Posts Tagged ‘Oprah Winfrey’

Some ask where “the line” is with regard to reality television. Honestly, I don’t know where it is exactly. I just know that

Sabrina Lamb

this program, All My Babies’ Mamas (scheduled to premiere Spring 2013) is WAY on the other side of it.

Please join activist Sabrina Lamb as she is leading the way to halt the program’s production.

From the Oxygen Media Press Release:

NEW YORK, NY – December 26, 2012 – – Oxygen Media announces production of a new one-hour special, “All My Babies’ Mamas” (working title), revealing the complicated lives of one man, his children’s mamas, and their army of children. Premiering in spring 2013, this real-life special from creative duo Liz Gateley and Tony DiSanto of DiGa Vision will capture the highs and lows of this extreme ‘blended family’ that is anything but ordinary, while also showing the drama and the passion behind life’s most unexpected situations.

“Oxygen will give fans an intimate look at unconventional families with larger than life personalities and real emotional stakes,” says Cori Abraham, Senior Vice President of Development, Oxygen Media. “’All My Babies’ Mamas’ will be filled with outrageous and authentic over-the-top moments that our young, diverse female audience can tweet and gossip about.”

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Sign Sabrina Lamb’s petition to stop the production of this program HERE.

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Tune into The Mo’Kelly Show Saturdays from 6-8pm PDT on KFI AM640 and XM 166 Saturdays and Sundays from 8pm-9pm PST. Contact Mo’Kelly at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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And so the cash grab begins for Lozada…

First Look: Iyanla Vanzant One-on-One with Evelyn Lozada

Part 1 airs Saturday, September 15 at 10/9c. Part 2 airs Sunday, September 16 at 10/9c.

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Tune into The Mo’Kelly Show Saturdays from 6-8pm PDT on KFI AM640 and XM 166 Saturdays and Sundays from 11pm-midnight PDT. Contact Mo’Kelly at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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Not that what Jones says is untrue…there is likely some truth to it.  I’m just

Star Jones

more surprised the manner in which Jones is choosing to make news as of late.  Not sure if she is positioning herself for a talk show gig, but it sure seems like it.

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Star Jones said on national television this morning that she believes Anderson Cooper announced he was gay to help improve ratings for his daytime talk show.

Jones made the remarks as part of a panel on the Today show after Cooper revealed his sexual orientation this week.

Jones said Cooper broke the news that he was gay in the same manner Oprah Winfrey did when she said she smoked crack because their shows need a bump in ratings.

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“[Cooper is] a daytime talk show host and when the rating slip in daytime, the hosts tend to tell you lots of things about them.

“I remember Oprah said she smoked crack, Oprah said she was pregnant at 14 and considered suicide,’ Jones said. ‘There [are] times when you generate information for ratings.”

Jones jokingly attempted to show remorse for her statement with a sarcastic, “Whoa, I’m sorry that I said that.”

Winfrey had her own dramatic coming out moment in 1995 when she addressed her troubled youth in a conversation with guests plagued by drug addiction:

“Let me say this, and this is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever said,” [her] voice beginning to crack. “Hold on just a second,” she said as she tried to regain her composure.Turning to one of the guests who had admitted smoking crack, Winfrey said, “I relate to your story so much because of what Patrice just said about being introduced to drugs by men in your life.”

She continued, “In my 20′s, I’d done this drug and I know exactly what you are talking about.” She said the drug use occurred while she was an anchorwoman on a television news show.

“It’s my life’s great big secret. It was such a secret because–I realize (with) the public person I have become–if the story ever were revealed, the tabloids would exploit it and what a big issue it would be.”

She went on to explain, “But I was involved with a man in my 20s who introduced me to the same drug that you’ve been talking about and, like Patrice, I always felt that the drug itself is not the problem but that I was addicted to the man.” She admitted: “I can’t think of anything I wouldn’t have done for that man.”

Full story HERE.

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Tune into The Mo’Kelly Show Saturdays from 6-8pm PDT on KFI AM640 and Sirius XM 166 Saturdays and Sundays from 8-9pm PDT. Contact Mo’Kelly at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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Just in case you missed Mo’Kelly in the morning on KTLK AM1150, on the show we talked at length about the success of Oprah versus the struggles in trying to launch her cable network OWN.

From NewsOne.com

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Sitting opposite of her good friend Gayle King and co-anchor Charlie Rose, Oprah appeared on “CBS This Morning” earlier today to discuss OWN network’s struggles after some friendly banter between the three. “The idea of creating a network was something that I wanted to do,” Oprah said on the show. “Had I known that it was this difficult, I might have done something else.”

Oprah added, “I didn’t think it was going to be easy, but if I knew then what I know now, I might have made different choices. If I were writing a book about it, I could call the book ‘101 Mistakes.’”

Rose then pressed Oprah on what those mistakes were.

“Launching when we really weren’t ready to launch [the network],” said Oprah. “And doing that because you announced you were going to do it. It’s like, having the wedding when you know you’re not ready.”

Although Oprah has faced heavy criticism for her network’s shortcomings, she has no intentions of giving up OWN and any of her other ventures anytime soon.

“I believe that I am here to fulfill a calling,” said Oprah confidently. “That because I am a female who is African American, who has been so blessed in the world, there’s never going to be a time to quit. I will die in the midst of doing what I love to do.”

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Contact him at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) has been struggling as of late. That’s not news. Desperate times call for desperate measures and that too is not news. You can best be sure, OWN executives

Be careful what you ask for…

With that in mind, know that Mo’Kelly’s thoughts will also be in their stack of press mentions. OWN president Erik Logan and Discovery Communications CEO David Zaslav, I’m speaking to you.

The inherent selling point of OWN was found in its name, the “Oprah Winfrey Network.”  It was to be an extension and expansion of its mogul and namesake’s media vision. People literally the world over love Oprah Winfrey. The assumption that such love extends to all things related to Oprah, yet not necessarily starring Oprah, has turned out to be a misguided one.

Please allow me to digress for a moment.

Ever noticed that when a Black man is President of the United States of America, the world is on the precipice of disaster? Think Barack Obama in 2008. Think Herman Cain in terms of the Republican Party for all of two weeks in 2011. Remember Danny Glover in the movie 2012. Think Morgan Freeman in the movie, Deep Impact. Call to memory Dennis Haysbert in 24.

All humor has a hint of truth in it. This too is one of those occasions. When the world is on the verge of being destroyed, give the African-Americans a chance. When there’s seemingly there’s nothing left to spitball, call in the Black people.

Captain Save-an-”O” to the rescue! Up, up and away!

There is a common thread to all of this. Part of the reason that the GOP has been largely unsuccessful in its attempts to court African-American voters is the perceived insincerity and seeming desperation of its attempts. Republicans come asking for votes come election time yet are largely disconnected from African-Americans, our collective interests and concerns of our urban centers the rest of the time.

End of digression and here’s the connection.

Oprah Winfrey, has never produced her daytime television program, radio network or cable network with African-Americans in mind. That is not a value judgment. Let me say it again, that’s NOT a value judgment, but for some in the African-American community it has been an issue of contention.

Nevertheless, it is a statement of fact. None of the aforementioned media properties has ever been about the business of featuring programming content that specifically speaks to the African-American experience, culture or social ethos. Do note, prior to helming OWN, Erik Logan was the president of Harpo Productions.

Even the highly regarded Adweek.com openly mused that such a programming course change “could put network at odds with Oprah’s image.”

Put another way, getting cozy with African-Americans might not only be incongruous with the Oprah Winfrey brand, it possibly could alienate her core viewers too. No matter how one parses such a reality, it is insulting in innumerable ways.

If marketing the most successful  African-American (male or female) in the history of media to African-Americans is only now being considered in earnest, OWN is doomed. If “We” weren’t important enough to be taken seriously in the construction of the Winfrey empire, why turn to us now if on the verge of crumbling? We only matter “now,” because somebody is desperate? Desperation is never connected to sincerity.

Never.

If OWN truly wishes to connect with African-American viewers, it must be sincere in its efforts; feature programming specific to the African-American experience, something Oprah Winfrey heretofore has been loathe to do. Again, not a value judgment, just stating the facts. Successfully connecting with African-Americans requires more than simply adding to the sum total of Black faces found on the network.

It requires sincerity and the knowledge that OWN isn’t only courting Black viewership in the way that Republicans court Black votes; only to move on when the election has passed or ratings crisis has abated.

We’ve seen this story before.

Once-fledgling network FOX, and the now defunct UPN and The WB made it a point to feature Black sitcoms as a quick/easy fix to drum up viewership, only to shift direction altogether when the short term goals were reached and our collective services were no longer needed.

It’s nice to know that OWN is now willing to recognize the economic viability of African-American viewers. It’s unfortunate to know that it happened under the threat of cable extinction.  This strategic change in course seems more like the proverbial booty call at 2am, not a marriage proposal.

Black People, a.k.a Captain Save-an-O to the rescue! Up, up and away!

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Contact him at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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“I’m so sick of hearing about damn Spike Lee. Spike can go straight to hell! You can print that. I am sick of him talking about me, I am sick of him saying, ‘this is a coon, this is a buffoon.’ I am sick of him talking about black people going to see movies.

This is what he said: ‘you vote by what you see,’ as if black people don’t know what they want to see.” I am sick of him – he talked about Whoopi, he talked about Oprah, he talked about me, he talked about Clint Eastwood. Spike needs to shut the hell up!”

- Tyler Perry

It was surprising to be sure. Not to the level of “shocking,” but certainly surprising. One would imagine that Tyler Perry has expressed those same thoughts regarding Spike Lee in the same manner with the same veracity dozens of times before, just in more select company. Going public in this manner was unlike him or at least what we’ve come to know of Perry.

The truth of the matter is that the precipitating question wasn’t even in relation to Spike, but about whether Perry receives criticism from the church community regarding Madea and “pot jokes” in his films.

Mo’Kelly will come back to the church community in a moment.

Yet if you heard the audio, Perry was ready for a fight, arguably one which did not exist on that day in that media space. Nevertheless, Perry was ready and seized the opportunity to let Lee have it for the incessant criticism he’s rained down on Perry and his work. The rant was not spontaneous, not even a little bit.

That stood out.

What also became apparent given the fullness of the context and content of the remarks by Perry was that the criticism of his work obviously has hit home. This is not a statement about whether Lee has made valid points over years, that conversation has been had, hundreds of times in hundreds of different media outlets. The Mo’Kelly Report has been there, done that…now let’s go beyond that and let’s also be sure to leave out “hater,” “jealous” or “crabs in a barrel” and underhanded quips about one’s sexuality in the process.

Let’s have the “grown folks” conversation now, which is far more nuanced in nature.

If there was ever any question as to whether Perry views himself first as an artist or a business archetype, it was laid to rest with this one rant. Anyone’s art, from songwriting to film making to even editorial commentary is intensely personal. It’s the outward expression of our inner longings. It’s our heart put on screen, our life with an accompanying soundtrack. Ask any “artist” in any field and he/she will tell you it’s exceptionally personal in terms of motivation and ultimate expression. Conversely, ask any consummate businessman and he/she will tell you it’s never personal, merely the best decisions made from the best information available to bring about the best financial result.

For example, Donald Trump doesn’t give a damn whether you dislike him, only whether he’s paid.

Tyler Perry telling Spike Lee to “go straight to hell” says to Mo’Kelly that Perry’s art comes first. We can, and have debated the quality and maturity of Perry’s work as his career has progressed but we should be able to lay to rest the debate as to where his loyalties lay. He’s an artist and prides himself on his art; all of our various value judgments or said art notwithstanding. It was just surprising that the super-successful director who is right now on top, slowed down to look over his shoulder and throw a brick at a singular critic. Clearly some nerves had been struck. Nobody in the room even mentioned Spike’s name except…

That too stood out.

Conversely, what also stood out is that Perry made no mention of Aaron McGruder or his far more offensive Boondocks assault on the kingdom that which is Madea. The episode was beyond personal; it was profoundly degrading. If Tyler Perry is about the business of passing out train tickets to hell for those who’ve offered the greatest criticism of his work, the conspicuous absence of Aaron McGruder is both noted and noticed.

Who knows, maybe that’s coming at some later date and some other press junket.

Let’s be honest, if you believe Spike Lee, Aaron McGruder et al. have made valid points in relation to Perry, you are not in any way swayed by these recent remarks; only heightened in your sensitivity and severity of your criticisms given the release of Madea’s Big Happy Family this weekend. If you are a Tyler Perry fan, you likely found his words regarding Spike both refreshing and honest, complete with ghetto hi-fives and chest bumps. We collectively are where we are and unmoved in this debate.

Nobody’s minds have been changed and on that you can bet the House of Payne.

Now back to the church community and its overwhelming support of Perry…

What has not been discussed (except here in The Mo’Kelly Report) is the irony surrounding both the question and the misdirected answer. How thick is the irony regarding an unanswered question of “pot jokes” going over in the Christian church community is answered by telling a fellow director to “go straight to hell?”

For as much as Perry reminds us that his movies offer humor and a not-so-subtle, “kinda-sorta-Christian” message, what message does his rant ultimately send? It’s not necessarily hypocrisy, but eyebrow raising nonetheless to place Spike on the A-train to hell, while promoting his movie of humor and “kinda-sorta-Christian” family values.

Of course Perry should follow his heart as it relates to his art. And of course his critics should remain critical of that art if their heart leads them to that conclusion. There always needs to be that dissonance and uncomfortable balance to ensure that one’s art in relation to African-Americans hasn’t been corrupted by money to the point of devaluing our self-worth and irrevocably damaging how the world views us. There’s always room for both to balance the equation. There needs to be both.

In the end, Tyler Perry will keep doing what his art (read: his heart) instructs him to do, as will Spike Lee. But Mo’Kelly can’t wait for Lee’s response…um, uh…”balance!”

Oh…and ALSO said ‘Spike needs to shut the hell up!’

If you were in any way confused as to where director Tyler Perry stood in regards to criticism of him and his movies, be unclear no more.  Yes, Mo’Kelly is all over this…  But for now, get the story in its original form.  It is OFFICIALLY  ON AND CRACKIN’!

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Tyler Perry, director, writer and star of Madea’s Big Happy Family and all of the films in the popular Madea series, offered some harsh words to his critics in the entertainment industry, in particular filmmaker Spike Lee. “I’m so sick of hearing about damn Spike Lee,” Perry said during a press conference Tuesday in Beverly Hills, Calif. “Spike can go straight to hell! You can print that. I am sick of him talking about me, I am sick of him saying, ‘this is a coon, this is a buffoon.’ I am sick of him talking about black people going to see movies. This is what he said: ‘you vote by what you see,’ as if black people don’t know what they want to see.”

“I am sick of him – he talked about Whoopi, he talked about Oprah, he talked about me, he talked about Clint Eastwood. Spike needs to shut the hell up!”

FULL STORY HERE!

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and EURWEB.com. For more Mo’Kelly, http://mrmokelly.com. Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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Chris Brown is now the resident authority on career self-sabotage. It’s not easy to do and Brown is about the best there is. Lindsay Lohan is up there. T.I. definitely deserves to be in the conversation too but neither had attained the heights of Brown before flushing it down the toilet.

Mo’Kelly – 12.30.2010

Mo’Kelly…right again!

From Entertainment Weekly

Chris Brown flew into a rage on the set of Good Morning America earlier today, smashing a window and storming out of the studio shirtless after the interviewer kept directing the conversation back to his felony assault on his then-girlfriend Rihanna two years ago.

The 21-year-old R&B singer waited until his interview and first performance was over before storming into his dressing room, where insiders say he began shouting and tearing it apart.

Before ABC’s building security arrived, Brown somehow shattered the window in his dressing room, smashing it up enough that glass fell onto the sidewalk below. Brown then tore off his shirt and left the building before a second scheduled performance. Watch the interview below:

The tension started when GMA co-anchor Robin Roberts asked Brown if he had seen Rihanna since she dropped her restraining order against him last month.

“Not really,” answered Brown. “It’s not really a big deal to me now, that situation… I think I’m past that in my life. Today is the album day that’s what I’m focusing on. Everyone go get that album!”

After explaining that his album title F.A.M.E. stood for “Forgiving All My Enemies,” Roberts directed the talk back to his assault, saying, “You can understand how some people… it was very serious what you went through and what happened.”

Not willing to let the conversation drift back to his felony, Brown responded, “Definitely this album is what I want to talk about and not stuff that happened two years ago.”

After he left the studio, Brown pulled a classic Tweet-then-delete: “I’m so over people bringing this past s**t up!!! Yet we praise Charlie Sheen and other celebs for there [sic] bulls**t.”

Aside from wondering exactly from what quarters Brown is hearing praise for Charlie Sheen, what do you think of his behavior? Will it affect the sales of his new album, out now? Should it?

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For all those of you who wanted to argue tooth and nail with Mo’Kelly that Michael Vick should have done the interview with Oprah…let the latest failing of Chris Brown prove Mo’Kelly’s point.

Chris Brown first should have known his audience. Good Morning America is not and will not be interested in having Brown on simply because he’s releasing a CD. If Brown didn’t know that, his management team should have made it clear to him. It’s Good Morning America, not BET’s 106th and Park. The program’s demographic (like The Oprah Winfrey Show) would better know  “Brown the batterer” than “Brown the musician.”  Brown’s domestic violence case transcended age and race demographics, his music does not and will not.

Know your audience.

Teeny boppers and college-age adults don’t largely watch Good Morning America. They are either in school (as they should be) or watching BET/MTV to find out the latest goings on in music…NOT GMA. GMA does not cater its programming to the interviewee, but to its audience.

Know your audience.

Most importantly, it is an interview and that is far different than a paid advertisement. The Rihanna incident was a huge one and will be forever connected to Brown’s career and musical obit. Robin Roberts has a professional duty to ask the question. He is free not to answer or tap dance around it, but the media is not a one-way street. You can’t come on GMA and “only” sell your CD. Roberts has an ethical duty to ask the question because it is newsworthy and of importance to her GMA audience which tunes in every morning to see what she brings to the table too, not just the guest. Otherwise GMA is just BET, licking the boots of Brown…again.

Know your audience and know who is interviewing you.

Without belaboring the point, Brown once again proved Mo’Kelly right. He has serious emotional issues and is unfit for superstardom. If you are busting out windows because you were ASKED questions about Rihanna, then clearly your anger management certificate means nothing and doubts about your apology have been confirmed.

Like Mo’Kelly said before…nice way to throw away a career. Will he sell CDs? Yes. Will he ever become the mainstream star he thinks he is? Absolutely not and it’s nobody’s fault but his own.

RELATED:

Michael Vick Saves Career With Oprah Cancellation

Chris Brown Throws Away ‘Rest’ of Career in 140 Characters

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and EURWEB.com. For more Mo’Kelly, http://mrmokelly.com. Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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