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Dice - The designer's perspective, by Ralf Grösel
Ralf Grösel is the designer of, and mastermind behind the highly successful Dice. Since its launch last year it has proved to be a bestseller, and is still the reigning champ as the most sold Kite from the North Kiteboarding range, EVER!
Ralf, what's the secret!?
The Dice is amazingly versatile with a lot of playful character.
As you were designing the Kite, did you have a specific type of rider in mind?
We built the foundations of the Dice by taking influence from the Neo concept. From this, we were able to target a wide range of riders. The Dice is an all-round performer, similar to the Evo but lighter due to its 3 strut design which is orientated towards enhanced handling.
Throughout the development process, we realised that everyone within the R&D Team enjoyed the Dice. From Wave to Wake and Freestyle riders, no one was left disappointed.
Can you tell us a little more about the three strut concept teamed with a four line bar ? The three strut concept delivers a lighter and crisper feeling to the rider via the bar. Being light in the hands is an important aspect of Wave riding as the Kite has to travel with the rider in a smooth, consistent way. The disadvantages come within the stiffness the structure has in the canopy however, we were able to compensate against this with a new bridle geometry and attachment points on the front tube.
Why is it so important to use the right line length?
Line length is essential for handling and positioning of the Kite within the Wind Window. Short lines make the Kite more reactive and responsive. Longer lines can improve low end performance.
What is the best line length suited to each size of Kite?
It's quite simple really. I suggest using 24m lines for 12m and above, otherwise I would use 22m.
What are the benefits of using the Dice regarding the following:
Turning abilities:
The Kite has a very round canopy radius, similar to a C-Kite. This means the Kite can turn very tight and fast.
Looping abilities:
The Dice has very close looping abilities to that of the Vegas although the horizontal pull is not as extreme, which can help you to push your limits. The Dice is Tom Court's favorite Kite for extreme Kite Loops and is also my first choice when it comes to strong and gusty conditions.
Jumping abilities:
The Dice has great jumping abilities. The Kite pulls you extremely high giving you the opportunity to perform new and old school tricks. I would recommend that riders use the hard steering setting on the back pigtails for high and aggressive jumps.
Drifting abilities:
Alongside the NEO, the Dice has very good drift. This performance helps the rider to fully concentrate on the Wave and not on the Kite.
Unhooked abilities:
For unhooked maneuvers, the Vegas is The machine however, the Dice has no backstall tendencies at all and great unhooked pop. This characteristic makes it a very versatile Kite for Wakestyle moves.
Ralf, who should buy this kite?
Kitesurfers who want to combine best of both worlds (Freestyle unhooked and Wave riding) For those looking for specialist, specific styles of riding there might be some small disadvantages. Ultimately, the Dice will make any rider happy on any board in any conditions, every single day.
Kitefoil Gold Cup - Silvaplana
The second Kite Foil Gold Cup stop was held on one of the highest mountain lakes in Europe- lake Silvaplana at 1800 mtrs above sea level. Kiters came from all over the world to compete in this growing discipline which has attracted the worlds best kite racers.
The first couple of days saw the normal gradient south wind coming up the valley from the Maloja Pass which bought excitement to the qualifying series with plenty of position changes. North riders from France, Maxime Nocher and Nicolas Parlier proved why they are leading the french foiling stops and gave Mr Johnny Heineken from USA some close racing. Current Formula European champion, Oliver Bridge from the UK made some decent tactical decisions giving him 3 bulletts on the final races and putting him in 2nd place going into the Gold Fleet races. Younger Brother, Guy Bridge - age 14 took top 5 places in all the 9 qualifying races giving him an 8th position going into the Gold Fleet. Meanwhile, Mum - Steph made it the only Woman to get in the Gold fleet.
The final couple of days the wind did not play the right game & did not allow any medal races to be completed. This meant that the overall scores for the 9 races stay as:
Oliver Bridge 2nd
Nicolas Parlier 3rd
Maxime Nocher 4th
Guy Bridge 8th & 1st Youth
Steph Bridge 17th & 1st Woman
The racers now switch discipline and head to Istanbul for the Formula Kite World Championships which start on 18/8.
The Think Blue Kitesurf World Cup was hosted in St Peter Ording, Germany. Possibly one of the biggest events of the PKRA World Tour in terms of attendance, it's a buzzing event drawing in a huge spectating audience and brand presence. Running from the 1st to the 10th of August, the world's elite kiteboarders came together to fight their way through heats in magnificent fashion to gain points and dominate the podium.
North Kiteboarding had a strong presence at the event, most impressivly from Brazils Reno Romeu and newest team member Aaron Hadlow from the UK. Reno has had an exciting and consistent season so far, marked as a strong contender for SPO and quite rightly so, taking 4th in the Single Eliminations. However, the rider with the most outstanding track record and world titles under his belt is Aaron Hadlow who, after time out from the circuit, injury and change of brands has taken to the tour once again hungry for yet another World Title. Having not had much luck since the start of the 2014 Tour, he put in a remarkable performance, dominating and claiming a first in the single eliminations, holding it through the doubles to come out on top at St Peter Ording.
Aaron, you've been battling hard in previous legs of the PKRA but haven't had much luck. How does it feel to be back on top after your result SPO and whats changed?
Luck, inconsistency and confidence have all played a factor so far. Although I've been able to do the same tricks as the other guys, I seemed to have failed by having bad heats at critical times whilst the others are on top of their game in every instance. In some cases, winning that one heat instead of loosing would have had a major impact of some of my results so far, but that is competition and level right now is higher than I have ever seen right now. I realise the reasons I am in this position half way through the season, so those are the areas I have been working on. I do feel I have under achieved so far this season but I knew I only needed everything to come together and those better results would start coming. After being on the edge of podium all season I couldn't have picked a better time to turn that around. I have never won in Germany, even with past career wins so to come out on top exactly half way through the season is amazing, especially at Norths home ground!
Having been out of the competitive circuit for the past few years, has it been a case of falling back into old 'competition mode' that saw you dominate for so many years or, as you have grown as a person, have you had to adapt what you know to suit who and how you are now?
There is no doubt that I have gained a lot of experience in the past which definitely helps and I think this last competition has showed that. I was able to make the most of the conditions, pull the tricks I needed at the right time in the right place and keep my cool to focus in the Double Eliminations. It is good to have been on both sides and I can imagine how the younger, hungry competitors feel as I have experienced that myself. Being older and seeing the bigger picture is pretty cool, I really think things have changed so much since those days, it's much more of a challenge and I really have to focus, practise and look after my body. I guess my mind set is similar during the heats but I have had to adapt and do everything I can to make a win possible.
How are you getting on with the North Kiteboarding gear?
The gear has played a massive roll in getting me closer and now finally to that top spot of the podium. Since I got my new kites and boards I feel totally in tune and comfortable on the water, it's made a big difference. In Fuerte I was really feeling the new gear and was unlucky to not get a better position. Finally in Germany, my riding came together along with my kite and that was enough to do it. Having the choice of every kite size has helped me a lot, along with the new North Kiteboarding boots on my Hadlow Edition Team Series aids landing and consistency.
What's your game plan for the next event and are you feeling confident?
A win for sure gives you confidence but I have to take each event at a time. Liam Whaley is also full of confidence right now and although I have spent most of the Summer in Tarifa, he grew up there and knows the conditions better than anyone. Beating him and other top riders like Christophe Tack was great at the event in Germany, but they all have the ability to come back strong from defeats. It is really close at the top with any one of 4 or 5 riders can take the win at any time. I just hope everything clicks and I can make it happen again.
Any tips for any young riders looking to compete?
To practise hard and know that if you are dedicated enough, you really can achieve anything. Competing is quite physiological as well as physical, so gain as much experience where you can.
Double Elimination Results Men Freestyle
1st Aaron Hadlow (UK)
2nd Liam Whaley (ES)
3rd Marc Jacobs (NZ)
4th Christophe Tack (BE)
Double Elimination Results Womens Freestyle
1st Karolina Winkowska (PL)
2nd Gisela Pulido (ES)
3rd Bruno Kajiya (BR)
4th Annelous Lammerts (NL)
The new Rebel – the designers point of view, By Ken Winner
The Rebel remains a 5-line kite, of course, all for all the usual reasons:
First of all for a short depower stroke and a crisp feel. Anyone who rides waves or has short arms or just likes a responsive kite can appreciate the importance of achieving full depower with a minimal movement of the control bar.
Second, the super stability. If it weren't so easy to keep it in the air, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's made of rock.
Third, easy relaunch in light winds. Even riders who like four-line kites often add a fifth line to make relaunch possible in super-light wind.
Fourth, safety. When you need to get total, complete and perfect depower in half a second, nothing else works as well as a 5th line.
Last but not least, the easy self-landing – for people who don't want to always depend on someone on the beach catching their kite. Not the safest way to do it, but possible.
Changes in detail:
Sizes 10 to 14 have been tuned for a very short bar stroke and a maximally crisp feel.
Sizes 6 to 8, which naturally tend to be a bit too crisp and responsive, have been tuned for a crispness and responsiveness that's just right. Not soft and slow; not uncomfortably harsh and fast.
9-meter kites can go either way, a bit slow and soft or a bit fast and harsh. We spent some time tuning this one for what we think is just the right feel in a versatile high performance freestyle kite.
Attention! Rebels work best when inflated to at least 6psi. They lose some performance at lower inflation pressures, but will still fly pretty well. By contrast, many kites on the market these days need 8 or 10 psi to fly correctly.
Aspects of the Rebel's overall geometry have not changed. There are still five struts, with the center strut being a floating strut for momentary depower and luffability. Segmentation is much the same from tip strut to tip strut.
Multiple segments through the center of the canopy give good profile fidelity, while one straight segment on each side gives a flat profile where it can do the most good in resisting unwanted luffing and flutter. Five struts give needed structure while allowing for good performance at low inflation pressures.
We kept the overall leading edge diameters fairly large right out through the tips to ensure rock-solid stability and tolerance of low inflation pressures.
The Rebel is a high performance freeride kite, so there's no need to try to minimize diameters at the expense of convenience, stability and easy relaunch. A profile of moderate depth gives Rebels excellent low-end power.
We've tuned the bar pressure for the solid feel and reassuring feedback that Rebel riders expect.
The moderately deep and moderately draft-forward profile gives the 2015 Rebel positive upstroke and smooth transit through the center of the wind window.
We have kept our more streamlined, semi-segmented struts from previous years. This gives us low weight and good flexibility.
The Rebel is a mature design with thousands of fans. No rider who likes the Rebel wants to see it change much, so our goal with the Rebel these days is to fine-tune details and ensure that each size works the best it can, for the type of riding it's best suited to.
Aside from free weights and wakeboarding boats, low weight is almost universally desired in sports products. For 2015 we've pared weight from the Rebel without reducing durability in any way.
Our wavy force spread canopy construction has been refined to involve less cloth and weight than in past years, and it has been extended to the tips. This gives good mitigation of flutter and flexing between the dissimilar materials -- hence better durability -- from kite tip to kite tip.
As always in kite design, you want to have the right shape stability and the right shape flexibility in all the right places. Keeping with that imperative, we went more flexible by slimming and tapering the struts a few years ago. Continuing the trend for 2015, we´ve gone even a little more flexible in the Rebel by removing the Cam Battens.
The trailing edge tension of the Rebel has been refined to reduce the potential for wrinkles and flutter while keeping the correct cone and cupping.
Overall, the Rebel stays a Rebel, still you´ll be surprised and impressed while testing it through al the sizes!
Mario Rodwald takes his third European Championship title!
I had been dreaming about the title long before I competed at my first European Championships five years ago. The first two years I was close to 1st place, but not close enough. Once in Lamezia where this years competition took place, a famous sportsmen said,"second is the first loser." I'd never really shared this point of view, although there were certainly times I felt like it and so, coming second in the Singles in Italy was not the best start mentally.
The event was held on the infamous Hang Loose beach in Gizzeria, where Italian local and Northkiteboarding team rider Gianmaria Coccoluto really surprised me landing a variety of doubles and moves I rarely see. I had a good Semi Final landing a KGB5 and Frontmobe5 but I wasn't able to repeat my performance for the Finals in the Single eliminations. According to spectators, the wind was good for my heats and over the next few days the Shirokko wind kicked in despite a bleak forecast. With lots of power in my 9m Vegas I set my focuses on having fun and taking pressure off myself. Every heat I improved my riding landing Double Hinterberger 3, Double S Bend passes, Frontmobe 5s and my first Tootsie Roll. I am very stoked to get a third European Title and would like to thank my family, friends and sponsors.
Paula Novotna showed an incredible performance coming back from injury, landing Mobes and S-Mobes and taking the European Title. My team mates Gianmaria Coccoluto and Sander Bos complete the triple podium for North Kiteboarding!!!
In the coming days, I will enjoy this feeling and express it in my heats during the PKRA in Germany!


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Dire Latvian economic data have sparked fresh concern about the country's ability to avert economic collapse without more international help and deeper budget cuts.
"Outright default may only be averted if the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and EU maintain support," IHS Global Insight said after fresh data showed the Latvian economy contracted 18 percent in the first quarter of 2009.
"Latvia?s government will probably have to cut spending even more than currently envisaged," IHS Global Insight said as the prime minister seeks to ease spending limits already agreed with international lenders.
The tiny Baltic state of 2.3 million people secured a 7.5 billion euros (10.2 billion dollars) bailout led by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in December after Riga was forced to nationalise its largest bank, Parex.
Since then, international lenders have delayed payments until Latvia tables its 2009 budget later this month.
Riga agreed to a limit the public defict to five percent of Gross Domestic Product as part of the loan deal but Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis has called for a seven percent limit to give him more room for manoeuvre.
"What we are aiming at and also negotiating with international loan providers is seven percent in 2009," Dombrovskis said Thursday in Stockholm after meeting with his Swedish counterpart Frederik Reinfeldt.
A leader in regional economic growth just three years ago, Latvia has gone into reverse, becoming a virtual basket case as the worst slump since the 1930s undoes much of the progress made.
Latvia is expected to suffer the deepest recession in the 27-nation European bloc this year, with the economy shrinking 13.1 percent.
"Any hopes that there will be an immediate recovery are misplaced," Neil Shearing, an emerging market economist at London-based Capital Economics, told AFP.
"This is going to continue for some time," Shearing said.
His view was echoed by IHS Global Insight.
"Latvia's economy faces a downturn which is comparable in terms of severity only with the recession experienced after the fall of the central planning system following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991," IHS Global Insight analysts said in a note, warning that the economy could continue to slide even as the world begins to pick up in 2010.
Latvia has two options if it is to boost its competitive position -- to devalue its overvalued currency, the lat, or to cut wages, Shearing told AFP.
Devaluing the lat would mean removing its peg to the euro, a major political blow. This so far has not been part of talks with the IMF. The government therefore has no other option but to lower wages to raise competitiveness.
"The lowest point of the economic downturn has not yet been reached," Olga Ertuganova, an analyst for Krajbanka warned, adding that budget cuts and international support will play a key role in any recovery.
"In these circumstances, it's important to create reachable budget goals which would allow the government to avoid new talks about another change in the loan agreement," she said.
As it establishes those goals, the government faces an uphill battle with Latvians.
Installed in March, the new centre-right government of Prime Minister Dombrovskis has been trying to slash the budget while students, teachers and police protest en masse.
Adding to the list of protestors, mothers' groups on Tuesday plan to launch a signature drive against the government's push to lower or cancel bonuses for parents of recently born children.


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Jose Aldo took a huge step toward becoming the next mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Saturday night (Jan. 14, 2012), delivering a crushing first-round knockout of challenger Chad Mendes in the UFC 142 main event at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
With his fifth defense of his title, and third in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Aldo's performance before a cheering Brazilian crowd ended nearly as quickly as it began.
In the co-main, Vitor Belfort overcame the challenge of the much-larger Anthony Johnson with a hard-nosed performance, overpowering "Rumble" to win via first-round rear-naked choke. There were several other fighters on the card who shined, as well as several who didn't, turning in a menagerie of grab bag-like of moments (and fights) that were memorable and controversial alike.
The pay-per-view (PPV) main card featured 10 fighters, who aced, passed and/or failed their respective tests in "Rio." Here's a closer look at each of them graded out with the UFC 142 report card.
Here's a closer look at how the competitors graded out:
Edson Barboza -- A
The talented lightweight bumped his ledger to 10-0 with a third-round spinning back kick knockout of Terry Etim. Barboza's ability to control range and stuff occasional takedowns was tested last night, as Etim swarmed him to the mat twice, but Barboza's quick technical response -- a well-placed butterfly hook in both instances -- promptly returned the fight to standing position. Using a patient approach and his trademark booming kicks to the lower leg, the set up for the spectacular finish was a classic.
Barboza unleashed a magnificent spinning back kick that knocked out Etim instantly, sending him crumpling to the floor.
There aren't many 5'11" lightweights with a 75-inch reach, and Barboza has the stand up mojo physical tools to apply both those advantages to full effect. He also showed his potent hands in this bout, and rescued what may have otherwise been a forgettable decision win with a kick that will live forever in highlight reels.
Rousimar Palhares -- A
In a relatively thin 185-pound division, champion Anderson Silva likely fights the winner of the Jan. 28 Chael Sonnen/Mark Munoz. But after that, there wasn't a lot in terms of bench strength. That changed last night as Palhares took an impressive win, albeit against an overmatched opponent. With another submission victory via heel hook, Palhares has made pulling guard an offensive move once more, akin to the early days of the UFC when nobody knew what the hell to do there. Built along compact lines with crushing strength, he seems capable of finding lower-leg submissions from virtually any position, and his reputation only grows off this latest victory.
Palhares also showed a little more stand up variety with his performance, landing some thumping leg kicks, prior to the finisher. He's not going to be a betting favorite should he face Silva, but his combination of raw power, outstanding submissions, and cast-iron chin (see the Dan Henderson fight) make him an interesting proposition challenging Silva for the title. Or, anyone else, for that matter. Another good spot was that Palhares kept his emotions in check and let off the submission once fight was called. With his ability, the last thing he needs is more controversy accompanying his performances, and it was nice to see him do well in that department.
Jose Aldo -- A
This was the return of the Aldo we knew and loved. The guy who turned leg kicks into a dominating weapon, and culled together highlight reels from brutal finishes. The champ's takedown defense was outstanding, though a blatant fence grab moments before the knockout stopped and obvious slam-takedown, which was precisely what Mendes needed to do to generate momentum.
That being said, the ending sequence was classic Aldo, operating on a tactical level only he and other master strikers can comprehend: With Mendes clutching him from behind, Aldo used a basic over-under grip to spin out, and while keeping hold of Mendes' left hand, flung forward with a bull's-eye knee. It was a perfect set up and essentially ended the match right there.
Aldo also turned a neat trick last night that's been the realm of fellow champs like Georges St. Pierre and Jon Jones: In dismantling highly-credentialed challengers, he makes the possibility of them getting a rematch a remote one, at least in the near future. Mendes would probably be a betting favorite over anyone else presently competing in the UFC featherweight division, but Aldo's blowout win will mean a long road back if he wants another crack at the belt. That's how good Aldo is, and a quite a statement to the world, that he did it against an unbeaten and talented challenger.
This showing was also a return of the high-energy Aldo, who disappeared for stretches against Mark Hominick and was barely present against Kenny Florian. Smaller guys have to do more to become big names, but right now Aldo's the best under-170 lb. guy in the game.
Vitor Belfort -- A-
Putting the weigh-in controversy aside, where Johnson scaled a whopping 197 pounds and had to restrain himself to 205 pounds the morning of the bout, Belfort put on an impressive performance. Taking Johnson's attack in stride, Belfort showed by his striking is so dangerous, regardless of whom he's hitting, by besting Johnson in some rapid-if-wild exchanges, prior to taking the back and sinking in the fight-finishing rear naked choke.
The only demerit Belfort gets here is some uncharacteristically wild striking, which a better fighter might have exploited. Either way, he gets a win that endears him to fans given how patently unfair the situation was to him. It's not quite the road he'll need to get a title shot secured just yet, but another win in vintage "Vitor" style and you can bet people will be willing to see him fight for the belt.
Chad Mendes -- C
The championship challenger was doing reasonably well until the fight-finishing knee, showing improved confidence in his stand up by landing a few leg kicks, while eating much harder ones in return. Mendes gets a C here for two reasons: he lost to an amazing champion, and was screwed by ref Mario Yamasaki giving Aldo a mere warning for an obvious fence grab that denied Mendes a huge takedown. Aldo's grab was beyond incidental as it completely changed the flow of the fight.
That aside, Mendes has a long path ahead of him to lock horns with the champ again. Like Vitor Belfort, who may be the most physically gifted challenger in his weight class, it'll be a tough sell on the immediate horizon to promote Mendes as a title challenger, but the good news is he still has the tools to knock off the required amount of top contenders to make his case.
Terry Etim -- C-
The British lightweight was game, but overmatched last night, unable to work his stand up effectively in what turned into an increasingly one-sided, albeit somewhat tepid bout, until the finish. Etim was impressive in actually taking down Barboza twice, but was quickly stymied by the Brazilian and couldn't keep the position. Terry's a willing if middling-level lightweight who's going to do well against a certain class of lightweights, and will definitely stay in the promotion given his style and English fan base, but he fell flat against one of the division's better guys tonight.
Mike Massenzio -- D
The middleweight simply couldn't deal with Palhares, either standing or on the ground. Now 2-4 in the UFC, Massenzio is on promotional thin ice, though in his defense, there aren't a lot of guys that would've escaped the fight-ending submission, either. Unable to work the vital stand up phase that might have given him a chance to win, limited options made the end seem inevitable.
Anthony Johnson -- F
Failure to make weight? Check. Coming in more over the limit than any UFC fighter in history? Check. Losing in one round despite these advantages? Check. Johnson missed on all cylinders here, especially given that his rise from welterweight was supposed to solve his much-chronicled problem at the scales, which made him a hit-or-miss proposition come fight time. This was a massive fail on all counts. He'll need to make some serious changes to his preparation regimen if he wants to keep fighting in the UFC. Sadly, his talent and upside make it all the more tragic, because when he's on, he's as imposing as a fighter can be. There's always tomorrow when you're a young fighter, but for Johnson, tomorrow sure as heck was not this night in Brazil.
Erick Silva and Carlo Prater: Incomplete
Silva looked impressive in his second quick UFC bout, initially appearing to knockout Prater with blows, while his opponent was turtled on the mat. But after a lengthy post-fight interlude, it was announced that ref Mario Yamasaki was disqualifying Silva for blows to the back of the head, which apparently he warned Silva about sometime between the offense and legal blows, at which point Prater was apparently unable to continue. A disappointing ending to what should have been a showcase fight for the talented Brazilian, but ultimately there's really not enough here to grade, given the incomplete nature of the bout.
For complete UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here.


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Last night, my good friend sent me yet another article on Zoe Saldana. I have attempted to avoid this topic but here goes.
Bottom line, people are not comfortable with Zoe Saldana playing Nina Simone because they believe that Zoe is "not ethnic enough", "doesn't have Nina's features", "doesn't have Nina's nose or lips". Ummm, have you seen Zoe's features? Basically, people are saying that Zoe is not black enough to play Nina Simone. How is that determined?
I grew up on the Jersey Shore. A darker skinned child in a family of extremely light skinned black women. Luckily, I had aunts and uncles who represented every color of the black rainbow. But, growing up on the Jersey Shore, you learn to hate your blackness very quickly. Like many of us, it has taken me years to feel and take ownership of my blackness and my beauty.
We live in a culture that deifies white women. I mean, really. White women are dripping from every movie screen in varied roles: insipid, dramatic, funny, responsible, activist, whatever, you name it, there is a white woman for you. I lived in a family where the black men dated white women. Yes, that was a helluva message to send to a little black girl. I wondered, do my Uncles not like black women? Is there something about black women that is too disgusting to date? I was scarred by that. I can't explain it but I felt it.
As an adult, I came to understand what Dr. King said, "the heart only knows another heart." Certainly, there are some people who hate themselves and won't date anything that resembles the curvature of their nose and lips. There are various psychological reasons for why someone may date outside of their race. But, ultimately, I believe, as Dr. King said, "a heart only knows another heart." After years of waking up to the same person, seeing them in the worst light, having someone have your back and help you get through the everyday; if you sustain years of that, color is meaningless.
I have listened to Zoe Saldana. She is a pretty fierce woman. Have you listened to her?! She is claiming her blackness and her right to portray Nina Simone. She is saying that she is a black woman and has every right to play Nina. What else does she need to say?! She isn't saying, "I don't have Nina's features so I can't play her." She is saying, I have Nina's features, I am a black woman. And, she said, if Elizabeth Taylor can play Cleopatra, I can play Nina Simone. Yes! Basically, if a white woman can play a black woman, certainly she, as a black woman, can play a black woman.
In a recent BET interview, Ms. Saldana also stated that she believes there are "no people of color". I can't put words in her mouth but I think she was saying that she resists how people are categorized. She, perhaps, was trying to say that people should be judged by their character and not their skin color. For those looking to find fault with her, they jumped on this without giving it much thought. We all would like that to be the goal.
However, we live in America where 'color construction' is real. Color matters. It places one set of human beings above another. And, impacts us financially, emotionally, psychologically, etc. Her views feel a bit naive. And, I can't imagine anyone having that view after having portrayed Nina Simone. It will be interesting to see her field questions during interviews for the film. But, this does not negate her right to portray Nina. I want every actor who portrays one of our best to be as fearless as they were. I want Denzel to be Malcolm X. Ain't happening. They are actors, simply, delivering glimpses of our heroes.
We live in an era where the Obamas are lecturing to black students AS THEY GRADUATE COLLEGE. These students are not drop-outs. These students are not "welfare queens". These are the BEST and THE BRIGHTEST who have achievement in their eyes. And, have beat the odds. Why, oh why, do they need to be lectured to about responsibility? Why are they not being applauded, told of their fierceness and being given instruction on how to navigate the racist world they are about to enter. The best thing the Obamas can do is offer these students the tools that they used to navigate the culture. Not talk down to them. These students should be praised and given wings.
I am tired of the dual messaging. I am tired of "celebrity" (yes, the Obamas among them) skirting the issue of racism. It's real. It's not imagined. Even in their high brow world, it exists. And, they are a shining example of how we can navigate the culture. But, because they act is if "it's all good", we are left scratching our heads wondering why the majority of black folks are still suffering on the margins. Hello! The playing field is not even and the "celebrities" are not addressing this because they're comfortable. Well, except for Kanye West, whose music I dig. But, his Kim Kardashian choice has left me scratching my head. Not because she is white (or, whatever she is) but because she represents the system that Kanye is railing against.
Nina Simone, James Baldwin, Harriet Tubman, etc., I could go on. These darker skinned black Americans experienced life through a different lens. I got that. I understand that. And, lighter skinned black women cannot speak to my experience as a darker skinned black woman. But, our overall experience connects us because we are black women. We have to find the bridge that is going to bring us together as women of varied shades.
Their is a high degree of 'colorism' that still exists among black folks. It's in how we date. What we value. What we see as ugly or pretty. What we consider "fine". We have some deep, ugly issues that need to be addressed. And, the casting of Zoe is bringing it all to the surface. The controversy is happening because Zoe is a woman. Hell, Denzel played Malcolm X. Uhhh, hello, did we compare their complexions and features?! NO! We just let Denzel do his job! I am still wondering how Tyler Perry has received such a pass, dressing in prosthetics, donning a wig and making a joke of older black women.
We want a woman to play Nina, who looks like Nina, because we know how much it takes to prize a woman who looks like Nina. We know the pain it takes to accept and love our features that resemble Nina's. I also know that we need to see more dark skinned black women on the big screen. We need to see a dark skinned black woman, on the screen, front and center, who is not downtrodden and forlorn. I got that.
But, I am not going to malign Ms. Saldana for accepting a job. Instead, I will appreciate that she is saying, "yes, this is who I am." Zoe playing Nina adds a complexity to the discussion that forces us to say, "we, black women, are all one". Zoe is standing in the mirror stating, "I am Nina and you are, too." And, the haters are saying, "No, you aren't Nina. You aren't black like she is." In essence, they are saying, "Neither am I." Nina is other- even in the realm of black womanhood. DEEP!
I am an ardent Nina Simone fan. She is one of my SHEROES. Few outdo Nina. On every level. Intelligence. Conviction. Beauty. Raging against the machine. Unapologetic blackness. Brilliance. Genius. Madness. All of it. It's all there. You do not live in black skin, in a female body, in america, with that level of genius and not scrape the depths of despair. I can imagine that, although a "successful" black actress in Hollywood, Zoe Saldana has experienced racism. It will be interesting to see how she evolves.
In a sea of Beyonce, Nikki Minaj, all these children trying to look like a barbie doll, Zoe is saying, I am black and I am proud of it. And, I connect with my sisters on a human level. We are in this together, no matter what shade, what hair length, what road we have taken. We are black women who have a shared experience. It doesn't matter where on the 'black features' scale you fall. You are encased in your experience as a black woman. And, Nina Simone was one of our best.
Nina Simone, in many ways, has saved my life, my sanity. She grounds me. She is the voice that says, 'you are not alone'. Listen to her interviews. See what she stands for. Listen to 'Four Women' and how she connects all black women. ALL! It is heartbreaking genius. What are we doing? What is the argument really about? We have to do some soul searching, here. Okay, Zoe wore prosthetics. I don't care. It's about her soul, her intention, her performance. Did you see 'La Vie En Rose' about the life of Edith Piaf? Marion Cotillard played Edith. Marion looked nothing like Piaf. They put her in make-up and wigs and maybe even prosthetics. You didn't hear the french say, "she is not french enough to play Edith Piaf"!
I don't play when it comes to Ms. Nina. And, I will rail against this film if it is an abomination. But, I am willing to wait. I want to give Zoe the chance to bring some of Nina's brilliance to the screen. Many said, "how about Viola Davis, or, or, or…". I'm sure Viola could have rocked it, blown it out of the universe, if she didn't play the 'victim' note.
You see, the thing about Zoe is, she speaks her truth. She speaks her mind and heart. She's pretty fearless. I don't know many black women celebrities who, in these times, are doing that. It is not enough to say, yes, I am a black woman. It is more powerful to say, I am ALL black women. You better be coming with a royal fierceness to play Nina, and, so far, I've seen hints of it in Zoe.
No one will ever capture the full Nina. She was one of a kind. But, we will get a glimpse of her. And, perhaps, little black girls (and boys) like me, who grew up on the Jersey Shore (or wherever) will get to know Nina Simone sooner and will take years of self-hatred off of their lives.
**I will not comment on Nina Simone's daughter's views about Zoe Saldana portraying her mother. I cannot imagine how she must feel. A clear choice would have been Nina's daughter. And, I believe her disagreement is about the screenplay. I am on board with that argument. I believe in truth and authenticity in the screenplay. Again, if the movie is an abomination, I will rage against it!**
Follow Tanya Steele on Twitter at @digtanya. Or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/
Justin W | May 25, 2013 10:14 AM
*sit down, grabs popcorn, and read the comment section*
julius Hollingsworth | May 25, 2013 9:07 AM
Oscar Wilde and Shakespeare ,both have men dressing in female clothing give Tyler a break.He's telling stories the way he see's it.Zoe is an actress and I say again it's all about the dollar her films gross the most she gets the job.Eddie can play men women,chinese and Zoe can't play Nina?I just hope she plays the part well.On the other hand I myself would have liked to have seen lauryn Hill play Nina.She is a fine actress and singer.But i'm open to Zoe surprising me.I hope the makeup is better on her than it was on Cicely Tyson playing Coretta .When the stars align great work happens.All of this is subjective anyway.One man or ladies joy is another's trash.I hope everybody works.Actors should be able to play a chair if they like.Just do it well.
Orville | May 24, 2013 4:20 PM
Sorry Tanya I disagree, it isn't just colorism why Zoe Saldana has been rejected by the black community for playing Nina Simone. It is also the cynicism a lot of black folks have that white Hollywood believes they cannot sell a movie about a dark skinned bold and defiant black woman they have to cast a mixed race Hispanic. Tanya also ignores the fact Zoe Saldana like Rosario Dawson plays with race. Zoe Saldana like Rosario Dawson is only black when it suits her career. When Colombiana came out last year Saldana was all about Latin this and Latin that. Yes, we know Saldana is a black Latina but damn it Nina Simone was discriminated against BECAUSE she was a dark skinned black woman. Simone sang her songs from life experience she got grief for not being light, bright, damn near white during her career. Zoe Saldana is the "It" black lady at the moment she's replaced Halle Berry as the light skinned image of black womanhood that can sell to white and international audiences. I won't be seeing this Nina Simone flick I would prefer to see a real dark skinned black woman in the role. Race matters and so does skin colour and I'm not going to play the politically correct game it matters damn it!
Rane | May 24, 2013 3:17 PM
Trying to remember if there was similar outrage from white people when Charlize Theron donned prosthetics a wig and gained 50 lbs for her role in Monster. Oh yeah, there wasn't any, now I remember. Just another example how the double fuck works for black actors... hard to find work and impossible to please our (sic) community. At some point you just stop trying. As it's been pointed out already, this debate is laced with misogyny since black male actors aren't subject to the same skin color scrutiny when playing biopic roles. Woven in these threads is the unspoken, tragic rivalry between field and house Negroes whose heartfelt POV continues to divide. Massa done played us to the bone, in fact, to the bloody marrow.
Aaron O | May 24, 2013 1:40 PM
As other people have pointed out, this post is a mess. Itâs messy, disjointed, and out of focus. Worse than that, the author begins to make the case against the Zoe casting but then takes some inexplicable leap in logic where she turns her statements on their head and is suddenly supportive of the casting. Itâs hard to know where to begin with this piece. Iâll speak to only the parts having to do with the Nina film. The rest, I just donât knowâ¦maybe this is two articles, two articles in one.
From the outset, Ms. Steele discloses sheâs personally familiar with racism and colorism. She admits that hatred of oneâs blackness is engrained at an early age. She further admits that white skin is deified. (Ms. Steele puts forth the argument that white women are deified but I believe what sheâs actually stating is that white skin is deified, and for purposes of this argument I believe itâs important to be clear about that, and as such it is quite true.)
She even further continues to admit that color construction is real, color matters, and I believe she would agree that colorism exists. At least, from everything sheâs laid out, it would be hard for me to imagine her claiming colorism doesnât exist. I donât want to put words in her mouth, though.
Curiously, though, she does admit that darker skinned individuals do have different experiences than lighter skinned individuals, an experience which they have no ability to speak to. Then, in the same breath, she turns her logic on its head and claims that since all black people are black, their overall experience connects them, therefore the bridge must be found to connect all black people.
And this is where I call bullshit.
First, let me bring up a point by another commenter (although obviously I disagree with the overall message presented in his post):
âRas The Extorterâ rightfully claims that Ninaâs music is a personal experience to people of other races and ethnicities, too. Heâs very right. Although Iâve been involved with Ninaâs legacy for over 10 years now, Iâm white. Iâm pretty much just your basic white guy. Although âbasicâ probably isnât accurate. My mother moved away from my grandparents to get away from their racism (they had moved her to the country when she was a little girl because a black classmate called her on the phone), so my life from the outset was one in which I was made aware of racism, in all its insidious forms. I believe this is a more common upbringing now, but at the time it wasnât. I lived in the city, had a rainbow of friends and classmates, grew up on House Music (real House, not whatever crap theyâre playing in clubs and radios today and calling it âHouseâ simply because it resembles a 4/4 beat), and because of that was surround by such a diverse group of people that it makes my skin crawl to even use the word diverse because that means Iâm focusing on everyoneâs arbitrary differences simply for the sake of this argument. Because, when we are all together, it doesnât even cross my mind that weâre a diverse group since weâre just us.
I bring all of this up because, to Ras The Extorterâs point, yes, people of other races and ethnicities have a very personal connection to Ninaâs music. And even some of us can see how horribly wrong this film has been from the outset for the memory and legacy of Nina Simone.
More importantly, I bring this up because of where I called bullshit.
Ms. Steele paints a pretty picture. One in where all black people are expected to hold hands and sing kumbaya simply because they are all black, even though in her previous breath she admitted that they each have their own experience, which a lot of times canât be spoken to. Whatâs curious about this is how limited and shortsighted it is and how it puts black people in a bind that Iâm not put in as a white person.
Not all white people are expected to bridge the gap and identify with one another simply because we are white. I have more in common (experience-wise and personality-wise) with people of other races and ethnicities than I do with other white people of different social, economic, and geographical backgrounds. Why is it that Ms. Steele implies that all black people should be expected to magically identify and bond with one another due solely on the fact that they happen to be two black people? Taken a step further, why imply this when to do so requires one ignore personal responsibility in the face of things like colorism?
Ms. Steele and supporters of Zoeâs role in this film all cry âcolorismâ against individuals who list reasons why Zoe was inappropriate for this particular role (and I am limiting this argument to this particular role, since some of these points are only applicable to Nina Simone because of what made Nina Simone oh so very Nina Simone). This stance and view of colorism truly boggles the mind.
Nadell | May 24, 2013 12:31 PM
Zoe needs to understand that no one is attacking her personally - it is the principle of it all.
So does everyone else who assume folks are bringing up the argument that Zoe isn't 'black' enough to play her. It has nothing to do with Zoe's features (hair, skin tone, nose, lips) vs. Nina's (hair, skin tone, nose, lips). I think collectively, we've always respected and admired Zoe's work. No one complained about her starring in "Drumline", "Guest Who", "Star Trek" etc. Not a word was said of her not being 'black/ethnic' enough to star in those roles that were written for black women.
Rather, the annoying issue is the lack of justice being served to Mrs. Simone. It irks me. It is a disservice to her legacy. Our icons are consistently "white-washed" by Hollywood. More so our iconic women. Especially in the case of Mrs. Simone. Her entire body of work captured her struggle in this industry and in society - how can you not honor that through the selection of the individual portraying her?
It is very difficult to comprehend that Zoe Saldana stroke the senses of the casting director as Nina Simone. And it has absolutely nothing against Zoe -- I'd say the same for Idris Elba & Terrance Howard portraying Nelson Mandela and Jennifer Hudson portraying Winnie. These individuals are far from the core of these legends. And yes, looks actually do go a long way -- in addition to talent.
If prosthetics, a bad weave and foundation 5Xs darker than your shade (pretty much a Halloween costume) are used resulting in an actor appearing more realistic to an actual person, then that is ample indication that perhaps this actor wasn't the best choice from a plethora of actors who would have been the proper individual to cast....
I am certain there would be an uproar in the Latina or Hispanic community if for instance Reagan Gomez-Preston were to be cast as La Lupe or if Tatyana Ali were to play Celia Cruz. The essence of these icons should reflect in the persona and image of the actors that play them.
I am in unity with everyone else -- the overwhelming amount of articles, mentions and discourse this continues to get is ridiculous.
The ticket sales at the opening will speak for itself of how folks really feel about it.
To be honest, I'm getting a sinking feeling that certain organizations like the Academy Awards, SAG etc. will award this film in spite.....
artbizzy | May 24, 2013 11:02 AM
Now will someone hurry up and write a good Miriam Makeba screenplay before Holly-weird gets it's slimy paws on it (if they haven't already). There's also Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, Pearl Bailey, Audre Lorde, Sojourner Truth, etc., etc. Keep them low budget and fund your projects through Kickstarter. Do a good job - but hurry!
artbizzy | May 24, 2013 10:52 AM
LMAO! Come on folks, this is kinda silly. Why are your expectations so high concerning Hollywood? Am I missing something? Are we talking about the same Hollywood? The one with the gratuitous sex, violence, misogyny, ignorance? Hollywood, aka Birth of a Nation-wood, Mediocre-wood, Holly-weird, Holly-won't, Holly-can't. That Hollywood? Why do you want to change how Hollywood does things! Or hope that someday they will? You like watching paint dry or something? Hollywood, nowadays, is as compelling as Wal-mart. You'll just keep getting your heart broken into pieces if you expect Hollywood to put out the images you so desire. What I want to know is where is your Nina Simone screenplay? Hello screenwriters? Where's the Kickstarter campaign to fund your movie with a talented, darker skinned actress to play Nina? (crickets) WE TOO SLOW, we spend all our time complaining about what Hollywood ain't letting us do. Make a film about Nina Simone. Adapt it from her autobiography, "I put a spell on you" to get it as authentic as possible. Get her family's blessing and input. Cast her daughter. Do something so that when somebody googles "Nina Simone" or "Nina Simone movie" not only will Zoe's film come up but so will yours, too. But on this other Hollywood stuff, my people, let's let it go. Hollywood is just not that into you. There's plenty of other fish in the sea.
Shanea | May 24, 2013 8:17 AM
Lord have mercy, I can only imagine what the comments section will look like when the movie does come out. lol.
Until then I will reserve judgment.
ScriptTease | May 24, 2013 2:45 AM
Alright already black folk, leave the girl alone. COLOR COLOR COLOR, HAIR HAIR HAIR, that is the only damn thang' we seem to care about, argue about, and cut each other down about. It's sickening, and this is the reason why we have not prospered as a race, and will never prosper as a race.
Brooklyn_D | May 24, 2013 12:57 AM
I get so very upset about this topic as I'm appalled and disgusted that sooooo many people don't recognize the real issue behind this. IT IS NOT ABOUT ZOE NOT BEING BLACK ENOUGH!!!! It it about her sh*ting on the very essence of who Nina was and what she stood for in an attempt to claim that she's honoring Nina.
As A_Love shared, Zoe isn't hurting for work. She didn't have to do this movie. It's an utter disgrace and mockery of Nina and the fact that Zoe would so quickly dismiss the critique of this casting and the feelings of soooooo many "true" Nina fans shows her blatant indifference to a woman she claims to admire.
Let me put it like this: Ms. Saldana, thank you for being the "house n*gger" for Hollywood. All you care about it your check because there's NO WAY you could know ANYTHING about Nina's life, struggle, and activism if you have play her in blackface and a fake nose. But you just keep shuckin' and jivin' for Hollywood like a good lil' "I'm black and I'm proud" puppet.
I don't care that it's "her job" or "her right". The struggle for black voices and black faces in Hollywood isn't over!!! Her taking this job and clenching it like it's her only opportunity is a slap in the face to every black actor that paved the way for her. Worse than that, it reinforces Hollywood's "right" to not only continue to snub black actors but also to disrespect our icons.
HOW DO YOU NOT SEE THAT?!?!?! Cause is 2013 and we gots ourselves a black president???
Thanks for nothing Zoe.
And to all those saying, "I'll judge it after I see it", guess what? You judge it by buying that ticket. You really think anyone in Hollywood gives 2 cents about your opinion AFTER they have your money?
Just shuck and jive right behind Zoe...
Ras The Exhorter | May 24, 2013 12:19 AM
I love it when the Willie Lynch wins again!
Black people are seriously trippin' 'cause Zoe S. ain't dark-skinned (with the associated feature set) enough?
Uh, where was all the cryin' foul when Denzel Washington played Brother Malcolm, when Denzel is clearly several shades DARKER than Malcolm!!?!
Get a grip on your humanity, rationality and intellect, and relinquish your double-edged sword (silent "w") in the never-ending Shade Wars that so, so, so ardently fades the fuq out of us!
In regards to the story -- you want authenticity? Don't see the movie, read one or two books about her (or isn't like Chris Rock said, "Black people don't read... books are like Kryptonite to Black people); all a movie can do is capture the essence of someone in a 110min snapshot of what we all know, Nina Simone's case, was an extra-extra full life.
If Zoe S. felt it was more authentic, yet not necessarily completely accurate to darken her skin and wear a wig (like Black women don't wear wigs!!!) and prosthetics, then let it roll... the emotional truth is what matters... in a movie (even if the story points are compressed or re-envision to attain that emotional truth, which they always are).
The dingy lamination on the "Black Enough" card (e.g. the Ghetto Pass) is extra-shop worn, and that tired-ass card is specifically now still carried and gauchely played by jealous, insecure "haters"... the real questions are:
Who the hell are you to pass sweeping judgments on what it means to be "Black enough"?
Do you happen to dispense Ph. Ds on how "Blackness"' is defined, and under whose authority are you granting these Ph. Ds? Is your university accredited to do so?
What constitutes a passing dissertation in the academic category of the acceptable level of "Blackness"?
How would you suggest one become "Black enough" if one happens not to fall within your egregiously- and narrowly-defined rubric? Become a felon? Be a Baby's Mama... multiple times? Sport a natural hair cut and reject any and all attempts to straighten your hair (or get dreds)? Spit Ebonics as your only language pattern of choice (which begs the subquestion, Ebonics from what area of the country, 'cause that's important too)?
Can you give recommendations on how one can effectively oscillate between being "Black enough" for the so-called streets and "keepin' it real" types, and then how to effectively and seamlessly dial it back such that one can accumulate real wealth (outside of crime or sports)?
If Zoe S. can't experience the unbridled benefits of White Privilege, then she's Black enough!
Also, don't think that so-called light-skinned Blacks can't understand and effectively articulate the pain of darker skinned Blacks... Just ask Ralph Ellison; Invisible Man sure puts it down and gets into the full ethos of what's like to suffer the injustices of just being Black in America.
And I can't stand it when people complain about Liz Taylor portraying Cleopatra, WHO WAS NOT BLACK, because she was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a Greek family that had been installed on the throne of Egypt -- so think Jennifer Aniston ('cause her real name is Anastasakis) -- but with black hair or, perhaps even more appropriate, Monica Belucci... but certainly not an American Black woman who descends from West Africa with their completely different physical traits. No disrespect to the exquisite aesthetic beauty of American Black woman, either. Far from it, but don't get it twisted.
Also, how do we compare and contrast beauty in the late 20th/early 21st century AD with beauty norms in the late 1st century BC in the eastern Mediterranean? I don't think we properly can, very little photographic evidence to draw upon... so do we even know what "beauty" meant to Caesar and Marc Antony? Perhaps just exotic... spending years in Gaul and Germannia amongst legionnaires can corrupt your sense of beauty...
And yes, PART of the essence of Nina Simone's story is her rejoicing the beauty of her timbre of the Black aesthetic, but that's not the whole story -- and here's why, because that's not ever the whole story... the trascendental nature of her music is a huge part of her story.
Do you think without the "mainstream" acceptance of her music that her fight for dignity would be something that we'd know about? I doubt it, because millions of Black women have fought AND WON that same fight for dignity in a country/culture that real takes a dump on Black beauty, and we don't know who the hell 95% of them are!
Her music is personal to many, in more ways than we can imagine... because it means something to Black men, and to men and women of other races and ethnicities too. Let's not forget that, otherwise the movie wouldn't have got made at all.
At the end of the day, there will be more people who don't see the movie, and know of and love Nina Simone (including what she looked and sounded like) and rejoice in what she stood for, than those who do see the movie.
A hit movie is seen by maybe what? 5 - 8 million people, and there are how many Black people in this country? A good 30 million. And of that 5 - 8 million, at least 30% will be non-Black.
Hear, take the mic back.
sharon | May 23, 2013 11:39 PM
Zoe is really not a box-office draw...most people won't see this film and as an avid movie goer, I certainly can't support this. She claims latina first and when deem fit claim being black. I rather have seen a new actor (India Arie would have been fine with me) conquer the role. Every person can't play every role with conviction.
CareyCarey | May 23, 2013 11:29 PM
Okay, I agree with Blutopaz, August Wasoba, TAZ and Willie Dynamite. But lets start with what I do not agree with:
"Let's see...another Nina/Zoe controversy post, TWO posts invoking Tyler Perry (one of which was both a stretch and a repeat), and two other posts explicitly requesting comments in their titles. Is the advertising quarter about to end or something? Should we expect a Django or The Help post soon?"
I believe that was a low blow and very shortsighted. Listen, it goes without question that Shadow and Act/IndieWire has a tracking system which logs the number of hits (not comments) on it's site. Furthermore, those who do comment are a very small-small-small fraction of that total. So comments, per se, are not the defining factor in determining a blog's "ad" worth.
It's my belief that Tambay and his supporters are simply giving his readers a platform to discuss/debate/read/vent/rant and comment. It's that simple. Granted, they may have chosen a few topics that are "controversial" but again, those posts are only a fraction of all their presentation. Personally, I think it's a smart move because:
"we support black folk that do what we like, say what we would say, look like we would look, feel like we would feel, stand like we stand, lie like we lie, marry who we would marry, and on and on and on"
I am suggesting that in the comment section there are familiar faces. They, me, you, she, he is there because of the - above.
I agreed with Blutopaz. In particular, I didn't agree with how Tanya took our president and his wife's words out of context.
On the "rant" tip, I agree with TAZ, in that, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a rant. As long as I get the message or messages, I could care less about how someone defines her words. Call it a fart or a whack or a snack or an attack... I DON'T CARE. In fact, although I may not agree with everything Tanya says, I enjoy how her words appear as if she's writing as she would talk. Hell, in natural face-to-face conversation, each of our thoughts do not have error free, well scripted transitional phrasing. NO-IT-DOES-NOT (we skip around, pause, laugh, go back, come back, pause, tone up, tone down, look away and come back). Does that mean the most significant issues were not delivered, nor understood? NOPE.
Finally, Willie Dynamite said enough for me, and TAZ topped it off...
"We complain about not having enough of OUR stories made, and when one gets made about Nina Simone, a woman Hollywood would never make a film about, we attack the globally known actress that signed on to portray her" ~ Willie
"it reminds me to add the Nina Simone story to my experiment" ~ Taz
The present score is movies 2... black folks - zero
geoffrey thorne | May 23, 2013 10:47 PM
diana ross looks NOTHING like Billie Holiday.
as much as we would like it to be otherwise, this story has been lying there , not being told, for decades.
If the people who took up the gauntlet to make this story which, let's be honest, will not be as resonant with a so-called "mainstream" audience as it will with ours, want to hedge their bet by casting a reasonably talented, very beautiful woman in the role that was lived by a woman who was, probably more gifted in her arena but not as traditionally attractive, then that is their right.
Zoe will put asses in the seats. Considerably more than a found footage documentary about Nina would.
I'm sorry, but that's the truth.
Ken | May 23, 2013 10:15 PM
Simply stated...I'm not buying it!
TAZ | May 23, 2013 10:15 PM
I really wanted to like this article and when I isolate the paragraphs that just concern the subject of Zoe, colorism and Nina, I pretty much like the article, as I am darker than a paper bag. Outside of that, I agree with BLUTOPAZ. The rest was all over the place and seems to be added in because it may have been a rant that was on the heart - and this whole article was a rant - so it fit in from that pov.
Also my current pet peeve was touched on by Willie Dynamite.
And it reminds me to add the Nina Simone story to my experiment.
ALM | May 23, 2013 10:01 PM
âAnd, I believe her disagreement is about the screenplay. I am on board with that argument. I believe in truth and authenticity in the screenplay. Again, if the movie is an abomination, I will rage against it!â
But that is the very issue. The movie has already been said to be inauthentic. One glaring inaccuracy is Ninaâs lover, who was a gay man in real life. You are defending a portrayal in a movie interpretation that wonât even have basic facts right.
âIn a recent BET interview, Ms. Saldana also stated that she believes there are "no people of color"â.
Thatâs great and all, but most of the rest of the world doesnât think that way, so weâre back to square one.
âThe controversy is happening because Zoe is a woman. Hell, Denzel played Malcolm X. Uhhh, hello, did we compare their complexions and features?! NO! We just let Denzel do his job!â
There definitely may be a sexist element to this, but I believe it has more to do with proven acting talent. By the time Denzel did the Malcolm X biopic, he was an Academy Award nominated actor. People BELIEVE Denzel when he portrays characters. People donât believe Zoe nearly as much.
Also, donât forget that Angela Bassett successfully portrayed Tina Turner. Again, it was because people BELIEVED Angela in that role.
âI am still wondering how Tyler Perry has received such a pass, dressing in prosthetics, donning a wig and making a joke of older black womenâ.
Probably because the Tyler Perry in drag character is a pretty generic character. Believe me, if Tyler was dressing up as Mahalia Jackson, there would be hell to pay.
Naima | May 23, 2013 9:22 PM
Oh please spare me. People aren't mad because Zoe isn't "black enough" (whatever that means). People are mad because they know that Nina Simone was about embracing your own natural beauty whatever you looked liked. The way she looked helped to shape and define her politics and her view of the world. How do you make a movie about Nina Simone and completely ignore those facts? This casting sends the same message that Nina got her entire life; that she and women who look like her aren't beautiful and aren't worthy of the same praise that their lighter counterpoints receive. Nina said herself that she would like to see Whoopi Goldberg portray her in a movie about her life. If Zoe has the right to play her in a movie then we have the right to be mad about it and not support it. Let's not even get into the fact that the entire script is based on a lie. I guess we shouldn't be upset though. Since the story is a lie I guess it only makes sense that a bad imitation in blackface, a messed up Party City Afro wig and prosthetics play the fake Nina with the fake lover who was really an openly gay man. If anyone else feels the same way we do come on over to facebook.com/BoycottTheNinaSimoneMovie
BluTopaz | May 23, 2013 9:17 PM
I know Tanya is a professional writer. But I find some of her pieces for this site to be rather fragmented as if they consist of several ideas and she wants to join them into one essay. This posting does not seem cohesive to me with the main point she is trying to make. And her points are either overly simplified, inaccurate or she skips accuracies altogether:
1) What do the Obama commencement speeches, KimYe and "dual messaging" have to do with Zoe being cast as Nina Simone? And if anyone wants to, they can clearly see where during Obama's commencement speech at Morehouse he congratulated these young men on their success, and said these exact words: "Not because the bitter legacy of slavery and segregation have vanished entirely; they have not. Not because racism and discrimination no longer exist; we know those are still out there." How is this "talking down to them" and ignoring racism in an effort to be safe? He was applauded throughout his speech, doesn't sound to me like they were insulted by what you believe was his condescending tone.
And speaking of "talking down", you dismiss Zoe's critics with comments that they are out to malign her, etc. In the next breath you refer to Viola Davis as "playing the victim note" with absolutely no explanation. Ironic much?
2) The claim that Zoe is getting heat because she's a woman: as pointed out numerous times in the other zillion Zoe as Nina threads, no one raised hell about Angela Bassett playing Rosa Parks either. Maybe because Ms. Parks lighter than a paper bag complexion didn't matter in her story in the larger perspective of civil rights, she was still a colored woman. When we are discussing the lives of Black historical figures who were affected by their exact shade of brown or beige, than yeah, the phenotype of the actor does matter. Ex: much of Adam Clayton Powell's legacy was that he was a very light skinned Black man who looked White and even passed for White at one time, I doubt a dark skinned actor would ever be cast to play him. And look at the hilarity that ensues whenever Aretha says she wants Halle to play her--the criticism goes both ways so don't act like it's some juvenile hateration against Zoe, etc. So re: Nina, no, it does not make sense for any Black actress to wear dark brown makeup to portray a dark skinned Black woman who was affected by the color of her skin even among her own people. By this logic, Vanessa Williams (the lightskinned one-lol) could play Nina and there shouldn't be any controversy about that. And the Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf analogy is silly, as you should know White people do not have the same spectrum of skin tones and facial features that we do. Come on now.
L. J. Allen | May 23, 2013 9:13 PM
The real problem with this film is there are genuine factual errors. Nina Simone's daughter "Simone" has gone on record as saying that a man portrayed as one of her mother's love interests in the film was actually Gay and that there was no romantic relationship. On a personal level, I'm not sure if Saldana is right for the role or not. However, I think this whole issue of how Saldana sees herself and defines herself is a moot point if the story is not credible.
willie dynamite | May 23, 2013 8:41 PM
Witnessing all of the vitriol this topic has generated is sad. It personifies the crab in the bucket mentality that plagues African American people. We complain about not having enough of OUR stories made, and when one gets made about Nina Simone, a woman Hollywood would never make a film about, we attack the globally known actress that signed on to portray her. Color is a huge issue for black people but this is not the platform for it. These notions that a "real" African American should have been casted, and Zoe should have turned down the job, defy logic to me. The mere fact that that they are using prosthetics on Zoe should show you that they are not trying to wash over Nina's features. This should be an empowering gesture but instead it is being used to attack Zoe's casting. Many actors have used prosthetics to portray real people in film, this film would probably not have been made without her STAR power but the most glaring problem here is that no one has seen the film! Please stop focusing on how much she looks like Nina and wait to see if she will embody her spirit through her performance. Forest - didn't look like Idi Amin, Denzel didn't look like Malcolm, Idris doesn't look like Nelson Mandela. None of that matters if their performance moves you.
TESSA | May 23, 2013 7:20 PM
Sorry. Nope. No amount of intellectualism or recalling the words of Dr. King will make this ok.
Let's see how fast Zoe becomes "Latina" again after this movie flops and she's looking for more work.
August Wasoba | May 23, 2013 7:11 PM
She has every right to portray Nina Simone. If the movie sucks, I doubt it will because of what Ms. Saldana looks like, it'll because of her acting, the writing, the directing, the editing, etc. She's an actress, so let her act, until then you can't judge her for a performance that you haven't seen. so let's reserve judgment until then. BTW prosthetics and skin darkening or skin lightening is nothing new in hollywood: Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin, Denzel as Malcolm X, Frank Langella as Nixon (for a non-black example. Bottom-line, let Ms. Saldana cook and if movie sucks, don't watch it and they can always make another one.
Lauren | May 23, 2013 6:33 PM
Let me also state, for the record, it seems dangerous to co-sign with this casting. If movies are "packaged" based on garnering an overseas audience, isn't this a slippery slope of giving producers an excuse NOT TO PICK AFRICAN or AFRICAN AMERICAN women for large scale roles? I've heard folks use the phrase "the erasure of black women" often and I never gave credence to it...until now.
CTL | May 23, 2013 6:10 PM
How about everyone that's upset about this, spend their money supporting the 'other' Nina Simone movie?
Oh wait, that's right.
Just wondering how many people in the world who've never even heard of Nina Simone, are wondering and searching information on her, because of this film? Hmm.
Akimbo | May 23, 2013 6:09 PM
Let's see...another Nina/Zoe controversy post, TWO posts invoking Tyler Perry (one of which was both a stretch and a repeat), and two other posts explicitly requesting comments in their titles. Is the advertising quarter about to end or something? Should we expect a Django or The Help post soon?
Fiona | May 23, 2013 6:03 PM
Nadia | May 23, 2013 5:59 PM
I kinda over this topic, but the bottomline for me is, Zoe Saldana has the right to play whatever role she wants. It's her RIGHT! No matter what you think of it, or feel about it. She can do whatever the hell she wants to do. You also have a right to not see it. But to say that she shouldn't take a role because you don't feel she's the right person for it (regardless of what your reasons are), is just stupid. She's an actress. It's a job. End of story.
Mistral | May 23, 2013 5:53 PM
I agree with PrinceToddy about this article it's well written but a little contradictory. Part of the that nobody is saying is Zoe Saldana is an exotic beauty with dark skin that kinda sorta looks black but is mixed which makes white culture comfortable with that concept. True she can put on an Afro wig and play the role but really, the role of Nia Simone needs to be played by someone African American. Out of all the people mentioned in this article that can act there brains out and would do a great job an exceptional job at playing Nia Simone it would be hands down Viola Davis. Hollywood wouldn't let an actress like Jennifer Beal play Elizabeth Taylor just because she light skin black women that looks kinda white. Hollywood have always messed over our heros and shero. There is a movie from years 1991 that has Sidney Poitier playing Thurgood Marshall (called Separate But Equal), which if you know what either one of these men look like we know its a stretch! But Hollywood would be doing it for the same reasons today as they did it back then. In my opinion it's because they think people don't really know nor do they care about accurate portrayal and most importantly they think Zoe will put butts in seats because she attractive.
High Priestess | May 23, 2013 5:37 PM
What is this piece even doing on Shadow & Act? This is the most mindless, racially apologetic, uninspired piece of dribble one can imagine. A high school freshman could apply more critical thinking than this.
This isn't just wrong, it's shameful.
LVFLG | May 23, 2013 5:26 PM
BTW - if Viola Davis were cast to play Lena Horne or Josephine Baker...there would most definitely be an uproar. You know why.....better yet that would never happen b/c Viola Davis would never be cast to play either of these great ladies [not that she couldn't do it - but she wouldn't be cast] - So if Zoe can play Nina - than Viola should play Lena.
Carl | May 23, 2013 5:25 PM
The Zoe haters and color obsession whores are going to rip you a new one Tanya.
Filmmaker | May 23, 2013 5:24 PM
Very well expressed. I understand that some people want an actress who resembles Nina more closely in her physical features. That's understandable but not necessarily binding. I would rather have an actress more accurately reflect Nina's inner journey in a moving, meaningful way than to just nail her physical attributes. Both would be ideal however. That said, I too am anxious and curious to see Zoe's interpretation becasue there aren't a lot of actresses who speak their truth as often and as boldly as Zoe does. Her truth in glimpses is reflected in her body of work. However, how often does she get an opportunity to play such a fierce, historical figure? Probably never. And you thought she should have turned down the chance of a lifetime to play Nina Simone!!? Ha! Of course she didn't turn it down! You don't like her? Don't watch her. You don't agree with her? Don't listen to her. What's undeniable is that she won't be stopped by naysayers and deep down inside, we all respect her for that even if we can't admit it. "They are actors, simply, delivering glimpses of our heroes." Leave the girl alone. Go make your own movie and cast whoever you want to cast. Somebody offered Zoe a J-O-B and as an artist, she took it. You would too if you were brave enough...
Lvflg | May 23, 2013 5:22 PM
I personally don't think you can separate Nina's color/what she looked like from who Nina was and the particular time period. Dark skinned - wide nose and lips - that is part of who Nina was...It is NOT insignificant.
The positive - maybe by the presentation of this particular movie about Nina[with Zoe Saldana] - it will bring about a greater interest to explore who the REAL Nina was - better yet ppl - if you want a good dose of Nina, google her name - there is a wonderful website dedicated to her cherished memory
Dashaun | May 23, 2013 5:20 PM
Someone is reaching here. Someone is trying to see the good and see the equality and is therefore willingly blind to what is in front of her face. Not just the author of this piece, but Zoe as well.
Bringing up other folk who have played other characters in other roles while wearing makeup and prosthetics misses the point. Nina's "blackness" and her features defined her and wrote her story. To ignore that is naive and the author needs to rethink how much "Nina" really means to her if she's willing to shrug this off as some kind of insignificance.
As another commenter stated, had they not needed to "darken" Zoe up, had they not needed to widen Zoe's nose, had they not needed to give Zoe a party city afro wig, then it would all be different. However, they DID. And while it might hold water for OTHER roles of OTHER people that these things don't matter when making a film about someone, the same does NOT hold true for Nina Simone. Again, the author of this would be better off remembering who the hell Nina was.
It's funny that the author ends the story with a nod in the direction of Nina's daughter. And you know what, that last part says it all. No, she didn't only have problems with the script. Read the interviews - she had a problem with the fact that Zoe does not resemble her mother. She said that outright and listed people who would be more appropriate. She ALSO stated that she's not comfortable playing her own mother for the very SAME reasons as she's not comfortable with Zoe playing her.
This peace has all the markings of being politically correct for the sake of being politically correct. For the sake of being civil. You know what? No. Forget a bunch of that. Zoe Saldana was the WRONG choice for this film and the fact she is in blackface to make it is point enough. If the author of this piece wants to join hands with Zoe and pretend like race is a social construct and shouldn't/doesn't exist then by all means, go head. But don't sit there and call Nina one of your SHEROS and then kick dirt in the woman's face.
shana | May 23, 2013 5:20 PM
ugh! you miss the point. it's about who Nina Simone is, what her aesthetic meant to her and in the music industry and world at that time, and the barriers she faced and overcame. she was unapologetically a dark skin Black woman. casting Zoe is in a sense apologizing for Nina's dark skin Blackness, conforming to be palpable to audiences. THAT is unacceptable.
Jordan | May 23, 2013 5:19 PM
No...just no.
Lauren | May 23, 2013 5:12 PM
Normally, I agree with you Tanya but on this...HELL NO.
donnadara | May 23, 2013 5:04 PM
I watched the President's speech and I thought it was great. And he talked about racism. Read Jonathan Capeheart's piece in the Washington Post. As far as Zoe goes, if she needs to be put in blackface to play the part, she shouldn't be doing it. Denzel's hair was dyed to play Malcolm X, but he didn't have powder all over his face. And Zoe said more than there are no people of color. She said that race is a minute problem compared to gender. I think many people would disagree with that statement.
PrinceToddyEnglish | May 23, 2013 4:44 PM
The Cleopatra the Liz Taylor played was not black, she was of the Ptolemy Greeks.
With that said there are CLEARLY many actresses out there who are phenotypically correct and could play Nina.
Why did Zoe Saldana have to "Black Up" in order to play Simone if being a black woman is the only criterion for the role?
Well written article but way too contradictory.


text:
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Thanksgiving eve is a busy day for pizza parlors and Black Friday is a big day for other eateries.
Shoppers who can't wait to get home for turkey leftovers will stop at restaurants for breakfast or lunch.
Businesses like Quaker Steak and Lube in Boardman will be open all night along with Dunkin Donuts.
They are hoping to entice early shoppers with wings, drink specials and some caffeine to help them make it through the night.
Caribou Coffee in Boardman and Bob Evans in Canfield are also opening for the crowds. Doors there open at 2:00 a.m.


text:
Boys Basketball
Michael Muldoon
---- — Any longtime fan who attended this year's 38th annual Greater Lawrence Boys Christmas Basketball Tourney realizes it is in need of fixing.
Attendance was way down and it had the feel of just another event, not the tourney which had for decades had been the envy of basketball tourneys across New England.
As someone who used to sneak out the side door during Sunday Mass to attend the games and has had the supreme pleasure of covering it the last 26 years, I hate to see it struggling.
Here are some possible remedies to what ails the venerable tourney:
1. The Central Catholic dilemma
The 800-pound gorilla is Central Catholic. The Raiders have become such a force that realistically a lot of years if you could choose between Central and the other seven teams in the field you'd take Central in a heartbeat.
The numbers don't lie. The Raiders have won the 8-team tourney 13 times in the last 17 years.
Do they add excitement like a Duke or throw a wet towel over things with their dominance?
I'd go with the former. You boot Central and it loses a lot of luster. And let's not forget Andover won seven straight times in the tourney's early years.
But how do you add some spice to a far too predictable tourney?
2. Crown two champions
It's time to shake up the format.
I'd go with two four-team brackets, the Kelleher Division and the Licare Division, in honor of the tourney founders and former tourney directors.
One would be the top four seeded teams the other the next four teams. The tourney director and a small committee could do the seeding.
3. Add teams, get rid of teams
It's also time to shake up the field. I'd go hard after St. John's Prep, which didn't play in a Christmas Tourney this year. Another option would be Lowell, who reportedly would be very willing to join the fray.
With a top four chosen from among Central, St. John's, Andover, Lawrence and North Andover you'd have some real quality. And some people think Methuen, with a very talented sophomore class, could be about to turn the corner.
Haverhill, although it hasn't made the state tourney for seven straight years, might be a good fit in the lower division.
Greater Lawrence has struggled mightily for years, losing in the first round every year from 1987-2003. It's too much to expect a Division 3 team to play Division 1 powers. It's best for all parties for the Reggies to move to a tourney which is a better fit.
Technically, Christmas tourneys are just exhibition games for New Hampshire schools like Salem and Pinkerton. Sometimes you wonder, particularly with Pinkerton, if the urgency is the same the Mass. teams have.
Neither has enjoyed much success. Salem has only made the finals four times in 38 years and has lost all four. In its 17 years in the tourney, the Astros have only finished as high as third place once.
Pinkerton, Salem and the tourney director should get together and decide what is best for everyone involved.
4. Right man in charge
Eagle-Tribune sports editor Bill Burt nailed it when he compared the tourney to the Feaster Five Road Race, which draws 10,000 runners to Andover every Thanksgiving. That race took off when it hired nationally acclaimed race director Dave McGillivray.
It's become too big a job for the ADs to run the Christmas Tourney along with their other duties.
Bill threw out the name of Rick Gorman, who has earned praise for his work running the North Andover Rec. Department, the Donovan's Fall Ball League and the Bay State Storm AAU program.
Another possibility might be Rich Napolitano, who has been the assigner of officials and tourney scorekeeper the last two years. He has a strong fundraising background and has helped make the late-season IAABO Basketball Tournament one of the best around.
The ADs should interview them, if they are interested, and any other viable candidates in the near future and get a new director in place.
One respected, driven, bright guy should be in charge, not a cumbersome committee. That was the case with John Kelleher for most of the history of the tourney. Then after Kelleher died in June 2001, Bob Licare Sr. kept the tourney humming for a decade before stepping down after the 2008 tourney.
5. Energy, energy, energy
There is almost a palpable lethargy that has crept in since Licare stepped aside. Nothing underscored that more than the lack of team or captain photos in The Eagle-Tribune this year.
We didn't hear about the banquet until late and then we were scrambling to arrange to take photos. There was an indifference that left us shaking our heads and the pictures weren't taken.
That indifference cost the tourney a full page of photos. In essence, a free $5,000 ad.
Believe me, Kelleher and Licare would have made it happen.
6. Make it special again
Kelleher was a wide-eyed dreamer who thought big. He wanted the team banquet, he wanted the long sleeve tourney T-shirts, he wanted the scholarships.
He was always plotting how to make it better. Now, there seems to be a lot of settling.
Bring back the banquet. Increase the scholarships. Think big.
You hear the excuse that they can't do it because of the Greater Lawrence Girls Tourney.
Excuse me? If the girls tourney is a huge hit, more power to them. They have a good product, too.
But they are two different tourneys. They should no more be affiliated with the girls basketball tourney as with a wrestling tourney or a hockey tourney.
7. Special Christmas Tourney videos
Eagle-Tribune sportswriter David Willis is a gifted film-maker as well. I'd make a strong pitch to him to make a 30-minute tourney video. I bet he'd do it for $800. It would be the talk of the town and a keepsake all the players and coaches would treasure. Give them a free copy and perhaps you could make money selling the videos to the public.
8. Contests and atmosphere
How about a 3-point contest and a dunk contest? A cheerleading competition? A band and/or DJ with a nice mix of rap, oldies, pop hits and Christmas classics would enhance the atmosphere. Have discounts for local restaurants or businesses on the ticket stubs.
9. Celebrate the glorious history
Start a Christmas Tourney Hall of Fame, which I believe Kelleher was in the process of doing before he got sick. Do it the day before the tourney starts and induct five people a year.
The first year induct the three founders Kelleher, Licare and Andover's former Hall of Fame coach Wil Hixon along with two-time tourney MVPs Leo Parent and Scott Hazelton from Central Catholic.
The induction could be run in conjunction with a nice auction: It wouldn't be that difficult to get some autographed stuff from the Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox and Bruins. Local AAU teams could donate a free year for a player. There are plenty of generous businesses who might donate, too.
10. Game-day experience
There are tons of stories in the newspaper yet none ever make the walls near the gym. That stuff makes a player and family proud.
Get all the tourney records up there and the day to day coverage. That builds excitement and enhances tradition for current players, past players and perhaps most importantly future players.
Improve the concessions and it will be a big money maker. Why no T-shirts? Have a contest for the best design and give the winner $100. Push it by having the players wear their tourney T-shirts or sweatshirts to the games and let them purchase extras at the banquet. It would be a great Christmas gift.
Get a talented kid to draw a large mural for a school project and include life-size action drawings or paintings of a star from each team.
11. Big-time programs
The programs this year had a lot of statistics in addition to all the rosters. But add team photos and a couple pages of photos of the history of the tourney. Sell ads including to proud parents and relatives.
12. Sponsorship is crucial
Prime Time Sports has been a welcome sponsor. That's John Vetrano, father of ex-Andover greats Chris, the tourney's all-time scoring leader, and Greg. There are a lot of successful businessmen like Vetrano who love the tourney.
I can't believe there still isn't a sponsor in the tourney name. Don't cry poverty and not seek out corporate sponsors.
The local hockey tourney is the Tuscan Kitchen Blue Devil Classic in Salem. There are numerous examples of corporate sponsorship for local tournaments.
There is a long history of support for local sports among some of the area's prominent car dealers and restaurant owners.
Reach out to them and others. Put banners on the walls and ads in the programs. There is money to be made but, like a top tournament, you have to work at it.
Follow Michael Muldoon on Twitter under the screen name @MullyET.