THAT’S ALL YOU GOT…?

Really gotta kill the addiction to the idiot box. Seriously. I was hooked to two shows: “The Closer,” and “Southland.” Then I saw Kathy Bates’ performance in the pilot of “Harry’s Law.” The NBC mid-season replacement might have a life. Maybe. A 60-minute law drama, it details Harriet “Harry” Korn’s departure from a law firm where she made $600Gs as a copyright lawyer and decides to open up shop in a “bad” part of Cincinnati. Instead of lying and pissing off rich clients, she is talking straight shit to ‘hood clients. I dig this show, but I’m concerned…

With only a few episodes aired, NBC and David Kelley (creator) are giving me the feeling they plan to theoretically “take me out for coffee” twice in a row and maybe even again, if I allow it. But I ain’t having it. This week’s episode felt like a repeat of the first, only with a little twist in the plot and the addition of 5 (possibly recurring?) characters. Still, now that we have made all the “introductions,” “gotten to know each other better,” etc., I’m looking for something more before I commit.




First, I am sick of seeing the same type of black people: angry, poor, ignorant and “looking for help.” Yes, times are hard and people of ALL colors are hurting. I appreciate the spotlight because frankly, I don’t think mainstream America truly understands that when they bleed, the poor, disenfranchised people of color are hemorrhaging. Still, I want to know from Kelly, with regards to his characters of color on this show, “is that all you got?”

My concern is personified by one of the new additions, Anna Nicholson, played by Irma P. Hall. You know, Mother Joe, from Soul Food, and The Ladykillers. Yes, that Irma. Her portrayal of an impoverished woman who committed armed robbery “to eat,” was clearly beneath her skills; Hall a former language teacher, poet and an accomplished actress, plays a cranky, toothless senior citizen. While I truly understand that her character is supposed to be poor, I was disheartened at the sight of her. Her pretty white dentures were absent and in their place were a few teeth, huddling for shade every time Hall spoke. Her beautiful gray hair was pulled back into a seriously no-frills bun. Ms. Hall looked much like Minerva, the voo-doo priestess she played in Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil.

Nicholson barges into Harry’s law office verbally berating Bates’ character for moving in and “taking over the neighborhood.” Harry expeditiously dismisses Anna’s rants, going out of her way to show she is educated. As a person of color who happens to know what gentrification means, I find the response and use of the word to someone who clearly did not, a slap in the face. Furthermore, do people of color on television always have to be that ignorant? True, ignorant people exist in every shape, form and color. It just seems that the ones of color seem to get more air time, especially on the 6 o’clock news when they inarticulately relay, “what had happened was…”

Then there’s the magic tricks; two weeks straight, Harry pulls a rabbit out of a hat. In the pilot, the defendant was in fact guilty, yet the judge was so impressed with Harry’s antics, I mean argument he set aside the verdict and gives the kid probation (surprise, surprise…). This kid, who happens to be a college student with a “slight” cocaine addiction, now works as a paralegal at Harry’s Law (what a co-ink-e-dink…). This week, Harry wrangles a not guilty verdict for Anna. Harry, with her sly magic wand, moves Anna’s crime from focus and dwells on how unfair it is that Anna is left with no resources, even though she is a citizen—a senior citizen at that. How could the jury imprison an 80-year-old woman? So they didn’t. But that was luck. There are people out there committing less serious crimes, but who get time nonetheless; a few are even Anna’s age. And while Bates’ character does not make it look easy, she certainly does not break a sweat, either.

When Anna storms into Harry’s office, wrongly accusing one of the new, recurring characters of being the “manager,” she is spitting fire and venom. Once the record is set straight, she continues and it is all I can do to watch. True, African-Americans do have a lot to be angry about, despite having an African-American president in office. But do we always have to bust down doors, act nasty and make demands? I mean, damn, it’s not like we are still working the cotton fields—well work places are like plantations but that’s a whole other blog. We have reason to shout, but do not have to shout all the time and there is a place for it. This show ain’t it—at least not every week. I’ll accept that type of storyline maybe once every four weeks, but not every single episode. I’m looking for the creative plot lines from Picket Fences, Boston Public and L.A. Law.

Once Anna decides that she in fact wants Harry to defend her, she drops a rolled up dirty sock on her desk and advises there is $26.50 inside. “That’s all I got,” she adds. I hope that David Kelly is offering up more than coins in a rolled up dirty sock…

GET IT TOGETHER OR LEAVE IT ALONE

“Once Again, We As A People Are Late. Late, late and more late…”
~ Vaughn Dap Dunlap, School Daze

Yes, this entry’s title is a quote from a Jackson (5) hit from the early ‘70s. And those are my instructions to us. Blacks, Folk, African-American—Negroes! I showed up for the Atlanta King Day Celebration March 32 minutes late. I did. And I own that. But for the parade to start 84 minutes late, I need to know who in the hell “owns” that? It’s ridiculous. Ludicrous (not Mr. Bridges, either). Why can’t we be on time?

It’s 2011. There is every type of technology you can think of at our fingertips. We are not slaves working the fields anymore (well, not technically…but that’s a whole other blog). Added to that, the weather up until around 3:30 was almost perfect (the mercury nose-dived and it started raining right when the parade ended). And I’m going to say this even though it really has no bearing, but still—we have a Black President, for crying out loud!

I enjoy fellowshipping with people and meeting new folk, but on the real—I froze out there today. I had on sufficient clothing, and even brought a hot cup of tea. Howsonever, I was not prepared to stand and wait almost an hour and a half for the march to start. Now as it was explained to me by a city official in attendance and on the job, the event cannot begin until the service at Ebenezer Baptist is over. Hmmmm. Furthermore, it appears that every year more speakers are added (say what?). This is no hate, nor sacrilege, but somebody needs to be bold enough to step up to the pulpit and tell them preachers, senators, judges, etc., to shut it down. Cue the organist to play “wrap it up music” like they do at award shows. And I know the latter can be dangerous in a Baptist church, because folk might get confused and start shouting and falling out. Still, its gotta be done.






Now a holiday in honor of Dr. King’s birthday is more than parades, speeches and all that good stuff. It is about serving others and lending a hand to your fellow man. But we are doing ourselves a serious disservice by continually being late for stuff, even something such as a march. What are we teaching our children? “Get there when you get there?” Furthermore, what are we showing the world about us as a people? I have never liked nor associated myself with the term, “colored people’s time.” Its derogatory and we need to move away from it. Now stuff happens. Things get changed around. But tardiness of this nature (an hour and change) is unacceptable. We need to stop saying that this is how we “do” or how we “be.” The belief that people of color cannot be on time, “do” or “be” full of ignorance. I fully and truly believe that if Dr. King were alive, he would say the same thing.

We cannot turn the Dream into a reality unless we get our asses where we are going on time.
~ Sonia Clark

Ashay.

♪ TWENTY QUESTIONS TO THE BEAT… (PART 2) ♪

(Or Earth Shattering R & B/Neo-Soul/Hip-Hop Music Queries)

1. Even with a style that is unusual and hard to categorize, is Nikki Minaj not larger than life? Can Nik eclipse Madonna’s career?

2. Who found Willow Smith annoying at first, yet now can’t help but “whip their hair” every time the radio plays her song for the 1000th time that day?

3. Aren’t we glad Ne-Yo, Dondria, Maxwell, Sade and Jill Scott have stayed away from Auto Tunes? Aren’t we disappointed that Usher, Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx, Chris Brown and other truly naturally talented artists have started using Auto Tunes?

4. How many women still dig Alicia Keys’ music, but won’t ever let her near their man/boyfriend/spouse?

5. Doesn’t it stink that Dead Prez is too controversial and profane for the radio?

6. Is Robin Thicke the new official “baby making music” artist?

7. How many of us knew Whitney was done for good when she told Diane Sawyer, “Crack is wack?”

8. Aren’t we digging the musicianship of Bobby Ray (a.k.a. B.O.B.) and don’t we “wish right now” that he would get more radio play?

9. Isn’t Lupe’s battle with Atlantic records, reminiscent of Prince and his showdown with Warner Bros., which is textbook, “fight the power!”?

10. By a show of hands, how many of us no matter where we are, “put our hands up,” when we hear “All I Do Is Win”?

11. Aren’t we digging Janelle Monáe, but dying to know how in the hell she gets her hair to stay in place while performing those wicked dance moves?

12. Don’t we miss when music videos sorta had a plot? Do we ever think there will be a day when booty-shaking, breast-popping, and straight-up denigrating videos will be passé, outlawed and simply fade away?

13. By a show of hands, how many of us knew that Jermaine Dupri was out of his league with Janet Jackson?

14. Should Lauryn Hill join Whitney on the “never will be, again” bench?

15. Wouldn’t you want the Roots to play the funkiest concert at your funeral if you could afford them?

16. John Legend: straight, homosexual or bi-sexual (come on, y’all KNOW you been wanting to ask this one!)?

17. Has Beyoncé truly paid dues and earned the right to be mentioned in the same breath as Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Teena Marie, Tina Turner and Diana Ross?

18. Biggie or Tupac?

19. Still in shock, mourning, or denial over Michael Jackson?

20. Isn’t Sean Combs gift to his son Justin on his 16th birthday (a $360,000 Maybach with a chauffeur) a smack in the face to those of us who actually work for a living?

Bonus: remember when an artist would do a complete project by themselves instead of having one, two, three or even four additionally artists on almost every single track?