Posted on

Will Smith apologizes yet again for Oscars slap

Again, here we go! Last week, Will Smith made the decision to come out again and gave a 10 minute explanation of the notorious slap at the Academy Awards that was heard all over the world. To put this in context, let me explain. The smack ought never to have occurred. Period! 

For your reference here is a brief recap. The winners of the greatest films released between March 1 and December 31, 2021 were recognized at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022, during the 94th Academy  Awards ceremony, which was presented by the (AMPAS). 

Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes presided over the event. Since the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011, this was the first ceremony to have several hosts. These are established facts. On the largest night in the movie business, movie elites and nominees gathered to be recognized for their efforts in the hopes of winning the most coveted Oscar prize with their colleagues looking on!

 It’s not simple to achieve success in the entertainment business. From my living room sofa, you could see the utter excitement and tension in the theatre on people’s faces as they awaited the announcement of the winners. Who knew an unwelcome, unscripted dramatic performance would play out in front of our very eyes?

Chris Rock holds a special place in my family’s heart. Comedy comes naturally to him. Who could ever forget Rock’s portrayal of the illustrious “Pookie” in New Jack City? Everybody Hates Chris, a family comedy loosely based on the life of Hard Rock, was a must-see for lots of families throughout its primetime run. How soon Will Smith became well-known was impressive. He rapped his way out of Philly with sidekick Jazzy Jeff with classic hits, Summertime & Parents Just Don’t Understand. He further advanced his career beyond rapping by securing a well-known role on “The Fresh Prince,” figuratively moving from a small to a giant screen. Despite the flops—or should I say, inferior films—that tanked at the box office, it was amazing to watch Smith’s star rise following Men In Black, Bad Boys, and Ali. Critics shunned films like Gemini, Collateral Beauty, and even the Disney remake of Aladdin!

Chris made a joke about Jada, Smith’s wife, saying, ” GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” which caused Jada to frown, give Rock the side eye, and glare at Will who was laughing. After a brief pause, Will’s tone changed quickly as he yelled at Rock, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth,” before walking up to the platform and punching Chris. Why the hell did security fail to stop this? Smith should have been restrained, but he wasn’t. He was wrong if he thought the move made him look like a tough guy. It gave him the illusion of being weak by attacking someone who was smaller than him. For instance, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is someone who he probably wouldn’t have done that to.

The viewers were affected psychologically by the slap. Was it prewritten? Chris’s shocked and embarrassed response unfortunately taught us right away that it wasn’t. Rock recently disclosed that he suffers from a non-verbal learning disability, which makes it challenging for him to interpret social signs. The Academy has since punished Smith for his wrongdoing. Jada laughed gleefully as the camera panned over her as her husband lost control while trying to defend her dignity. That kind of behavior is quite destructive. The alopecia Jada has wasn’t mentioned in the show. What would have happened if she had contacted her agent about a GI Jane 2 movie? The movie would have been amazing, in my opinion. Interpretation is the key to everything. Nevertheless, she made it about her insecurities.

Will says Chris doesn’t want to talk to him right now. I don’t blame him, though. He recently had a performance in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, in that I attended. He described the sensation of being slapped in the face. He said that he was still “processing” everything. Will must confront the toxic relationship in his marriage that burst into flames on the most significant night of his life and determine whether or not coping with it is even worthwhile.

Posted on

The Verdict is in for Brittney Griner

Brittney Griner was sentenced today to 9 years in a Russian prison for cannabis use. It isn’t the outcome that her family and fans wanted for the WNBA star athlete, who friends affectionally call her, BG.” Terri Jackson, Executive Director of the WNBA Player’s Association was interviewed on a MSNBC about her thoughts on the verdict. She appealed for Secretary of State, Antony Blinken to negotiate on Griner’s behalf as she is wrongfully detained and being used as a pawn by Vladimir Putin.

Griner is a global sports icon. She profusely apologized from a cage in court where she was visibly distraught, overcome by the moment. This is an unfortunate turn of events that could’ve been avoided, which makes this even worse. According to Griner, she was given a medical prescription for cannabis in the USA. She shouldn’t have ever bought the substance into Russia knowing the laws prohibits it.

The outpouring and concern from her supporters are commendable. Yet, they must understand that Russia will hold her accountable for her actions. High profile individuals are targets throughout the world. As Russia was on a brink of war, Griner actually packed hashish oil, and vape paraphernalia in her luggage on her return home. To say that was an lapse in judgement would be an understatement!

Paul Whelan, along with other Americans are also imprisoned in Russia and have been for many years. Whelan, a Michigan resident, was accused of espionage during the Trump Administration. They aren’t high-profile, but they have families who’ve been championing for their return. Whelen’s siblings said they only recently spoken with President Joe Biden after they expressed dismay that Griner’s family had spoken with both VP Kamala Harris and President Biden!

The possible trade swap with Whelan & Griner for the scum, nicknamed, “Merchant of Death,” Viktor Bout is a risky move. If Bout is released, Russia will surely use him as a resource for the war on Ukraine. I am not in agreement with this trade. Bout is a dangerous man who has plotted to kill Americans in the past, and funded terrorists’ organizations. Surely, if he’s the bargaining chip, shouldn’t the White House have demanded the release of other Americans?

There is a price to pay for celebrity, and for Americans who travel abroad. It is imperative that you make decisions that don’t put a target on your back. Was the cannabis puff worth the cost of freedom? Griner’s poor decision making has now become a sense of urgency for the Biden Administration, which is burdensome as we await her release. This isn’t about Griner’s race as a Black woman which has been thrown around in the WNBA/NBA community. Or her sexuality. It is about a poor choice Griner made. God willing, she’ll be home soon.

Posted on

Great day for football fans in Detroit

Today, it was announced that Detroit would for the 1st time ever, host the 2024 NFL Draft! I’m freaking stoked about this! I love football and cannot wait to attend the festivities around the city when it hits the town. Super Bowl XL was held in 2006, 16 years ago, which is hard to believe. Detroit hosted some of the best VIP parties I’ve attended in the city during the Super Bowl.

The 2nd good news of the day is the 19th season of HBO’s, “Hard Knocks.” Dan Campbell unfiltered is going to be must-see television! I stand by this comment and predict this will be one of the highly watched seasons. Wait and see! Watch this space…..

Detroit Ford Field
Posted on

The Slap Heard Around The World At The 2022 Oscars

By now, you’ve either seen it first hand, or heard about best actor nominee, Will Smith, getting up and clocking Chris Rock in his face in response to a G.I. Jane joke in reference to his wife Jada’s short hair cut. I actually watched it during the live presentation where the camera panned to Jada and her husband who were seated near the front of the stage. Jada flinched in response to the joke, rolled her eyes, and gave Chris Rock the side-eye. Will proceeded to yell out, “Keep my wife’s name out ya fuckin’ mouth!” He was kind enough to repeat this several times as he bolted from his seat and marched up to the stage and slapped the hell out of the comedian. It was hard to believe what I was seeing and very uncomfortable to watch.

Will stunned a visibly shaken Chris Rock. He also shocked viewers, members of the academy & peers who literally sat on the edge of their seats aghast at what they just witnessed. Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz & other attendees jaw dropped in disbelief wondering if this was scripted or not. Viewers pondered the same thing I found as Twitter blew up. Denzel Washington & Tyler Perry pulled Will aside during the intermission to calm him down. Smith ended up winning the coveted Oscar award for King Williams, for his portrayal of tennis legends ‘Venus and Serena Williams father, Richard Williams. Smith received a standing ovation, ironically enough.

In one of the most off the cuff, rambling acceptance speeches about “protection and respect,” Smith rambled on about wanting to “uplift his people” and “protecting” those close to him. Where was Chris Rock’s protection? This was workplace violence, pure and simple. Too bad Smith didn’t deem it necessary to apologize for his abhorrent behavior in that put a damper on the evening.

There are some people who immediately jumped to the defense of Will as his wife suffers from alopecia. I have got to admit, I was stunned to see the amount of Black people post that he was protecting his wife! Some even suggested that Rock wouldn’t have made the same joke to a white actress. I was really disappointed to read a tweet by Prentice Penny bringing up the Crown Act, a bill recently passed about Black hair styles being protected in the workplace as justification for Smith’s actions. Penny is one of my favorite co-creators from the former HBO hit show, Insecure.

Excuse me? Chris Rock was verbally and physically assaulted on national television because of a joke by one of his industry peers. Black people are sporadically acknowledged for their work and are vocal about the lack of diversity in the entertainment industry and I believe this could be a major setback for Black actors and actresses. I hope I’m proven wrong. Something tells me Jada and her handlers will get Rock to come onto her Red Table Talk show and discuss why Chris got clocked by her husband and to forgive & forget. I hope he turns them down if asked.

Posted on

Update on New Book Release for One Foot Outside The Door

I have not written on this blog in ages, as I have been working on The Amorous Trilogy, which features two upcoming novels this year. The first book,  One Foot Outside The Door, is actually is a revised edition that was originally published in 2007. As a writer, the goal of writing a novel or book of any kind for me has been to finish the damn thing and be done with it! The thing is the euphoria you get from it is short-lived once you go through the editing process.

As a former English major with over 60 undergraduate credits, I felt like I could take on both the writing and editorial stages. I had a few beta-readers and I made the corrections myself and published it without a professional editor. Big mistake!  I got really good reviews, but I also got a couple, though surprising not many negative ones due to typos. The following year,  the next thing I did was use an editor that had tons of editing experience for business journals, and textbooks, yet not in the genre in that I wrote, contemporary romance. Furthermore, at the time, the fact my former editor had an impressive resume and 20-plus years as an editor, I decided that was enough for me to hire Gary for the 2nd edition.

Fast forward to the present. I began writing the follow-up, Betrayal’s Dust last year. I finished writing book two on schedule in roughly four months. This time, I had thoroughly researched many editors, some highly recommended, others, through research, and narrowed down the choices on who I wanted to work with. I am extremely lucky that the editor I selected to work with was a dream to work with.A young lady, named TS. TS actually started the editing process with working on Betrayal’s Dust first, and afterwards, One Foot Outside The Door.  

The ironic thing was, TS shared with me is that, I’d grown quite a bit since my first novel. There were actually less track changes I had to review or accept for Betrayal’s Dust. It reflected in the invoicing! But let me tell you, when TS did edit, One Foot Outside The Door, there were things that the first editor didn’t catch, and I was horrified, yet humbled that TS was AMAZING, and insightful throughout the arduous process. Her experience as a former Senior Editor of a major publishing house, matched her level of integrity.

One Foot Outside The Door, will be released on 4/15. There are many book tours and events that are upcoming. You can also pre-order on Amazon, and Smashwords. The book is available in digital and print. Links will be posted shortly. In the meantime, to find out more about the current promotion conducted by IndiesAge PR. Please click on the following link:

http://indiesage.com/tour-one-foot-outside-the-door-by-vina-st-fran/

Posted on

Score No More! The Spartans are heading to the Final Four

There is nothing like the frenzy of the NCAA’s March Madness when some of the best universities at the top of their game compete at such a high level. Nothing is predictable. Nothing is guaranteed. It is why I find it as a sports fan, must-see television! It is quite amazing to follow the teams throughout the year, especially the home teams. In my case, MSU, who let’s face it, were underdogs by all of the sports pundits accounts. Look at Sparty now!

Coach Izzo led his team to the Final Four for the first time since 2010 with players that were a serious work in progress the whole season.  At times this season, Izzo’s team displayed little glimmers of hope here and there, but with injuries that plagued the team earlier and shoddy play with losses like the one from Wisconsin a few weeks ago, fueled speculation of doubt, and gave birth to a new generation of naysayers who normally root for MSU, and rival foes who enjoy the privilege of saying, “I told you so!” 

Coach Izzo’s current class in my opinion, truly was the challenge of his entire coaching career at MSU. They struggled to win games this season due to the sloppy play, and poor free throw attempts which were pathetic! It is easy to see how fans, and pundits alike, wrote the Spartan’s off this year. You can believe that the Spartans made it to the top of few brackets going in to this year’s dance.

Rick Pitino and the Cardinals came to play and it was evident in the fast pace the game got off to. As a Spartan fan, Wayne Blackshear had me nervous. Even when he sat because of his nosebleed, only to come back into the game moments later, had me biting my nails along with the excessive fouls committed by the 7th seeded Spartans.   Montrezl Harrell’s domination of the game in the first half and as we headed into overtime left me beside myself with disgust that we didn’t put Louisville away when they had a chance due to free throws. The Cardinal’s were a play away from victory! This was a game that didn’t have to go into overtime.  Let’s just say it was a good thing I was at home watching the game, because I may have been thrown out of a bar because of my colorful language!

Denzel Valentine,Travis Trice, and  Brandon Dawson got the running game going, and at time they were sluggish, but you could see they were on a mission, and I am glad to witness seeing these young players turn into men out on the court. Wishing the Spartans well on their way to Indy! This has been a dominating month of Izzo!

Posted on

Imagine if GOP Donors Created Jobs For Americans Instead of Donating to The Romney Campaign

Greetings all,

 This election year is off to a start! From a fundraising viewpoint, clearly, this will not be an equal playing ground. The Republicans are donating at a frenzied pace, raising $106 million in June. Can you imagine if these donors, including those Super PACs, acutally hired people with their discretionary income instead of contributing to the Romney campaign? Could you imagine just how many people could have been hired with this kind of money? Take a look at my articles at: http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-detroit/vina-st-fran. 

Here is my latest article that discusses this more in detail:

http://www.examiner.com/article/gop-campaign-fundrasing-appears-more-important-than-hiring-workers?cid=db_articles

As always, I welcome your thoughts!

Posted on

Elizabeth Edwards:A true champion in life and death 1949-2010

Today, the world lost a true champion in the death of Elizabeth Edwards. She represented so many things for women, as she fought breast cancer, and a failed marriage, and the death of her son. In our lifetime, we tend to have one life challenge at a time, however, Elizabeth weathered more than most, while living in the public eye.

There are many people whom Elizabeth touched throughout her personal battles, as she was brutally honest about her feelings, and her need to heal and concentrate on her children in that she separated from her husband, John Edwards for his affair. Despite all of her trials and tribulations, Elizabeth always appeared with a smile, and seemed hopeful for the future.

As a woman, Elizabeth was a mother, wife, sister, and friend to all. I must add that she was a tremendous teacher. The lessons she left behind was to confront your biggest fears, no matter what they are, and make the most of your life. Even while doing it with a broken heart. Elizabeth said in a recent interview, all she wanted was for her husband to be faithful to her. We know how it turned out.

I pray that women really look at their lives and make responsible decisions about who they choose to love. As much of an inspiration Elizabeth Edwards was and will remain to be, she died of breast cancer and a broken heart. There are 3 children now, without a mother.

I pray that John can set aside his narcissitic ego, and go to counseling with his children to help deal with the loss of their mom. Please keep Rielle away from the children, as everytime they look at her, they will remember the pain she put their mother through.

Women have to be accountable for having affairs with married men. The marital vows include one from the bride, and one from the groom to each other. This affair did affect Elizabeth’s health as it was such a strong sense of betrayal, and lost of trust.

I am hopeful that the lessons Elizabeth Edwards left behind will be around for a long time to come. I, for one, will by her books as a form of sisterhood. Forever, may you find peace, and your family comforted by your warmth, charm, style, and character.

Posted on

Bernero vs. Snyder spar over debates in Michigan’s Governor’s race

It is only my opinion here, but debates are about marketing your ideas to the people, who just happen to be taxpayers, and are mad as hell about the state of events happening in Michigan. Here is an article that I wrote for the Examiner. Let me know what you think! I will be writing more about this topic in upcoming weeks, as I cannot believe the arrogance really of both candidates. Here is the link:

http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-detroit/vina-st-fran