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Sunday, May 21, 2006

Desperately Seeking Britney Spears, Tyra Scared Straight!

Mood: Wild and Peaceful. Reflective and Present. Vulnerable and Strong.

Mode: I’m keep it very simple and causal for a summer’s day of rain. A black pin-striped Ben Sherman shirt with an eagle stitched on the back. Some bleached jeans ripped at the cuffs. And a white Banana Republic light-weight jacket.

Musical Moment: “Yes” by Liza Minnelli. “Life starts happening everyday. Say yes.”
This was my birthday song. I got up the morning of my birthday and the first CD I popped in the deck was the audio component to my favorite DVD of the moment Liza with a Z! This song is a great way to start a show. And a new year of life. It’s about living life to the fullest. Taking risks. Being bold. And courageous. Saying yes to opportunity. To love. To hope. To the prospect of a better life.

Moment to Ponder: Could you live your life under the scrutiny of a judgmental public?

For the past two weeks or so, I have been desperately seeking Britney Spears. From nearly drop Sean Preston while stumbling down the avenue in New York to strapping him face-forward in the backseat of her mini-cooper, we have watched her grow and learn and stumble as a first time mother. But I imagine any first-time parent makes mistakes and has moments of indecision. It’s a role you grow into. There are some innate nurturing skills that we can naturally call forth, but from sharing your emotions and loving and giving, those are actions and expressions we learn to feel and learn to give both as people and as parents.

And I wonder what would life look like for me and for you if we were constantly under the watch of a scornful public. Never too far from the flicker of some paparazzo’s money shot. All your errors and mistakes captioned and etched in print. Naked and exposed in your flaws. Who would be able to emerge from that type of experience unscathed? Without smears. Untarnished.

We are all growing and learning and creating new possibilities. And Britney should be allowed to grow into the possibility of what being a good mother looks like for her and for the life she is creating for her child. And without our judgment. Not for nothing, Sean Preston does not seem neglected. And a few of us have probably been dropped on our heads. Ask your mother. Ask Cynthia McKinney’s mother. What else could explain that hair?

But I understand the public’s frustration and fascination with Mrs. Federline. From marrying Kevin to remaking Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative” I have to admit I’m also nervous about her decision making skills. Especially in light of her options. Her money and fame have taken her around the world. She’s been exposed to different cultures and ways of life. Or at least to some of the best hotel mini-bars the world has to offer.

It’s an ode to the glamorous life. Sheila E. wanted. Kimora Lee has it. But one can’t help but wonder why Mrs. Federline prefers her glamorous life with a hint of trailer park. Perhaps it’s familiar. Dr. Robin says we love the familiar. It’s comfortable.

I guess nothing says home like a lazy weed-smoking freeloader running through your
money.

Without love, it ain’t much.

THE SORID SEX LIVES OF THE RICH AND TALENTED

R. Kelly isn’t our only musical genius with a seedy sex life. Apparently kinky sex makes the songs come quicker. The music more forceful. The production more satisfying. Legendary group The Eagles may have passed themselves off as sensitive and caring musicians but a new tome by Barney Hoskyns tells-all about their stoned-out, bed-hopping on the '70s L.A. rock scene. Hoskyns also shares Mama Cass Elliot used her fame for sex. "There were a couple of good-looking guys that were schtupping Cass," drummer Denny Bruce tells Hoskyns. "They were basically there for her drugs. She got her little taste of sex, and they got their dope." And Joni Mitchell would sleep with fellow rockers, then blast them in her songs. "[She] used all of them, from Graham Nash to [Jackson] Browne. And then she could write about it and say, '[Bleep] you,' "a veteran of the era says.

BEYONCE: GIVING UP POPEYES UNTIL IT HURTS

Beyoncé Knowles shocked fans at a Cannes Film Festival preview of her movie "Dreamgirls" by admitting she and co-star Jennifer Hudson had to dramatically slim down for their roles. Knowles, 24, said she lost 20 pounds to play Deena Jones, according to wire reports. Jones is loosely modeled on Diana Ross and The Supremes. "I actually gained a little bit, but then I lost 20 pounds when I went from young Deena to old Deena," she said. "I wanted it to be something more than just makeup and hair." O’ Beyonce. So very Charlize Theron you.

TYRA SPENDS TIME IN A WOMEN’S CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

But even more so than Beyonce, Tyra Banks is a woman who keeps on giving to her
craft. She gave us face. She gave us body. She gave us Top Model. Now Tyra gives
us fear. Her nsecurities. Her hurt. Her demons. I still remember the day she
packed on 300 lbs of pain to show all the attractive people of the world just how difficult it
is to be overweight and unpretty. And the emotional torment she experienced as
she swapped stories in the back of the club with formerly abused female
strippers. A private dancer for money she was.

And just last week, she went to a women’s correctional facility. And got fingerprinted. And stripped search. And photographed. Without makeup.

It wasn’t until that moment that I began to think about how I could contribute. And make this world just a bit better for someone other than myself. Tyra is such a prolific woman. When she puts her manicured finger on a story, she touches the core. The pulse. I am anxiously awaiting her to spend an hour undercover as a former model turned talk-show host who comes across as believable and authentic.

A SPIRITUAL WEEK IN NEW YORK

There are going to be some powerful things happening in New York this week. On Tuesday, psychic John Cohan will hold a candlelight vigil for Nicole Brown Simpson at Lucky Cheng's in the East Village. Cohan claims he brought Nicole to the lounge, which is famous for its drag-queen waitresses, shortly before her 1994 slaughter. "She got a kick out of the place, and it brought her happy times," said Cohan, who has arranged to have Nicole's favorite song, "If (a Picture Paints a Thousand Words, Then Why Can't I Paint You?)," performed.

BONDS’ 714th Shot THE DOME

Hate it or love it, Barry Bonds has THE GAME. He hit homerun #714, which ties Babe Ruth’s all-time record. He still has a long way to go to catch Hank Aaron’s all-time record of 755, but don’t tell that to hardcore baseball fans. It amazes me that so much time has been spent covering Bonds “breaking” of a record that has already been broken.

Who cares that Bonds surpassed Babe Ruth? It ain’t about Babe Ruth. How can you have this conversation and use Babe Ruth as a reference point? He isn’t. And hasn’t been for some time now. I am offended but this obvious dismissal of Hank Aaron’s talent. Now I understand why Whitney Houston always felt the need to remind us that Bobby Brown was the true King of R&B. Him and Al B. Sure! So forgotten. Yet, so important to our cultural landscape.

Posted by Texas Tiger in NYC :: 2:22 PM :: 0 Comments:

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