IRA vs. Britain, and everything else. None have ended due to political action. In each it was the actual fighting of troops that caused the cessation of combat.

 

As I recall, in each battle there has come a point where one side realized the futility of continuing aggression and then engaged in talks. It is not the political talks that ended the conflict, just the observation that the most probable outcome of continued action would yield no further positive results. Thus one side loses and another wins, the spoils of war being divided accordingly.

 

In the Civil War it meant the surrender of the South. In Viet Nam, regrettably, it meant the creation of Southern Viet Nam and huge numbers of troops being constantly stationed there. With the IRA, as I understand it, it has lead to Britain making concessions; In the Six Day War Israel gained new lands. It is the way wars go. Perhaps the only case where I think there might have been a viable political cessation to fighting was with Mahatma Gandhi. Like all things there is an exception, and Gandhi was an exceptional man. Considering all the conflicts of all sizes in the history of man, I believe he is the only exception.

 

So all the calls to have a ‘political solution’ are just a PC, soundbite friendly way of saying ‘we give up, you win.’ At least that is what I think, and I suspect it is what those who would want us to lose are thinking as well. Oh, and by the way, what EXACTLY is a political solution? Has anyone asked what that means? Is there an example that anyone has or can point to of a political solution that has worked, or even existed?

 

As for those that believe a war is like a video game or a sporting match, wake up. There are no preset timeframes. There are no rules, no overtime. It takes as long as it takes. WWI was never expected to last 4 years. As I recall there was fighting still going on in isolated areas in 1947. The Civil War was expected to be over in 1 year maximum. And so on. There is no way to determine how long anyone is willing to fight for their home, religion, or beliefs. The Afghan rebels fought the Soviet Union for over a decade, if I recall correctly. War is not a game, nor can it be calculated on a checklist like a football match. It sucks, but that is the facts. To assume otherwise is to invite defeat.

 

Most important I must ask those who have cried for a change, what is the change. It’s easy to say ‘do something different,’ but what is that different thing? Nuking the largest cities in Iraq would be a change. Taking the country over and declaring our status as a colonizing empire is a change. Running away in defeat is a change. Instituting isolationist policies is a change. Are any of these the options we want as a nation? Are any of these the option that is being proposed by those politicians heralding the need to do ‘something’ different? It’s nice to say change; it is a far cry different to actually state what should be done differently.

 

Imagine a corporation selling widgets. The shareholders and a few of the Board of Directors want a change because sales have slowed; profits are not quite what they were. A new CEO is hired, drops the sale of widgets and starts selling children’s books. The scale of economies plummets, the cost of new equipment skyrockets, marketing budgets balloon, and sales are non-existent as the customer base is abandoned. Shareholders are enraged. The CEO holds a conference and says, “You wanted change, I gave you that. You never said what you wanted changed so I had to improvise. Don’t complain now that it’s not what you wanted, you should have been clear.”

 

I think my point is clear.

 

This is what I think, what do you think?

 

This is the first part of a 3 part post written by Mr. Michael Vass, author of www.blackentertainmentblog.com

For many today is a day of remembrance. Today is a day to think of hope. This is a time to look to the future and see a better America. For just as many today is just another day. A day that holds no glimmer of hope, no potential for better and no end to the sometimes harsh conditions that every day brings.

The differences in those 2 thoughts tends to be age and education, in my opinion. For many of the youth of today there is no understanding of what happened some 40 years ago. The youth of today have never been beaten for sitting in the wrong seat on a bus, based solely on the color of their skin. They have not had fire hoses placed on them because they tried to go to school, but had the wrong race to be allowed in. The youth of today have never been lynched because they dated, or looked at, someone of a color not their own. For too many of the youth today these are all items of ancient history, perhaps as relevant as the War of 1812, perhaps slightly more when a movie starring a favored actor is seen.

This is not entirely their fault. I cannot say I am greatly different. I am not different in that I did not suffer those same things. I had the benefit of growing up after that time. After the sacrifices of Dr. King, and Mr. Malcolm X and many others, most who were not famous enough to have their names recorded but sacrificed all the same. The difference is that I am old enough to have heard the bile in being called the N-word. I am old enough to have had a Mother, and uncles and a Father that did suffer those events. I am old enough to know that some have, and continue, to value the color of a person’s skin above their actions. I am old enough to have experienced the problems that go with that mindset. And that makes me understand that these things aren’t history, ancient or recent, but current in the world.

On this day I think to the breakthroughs we see. My own past success in becoming a stockbroker (a vestige of the ‘old boys club’ mentality still but not quite like it was), in traveling the world, in being able to attend a college (of my choice), and to live in places I chose. I see the things that have changed in the world. Actors and actresses of African American and Latino/Hispanic decent that are able to lead films without having to portray the villain, the drug dealer, the gangster or prostitute. I have seen characters on television that are Black that portray the American President, doctors, and leaders of industry. I have seen celebrities embraced throughout the world, and this nation, with skins ranging from dark to light. I have seen entertainers step back to their roots and enrich the lives of all there.

Yet I must say that with each step that has improved there are those steps that have gone backwards. I have heard the famous words of Dr. King often quoted and played, yet I’ve seen few continue them. Let me be clear, as much as the world is better for Black Americans it is also worse. And part of that worsening is the fault of the Black community and culture.

In a less quoted part of Dr. King’s speech he stated, “It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds’”. In ways that note is still unpaid. The failures from Hurricane Katrina, the injustice of the murders of Mr. Sean Bell and many others, and multiple other events confirm this.

But there has been some payment made. Minority businesses are not just the ‘crazy dreams’ of ‘those muslims’, but an encouraged reality in virtually every city in the nation. Where the military was highly segregated, now we have seen an African American reach the highest levels. Where there were political offices devoid of any persons of color we now have Cabinet members and Secretary of State. Today we even can see Black Americans as millionaires and billionaires in business and serious consideration of the potential of a Black President. Not long ago (a mere 20 years) such a thought could only be the fodder of comedians.

Yet for all of that there is still what Dr. King called, “…the tranquilizing drug of gradualism,” in that same speech from 1963. And like all drugs it is addictive. Today the youth fail to take the educations that are available to them. With desegregation, the internet, and yes mediocre schools there is the potential to expand our minds; yet the dropout rates have risen to unheard of levels. In the past we were barred from learning, today it is abandoned. In the past there was degradation placed upon us, in restrictions on where we could live, sit, and eat. In the past there was dehumanization placed in the words used to describe us. Today we degrade ourselves in words used to greet and converse with ourselves or others. Today we belittle our women as props and possessions in music videos, song and movies. Today we insult and destroy our families with terms like ‘baby-mama’ or ‘baby-daddy’, and actions such as creating families and not providing the resulting children with a father. We divert ourselves in a quest for wealth by any means, without concern of what those means and their resulting consequence cost.

These are the things we have done and allow to exist. There is no question that problems exist, beyond our causation. These serve only to compound the issues that we place on ourselves. Dr. King said, “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: “For Whites Only.” We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Mr. Vass is author of www.blackentertainmentblog.com and www.mvass.com :

Before I mention how annoyed I am with the “Trump vs. O’Donnell” garbage, let me ask a question. Have you seen the Verizon Wireless commercial with the Black American family? I like it. It’s funny. In this commercial the father asks his kids (a son and daughter) how they like the Chocolate and EV (I think) phones that he got them. The kids think they are great and are happy. The father asks what they got him, and the daughter mentions “We got you cologne.” The father replies, “No. Dad got hosed.” Now that is funny. One of my best friends mentions similar thoughts every Father’s day, his birthday and Christmas. The way the Black man mentions it, I have to guess he is a dad in real life. Finally a commercial that is not insipid or berating that stars African Americans. There aren’t many, but it’s nice to see it and the reality based humor works too.
 

But, going from a funny thought to something so stupid it should be funny yet it isn’t. Yes I mean the whole back and forth with Ms. Rosie O’Donnell and Mr. Donald Trump. While I agree that Mr. Trump was wronged first, it’s long past time for it to end. The whole thing is a waste of time, and more importantly a waste of news airtime.
 

Here is what is annoying me about it. So far this has been going on for about 20 days now. [see my post The odd and dumb before the holiday - 12.21.2006.2] Virtually every day there is commentary and reports on who responded and what they said. There have been debates on who started it (which is obvious) and whether whatever statement is true or not. It’s taken up what I estimate to be about 2 or more hours of news time for almost as many days as it’s been going on. Doesn’t sound like a whole lot, except you may not realize that in a regular day most items only get about 30 minutes of coverage in 30-45 second soundbites.
 

Think about it, as I estimate, there has been almost 40 hours of time spent on this one story over almost a month. [based on 24-hour news networks] The death of President Ford barely got more coverage, but it was in about ¼ the number of days. And he was a former President. News coverage for the murder of Mr. Sean Bell lasted 2 days and had maybe 6 hours of coverage. The actions of Michael Richards captured all of 4 days and 12 hours of attention. Am I the only one wondering what is being tossed out to cover a battle of words among 2 celebrities that affects nothing.
 

Seriously, this changes nothing. It’s minor gossip on television. There is nothing that will be improved or affected in the average American’s life, yet this is being covered more than almost any other story. I’ve seen coverage of too many stories in 45 seconds as opposed to the average 3-5 minutes this gets. It’s bad enough that news has been relegated to mere soundbites and partisanship, but now it’s becoming even less interested in actual news.
 

I’d love to know more than 30 minutes in a single day about why Mr. Al Sharpton is considering  a run for President. I’d enjoy more than 2 ½ hours on  Senator Obama, and not spending that time on how good he looks for being a smoker and African American. I’d occasionally like to know a bit more on, perhaps. what African American children have been abducted or are missing in the nation. [I’ve seen maybe 3 stories since the beginning of the year about White children that have been abducted. It’s a good use of news time; I’m sure more can be done to cover such stories and perhaps covering some of the other racial groups that are having this done to them as well.]
 

Television was meant to entertain and educate. It’s evolved to just provide entertainment. News has always been held to be the exception to that rule. Until now. I don’t think I’m the only American with intelligence. I think we all deserve more respect, and should be able to get a full news report on things that matter. I don’t think gossip and ‘drama’ need to be added, life has enough of that. Entertain me when I watch a comedy, or drama, or sci-fi. Inform me when I watch the news. Is that a lot to ask for?
 

This is what I think, what do you think?

Mr. Vass is author of www.blackentertainmentblog.com and www.mvass.com as well as the online store www.cafepress.com/nova68 :

Well the new year has started with a bunch of new announcements. Things are off with a bang now with the news that there will be at least one more Indiana Jones movie. Still untitled at this point, the script is being finalized at this time. Not to worry, filming will start this year as well, with the film coming out sometime in 2008. While this is yet another sequel, the good news is that this series has been quite good. The second movie notwithstanding, I expect this will be a solid film. Both Mr. George Lucas and Mr. Steven Spielberg have been working on the final script. Mr. Harrison Ford has been quite consistent in his choice of films, and his ability to give a quality performance. So here is something to look forward to, I’m sure there will be more news as information about the film as script and location shooting begins or is leaked.

 

In more political news Mr. Edward James Olmos continues his fight with the government over the Vieques Island contamination and bombings. For those not familiar, this is an island 6 miles from Puerto Rico. For a long time the U.S. Navy used the island to test bombs, preventing habitation, ruining the environment and potentially endangering lives. I too disagree with the past bombings, or the renewed bombings there again. Like Mr. Olmos I feel that this is far too close to people to be allowed.

 

If the Navy were doing this bomb testing 6 miles of the coast of Long Island, or San Francisco, or Seattle there would be an outcry that would be deafening. The fact that Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth does not give the right to ignore the reasonable protests or the lives that this directly affects. I’m glad a public figure like Mr. Olmos and others are continuing to remind the government that this is not right and that we will not stop fighting for it to stop.

 

On another somewhat political note is Ms. Oprah Winfrey. Her school for South African girls has opened, with a price tag of $40 million dollars. This is a great positive for those young women and I’m glad that it has been created. I understand that it was a meeting with Mr. Nelson Mandela that inspired the drive to create this school and place it in South Africa – a region of the world where elitism and classism continue to exist in an extreme disparity rarely seen. Still I do wish that such a school, co-ed, had been created in America (of course it probably would have been 3x as expensive). But there will be another school created, co-ed and in South Africa again, in the near future. I understand and respect Ms. Winfrey’s desire to give back to the land of her ancestors. It’s commendable. Still I think there are many young African Americans that need this kind of help as well.

 

One thing I haven’t seen commented on that I would like to know more about involves the guests at the opening ceremonies. Mr. Mandela was among a group including, Mr. Spike Lee, Ms. Tina Turner, Ms. Mary J. Blige, Ms. Mariah Carey, Mr. Chris Tucker, and Mr. Sidney Poitier. Each of the celebrity guests were asked to bring a book that they had autographed personally. My interest is not what these entertainers wrote, but the choice of book they decided top contribute. I feel it is a defining statement of a person and their character. If anyone can let me know which book was giving by which person I’d love to know.

 

There of course is more to this new year, but for now…

 

This is what I think, what do you think?

 

Mr. Vass is author of www.mvass.com and www.blackentertainmentblog.com :

What a start to the New Year. I must say this was a day of surprises to me. One was an upset the other was upsetting. Let me explain. I’m not a big fan of college football. That said I have occasionally watch how my Rutgers Football team has done for the last 20 years. This year they finally got the bowl game and recognition they deserve, and has been promised since I went to school there. But this is not what I am speaking of.

Boise State played in the Fiesta Bowl tonight against Oklahoma. I’m a fan of neither team and knew little of the history of either team. Luckily for me a friend of mine was aware. Boise State deserved to play Ohio as an undefeated team, but instead they played Oklahoma. It was a good game, which Boise dominated. Like another friend of mine watching the game I agree that the announcers, and the referees were biased against Boise. The 2 pass interference calls in the 4th quarter, with fewer than 3 minutes to play, were absolutely wrong. The announcers seemed resigned to see Oklahoma win. Thankfully the Boise State coach was not listening to either.

If you fell asleep or failed to see the end of the game you missed out on what may well become a classic college football game. With the game tied (due to bad calls by the referees in my opinion) the game went into overtime. Oklahoma seemed to have deflated the opposing spirit with a one play overtime touchdown. But Boise had some tricks left. After fighting for the initial first down, they moved forward and set up a wonderful series of plays. The bold touchdown they scored was impressive, but it was only a setup for what was to come. While I and my friends were screaming for the extra point to tie the game, and to rely on the defense that had played extremely well versus Oklahoma the coach called the team over for a special play. With the quarterback going into motion the ball was thrown by a receiver for a touchdown. Who knew that was in the playbook.

I believe it is called a statue of Liberty play. What I do know is that it was a superbly executed behind the back off-hand hand off to get the 2 point conversion and the win. Again I say who knew that was in the playbook. There was no point in which Boise was not stepping up and playing like they were going to win. The special plays they pulled showed that they were ready and determined to win. If I were a fan of either team I think I would have been going insane watching the end of this game. And if I were betting this is the dream over that you would want. If you stayed up, you have to agree it was worth it. If you missed the game, shame on you. And I have to ask, why didn’t they deserve to play against the other undefeated team, Ohio?