Beyonce: Put Some Money In It!

I just arrived back from the highly anticipated concert, "I Am...Sasha Fierce" starring Beyonce.  In many ways, Beyonce gave her audience exactly what they have come to expect from the multi-talented, multi-hyphenate entertainer: acrobatic vocals, strong choreography and a potpourri of beauty and charm.

However, at $175 a ticket (and that was for the "decent" seats), I believe there was a great deal Sasha Fierce aka Beyonce refrained from giving a deserving audience that expected to see razzle dazzle.  Unlike the spectacular concert "The Beyonce Experience" that preceded this show by about two years, "I Am...Sasha Fierce" was a stripped down, bare boned production that left this audience member wanting more.

Here are a few of the things that the artiistic director and Beyonce gave audience members in her previous show but struck from the current production. 

1. Opening Act (Robin Thicke opened at her previous show. This time? No one.)

2. Stage with a moving walkway

3. Robotic costume

4. Car on stage

5. Lighted multi-level platform 

6  Spotlight on the talented dancers in theatrical skits

7.  Props (Dancers pole, cigar, hanging microphone - all missing.)

8.  Mindblowing costumes

Smoke and confetti were minimal.  Pyro's were non-existent.  The concert did feature Jay-Z, however, his appearance was less than two minutes and he could have been reciting the alphabets and the screaming fans would have been none the wiser.  An incredible lighting effect that could have been utilized would have made her appear to be standing in the middle of a rainfall made of lights.  Clearly, she and her team decided against that effect.  Also, there was a huge cube high above the audience that have been utilitzed in the past to project videos and still images.  This time? Nothing.

Beyonce performed as well, if not better, than she has in the past.  Her catchy tunes kept me singing for a solid two hours.  However, during a recession when fans are being asked to cough up well in excess of $100 for a ticket, (the $20 dollar seats were so far away from the stage they might as well have been in the parking lot), I think it was only fair that Beyonce and her production company pony up enough money to give fans a show they would never forget.

I'm glad that I have the 2007 show to reminisce about fondly. Fortunately, those who attended this Beyonce concert for the very first time tonight will never know what they missed.

Twitter:  @ R_Eason

Grisham's "The Appeal"

I am an avid book reader.  My choice in books vary widely from
classics like Steinbeck's "East of Eden", to newer authors like Jeannette Walls ("The Glass Castle") and Edward P. Jones ("A Known World").  But every now and then when I'm browsing the aisle of the bookstore for a good book, overwhelmed by the impressive selection of new authors, I often find myself drifiting back to older authors who used to thrill me for hours.

Grisham, Patterson, Koontz and Sheldon were a few of my authors of choice.  Lately, however, I've found a trend among my favorite authors that an aspiring writer like myself find incredibly disappointing: the older they get the more dreadful their books.

Take "The Appeal" for example.  The book feels more like a personal vendatta against big business (or the Mississippi Supreme Court election process) or a fictionalized editorial by the author instead of a novel.  The ending (which I won't ruin for you) is incredibly disappointing.  Whatever happened to happy endings?  Too cliche?  Not to mention that in the book Grisham mentions a character, Buck, who carries a 9-millimeter gun, is very angry and a known liar.  And?  And nothing...the character is never mentioned in the book again.  Unbelievable!

How sad that some famous authors get paid solely based on the popularity of their name instead of the strength of their story.  If you've read "The Appeal", I'd love to hear  your comments - concurring or dissenting.

 

I love Oprah, but...

For the life of me I cannot understand why there is still an audience for Oprah's diet shows.  I saw a show recently and Oprah was an authority, along with her exercise guru, Bob Greene, who was hawking a new book, about tips to lose weight loss and keep it weight off forever.

I do not argue the fact that Oprah knows how to lose weight.  We've seen evidence of this over her twenty year reign on daytime television.  What we have not been witness to is Oprah keeping off the weight over a long period of time.  (Please note, the Oprah and friends photo is circa 2008.)

Oprah consistently gains twenty pounds or more annually. So my question is, why would anyone listen to her tell them how to keep off the pounds?  Sure I could take Oprah's advice on:

1) How to have a successful career in television

2) How to be an accomplished television producer

3) How to break into acting

4) How to become a billionaire

5) How to be a life partner in a long-term relationship

6) How to overcome sexual abuse

7) How to be a philanthropist

8) How to start a school for underprivileged girls

9) How to run a magazine

10) How to smile at celebrities who are obviously lying to you on your own show

But advice on keeping the weight off?  Sorry, Oprah.  I'll stick with Jenny Craig.

 

Madonna and A-Rod

"So do you think their marriage can survive this?"  I asked.

Martin, my boyfriend of a few months, slowly turned his attention away from his computer and looked at me from across the room with a blank stare.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Madonna and Guy.  Do you think their marriage can survive this media crisis?"  I clarified.  The news frenzy surrounding Madonna and A-Rod's alledged affair was turning into a virtual tsunami and I was firmly caught in the whirlwind.

Martin looked at me as though I had asked him to solve a calculus equation with his fingers. 

"Why would I care about Madonna and the state of her marriage?" he asked.

"Well, I know you don't care, but it's current events," I reasoned. "We should stay abreast. You never know if the breakdown in their marriage could someday be a useful learning point that we could apply to our own.  Should we get married..."  I mumbled as an afterthought.  For a second, I questioned if I should have let him see this vacuous side of my personality in which I indulged unabashedly.

He chuckled at my nonsensical answer, turned, and continued to search for business opportunities online without response.

I decided right then and there that I should re-focus my attention on things that really matter in life!  Things that are important and could positively affect not only the course of my life, but also of others.  I picked up the remote, firm in my resolution to spend my leisure time more constructively, and turned to Entertainment Tonight.

Rome, as you may have heard, was not built in a day.  Not to mention that I am a woman who believes in experiencing the total human experience.  I indulge in healthy foods, junk foods, exercise, recline, achievement, play, John Steinbeck and Us Weekly.

After all, if this story is being covered by CNN, FoxNews, MSNBC,  The New York Post, The Daily News, The New York Times, Today Show, Good Morning America and presumably hundreds of other news media outlets throughout the world...how could it possibly be junk?

 

Reality TV Sucks!

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot stomach reality television. While I understand that there are a few programs that aim for higher quality content, the bulk of reality television is garbage.

Recently, I read an article that country crooner Clint Black was disappointed with the producers portrayal of his appearance on Celebrity Apprentice.  He was dismayed with the editing process that painted him in a bad light. Did Mr. Black fail to research the reality television landscape prior to signing a contract to be on the show?  Does anyone remember that awful Paula Abdul show that made Paula seem obtuse, vacuous, whiny and perpetually high? 

My biggest complaint is about the fascination we seem to have with conflict and sex.  Flavor of Love, For the Love of Ray J, and The Real Housewives of Atlanta/New York, and The Bachelor are a few of the shows that help reduce the image of women in America.  Women who seem obsessed with love, money, their own ego and ridiculous catfights are damaging to young girls. The producers of these shows (with their scripts-so much for reality-and clever editing) are as much to blame as those who show up in the audition lines hoping to be cast.

Finally.  There is hope.  Tony Robbins, arguably the best life coach in the world, has just inked a deal with NBC.  Breakthrough is a highly anticipated new reality program that I believe will change lives.  Tony Robbins has been heralded by some of the most powerful leaders in the world.  He helps people be their best selves.  With the tools he teaches, people are no longer hopers, dreamers and victims but leaders and achievers, thereby, transforming their lives and the lives of others.  His show will be the flower we need in a field littered with weeds. Now let's just hope folks will tune in.  Who knows?  They just might learn something.

Twitter:  @R_Eason

Rihanna's Nightmare?

 

"Rihanna's Nightmare" was the title on the cover of a recent People magazine.  The article detailed the downward spiral of the singer's one year relationship with R&B entertainer, Chris Brown.  The end result?  Rihanna was beaten and bruised and Chris Brown was on the run.

Recently, the internet and legitimate news sites have been abuzz with news that Rihanna and Chris Brown are "back on".  The New York Post went so far as to post the title "How Could She?" on their webpage.  Shocking?  Not to me or anyone else who has known a battered woman.  Women who are abused by their mates often accept their beautiful gifts and tearful apology.  Men assure their victims that they lost it, just that one time, and it will never happen again.  The women, who oftentimes convince themselves that the violence was partly their fault as they provoked their lovers, forgive and move on.

I disagree with People magazine's cover title.  This is not Rihanna's nightmare.  This situation is the nightmare of any parent raising a young girl, especially those girls who idolize either of these singers.  They are tasked with the difficult duty of instilling self-confidence and self-love in our girls.  How do parents make them understand that love is a verb that never strikes them physically or demoralizes them emotionally.  Love forgives, but does not necessarily forget, condone or reward bad behavior.

Now, more than ever, parents should turn the attention of their children inward instead of outward.  They must stop idolizing celebrities, as they are only human beings making their own mistakes, and start learning values at home.  Rihanna, at twenty-one, may not fully understand the concept of love.  At her age, who can blame her?  However, she must not be admired by young girls as a role model.  She is not. Rihanna is a young woman who sings about empowerment (Take a Bow, anyone?).  But she is not yet a woman who knows the full meaning of empowerment because if she did she would tell Chris Brown to take a bow...and get lost.

 

The Dark Hype

I admit it.  I got sucked into the hype machine for the new feature film The Dark Knight.  The dark trailers with just a hint of Batman and The Joker left me salivating for more.  The speculation that the role was so emotionally exhausting for Heath Ledger that it caused him sleeping problems sparked curiousity.  The sold out shows days before the film opened.  The critics unanimous rave reviews about the impending summer blockbuster made my heart palpitate. 

Alas, I saw the film and clearly I missed something.  I was greatly disappointed.  In all fairness, I did not see the entire film.  I saw about an hour and a half of the two and a half hour movie. 

Here are my major gripes with The Dark Knight:

1.  IMAX.  Never again will I see a film in IMAX.  I was fascinated by the monstrous black pit that was Christian Bales' nostril, however, I don't think that's what the director had intended to be so captivating in his movie.   Not to mention I had to look over my shoulder to see all the characters in a shot.  IMAX is beautiful for landscape shots but not so much for talking heads.

2.  Time.  Way, way too long for a film that is story driven instead of character driven.  The Godfather, yes.  The Dark Knight, no.

3.  The script.  The Joker was an unbelievably great character and Heath Ledger has done a better job than any other actor at protraying the Joker.  So why couldn't he have had snappier lines other than, "You wanna know how I got this scar?"  (Which he repeated about three times.)

4.  Preaching.  After my forty-five minute nap in the theater, I awakened to so much preaching about good and evil that I thought I was in church!

5.  Batman's voice.  I found the raspy and obviously mechanically enhanced voice distracting.  I wanted to offer him a Halls or Ricola or something.  I don't recall his voice being so annoying in Batman Begins. 

Having said all that, I am heading back to the theater to watch the film again without the IMAX experience.  If everyone is raving about the film then clearly I missed something.  And who wants to be the odd man out?

Smart Women, Stupid Men

Why do smart women tolerate stupid men?  What qualifies as a stupid man?  A man who has a beautiful wife, healthy children, a successful career yet risks it all for sex with unsavory women, young girls or professional prostitutes.

What takes these women so long to pack their bags up and leave?  Devotion to family?  Do so many women really disillusion themselves to believe that their children can't feel the tension in a dysfunctional family and instead decide it's better for the child if the wife stays with her louse of a husband? 

Christie Brinkley should take a break from men.  Four divorces should motivate her to take a pause from her romantic life and begin to ask herself why she constantly chooses the wrong men. On second thought, maybe these women aren't so smart after all.

Cynthia Rodriguez has boldly waked down the street, arm in arm with her husband, Alex, the day after the New York newspapers announced yet another affair with yet another stripper.  With a broad smile on her face, she has thumbed her nose at the public's interest in her personal life and defiantly stood by her man.  Now she is conducting interviews with those same papers, namely Cindy Adams with the New York Post, attempting to look like a martyr (for her children's benefit) and victim (for the public's benefit) all at the same time.

Silda Spitzer. Karlita Kilpatrick (wife of disgraced Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick). Hillary Clinton. Kathie Lee Gifford.  The list of smart women who tolerate philandering husbands goes on and on.  And if history is any indication, the list of high profile married men to be caught in a sexual scandal will continue to grow.

What lessons are we teaching our young girls and boys?

 

SJP Wants Privacy?

What the heck was Sarah Jessica Parker thinking?  On April 28th, she announced to People Magazine that she was delivering twins via a surrogate.  Apparently restless from a slow news cycle, the tabloids swarmed on the story.  They discovered the surrogates identity and, according to Ms. Parker, printed libelous stories about the surrogates past. On a recent inteview with a nationally syndicated entertainment program, Ms. Parker complained about the invasion of privacy and the health of her unborn children.

I take issue with her complaints.  If Ms. Parker, a Hollywood veteran for over twenty years, did not want media attention, why did she announce her intention to increase her family?  Why was that any of our business?  How could we have ever known that a random pregnant woman in New York was carrying Ms. Parker's child?  Now that the overzealous media has shown interest in her story, she's crying foul.  If anyone should be upset right now, it's the surrogate.  She should be livid that Ms. Parker felt the need to share such a personal detail about a private matter Ms. Parker willingly made public.

Twitter:  R_Eason

Dear Sheri Shepherd...

Dear Ms. Shepherd,

I recently read an online article that quoted you as saying that you had experienced a low point in your life when you slept with several men and had more abortions than you woud like to count.

My question to you, Ms. Shepherd, is why?  Why would you make a comment about a highly personal event in your life, especially when it is regarding a bitterly divisive subject such as abortion?  Perhaps it was made to encourage the young women in the world who are in similar situations and you seek to inspire them.  But is it necessary for a celebrity to expose their deepest, darkest, most shameful experiences to lift up others?  Is nothing sacred anymore?

A few months ago, when Whoopi Goldberg asked you if the world was flat or round, you admitted you did not know.  You claimed you were too busy raising your children to brush up on second grade geography.

Ms. Shepherd, in my estimation, your job may be in jeaopardy.  As well it should be.  The world needs women on "The View" to be insightful, smart, confident, inspiring, funny and humble.  If you choose not to raise the bar for yourself, could you please do the women of the world a favor and exit stage left?

Sincerely,
REason