Oprah: EPA of Pop Culture

If there is pollution in American pop culture, Oprah will be there to clean it up. Dave Chapelle melts down. Oprah reprocesses him. Have a socio-mental disorder that leads to public spillage? Oprah delivers Dr. Phil. Need to dump a wife and jump on a couch to proclaim your love for a new mother of your child? Jump on Oprah's couch. David Letterman begs for years for an Oprah moment. He gets her, record ratings and escorts her on the New York streets to The Color Purple.

Oprah is the Environmental Protection Agency of pop culture in Amerca. She regulates the air. If you are a Hollywood celebrity and your water is polluted, you must swim in her waters and drink from the Oprah fountain to get purified. Oprah even addressed global climate change with Leonardo DiCaprio. So if you are a celebrity and need your regulations promulgated, go to Oprah. Even if your waste is toxic, she will clean your environment for you.

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Chapelle Decries Hollywood Environment

After returning from Africa comedian Dave Chapelle is blaming his retreat on a polluted environment in tinsel town and at Comedy Central. In his interview with James Lipton on "Inside the Actors Studio" Chapelle says, "Maybe the environment is a little sick," in discussing what is happening in Hollywood.

AAEA will examine the environmental conditions in Hollywood that could lead such a talent as Mr. Chapelle to make his complaints.

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Environment of Interracial Love

The interracial love romantic comedy "Something New" features Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker as a black/white couple in a separated world and highlights the black perspective. America is still mostly segregated along racial lines. Sanaa as Kenya is affluent and well educated and Simon as Brian is a working class fellow. Why is it that the black always has to be so much better than the white in these films? Sidney Poitier was a super black with multiple degress in "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner."

This film will probably be successful because the pairing of an African American woman and a Caucasian man will not offend anyone. Leading black men, even Will Smith, still cannot love white women on screen because white men and black women are so offended it hurts the box office. And black men with black women will not draw whites to the box office. So we are left with black men and latinas on screen and now black women and white men. Race in America is still deeply disturbing, even in Hollywood. Photo Credit: Signey Baldwin, Focus Features

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Academy Awards Go Gay

The gay cowboy movie "Brokeback Mountain" received 8 Oscar nominations. The Truman Capote movie was also nominated. Outside of the gay theme, "Crash" was also nominated for best picture. Washington Post article

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SAG Awards "Crash"

"Crash" beat out "Brokeback Mountain" for the overall cast Screen Actors Guild Award. "Crash" had a stellar cast, including: Terrence Howard, Thandie Newton, Ludicrus, Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock and Matt Dillon, among others. These awards are voted on by actors. Washington Post article

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Sly Stone Appears At Grammys

Sly Stone and some of the members of The Family Stone appeared at The Grammy Awards on February 8. Sly, 61, appeared in a silver coat, huge shades and a platinum skyhigh mohawk. He played keyboards on "I Want To Take You Higher" and mumbled a few lyrics. The Sly & The Family Stone tribute included performances by John Legend, Maroon 5, will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.

Sly & the Family Stone never received a Grammy Award. Never even nominated.
Washington Post article Photo: Legacy Recordings Good article: "Sly & Me" Answers.com on Sly & the Family Stone Sly on the Dick Cavett Show Live on Ed Sullivan Great Article

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CBS Creates CW From UPN & WB

Time Warner and CBS are combining their UPN and WB into a new network, The CW, that will launch in the Fall of 2006. The "C" is from CBS and the "W" is from Warner. Top UPN shows include "Everybody Hates Chris," "Girlfriends," and "Veronica Mars." Top WB shows include "Smallville," "Beauty & the Geek." Dawn Ostroff, the current president of UPN, will become president of entertainment at CW. Les Moonves heads CBS since the Jan 3 split of Viacom into two companies. Chicago Defender article

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