Educate and excite, inform and infuriate.
April 30th, 2008 — Controversy, Culture, Government, Military, Politics, Race, Religion
As anyone whose read MEDIA ASSASSIN, or any significant portion of my two decades-plus writing about race, might venture, I probably agree with almost everything Jeremiah Wright, the former pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, above, has said, in his oft-quoted and misquoted public statements.
April 30th, 2008 — Africa, Controversy, Crime, Gaming, Law, Race, Sports
Beats dogfighting any day: Three of Sean Bell’s five killers
This past December, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in Federal prison for dogfighting.
Of what significance is the fact that, for that cruel sport, he will serve far more time than New York Police Department detectives Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora, and Marc Cooper, above, will do for killing Queens resident Sean Bell, in a hail of 50 bullets, the morning of his wedding day? Continue reading →
April 29th, 2008 — Books, Controversy, Entertainment, Journalism, Media, Pop Culture, Race, Writing
Keepin’ it real unreal: Margaret “B. Jones” Seltzer gets into character
Who, exactly, is Margaret Seltzer? Empathic writer? Gangster wannabee? Estranged daughter? One-time aspiring eco-terrorist?
MEDIA ASSASSIN has obtained what appears to be the only known copy of a damning video that Margaret “B. Jones” Seltzer’s publisher, Riverhead/Penguin, buried last month, once the book documenting the author’s foster home-living, gangbanging, drug-running past—Love and Consequences: A Memoir of Hope and Survival, right—was revealed to be completely and totally fabricated.
The 10:10 video, shot and edited before she was exposed as a liar, may be the only existing footage of Seltzer in her full-on “hood” persona.
April 28th, 2008 — Art, Controversy, Design, Entertainment, Gaming, Media, Pop Culture, Satire, Technology, Work
I missile you much: GTA IV‘s Niko Bellic sends his regards
The worst job I ever had was working in the car loans department of the now defunct Chemical Bank, at the Huntington Quadrangle in Melville L.I. It was a small office of about ten to twelve mutually limited, small-minded people, held under the managerial thumb of a doughy, mouse-faced, unsmiling, bespectacled woman with yellow smoker’s fingertips and a bad perm.
Our task was taking in loan requests by fax or phone from GMAC finance dealers, processing them, and passing them up the chain for approval. What I remember most was how tense this office was, as this woman kept us under the grind to turn out precious loan apps. My solace was ducking into my ’75 Impala at lunch time, loudly playing Grandmixer DXT and Herbie Hancock’s Future Shock album, and sleeping.
But pristinely nested on the other end of my employment karmic balance is the job I loved the most: The 2 1/2 years I spent, from 2004 – 2006, working in public affairs at Rockstar Games, maker of the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series of video games.
April 25th, 2008 — Controversy, Crime, Culture, Entertainment, Law, NONFICTION, Photography, Politics, Race, Sex, Terrorism
An estimated 5,000 Black human beings were lynched in the United States between the years 1890 and 1960. By averages, that’s one African-American dying horribly, in racist mob violence, every five days for seventy years. In almost all of these cases, no one was ever charged for the crimes. So affirms the guest on my WBAI-NY / 99.5 FM radio show, NONFICTION, this afternoon, Friday, April 25, 2 pm ET.
April 24th, 2008 — Advertising, Controversy, Fashion, Military, Politics, Pop Culture, Sex
“Schtupp” just didn’t test well: The new Teutonic scent
The Germans: They went there. They totally went there. (Respect due to BoingBoingTV for the tip.)
Because it’s the question overloading your neurons right this moment, yes, this package, above, is totally real. The scent is called VULVA—a rather pretty word, it occurs to me—Original.
April 23rd, 2008 — Advertising, Entertainment, Film, Media, Race, TV
I’m surprised Racialicious hasn’t picked this apart, yet: Six Flags’ “More Flags, More Fun!” campaign, and its English-gargling Asian pitchman.
April 22nd, 2008 — Entertainment, Film, Humor, Politics, Pop Culture, Satire
April 22nd, 2008 — Entertainment, Film, Humor, Pop Culture, Satire, Science-Fiction
As you can see, it’s nearly time for lunch in the Old West…or, rather, time for a brutal slaughter!
April 21st, 2008 — Africa, Black Music, Entertainment, Music Video, Pop Culture, TV
No, your eyes do not deceive you, and, no, we will not see the likes of it again: That’s Luciano Pavarotti and James Brown, together, performing “This Is A Man’s World.” (Brown died in December 2006, Pavarotti in September 2007.)
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