Oct. 29, 2007

Being Blogger-Like

There are so many things going on in entertainment and pop culture that I had to weigh in on several of them. While I've become known for my popular (and sometimes) controversial "Open Letters" to stars (I have a few more coming), this week I decided to sound off on some of the people and things that caused a rollercoaster of emotion in my mind.

T.I.: This situation is pretty simple; he's in a whole lot of trouble! After appearing on Court TV's 'Star Jones' show a few weeks ago, the U.S. Attorney's office sent over the 22-page criminal complaint detailing the charges against the rapper born Clifford Harris Clifford Harris. This isn't a run-of-the-mill rapper-with-a-gun situation here, people. Oh no! For his dumb decision to allegedly illegally purchase machine guns, the 27-year-old Atlanta-born hip-hop artist faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. That means each individual gun and each individual silencer purchased could get him almost a decade in prison. Yes, my friends, he's looking at being away for a long, long time! In addition, within the 22-pages, there was a transcript of T.I.'s conversation with his bodyguard, the one who wore the wire and ultimately did the rapper in. There are several key things the artist said to incriminate himself, and the prosecutor who explained the legal jargon to me, basically said: "It's an open and shut case." Now stranger things have happened in courtrooms before, we all know. However, the reason the judge had twice denied him bond speaks volumes about the evidence and the charges against him. Hopefully all of hip-hop and Hollywood will finally get the memo that famed attorney Johnnie Cochran is dead. The days of miracles in the courtroom are over and O.J. Simpson and Sean "Diddy" Combs were the last benefactors of that.

Tyler Perry: Like most African-Americans working in entertainment, I am extremely happy about the success of Tyler Perry and his recent film 'Why Did I Get Married?' With this movie coming in number one at the box office in its debut weekend and earning to date more than $47 million, it speaks volumes in Hollywood about the power of the African-American moviegoer. Because "mainstream" journalists (that's Hollywood speak for "white") have panned Perry's previous offerings ('Diary of a Mad Black Movie,' 'Madea's Family Reunion' and 'Daddy's Little Girls'), the multimillion-dollar mogul no longer screens his movies for the press before opening in theaters. In addition, he doesn't do the traditional press junket (flying journalists into a city to see a movie and interview the stars in either Los Angeles, New York City or the city where the movie was shot). This punishing of "mainstream" journalists has a trickle-down effect on black journalists who have not only supported Perry's previous efforts, but who can relate to these urban stories that reflect our communities. With Perry garnering number-one weekends and millions of dollars, Hollywood is taking note of his methods. If he sets a precedent by alienating Black journalists (albeit indirectly), other Hollywood studios will begin to do so. It's already hard for black journalists to get invited on press junkets. To devalue the whole system for what "mainstream" journalists have done to him in the past would be detrimental to many of our jobs! Before I close, let me be clear, this is in no way bashing Perry or trying to undermine what he is doing, but I believe that he has not thought about the situation from this perspective because he's so insulated now.

Juanita Bynum: The soap opera that has become Prophetess Juanita Bynum's life is still going strong. After a half-dozen high-profile interviews on shows like 'Good Morning America,' 'Star Jones' and the 'Tom Joyner Morning Show,' Bynum's domestic violence ordeal has begun to play backseat to her extravagant lifestyle and financial woes. On the heels of reports that Bynum's 6,748-square-foot, $4.5 million compound in Waycross, Ga. was being readied for auction because of non-payment of more than $32,000 in taxes, she announced this weekend that the I.R.S. issue had been remedied. All of this just weeks after Bynum's online appeal for followers to "sow seed" (church-speak for "offering") to help her raise $200,000 for a new threshing floor --the place where the evangelist "prays for the world." In addition, I reported exclusively in the Sept. 17 "BV Buzz" that Bynum also owes $90,000 to Dallas-based promoter Al Wash. After accepting a $115,000 deposit, then reneging on a stage-play tour based on her best-selling sermon, 'No More Sheets,' Bynum never returned the deposit and Wash's company, ALW Entertainment, filed an injunction against her. After being served, the best-selling author and gold-selling recording artist has only repaid $25,000 of the money. Despite it all, Bynum has continued to utilize gospel's premiere e-blast service BlackGospelPromo.com to publicize each and every one of her television and radio appearances, as well as her preaching services and mentorship endeavors. And her "Road to the 'Oprah Show' " campaign continues!

Buzzworthy

I received an e-mail claiming that former 'One on One' star Kyla Pratt has a new boyfriend. This tipster said that the budding Hollywood superstar is seeing Willie Macc (real name Willie McMiller) of BET's 'College Hill: Virgin Islands.' It went on to say that the 21-year-old 'Dr. Doolittle' actress and the 23-year-old aspiring comic/actor were spotted together at the Harley Davidson-Complex Magazine fashion show during Los Angeles' Fashion Week. The two were also allegedly seen together looking cozy in the VIP room of the Shag nightclub in Hollywood. Pratt was supposed to have sat courtside recently as Macc played in a celebrity basketball game with Snoop Dogg, Kel Mitchell, Lamman Rucker and Warren G. Reps for Pratt were unavailable to be reached by press time. The best part about this story is that I ran into the 'College Hill: Virgin Islands' star at an event for the American Black Film Festival in Los Angeles this past weekend and he was genuinely surprised by the rumors. Know nothing about the story and said he and Pratt had not even met. You have to love how these stories start!"

Now that Cher's forthcoming deal with Caesar's Palace Las Vegas has apparently fallen through, according to Norm Clarke of the 'Las Vegas Review Journal,' the Sin City hotel is looking for a headliner to share the 4,000-seat theater that Bette Midler will assume in Feb. 8, after Celine Dion's departure in December. Now there is word that Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Barbra Streisand are in talks to split the facility, similar to the way Elton John and Jerry Seinfeld previously did with Dion. In addition, there is also buzz that Stevie Wonder, as well as husband and wife duo Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have been approached by other properties to launch Vegas-based shows as well.

BV Scene

America's favorite dad Bill Cosby shopping in the Solstice boutique on Chicago's famed Michigan Avenue. Cosby purchased the Giorgio Armani shades that he wore during his appearance on Oprah last week… 'Desperate Housewives' star Terri Hatcher dining with a male companion at The Restaurant in the newly renovated Jumeirah Essex House Hotel on Central Park South in Manhattan… Rapper Common getting on the elevator at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York's Columbus Circle… Mark Pitts, president of Urban Music at Jive Records, boarding the U.S. Airways shuttle to New York City from Reagan National Airport in Washington… Whoopi Goldberg's daughter Alex Martin hosting a dinner for friends at the trendy Soho House in New York City.

Can't Say Names ...

Looks like cougar syndrome is taking over Hollywood. This actress is not only dating an on-the-rise star almost 15 years younger, but she moved him into her home and is asking pals to give him work. While said actress may be having the time of her life with her hunky live-in love, I'm told her baby's daddy is none too happy about the relationship.

Change Gone Come

So there are going to be some changes with my column, "BV Buzz." In the ever-evolving world of Internet journalism, it's time for a change. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be launching a more interactive version of this column.

I'm excited about the future of the "BV Buzz" and the direction it's headed in. It's been three years and one month since I began penning this column and I appreciate each and every one of you for reading it!

On Nov. 5 a new version of the "BV Buzz" will be launched.