Forget Janet — Natives Outraged About OutKast
CBS has apologized to Native Americans angered by OutKast’s Grammy Awards performance, which featured feathers and war paint, but Native journalists and newspapers with American Indian readers called the apology insufficient and questioned why the Janet Jackson–Justin Timberlake breast-bearing performance was crowding out attention to what they called OutKast’s outrage.
“We are very sorry if anyone was offended,” said Nancy Carr, a CBS spokeswoman in Los Angeles quoted by the Associated Press.
“As the final act of Feb. 8’s Grammy telecast, OutKast’s Andre `3000′ Benjamin and several dancers swirled wildly around a green teepee as he sang ‘Hey Ya!’ Costumes included war paint, feathers and fringe,” AP recalled.
“OutKast’s hip-hoppy jive won three trophies: best urban-alternative performance for ‘Hey Ya!’ and best rap album and overall album of the year for ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.’
“The San Francisco-based Native American Cultural Center called for a boycott of CBS; OutKast; Arista, their record company; and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which sponsors the Grammys. The center also has filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission,” AP reported.
And there was this reaction:
- Tetona Dunlap, Eastern Shoshone, one of three student journalists writing on the Reznet Web site:
“I could not believe my eyes. I was completely stunned. For a second I had to remind myself it was 2004. Never before have I seen such mockery of a race on such a highly viewed program as the Grammys.”
- Editorial, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Minnesota:
“The ‘props’ used on the Grammy stage are in fact important and even sacred symbols to many American Indian nations. The ‘drummer’ in a ‘war bonnet,’ for example, mocked real life Indian veterans who earn the right to wear that headgear. The depiction of Indian women in scanty clothes was especially offensive; traditional Indian women dressed with great modesty. Check out a local powwow next summer on a 95-degree day, and even then you won’t see an Indian woman dancer with a bare midriff.
“CBS and OutKast owe American Indians a real apology. To put a little heft behind their words, CBS could air an Indian-centered production that sheds light on the best of Indian traditions that are carried through today.
“As for Andre 3000 and OutKast? Perhaps they should pause to reflect on their own people’s history before they portray another minority group as caricatures, mascots and freaks.”
- Editorial, Sioux Falls Argus-Leader, South Dakota:
“Here’s what that ‘apology’ really said: “So what if we made fun of Native Americans? What’s wrong with that? But if it will get everyone to shut up, we’ll toss them a bone.’
“That’s shameful.
“And if any group but Native Americans had been the butt of the joke, there would be rage from the president of the United States on down, and heads would roll.”
- Melanie McFarland, television critic, Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
“In a nation where you can buy Jeep Cherokees and Dodge Dakotas to drive to a Washington Redskins game, can we really be all that surprised? CBS should have been. That’s the point. Given its recent Big Game fiasco, you’d think the network would be more aware that a costume choice is treading in dangerous territory.
“Compared to hundreds of thousands of complaints over Boobgate, apparently insulting more than 2.3 million descendants of this country’s first peoples isn’t that big of a deal. “
- Seth Prince, Oregonian, Portland:
“People should be shaking their heads, but in disbelief that Indians, or in this case rip-offs of Indian culture, are still thoughtlessly used as a stage props in popular culture.
“Picture guys dressed up in yarmulkes, faux beards and long, dark coats . . . ‘All right now fellas! (YEAH!) “Now what’s cooler than bein’ cool? (ICE COLD!)’
“Or imagine women in blackface, dressed like Aunt Jemima . . . ‘Gimme some sugar! I AM your neighbor!'”
“No Thanks” to Jayson Blair Offer of Scholarship
“Michael Viner, who published [disgraced reporter Jayson] Blair’s new book, “Burning Down My Master’s House,” told Editor & Publisher that the lying plagiarist — booted from the New York Times last year — would give a portion of his advance to charity, maybe setting up a scholarship at the University of Maryland, which he attended,” reports Richard Leiby, the Washington Post’s “Reliable Source” columnist.
“‘It will be up to him what the amount will be,’ Viner said. ‘But it will be enough for more than one scholarship. He did not want to promote that and make it a promotional device, he just wanted to do it.’
“No thanks, says Tom Kunkel, dean of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
“‘Obviously we’d never take such ill-gotten money; no journalism school would ever be interested in profiting from such crimes against journalism. We didn’t appreciate the suggestion, and we’ve made that position very clear to the publisher.'”
“Colorvision” Showcases Filmmakers of Color
If it’s not too late, check out your local public broadcasting listings to see if the station is offering “Colorvision,” a six-part series of 23 short independent films by emerging Native-American, African-American, Asian-American, Pacific Islander and Latino filmmakers.
Journal-isms happened upon it by accident and was impressed by the alternative worldview it presents from a rainbow of ethnicities, views not often seen on the idiot box.
Some of the film synopses:
- “I AM ALI by Dream Hampton
“I Am Ali is a dark comedy about a schizophrenic young man who believes that he is Muhammad Ali. His relationship with his girlfriend is thrown into crisis by his illness and misplaced idolatry. This incisive and wrenching film was digitally photographed by award-winning cinematographer Arthur Jafa.
- “BIG HEAD PEOPLE: VACATION by Monteria Ivey and Stephen Dweck
“Big Head People: Vacation is a political comedy animation featuring the voices of the Goon Squad Comedy Troupe. An African-American couple relives American history when they visit colonial Williamsburg.
- “YOUNG HAWK SEVEN by Anthony Deiter
“Young Hawk Seven is a funky and colorful film on changing Native American culture. It discusses how young Native Americans deal with social and economic challenges when they grow up. Using computer animation and a powerful soundtrack, the film is a modern tale that travels to different eras.
- “SHANGRI-LA CAFÉ by Lily Mariye
“In The Shangri-la Café, the Japanese-American proprietress of a Chinese restaurant in 1959 Las Vegas is given a federally sanctioned ultimatum to refuse service to non-whites or shut down her business.
- “TALL GIRL by Amalia Zarranz
“Tall Girl features a very tall African American girl who plays a mean game of basketball and wants to attract a cute Latino girl’s boyfriend. In a highly inventive plot twist, the girls switch bodies.
- “DIWALI by Nick Sivakumaran
“In Diwali, Sanjay, a young Indian-American college student, realizes how little he knows about his cultural identity when he attempts to woo the beautiful Sejal with his newly discovered knowledge of India.”
The series is distributed to public television by the National Minority Consortia and American Public Television. Consortia members include the National Asian American Telecommunications Association, Native American Public Telecommunications, Latino Public Broadcasting, The National Black Programming Consortium and the Pacific Islanders in Communications.
The series was to start in January, but participating stations usually set their own schedules.
Mae Cheng, AAJA President, to Asst. City Editor
Mae Cheng, national president of the Asian American Journalists Association, has been promoted to assistant city editor at Newsday’s New York City edition, the newspaper announces.
“Cheng is a graduate of AAJA’s Executive Leadership Program, one of the most highly regarded training programs of its kind. She co-chaired AAJA’s National Convention in New York in 2000 and has been a national board member since,” says a release on the AAJA Web site.
Cheng covered immigration and demographics as a reporter at Newsday for 10 years. She was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of 5.
Washington Post’s Steven Gray to Wall St. Journal
Washington Post financial news reporter Steven Gray is moving to Chicago as a correspondent in The Wall Street Journal bureau there.
Gray, 26, was editor of Howard University’s student newspaper, The Hilltop, in 1998-99. He came to the Post in June 1998 as a metro reporting intern, then worked as a part-time metro reporter until May 1999, when he became a night police reporter. In September 2002, Gray took a leave of absence to study international relations and economics at the University of Kent’s Brussels School of International Studies, and says he is set to get a master’s degree in international relations in June.
Gray is also a former president of the Washington chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
Wycliff, Lopez to Speak on Editorial Writing
Don Wycliff, opinion page columnist and former editorial page editor of the Chicago Tribune, and Pia Lopez, editorial page editor of the Duluth News Tribune in Minnesota, have agreed to speak at the ninth annual Minority Writers Seminar, designed to “give experienced minority journalists an opportunity to explore the nuts-and-bolts” of editorial writing.
“To be held April 29-May 2, the seminar is sponsored by the National Conference of Editorial Writers Foundation in partnership with the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University,” a news release says.
“Seminar director Vanessa Gallman said enrollment is limited to 15, and applications must be received by March 12.
“Gallman, editorial page editor of the Lexington Herald-Leader in Kentucky and a former NCEW board member, said participants will work closely with experienced opinion writers by attending simulated editorial board meetings and writing editorials that are critiqued by the faculty.
“An interactive presentation on ‘Getting your Word¹s Worth,’ from Rick Horowitz, a writing coach and syndicated columnist, is one of the highlights of the successful seminar.
“Lodging and food at the seminar are covered; participants provide only their own transportation to and from Nashville.
More information and an application form on the NCEW Web site.
Workplace Couple Thankful for Soundproof Rooms
In a Valentine’s Day feature on office romance, the Denver Post interviewed three married couples who met at the office, including Gloria Neal, 39, and Amani Ali, 52.
“She was an aspiring graduate in broadcast news, he a reporter for 630-KHOW when the two met a decade ago at a Colorado Association of Black Journalists event,” the story says.” “Right away Neal was drawn to Ali — as a mentor.”
“Plenty of times I’ve started to say something, and I bite my tongue,” Neal said in the piece, by Kelly Pate Dwyer. “We’ve learned the art of fighting and tabling it until you can either get home or can talk in a private setting.”
“The good thing about our building,” Ali added, “is we have rooms (at the station) that are soundproof.”
ESPN’s “Playmakers” Canceled, but Not Gone
“ESPN, which bowed to pressure from the National Football League and canceled its successful first-year drama ‘Playmakers’ after just one season, will try to make more money from the series by releasing the complete 11-episode series on DVD, along with additional behind-the-scenes footage,” reports John Consoli in Media Week.
Better Access to Inmates Sought in Calif.
“Despite a failure to obtain executive approval in the past, California lawmakers are once again pushing a bill that will grant journalists better access to prison inmates,” reports the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
“Two California lawmakers are reintroducing legislation to allow more media access to inmates, following state Senate committee hearings on allegations of prisoner abuse, corruption and coverups among prison officials.
“Legislators are pushing for more scrutiny of the state’s $5.3 billion prison system by rescinding strict rules that limit journalists’ ability to interview prisoners.”
“Perils Abound” for Time CEO Richard Parsons
“Time Warner Chairman and CEO Richard Parsons faces the challenge of beating his own best hand. In the past year he has taken the beleaguered company further down the road to recovery than anyone thought possible, and still Wall Street is demanding the sale or spinoff of its AOL unit and further morphing of its cable systems and program networks,” begins a lengthy assessment of the challenges ahead for Parsons, written by Diane Mermigas of Television Week.
“In the past 18 months, Time Warner has shed nearly $10 billion in debt, primarily through the sale of noncore assets; has steadied annual free cash flow at $3.3 billion; has made legal peace with Microsoft for $750 million in cash and a pledge to collaborate on a solution to intellectual property theft; and has taken its second-largest group of cable systems to a new level of interactive services and profits. Time Warner’s market value is now pushing $100 billion, though that still is far short of the company’s $250 billion AOL Time Warner pre-merger high.
“However, perils abound, rooted in variables over which Time Warner, despite its best defenses, has no control.”
HHS’ Thompson Rebuked for Changing Health Report
“Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said Tuesday that his department was wrong to edit a report about health care for minorities to downplay serious problems and emphasize improvements,” the Associated Press reports.
“Responding to criticism from Democratic lawmakers, Thompson said the report, issued in December, would be released in its original form calling health care disparities pervasive ‘national problems.’
“‘There was a mistake made and it’s going to be rectified,’ Thompson said at a hearing of the House Ways and Means Committee on the president’s 2005 budget proposal,” AP reported.
However, writing Sunday in the Los Angeles Times, M. Gregg Bloche, who teaches law and health policy at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins universities, wrote that, “according to sources in the department and internal correspondence, Thompson twice refused to approve versions containing the findings on racial disparities in healthcare. Senior department officials objected that these findings were ‘inappropriate and misleading.’ Rewrites were ordered in July and again last fall, according to these sources.
“A side-by-side comparison of the original version, which I’ve obtained, and the approved report that was released two days before Christmas reveals just how stunning the makeover was. All findings of racial disparities were omitted in the Dec. 23 report. Although conceding that the healthcare Americans receive varies according to race and class, the revised document rejected the ‘implication’ that these differences ‘result in adverse health outcomes’ or “imply moral error — in any way.”
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