Why Is It?

January 29, 2012 under Question Everything, why is it

Why is it, in majority of science fiction movies, the aliens speak English?

Why is it, even though he’s adopted, Connor Cruise looks so much like Tom Cruise?

Why is it most football are uber-loyal to their home teams until they are eliminated from contention?

Why is it even though polling is easily manipulated we give their results so much credit?

Why is it our friends do not change with us?

Why is it we do not “pass the peace” in church anymore?

Why is it Chuck Norris insisted The Expendables be rated PG-13?

Why is it we continue to take technology right down the path of most apocalyptic science-fiction stories?

Why is it Beyonce and Jay-Z couldn’t just come out and say they used a surrogate?

Why is it there are no black leaders under the age of 40?

Why is it top sport players, actors and musicians can negotiate multi-million dollars contracts?

Why is it more American made products are made overseas?

QUESTION EVERYTHING!!

 

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What Did I Miss?

January 28, 2012 under What Did I Miss?

THIS IS WHAT YOU MISSED FOR JANUARY 28th

What Charlize Theron Doesn’t Get About Black Hollywood (The Daily Beast)

Chicago’s Historic Hull House Closes After 120 Years of Service (ABC News)

President Obama’s Blueprint for College Affordability (The White House)

Some Notes on Rape Culture (Racialicious)

Wisconsin GOP Votes To Break Native American Treaties (Addicting Info)

Multiple Deaths In Peru Fire (CNN)

25 Athletes With Strange Obsessions (Bleacher Report)

Occupy Wall Street Looking to be Heard During G8 Summits (WBEZ)

UK Arrest Murdoch’s Tabloid Staff…AGAIN! (Reuters)

The “N” Word Shows Up In “Minecraft” Menu Language Update (Complex)

6 Painful Things No One Tells You About Fighting (Cracked)

APPLE…It’s Time To Think Differently (Global Grind)

KEEP YOURSELF INFORMED AND YOUR MIND WORKING!

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The Sounds Of A Moment #thisismychicity

January 28, 2012 under #thisismycity, Everywhere Is Art

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What is More Important: The Art or The Artist

January 28, 2012 under Everywhere Is Art, Question Everything

THE SHAUN SAYS THIS…

 It is easy to say that we live in a world with constant and (increasingly) instant information…especially when it comes to dirt and scandal. In the midst of the mud flinging on everything from celebrity gossip blogs and Twitter/Facebook posts, news flies at a pace faster than we at times can handle. Now nothing is going to stop the flow of gossip as it’s a poison that we may never find an antidote.

At times, seemingly unforgivable acts looked passed when those involved are able to produce great works afterwards. Are we too welcoming and “forgiving” to others as long as they continue to perform and entertain us to our standards or based on our previous impressions of them? For sake of agruments, lets dismiss “guilty or non-guilty” and “what is art” for another time

 Let’s look at an example to examine this further.

 By the summer of 2003, Kobe Bryant was already a 3-time NBA Champion, MVP candidate with endorsement deals totalling over $100 million. That was before he checked into the Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Eagle, Colorado where shortly after he was accused of sexual assault by one of the hotel’s employees.

 While the criminal charges were dropped and a settlement reached in the civil suit, it can be argued that many in the court of public option and many gossip column considered Kobe Bryant at best…an adulterer and at worst…a rapist. McDonalds, Ferreo SpA and Nutella terminated their endorsement deals with Bryant who was heavily booed for quited some time upon returning full time to the court.

 Kobe’s reputation took even more of a hit during the very public feud with then teammate, Shaquillel O’Neal along with the lack of success the Lakers after the trade of O’Neal which many would say was forced by Bryant. In Phil Jackson’s book “The Last Season: The Team in Search of Its Soul”, Jackson referred to Bryant as uncoachable and by the 2005-06 NBA Season, Kobe Bryant was known as one of the villians of not just the NBA but the entire sports as he was voted #1 on many “Most Hated/Despised Athletes” lists.

 Then on January 22, 2006…Kobe scored 81 points.

 Slowly but surely…those who booed Bryant were now once again wearing his jersey, especially after he changed his number from 8 to 24. By season’s end, he was once again a MVP candidate. By 2007, Nike released a new Kobe Bryant shoe for the first time since he visited Eagle, Colorado and Coca-Cola signed Bryant to a deal to promote Vitamin Water. Oh and the cover of NBA 07…and NBA 2K9

 2 MVP Awards, 2 more NBA Championships and an Olympic Gold Medal later…while Kobe’s popularity may not be at the heights of his earlier years…Eagle, Colorado is only a whisper.

 Nice turnaround huh? Let’s thrown a couple of more names who can be tossed into a similar side of this discussion.

 Michael Vick, whom was convicted on dog-fighting charges in 2007, came back to the NFL in 2009 and was a MVP candidate by the end of the 2010 season with endorsement deals with Nike and Unequal Tech.

 Roman Polanski has been a fugitive of the U.S. government since 1978 yet has made several successful movies with American actors and even was awarded an Oscar in 2002 (whose ceremony is held in California which is the state where Polanski was originally charged)

 Robbert Downey Jr., Jerry Lee Lewis, Justin Timberlake, Woody Allen, Elvis Presley… the list goes on.

 Is this work of great PR? Is it in our nature to forgive? Or do we become blinded by great works, regardless of the artist behind them? Or is the ART bigger then the ARTIST?

 Are we dismissing potentially masters of their craft because we do not approval of their personal or moral choices?

 Both R. Kelly and Michael Jackson never truly recovered from their scandals even though they were never convicted in a court of law.

 Mel Gibson has been ostracised by mass media since scandals involving anti-Semitic remarks and accusation of domestic violence

 Musicians such have Alicia Keys and Leanne Rimes have supposedly seen a decline in fan support in the midst of love triangles they’ve been involved.

 And of course, there’s Chris Brown.

So The Shaun asks…What more important…THE ART or THE ARTIST? Can great art/performance overshadow your personal perception of the artist? Or can that perception keep you from potentially great art/performance? Does the scandal affect your perception or can you look past it?

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“Puppy Love” #thisismycity

January 28, 2012 under #thisismycity, Everywhere Is Art