“How did we suddenly become entranced with gangster culture? When did the black community say we should all look like criminals?”       ~Tim Reid

“I’ve always been into films. I’ve been offered lots of films but they’ve been these very stereotypical roles. They wanted me to play some gangster or street guy, or pimp, or drug addict.”

~Lenny Kravitz

 “I have consciously not taken the role of a gangster, which has been offered to me far too many times.” ~Stanley Tucci

During the mid 1990’s, crime rates begin to plummet across the nation. Despite the decrease in crime, street gangs were forming at a high rate. Each year, the number of gangs and gang members reported in surveys increases. Major cities across the United States begin to develop strategies to combat gangs within their boundaries. Ironically, statistics show the suburban gang situation to have the greatest increase. By the late 1990’s, Super Gangs (large, multi cultural/multi-state street gangs) become well entrenched in many American communities despite the steady falling crime rate. Law Enforcement efforts are now targeting gangs across the country and achieving great results. Today, in the year 2000, street gangs are estimated to show a membership of nearly one million members. Some experts feel that number will exceed one million by the year 2001. Now, gangs can relate to their own glorification in the many gangster rap music and videos flooding the media. This has given them fame rather than infamy. It is apparent in today’s clothing and language of our youth how much gangs have influenced our culture. Emulation of the old gangsters, their names, colloquialisms and their practices are being acted out in the streets of our cities and towns. Gang members are referring to themselves as made men and John Gotti or Al Capone. Today’s gangsters are studying the ways of past gangsters and readying themselves for the new millennium. http://www.gripe4rkids.org/his.html

Gang Types

 Gangs vary extensively regarding membership, structure, age, and ethnicity. However, three basic types of gangs have been identified by gang investigators: street gangs, prison gangs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs).

 Street Gangs

 Street gangs that operate throughout most of the country are a significant threat because they are the largest and control the greatest geographical area.

Prison Gangs

 Prison gangs are highly structured criminal networks that operate within the federal and state prison systems….these gangs operate in local communities through members who have been released from prison. Released members typically return to their home communities and resume their former street gang affiliations, acting as representatives of their prison gang to recruit street gang members who perform criminal acts on behalf of the prison gang.

Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMG)

OMG-related criminal activity poses a threat to public safety in local communities in which these gangs operate because of their wide-ranging criminal activity, propensity to use violence, and ability to counter law enforcement efforts. OMGs are highly structured criminal organizations whose members engage in criminal activities such as violent crime, weapons trafficking, and drug trafficking. OMGs maintain a strong centralized leadership that implements rules regulating membership, conduct, and criminal activity. As of June 2008 state and local law enforcement agencies estimate that between 280 and 520 OMGs are operating at the national, regional, and local levels. OMGs range in size from a single chapter to hundreds of chapters worldwide. Current law enforcement intelligence estimates indicate that more than 20,000 validated OMG members, divided among hundreds of OMGs, reside in the United States.

 National Gang Intelligence Center National Gang Threat Assessment 2009 January 2009

As part of the Chicago Humanities Festival, this Saturday meet Tim & Tom… a “Salt & Pepper” comedy team born in the hotbed of sixties Chicago…

Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen met for the first time in tumultuous 1968 Chicago. As the heady promise of the sixties sagged under the weight of widespread violence, rioting, and racial unrest, two young men – one black and one white – took to stages across the nation to help Americans confront their racial divide: by laughing
at it.

“While the country was wracked by the civil rights movement, a sexual revolution, and a controversial war, these friends took the stage as the first—and so far, only—black and white comedy team. Together they spent five years touring the country, facing unabashed racism, occasionally violent hecklers, and cheering crowds. Reid went on to star in the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati and create the influential Frank’s Place, and Dreesen spent 30 years in stand-up, including 15 years as Frank Sinatra’s opening act. The duo returns to the stage to tell their stories and reflect on a lifetime of unique experiences. Ron Rapoport moderates.”

–from Chicagohumanities.org

Where & When:

Tickets:

Jamaicaway Books & Gifts will host a book reading and signing with Li Mo, author of the new memoir Spirit Bridges, Friday, October 16 at 7PM.  Copies of the book will be available for purchase. 

Li Mo is a professional storyteller and artist who was born in China and lived in many parts of the world, before settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Li Min has been teaching art, drama, storytelling and history to children and adults, winning praise and awards for her work for over 20 years. She has brought her exciting programs to schools, universities, and communities all over the country.

The 2009 Boston Book Festival is a little over a week away, we are excited about who is coming.  Nearly 100 authors and thousands of their readers will converge in the Boston Public Library and Copley Square for a day of workshops, author readings, book signings and literary camaraderie.  Scheduled to appear are Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, Richard Russo, Anita Diamant, John Hodgman, Dennis Lehane, “Heroes” creator Tim Kring, Cornel West, Mary Gordon, actress Alicia Silverstone, Michael Patrick MacDonald, Jill Lepore, children’s illustrator Chris Van Allsburg and many more.

We have had many great authors drop by the store recently, and some of them left behind signed copies of their books for our customers to purchase.  Actor Tim Reid hosted an author event at our store a while ago, and we have a few copies left of his signed books, Tim & Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White.

Tim and Tom tells the story of that pioneering duo, the first interracial comedy team in the history of show business–and the last. Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen polished their act in the nightclubs of Chicago, then took it on the road, not only in the North, but in the still-simmering South as well, developing routines that even today remain surprisingly frank–and remarkably funny–about race. Most nights, the shock of seeing an integrated comedy team quickly dissipated in uproarious laughter, but on some occasions the audience’s confusion and discomfort led to racist heckling, threats, and even violence. Though Tim and Tom perpetually seemed on the verge of making it big throughout their five years together, they grudgingly came to realize that they were ahead of their time: America was not yet ready to laugh at its own failed promise.  By turns revealing, shocking, and riotously funny, Tim and Tom unearths a largely forgotten chapter in the history of comedy.

Chicago’s dismal showing yesterday, after Mr Obama’s personal, impassioned last-minute pitch, is a stunning humiliation for this President. It cannot be emphasised enough how this will feed the perception that on the world stage he looks good — but carries no heft.

Tim Reid on Obama’s failure to sway the IOC

From the 1977 program, The Richard Pryor Show. The forerunner of In Living Color and Chapelle’s Show, this classic program only aired four original episodes, due to Mr. Pryor’s frustration dealing with network censors. Look for Robin Williams, John Witherspoon, Marsha Warfield, Tim Reid, and Sandra Bernhard in this classic sketch .

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published weekly at www.eurweb.com. It is meant to inform, infuse and incite meaningful discourse…as well as entertain. The Mo’Kelly Report is syndicated by Blogburst. For more Mo’Kelly, http://mokellyreport.wordpress.com.  Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com and he welcomes all commentary.

http://twitter.com/mrmokelly

Subscribe to The Mo’Kelly Report HERE

Comedian, author and motivational speaker Tom Dreesen joins Ed and Frankie as TV Confidential launches its second season from its new broadcast home in the studios of Shokus Internet Radio. Tom discusses his book, Tim & Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White, his partnership with Tim Reid in the early 1970s, his breakthrough appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and his long association with Frank Sinatra:

http://media.podcastingmanager.com/9/3/5/3/3/142636-133539/Media/071309tvc25_2.mp3

Author, speaker and stand-up comic Tom Dreesen will be our special guest this week on the season premiere of TV CONFIDENTIAL (Monday, July 13, 10pm ET, 7pm PT on Shokus Internet Radio; Tuesday, July 14, 10pm ET, 7pm PT on Share-a-Vision Radio, KSAV.org).

Most of us know Tom Dreesen for his many appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and The Late Show with David Letterman, as well as his many years as the opening act for Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and other show business legends. Less known, however, is the story of his partnership with comic/actor Tim Reid (WKRP in Cincinnati) in the late 1960s as America’s first, and only, interracial comedy team. At a time of racial unrest, riots and assassination, Dreesen and Reid worked nightclubs across the country, facing racist heckling, threats and even violence. And while they would never enjoy the success as a team that they would later have in their solo careers, their individual triumphs would not have been possible were it not for the struggles they went through together. It’s a remarkable story of passion, perseverance and a 40-year friendship that will appeal to anyone, no matter what field you work in. Tom Dreesen will join us live in our second hour.

In our first hour, Tony Figueroa and David Krell will join us as we take a look at the world of television during the first half of 2009. From the changing of the guard on NBC late night television to the Letterman/Palin controversy, from notable series finales (E/R) to shows that were perhaps canceled before their time (Life on Mars), from the inauguration of Barack Obama to the death of Michael Jackson and a whole lot more.

If you want to be part of our conversation, if you have questions for Tom Dreesen or comments about the year in television so far, we invite you to join us for our live broadcast this Monday, July 13, at 10pm ET, 7pm PT on Shokus Internet Radio. Our email address, as always, is talk@tvconfidential.net. But our phone number is brand new… (888) 746-5875 (or 888 SHOKUS-5).

NOTE. If you should miss the live broadcast, you can catch an encore presentation Tuesday, July 14 at 10pm ET, 7pm PT on Share-a-Vision Radio, KSAV.org, as well every night at 10pm ET, 7pm ET on Shokus Internet Radio through July 26. The July 13 show will be then archived at www.tvconfidential.net beginning July 27.

Ed Robertson
Co-Host, TV CONFIDENTIAL
Mon-Sun 10pm ET, 7pm PT
Shokus Internet Radio beginning July 13
Every other Tuesday at 10pm ET, 7pm PT
Share-a-Vision Radio, KSAV.org
www.tvconfidential.net
blog.tvconfidential.net
Also available as a podcast via iTunes and FeedBurner

Hillary Clinton refused yesterday to rule out a pre-emptive Israeli military strike on Iran. It was the first time that a senior member of the Obama Administration had openly discussed such a possibility.

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t
• 

The US Secretary Of State, speaking a few days before elections in Iran that will determine the fate of President Ahmadinejad, also warned that the country would face retaliation if it launched a nuclear attack on Israel.

As President Obama extends “an open hand”, seeking direct talks with Tehran in his attempt to halt its nuclear programme, Mrs Clinton appeared ready to unnerve the Iranian leadership with talk of a pre-emptive strike “the way that we did attack Iraq”. She said that she was trying to put herself in the shoes of the Iranian leadership, but added that Tehran “might have some other enemies that would do that [deliver a pre-emptive strike] to them”. It was a clear reference to Israel, where Binyamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister, has talked about the possibility of military action to halt Iran’s nuclear programme — something he views as a threat to the Jewish state.

Read entire article

URL to article: http://www.infowars.com/dont-discount-israel-pre-emptive-strike-hillary-clinton-warns-iran/

Finer womanhood…at its best.  Zeta Phi Beta Sorority…you should be PROUD!  Ladies and gentlemen, please rise in honor of the “International President” of the esteemed organization of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

If this doesn’t prove Mo’Kelly’s point about the horrendous nature of Sheryl Undersnipes helming a BGLO, nothing will.  Dim the lights please.

(Warning: Video below contains EXPLICIT language)

RELATED: An Open Letter to Zeta Phi Beta Sorority

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published weekly at www.eurweb.com. It is meant to inform, infuse and incite meaningful discourse…as well as entertain. The Mo’Kelly Report is syndicated by Blogburst. For more Mo’Kelly, http://mokellyreport.wordpress.com.  Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com and he welcomes all commentary.

http://twitter.com/mrmokelly

Subscribe to The Mo’Kelly Report HERE

Published on Monday, May 4, 2009 by The Times/UK

by Tim Reid in Washington

President Obama is on the verge of breaking two key campaign promises in his troubled attempt to shut Guantánamo Bay – with plans to revive the military tribunal system set up by George Bush and to continue the indefinite detention of up to 100 inmates.

 

Demonstrators in orange jail jumpsuits and black hoods hold a vigil outside the White House to mark the 100th day of President Barack Obama’s administration and his promise to close the military prison facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in Washington, April 29, 2009. (REUTERS/Mike Theiler)

The moves, which have not yet been signed off by Mr Obama but look increasingly likely, are a result of his promise on his second day in office to shut the Guantánamo Bay prison within a year. 

Since then, officials charged with working out how to shut down the prison concede that up to 100 of the 241 detainees remaining are either too dangerous to release or cannot be tried in a military or civilian court. The evidence against many of them is tainted because they were tortured, or involves sensitive issues of national security that cannot be revealed.

The latest Administration thinking has been decried by human rights groups who point out that as a presidential candidate, Mr Obama called the military tribunal system an enormous failure and condemned the indefinite detention of detainees as a gross breach of the US Constitution.

In addition to his pledge to shut Guantánamo, Mr Obama ordered a 120-day suspension of the military tribunal system, pending a review. Officials say that they now want a three-month extension, and have indicated that the hearings are likely to be restarted, with some modifications.

On the campaign trail, Mr Obama criticised the military tribunals because they drastically reduced the rights of defendants, with hearsay evidence permitted and even testimony produced under the harsh interrogation techniques the new Administration says amounted to torture.

Now Mr Obama’s lawyers are worried that they will struggle to try many detainees in federal court because a civilian judge could throw out much of the evidence, allowing allegedly dangerous men to walk free. Plans being worked on are to modify the tribunal system to increase the rights of defendants, but without giving them the full protections provided by the American legal system.

At a recent House hearing, Eric Holder, Mr Obama’s Attorney General, said that military tribunals could still be used but “would be different from those previously in place”.

Robert Gates, the Defence Secretary, who was asked last week if the Administration would abandon the Guantánamo tribunal system, said: “Not at all.” He added: “The commissions are still very much on the table.”

Jameel Jaffer, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said: “To revive a fatally flawed system that was designed to evade due process and the rule of law would be a grave error and a huge step backward.” Just as dismaying for such groups is the admission by Mr Gates to Congress last week that up to 100 detainees will probably have to be detained without trial, possibly in facilities on the US mainland.

Mr Gates said that 50 to 100 inmates “who we cannot release and cannot try” could end up being held without trial, probably on US soil. When asked about Mr Obama’s pledge to shut Guantánamo by January, Mr Gates said: “I think that question is still open.” Mr Gates did not specify whether such detentions would be temporary or indefinite, but acknowledged that congressmen and senators in all 50 states would oppose taking such detainees into their regions.

Anthony Romero, the executive director of the ACLU, said: “President Obama’s decision to close Guantánamo will be betrayed if we simply replace it with another detention centre on US soil that disregards the law.”

Copyright 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.

Here’s the original caption that accompanied the above shot:

25 Oct 1967, Evanston, Illinois, USA — Northwestern Homecoming Queen…Daphne Maxwell, 19, of New York, has good reason to flash that bright smile; she was named Northwestern University’s Homecoming Queen October 20th. Daphne, a sophomore who is studying design, is the first Negro ever to be named Homecoming Queen. — Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS

You heard that right: the second Aunt Viv from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air… the one you said you didn’t like as much as the first one… she was the FIRST black homecoming queen at Northwestern.  Wow.   Much respect for that one.  She was also a well known model in the late sixties who was featured in a 1969 Life Magazine issue that heralded “Black Models Take Center Stage” as the cover story. She also starred in Frank’s Place: an 80s TV series that was (and is) highly revered in the black community.

According to the Museum of Broadcast Communications, “Frank’s Place…. deserves a continuing place in programming history. It did, as Tim Reid [Daphne's husband and co-star] told New York Times reporter Perry Garfinkel, present blacks not as stereotypes but as “a diverse group of hard-working people.”

So there.

NOTE: According to a fairly recent article in the Times-Picayune (out of New Orleans):

‘Frank’s Place’ DVD on the way

A DVD release of “Frank’s Place,” the New Orleans-set sitcom that aired on CBS in 1987 and 1988, is apparently growing closer.

No timetable is set, but star and co-creator Tim Reid said he has convinced CBS to allow him to release the show’s 22 episodes on DVD. However, purchasing rights to the music used in the series is still prohibitively costly.

Il corposo romanzo di Stephen King “It” (Esso) diventerà presto un film, il cui adattamento sarà curato dallo sceneggiatore Dave Kajganich (“The Invasion”).

“It” ha già avuto una versione live-action nel 1990, con una miniserie televisiva (interpretata da John Ritter, Harry Anderson, Tim Reid, Annette O’Toole e Tim Curry) che ne raccontava gli eventi: in un periodo compreso tra il 1958 e 1985, si svolge la lotta tra un gruppo di ragazzini ed un orrido e sadico clown chiamato Pennywise, il quale è in realtà una creatura aliena trasformista che si ciba di carne umana, assumendo la forma delle paure più recondite delle sue vittime.

Molti anni dopo, diventati adulti, i ragazzi torneranno nella loro cittadella per confrontarsi nuovamente con Pennywise, quando esso tornerà ad uccidere dopo il suo letargo trentennale.

www.occhisulcinema.it

The music business continues to take body blows as more of our friends join America’s unemployed.  Interscope records is in the process of laying-off what we here is many as 55 staff (maybe more)  including Robbie Snow, Chris Clancy, Lisa Frank, and Tim Reid.  How does this effect LIVE?  Well, from this side of the fence it would seem that the record labels have always been there to develop the acts over time.  They paid for them to go on the road and learn to be artists.  Labels worked their records in the local markets where the acts toured.  Back in the day, artists were allowed to develop over 3-5 albums.  People like Robbie Snow at Interscope and Nick Light at Sony were a big part of that…so what now? 

No label money or support…no patience for artists to develop over time, and a consolidating industry everywhere you look (radio, print, concerts, label, distribution, retail, etc) has created fans of singles, not artists.  It’s why Rihanna can’t headline a tour.  My two girls, nine and eleven,  love to dance around the house to Rihanna’s songs, but want to go see Greenday in concert.  What will the future hold if the record labels are not around to help develop an artist’s career?  Will the money and marketing come from brand partners?

We at The Agency Group Events & Entertainment believe that Branded Live Entertainment will continue to grow and prosper in the 21 Century.  At the same time, we have also seen managers take on roles previously handled by their artist’s labels.  Azoff/Frontline and Redlight are just two examples of large music management companies that have PR, radio, and marketing staff in-house.  Agencies like William Morris and CAA have brought on marketing and sponsorship people to service their clients.  Will it be enough?  What about the passion and expertise of those label people?  What about tour support…and distribution…and broadcast time?  All things we talked about at the Aspen Live Conferencethis past December…but we didn’t come out with any concrete conclusions (lots of good ideas though). 

What we all do know is that we have talented friends that could use our support right now.  Call or email them…show your support.  As for the above, there is a huge 10X shift going on in our industry.  Keep changing or you will be left behind.  Not sure what to do, try something.

BTW, please visit our new company website at http://www.theagencygroupevents.com 

Talk with you soon…

Jim

One of DVD’s most requested titles, WKRP in Cincinnati is a blast from the past and an absolutely golden oldie. But this first-season set is bound to cause static with fans who have eagerly anticipated its release. Because of pesky music rights, the songs don’t remain the same. “Hot Blooded” is not playing when mild-mannered newsman Les Nessman (Richard Sanders) puts on a toupee in anticipation of an awards-dinner date with bombshell station receptionist Jennifer (Loni Anderson). It’s “Beautiful Dreamer” and not “Fly Me to the Moon” that chimes when Jennifer’s doorbell is sounded. Any number of generic songs have replaced the contemporary and classic rock so vital to WKRP, which is, after all, set at a radio station, albeit one that is best known for its farm reports. Enter Andy Travis (Gary Sandy), the new program director charged with turning the station around, beginning with changing the format to rock & roll. Andy, the series anchor, is something of the head guard at a nut farm. In seasons to come, he will wonder if he is one of the nuts, which include: “Big Man,” Mr. Carlson (Gordon Jump), who is easily flustered, especially by his formidable mother, the station owner; polyester-clad sales director, Herb Tarleck (Frank Bonner), hopelessly old school and on the make for “Jenni-poo”; and morning DJ, Johnny Caravella (Howard Hesseman), a former “boss jock” now reduced to playing “You’re Having My Baby” by the Hallelujah Tabernacle Choir. Also on staff is Bailey (Jan Smithers), Mary-Ann to Jennifer’s Ginger, and who lacks the confidence to assert herself at the station; and Venus Flytrap (Tim Reid), whom Andy hires to be the nighttime DJ. It’s a seamless ensemble of likable characters on par with The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s WJM news team. WKRP is one of those rare series that hit its irresistible groove from the get-go. Hesseman sounds all the right notes as Johnny, reborn as Dr. Johnny Fever (ranked no. 73 on the Bravo “100 Greatest TV Characters” chart).

As the season unfolds, the hits just keep on comin’, including the classic “Turkeys Away,” about a Thanksgiving stunt that goes hilariously awry (“As God is my witness,” Mr. Carlson insists, “I thought turkeys could fly”), the “Goodbye Johnny” two-parter in which the (briefly) departed Johnny’s replacement is involved in payola (resulting in Mr. Carlson mistaking cocaine for foot powder), and “Never Leave Me, Lucille,” in which Jennifer desperately tries to reunite Herb with his wife. Purists may balk at the replaced songs, but the sharp writing and performances provide WKRP’s real music. –Donald Liebenson

WKRP in Cincinnati – The Complete First Season is available at Amazon for $31.99. To Order click here
Amazon Product Pages contain a lot of other details on this product as Customer Reviews, Sales Ranking, Special Offers, Alternate products that customers are going for and much more.Want to read these details? click here

Want to get some other Format / Binding / Version? You can search for them from here

Other Products of Interest

• Barney Miller – The First Season
• Barney Miller: The Complete Second Season
• The Odd Couple – The First Season
• Night Court – The Complete First Season
• Welcome Back, Kotter – The Complete First Season

Exclusive eSpot Interview with Tim Reid, Tom Dreesen and Ron Rapoport.
By Shelia M. Goss

I was intrigued by the only Black & White comedy duo in history – Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen.

Back when you started off as a comedy duo, race relations weren’t what they are now. Why did you think it was important to joke about race during a time when it wasn’t “cool” to talk about racial differences/issues?

Tim Reid: It wasn’t that we thought it was important…It would have been strange if a black man and white man walked out on stage and didn’t mention race. That being said, not all our material was about race.

Tom Dreesen: In those days all we wanted to do was make people laugh. As far as it being important it seems now that I look back it was very important but it wasn’t on our minds every night we went out there. As I said, all we wanted was for the audience to enjoy our humor and have a good time. That being said, even back then I thought as I do now that “If people can sit down and laugh together then perhaps we can live together.”

If you could go back in time, what would you change about how you dealt with an adversity during your earlier career?

Tom Dreesen: Nothing. It all happened for a reason. I learned and more important “grew” from each and every diversity and that’s why I’m a success today.

Tim Reid: I would have enjoyed the journey more.

More with TIM REID:

I have been a fan of Tim Reid’s since I first saw him portray “Venus Flytrap” on WKRP in Cincinnati. A new generation of children are able to see him in re-runs of Sister Sister. I was a regular watcher of Frank’s Place and was disappointed when it went off the air.

How did you deal with the racial slurs and not getting the respect that your white counterparts would have gotten in the same situation?

Tim Reid: The racial slurs came with the territory and wasn’t anything that I had not faced having grown up in the segregated south. Again remember this was America five years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act.
Our respect grew as we became more professional with our performances.

In your opinion, what are two factors that have changed considerably for AA behind the scenes over the years?

Tim Reid: In reading the book, one will see that I was blessed with the opportunity to be involved with the rise of Blacks in the productions side of television and film. We have come a long way. My only hope is that we don’t forget the lessons learned and assume that we have gone far enough.

What do you think AA writers and producers have to do to get projects green-lighted?

Tim Reid: Take control of our own destiny by financing, producing and distributing our own projects.

More with TOM DREESEN:

Tom has appeared on The Tonight Show and toured with Frank Sinatra. If you want a good laugh, you must listen to his comedy album.

Do you think being part of a comedy team helped or hurt your career?

Tom Dreesen: Without a doubt it helped. Stage presence, delivery, timing, discipline. Working on all these things gave me a foundation when I set out on my individual career.

What piece of advice would you give up and coming comics on the topic of diversity in their jokes?

Tom Dreesen: Try to write material that can make Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad and the kids laugh. That’s real diversity.

Ron Rapoport is a highly respected author and sports columnist.

You’re known for being a sport columnist. Why did you think it was important to share Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen’s story?

Ron Rapoport: I had two initial reactions when I first learned about Tim and Tom having been a comedy team. One was, “You guys did what?” and the other was, “Why don’t I know about this?” And as Tim and Tom began to tell me their story–not only of when they were a team but also of their lives before and afterwards–I thought it was funny, fascinating and very important. I think Tim and Tom have lived great American lives, filled with excitement and adventure on the one hand, and danger and heartache on the other. Theirs is a story both of the sacrifices people will make as they try to succeed in show business and of race in America through the prism of popular culture.

I would like to thank Tim, Tom and Ron for taking time out to answer my questions.

Tim & Tom share their detailed stories in the book: Tim & Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White. You will find the book intriguing. Reading about their story will help shed insight on those times and help open up dialogue with people of various races. The book is available now or you can also order it from online retailers like Amazon.com.

Interview by Shelia M. Goss entertainment writer and Essence bestselling author of My Invisible Husband, Roses are thorns, Paige’s Web, Double Platinum and His Invisible Wife. For detailed bio, visit www.sheliagoss.com. 

Stephen King’s It
[ 2 stars out of 4 ]

I haven’t read the book prior to watching this film so I can’t compare consistencies between the two media. However, it doesn’t change the fact that I was extremely disappointed by this picture/mini-series. From friends and reviews online, I’ve been informed that this is a pretty scary flick. I was excited to rent it because I remember watching a scene or two when I was about eleven years old and I thought it was creepy so I immediately changed the channel. But from watching “It” from beginning to end, it was very underwhelming. The thought the first half was pretty good, especially the child actors. Some standouts include Seth Green, Brandon Crane, and the late Jonathan Brandis. I believed that they were being terrified by Pennywise (played by Tim Curry) because it’s natural for children to be scared of many things. Things went downhill quickly during the second half when the story focuses on the adults. It’s not like I didn’t like the late John Ritter, Annette O’Toole, Tim Reid and Richard Thomas. In fact, they’re all pretty good with some occassional lame dialogue. It’s just that I didn’t believe any of them had chemistry together. The only scene that I thought was pretty brilliant during the second half was when O’Toole’s character visited her old house and finds out that an old lady lives there. That sequence was pretty scary. The ending was really lame and just thinking about it makes me laugh more than anything. I’ve seen better pictures out there about children’s fears being repersonified when they were adults. This one is imaginative but unimpressive.

King Corn
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]

I can’t say all the information that were presented in this picture were new to me but there were definitely some shocking facts that I didn’t know or have forgotten about. I want to start off with the negatives. One of the main reasons why this documentary is less effective than it should have been is that Aaron Woolf, the director, spent too much time setting up everything–such as how the two friends that the audiences will follow throughout the picture, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, planted an acre of corn in Iowa. If they had cut off about twenty minutes from those scenes (like the two playing catch and sleeping with their crops), I think Woolf would have had more room for more in-depth interviews from scholars about the impacts of high fructose diets or presenting alternatives in order to avoid high fructose foods. Instead, the film merely glides over some of the most important topics that are extremely relevant in our society. It was definitely frustrating for me because I major in Biology and I wanted to know more about the issues that they were trying to tackle. However, I did like the way the film linked the relationship among what’s grown in the ground, the economy, and health issues. In a way, this film reminded me of “Super Size Me” because its technique involved shocking statistics and humor. I also liked the way that it didn’t write off the treatment of animals just to meet people’s demand for meat. The film is a little too short (it’s only about an hour and thirty minutes long) and I would’ve liked to see regular people being interviewed to show what they know (or what they don’t know) about the role of corn in pretty much everything we eat. That way, it will show this film’s relevance and urgency. I like documentaries that read like a thesis paper: clear, organized, and insightful. And if I were to treat this like a paper, it doesn’t deserve an “A” grade because most of the time it was stuck on the surface of things. I would give it a “B+” for hitting some strong points but not completely delivering its full potential.

Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The
[ 4 stars out of 4 ]

I’m not going to deny that I didn’t shed a tear while watching this touching film. From the first scene to the last, I was completely into it because the story is very human and the way the story unfolded is far from predictable. Julian Schnabel, the director, took many risks that actually paid off: one is placing the audience into the main character’s body right from the very beginning. By doing that, we are immediately able to feel and hear what the protagonist wants to express whether we want to or not. Mathieu Amalric who plays Jean-Dominique Bauby impressed me so much. I thought that Amalric really was paralyzed and it hurts just to look at his condition. This is the first time I’ve heard of Locked-In Syndrome, where the person is aware of everything that’s going on around him but he is completely paralyzed. (That will officially go under one of the things I most fear will happen to me.) The movie is surprisingly poetic and has comedic moments despite the tragedy that’s unfolding before the audience. In a span of just under two hours, we are able to understand, if not merely glimpse, what has happened during and before Bauby had a massive stroke that led him into a vegetative state. From an emotional point of view, this film is nothing short of devastating; from an artistic point of view, I admired its use of awkward camera angles, blurry perspectives, and the story’s fluidity. I haven’t seen a film in a while that has inspired me to not take things for granted.