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hooked-on-elvis · 4 months

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Pictures of Elvis as Clint Reno on "Love Me Tender" (1956) | "The Rainmaker" screen test in Hollywood (March 26-28th, 1956) + magazine article | On "Love Me Tender" production and premiere (November 15, 1956). 🎬

He had never even been in a school play, but he loved the silver screen and dreamed of seeing himself upon it. In April of 1956*, his chance arrived when legendary Hollywood producer Hal Wallis gave him a screen test. He was asked to read a part from 'The Rainmaker' with actress Cynthia Baxter, who later confessed that her initial reaction to working with Elvis had been "Ugh!" Afterward, however, Baxter said she found him "amazing to work with." Elvis told Wallis he didn't like the Rainmaker role: The character was too "happy, jolly, lovesick." Well, Wallis asked him, what kind of part would you like to play? "One more like myself," he said, "so I won't have to do any excess acting." Four months later (after Wallis and Colonel Parker had negotiated a three-picture-deal for $400.000) he was on the set of 'Love Me Tender' playing Clint Reno (seen here) — a passionate, naive young man, destined to die young.

*Elvis' Hollywood screen test was actually held, not in April but in March 1956, between Monday, the 26th and Wednesday, the 28th. Elvis would later say he memorized every line of the script of 'The Rainmaker' (not only his lines, the whole script!) in preparation for the screen test. A couple of months later, however, he told Robert Johnson of the Memphis Press-Scimitar that he had misgivings from the start about the character he would play. “It was a good part, but I just couldn’t see it for me. A good-natured, happy teen-ager, but with nothing up here. After I read the script, I just wanted to do another kind of part,” said Presley to the reporter.

This thing the magazine wrote about Elvis wanting "not to do any excess acting" is total bullshit. EP would never say such thing once he was so happy to kick off his acting career. He dedicated himself and wanted to make it as good actor. Elvis was excellent memorizing lines even before he was an actor, when he would memorize lines from all his favorite movies (such as 'Rebel Without a Cause'). Once he was indeed on the other side of the screen, filming his first movie, Elvis didn't miss the chance and talked to many veteran actors in hopes to have hints on how to make it better in front of the camera. He dedicated himself the best he could — and as the years went by, even so his roles were less and less interesting or challenging, sometimes even silly as he feared in the beginning of his career, Elvis achieved the goal in being a natural in front of those Hollywood filming cameras, and this is something absolutely undeniable. The thing about complaining of the role he performed on his screen test in 1956, probably had something to do with the image Elvis wanted to project onto his young audience, and that was not one of a "good-natured" guy.

Elvis wanted serious roles and, besides, he liked the 'bad boy' atitude James Dean and Marlon Brando had... the menacing glances, the defiant rebel posture. Elvis mentioned this to Lloyd Shearer, in 1956 during a photo session at the Peabody Hotel, in Memphis, Tennessee. Lloyd was photographing Elvis when the Presley politely asked the photographer to promise not to snap him "not even smiling slightly". His objection was explained with:

"I've made a study of Marlon Brando. I've made a study of poor Jimmy Dean [actor James Dean had recently died in a car crash]. I've made a study of myself. And I know why girls, at least the young ones, go for us. We're sullen, we're broodin', we're something of a menace. I don't understand it exactly, but that's what girls like in men. I don't know anything about Hollywood. But I know that you can't be sexy if you smile. You can't be a rebel if you grin. If you don't mind, let me pose myself." — Elvis, 1956.

On his screen test in March, 1956, Presley did two scenes from 'The Rainmaker' (and also was asked, and performed against his will since he didn't wanted to sing on the screen at all, to 'Blue Sued Shoes') Later that year, Elvis recalled the dramatic tests. “I knew my script,” he said. “I got out there and just tried to put myself in the place of the character I was playing, just trying to act as naturally as I could.”

In May, Elvis told Will Jones of the Minneapolis Tribune that he favored the second of the two scenes. “I took this screen test where I came in and was real happy and jolly and I didn’t like it. I did this other one where I was mad at this girl, and I liked that better — it was me.”

Elvis worked with veteran actor Frank Faylen in one test scene and with twenty-one-year-old actress Cynthia Baxter (later Cynthia O’Neal) in another scene.

She later told TV Guide, “When the Wallis people told me I was to make a test with him, my reaction was ‘Ugh!’ But, you know, he is a very interesting boy — kind of amazing to work with. As an actor, he has a lot of work ahead of him, but he has wonderful attributes to start with.”

Actress Cynthia O'Neal (former Baxter). The picture (right) is the only still from 'The Rainmaker' scene she played with Elvis for his screen test on March 26th, 1956. No footage was released until today, unfortunately.

March 27th, 1956: Elvis with veteran actor Frank Faylen. The scene Elvis did with Faylen was this one below (no footage, sadly, but there's pictures from his test on the video, following the scenes):

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Allan Weiss was not as impressed with the dramatic part of Presley’s test as he was with the musical portion. “Elvis played the rebellious younger brother with amateurish conviction — like the lead in a high school play. His performance was believable, but lacked the polished subtleties of a professional.” On the other hand, after viewing the acting part of the test, Paramount dramatic coach Charlotte Clary thought Elvis might have a future as an actor. “The boy is a natural,” she judged. “There’s nothing fresh or obnoxious about him at all.” Source: http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/elvis-screen-test.html

On March 28th came Presley’s third screen test, the King lip-synched to “Blue Suede Shoes” in front of a set of rather shiny curtains. It was a wild audition, with Elvis giving his trademark gyrations and sneer. He was doing what he did majestically already, so he enchanted the screenwriter Allan Weiss.

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“The transformation was incredible. We knew instantly that we were in the presence of a phenomenon; electricity bounced off the walls of the sound stage. One felt it as an awesome thing — like an earthquake in progress, only without the implicit threat. Watching this insecure country boy, who apologized when he asked for a rehearsal as though he had some something wrong, turn into absolute dynamite when he stepped into the bright lights and started lip-synching the words of his familiar hit. He believed in it, and he made you believe it, no matter how ‘sophisticated’ your musical tastes were.” — Allan Weiss, Screenwriter.

This reaction may have set Elvis' fate in Hollywood, among other things (money-seeking, as naturally any company would be bound to be), but up until then as far as EP knew he would act in a non-musical role, so this kept him thrilling. Elvis' fans, as always, were very supportive, and couldn't wait to watch the rock star on the big screen.

(Above) August 16, 1956: Elvis left Memphis on an American Airlines flight for Los Angeles where he reported to 20th Century Fox for pre-production meetings for his first movie. The fans greeted him at the airport, holding "Presley for President" posters. 🥹

As the production for Elvis' first movie begun, things were... different. The studio/producers eventually altered the script to include 4 songs Elvis would sing, 'Love Me Tender' being one, and they altered the title of the film too — originally entitled 'The Reno Brothers' — so it could follow the name of that one Elvis song.

This turned things bittersweet to Presley. Elvis did not want to sing on the screen and he confessed to his close friends how upset watching as they promised him one thing and ended up eventually changing plans (to profit on his music career) without him being able to do anything about it (June Juanico was one girlfriend he vented about this).Top this to the fact that Elvis indeed preferred his part to be a little more to the 'bad boy' side, and Clint Reno was everything but a bad boy, and you can imagine how Elvis felt about his first movie, not fully satisfied after all. Still he kept hopeful about his acting career could evolve and he could eventually become a serious actor. This hopeful mood followed his next films, but it did not last long.

Either way, the premiere for 'Love Me Tender' was a huge success.

Arlene Cogan, a young fan that not much after this would become friends with Elvis, shared in her book "Elvis, This One's for You" that when she went to watch the movie she spent the whole day rewatching it in the theater, over and over again. She says that no one seemed to leave the room.

"When Elvis appeared on the screen, everyone screamed so much that you couldn't hear him." — Arlene Cogan on her book "Elvis, This One's for You".

On the day 'Love Me Tender' premiered in the theaters on November 15, 1956.

November 21st 1956. 1413 Main Street, Columbia, S.C., Richland County. A crowd of teenagers in the lobby of the Palmetto Theater for the opening of the Elvis Presley movie Love Me Tender.

November 16, 1956: Fans wait in line to see Elvis Presley in 'Love Me Tender'.

Even so Elvis' start in Hollywood wasn't quite as he expected (in personal satisfaction wise), Presley did it great as a sweet country boy, Clint Reno. Some critics didn't go for him and harshly bashed his acting skills (much going with their previous opinions on Elvis as a performer and the controversial about his 'antics' on the stage in the 50s), as much as some supported his initial kick off, but one thing's for sure: the young audience adored him regardless either if he was a "bad boy" onscreen or not. ♥

Elvis on "Love Me Tender", 1956.

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spnasylum · 3 years

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My notes while listening to Misha’s comments on the podcast: (grab a snack!)

In light of the most recent fandom drama I decided to listen to *that* podcast and take notes as I went along about what was actually said and then give my take on it as objectively as possible. This is basically an essay so strap in!

He complains about not getting a trailer on set that’s the same as Jared and Jensen’s. Even though he has one that can accommodate 3 people. This was the first point of discussion inspired by opening up the interview with a brief chat about Misha currently being in his camper van and how he’s sleeping in it even though he’s still home in Bellingham. The whole hour and 26 minutes has an undertone of complaining and ego stroking by all involved.

Says he’s sad he didn’t get to be there for the final days of filming.

Seems a little nervous about if friendships made during the shows run will last now it’s over.

Admits he has no plan in place or anything coming up career wise and he’s unsure of his future. This is where he brings up Walker and The Boys and says if he had shows like that to go to he wouldn’t feel SPN ending was so monumental. It is said with a slight tone of bitterness.

Side note: the hosts Alaina and Malik seem to be fine with running with the narrative that Misha was part of the show it’s entire 15 year run. Misha clears this up eventually by saying he joined in season 4.

Misha says that he realized about six years ago that SPN could run as “we” wanted it to, implying he has any say in keeping the show going or not. He asserts that he would have been on the show up until the very end in any case. But he didn’t feel that way the first few years he was on the show. So that makes me think something or someone involved gave him the feeling he could be confident in being in the cast for however long SPN aired. Maybe this was after Sera left? Maybe this was when he agreed to a significant pay cut and demotion? Either way it seems he felt SPN = job security.

Misha doubts he’ll have the feeling of job security again.

Says from around age 11 he wanted to be a politician.

Says he saw “successful, untalented” actors and decided “I can do that”. He realized that was naive and it’s actually not easy to be that successful and by the time he got his career going he was basically just in it for the fame it’s not anything he took seriously.

We find out his wife did a doctorate in gender history... for some reason.

That Marilyn Monroe was some sort of baseline for him about creating a public persona (🤷🏽‍♀️) except for getting cosmetic surgery he points out.

Talk about how he got started. Acting classes, improve groups. Moving between Chicago, DC and LA.

Discussion about the differences and similarities between Hollywood and Washington.

States he got a consultant to help him cultivate a fan base and image to connect with an audience after getting on SPN. Admits that was a double edged sword because an anonymous public start thinking that they really know you and things start getting weird.

Mentions trying to find a balancing act of being authentic and having a private life but still keeping your fans.

He admits that the fan base he grew for himself by seeming accessible has caused him to attract people who don’t have any boundaries. This is when he claims the “dialing it back” in regard to how much he shares and mentions his kids specifically as something he doesn’t feel comfortable with putting out there. Uses the word “unhinged” to describe them.

Malik mentions “crazy fans” who seem to know too much about you and finding out where you are etc. Using the example of fans turning up at an airport wanting autographs and you wondering how they even knew you’d be there and what flight you taking. He asks Misha to share experiences about his own crazy fans.

This is when Misha uses the example about having fans who think that when he tweets something out he’s communicating with them personally.

Alaina then says that in the Supernatural fandom people fight each other to protect Jared, Jensen and Misha and it’s “very bizarre”. She volunteered that people think Misha secretly hates Jared and that it’s not true. Not sure why she decided to direct the conversation to a place that would cause drama and give Misha a chance to play victim.

And then...

That’s when he claims that he was public enemy number one with super fans of the show because he’s taking attention away from Jared and Jensen.

That’s when he brings up the alleged organized attack to take down his Facebook account. He says they reported him for... *pauses... claims to not know what. But that whatever it was “Facebook bought it and took it down”. Facebook deleted/deactivated his account but he eventually got it back.

Side note: Facebook (like all social media) have always been bias when it comes to people with leftist views and let them have free reign on the platform. So he must have done something that they would decide to suspend him. I don’t think J2 fans can be blamed for the content he posts and if it violated any ToS. As we know he can post some inappropriate things on social media.

He then brings up the allegations of him taking money out of his organization. Stating it’s “categorically untrue” is all he brings forward as evidence to the contrary.

Side note: I don’t know why then that there’s no receipts or transparency. Why is his mother a beneficiary, why do people who mention he owns Stands get blocked, why set everything up in Delaware and have your for profit and so called non profit interests so entangled etc etc) I guess fans are just supposed to have faith and take his word for it.

He says that ALL of them (Jared, Jensen and himself) have people who hate them in the fandom. But overall the fandom is lovely and supportive of the cast and each other. Makes an attempt at stating there’s no kind of competition or animosity between he and Jared. I think this is like the 3rd or 4th time in the interview either he or Alaina bring up Jared but keep the focus on how Misha is the one facing “character assassination.”

Finally says that all of them have nasty things done to them and they all have had to consult security because of threats to their families etc, doesn’t specify which faction of the fandom that’s coming from. Mentions people filing police reports in the fandom but doesn’t say regarding who or what. Alaina reacts like it’s the first time hearing of this happening. Misha just goes “yeah!” Then they move on to talking about living situations.

Apparently Alaina and Misha were neighbors in LA but didn’t take advantage of that. She doesn’t live in LA anyone, wants a new adventure.

Misha mentions Bellingham is another thing about his future he’s unsure about and how his kids flourished there.

Brings up not being present with his kids even when he’s home because of work and side projects and that the one thing he’s enjoying right now it spending time with them. That he used to operate from a place of guilt because his kids felt like they only have one parent. He and Malik briefly spoke on how their careers have negatively affected their love lives.

Misha says he’s not really involved with Random Acts or running it anymore. (Ummm... what)

He and Alaina discuss Haiti and Nicaragua for a while.

Says he may try to get into directing. Says he likes having creative control. Mentions he likes doing his art installations.

Admits that getting a bit of success made him very entitled and wanting of special treatment. But claims he’s trying to keep that in check (where?) and he’s just like everyone else (well duh!). But he “trades on his celebrity” to get stuff and it makes him feel dirty (I think everyone with any kind of following does that though so nbd)

Talk of how TV/film is more diverse in telling minority stories these days.

Was asked by Malik if he has any kind of chip on his shoulder career wise and Misha says the chip on his shoulder is being bored. But says he needs to work on being more engaged.

He then abruptly wants to end the interview. Saying he has to pick up his kids. Malik wants another question. He asks how Misha has been hurt or healed by his career.

Misha then brings up the movie Karla. Again admitting to becoming more like Paul psychologically irl. But says knowing he has that type of evil in him somewhere (and says that we all have that in us) made him more empathetic to the human condition.

They then say their goodbyes. End of interview.

——

My takeaway. The worst thing he can think to say the people who don’t like him in the fandom did was trolling to get his Facebook deactivated? Also that people can see the suspicious nature of his businesses? It would be really easy to settle that with actually being transparent about the finances, which they aren’t and not having close family as benefactors though. Also, I can only speak for myself. But I never hated him. I actually loved Castiel (before his character was there just to be there in recent seasons and Cass wasn’t Cass anymore. I think Misha’s need to pander to shippers/stay on the show was a great disservice to Castiel and his arc) I was a huge Misha fan, and participated in RA and Gish a lot. I absolutely adored Misha, I led myself to believe he was the most amazing person in the world, obviously that’s the reaction he wanted to cultivate from us. Unfortunately I learned too much, experienced first hand and heard too much to be able to keep cheerleading for him. I feel bad for the people still under the spell of feeling like it’s their job to keep being defensive and unreasonably loyal to someone who you can’t and don’t really know and only have a superficial “relationship” with. Seeing the ever more unhealthy and toxic lengths people feel they need to go to to prop up his ego etc. The constant investment emotionally and financially that goes into it and the “sunk cost” if you let reality in makes it hard to let go I guess. Even he knows that what he’s done to gain and maintain relevance has attracted what he called multiple times an unhinged fan base he has to try and balance without losing his influence. I think he maybe had or has good intentions but his fame hungry drive and narcissistic personality traits win out in the end. The Heller’s seem to have, as always, taken what was said and blown it out of proportion, twisted things and created their own narrative. I do see them using key words from the interview a lot suddenly though to bully for him. So, I guess the dog whistle to the sycophants worked out. I hope that a time comes where they can have a more healthy relationship with the media and public figures they choose to gravitate towards. We can all get over zealous with things but there’s lines that shouldn’t be crossed. For some that seems sadly unlikely. I hope that Misha does indeed one day get himself in check as he calls it and I can feel comfortable to support him again. But so long as he’s being enabled and not held accountable again that seems sadly unlikely. Even though I do occasionally find myself being drawn in by the facade again a little and quickly retreating because the issues remain the same. There is a problematic dynamic in the Supernatural fandom for sure. That’s why for a long time I opted out and just watched the show separately from fandom. It’s why when I found out it was ending I had this odd sense of relief I wasn’t expecting to feel and it made me sad. I hope that now the show has aired its finale we can all reflect on things, hopefully be more self aware and objective and most importantly honest about what really has gone down and why. When things started turning sour there have been plenty of times it could have been nipped in the bud yet wasn’t. People who used this silly yet special show in selfish ways, times when walking away would have been better than sticking around trying to make things and people into something never intended to be, giving into tribalism while claiming we’re a family... for that I think we all hold a little piece of responsibility.

You can listen to it yourself on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0m07her5JUf0JGGtDVohtJ?si=c-RdyZzFQmSzffgNzZhkQg

#anti misha #anti misha collins #misha collins #supernatural #fandom #anti destihellers #strap in its a long one again #opinion #trying to be objective #alaina huffman #malik yoba #anti minions #misha #collins

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dimensionsunited · 4 years

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AUGUST 2020 DIMENSIONS ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULES & REVIEW

Members may earn 3 points each (up to 6 points) for writing, by the end of September 7 KST:

A solo para of 400+ words based on their monthly schedule (does not count toward your monthly total).

A thread of six posts (three per participant, including the starter) based on their monthly schedule.

Threads do not have to take place directly during an important date listed on the schedule, but must be related to what the muse is mentioned to be doing in the paragraph explaining their schedule/the company’s schedule for the month and/or their thoughts on the mentioned activities or lack thereof.

These schedules may be updated throughout the month if new information needs to be added.

Reminder: July schedule posts are due by the end of August 7 KST. Please do not post schedule posts in the fmdschedule tag.

OVERALL COMPANY

Last month’s photo sessions for the base Culture Complex were a success and it seems like the project is off to a solid start, although some idols may be called back in for reshoots, especially for the 3D imaging, as necessary this month. All of the idols under BC, Dimensions, and Gold Star have been tasked with a new duty for the building this month: filming videos that will accompany some of the museum exhibits. The videos will be once again filmed in a studio, this time in front of a green screen, and the idols will be asked to talk about their feelings about important career events like their trainee days, debut, song releases, and major achievements. They will be given all of the subjects they are expected to talk about beforehand to rehearse their answers, and the director may request different wording or delivery of their answers as seen fit. (admin note: Muns have freedom about the specific topics muses are asked to talk about here within the guidelines given above, but any talk about scandalous or negative occurrences will be avoided.)

Important dates:

August 1-August 31: base Culture Complex museum intro videos filming (admin note: muses may encounter idols from other companies while there).

DIMENSIONS SOLOIST 1

Her comeback single is recorded, so it’s time for her to get the choreography down and optimize her performance for the catchy dance performance and charisma she’s so known for. She also has her second fittings ahead of teaser shoots and music video filming next month to decide on the final comeback wardrobe, and at the end of the month, she’ll be joining the company’s other two soloists in Los Angeles for a weekend for KCON.

Important dates:

August 23: Second MV and stage outfit fittings.

August 29: Performance at KCON LA (also performing: Dimensions Soloist 2, Dimensions Soloist 3, 7ROPHY, and Gold Star Soloist 2).

DIMENSIONS SOLOIST 2

He holds two solo concert dates in Seoul this month, where he’ll include “When You Call My Name” in his set list to give his fans a preview of his next release (and so that Dimensions can monitor fan reactions and decide how much promotion budget to give the song). The following weekend, he’s off to Los Angeles with the rest of Dimensions’ soloist roster for another KCON, this time on the west coast of the US.

Important dates:

August 22: Zero concert at Yonsei University Main Auditorium in Seoul.

August 23: Zero concert at Yonsei University Main Auditorium in Seoul.

August 29: Performance at KCON LA (also performing: Dimensions Soloist 1, Dimensions Soloist 3, 7ROPHY, and Gold Star Soloist 2).

DIMENSIONS SOLOIST 3

She continues to rehearse for her upcoming solo concerts this month, and will continue to be filmed throughout them for her reality show. The domestic market is by far Dimensions’ focus for her now since she’s shown such potential success in it, but they’ve decided to send their full soloist roster to KCON LA this month, which means she’s giving her first solo performance overseas this month, too.

Important dates:

August 29: Performance at KCON LA (also performing: Dimensions Soloist 1, Dimensions Soloist 2, 7ROPHY, and Gold Star Soloist 2).

GAL.ACTIC

August brings their ninth anniversary since debut on the 28th, thought Dimensions hasn’t organized any event for the full group to celebrate for fans in lieu of hoping to raise anticipating for tenth anniversary activities next year. Members are still encouraged by management to put some extra thought into reaching out to fans this month, though. In the meantime, they continue preparing their comeback by learning and rehearsing the choreography for the title track and the choreography for b-side “Bad Man Crying”, and attending fittings as usual. From August 23 to 26, they’ll be in Los Angeles for a festival performance.

Important dates:

August 10: MV and stage outfit fitting.

August 25: Performance at Korea Times Music Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA, USA (also performing: Decipher, Unity, and Fuse).

ALIEN

Alien continue music show promotions throughout the month, alongside a busy schedule of fan signs. The album does well, only improving on their past sales, and the song is received well by fans despite going mostly under the radar for the public as most of their releases have since the lawsuit. The end of promotions signal continued work on their first English album as they’ve been doing for the past year or so now, as they film the MV for ”Middle of the Night”, which they’ll have finished recording in the studio earlier in the month.

Important dates:

August 1: Fan sign in Gangnam, Seoul.

August 2: Fan sign in Yongsan, Seoul.

August 9: Fan sign in Mapo, Seoul.

August 10: Fan sign in Yeouido, Seoul

August 17: Fan sign in Gangnam, Seoul.

August 20: End of music show promotions.

August 21: “Middle of the Night” MV filming.

August 29: Performance at KCON LA (also performing: Knight, Alien, Lucid, and Gold Star Soloist 3).

MARS

Preparations for MARS’s Japanese comeback continue as they’re taught the choreography for “Can’t Say” in the early weeks of the month. The wardrobe is simple for the music video this time, so they won’t have full fittings before the filming day for the music video comes on the twentieth. Mid-month, MARS are also met with the news that they’ll be making a Korean comeback in the fourth quarter and they’ll record the album in the second half of the month with a return to form of what they’re most known for: a darker concept.

Important dates:

August 20: “Can’t Say” MV filming.

7ROPHY

7ROPHY are fully dedicated to focusing on filming Queendom this month. For the cover song task, they’ll be covering a song originally performed by the group the NPC Soloist competing on the show originally belonged to, so the stakes are high to prove what they’ve got, especially after coming off such a successful first round for them. Full details of Queendom filming for this month can be found here. From August 28 to August 30, they’ll be in Los Angeles to perform at KCON LA.

Important dates:

August 24: Queendom episode three & four filming (cover song stage).

August 27: Episode one of Queendom airs.

August 29: Performance at KCON LA (also performing: Dimensions Soloist 1, Dimensions Soloist 2, Dimensions Soloist 3, and Gold Star Soloist 2).

UNITY

It’s comeback season for Unity after a full year without a comeback and it seems the wait has paid off. The comeback earns them not only the best digital charting of their careers, but also A-tier boy group physical sales and a music show win. There’s no questioning that they’re now the best-selling boy group of the company physically, even if MARS still outdoes them in the public recognition that earns high digitals. Dimensions grows more eager than ever to see the heights Unity can reach as the month draws to a close, and the general attitude of staff around them reflects both the pressure and relief of a successful comeback.

Important dates:

August 7: “Kick It” MV reaction video filming.

August 7: Release of “Kick It” & Unity Zone album, music show promotions continue through September 7.

August 8: Fan sign in Mapo, Seoul.

August 9: Fan sign in Gangnam, Seoul.

August 15: Fan sign in Seocho, Seoul.

August 23: Fan sign in Songpa, Seoul.

August 25: Performance at Korea Times Music Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA, USA (also performing: Decipher, Gal.actic, and Fuse).

August 29: Fan sign in Gangnam, Seoul.

↳ CHAMPION

As Decipher finishes promoting their comeback and Unity makes their own comeback, a hold is put on touring, but BC and Dimensions have managed to land the members of the sub-unit a deal with Korean Air and they’ll be recording a special CF song for a music and safety video collaboration to bring more international attention to Korean Air following CHAMPION”s success overseas and to bring more domestic attention to CHAMPION, who are still not wholly accepted as a unit by fans of their main groups.

Important dates:

August 27: Korean Air x CHAMPION “Let’s Go Everywhere” MV and Safety Video filming.

LUCID

Lucid wraps up their Welcome to The Dream World tour on the second and then they fly back to Seoul to finish preparing for their comeback. They film their music video on the sixth, but in addition to comeback rehearsals, they also begin rehearsing for their LOL Showcase tour, which will tour Asia and focus on the “normal realm” side of their concept instead of the nightmare one they just toured for. This tour is far less performance-focused due to having a more fanmeeting-style set list with games, longer talk sections, and a hi-touch at the end of each show, so the rehearsal period is much shorter. Their comeback on the seventeeth proves they weren’t a one-hit wonder as Navillera soars to the top of the charts like “Rough” did and “You and I” failed to.

Important dates:

August 2: Welcome to The Dream World concert at Teatro La Huaca in Panama City, Panama.

August 6: “Navillera” MV filming.

August 17: Release of “Navillera” & LOL album, music show promotions continue through September 17.

August 23: LOL Asia Showcase tour at Yes24 Live Hall in Seoul.

August 30: Performance at KCON LA (also performing: BC Soloist 1, Knight, Alien, and Gold Star Soloist 3)

#fmdschedule #queued post

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that-curly-haired-lesbian · 5 years

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The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo + Taylor Swift: a master post - Part 5/6

Hi guys, welcome to part 5 of my masterpost regarding parallels between Taylor Swift and Evelyn Hugo, the fictional actress from the book The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by author Taylor Jenkins Reid!

Before proceeding please be aware that there will be

**MAJOR SPOILERS**

for the book ahead and please also read my disclaimer!

It’s very important that you read these in order so if you haven’t yet go ahead and check out the previous part right here, thank you and enjoy!

“And then she calmly, confidently took my hand. I bristled, unsure if we should be touching in public, scared of what people would do. But the rest of the people on the street just kept on walking, kept on living their lives, almost entirely unaware or uninterested in the two famous women holding hands on the sidewalk.” (Pg. 234)

Admittedly not holding hands here, but this was actually the first thing that came into my head when I read the scene above…Here are some actual pictures of the girls holding hands in public though:

“We went out to dinner in public, the four of us looking like two pairs of heterosexuals, without a heterosexual in the bunch.” (Pg. 234)

This is once again Evelyn talking about their foursome of beards during the New York years and I believe this is something akin to what Taylor and Karlie were hoping to have with Josh and Joe/Tom (or whoever Taylor was meant to beard with long-term) pre-election disaster, hence that retrospectively embarrassing pap walk of Josh with Austin as a way to try and integrate Josh into to Taylor’s social circle so that her, her beard and Karlie and Josh could become “America’s favorite double daters” (as Evelyn describes it)

Obviously with the election turning out as it did Team Swift quickly reworked the plan.

Pages 234-238 is Evelyn talking of the Stonewall riots and how she remembers those days and there are specific parts of it that are interesting from a Gaylor/Kaylor point of view.

“Harry and I campaigned for Bobby Kennedy. Celia posed with Vietnam protesters on the cover of ‘Effect’. John was a vocal supporter of the civil rights movement and I had been a very public supporter of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” (x) (x)

“This was our people. And here they were, revolting against the police, in the name of their right to be themselves. While I was sitting in a golden prison of my own making.”

Gold cage, hostage to my feelings (x)

Evelyn, Celia, Harry and John discuss going to participate in the Stonewall riots, wishing they could be a part of this, of fighting for their own people, but ultimately Harry explains why they can’t best when he says:

“We go down there all we do is attract attention away from the cause and towards us. The story becomes about whether we are homosexuals and not about the rights of homosexuals.”

Still wanting to help make a difference the gang discuss how they best can help and come to the conclusion that their best contribution is funding.

Evelyn says about it all:

“Because of who I was, because of the sacrifices I made to hide parts of myself, I was able to give more money than most people ever see in their entire lifetime. I am proud of that. But it does not mean that I wasn’t conflicted. And of course, a lot of the time that ambivalence was even more personal than it was political. I knew it was imperative that I hide, and yet I did not believe I should have to. But accepting that something is true isn’t the same as thinking that it is just.”

Remember kids, closeted does not mean ashamed! Taylor accepting that she has to beard does not mean she likes it or even supports the practice. She uses her voice and her money to stand up for the LGBT+ community continuously and that in itself is a brave act for someone who is so deeply closeted!!

On page 241 Evelyn refers to herself as “the sort of person who liked being extravagant and absurd.” Basically she’s saying she was extra af™ which just sort of reminded me of how we often comment on how extra™ Taylor is with her hints and teases and it also reminded me of that time Taylor sarcastically referred to herself as “a very subtle person” The two quotes have the same energy if you will!

On Evelyn’s birthday the gang goes out to dinner and Celia makes a small “happy birthday, I love you”-type speech which was reminiscent of the birthday posts, sweet! (pg. 242)

(one of many of course)

“’You love me?’ She said. ‘Oh my God, what an understatement,’ I told her. ‘You love me so much you can’t see straight?’” (Pg. 245)

Too in love to think straight……………

Years after they last saw each other Evelyn meets back up with her abusive ex-husband, Don (one out of only two of her husbands who wasn’t a beard) when she’s put in a situation where the two of them have to do a movie together.

“‘I know it doesn’t make up for what I did to you,’ he said.

‘Good,’ I said. ‘Because it really doesn’t.’

‘But I hope it might make you feel a little better,’ he said, ‘to know that I know I was wrong, I know you deserved better, and I’m working every day to be a better man.’

‘Well, it’s awfully late now,’ I said. ‘You being a better man does nothing for me.’ (Pg. 256)

I wonder what we would’ve becomeeeee If you were a better mannnnn We might still be in loveeeee If you were a better mannnnn You would’ve been the onoooooe If you were a better mannnnnn

*The rest of Better Man plays softly in background*

On page 164 Evelyn gives Celia a bouquet of lilies which happens to be Karlie’s favorite flowers, Celia calls the flowers Gorgeous

When Celia finds out that Evelyn filmed a sex scene with her ex-husband without telling her she’s so upset she threatens to leave again, Evelyn’s reaction:

“I sobbed. And I pleaded. And I groveled, desperately, on my knees, having long ago learned the lesson that you have to throw yourself at the mercy of the things you truly want.” (Pg. 267)

If you walked away I’d beg you on my knees to stay

The scene on pages 267-268 where Evelyn begs Celia to take her back has major How You Get The Girl/Delicate/Don’t Blame Me vibes…It’s too long to quote, but I dare you to go read it and tell me I’m wrong!

“’I made people money. No one turns away money. They were all too happy to get me in their movies and then talk about me behind my back.’” (Pg. 270)

Evelyn says this after discussing the rampant slut-shaming of her following her many marriages and her 1970’s film 3AM which people deemed both unbecoming of a lady and unfeminist. She goes on to point out the duality of her image, while studios acknowledge that “sex sells” and therefore want Evelyn in their movies due to the audience pull she has they also slut shame her for her numerous marriages and choices in roles. When Monique points out that this eventually turned out fine as people these days praise Evelyn for her role in the film Evelyn points out:

“’It’s all fine in hindsight,’ […] ‘Except that I spent years with a scarlet A on my chest,’ […]” (Pg. 270)

Does the phrase “a scarlet A” sound familiar? Well, I bet ya:

You were Romeo I was a scarlet letter

and

We show off our different scarlet letters

Trust me, mine is better

Also sound familiar, right? In several of my queer analyses of Taylor’s songs I bring up the fact that “scarlet letter” refers not only to the literal scarlet A on main character Hester’s clothes, but also to the concept of sin in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter. (x) (x) (x)

I continue to point out that I think Taylor uses the concept of the scarlet letter as sin to refer to her (in the eyes of the entertainment industry) scandalous secret homosexuality, the “celebrity sin” she’s guilty of.

Evelyn uses the analogy here to refer to her own status as “a sex pot” (her words, pg. 269) in Hollywood. She says that she is a “sex pot” of Hollywood’s own creation not only by the increasingly sexually charged roles she took on during the 70’s but also because of the numerous husbands the industry forced her to take as to not be outed. By forcing bearding on her the industry opened the doors for the constant slut shaming directed at Evelyn and I feel the industry has done much the same to Taylor. The recent for the slut-shaming she’s had to endure is (like Evelyn) the numerous men she’s dated, but she only did that to hide the truth of her (far fewer) true (gay) relationships. Considering my previous points on Taylor and the scarlet-letter/sin-metaphor I thought Evelyn’s use of the analogy here interesting and noteworthy. It is of course interesting too, that the movie for which Evelyn received the most scrutiny and shaming happens to be called 3AM, we all know that Taylor mentions 2AM rather frequently in her songs about love, which are of course where she has received the most scrutiny, her songs and all the “numerous boys” they are supposedly about. I pointed out this similarity between Evelyn’s movie title and a frequent motif in Taylor’s music earlier in this analysis, but thought it was worth pointing out 3AM as a possible blanket-metaphor for Taylor’s music within the context of this book yet again.

“I broke Celia’s heart because I spent half my time loving her and the other half hiding how much I loved her.” (Pg. 271)

Sometimes when I look into your eyes I pretend you’re mine all the damn time

Your love is a secret I’m hoping, dreaming, dying to keep

“I loved Celia and I shared my truth only with Celia.” (pg. 271)

Even in my worst light, you saw the truth in me

Just like Evelyn Taylor is saying that even when her public reputation is bad and also very far from the actual true narrative of her life Karlie is the one that actually knows the truth and the only one she can share the full extent of that truth with.

“I did a lot of things that hurt a lot of people and I’d do them all again if I had to.” (Pg. 172)

Those are Evelyn’s words and yet all I can hear are Taylor’s…

Theeeeeey say I did something BAD […] And I'd do it over and over and over again if I coUUUUld

“I had very little energy left to try to hide who we were. I had learned all too well that pain is sometimes stronger than the need to keep up appearances.” (Pg. 274)

It would seem that in the Reputation era Taylor too has very little energy left to try and hide, she has previously learnt all too well what keeping up appearances can cost you.

Thanks so much for reading, check out part 6, the finale!

#tshoeh #tshoeh spoilers #the seven husbands of evelyn hugo #gaylor swift #kaylor #masterpost

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vomiting-out-words · 6 years

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Boyfriend’s Background Commentary - The Twilight Saga Part Dos

Movie: Twilight - New Moon

Director: Chris Weitz

Cinematography: Javier Aguirresarobe

Budget: 50 million USD

Release Date: November 20th, 2009 (Canada)

Watched: August 30th, 2018

Boyfriend: @shiftaria

Part Uno - Part Dos - Part Tres - Part Cuatro - Part Cinco

After literally taking five minutes to even getting to the movie, due to the boyfriend shitting around and making many references made about my breaks due to the position he got me into, we finally pressed play. Shifter is telling me all about how he barely remembers the movies, and he’s very confused about the opening scene. Very professional. He’s also making the connection between the heavy reference Romeo and Juliet.

Oh, and sexual comment, commenting on Jacob’s long, beautiful hair. Right, it’s Bella’s birthday. Edward is fucking jealous of Jacob… Apparently, Edward is also a fuck boy, which I wouldn’t put past him, mainly because they imaged him that way. Kind of bothered by that since he’s much more respecting. The acting is much better than the first one, at least that’s my opinion.

We have gotten to the wonderful birthday scene by this point. Now, Shifter was really hyped about it due to the Volturi. I mean, Michael Sheen is a really good actor and makes a wonderful addition to the cast. Also, the phase with the painting was beautifully done, and just really makes it a cool way to get the backstory on characters. Now, when the party actually starts, I actually get rather confused. Wrapping paper does NOT cause that bad of a paper cut, and like I get Jasper is still getting used to blood, but like, none of these reactions have happened before. There have to be other times before that moment for Jasper, so why react now? He knows Bella is taken, he’s been around her when she was dying on the floor of the ballet studio. Yet now he’s reacting, what stopped him before? So many questions and like no answers.

Que sad cutscene about the soul and sad music video; while music lyrics are connected to anything Shakespeare related, Shifter is really picking up on that, he has been since the movie started. I’m glad he is, but it seems like the movie got that point across a lot better than the book did, as the book only gave the reader really angsty teenage girl diary for the most of it.

Finally, Edward appears again, like he’s off to a funeral. He tells Bella that his family and himself are leaving, using a very half-ass excuse about Carlisle. Really, Edward starts using emotional manipulation to get her to understand, bringing a real dick about all of it. Oh, and why the conversation has to be so far out into the forest? Great question, Shifter, we honestly have no clue. It was actually really stupid because as soon as Edward leaves, she chases after him, eventually getting herself lost. Would really help if we knew what Charlie was doing during all of this.

Shifter made an excellent point about the camera angles that were used for the goodbye when Edward gave that final kiss. As the angle started normal, Bella’s world felt right, it was perfect, then the angle started to become tilted, showing that Bella’s world was falling about in those very seconds.

“Oh! One pec! And called it!” -Shifter

Now, at this point, we paused because we were having a conversation that all the natives in this movie are from Canada, and it seems to be true.

Fun Fact: Shifter and I are both Canadian.

Back to the movie. We get a really nice time transition, with a really good monologue, showing what Bella was going through, what Charlie was dealing with. Finally, we get back to character conversation, where Charlie is trying to do the proper thing for his daughter. It’s really amazing that Charlie is trying to so hard to help his daughter. He loves her, yet stepping up into full-time father mode, it’s still pretty hard. Charlie will support his daughter in any way he can.

This next scene was really strange, because of ghost!Edward. Like I know in the book Bella is literally going crazy with grief at this point, but doing something stupid and dangerous to invoke those hallucinations should be red flags. Personally, I think it would have been better if Edward actually looked like he was there, rather than like cigarette smoke, kind of made it less of an impact to the movie. Thanks to Jessica literally putting the idea into Bella’s head that she needs to do the crazy shit to invoke an Edward Episode, she gets two dirt bikes, taking them to Jacob, because she needs help to rebuild them.

We once again paused because Shifter pointed out does twilight, a new moon, an eclipse, or the first light of dawn vanishing the horrible night have to do with vampires? Like that’s all werewolf stuff, none of that can be traced back to vampire myths. I actually had to take a step back, quest what this story was even about anymore like none of it made sense. At least now. Really messed up with this.

Ah, the famous age conversation strikes again, it’s interesting, but very unnecessary truthfully. Especially since it started to turn into a cougar joke.

“I am very confused by my teenage daughter. Send help.” -Charlie Swan, 2018 (Shifter)

I really like Jacob being around Bella like their relationship is nowhere as toxic has her’s and Edward’s. It’s healthier for Bella too. Jacob is a really great person as well. Shifter needed to point out that when Jacob and Bella were driving that is was really old school Hollywood, something I never really paid attention to before. Anyway, more backstory about Sam and a bit about why Jacob is really paranoid, well, bothered by him. It’s a good way to get information since the movie was getting to the point where it would be picking up its pace due to oncoming conflict about plot movement. Jacob and Bella ride bikes, Bella gets her Edward Episode, only to hurt herself, which leads to Jacob becoming shirtless, which was very welcomed by myself since these wolf boys are very good looking and a lot more character development than any of the vampires, at least in the movie, both parties were given equal development in the books, and you knew more about them.

Anyways, with Bella spending time with Jacob, she’s becoming more human again. With that, she’s becoming social with her friends again, even planning a night to the movies with her friends. Only for Bella to be stuck between Mike and Jacob, who both have a thing for her. Though, Jacob, he makes a move, even understands her. Only Mike to return and somehow gets under Jacob’s skin.

We actually all know why.

Bella is once again in distress, trying all her options to get ahold of him until she finally just drives to his house, in the pouring rain. Now there is Jacob; short hair, tattoo, and no shirt. Very hot. And Bella accuses Jacob of breaking up with her, fine choice of words, Bella. They exchange ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ conversation, but Jacob is really worried about hurting Bella due to seeing what can happen if he loses his temper in front of Bella. All of this leads to Bella coming up with the bright idea to travel out into the forest to the field. Not safe at all.

Seriously, it’s a terrible idea considering she runs into Laurent, who came to Forks on a favor to Victoria. Bella can’t lie to save her life either, almost leading her to get killed once again. The only reason she was saved this time was huge ass wolves, that everyone decided to think were bears, even Angela mentions about them a few scenes back. Bella rushes home to tell Charlie and Harry is over. It’s very clear that Harry knows about the wolves, so he agrees to help Charlie.

That very same night, someone comes knocking at her door, well, window, and it’s Jacob. Who really is trying to tell her what is up, and the kicker is; as Jacob verbally says on screen, Bella already knows. Thankfully, it only takes her a night to sleep on it, with a really fucked dream to go along with it all. Cut to her bargaining into the Black Household, needing to see Jacob, only for her to find Jacob sleeping. All seemed well with the world until her eyes locked onto Sam Uley and the others showing up. Storming out as Bella ‘Fight Me’ Swan towards them, yelling, even going as far as to slap Paul Lahote; who fought back, Really dumb on Bella’s part, almost leading to herself getting killed again, under twenty-four hours. Embry Call and Jared Cameron take Bella back to Emily Young’s house; Sam’s fiance. Emily has a really bad scar on the right side of her face due to Sam accidentally losing his temper. The pack is rather welcoming of Bella, Paul even apologizes to her once he returns from fighting with Jacob.

Now, it’s finally known why Victoria keeps coming to Forks, the only issue, the pack never knew until now. This leaves the movie to show what is going on when Bella decides to go cliff diving a few days later because she needs her Edward Episode. Only issue is, Bella doesn’t pay attention to the condition of the ocean. And considering Victoria jumping into the water to get away from Jacob earlier, not surprising that Victoria sees Bella in the water. Que Bella hitting her head and start stinking.

“I thought Edward’s power waw to read other's mind, not Force Projection.” -Shifter.

“Oh! Sexy McWet!” -Shifter @Jacob

How Jacob found Bella is something I totally forgot from the book, but sadness; Harry Clearwater is dead due to Victoria. Now, Jacob is really starting to open up to Bella about all of this, telling her about Sam and Emily. They almost kiss, I might as well scream because Jacob is so much better than Edward. Just Bella is stupid and doesn't listen to Jacob when she sees Carlisle’s car, because she’s going to take the risk. And surprise, there is Alice, making Bella really lucky, because it could have easily been Victoria as well. This is where the viewers find out that Alice can’t see past the pack. Oh, and Jacob doesn’t give a shit about rules and there’s apparently something totally between Jacob and Bella- Oh, wait, phone rings. Great, cockblocked again and Bella, you fucking suck.

Road Trip to Italy, to save the asshole that is an emotional manipulation, but whatever. Alice also steals a car and speeds, all calm, like nothing is wrong. There’s Bella in the passenger freaking the fuck out because they only had five minutes. Skip to Bella literally telling Edward that she can let him go, so just let her go, Edward! In comes, the Volturi, who are all wonderfully cast, and Shifter clearly has a boner for Aro; who is played by the wonderful Michael Sheen (I wouldn’t stop writing his name). Just the Volturi is beautiful, and very well played. This entire scene is just masterfully done, it suits such an old coven that is the government of all vampires. Also, Michael Sheen speaks beautiful Italian.

I literally don’t speak Italian, so this is just my observation. It sounds like he’s been practicing it for years.

Then surprise, Bella is in bed, back home in Forks. Edward is back, I am just upset, he could have just let her go, the Volturi wouldn’t be marking the Cullen’s down in their black books. They even go as far as to put Bella’s immortality to a vote, really torturing Edward, which he deserves. Sadly, Rosalie is the only one who’s said no. Kind of wish that more of them said no because Bella deserves so much better. Thank god Jacob is a no too, but he’s so wounded. Bella, you damn bitch.

Also, HOW IS A PROPOSAL A GOOD WAY TO END A MOVIE?!

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wbwest · 7 years

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New Post has been published on WilliamBruceWest.com

New Post has been published on http://www.williambrucewest.com/2017/08/04/west-week-ever-pop-culture-review-8417/

West Week Ever: Pop Culture In Review - 8/4/17

In movie news, Sharknado 5: Global Swarming premieres this Sunday, and The Hollywood Reporter had a great article about the history of the franchise. For one thing, Donald Trump was originally approached to play the President in Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, but his people were stalling because he was mulling a run for the actual presidency. When the producers moved on to cast Mark Cuban, Trump got pissed and his people threatened to sue (on what grounds, nobody knows). Also, the production was renamed to Dark Skies because the name Sharknado was turning off potential actors. To the cast’s chagrin, however, it was changed back to Sharknado at release.

The main takeaway from the article is the pay situation. In the beginning, star Ian Ziering was offered $100,000 to do the first film. He reportedly only took it because his wife was pregnant and he needed to keep up his SAG membership for the health insurance. Over time, however, his pay ballooned and he currently makes about $500,000 a film – which, as folks point out, is more than the $300,000 Gal Gadot reportedly made to star in Wonder Woman. This really shouldn’t come as a surprise, though. For one thing, superhero films kinda pay on the low-ish side because there are so many moving parts. The pay tends to start low and then grows over time. By the third or fourth movie, the stars are, then, basically too expensive to keep, so it becomes renegotiation or reboot time. Plus, as I said on Twitter, washed up TV star in a “water cooler” franchise outranks unproven movie star in unstable cinematic universe. Yes, Wonder Woman was a great film, but to say that Gadot deserved more money is simply Monday morning quarterbacking. Nobody was worried about her pay before the film came out because, frankly, nobody gave a shit about her. She’ll eventually make her money, while Ziering will be begging for a Sharknado revival, as the series is clearly on its last legs based on the ratings. Sharknado is a funny thing because the social media impressions actually outnumber its ratings. So, folks feel the need to talk about Sharknado even if they’re not watching Sharknado.

The real crime about pay, though, is that Tara Reid only makes about $125,000 to Ziering’s $500,000 (his salary is about 1/6th the budget of Sharknado 5). When she spoke up about it, they created a poll to the public following Sharknado 3, asking whether or not her character should die. Lucky for her, the fans wanted her back (Production company Asylum claims the poll and her request were unrelated, but we aren’t stupid here).

Anyway, I’m sure I’ll watch even though the last installment was a chore to get through. The franchise really peaked at Sharknado 2: The Second One, but they generate buzz, so they keep coming. I’m still pissed about the last movie, where Ziering’s character, Finn, has a Black daughter-in-law who gets killed by a shark. Not only does the family not react, but she’s never mentioned again. It’s clearly the result of some terrible editing, but I can’t tell if they edited out reactions to her death OR if they edited in the character after the movie was basically done. I figure we’ll get to 6 and then they’ll have to think of something else. It’s too bad the Lavalantula franchise hasn’t enjoyed the same buzz, as I enjoy those pseudo Police Academy reunions.

In TV news, a LOT of folks are upset about that Confederate show that I mentioned last week, even calling for a boycott of HBO. Some folks have reminded the boycotters that their actions would hurt other Black shows on the network, like Insecure and Ballers. Instead, they encouraged that folks make their voices heard directly to HBO, using the hashtag #NoConfederate during its most watched hour last week, Game of Thrones. Well, in seeming retaliation for the show, producer Will Packer and The Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder are creating Black America for Amazon. Whereas Confederate would follow a United States on the brink of its 3rd Civil War, Black America would follow an alternate reality where freed Blacks were given Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi as reparations, and the sovereign nation of New Colonia is formed. Meanwhile, its neighbor to the north, The United States, is in a bad state of affairs. New Colonia is about to become a world power, while the US is slipping. Due to their proximity, their fates are tied together, but clearly the Black folks are doing better than everyone else.

Is it wrong that I have no interest in either show? I mean, I have no desire to see slavery still going in Confederate, but the whole premise of Black America just sounds like it’s doing too much, and feels more reactionary than anything. I mean, why didn’t we hear about this project before Confederate was announced? And the problem is that both projects are so far in their infancy that they won’t be happening any time soon, if they happen at all. I know the announcement appeased a lot of the anti-Confederate crowd, but neither sounds like a “good” show from what we’ve heard, and I almost feel like they take us away from having the race dialogue that a lot of folks feel we so sorely need as a country. What are y’all’s thoughts on these shows?

In other TV news, it was announced that ABC’s The Middle would be ending after its upcoming 9th season. This elicited to a lot of responses of “That show’s still on?”, and I immediately understood why Trump won. As the title suggests, the show focused on a middle class family, in the middle of the country, as they struggle to make it through. Over the past 8 years, they have been emblematic of the types of voters who feel their voices aren’t being heard as their situations get tighter. That’s the show’s audience, even though they’re not the glamorous demographic that Madison Avenue covets. I actually really enjoy the exploits of the Heck family, but I understand that the show’s not “hip” or “cool”, so it flew under a lot of folks’ radar. The upcoming Roseanne revival has been described as focusing on the Conners as they try to make their way in Trump’s America, but I’d argue that The Middle did it first, and will probably be looked upon as the most accurate depiction when the dust settles.

Across the dial, it was finally confirmed that Erinn Hayes’s character on CBS’s Kevin Can Wait will, in fact, be killed off. The show will pick up after some time has passed, paving the way for Kevin James to reunite with his The King of Queens costar Leah Remini. I understand shows sometimes need a retool, but all evidence was pointing to the show as a moderate success. The only sticking point was Remini guested in the season finale, and suddenly everyone wanted that chemistry back. To me, I’m good. I still have 8 seasons of The King of Queens to look back on (I don’t count that last season because it felt like they hated each other by that point, surprising me that they’d reunite. To me, this is almost like Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell doing a new show together). Hayes will bounce back, as she’s already been cast in Amazon’s The Dangerous Book for Boys, but I still don’t feel like the show did her right.

In comics news, it was revealed that the Milestone comic line’s reboot has been stalled because the creators behind it were trying to cut out the estate of co-creator Dwayne McDuffie. If you’re not familiar, the Milestone line was comprised of a bunch of minority-focused superhero books from the early 90s. There was Hardware (Black Iron Man), Rocket (Black Captain Marvel?), Blood Syndicate (Black…I dunno. I didn’t read that one). Oh, and Static (Black Lightning Jr, basically). The original creators were Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Derek T. Dingle, and Michael Davis (if we ever meet, ask me my Michael Davis stories. Dude is crazy, but I ain’t putting that stuff in writing for him to find it).

A few years back, they announced a revival of the Milestone brand, but Davis had been cut out and replaced by former BET head Reginald Hudlin. They kept saying an announcement was forthcoming, while Davis took to the internet saying it’ll never happen. He was hurt he’d been left out of something he’d had a hand in creating, but he also knew there were roadblocks that the group wouldn’t be able to get over.

Well, this week, McDuffie’s widow sued the group because his estate had been left out of recent negotiations, as Cowan, Dingle, and Hudlin were going to create a new entity to cut out McDuffie’s stake. There’s a lot of potential in the franchise, with recent cries for representation in fantasy media, but I’d like to go on record and say that those books just weren’t very good. They were just Black characters the same quality of the Image output of the time. I used to read Hardware and that book, ugh…Maybe they’ve got some fresh new takes on the characters, but I don’t think they’re even interested in comics at this point. They just want to control the intellectual property. Anyway, for all McDuffie did in the comic industry, it seems like he was constantly screwed over, even in death. I hope his estate is at least getting some money for the use of Damage Control (which he created) in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but I know it was work-for-hire blah blah blah. Anyway, here’s hoping Mrs. McDuffie gets what she’s owed.

Things You Might Have Missed This Week

Divergent franchise sequel, Ascendant, is now being developed as an ongoing TV series for Starz

The Black-ish spinoff, college-ish will now known as grown-ish

Vin Diesel is reportedly working on a Miami Vice reboot on NBC for the 2018-2019 season. I really hope they set it in the 80s. Otherwise, it’s just gonna be nothing but Pitbull and Flo Rida cameos…

The Will & Grace revival has already been renewed, despite the fact it hasn’t aired yet. It was also revealed that it will ignore the series finale, just like Roseanne…

Late 90s MTV staple, Total Request Live (TRL) will return in October, with FIVE hosts. I guess they’re trying to bring back that VJ position again.

Speaking of MTV, hot on the heels of removing gendered categories, MTV has changed the coveted Video Music Award from the Moon Man to the Moon Person. It will be able to use any space bathroom that it chooses.

Soap actor Hartley Sawyer will recur as The Elongated Man this season on The Flash

Speaking of the Arrowverse, the next 4-show crossover will take place over two nights this season, November 27th and 28th

Apparently hot ass Scientologist Catherine Bell from JAG has been on a show on Hallmark Channel called Good Witch for the past three years. Who knew? Anyway, it’s been renewed for a fourth season

Aussie actress Teagan Croft cast as Raven in the Titans series

Amazon is adding Carsey-Werner shows such as Roseanne, 3rd Rock from the Sun, A Different World, Cybill, Grace Under Fire, and Grounded for Life to its streaming library

Pacific Rim: Uprising‘s release has been moved from Feb 23 to March 23

Hasbro has called off talks to buy Lionsgate. In other news, apparently Hasbro was trying to buy Lionsgate.

Agent Carter‘s Hayley Atwell will reportedly join Ewan McGregor in Disney’s Christopher Robin

Formerly a staple of Baltimore Comic Con, the Harvey Awards will move to New York Comic Con in 2018

They’ll be calling it Hawaii Five-WHOA, as Joey Lawrence is slated to guest star on the CBS series this season

Because he’s never turned down a job, Nick Cannon will host Lip Sync Battle Shorties, a kid-centered spinoff of Lip Sync Battle to air on Nickelodeon

During the 2017 Teen Choice Awards, Fox will experiment with 6-second commercials. This is how that subliminal programming shit starts!

Remembering where he came from, Kenan Thompson (who’s also now the longest-standing SNL cast member) is reportedly developing a live action sketch show for kids.

Transformers spinoff, Bumblebee, will open against Aquaman on December 21st, 2018

Blumhouse Television is bringing horror reality show Scare Tactics back to TV

Due to how he perceives Starz doesn’t appreciate his show, 50 Cent has threatened to snatch Power off the network.

Pokemon: I Choose You will get a two-night theatrical run in November. I’m not telling you the dates because the movie is a retelling of Ash & Pikachu’s meeting, yet it removes Brock and Misty from the story. Fuck this movie!

So, there was some crazy stuff in the comic industry this week, as a picture of of some women Marvel editors brought out the crazies. It all started with this pic:

Marvel editor Heather Antos and some other female editors got together for milkshakes, and based on the hashtag, it was to honor recently deceased former Marvel secretary “Fabulous Flo” Steinberg. A seemingly innocent thing, right? Well, here was the reaction on social media:

Wow, right? From dudes making inappropriate sexual remarks to folks blaming this on Social Justice Warriors, a certain corner of the internet lost its mind over some damn milkshakes.

But then came the backlash to the backlash. Fans and creators started posting pics in solidarity with the ladies.

The support even came from the “Distinguished Competition”, as they tweeted the following pic:

What started out as a snake bed for trolls turned into a show of solidarity that not only shed light on what women editors face on a daily basis, but also seemed to strengthen some relationships “across the aisle”. I mean, this is the best Marvel/DC crossover since Amalgam! As I said on Twitter, when history classes look back on this period in time, they will see that it was not blockbuster events but milkshakes that saved the comic industry. That’s why female comic editors had the West Week Ever.

By the way, I’m apparently 16 years old because I just signed up for Sarahah. So, swing by and leave me some anonymous comments. Oh, and please don’t make me cry!

#80s #Comics #DC #Image #Marvel #Movies #Music #Pop #Race #Social Media #Television #West Week Ever

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kimbugii-blog1 · 7 years

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MY TOP 11 AND WHYS

(I repeat, MY―in case someone sees this, misses those capitalized letters, gets triggered and demands why he and he aren’t on the list ^^;)

In no particular order:

Kim Jonghyun < Pledis >

Okay okay I am biased, but I’m proud to say that at least I chose the right bias. Hehe. He’s definitely quality leader material, I love his rapping and aura when he dances, and all in all I so regret just passing by NU’EST after their debut years ago... from now on I’ll be watching closely and lovingly lol ;; Ah and to their agency, you better treat the boys properly like you do with SVT and Pristin after this.

Park Jihoon < Maroo >

This boy reminded me so much of Jeon Jungkook since the very first time he appeared on screen on episode 1 haha I dunno if I’m the only one who notes the resemblance... well, besides his wink attack, I think he’s talented all-around. I can predict he’s going to be the visual of the future boy group if he doesn’t become the center. I love the dissing on his fashion hahaha, is he a fashion terrorist for real or it’s just for his character?

Ong Seungwoo < Fantagio >

Do I even have to explain why?! This guy has it all as well, total triple threat! Wait, I’m not so sure about rapping, but well, let’s just consider handsome looks part of the triple threat formula xD Not to mention his sense of humor is charming too, and in any case he ventures into acting after his idol activities in the future, I’ll be there stanning hard! If his acting is good, that is.

Kang Daniel < MMO >

Undeniably, he caught my eye in the level auditions (not because of his pink hair and adorable eye-smile. No no no. LOL) His dancing absolutely has force and charisma in it. Plus the way he always looks at Woojin like a proud, real hyung hihi (although yeah we all know how Mnet purposely edits everything according to how they want =_=)

Kim Samuel < Brave >

URGENT!!!1!!! SOMEONE FREAKING SAVE SAMUEL, EVERYONE!!!!!!! aLRIGHT IT’S ALRIGHT THAT HE’S DROPPING IN THE RANKS AS OF NOW, BUT PLEASE PLEASE KEEP HIM IN THE FINAL 11!!!! I read a comment that “he’s born for this” FCK YEAH HE WAS. Seriously, I’m gonna be so upset if he doesn’t make it... I’ll go as far as say I won’t support the future boy group at all. Huhu. Drama aside, he’s another triple threat, right? Just how many triple threats will be in the group *-*

Hwang Minhyun < Pledis >

Hm hm, we have many visuals already- *whispers* the more the merrier lmao. Why add another one? Well... it’s not like international fans can control the K-fangirls voting for him. I don’t think he’ll be booted from the top 11 until the end. Now hey, I’m not against the boy at all, I love him and his deadpan, uninterested expressions lolol. And his laughter ♥♥ You’ve heard his sweet, gentle vocals in the Downpour stage? Check out “Daybreak” too then ♥

Lee Daehwi < Brand New Music >

I hate how Mnet ruined his image by their evil editing... sure, he was kind of ‘greedy’ when he was chosen as center for It’s Me, summoned all the issuemaker trainees to his team during the group battles, wanted to be center again in Boy in Luv (though Jihoon was picked at the end...) But my question is, who isn’t greedy on the show? Samuel showed his ambitious and serious side too when they were fighting for It’s Me center, no? He’s just a year younger than Daehwi. At the end of the day, Daehwi’s only a 17-year-old, he’s still a child. People should chill. Anyways, I was impressed by him from the very start when it was revealed that he was the one who produced the My Hollywood song the BNM trainees auditioned with, and it was quite an awesome song. He’ll do wonders for the future group!

Yoon Jisung < MMO >

Awww, I just love him!!! His expressions and reactions are life from the beginning. And yeah, that probably came huge into play and made people vote for him, so can bashers stop throwing shit on him? Rumors such as he reached #3 in the first ranking evalution thanks to his agency’s connections with Mnet... wtf? It’s not like he did bad in his team’s 10 out of 10 stage either? And he’s not ugly at all, to those who refuse to stop hating on him. He’s adorable, and actually handsome to me. Just because someone doesn’t fit your beauty standards doesn’t mean you can shit on them all you want.

Lai Guanlin < Cube >

I... was... hesitating putting him here.... at first, I couldn’t really understand why lots of people were voting for him and he was so high up in the ranks. Simply due to his good looks? His baby chick character? (FINE I SURRENDER) Okay, maybe I understand better. Indeed, I’ve noticed that he’s a stan attractor... that would be an advantage for the future group. My initial impression of him during the auditions wasn’t appealing, but I guess he’ll improve with hard work. I like how the older trainees are taking care of him, it’s so cute- *coughDONGHOcough*

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kurrentkorruption · 7 years

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I CAN’T BELIEVE I SAW EXO AND BSB IN THE SAME WEEK

I mentioned a while ago that I was going to see EXO in LA, and I am finally home and rested enough to actually detail my boy band vacation. I didn’t just see EXO - I also went to Las Vegas to see the Backstreet Boys at the Axis Theater in Planet Hollywood. I’m putting this on this blog because this is a story of kpop... eventually. Anyway, behind the cut is the full of it.

My tale actually starts on Sunday, April 23rd, when I woke up with part of my rear upper-right molar being inexplicably gone. It was there when I went to bed, and when I woke up, it was gone. It was gone between the gum line and the middle of the tooth, working transversely from the dorsal portion of the tooth to the ventral side. The enamel and a good amount of the dentine was missing, but thankfully the pulp was in tact, leaving the nerves unexposed. However, it but my breakfast short, because upon noticing that my tooth was missing a chunk of it, I stopped eating and immediately had to find an emergency dentist, because no normal dentist is going to be open at 9am on a Sunday. Anyway, six hours and two fillings later (my initial filling fell out not 15 minutes after it had been placed, so I had to get a revision), my tooth was finally okay. This wasn’t really how I wanted to start my boy band week, especially since it meant that I had to be careful with everything that I ate from that point on. (I stopped being careful the more that fatigue and sleep deprivation settled in.)

The next day, I dropped off my dog at the dogsitter and obtained money and made final preparations for the trip. The dogsitter is on the other side of the city. She’s a coworker and she’s really nice. Anyway, Walter the Yorkie got to spend time with his chocolate lab friend named Paige. He was tuckered out when I picked him up yesterday, so I know he had fun!

After dropping the little dog off with the dogsitter, I got a message from my brother saying that we were going to be taking a different flight to Las Vegas on Tuesday. What I haven’t mentioned yet is that we (my family and myself) fly on stand-by because my mother used to work for United; we have flight benefits, but calling them a benefit is a stretch when it really means that we almost never get to go on the flights that we want. In fact, our history with getting seats on planes is so terrible that in order for me (and my dad) to get to Los Angeles from Las Vegas in time for the EXO concert, we had to buy an actual seat on a a different airline in order to ensure that I wouldn’t be late for the concert. What the message from my twin brother meant was that our early morning flight wasn’t looking good for seats that we could obtain, so we needed to go on a different flight. This meant one good thing, however: I could sleep in on Tuesday.

Tuesday arrived and my brother and I got hot dogs for lunch then drove to the Indianapolis airport. The rest of the day was us being trapped in Houston because every flight was overbooked. We didn’t get out of Houston until after 10pm, arriving in Las Vegas very late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning. The whole reason we were going to Las Vegas in the first place wasn’t even for me to see BSB, but because it was my dad’s birthday. BSB was something we were planning after planning to go to LV for his birthday. His birthday was Tuesday. His entire 60th birthday was him being on planes and trapped in airports. I felt really bad for him. :(

Wednesday was the day of the BSB concert. I haven’t mentioned this yet, but three weeks prior to us going on this vacation, my mother fell in the shower and broke her back. More specifically, she fractured 4 ribs on her left side and had a compression fracture at the T12 level. She’s been in pain for weeks. Because of this, we ended up letting her stay at the hotel on Wednesday while my dad, my brother, and I walked along the Strip and tried our best to figure out the most convenient and simple way for me and my mom to get to and from the BSB concert without my mom injuring herself further or becoming too worn out. Ever since I was little, my mom has come with me to every BSB concert I have ever gone to. She loves BSB just as much as I do; before she broke her back, the BSB concert tickets were a birthday gift for me from her. She didn’t know she was going to injure herself like that. It was meant to be a mother-daughter bonding time while my brother and dad bonded in the casinos.

We eventually found a simple enough route to take so that mom wouldn’t be in too much pain, and we headed back to the hotel. My dad hadn’t anticipated mom’s injury, so we stayed two blocks off the Strip, which made everything Very Difficult. We ended up buying bus passes to mitigate some of the long stretches that would exacerbate my mom’s pain reactions. It’s not like she doesn’t have medication, but she was prescribed opiates and we all fear that she’ll become addicted if she takes too many. The drugs that aren’t opiates do very little to help her pain, so we have to be careful so that her pain doesn’t flare up enough to necessitate taking the opiates.

That night, we all did our long journey to Planet Hollywood, coursing through casinos and hotels, stopping every few minutes to let my mom rest, before we arrived at the Miracle Mile Mall and the Axis Theater. We had eaten dinner as a family and parted abruptly as a heaving throng of women lined up to see their idols. We were shoved into a line and ushered quickly into the theater, we bought some merch (I bought a cute grey-and-purple raglan for myself and bought my mom a black t-shirt) and made it to our seats with time to spare.

The concert was SO INCREDIBLY GOOD!! It started with a beautiful VCR compilation of clips going chronologically from BSB’s beginnings to now, with remixes of all of their popular songs woven together. It was wonderful! Then the concert started and the boys came down from the ceiling in light-up boxes with images of their faces on them and they sang Larger Than Life! They danced as strongly as they did when I first say them when I was a young teenager, doing moves that I thought were only reserved for the most hardcore of modern kpop groups. Their choreography is so tight that you can’t even tell that they’re middle aged! (I dare say that their dancing was even more slick than EXO’s, and Howie was dancing with an injured knee!) All in all, I was incredibly impressed and enjoyed every single minute of it! My poor mom had to sit down a lot through it, which was okay during the VCR and ment portions. The only complaint was that there were two tall men in front of us that impeded our views a lot of the time; also, there were two incredibly drunk people in the row in front of us who were bothering EVERYONE around them. Other than that, it was a fantastic show!

The next day, we were tired. Not from the concert, but from dad barging into the room at 3am to tell us some ridiculous story despite how we all wanted to just go to sleep. In the morning, he insisted that it was mom who wanted him to tell the story and keep us all awake, but as we were ALL AWAKE, we told him that he never gave us the option of hearing the story in the morning because he just went into in without regard for our sleep cycles. He later said that he regretted that entire night.

(I’m not telling this from my dad’s perspective because he makes it far more innocent that what context clues would actually tell you. The story was that he, being far too nice of a person, basically intervened in what was going to be some lady and some dude going to a hotel on the strip to have a one-night stand. The lady had never gone to the Strip before and the dude who was big-time flirting with her was offering to take her to the Strip and see some of the big hotels and then they could eat and stay at one of them overnight. My dad barged in and wanted to tag along since he was on a machine near them. The dude didn’t want my dad to go, and the lady didn’t seem too keen on dad coming either, but he tagged along. The dude ended up leaving halfway through their expedition after realizing that the lady was no longer wanting to have sex with him, they got into an argument, and the dude left the lady with his food bill, as they were eating at some restaurant in Bally’s, I think? It’s all very confusing. Anyway, so the lady is pissed because now she’s stuck away from her hotel with my dad, so dad foot’s the bill for the lady and the dude who stiffed them, and they return to our shitty hotel two blocks from the Strip. Then dad comes back to our room to tell us this story. He’s clearly drunk and had apparently lost $100 in the casino before he even gone on his weird little journey, so we all just wanted him to go to bed and shut up, but no, he does the opposite. Because he’s drunk. From that point forward, I get no more sleep until Saturday night.)

My dad is a gambler, so my brother and I have been going to Las Vegas with our family since we were 7 years old. However, in all of that time, I had never gone to Fremont Street. I knew it existed, but it never actually interested me. So my dad got the idea that we’ll just let mom rest while we all trekked up north to Fremont Street, just so I could say that I visited it. It was a long bus ride to Fremont Street and it wasn’t even that cool. Granted, it was the middle of the day and all the lights come on at night, but it looked seedy. I’m used to seeing the panhandlers and homeless people on the Strip, but there were even more on Fremont Street, which is a smaller and more condensed area of space. It’s barely two blocks and it was filled with them. We spent about half an hour there, most of that time being dedicated to all of us going to the bathroom at one of the hotels. The only good that came of it was that while I was waiting for my twin to come out of the bathroom, I won $20 off one of the machines.

That evening, my twin brother being the awesome brother that he is, obtained tickets to see the Cirque du Soleil show O at the Bellagio. He bought three tickets, one for me, our mom, and himself. Dad gambled while we were watching the show. We chose that show because it was short and would get us back to the hotel in time to sleep before we all caught planes in the early morning. O is a beautiful show and I highly recommend it! Honestly, every Cirque du Soleil show that I’ve seen in Las Vegas has been really good, so go and see all of them; they’re all different and wonderful!

The next day, Friday morning AKA the day of the EXO’rDIUM concert, we all woke up at 2am so we could get ready to leave the hotel at 3:30am so we could catch our planes at 5:30am. Mom and my brother were going to Florida (my parents live in Florida because they are retired), mainly so that my brother could help my mom with her luggage due to her back injury. Dad and I caught a plane to LAX so that I could go to see EXO. I told you this would eventually lead to kpop. By 8am we were safely in LA and had acquired a car and we lived in that car all day. We set up shop in the parking lot of a CVS that was near the EXO-L Fan Cafe in LA. We ate Mexican food for every meal and did our best to just relax. It was hard. I was monitoring where to obtain pre-ordered fangoods and basically using the Fan Cafe as a glorified bathroom. I had arrived too early and they stamped my hand, which meant that I could freely enter and exit the cafe as often as I wanted. Since I had no access to a house or a hotel, it was the next best thing. I napped for maybe a max of 2 hours before the concert, excluding the half hour nap I took on the plane. My last meal was at 5pm and I wouldn’t eat again until 1pm Sunday afternoon, nearly 44 hours after my last meal on the day of the concert. At this point, I had gotten maybe 8 hours of sleep within the last three days, so this day was going to be hell. I was afraid that I would be too tired to fully enjoy the concert.

This fear was unfounded. Yes, I was INCREDIBLY TIRED, but I still enjoyed the concert. In fact, my only issue was with how poorly managed everything was up until the boys came out on stage. MMT is a terrible company and should really stop managing EXO when they come over here. The Fan Cafe was also poorly managed, but I think that was mainly because they were understaffed volunteers who had obtained a venue that was far too small for the crowd that visited it. I was grateful to have the stamp on my hand, otherwise I would have been standing in a big, long line forever. I even got to eat some of the cake they had made up for Baekhyun’s birthday! However, they ran out of water quickly and they had no other food beyond the cake and some cupcakes. But, again, those were volunteers. What was happening at the actual Forum was a mess that an actual management company had created. I had a seat, so I wasn’t deeply involved in the mess on the ground, but from what I heard from fellow concert goers, it was stupid. Plus, fans in GA kept rushing the stage so much that Suho had to chastise them THREE TIMES. It was so dumb.

The concert itself, though, was AWESOME!! I own the EXO’rDIUM in Japan DVD, so I had already seen most of the show and knew what was coming, but it didn’t spoil anything. Suho’s English was REALLY GOOD! Minseok, my man, he was out there killing fangirls left and right! My only complaint there is that no one ever really cheered for him when he was highlighted. :< Chanyeol and Sehun got most of the cheering, followed closely by Kai and Baekhyun. Meanwhile, no one else got as much noise from the audience. I tried my hardest to scream Xiumin’s name really loudly, since I was in the second row near the center, but I don’t know if he heard me. I was really tired and didn’t even know if my voice was working at that point. (I had screamed a whole lot at the BSB concert to the point where by voice was nearly gone on Thursday, so I wasn’t really recovered enough to take on screaming Xiumin’s name all Friday night.) Minseok was really energetic, too, even though he was clearly exhausted from having just come in from Mexico. He was putting his all into Artificial Love and White Noise, and being extra cute the rest of the time, waving his arms and body around like he wasn’t tired at all (even though it was evident in his face). They were all really tired. Kai even said that he was tired but putting all of his energy into making the show great, and he really did! As I’ve said before, I like Kai a lot but I don’t really broadcast it, and seeing him live definitely solidified that love for me. He was so sexy and slick up on that stage! At one point, D.O. started singing a song from La La Land and Suho did a little of the tap dance from it, and later on Baekhyun sang a crooner classic. It was very nice! Everyone did their best with English and Suho promised to bring their next concert here! I’m sure you can find a lot of fan accounts of such things, like how Suho said they needed to be careful about the pronunciation of the word “beaches” and how D.O. expressed a fondness for hotdogs and Chanyeol being “crazy” near the end of the concert and the whole “tiny hands and foot” thing. Some of it was a little too LA-centric for a Midwest girl like myself to understand, but they were so cute that I didn’t really care!

After the concert, I found my dad and we drove off to drop the car off at the rental place then book it to LAX so we would catch a 1am flight to Houston. Our plans changed the moment we got there, as our flight was overbooked and there was no way we were going to get on the plane. Thankfully, there was a nearby midnight flight to Chicago that had a few seats left, so we convinced the desk staff to let us on and we got on just as the doors were closing. I slept the whole flight to O’Hare. We arrived at about 9am and rushed to our connection that would take us back to Indy. We finally arrived at the Hoosier State by around 10am. We rested while waiting for my brother to return from Florida. He finally showed up around 2pm, and by that point dad and I had eaten some nachos from the Qdoba in the airport food court and that was it. After we met up with my brother, AKA the guy whose car I had come to the airport in on Tuesday, we drove back to my house and I hit my bed hard by 4pm.

I slept until noon-ish on Sunday, I finally ate food by 1pm, and picked up Walter from the dogsitter by 2pm. I haven’t left the house since. I’m so glad that I took today off. I was still tired and achy yesterday. All in all, it was a good trip, even if it was extremely tiring.

#long post #personal

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blackkudos · 7 years

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Brandy Norwood

Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. Born into a musical family in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, she began her career as a child and performed as a backing vocalist for teen groups. In 1993, Norwood signed with Atlantic Records. The following year, she released her self-titled debut album, which was certified quadruple Platinum in the US, selling six million copies worldwide. Norwood starred in the UPN sitcom Moesha as the title character, which lasted six seasons and resulted in numerous other roles. She resumed her music career in 1998 with the widely successful duet with fellow R&B contemporary Monica, "The Boy Is Mine", which went on to become the best selling female duet of all time, and one of the longest running number one singles in history. Her second album, Never Say Never sold 16 million copies worldwide, featured two number one singles, and earned Norwood her first Grammy Award. This launched her into international stardom, with films, endorsements, sold out concert tours, and her own line of Barbie dolls.

Throughout the 2000s, Norwood held a precarious position in the pop industry. In 2002, she starred in the reality series Brandy: Special Delivery, documenting the birth of her daughter. Her third and fourth albums, Full Moon (2002) and Afrodisiac (2004), were released to critical and commercial success. She served as a judge on the first season of America's Got Talent before being involved in a widely publicized car accident in 2006. After several lawsuits stemming from the accident, Norwood's fifth album Human (2008) was released to commercial failure.

In the 2010s, Norwood received a critical and commercial resurgence. In 2010, she returned to television as a contestant on the eleventh season of Dancing with the Stars and starred in the reality series Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business. In 2012 she became a series regular in the BET series The Game, and released her sixth album Two Eleven to critical praise. In April 2015, Norwood made her Broadway debut in the musical Chicago. She starred in and executive produced a new sitcom Zoe Ever After on the BET network in January 2016.

Throughout her career, she has sold over 40 million records worldwide, making her one of the best selling female artists of all time. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists Norwood as one of the top selling artists in the United States, with 10.5 million certified albums. Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award, one American Music Award, and seven Billboard Music Awards. She has become known for her distinctive sound, characterized by her peculiar timbre, voice-layering, intricate riffs, which has earned her the nickname 'The Vocal Bible' from industry peers and critics.

Early life

Norwood was born on February 11, 1979, in McComb, Mississippi, the daughter of Willie Norwood, a former gospel singer and choir director, and his wife, Sonja Norwood (née Bates), a former district manager for H&R Block. She is the older sister of entertainer Ray J, as well as a cousin of rapper Snoop Dogg. Raised in a Christian home, Norwood started singing through her father's work as part of the local church choir, performing her first gospel solo at the age of two. In 1983, her parents relocated to Los Angeles, California, where Norwood was schooled at the Hollywood High Performing Arts Center. Norwood's interest in music and performing increased after becoming a fan of singer Whitney Houston at the age of seven, but at school, she experienced trouble with persuading teachers to send her on auditions as she found no support among the staff. Norwood began entering talent shows by the time she was eleven, and, as part of a youth singing group, performed at several public functions.

In 1990, her talent led to a contract with Teaspoon Productions, headed by Chris Stokes and Earl Harris, who gave her work as a backing vocalist for their R&B boy band Immature, and arranged the production of a demo tape. In 1993, amid ongoing negotiations with East West Records, Norwood's parents organized a recording contract with the Atlantic Recording Corporation after auditioning for the company's director of A&R Darryl Williams. To manage her daughter, Norwood's mother soon resigned from her job, while Norwood herself dropped out of Hollywood High School later, and was tutored privately from tenth grade on. During the early production stages of her debut album, Norwood was selected for a role in the ABC sitcom Thea, portraying the daughter of a single mother played by comedian Thea Vidale. Initially broadcast to high ratings, the series' viewership dwindled and ended up running for only one season, but earned her a Young Artists Award nomination for Outstanding Youth Ensemble alongside her co-stars. Norwood recalled that she appreciated the cancellation of the show as she was unenthusiastic about acting at the time, and the taping caused scheduling conflicts with the recording of her album. She stated, "I felt bad for everybody else but me. It was a good thing, because I could do what I had to do, because I wanted to sing."

Career

1994–1996:

Brandy

and

Moesha

Williams hired producer Keith Crouch and R&B group Somethin' for the People to work with Norwood, and within eight months the team crafted Brandy. A collection of street-oriented rhythm-and-blues with a hip hop edge, whose lyrical content embraced her youthful and innocent image in public, Norwood later summed up the songs on the album as young and vulnerable, stating, "I didn’t really know a lot—all I wanted to do was basically sing. You can just tell that it’s a person singing from a genuine place, and also a place of basically no experience. I was singing about being attracted to the opposite sex, but I had no experience behind it." Released in September 1994, the album peaked at number twenty on the U.S. Billboard 200. Critical reaction to Brandy was generally positive, with AllMusic writer Eddie Huffman declaring Brandy "a lower-key Janet Jackson or a more stripped-down Mary J. Blige [...] with good songs and crisp production." Anderson Jones of Entertainment Weekly asserted, "Teen actress Norwood acts her age. A premature effort at best, that seems based on the philosophy 'If Aaliyah can do it, why can't I?'."

Brandy went on to sell over six million copies worldwide, and produced three top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including "I Wanna Be Down" and "Baby", both of which reached the top of the Hot R&B Singles chart and were certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. "Brokenhearted", a duet with Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men, became a number-two hit on the charts. The album earned Norwood two Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance the following year, and won her four Soul Train Music Awards, two Billboard Awards, and the New York Children's Choice Award. In 1995, she finished a two-month stint as the opening act on Boyz II Men's national tour, and contributed songs to the soundtracks of the films Batman Forever and Waiting to Exhale, with the single "Sittin' Up in My Room" becoming another top-two success. In 1996, Norwood also collaborated with Tamia, Chaka Khan, and Gladys Knight on the single "Missing You", released from the soundtrack of the F. Gary Gray film Set It Off. The single won her a third Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category.

In 1996, her short-lived engagement on Thea led Norwood to star in her own show, the UPN-produced sitcom Moesha. Appearing alongside William Allen Young and Sheryl Lee Ralph, she played the title role of Moesha Mitchell, a Los Angeles girl coping with a stepmother as well as the pressures and demands of becoming an adult. Originally bought by CBS, the program debuted on UPN in January 1996, and soon became their most-watched show. While the sitcom managed to increase its audience every new season and spawned a spin-off titled The Parkers, the network decided to cancel the show after six seasons on the air, leaving it ending with a cliffhanger for a scrapped seventh season. Norwood was awarded an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress for her performance. In 1997, Brandy, Ray J and their parents, started The Norwood Kids Foundation, which helps disadvantaged, at-risk youths in Los Angeles and Mississippi through the Arts and self -help programs.

1997–2004: Never Say Never, film career, and Full Moon

In 1997, Norwood was hand-picked by producer Whitney Houston to play the title character in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s television version of Cinderella featuring a multicultural cast that also included Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, and Houston. The two-hour Wonderful World of Disney special garnered an estimated 60 million viewers, giving the network its highest ratings in the time period in 16 years, and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program the following year.

Fledgling producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins was consulted to contribute to Norwood's second album Never Say Never, which was released in June 1998. Norwood co-wrote and produced six songs on the album which yielded her first number-one song on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, "The Boy Is Mine", a duet with singer Monica that has become the most successful song by a female duo in the music industry. Exploiting the media's presumption of a rivalry between the two young singers, the song was one of the most successful records in United States of all time, spending a record-breaking thirteen weeks atop the Billboard charts, and eventually garnering the pair a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The album's success was equally widespread, and after extensive radio play of the single overseas, the label released it globally during the summer. Never Say Never eventually became Norwood's biggest-selling album, selling over 16 million copies worldwide. Critics rated the album highly, with AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine praising Norwood and her team for wisely finding "a middle ground between Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige—it's adult contemporary with a slight streetwise edge." Altogether, the album spawned seven singles, including Norwood's second number-one song, the Diane Warren-penned "Have You Ever?" She also embarked on the successful Never Say Never World Tour in 1998, consisting of sold out performances in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

After backing out of a role in F. Gary Gray's 1996 film Set It Off, Norwood made her big screen debut in the supporting role of Karla Wilson in the slasher film, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. The movie outperformed the original with a total of $16.5 million at its opening weekend, but critical reaction to the film was largely disappointing, with film review site Rotten Tomatoes calculating a poor rating of 7% based on 46 reviews. Norwood, however, earned positive reviews for her "bouncy" performance, which garnered her both a Blockbuster Entertainment Award and an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Breakthrough Female Performance. In 1999, she co-starred with Diana Ross in the telefilm drama Double Platinum about an intense, strained relationship between a mother and daughter. Shot in only twenty days in New York City, both Norwood and Ross served as executive producers of the movie which features original songs from their respective albums Never Say Never (1998) and Every Day Is a New Day (1999), as well as previously unreleased duets.

After a lengthy hiatus following the end of Moesha, and a number of tabloid headlines discussing her long-term battle with dehydration, Norwood returned to music in 2001, when she and brother Ray-J were asked to record a cover version of Phil Collins' 1990 hit "Another Day in Paradise" for the tribute album Urban Renewal: A Tribute to Phil Collins. Released as the album's first single in Europe and Oceania, the song became an instant international success overseas, scoring top-ten entries on the majority of all charts it appeared on. Full Moon, Norwood's third studio album, was released in February 2002. It was composed of R&B and pop-oriented songs, many of them co-created with Jerkins, Warryn Campbell and Mike City. Its lead single "What About Us?" became a worldwide top-ten hit, and the album's title track was a Top 20 hit in the United States and the UK. Media reception was generally lukewarm, with Rolling Stone describing the album as "frantic, faceless, fake-sexy R&B." Within the coming year, Norwood and Robert "Big Bert" Smith began writing and producing for other artists such as Toni Braxton, Kelly Rowland, and Kiley Dean. Norwood's foray into reality television began in 2002 with the MTV series Diary Presents Brandy: Special Delivery; the show documented the final months of Norwood's pregnancy with her daughter Sy'rai.

2004–2009: Afrodisiac, America's Got Talent and Human

Returning from yet another hiatus, Norwood's fourth album Afrodisiac was released in June 2004, amid the well-publicized termination of her short-lived business relationship with entertainment manager Benny Medina. Norwood ended her contract with his Los Angeles-based Handprint Entertainment after less than a year of representation following controversies surrounding Medina's handling of the lead single "Talk About Our Love", and failed negotiations of a purported co-headlining tour with R&B singer Usher. Despite the negative publicity, Afrodisiac became Norwood's most critically acclaimed album, with some highlighting the "more consistently mature and challenging" effect of Timbaland on Norwood's music, and others calling it "listenable and emotionally resonant", comparing it to "Janet Jackson at her best." A moderate seller, the album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, and received certifications in the United States, Europe and Japan. "Talk About Our Love" reached number six in the United Kingdom, but subsequent singles failed to score successfully on the popular music charts. Later that year, she guest-starred as Gladys Knight in the third-season premiere of American Dreams, in which she performed "I Heard It Through the Grapevine".

After eleven years with the company, Norwood asked for and received an unconditional release from Atlantic Records at the end of 2004, citing her wish "to move on" as the main reason for her decision. Completing her contract with the label, a compilation album titled The Best of Brandy was released in March 2005. Released without any promotional single, it reached the top 30 in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, where the collection was appreciated by contemporary critics who noted the creativity of Norwood's back catalogue. Andy Kellman of AllMusic expressed, "This set, unlike so many other anthologies from her contemporaries, hardly confirms dwindling creativity or popularity." Thereupon she reportedly began shopping a new record deal under the auspices of Knockout Entertainment, her brother's vanity label.

In February 2006, Norwood began appearing in a recurring role on UPN sitcom One on One, playing the sister to brother Ray J's character D-Mack. In June, she was cast as one of three talent judges on the first season of America's Got Talent, an amateur talent contest on NBC executive-produced by Simon Cowell and hosted by Regis Philbin. The broadcast was one of the most-watched programs of the summer, and concluded on August 17, 2006 with the win of 11-year-old singer Bianca Ryan. Norwood was originally slated to return for a second season in summer 2007, but eventually decided not to, feeling that she "couldn't give the new season the attention and commitment it deserved," following the fatal 2006 car accident in which she was involved. She was replaced by reality TV star Sharon Osbourne.

Norwood's fifth studio album, Human, was released in December 2008, produced by Toby Gad, Brian Kennedy, and RedOne. Distributed by Koch Records and Sony Music, the album marked Norwood's debut on the Epic Records label, and her reunion with long-time contributor and mentor Rodney Jerkins, who wrote and executive produced most of the album. Generally well received by critics, Human debuted at number fifteen on the U.S. Billboard 200 with opening week sales of 73,000 copies. With a domestic sales total of 214,000 copies, it failed to match the success of its predecessors. While lead-off single "Right Here (Departed)" scored Norwood her biggest chart success since 2002's "Full Moon", the album failed to impact elsewhere, resulting in lackluster sales in general and the end of her contract with the label, following the controversial appointment of Amanda Ghost as president of Epic Records, and Norwood's split with rapper Jay-Z's Roc Nation management.

In December 2009, she officially introduced her rapping alter-ego Bran'Nu with two credits on Timbaland's album Timbaland Presents Shock Value 2, and was cast in the pilot episode for the ABC series This Little Piggy, also starring Rebecca Creskoff and Kevin Rahm, which was recast the following year.

2010–2014: Return to acting and Two Eleven

In April 2010, Norwood and Ray J debuted in the VH1 reality series Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business along with their parents. The show chronicled the backstage lives of both siblings, while taking on larger roles in their family's management and production company, R&B Productions. Executive produced by the Norwood family, the season concluded after eleven episodes, and was renewed for a second season, which began broadcasting in fall 2010. A Family Business, a compilation album with previously unreleased content from the entire cast was released on Saguaro Road Records in June 2011. Critics such as The Washington Post declared it an "awkward and adorable and really, really wholesome collection." While the album failed to chart, it produced three promotional singles, including the joint track "Talk to Me".

In fall 2010, Norwood appeared as a contestant on season 11 of the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars, partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. She ultimately placed fourth in the competition, which was a shock to the judges, viewers, studio audience, and other contestants that considered her one of the show's frontrunners throughout the entire competition. In August 2011, it was confirmed that Norwood had signed a joint record deal with RCA Records and producer Breyon Prescott's Chameleon Records. In September, a new talent show, Majors & Minors, created by musician Evan Bogart, premiered on The Hub. It followed a group of young performers age 10–16 and their chance to be mentored by some established artists such as Norwood, Ryan Tedder and Leona Lewis. Later that same year, Norwood returned to acting roles with recurring appearances on The CW's teen drama series 90210, and in the fourth season of the Lifetime's comedy series Drop Dead Diva, in which she played the role of Elisa Shayne.

In 2011, Norwood joined the cast of the BET comedy series The Game, playing the recurring role of Chardonnay, a bartender. She became a regular cast member by the next season. In February 2012, Norwood reteamed with Monica on "It All Belongs to Me", which was released as a single from the latter's album New Life. Norwood's own comeback single "Put It Down" featuring singer Chris Brown was released later that year. The song reached number three on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming her first top ten entry in ten years. Her sixth album Two Eleven, which was released in October, saw a return to her R&B sound, but with what Norwood described a "progressive edge". A moderate commercial success, it was viewed as a humble comeback from Norwood, reaching number three on the US Billboard 200, and the top of the Billboard US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

In March 2013, Norwood returned to film, joining an ensemble cast consisting of Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Lance Gross and Vanessa L. Williams in Tyler Perry's drama Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. Norwood plays supporting character Melinda, a woman with secrets. The film received generally negative reviews from critics but became a moderate US box office success. In June 2013, Norwood signed with Creative Artists Agency, headquartered in Los Angeles, and in early 2014, she arranged a management deal with MBK Entertainment with CEO Jeff Robinson. In July, she was also inducted as an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. The same month, Norwood released a cover version of Coldplay's song "Magic" to her TwitMusic account; it peaked at number one on Billboard's Trending 140 chart. Also in 2014, Norwood made guest appearances on VH1's Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood and the TV Land sitcom The Soul Man. At the 2014 BET Hip Hop Awards, she reunited with Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Yo-Yo to perform the hip hop remix of "I Wanna Be Down" in celebration of its 20th anniversary.

2015–present: Broadway, Zoe Ever After, and upcoming seventh studio album

After finishing the filming of the final season of The Game, Norwood made her Broadway debut in the musical Chicago, in which she played the lead role of Roxie Hart, beginning in April 2015. Although initially a six-week run, her engagement was extended until August 2015. Norwood also reprised the role in the musical's national tour during its 2016 engagement in Los Angeles. Also in 2015, Norwood appeared on the 99 Souls mashup single "The Girl Is Mine", for which she re-recorded her vocals from "The Boy Is Mine." The song reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom and top 40 on other international charts, where it became her highest-charting single in years.

In January 2016, Norwood starred as the lead in the BET sitcom Zoe Ever After, which she also co-created and co-executive produced. Filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, the multi-camera romantic comedy revolved around Zoe Moon, a newly single mom stepping out of the shadow of her famous boxer ex-husband, while trying to balance dating, motherhood, and a blossoming career in cosmetics. While it debuted to respectable ratings, Norwood decided not to return to the show, and it was soon after cancelled. The same month, Norwood unveiled "Beggin & Pleadin," a previously unreleased song, on Soundcloud. The unconventional record garnered strong reviews from industry experts, prompting her to release officially it as a digital single through her own label Slayana Records on January 21.

In February 2016, Norwood announced her Slayana World Tour, which highlighted stops in both Europe and Oceania. Her first headlining tour in eight years, it was ended ahead of schedule on June 30 after Norwood was hospitalized due to exhaustion. In March, Norwood sued Chameleon Entertainment Group and its president, Breyon Prescott, after the label reportedly refused to allow her to record and release new albums. In November 2016, Norwood became the second recipient of the Lady of Soul Award at the Soul Train Music Awards. Her stripped-down nine-minute song medley was met with overwhelming appraisal.

Norwood is competing with her brother Ray J on the FOX reality cooking series My Kitchen Rules, which premiered in January 2017.

Personal life

Norwood attended Hollywood High School, but studied with a private tutor beginning in 10th grade. In 1996, she had a brief relationship with future Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant, whom she accompanied to his prom at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. She also dated Boyz II Men lead singer Wanya Morris, whom she cited as her "first love." Morris, who was six years older than her, reportedly ended their relationship a month before her nineteenth birthday. Also during their work on the Never Say Never album, she briefly dated rapper Mase.

During the production of her album Full Moon in mid-2001, Norwood became involved romantically with producer Robert "Big Bert" Smith. The couple kept the relationship secret until February 2002, when Norwood announced that she was expecting her first child. However, a year after the birth of their daughter, Sy'rai Iman Smith, on June 16, 2002—an event tracked by the four-part MTV reality series Brandy: Special Delivery—Norwood and Smith separated. In 2004, Smith revealed that the pair had never been legally wed, but that they had pretended to marry to preserve Norwood's public image. Norwood later stated that she regarded her relationship with Smith as a "spiritual union and true commitment to each other."

By the following year, Norwood had begun a relationship with NBA guard Quentin Richardson, who was then playing for the Los Angeles Clippers. The couple soon became engaged in July 2004 but Norwood eventually ended their 15-month engagement in October 2005. It was reported that Norwood had to get a tattoo of Richardson's face on her back transformed into a cat. In 2010, she briefly dated rapper Flo Rida. At the end of 2012, Norwood became engaged to music executive Ryan Press. In April 2014, Norwood called off her engagement with Press following their breakup earlier that year.

Automobile collision

Driving home on December 30, 2006, Norwood was involved in a fatal automobile collision on Los Angeles' San Diego (405) Freeway. 38-year-old Awatef Aboudihaj was the driver of a Toyota which was struck by Norwood's Range Rover. Aboudihaj died from her injuries at the L.A. Holy Cross Hospital the following day.

Norwood was neither arrested nor charged with vehicular manslaughter due to insufficient evidence. Law enforcement officials reported that Norwood was driving her car at 65 miles per hour and did not notice that vehicles ahead of her had slowed considerably. Her vehicle then collided with rear of Aboudihaj's, causing the Toyota to strike another vehicle before sliding sideways and impacting the center divider. As the Toyota came to a stop, it was hit by yet another vehicle. A source in the California Highway Patrol later reported that Aboudihaj actually struck the car in front of her and then slammed on her brakes before Norwood made contact. The sudden stop caused Norwood to hit Aboudihaj's car. As confirmed, toxicology reports showed that Aboudihaj had "slight traces" of marijuana in her system at the time of the crash.

In December 2007, Norwood's attorney Blair Berk stated that the Los Angeles City Attorney determined Norwood should not be charged with any "crime relating to the accident back in 2006." In May 2009, Norwood stated, "The whole experience did completely change my life, and I can say that I think I'm a better person from it. You know, I still don't understand all of it and why all of it happened, but I definitely have a heart, and my heart goes out to everyone involved. I pray about it every single day, and that's all I can really say on the subject."

Nevertheless, there have been multiple lawsuits filed against Norwood, all of which were ultimately settled out of court by Brandy's attorney Ed McPherson. Aboudihaj's parents filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against Norwood. Filed on January 30, 2007, the lawsuit was initially set to go to trial in April 2009, but was eventually canceled as Norwood had settled out of court with Aboudihaj's parents. Aboudihaj's husband also filed a lawsuit against Norwood, suing her for an undisclosed amount of financial relief to cover medical and funeral expenses, as well as legal costs and other damages. He rejected his part of a $1.2 million settlement offer in February 2009, but did settle in November of that year. The couple's two children, who also filed a lawsuit against Norwood, received $300,000 each, according to court documents filed in L.A. County Superior Court on June 2, 2009. Two other drivers who were involved and injured in the accident also filed a lawsuit against Norwood. They settled with Norwood for undisclosed amounts.

Artistry

Voice

Norwood is a lyric contralto, with a range spanning three octaves and five semitones. Her voice has often been described as soft, raspy, and husky by music critics and Norwood herself. Music critic and Slant Magazine writer Andrew Chan describes Norwood's vocal tone as having "an unusual mix of warmth and cold, hard edges". He further describes her vocal quality, saying, "Like little else in pop-music singing, Brandy's subtle manipulation of timbre and texture rewards close listening. [...] Her main claim of technical virtuosity has always been her long, cascading riffs, a skill many R&B die-hards revere her for." Norwood is also noted for her use of multitrack recording to create intricate vocal arrangements and layering. Terry Sawyer of PopMatters writes on this skill, remarking, "While it's been said that Brandy's voice isn't exactly a barn burner, it's not mentioned enough that she does more than enough with what she's got. She never leaves her voice hanging in spotlit scarcity, folding its variegated terracing, whispering out the lead track, shouting in the back-up, and piling each song with enough interlocking sounds to create the tightly packed illusion of vocal massiveness."

Norwood’s initial sound was contemporary R&B, heavily rooted in gospel and soul music. Her lyrics spoke of various types of love, from casual and friendly love to romantic and spiritual affairs. Influenced by Houston and Carey, she incorporated a ballad-heavy style and an adult contemporary feel into her urban-pop sound for her second studio album Never Say Never. Her third studio album Full Moon saw Norwood abandon her teenage appeal for a more adult and sensual edginess. Along with her image, her voice had gone through a major change, trading her girlish rasp for a now deeper and warmer voice that had acquired a somewhat throatier, smoky edge. The music also reflected the change, as songs like "When You Touch Me" and "Like This" explored more adult, sexual topics, and a sound that blended her previous urban-pop sound with heavy influences of UK garage, glitch, and electro-funk.

In 2004, her recent motherhood, life experiences, and growing affinity for British rock band Coldplay, caused her to shift toward a more introspective outlook with her fourth studio album Afrodisiac, a venture with producer Timbaland into the experimental illbient aesthetic, which fuses ambient, dub, and breakbeat soundscapes with progressive sampling methods. A four-year hiatus and a few life-changing occurrences caused Norwood to return to the music industry in late 2008 with Human, her fifth studio album, which discussed topics of spiritual love, genuine heartache and universal honesty, and musically explored urban pop music. Experiencing a career and personal rejuvenation, Norwood was eager to scale back her previous pop venture and return to authentic R&B sound on her sixth studio album Two Eleven. The album was a melding of both Norwood's now-classic urban pop template and the bass-heavy trends of post-2000's contemporary hip-hop.

Influences

Brandy names Whitney Houston and her father Willie Norwood as her major musical influences. At age seven, Brandy attended her first ever concert where Houston performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. Her other influences at the beginning of her career included Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey. She credits Houston’s song “Greatest Love of All” and Carey’s “Vision of Love” as what got her contract with Atlantic Records. She also claimed that she wanted to “sing like Whitney [Houston] and perform like Janet [Jackson]”. On her debut album, she also listed Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder as inspirations.

Her later music was inspired by Kim Burrell, Coldplay, and Enya. She credits Burrell and Enya for helping her push the limits of her voice and vocal arrangements. During the production of Afrodisiac, Norwood has heavily inspired by Coldplay, sampling them on songs “I Tried” and “Should I Go”. On Coldplay’s influence, Norwood said “I sing about how if I’m depressed and need to know my spirits are lifted, I turn on a Coldplay song.”

In acting, Norwood lists Lucille Ball as her main comedic influence, while also listing Jenifer Lewis and Gabrielle Union as influences.

Legacy and impact

Since her 1994 debut album, Norwood has sold over 40 million records worldwide. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists Norwood as one of the top selling artists in the United States, with 10.5 million certified albums, She has sold over 8.62 million albums, Her song The Boy Is Mine is also one of the longest running number one songs in the United States, and is one of the best selling duets of all time. In 1999, Billboard ranked Norwood among the top 20 of the Top Pop Artists of the 1990s. In 2010, Billboard included Norwood in their Top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists list of the past 25 years. Norwood was one of the youngest artists nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Her second album Never Say Never appeared in the "Top 100 Certified Albums" list by the RIAA.

Norwood's vocal stylings have had a significant impact on the music industry, most notably with contemporary R&B, pop and gospel genres, where she is often subjectively referred to as the "Vocal Bible". Her work has influenced numerous artists, including Jessie J, JoJo, Bridget Kelly, Olivia, Emeli Sandé, Jordin Sparks, Tank, Teyana Taylor, and Elle Varner, while Norwood's vocals have been praised by several of her peers, including Natasha Bedingfield, Missy Elliott, Jennifer Hudson, Syleena Johnson, Lil' Mo, Brian McKnight, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, and Tamia. Additionally, on many occasions, Norwood has been thought of as a talented artist that music producers and songwriters have used to enhance their own artistic and creative energies.

Songwriter Sean Garrett credits the vocal work on the album Full Moon for his approach to writing, saying "I take a lot from what [Brandy] and Rodney did on the Full Moon album. I was extremely impressed with it and I always try to outdo that album". B.Slade spoke of the album, commenting Full Moon single-handedly changed the vocal game. "It has been the template for vocal choices and background vocal arrangements [for years]." R&B singer Melanie Fiona, especially admired the singer's work on that album. Neo soul singer India.Arie often cites the album, particularly the song "He Is" as being the template for a wide array of singers." The oft-praised vocal work on the album sparked the idea of Norwood gaining the subjective nickname the "vocal bible". Canadian R&B singer Keshia Chanté credited the album for inspiring her writing for her album Night & Day, while American singer Luke James referred to Full Moon as the "bible" of 2000s contemporary R&B, calling it the "blueprint of how to do vocals."

Afrodisiac has been credited as one of predecessors to the Alternative R&B subgenre. In a 2014 music and fashion conversation with NPR, singer and model Solange discussed the album, saying "Brandy is really the foundation of a lot of this very innovative, progressive, experimental R&B. Brandy really influenced a lot of that. Frank Ocean will say it. Miguel will say it."

American neo soul singer Erykah Badu noted that her 1997 debut album, Baduizm, was partly influenced by Norwood's debut album, while Barbadian singer Rihanna said of her 2007 album Good Girl Gone Bad, "[Brandy] really helped inspire that album. I listened to [Afrodisiac] every day [while in the studio]." Kelly Rowland cited Norwood, who also wrote and produced for Rowland's debut album, as one of the inspirations for her second studio album Ms. Kelly (2007). Rock musician John Frusciante, former guitarist of rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers cited Norwood as the "main inspiration" behind the guitar work on Red Hot Chili Peppers' 2006 album, Stadium Arcadium.

Norwood has also made her impact in the film and television industry as well. Norwood was the first African American to play the role of Cinderella. Her role as Cinderella inspired many African American actors. Speaking on the role, Keke Palmer said "I feel like the reason I'm able to do this [becoming the first African American Cinderella on Broadway] is definitely because Brandy did it on TV". Norwood's TV-show Moesha on UPN was also one of the longest-running Black sitcoms of all time.

Other ventures

Norwood has had many endorsements in her career. In 1999, she became a CoverGirl, appearing in a number of commercials. She also represented the brands Candie's in 1998 and DKNY in the Spring of 2000. In the late 1990s Norwood was represented by Wilhelmina Agency, one of the leading modeling agencies in the industry. In 1999, Mattell released the Brandy Doll. The doll featured Norwood in a reddish orange blouse and orange long skirt. Next to this, the Holiday Brandy Doll was released in 2000 along with another "Brandy Doll". Millions of the dolls were sold and they were one of the biggest selling toys for Mattel. In 2005, Brandy became the spokesperson for Ultima, a company for hair weaves and wigs. As of 2014, she no longer represents them.

Philanthropy

In 1996, Norwood along with her brother Ray J, created the Norwood Kids Foundation. The goal of NKF is to "To use Performing Arts as a catalyst to shape the youth of today into self-confident, disciplined, responsible, and caring individuals capable of making a positive impact in their communities." In 1999 Brandy was the first international spokesman person for youth by UNICEF. Norwood is also an avid supporter of the Make A Wish Foundation and RAINN. In 2000, Brandy donated $100,000 to 2000 WATTS, an entertainment community center founded by singer Tyrese Gibson in the underprivileged community of Watts, California. Brandy teamed up with Skecher's “Nothing Compares to Family” campaign in 2008. In 2010 Norwood became involved with Get Schooled, a national non-profit mobile phone calls by celebrities to wake up students for school. In 2014, Norwood teamed up with "text4baby", which spreads health and wellness to expecting moms via text message, and became an honorary co-chairman of the 2014 Unstoppable Foundation.

Discography

Brandy (1994)

Never Say Never (1998)

Full Moon (2002)

Afrodisiac (2004)

Human (2008)

Two Eleven (2012)

Wikipedia

#Brandy Norwood

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Tea is always hot when there is drama among celebrities, and apparently another past feud is suddenly spotlighted. Mark Wahlberg and Leonardo Dicaprio had a fall when the two filmed Jim Caroll's critically acclaimed biopic "The Basketball Diaries". Although Wahlberg has already discussed this long-standing feud with the `` Titanic '' star, it seems like there is more to the story than we initially thought. They have since made amends, but their "friendship" started off quite rocky even though the two were practically on the same boat. In the 1990s, Wahlberg and DiCaprio were both prominent young actors who made it big in Tinseltown and focused on establishing themselves as flawless spies with the few important roles they had played. So we know the two have worked together before, and we could very well add, but we can't imagine that they are bickering even if the media believes otherwise. However, Wahlberg has already visited this subject. He had revealed where he was with Dicaprio and also that the two were basically in the throat of each other in the 90s. Besides their passage in 1995, they were also seen together in "The Departed" in 2006. Despite their ups and downs, the `` Ted '' actor told Extra TV in 2018 that he was ready to work with Dicaprio again. In a 2013 interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Wahlberg revealed in an unfiltered anecdote Dicaprio's exact reaction to his involvement in `` The Basketball Diaries ''. Actors Mark Wahlberg and Leonardo DiCaprio attend the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 26, 2004 in Los Angeles, California (Getty Images) "Leonardo was like," Above my dead f ** king body. Marky Mark will not be in this f ** king movie, "Wahlberg told THR. "I was a little fucked up with him during a charity basketball game. So he said to himself," This f ** king is not going to be in this film. " All of that changed once they started filming, and the two formed a unique friendship. At the 11th annual LEAP conference at UCLA, Wahlberg said: "He didn't want me for the role, and I didn't think he was right for the role. We both had to really learn to respect each other, and we deserved it. " E! has now spilled tea on what really happened between the two when they were young rising Hollywood stars. `` The Basketball Diaries '' has reportedly been in the making for decades, and Jim Carroll's hard-hitting life story was more than ready to be shown on the big screen. However, they needed a bona fide actor to adapt to the role of the old teenage basketball feel on the screen. The police drama was based on the memories of Caroll of the same name, and it described his journey from his days in basketball, his downward spiral towards drug addiction and prostitution, and his subsequent rise in fame as a writer, poet , punk-rocker and an American cultural icon. Leonardo Dicaprio and Mark Wahlberg in 'The Basketball Diaries', 1995 (IMDb) It was a big deal and almost everyone from Matt Dillion to River Phoenix, all of the young talented faces of the 1980s, tried to get the part. However, the project was essentially stalled, with frequent changes of people involved in the project. At the time, Dicaprio's portfolio was rather rare, but the 20-year-old had already been nominated for an Oscar for his role in `` What's Eating Gilbert Grape '', alongside Johnny Depp. His physical resemblance to Carroll and his acting talent ultimately helped him win the role over his competitors. Dicaprio, in conversation with the pre-release of the San Fransisco Chronicle film, said: "With this role, I saw a character who would take a lot of work and require a lot of exploration into something I had never treated before. There were a lot of emotions I had to deal with, and deep down, he was a cool character. " Coming to Wahlberg, who played Mickey in the film, it was revealed that Carroll himself was not too enthusiastic about the actor `` Lone Survivor '' playing his junkie friend on the screen , a sort of demagogue that the writer had based on various people he had met on the street while growing up. At the time, Wahlberg was best known for his modeling of underwear and his rapping career with 'Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch'. But with the encouragement of director Scott Kalvert, Wahlberg finally auditioned with Carroll in the room and conquered him with his prowess. Mark Wahlberg in 'The Basketball Diaries', 1995 (IMDb) "[Kalvert] only said that to three people - Tupac, Will Smith and myself, "Wahlberg told The Huffington Post in 2014." He said, "You should be actors and you will be actors. He called me for the film. Leonardo said, "No way, I'm not making a film with Marky Mark." Like many others. " "We had a strange break-in during an MTV Rock and Jock basketball game," he continued, explaining how the hostility between him and the actor of "The Revenant" began in the 90s. "I was playing in my underwear at half time and I think I had blocked a shot from him. I was a punk. I was a jerk. I was not nice to Leo that day. " And like DiCaprio's disinterest in acting with him, Wahlberg thought that the former was not exactly meant to play the role of Jim Carroll, either. "He was not a New York basketball player," Wahlberg told The Huffington Post. "I was like," I saw this guy playing ball! "So we both had a little bit on the shoulder. But we started to read the scenes - and I looked at him and he looked at me - and I thought," Oh shit. This guy is good. "" Meanwhile, DiCaprio struggled to maintain its public image. Off-camera visuals recovered during his stay in New York in the middle of filming were splashed in various tabloids and he was portrayed in an unflattering light, like that of a real-life bad boy who he said could be far from reality. In 1995, he told the New York Times, "So it looks like I'm going to clubs to destroy myself, to fight, to sleep with all the angry girls over there. It's true that during filming , Marky and I went outside for a little dance, a little socializing, a little flirting ... " "But people want you to be a crazy, uncontrollable teenage kid. They want you miserable, just like them. They don't want heroes; what they want is to see you fall." Mark Wahlberg and Leonardo DiCaprio in the audience during the 79th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater on February 25, 2007 in Hollywood, California (Getty Images) Despite the initial animosity, the two eventually became quick friends, but the baseless story about them arguing in the middle of filming seemed to have just stuck and Wahlberg only came to clear the air, about 20 years ago. later. Wahlberg also denounced the fact that it was Dicaprio who helped him land the lead role in the cult-classic teen thriller, 'Fear', which propelled him to celebrity status. Director James Foley first approached Dicaprio with the role of Reese Witherspoon's boyfriend (who eventually became his executioner). However, he refused and approved Wahlberg for the party instead. At the end of it all, though `` The Basketball Diaries '' didn't do exceptionally well at the box office and received mixed reviews, it drew a huge fan afterwards. And while many criticized Dicaprio for being misinterpreted for the role, others thought his acting was perfect and perhaps what had propelled his talent to international fame. And for Wahlberg, this was just the start of some of his best work. However, that sealed his friendship with Dicaprio, no matter what the rest of the world thought of them.If you have a scoop or interesting story for us, please contact us at (323) 421-7514 !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '430778077119553'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); https://oltnews.com/leonardo-dicaprio-and-mark-wahlberg-did-not-want-to-act-together-in-the-basketball-diaries-meaww?_unique_id=5ea14b2fd7cff

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Nature Reactions to the Cosby Sentence: Accusers and Allies Speak

Nature Reactions to the Cosby Sentence: Accusers and Allies Speak Nature Reactions to the Cosby Sentence: Accusers and Allies Speak http://www.nature-business.com/nature-reactions-to-the-cosby-sentence-accusers-and-allies-speak/

Nature

Image

Janice Dickinson, a model and Cosby accuser, said Tuesday his attack on her is etched into her soul.CreditCreditMark Makela/Getty Images North America

The eyes of America were on Bill Cosby on Tuesday as his trial ended with a three-to–10–year prison sentence for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home in 2004. In the highly anticipated hearing in Montgomery County Court in Pennsylvania, Judge Steven T. O’Neill also remanded Mr. Cosby to custody immediately and denied his request to be released on bail pending appeal.

Here is a collection of reactions from within and outside the courtroom.

One of the strongest responses came from Janice Dickinson, a model and Cosby accuser whose case did not result in criminal charges.

“The rape is etched into my soul,” she said in a statement. “I will never be the same.”

Ms. Dickinson testified during the trial that Mr. Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in a Lake Tahoe hotel room in 1982. Her lawyer, Lisa Bloom, who said Ms. Dickinson had been prepared to read her words in court, shared the statement on social media.

[Mr. Cosby was sentenced Tuesday and denied bail.]

Katherine Mae McKee, who accused Mr. Cosby of raping her in a Detroit hotel room in 1974, gave an emotional interview to CNN immediately after the verdict was announced, in which she said it had stirred up “very difficult and “deep emotions.”

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN: Let me bring in Kathy McKee, who has been waiting, who has accused Cosby of attacking her in a hotel room in 1974. She has filed a defamation lawsuit against Cosby’s defense team that is now headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. So Kathy, thank you so much for being with me and how are you feeling right about now as he’s being sentenced?

KATHERINE MAE MCKEE: Well, thank you. I’m very happy to be able to be here today. Just listening to this is stirring up some very difficult and deep emotions for me. Because I was a part — I saw the violence in Bill Cosby when he attacked me and it’s hard. It’s very difficult to try and make it go away. It surfaces. I was doing very well holding it together until I began to hear these last few words.

Being attacked in 1974 by Bill Cosby, who was, at the time my good friend, I thought, my buddy — someone I worked with, was a horrible thing to happen. It’s caused me a lifetime of problems emotionally — work issues, being in the industry, the television business. It’s been very difficult on me. And I feel a great deal of sorrow for all the women that this has happened to and not just with Bill Cosby, you know, but everywhere. I’m just struggling to keep going every day. And I’m happy that the judge sentenced Bill Cosby accordingly and I’m grateful to Andrea [Constand, the victim in the case] for standing strong.

Image

The lawyer Gloria Allred, center, at microphone, speaking outside Mr. Cosby’s sentencing hearing Monday.CreditTracie Van Auken/EPA, via Shutterstock

Gloria Allred, the lawyer who represents several of Mr. Cosby’s accusers, spoke outside the courtroom, saying “We’re glad that judgment day has finally come for Mr. Cosby.”

She called the two Cosby trials in the Constand case “a long journey to justice for all of the accusers, particularly for Andrea Constand and for her family,” adding:

Mr. Cosby has shown no remorse, and there has been no justice for many of the accusers who were barred from a court by the arbitrary time limits imposed by the statute of limitations. But many of them were brave enough to speak to law enforcement and some of them were chosen to speak as prior bad act witnesses. So we are very proud those who cooperated with law enforcement and did what [they] could do to have a just result.

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), the prominent anti-sexual assault group, issued a statement saying:

“The women who shared their stories in the Cosby trial and sentencing showed admirable courage and strength. We are grateful that the court understood the seriousness of Cosby’s crime and sentenced him to prison. Let’s hope that the legacy of this case is that victims feel empowered to come forward, knowing that it can truly make a difference in bringing perpetrators to justice.”

Image

Andrew Wyatt, foreground, Mr. Cosby’s spokesman, had stinging words for the prosecution after Mr. Cosby was sentenced to prison for sexual assault.CreditBrendan Mcdermid/Reuters

Andrew Wyatt, Bill Cosby’s publicist, gave a scathing statement outside the courthouse, accusing prosecutors of fabricating evidence, referring to a “sex war” and to the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and saying that Mr. Cosby’s prosecution had “been the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States.” He called Mr. Cosby “one of the greatest educators of men and boys over the last 50 years.” He also made several accusations:

All three of the psychologists who testified against Dr. Cosby were white women who make money off of accusing black men of being sexual predators.

It is no accident that the prosecutor still worked so close with anti-black and anti-male activist groups who tried to extort $100 million from Dr. Cosby in 2014 and continues to produce racist and sexist publicity against him through the 35 clients. What is going on in Washington today with Judge Kavanaugh is part of that sex war that Judge O’Neill, along with his wife, are a part of. Regarding the psychologist Kristen Dudley [an expert witness for the state] she is a practitioner of mindfulness. This is an eastern-inspired practice that is controversial in the field of psychology.

Camille Cosby, Mr. Cosby’s wife, also issued a statement outside the courthouse which was read by her publicist, Ebonee Benson, who said evidence in the case had been falsified:

We have now learned and will prove that Bill Cosby was denied his right to a fair trial because the D.A. of Montgomery County, Kevin Steele, used falsified evidence against him.

After being tipped off by a recent online publication that a tape recording Mr. Steele played during trial was doctored, Mr. Cosby retained a forensic expert to conduct an audio authenticity analysis of the recording. Gianna Constand, the mother of Andrea Constand, had surreptitiously and illegally made the recording of Mr. Cosby in 2005 without his knowledge or consent. That recording was provided to Bruce Castor while he was D.A. of Montgomery County.

Mr. Castor determined that Gianna Constand’s surreptitious recording constituted a potential felony under Pennsylvania’s law, required Miss Constand to obtain Mr. Cosby’s consent to the recording. Years later in 2014, Kevin Steele beat Mr. Castor for D.A. by unethically attacking him for not prosecuting my husband.

He thereafter used the illegal recording in both trials claiming that it was an authentic recording of the 2005 conversation. Mr. Steele relied heavily on the recording in both trials, ultimately convincing the jury in the second trial to return a verdict of guilty.

Sonia Osorio, president of the National Organization for Women, New York, issued a statement that said:

Bill Cosby seeing the inside of a cell sends a strong message that predators — no matter who they are, from Hollywood to Wall Street to the Supreme Court — can no longer be protected at the expense of victims.

The courageous survivors who spoke out and the diligent prosecutors made his trial and conviction possible. They exposed Bill Cosby, and they helped pave the way for the #MeToo movement that is transforming our world.

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Bill Cosby in a 1992 photo from the taping of “The Cosby Show.” The prosecutor in Ms. Cosby’s sexual assault trial said after sentencing Tuesday that the Cliff Huxtable character was a mask for the real man.CreditAssociated Press

Kevin Steele, the district attorney for Montgomery County, said at a news conference hours after the verdict, that “justice was served.”

It arrived when a convicted felon named William H. Cosby Jr. left the courtroom in handcuffs and headed off to state prison for his crimes.

He added:

For decades the defendant has been able to hide his true self and hide his crimes, using his fame and fortune. He’s hidden behind a character created, Dr. Cliff Huxtable. It was a seminal character on TV and so was the family, but it was fiction. Before Bill Cosby became a convicted felon taken away in handcuffs to begin paying for his crimes, a lot of people believed that that’s who he was. But we know otherwise. He used his acting skills and endearing TV personality to win over his victims and then keep them silent about what he did to them. So now finally, Bill Cosby has been unmasked and we have seen the real man as he is headed off to prison.

A version of this article appears in print on

, on Page

of the New York edition

with the headline:

Outpouring Of Anger, Defiance And Relief

. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

Read More | https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/25/arts/television/reactions-to-the-cosby-verdict-accusers-and-allies-speak.html |

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Nature Reactions to the Cosby Sentence: Accusers and Allies Speak

Nature Reactions to the Cosby Sentence: Accusers and Allies Speak Nature Reactions to the Cosby Sentence: Accusers and Allies Speak https://ift.tt/2NK9Don

Nature

Image

Janice Dickinson, a model and Cosby accuser, said Tuesday his attack on her is etched into her soul.CreditCreditMark Makela/Getty Images North America

Here is a collection of reactions from within and outside the courtroom.

One of the strongest responses came from Janice Dickinson, a model and Cosby accuser whose case did not result in criminal charges.

“The rape is etched into my soul,” she said in a statement. “I will never be the same.”

[Mr. Cosby was sentenced Tuesday and denied bail.]

Image

The lawyer Gloria Allred, center, at microphone, speaking outside Mr. Cosby’s sentencing hearing Monday.CreditTracie Van Auken/EPA, via Shutterstock

Gloria Allred, the lawyer who represents several of Mr. Cosby’s accusers, spoke outside the courtroom, saying “We’re glad that judgment day has finally come for Mr. Cosby.”

She called the two Cosby trials in the Constand case “a long journey to justice for all of the accusers, particularly for Andrea Constand and for her family,” adding:

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), the prominent anti-sexual assault group, issued a statement saying:

Image

Andrew Wyatt, foreground, Mr. Cosby’s spokesman, had stinging words for the prosecution after Mr. Cosby was sentenced to prison for sexual assault.CreditBrendan Mcdermid/Reuters

All three of the psychologists who testified against Dr. Cosby were white women who make money off of accusing black men of being sexual predators.

Camille Cosby, Mr. Cosby’s wife, also issued a statement outside the courthouse which was read by her publicist, Ebonee Benson, who said evidence in the case had been falsified:

We have now learned and will prove that Bill Cosby was denied his right to a fair trial because the D.A. of Montgomery County, Kevin Steele, used falsified evidence against him.

Sonia Osorio, president of the National Organization for Women, New York, issued a statement that said:

Image

Kevin Steele, the district attorney for Montgomery County, said at a news conference hours after the verdict, that “justice was served.”

It arrived when a convicted felon named William H. Cosby Jr. left the courtroom in handcuffs and headed off to state prison for his crimes.

He added:

A version of this article appears in print on

, on Page

of the New York edition

with the headline:

Outpouring Of Anger, Defiance And Relief

. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe