Celebrities serving their country?

Today while on MySpace, I received a bulletin from one of Beyonce's sites. It was basically an announcement about the "Beyonce' Experience".


"THE BEYONCÉ EXPERIENCE LAUNCHES GLOBAL ANTI-HUNGER INITIATIVE.
BEYONCÉ, PASTOR RUDY RASMUS, THE GLOBAL FOODBANKING NETWORK AND AIDMATRIX TEAM UP ON VIRTUAL FOOD DRIVES.
Donations Will Help Feed the Hungry in Ethiopia, Turkey and India."




I thought to myself,"Ethiopia, Turkey, and India? What about the hungry people in the United States of America?".

I reside in Georgia, and here we are facing a serious drought. We've got major water restrictions, and it doesn't look like it's going to get any better. And not saying that Beyonce or any other celebrity OWES ANYONE ANYTHING, but it is just sort of, unintentionally, a slap in the face when you hear about celebs taking care of everyone else except for those at home. From adopting babies to feeding the hungry, did they forget that America is not perfect and we have the same afflictions as people in other countries?

I mean, don't we help them out by buying their songs and tickets to their shows, etc. Most of their money, or at least their initital money, came from the good old US of A. And the last time I looked around, people were still suffering from Katrina, the homeless shelters are over crowded to the extent that people are living outdoors, and many live below the poverty level - all here in the US. And guess what? They are saying that by January, Georgia may not have any drinking water. Will we have to move to Ethiopia, Turkey, or India just to be able to drink?

Yes, I'm a published author, but I don't have Beyonce money. But I do try to give back to home. All of the proceeds of my first published book, A Quiet Time, goes to the National MS Society Georgia Chapter. And that's an organization that's right here in the US. And I still give to the women's shelters here and also other things...all centered around America because THIS IS WHERE I LIVE. And if I were to adopt a baby, I'd get one right from here. And if I were to open up a new private school for underprivilaged children, I'd open it up in America because THIS IS WHERE I LIVE.

I'm not bashing these celebrities for doing what they want to with their own hard earned money. They have the right to spend it however they want to. And the good deeds they've done and continue to do are simply wonderful and are most definitly changing lives. In some cases they even save lives!

A little child spoke to me the other day, though, and said "that thing with Brad Pitt isn't that bad, but it's like if my dad went to get christmas presents for someone else's kids and not for me". In my mind I thought, "Wow, this kid is so right on point. We are getting angry about celebs doing things for others and not doing them right here at home.". But is it wrong to do for others (other nations) when so much is available for those of us (America in general).

It boils down to choices and freedom. We as Americans do have opportunities available to us that other nations do not have. With the adoptions, perhaps American children would have a better chance of being placed in good homes whereas other nations orphans would not. As far as opening up schools, perhaps it's the same thing-smaller opportunities in outside nations than here.

America, nobody said that you can't step up and do something here. Citizens in America can still go and adopt a child here if you feel the need. Citizens here can open up schools, too. There was never a law stating that only celebrities have those options, even though their money is more than the average person. Perhaps we should look at that.

Here's the Q's:

1-What is your opinion on the celebs adopting children from other nations?

2-What is your opinion on Oprah opening up the school in South Africa?

3-General comments?

I've given the Q's, now you give the A's!

If you would like more information about "A Quiet Time" by Attica Lundy, whose proceeds go to the Georgia chapter of the National MS Society, please visit the site at http://www.myspace.com/aqueittime .

Copyright ©2007 Attica Lundy

Modern Hollywood in Blackface?

I was reading online and came across a write up about Angela Jolie and her new role as Mariane Pearl in the new film "A Mighty Heart". It seems that Ms. Pearl was Afro Cuban/Dutch ancestry, and some folks had a problem with Jolie being casted in that role.

"To portray Pearl, Jolie covered her blue/gray eyes with brown colored contacts and wore a tight, curly wig that resembles Pearl's hair style and texture." quotes the article on Atlanta's 102.5 website. They go on to talk about how the make up artist used spray on tan, and how a concern has risen regarding the "new generation of Hollywood in blackface".

Teresa Wiltz, a Washington Post staff writer has written a piece called "A Part Colored By History-Choice of White Actress For Mixed-Race Role Stirs Debate on Insensitivity" which is a stupid article, in my opinion. In that article, she quotes blogger Lauren Williams as stating "It irks me to see her in the makeup and the hair," Williams said. "Every fall, you hear about how on some college campus, white kids are having a pimps-and-hos party and painting their faces. People are ignoring that this is a very painful part of America's past."

Jolie was quoted as making the following statement: "The idea is, if you ask Mariane, because she did address that, and if you did actually want to find somebody that was her exact makeup, she's actually majority Dutch, and she's as black as she is Chinese, and she's Cuban, and she's French. So, it could have gone to many different racial backgrounds, probably, if you went technical on it. And that, you know, is a reality. At the same time, to her, the importance was the essence of her spiritually, and I think that was what mattered and I think that is a question to ask her. But no, if you break down the DNA, it's very complex."

Glamour magazine actually did a full write up on how the movie got it's start, and how Marianne feels about the role that Jolie plays. Marianne was the one who first approached Jolie, seeking a play date for their children. After meeting with the now single mom Marianne, Brad Pitt had a chance to read her book about her fallen journalist husband, Daniel Pearl, titled "A Mighty Heart", he wanted to make her story into a movie. Hense, this is how the movie was created.
Angelina Jolie as Marianne

As I stated, Washington Post's Teresa Wiltz's article was written rather well but it was a stupid article and I do not agree with the logic. Well, let me just say that I do not think that Jolie's role was "blackface". First of all, Marianne is a friend of Jolie and Pitt. He asked her if he could do this project, and she agreed. Plus, nobody says anything when Eddie Murphy portrays different race characters via way of terrific make up artist's magic. No, when he does it, it's genious! Reverse that and let a white actor be made up to portray a black character, and it's war!

People...you can't have your cake and eat it, too. As a black american, I cannot take offense to each and everything that is done in society today by non-blacks if blacks, too, do that very same thing.

An example of this is the N-Word. Yes, I'd be appauled if someone non-black said it. But at the same time, it's really unacceptable for a black to say it. It's so negative. It's repulsive. That one little word says so much. It speaks of a time when blacks were enslaved, beaten, demeaned, and killed because of skin color. It speaks of unmentionable abuse. The N-Word should bring a tear to the eyes of the ones that were branded by it! So then why does it fly so freely from the lips of browns and blacks alike? And why is it okay for some to say it and wrong for others? If we want to talk about blackface, let's not leave out the fact that blacks play white characters, too, so is that 'whiteface'?

Our society is filled with hyprocity. And that's really the point of my blog. I'm not bashing those who are out here fighting for equality and rights. I am so grateful to each and every thing that has been done for the fight for freedom, and I continue to hope that one day everyone will be on the same page in unity. Having said that, I also must state that though i'm grateful for those who are out there fighting for 'justice for all', I'd be greatly disappointed if they were at the same time using the N-Word, the B-Word towards women or the H-word (slang for the W-Word), and other's like it. Black men tend to forget what the N-word means while out on a basketball in the heat of a game, but are quick to remember it whenever it's said by the wrong 'face'. That's bull!

My question's to you are these:
1-Do you think it is offensive for Angelina Jolie to portray Marianne Pearl?
2-Is "blackface" wrong or is it simply acting?
3-Is there a difference between "blackface" and "whiteface" and if so, what is it?
There’s the Q, now give me the A! What are your answers?

Copyright ©2007 Attica Lundy