Celebrities are People Too

As I look over a selection of entertainment news, I see stories about Britney Spears’ new medication following her conservatorship issue and the child porn trial of Josh Duggar. I also see a District Attorney looking to send Bill Cosby back to prison, a story about Bradley Cooper being held at knife point in New York City, and the story of Keira Knightley and her family suffering from COVID. On top of this, Jimmy Kimmel singed his hair while preparing to cook his Thanksgiving turkey.

What this tells me is that celebrities are simply human beings who work in professions where people pay to see them work and as such, these people have more money than most other people. Aside from that, they are no different that you or I.

Sadly, when “regular folk” see stories like this about “famous folk”, the “regular folk” are either glad that the celebs have been taken down a peg, or they are sad because their favorite actor or singer is going through something. However, what this tells me is that famous folk ARE regular folk, but while Britney Spears does not pay to see me write, I would have to pay to see her sing (unless she wants to give me free tickets).

The lesson here is that entertainers have the same problems as regular people, but while I night get mugged for a few hundred dollars, Bradley Cooper might have a few thousand stolen from his wallet.  The only difference is the amount of money. The pain and shame is the same. Neither of us would enjoy being robbed or held at knife
point, which makes us more alike than most people realize.

What if Tupac Were Still Alive

Twenty-Five Years ago, on September 13, 1996, Tupac Shakur died from multiple gunshot wounds. Tupac was shot while riding in a car on the Las Vegas Strip following a Mike Tyson Fight. Many will write about his 25 years on Earth. However, as Tupac would have turned 50 in 2021, it might be interesting to speculate on where his career would have taken him had he still been alive. 

Continuing to Redefine Rap

In 2007, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened its doors to rap artists. Since then, only eight rap acts have made it into the hall. In 2011, Tupac became a member of that exclusive group. Because he died in 1996, Tupac never got to explore the changes that rap would undergo over the next 25 years. 

Tupac was innovative with both his style and his lyrics. Due to a growing relationship with legendary music producer Quincy Jones, Tupac was being exposed to a variety of music styles. If he were still alive, the world might have been privileged to hear Tupac rap over samples of rock, blues, or different varieties of jazz. He might have helped to further bring musical styles together.

Award-Winning Actor

LL Cool J, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg have all continued making music after more than 20 years in the business. These three, among others, have also had successful acting careers. It seems obvious that Tupac would still be recording, but he was also receiving critical acclaim for his brief acting career. Tupac’s desire to be great might have taken him beyond the other rappers on the screen.

Ice-T holds the record for longest tenure for an African-American actor on a single, non-variety show. He has spent 22 seasons on Law and Order SVU, and Tupac might have followed suit by landing a television show of his own. However, there is a historical double that Tupac might have pursued.

It is possible that Tupac might have continued working in films and would ultimately have landed the role that won him an Academy Award. If he also created a song for the movie, he could have been the first person to win Oscars for Best Actor and Best Original Song. Tupac had the talent, so this is also possible. 

Published Author

Tupac’s mother made sure that her son was very well-read. As the story goes, she insisted that he read the New York Times from cover to cover, beginning at the age of 10. At some point in his life, Tupac might have decided that he had a story to tell, and becoming a published author would not have been out of the question. 

Lots of times, when a celebrity writes a book, it is usually a biographical piece. In Tupac’s case, he might have decided to author a book of poetry, or create a fictional tale, maybe based on his life, but showing another side of his intellect and vision. Because of his massive following, reaching the top of bestseller lists would have been a given, but more intriguing than book sales would be what Tupac had to say. 

Social Activist

Many believe that Tupac’s death was related to discord between East Coast and West Coast rappers. Had he survived the shooting, Tupac would have almost certainly become an agent for change within the rap community. However, as time passed, Tupac would have stepped to the forefront of other social issues as well.

Tupac’s mother was a member of the Black Panthers, a group whose mission was racial equality. Because the fight for social justice was in his blood, Tupac would have found himself involved in movements like Black Lives Matter. His voice might be central in bringing about global change.

Tupac Shakur had the potential to be recognized for every area of his life. He had already been inducted into the Hip-Hop and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame; but based on his career and life trajectories, there was more coming his way. Tupac quite possibly could have won Academy Awards, been honored at the Kennedy Center, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his activism. Throw in a Pulitzer Prize or a Nobel Prize for Literature, and that might sum up the life and career of Tupac Shakur to this point in history. Unfortunately, the world can only speculate on what might have been. 

Politics Is a Copycat Industry Too

Nearly every industry has a level of copycat involved in it. In sports, when a team wins a championship, many of the other teams in the league will try to re-make themselves in the mold of the champion. In Hollywood, when a movie is highly successful, studios scramble to find the “next” whatever the successful movie was. Now, it seems that politics has been stricken with the copycat virus. 

Politics, especially with regards to the presidency, has always had an air of copycat to it. Ever since John F. Kennedy was elected to the presidency, both parties have sought the good-looking young guy with good hair and good teeth who could represent the parties. However, despite the run of cover models who were trotted out, solid, experienced leaders (for the most part) gained the office. 

Since the 2016 election of billionaire, reality television star Donald Trump, both parties are seemingly looking for the person with the highest Q Rating who could upset the Donald. 

First, there were rumblings that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the hottest actor in Hollywood, was considering a run at the presidency in 2020, and now, after an eloquent speech at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards, Oprah Winfrey, another billionaire television star, is being lauded for the highest office in the land. The sad reality of this (pun intended) is that these names may only be the tip of the celebrity president iceberg. 

Over the next 2 years, any celebrity who can speak in complete sentences, and hasn’t gotten themselves into trouble for sexual harassment or assault, or for making racist remarks, will be mentioned as a potential presidential candidate. The belief is that if a celebrity can be elected once, then it could happen again. Because of that belief, there will be discussions to this end, but as for actual commitments from the celebrities, that still remains to be seen. 

There will be many names mentioned beyond Oprah and The Rock, but until the time arrives to actually commit to running for president, they are only names being mentioned.

In Memory of June Foray: The Woman of a Thousand Voices

Mel Blanc, the man who voiced nearly all of the characters for the Bugs Bunny cartoons, was considered the man of a thousand voices. However, when June Foray was referred to as the female Mel Blanc, legendary director Chuck Jones spoke out; stating that she was not the female Mel Blanc. Jones stated that Mel was the male June Foray.

Mel voiced nearly every character associated with Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes, except for Granny (Tweetie’s owner) and Witch Hazel. Those were performed by Foray. Foray also voiced Rocky the Flying Squirrel, as well as Rocky’s nemesis Natasha Fatale. Years later, Foray portrayed May Parker on Spiderman and his Amazing Friends. She also gave life to the love interests of two iconic characters; Dudley Do Right’s Nell Fenwick, and Ursula, the girlfriend of George of the Jungle, and these were just the tip of the iceberg of Foray’s amazing career. 

Attempting to list all of June Foray’s credits would take as long as it would to list Mel Blanc’s. These individuals voiced many of the cartoon characters that children grew up enjoying. Though children never knew who provided the voices, the voices themselves were unmistakable and will never be forgotten.

In Memory of Chuck Berry: One of the Architects of Rock and Roll

The debate over who “invented” Rock & Roll will never go away. Many give Elvis Presley the credit, while others claim that his music was nothing more than blues riffs sped up. Little Richard’s music is based on what was known as “barrel-house” or “boogie-woogie” piano, similar to the sound of Jerry Lee Lewis. Bo Diddley’s music is simple call-and-response, but all of these men helped shape Rock & Roll, as did the man who took the barrel-house piano sound and played it on the guitar; the incomparable Chuck Berry.

The music of Little Richard and Chuck Berry was oddly similar, but while Little Richard screamed and used his falsetto as his calling card, Berry’s signature was his guitar mastery and his showmanship. Chuck Berry was a great guitarist, ranking as high as seventh on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, but his shows featured much more than his musical skill. Berry incorporated dance moves that looked simple if done alone, but doing them while holding and playing a guitar made the steps and his show spectacular. 

Berry’s duck walk and his leg-extended hop should make playing the guitar more difficult, but Berry did both effortlessly, and they were necessary features of his shows. 

Chuck Berry’s music influenced scores of guitarists and other musicians, and Berry was a member of the first class of inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; a fitting legacy to one of the architects of what the world came to know as Rock & Roll music.

In Memory of Erin Moran (October 18, 1960 – April 22, 2017) - Happy Days' Joanie Cunningham

Happy Daysstarted out as a show about a Mid-Western family that was making its way through life in the 1950s. The family featured parents Howard & Marion Cunningham, and their three children; Richie (played by Ron Howard), Joanie (played by Erin Moran), and their older brother, the seldom-seen Chuck. Chuck was a college basketball player, but the show focused on Richie’s life in high school, so Chuck was removed from the show without explanation, leaving Richie as the older brother and Joanie as the smart-aleck little sister, with no story lines of her own.

Over time, Moran, and the character of Joanie, grew up and developed such that the writers were forced to start writing more with her in mind. With Joanie’s friend Jenny Piccolo finally appearing in the flesh, and with Joanie’s budding relationship with The Fonz’ cousin Chachi, Joanie became a pivotal part of the show. So, when Richie and his friend Ralph Malph left the show, Joanie became one of the featured characters on Happy Days. Joanie and Chachi became so popular that the creators of Happy Days spun the couple off into their own show. 

The backside of Moran’s life was not what many of her fans would have hoped for her; amid rumors of sexual molestation, financial hardship and substance abuse. However, viewers and fans should remember Erin Moran as Joanie Cunningham; Richie’s little sister, Chachi’s girlfriend, and as “Shortcake”, the nickname given to her by The Fonz.

Things That I Learned From the Word

Good News! Things That I Learned From the Word, my first completed manuscript has been published and is available to the public. How do we establish a relationship with God? What does it mean to live a Christian life? What obstacles will the world place on the path of our Christian walk? These are questions that Christians, particularly new Christians, are concerned about and Things That I Learned From the Word, helps old and new believers to gain answers to these and other questions.

In this book, I attempt to illustrate the joy of living a Christ-centered life. Things That I Learned From the Word also discusses the hardships of a Christian life, as some in society work hard to discourage Christianity. This book is not just what I learned from the word of God, but what I hope to share with everyone, as the readers of the book attempt to learn more about God and God’s word for themselves.

Things That I Learned From the Word is available at Amazon (goo.gl/nj7ywA). Be sure to pick up your copy today.