 | | Wednesday, AUG 20, 2008 | | | |
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Mac, Hayes and Taylor
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Comedian Bernie Mac dead at 50
Funnyman dies of pneumonia in Chicago
By Shirley Hawkins
OW Staff Writer
Bernie Mac, the irascible but lovable actor and comedian who starred in “The Bernie Mac Show” and the “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise, died Saturday at the age of 50.
The comedian’s publicist, Dana Smith, said that Mac died from complications related to pneumonia at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
“Initially when he was hospitalized we expected him to come back home, but as the weeks went on, I kind of knew,” said Je’niece Childress, the 30-year-old daughter and only child of the comedian.
The comedian suffered from sarciodosis (contracted in 1983), a chronic immune disorder that causes inflammation in tissue, most often the lungs, although Mac said the condition went into remission in 2005.
Ironically, Mac had recently finished working on the film “Soul Men” with musician Isaac Hayes, who died Sunday. The film, which was shot in Memphis, Tenn. this past April, centers around two aging back up singers who travel together for a tribute performance in honor of their recently deceased band leader. The film is set to be in theaters in November.
Mac’s ribald sense of comedy got the comedian into trouble during one of his last appearances at a July fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Mac lifted eyebrows during the fundraiser by cracking jokes about sexual infidelity, menopause and promiscuity. Obama’s campaign later said the jokes were “inappropriate.”
“I kind of figured he was going to get a lot of backlash,” Childress told news sources. “Telling that joke at that time probably wasn’t the best idea, but that’s him.”
Mac went on to stardom in a string of comedies that included his role as the wily con man Pastor Clever in “Friday” (1995) and Gin, the store detective in “Bad Santa” (2003). He also played the short-tempered Stan Ross, the nation’s most hated baseball player, in “Mr. 3000” (2004).
Many television viewers remember Mac from the popular “The Bernie Mac Show,” in which he played an irascible patriarch with a heart of gold who was raising his troubled sister’s three children. The show usually featured an exasperated Mac who parented the children with stern, loving and often hilarious results. The sitcom, which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006, was loosely based on the comedian’s life.
Mac incorporated aspects of his stand-up act in the TV show, and during each episode would often pause with exasperation, stare into the camera and address the audience. During one show, he swiveled in his chair and said, “Now America, tell me again, why can’t I whip that girl?”
The show was recognized with a Peabody Award during its five-season run.
“The success of my comedy has been on not being afraid to touch on subject matters or issues that everyone else is politically scared of,” Mac told The Times in 2001. “It’s a joke, believe me. I’m not trying to hurt anybody.”
Mac received two Emmy nominations for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series in 2002 and 2003. The show’s executive producer, Larry Wilmore, also earned an Emmy.
After hearing of Mac’s passing, Fox Broadcasting Co. and 20th Century Fox Television issued a statement calling Mac “a gifted talent whose comedy came from an authentic and highly personal place.”
Many of Mac’s Hollywood friends expressed their sadness upon hearing of the great comedian’s passing.
Comedienne Niecy Nash, who played Mac’s little sister, Benita, on “The Bernie Mac Show,” recalls, “Bernie Mac was the personification of the word ‘real.’ He kept it real. That kind of genuine spirit that he carried all the time cannot be easily duplicated, but I will do my very best to try.”
Ice Cube, who directed Mac in the movie “Friday,” recalls, “Today and tomorrow will never be as funny as yesterday without Bernie Mac, a true original.”
Comedian Chris Rock, who worked with Mac in the film “Head of State,” referred to Mac as “One of the best and funniest comedians to ever live, but that was the second-best thing he did. Bernie was one of the greatest friends a person could have,” Rock told the E! television show. “Losing him is like losing 12 people, because he absolutely filled up any room he was in. I’m gonna miss the Mac Man.”
Comedian Martin Lawrence, who worked with Mac on the 1999 comedy film “Life,” told The Times, “Words can’t express the absolute devastation I am feeling over the loss of Bernie, a comic genius, a great man and someone I am honored to have called my friend.”
Cedric the Entertainer, who appeared with Mac on “The Original Kings of Comedy” tour along with comedians D.L. Hughley and Steve Harvey, reflected, “His comedic approach was his own brand and will definitely stand the test of time. The level of his talent always inspired me, and other comedians, to ‘bring their A-game.’ I promise you that you never wanted to be the guy who had to follow Bernie’s set!”
Mac’s side-splitting humor kept audiences in stitches during “The Kings of Comedy” tour which would gross $59 million in sales. “The Kings of Comdey” tour also generated several HBO specials and a film of the same name directed by Spike Lee.
Born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on Oct. 5, 1957 in Chicago to a single mother, Mac grew up on the city’s South Side. Mac credits his mother for inspiring him to become a comedian. He told a television interviewer in 2001 that when he was five, he saw his mother sitting in front of the television set crying. “The Ed Sullivan Show” was playing, and Bill Cosby was on the show. When Mr. Cosby began telling a story about snakes in a bathroom, she started laughing despite herself. When I saw her laughing, I told her that I was going to be a comedian so she’d never cry again,” Mac said.
When his mother died of cancer, when he was 16, Mac was raised by his grandmother. His two brothers also died, one in infancy, the other of a heart attack in his 20’s.
After high school, Mac worked as a janitor, a mover and a school bus driver before finding a job at a General Motors plant. In 1976, he married his high school sweetheart, Rhonda.
Desperate to become a comedian, Mac told jokes for tips on the Chicago subway and performed at comedy clubs. “When I started in the clubs, I had to work places where didn’t nobody else want to work,” he told The Washington Post. “I had to do clubs where street gangs were, had to do motorcycle gangs, gay balls and things of that nature.”
During several stand up routines, Mac caught the attention of Redd Foxx and Slappy White. White invited him to perform in Las Vegas in 1989. A year later, Mac won the Miller Lite Comedy Search, a national contest.
In 1990, he was invited to do two shows with Def Comedy Jam, a tour featuring young black comedians, which was filmed for HBO. Mac was soon winning small roles in such films as “Mo’ Money” (1992), “Who’s the Man?” (1993) and “House Party 3” (1994). He also performed on the HBO variety series “Midnight Mac.” In 1996, he landed the role of Uncle Bernie on the UPN sitcom “Moesha” before starring in “The Bernie Mac Show” in 2001.
During the run of the show, Mac also appeared in a spate of films including “What’s the Worst That Could Happen?” (2001), “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001) and its two sequels, and “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” (2003).
He also played a befuddled father whose daughter falls in love with a white suitor (Ashton Kutcher) in 2005’s “Guess Who?” a remake of the Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn 1967 classic “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”
In his 2004 memoir, “Maybe You Never Cry Again,” Mac wrote about his strict, no-nonsense upbringing and growing up poor. “I came from a place where there wasn’t a lot of joy,” Mac told the Associated Press in 2001. “I decided to make other people laugh when there wasn’t a lot of things to laugh about.”
Johnnie Blair, the president of the Bronzeville Chamber of Commerce in Chicago, was a friend of Mac’s who has followed his career.
“It’s a major loss to our community,” Blair said. “Bernie Mac never forgot where he came from, and I think his comedy reflected that.”
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich called Mac “a favorite son.”
“I think he will always be remembered as one of the original kings of comedy,” Childress said. “I think what made him so special to people was that even though he was a celebrity he just seemed so down to earth and so much like a part of your family.”
Last year, Mac announced that he was retiring from stand-up so that he could enjoy life more. He credited his grandmother with teaching him to keep people guessing.
“She always said, ‘Don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing’....I love it when you all walk away and say, ‘I didn’t know he could do that.’ I just laugh because I love being underestimated. I have been underestimated my whole life.”
Mac is survived by his wife, Rhonda McCullough, their daughter, Ja’Niece, a son-in-law and a granddaughter.
[More...] |
‘Black in America’
Was it a true reflection of African Americans?
By Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D.
OW Contributor
The much touted two part series, “Black in America,” premiered on CNN July 23 and 24, has received rave reviews for its analysis of the complex state of black America today. It also has received some stark criticism for over-dramatizing much of what we already know, the many distortions of black men, the dysfunctionalities of black families, and the hypersensitivities of black women. Many saw the series as a re-introduction of black America to white America and the rest of the nation. It also centered the hyperbole around Barack Obama’s run for the Presidency, for purposes of reexamining race relations in America.
Soledad O’Brien hosted the six hour presentation and facilitated the interviews from a spectrum of segments within the African American diaspora. Was the series truly reflective of the collective black experience? "I do not think it was an accurate portrayal of black America because it was a one dimensional presentation, even stereotypical,” stated California State Senator, Mark Ridley-Thomas, who also holds a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in Social Ethics.
Capriciously enough, the series did not spend a lot of time on race conflict or racism as a source of being black in America. Racism was almost treated as a fact of life, an effect without a cause, in many of the interviews. Historical racism was a simple acknowledgement for most of the interviewees. The lives of black men, black families, black communities were almost presented in a vacuum as totally disconnected to the social variables that created massive racial disparities. Those who were interviewed appeared to frame their success despite the direct effects or residual vestiges of racism. And, those who fail, attribute their failures to individual decisions rather than external circumstances related to race. How easy was it to dismiss race as a factor in one’s life or in one’s community? UCLA Law Professor, Kimberle Crenshaw, states, “The individual frame is the only one most journalists and laypersons seem to know. Perhaps deeper still, there seems to be some sort of embargo against talking about institutional and structural racism. It runs against a dominant consensus on colorblindness and of course their standard operating practices which presume a race neutral backdrop.” The Foxxhole 5-23-08 part 5
The most interesting aspects of the series examined the lives of being a black male in America versus being a black female. The center of conflict and controversy in the black community for the past two decades, the debate around why black women succeed and black men don’t, has fueled an intra-race divide. Clearly, the systemic barriers that target and engulf black men don’t impact black women in the same way. It appeared that CNN almost sought to fulfill stereotypes that have been perpetuated about black males. From social workers having to track black males to visit their illegitimate babies, to peer counselors having to knock on doors to get black males to go to school. The “context” of presenting the dilemma within the framework society has constructed, is more important than the subtext of why the circumstance is what it is. The same with black women when the question is asked, where are all the good black men. Single women are shown working, as head of households, as making judgments about the state of black men as if the circumstances that effect black men are totally self-inflicted and not related to historical social animus toward black men. There appeared to be an imbalance in showing the constructive side of black America, that left the viewer to draw more negative conclusions about the state of black America than positive ones. There was also a monolithic tone as to what black America is versus what is not and that success is some rare exception-clearly a distortion of sorts,” concluded Ridley-Thomas.
If this series could have done anything, it could have showed that some excuses about why black men historically have not found work are not excuses. Even in the segment where a young man is looking for work, it is not until a black woman hires him that the totally emasculated young man is able to find a shred of dignity. The unstated reality to this small victory was that the young man was under-employed and the work was part-time, underemployment being a greater problem than unemployment is never mentioned. The invisible questions of why it took so long for the young man to find work are addressed in studies that suggest employers are distrustful of black males regardless of their class or status. This is where the most widely circulated quote of the series comes about where one study said that employers would hire a white high school dropout with a criminal record before they would hire a black male with a college degree and no record. Certainly, you would expect CNN to follow up that question. Instead, it was left to simmer in the old “that’s just the way it is” pot of social inequity that forces Americans to leave old habits to past rationalizations. “Individual explanations are the safe and secure way to talk about race; they get points for appearing to care while at the same time reinforcing the basic view that our racial situation is no one’s responsibility except those who live under its heel,” continued Crenshaw.
Soledad O’Brien proved to be an excellent journalist in this series, but it also appeared that there were some aspects of the series she was ill-prepared to cover. Questions about life choices, personal decisions and circumstantial realities are addressed in almost a condescending fashion, absent the sensitivity and compassion some segments merit. It might suggest that O’Brien was trying to be impartial, but it came off more indifferent-the same as if a non-black reporter was doing the peace. Some questions were simplistic and demonstrated that the interview was beyond O’Brien’s own life experience. Maybe that is the look that CNN was trying to portray, or maybe O’Brien wasn’t the best choice to cover such risky issues facing black America.
In conclusion, the timing of the series coincides with the emergence of the Obama candidacy and in this context only appears to be relevant to a larger question, as to whether America is ready for a black President. “Let’s face it, you can’t explode the myths of colorblindness on day 1, and then go back to standard operating procedures on day 2 as though everything you exposed on the first day doesn’t apply to your industry or to society at large,” says Professor Crenshaw. Crenshaw suggests America is having a problem grappling with the notion of a black President because its perceptions of black America is deeply rooted in stereotypes and supremacist interpretations. “Black in America” did more to reinforce these misinterpretations than it did to dismiss them.
It is left to be seen whether any such series will come about Latino America and Asian America. It is difficult to believe that the class issues affecting white America would be covered in a series like this. The re-visitation of America’s “Negro Problem” is symbolic largely because African Americans are no longer the nation’s largest “minority.” It is the nation’s longest dilemma, and continues to frustrate society in its inability to discuss the historical relationship. You come away “Black in America” feeling that if one is black and successful you are in some way abnormal. The realities of being black in America are that compromise, subjugation and alienation are more common than not. If this is the case, then being “Black in America” is a demonstration of what needs to be fixed in America. Black America didn’t get broke by itself. “Black in America” showed the invisible resistance to equality. CNN’s follow-up series very well might be “Racism in America.”Sylvia Drew Ivie launches community kitchen
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Brings healthy eating to the ‘hood’
By Shirley Hawkins
OW Staff Writer
Sylvia Drew Ivie, the former chief executive officer (for 17 years), of the To Help Everyone Clinic (T.H.E.), is on a mission to bring healthy eating to South Los Angeles.
Drew Ivie noted with growing concern the increasing number of South Los Angeles residents seeking health care for diabetes, hypertension, and obesity related diseases.
“We saw record numbers of patients suffering from these illnesses,” recalls Drew Ivie, who, like other health professionals, recognized the correlation between chronic disease in neighborhoods that had a higher preponderance of fast food outlets and little access to fresh food.
Determined to bring healthy eating to the ‘hood, Drew Ivie launched the South Los Angeles Community Kitchen in February 2007.
“I wrote and presented a proposal to Dr. Robert Ross, president of the California Endowment. “The Endowment gave me a one-year planning grant to develop the idea of a Community Kitchen,” said Drew Ivie, who currently runs the kitchen out of her home.
Fixing healthy meals and educating the community about healthful eating, Drew Ivie has brought her “traveling kitchen” to numerous schools, clinics, and community facilities in South Los Angeles where she demonstrates healthy cooking and eating habits. Since launching the Community Kitchen, Drew Ivie said, the project has been a success.
“We’ve got to get to the people before they find themselves in poor health,” Drew Ivie declares. “I’m trying to keep people out of the clinics so that they can take better care of their health,”said the former hospital administrator, adding that poor eating habits is the biggest deterrent to good health. “All of us have the power to stay healthy and in control. If we have a chronic disease like diabetes or hypertension, we can control it by what we choose to eat. It’s not easy to do, but I try to provide help and alternatives for people who are trying.” [More...] |
Oprah reigns supreme among money earners
Talk show host averages more than one million per day
By Shirley Hawkins
OW Staff Writer
Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey earns a staggering $385 million a year, making her the highest paid celebrity on television according to the annual star-salary survey in TV Guide.
Other highly paid celebrities on the list include Charlie Sheen, co-star of “Two and a Half Men,” who brings in $825,000 per episode, and “CSI” star William Peterson, who earns $600,00 per show. [More...] |
‘Head Trips’
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Samuel L. Jackson intros local exhibit
By Gail Choice
OW Contributor
Do you ever notice the hairstyles worn by actors and actresses featured in films? These styles sometimes inspire movie goers to copy the look, and even create trends. Remember “Superfly?” Ron O’Neal’s character, Priest wore his hair long, suddenly brother’s who dug the look started perming and wearing their hair in that style if they could. And sisters were hard pressed to find hair rollers to purchase in the stores.
We often pay very little attention to the hairstyles worn by men in films, especially black men. A close cut, a bald head, and maybe dreads or an afro is what we are used to. Samuel L. Jackson however, is a whole ‘nother story. His hair style always fits his character.
In “Jumper” Jackson’s hair was platinum or a very nice, even, gray short afro. It really complimented his bad guy gray outfit. In “Black Snake Moan” he styled a salt and pepper near balding “do” that came with afro lamb chops, and as always, right in character. In “Jackie Brown” he had red hair, and a long ponytail with sideburns, perfect for the nasty character he portrayed.
The man responsible for not only Jackson’s different looks on film for the last 13 years, but the hairstyle of countless other celebrities is Robert L. Stevenson, Motion Picture Hairstylist. And now he’s adding artist to his resume. [More...] |
Wildly Wicked Buffalo Wings
1 pound chicken wings, separated & tips removed
3 tablespoons Cajun Shake
2 tablespoons Original Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 cup Louisiana Wildly Wicked Wing Sauce [More...] |
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