Drama, catfights, chaos and just plain foolishness are a few of the things you’ll see on this season’s episodes of “the Real Housewives of Atlanta.” But it is those things that are the perfect ingredients to a successful reality television show and keeps America coming back for more. The cast of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” Season two of the housewives welcomes back NeNe Leakes, Sheree Whitfield, Kim Zolciak, Lisa Wu Hartwell and newcomer Kandi Burruss. Like last season, which was the most watched show on the Bravo network, the women try juggling their family and business ventures all while trying to make it on the hot Atlanta social scene.
This season, the CW Network’s “America’s Next Top Model” is playing fast and loose with the rules of the fashion industry. Casting aside the tall contestants of seasons past, this year is all about the “petite” girls. SHORT MODELS— The 14 contestants in “America’s Next Top Model” with Tyra Banks. “In this cycle I opened the competition exclusively to girls 5-7 and under so that one of them could have the opportunity to be American’s next top model,” show host and creator Tyra Banks said. “When I announced my intention to change the standards of the modeling industry, tens of thousands of girls from all over the nation flocked to realize their modeling dreams.”
Racism is still alive in America, despite the abolition of slavery, the Civil Rights Movement and other significant changes in society, according to George Yancy, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy at Duquesne University. Yancy, an award-winning author and one of only a few African-American philosophy professors in the nation, tackles the topics of “Whiteness, Blackness and the difference between the two,” in his latest book, “Black Bodies, White Gazes: The Continuing Significant of Race.” GEORGE YANCY
Have you ever been wrong about someone? You thought you understood her integrity and morality but you were, unfortunately, quite wrong. You heard he was a jerk, a complete idiot, that he was sleazy but he turned out to be a pleasant, fun companion. And though your first impressions made you vow to listen to your mama when she said not to judge a book by its cover, the next person you met got the same snap judgments. Author Ian Halperin says his assumption of guilt in the Michael Jackson molestation trial made him want to know the truth. In the new book “Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson,” Halperin writes about what he learned.
This week I visited Questions Night Club in the Strip District, Fifth Avenue All Class Reunion at Highland Park, Tim’s Lounge in the Hill District, Dana’s residence in Stanton Heights and Cynthia’s residence in the Hill District. My first stop was at Tim’s Lounge in the Hill District where Satara was kickin’ it at the only place in the Hill District they consider to be called “Cheers.” This is the place where everyone knows your name. Willie Taylor of Day 26 gave the ladies quite a show at Questions Night Club in the Strip District.
DETROIT (AP)—On Jan. 12, 1959, Elvis Presley was in the Army. The Beatles were a little-known group called The Quarrymen casting about for gigs in Liverpool. The nascent rock ‘n’ roll world was a few weeks away from “the day the music died”—when a single-engine plane crash claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and Ritchie Valens. Smokey Robinson is joined by Berry Gordy It’s also the day a 29-year-old boxer, assembly line worker and songwriter named Berry Gordy Jr. used an $800 family loan to start a record company in Detroit.
CHICAGO (AP)—Thousands of Oprah Winfrey’s fans gathered on Michigan Avenue to help the talk show celebrate the 24th season of her show with a public taping on Tuesday that was to include the Black Eyed Peas and Rascal Flatts. Diane Stimson lined up at 5:30 a.m., nearly 12 hours before the taping was set to begin, and by the afternoon the 43-year-old Chicagoan was dancing behind a metal barrier as she waited. She called Winfrey an inspiration. WHITNEY HOUSTON AND OPRAH WINFREY ON THE SET
It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. Yeah, you never bought into that, either, did you? If it’s all about playing and not about winning, then why have umpires, referees and judges? Why keep score? And what’s the use of fans frothing at the mouth over victory? More precisely, perhaps, it’s not about winning or losing but about being gracious either way—an attitude personified in the new book “On the Line” by Serena Williams (with Daniel Paisner).
Thursday 10 Lalah Hathaway The August Wilson Center for African American Culture presents Lalah Hathaway at 8 p.m. at the center, 980 Liberty Ave., Cultural District. Slip into the rich, silky sounds of songstress Lalah Hathaway as she kicks off the inaugural season of the brand new August Wilson Center. Hathaway hypnotizes with a soulful, jazzy repertoire rooted in the music of her native Chicago and filled with endless possibilities. There will also be a performance Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $35-$45.50. For more information, visit www.augustwilsoncenter.org.
This week I visited the Red Lounge II in East Liberty, Matrix Night Club in Station Square, Questions Night Club in the Strip District, the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts in Squirrel Hill and the Ava Lounge in East Liberty. My first stop was at the Red Lounge II where Kiki, formerly “The Midday Chick” of WAMO 106.7FM, celebrated with family and friends the fact that she landed a new gig as an on-air personality at WERQ 92Q FM in Baltimore, Md. She will be leaving us, but her heart and soul will always belong to Pittsburgh. Congratulations on a fresh start—you deserve it. Mike Logan (ESPN and Brotha Ash Productions), Kiki (WERQ 92Q FM of Baltimore, Md.), Anji (WPGC 95.5 FM of Washington, D.C.) and Emmai Alaquiva (Ya Momz House Recording Studio) at the Red Lounge II in East Liberty.
