Ireland Baldwin has a message for Hailey Baldwin : Take this! As she battles her cousin for title of Family Hottie, the 17-year old daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger poses in a bikini for the latest issue of Modern Luxury’s Beach. And she looks mighty fine while doing so! Aside from her svelte body, Baldwin shared a number of tidbits about herself with the publication: To which fictional character does she relate? “I lived in Africa for a little while so I was a real-life Cady Heron [from Mean Girls ].” What is her life mantra? “A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes,’ by Mahatma Gandhi.” What is her favorite social media platform? “Vine.” What is her favorite snack? “Almond butter on apple slices.”
Black Men Are Ready For Commitment More Than Women According to a new study, black men want commitment and apparently aren’t the “ain’t isht dirty dogs” that they are perceived to be…. Via NPR: We recently found that single black men were much more likely to say they were looking for a long-term relationship (43 percent) compared to single black women (25 percent). Those numbers come from our big poll of African-Americans’ views of their lives and communities (the poll was conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health). Our findings about the dating lives of single folks — that is, respondents 18-49, widowed, divorced, or never married — have sparked the most conversation so far. And the gender skew has elicited straight-out side-eyes. A lot of people wondered just what was going on, because the prevailing story is that black women cannot find black men who are interested in a relationship. (And if we’re keeping it one hundred, these results sparked some arguments among the Code Switch team.) So here are some additional ideas about what might explain this discrepancy. As our poll makes clear: it’s hardly that neat. 1. The Financial Stability Theory. When we asked Robert Blendon, one of the poll’s co-directors, what might explain this gap, he pointed to research that has shown black folks care more about the economic cost-benefit analysis of partnering up. “African-Americans were more concerned with financial security than whites or Hispanics when they considered marriage,” Blendon said. So why might that matter? Blendon said that black women are outpacing black men in college attendance and completion, as well as as the attainment of postgraduate degrees. (Women in general are more likely to get degrees, but it’s even more pronounced among black folks: two-thirds of all bachelor’s degrees awarded to African-Americans in 2009-2010 went to women.) 2. The What-Do-You-Mean-By-Long-Term-Relationship Theory. This is the theory we heard most often. Maybe people have very different definitions of “long-term relationship.” Put another way: men want relationships, not marriage. That’s what Milton Appling, a single Brooklynite, told NPR’s Chris Johnson when asked for his thoughts on the findings. “If ‘long-term relationship’ means headed to marriage as a final step, as opposed to X years and we’ll see what happens, then that’s very different,” he said. “Men in general, when they hear that term, do not necessarily mean ‘marriage.’ Marriage is marriage.” 3. The “Bradley Effect” Theory. Back in 1982, Tom Bradley, L.A.’s first black mayor, was running for governor of California. Polls had shown him with a pretty sizable lead over his opponent, George Deukmejian. One newspaper even projected Bradley as the winner during election night. But when the results came in, Bradley had lost. How? One theory started to gain traction — white respondents, wary of being labeled racist, gave pollsters the response that they felt was most socially acceptable. This idea became known as “The Bradley Effect.” (It’s worth noting that this theory’s been hotly debated since it was coined. We use the term without taking a stand, one way or another.) Many commenters wondered if the Bradley Effect was in play here — in other words, respondents were fronting for pollsters to look “good.” Could they have been trying to avoid coming across as no-’count, triflin’ commitment-phobes? 4. Occam’s Razor. You know the theory of Occam’s razor: the simplest explanation is probably the best. Let’s consider the possibility that maybe, just maybe, the poll results are spot-on accurate. And maybe the prevailing conventional wisdom about what black women and black men want is just wrong. This seems to be both the most obvious possibility, yet it seems to be the one to which people are most resistant. We accept — nay, we embrace — the idea/trope/stereotype that women want nothing more than to find a nice dude to settle down with. And dudes will avoid commitment at all costs, unless they’re dragged kicking and screaming to the altar. This idea is everywhere. A few years ago, there seemed to be a geyser of stories about the problems black women had in finding partners — stories that often seemed based on a flimsy, threadbare premise. (“Resolved: Census data shows there are more black women than black men: RESPOND!”) And sure, those stories made for great happy hour and brunch conversation fodder — and by “great,” I really mean exhausting and eternal — because it allowed everyone to kvetch and generalize and swap dating war stories. But anecdata often make rickety foundations for grand social explanations, even when those ideas rake in the pageviews and book sales. Even when they feel true. Maybe the truth really is that lots of black men really do want to get boo’ed up while lots of black women are ambivalent. Discuss… Continue reading →
Just one day after turning 38 years old, Andre 3000 received the worst news imaginable this week: His mother passed away. Sharon Benjamin-Hodo, 58, passed away in her sleep early yesterday morning, sources confirm to The Associated Press, with the Clayton County Police Department in Georgia saying she died of natural causes. A number of celebrities, prominently in the hip hop industry, Tweeted their thoughts and prayers to Andre soon afterward. “My condolences go out to Dre, and the entire Benjamin-Hodo family,” Jermaine Dupri wrote, while producer 9th Wonder added: “Pray for the good brother Andre 3000 and his family…” We send our best wishes to Andre and his loved ones as well.
Someone is sensitive about the subject… Famed television host Wendy Williams shares her thoughts on NBA player Jason Collins’ coming out, and reveals what she thinks about his fiancee, who was with Jason for 8-years. Wendy also discusses the possibility of men being bisexual, which she compares to women being bisexual. youtube vladtv Continue reading →
Ne-Yo gives Ray J a ‘ho sit down’ for singing about his sexcapades with Kimmy Cakes… Ne-Yo Criticizes Ray J For Releasing “I Hit It First” Song R&B crooner Ray J is now facing backlash from one of his music industry peers following the release of his new controversial thirst-anthem “I Hit It First,” in which he shamelessly takes some not-so-subliminal aim at his ex freaky-flick co-star Kimmy Cakes to let the world know…yet again….that she was bustin’ it open in the bedroom with him long before snagging rappers and ball players. Ne-Yo recently stopped by Hot 107.9 radio in Philly and spared no shots when he aired out his thoughts on Ray J’s new single” “I have not [heard it] and I will not,” Ne-Yo emphasized. “I personally feel like it’s nuts, it’s disrespectful for one,” he added. “It’s disrespectful for the person that it is allegedly not about.” The bald headed hit-maker continued his no-holds-barred rant against the song, but not before making it clear that there was ‘no beef’ between himself and Ray J. Hear what else he had to say on the flip… Continue reading →
Digger Phelps, a former coach and long-time college basketball analyst for ESPN, has been diagnosed with bladder cancer. The network announced the sad news this morning and added that Phelps has already undergone surgery. He will soon begin follow-up treatment near his residence in Indiana. In a statement, Phelps said that “he and his family appreciate your thoughts and prayers as he prepares for the 2013-2014 college basketball season.” The 71-year old has been with ESPN since 1993 and coached Notre Dame from 1972-1991. Our thoughts go out to him and his loved ones.
Digger Phelps, a former coach and long-time college basketball analyst for ESPN, has been diagnosed with bladder cancer. The network announced the sad news this morning and added that Phelps has already undergone surgery. He will soon begin follow-up treatment near his residence in Indiana. In a statement, Phelps said that “he and his family appreciate your thoughts and prayers as he prepares for the 2013-2014 college basketball season.” The 71-year old has been with ESPN since 1993 and coached Notre Dame from 1972-1991. Our thoughts go out to him and his loved ones.
A body pulled from the water just offshore in a Providence, R.I., park was that of Sunil Tripathi, a Brown University student missing since last month. Tripathi was identified through a forensic dental exam. He was just 22. A cause of death has not been determined, but the news puts an end to the mystery of his disappearance, which became doubly painful for his family. Amateur online sleuths wrongly identified him as a possible suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings. Of course, this turned out not to be the case. Tripathi’s family, of Bryn Mawr, Pa., said they were overcome with grief but grateful for the outpouring of support relatives got over the last month. “As we carry indescribable grief, we also feel incredible gratitude,” the Tripathi family said in a statement on a Facebook page set up to help find Tripathi. “We extend our thanks for the words of encouragement, for your thoughts, your hands, your prayers, and the love you have so generously shared.” Saddened, worried and confused by his vanishing, Tripathi’s family had been searching for him since mid-March with help from the FBI and fellow students. The student, who went by Sunny, had “been going through a difficult time.” His sister, Sangeeta, said he left his phone, wallet and belongings in his apartment near campus and simply disappeared. He was on leave from Brown. Last week, chatter on Reddit and 4Chan indicated that Sunil Tripathi may have been one of two suspects in the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings. Se some thought he resembled one of the people in photos released by the FBI. That person later turned out to be 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev . Reddit later apologized for fueling “online witch hunts and dangerous speculation which spiraled into very negative consequences for innocent parties.” R.I.P. Sunny.
A longstanding gig will keep Sandra Bernhard from attending the Tribeca Film Festival’s closing-night screening of The King of Comedy on April 27, but it’s not like she needs her memory jogged. The comedienne recalls that making Martin Scorsese’s prescient and oh-so-dark 1982 comedy about a deluded stand-up comic ( Robert De Niro ) who kidnaps his favorite talk-show host ( Jerry Lewis ), was a “coming-of-age experience that left me a changed person.” Talk about a breakthrough. Bernhard played Masha, an obsessed and similarly deluded fan of Lewis’ Jerry Langford character, who after helping to carry out the the kidnapping, entertained the duct-taped Langford in her bra and panties. Great comedy is often deeply unsettling, and Bernhard’s portrayal of Masha is so unabashedly off the wall that she left movie audiences squirming and Jerry Lewis genuinely aghast. It’s one of the purest comic performances captured on film. Here’s a little taste: The Monster Masha I talked with Bernhard about her experience making the movie, her scene with three-fourths of the British punk band the Clash , and her thoughts on whether a movie as prescient as The King of Comedy could be re-made at a time when the world is full of Rupert Pupkins and Mashas. Movieline: Let’s start with all the talent you beat out for the role of Masha. You’ve talked about how Debra Winger and Ellen Barkin were in the running, but Meryl Streep wanted that part as well. Any others that come to mind? Sandra Bernhard: I had heard that as well. So many people were up for that role, but I don’t know who exactly because they obviously didn’t tell me. I only knew about Ellen because I heard from her directly. I know that the part kind of came down to me and another actress, but I don’t remember who it was. Somebody did tell me at one point but it wasn’t anybody really compelling. How has the movie’s meaning for you changed over the years? I haven’t seen the movie in a long time. How many times can you watch yourself, you know? It’s uncomfortable. I am curious to see it again all cleaned up and restored. The film was so representative of an era in filmmaking when people would take their time in a scene. It wasn’t a case of rush, rush, rush onto the next moment. You had room to breathe, and I think that in itself made people uncomfortable because the topic was so weird and out of left field at the time. Now, expectations of fame and desire run so extreme that the film almost seems tame in comparison, but there’s still something about The King of Comedy that’s very disarming and offbeat and something you’ll never see again. And so those are the emotions I feel. It was very evocative. I agree. One of the reasons the film is so memorable is the way the camera lingers on the discomfort that you and De Niro create in your scenes. It’s very visceral and pure in a way. Exactly. All of this extreme in-your-face social media doesn’t really have any impact because it doesn’t breathe. You don’t have to stay with it. As quickly as you look at it, it’s gone. This film has resonance and depth. It’s made of earth and mud and shit — stuff that sticks to you. And yet, for a film that observes the old rules of filmmaking, it’s pretty prescient when you consider the celebrity-obsessed moment we’re now experiencing. Yes, but even though it was predicting where things were going to go, it did so in a much more human, relatable way that we’ve lost in the inception of all the things that The King of Comedy predicted. Do you think this movie could be made or remade today? No way. At one point, Jack Black wanted to remake it, and I was like — I mean I love him, he’s fabulous, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it would have worked. It’s too late to remake it. We’re here and there’s nothing to really predict. It’s just an ongoing conversation you have every day of the week like, “Can you believe he’s famous?” There’s nothing to say about it. We’re in the middle of it. Scorsese has said making the film was very difficult and trying because of the subject matter, and he and De Niro didn’t work together again until 1989 for Goodfellas . Was that evident when you were filming? I don’t remember it being that way, but I think Marty puts a lot of his own intellectual and emotional weight into everything he does. He’s a brooding kind of person and I think that things get under his skin and affect him. I’m so the opposite. I just go and do it, and then I pull out of it. I try not to stay with the feelings. Maybe it shook him up in a way that didn’t affect me. When it’s your film and you’re making it, you’ve got a lot more at stake. Do you have one particularly memorable moment of him directing you. Did you crack Scorsese up? I cracked him up more than once, but I think the most important thing I learned from working with him was keep to things very small. I was used to working on stage where everything needs to be big and gesticulated and over-the-top. Whereas, when you’re making a movie, the littlest nuance and the littlest emotion are read very easily when the camera is right there in your face. So he would always tell me, “tone it down.” Your performance is very real and that makes the movie all the more unsettling. I remember flinching while watching the film and thinking, “This is so intense.” It was, and in order to not, like, completely shatter the screen, there had to be a little bit of holding back. You have a scene where you tangle with members of the Clash in the movie: Paul Simonon, Mick Jones and the late Joe Strummer. How did that happen? Marty was a big fan of theirs, and I think they were in town doing something and he just got them to do the scene. We shot that in front of the Colony Records on a very, very hot day — sometime in July. It was nuts. They were just smoking and leaning against the place, you know, talking to me, and I said: “look at the street trash….” It was crazy. Did De Niro or Lewis give you any guidance on the set? Well, Jerry loves to direct. Whereas he is not as magnanimous as the rest of them, he would still acknowledge a powerful scene or a great moment by his reaction. He would register total fear and shock while sitting across the table from this lunatic Jewish girl. He had never seen anything like me. In that respect, the movie also represents a real moment in comedy: you’ve got Lewis, the old guard, starring opposite you, who was satirizing his brand of Vaudevillian comedy in your nightclub act. Absolutely. There couldn’t have been two more disparate worlds than the ones Jerry Lewis and I inhabited in 1981 when we shot the picture. Jerry had never been in a movie with a lady like me. I was deconstructing self-deprecating female comedy and the kind of dusty shtick of that generation — my father’s generation. I think that was another reason they liked me for the role: I brought that new avant-garde attitude to the whole thing. Did you improvise the entire dinner scene with Lewis? There were parameters — points that I needed to get to throughout the scene — but Marty wanted me to bring some of the act I was doing at a time into it, and he just let me go. I was supposed to be this crazy character who was on her own in the world. And I just tapped into who I was at the time and let it fly. Both Masha and Rupert are incredibly self-involved characters seeking fame and attention. All these years later, it feels like a world of Mashas and Ruperts is being spawned before our eyes. That certainly was the most prescient part of the movie when you look at it now. But at least they were interesting, complex characters. Now they’re just morons. I’d do anything to see anybody as interesting as the two of us, God forbid. Look at the crap on all the different websites and the blogs. It’s like, sorry, you’re not cutting the mustard. You have nothing to add to this conversation.Can it. Will you be in attendance on closing night? I can’t be there because I’m performing in Pittsburgh in association with the Andy Warhol Museum . The gig has been on the books for six months now. They wouldn’t let me out of the gig so I said, at least I had more than 15 minutes of fame . Last question. What are you doing next? I’m on the road doing my one-woman shows. I’m in the middle of trying to set up this TV series for myself and another actress, but I don’t want to talk about it as this stage. And I’m shooting a little independent small film in Brooklyn in the fall called Love in Brooklyn . It’s a cute film that supposed to take place in the ‘80s. It has a dance vibe to it. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
