OPRAH TURNS 55 AND PICKS NEW CEO

Yesterday was Oprah's 55th birthday and it was also the day that she announced the new CEO she selected to run her Oprah Winfrey Network. Christina Norman, formerly the President of MTV will take over business in Los Angeles for the new OWN Network starting February 17th.

Fortune Magazine reports that Oprah's initial choice was former Viacom CEO Tom Freston, however he opted to join as a consultant and pointed her in the direction of the many Viacom veterans, including Norman who was one of his mentees.

"I've always had the utmost admiration and respect for Christina's innovative strategies and management style. She is a proven leader. Her shared values, passion and enthusiasm make her a natural fit for OWN's emerging platforms. We're thrilled to have her," Oprah said in a statement.

"This is the job I've been working toward my entire career," Norman said.

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BLACK IN THE DAYS...

Wow I can hardly believe this movie came out almost thirteen years ago. This was an instant cult classic film and one of Ice Cube's best films of the franchise. I mean it took place in California but the characters in the film could be from anywhere. I mean we all know a "Felicia," a "Big Worm" and a "Deebo," so naturally this film appealed across the board.

Watching this trailer makes me really, REALLY miss Chris Tucker in all his glory and I want him to get back in the theaters pronto in something original.

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LEE JOINS TALENT AGENT ROSTER AT APA

(Lee is pictured in orange on the left)

Congrats are in order for Miss Everly Lee, one of the few talent agents of color we have here in Hollywood. Lee was recently hired by the Agency for Performing Arts as an agent in the talent department. Lee represents actors Cory Hardrict ("Gran Torino," "He's Just Not That Into You," "Heroes"), Isaiah Washington ("Grey's Anatomy," "Hurricane Season") and Malinda Williams ("Soul Food" ).

According to THR, Lee has been a talent agent since 2002, first at UTA and then Global Artists Agency, which she joined in 2007.

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JAZMINE SULLIVAN DEBUTS "LIONS, TIGERS AND BEARS VIDEO

So here's the latest video from one of my favorite new artist and five time Grammy Nominee Jazmine Sullivan. The song is "Lions, Tigers and Bears" and although I love the song and her CD, her videos leave much to be desired. Where are the creative videos?? This video seemed very weird from start to finish and I just don't get the concept but maybe it's just me.

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'NOTORIOUS' SCRIBE STAYS IN A NY STATE OF MIND WITH RUN DMC BIOPIC

Cheo Hodari Coker (Notorious) keeps his screenwriting pen in the big apple with his newly acquired gig to adapt Bill Adler's "Tougher Than Leather: The Rise of Run-DMC" book into a movie.

Davis Entertainment's Dallas Jackson optioned the book and will produce with production partner John Davis.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Tougher" will explore the history of hip-hop's first superstars: Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell who was shot to death in his Queens studio in 2002.

Producers are hoping to have Run, DMC and Russell Simmons full involvement in the movie.

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SMOKEY GETS HONORED BY AFTRA

Smokey Robinson will be feted with the AMEE Award in Sound Recordings during the 2009 AFTRA Media and Entertainment Excellence Awards gala on March 9 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles , according to Variety.

The AMEES recognize members of AFTRA who have made a significant contribution to American culture.

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ROBINSON JOINS "DEAR JOHN"

According to Variety, Keith Robinson (“Dreamgirls”) has joined the cast of Screen Gems’ “Dear John,” starring Amanda Seyfried. "Dear John" is a romantic drama about a soldier who falls for a conservative college student while he's home on leave.

Robinson will next be seen in “Caught on Tape” alongside Cedric the Entertainer. "Caught on Tape" is an indie film helmed by former Onyx rapper turned actor Sticky Fingaz. It's a musical that follows a little boy who uses his camera to spy on his mother's boyfriend who plots a crime.

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MICHELLE OBAMA GETS "WAXED"

Madame Tussauds house of wax recently details about a new wax figure of our new First Lady Michelle Obama that they plan to add to the collection of famous Washington figures. Senior Sculptor Colin Jackson is in the photo above working on the clay head.

The figure was designed at Merlin Studios in London and will be placed alongside President Barack Obama's figure in a replica Oval Office. The full wax figure of the new first lady is expected to be unveiled at Madame Tussauds in Washington in March.

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ROWLAND CHOOSES NEW "DESTINY" WITH SPLIT FROM MANAGER KNOWLES

In "finally" news of the day it's being reported that former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland has split from her manager and Beyonce's dad Matthew Knowles.

According to the Associated Press, Rowland says she will always be a part of Beyonce's family, but she no longer will be managed by the superstar's father. Rowland and Matthew Knowles announced Wednesday that he is bowing out as her manager. He's guided her career since she was kid, when he put her in Destiny's Child along with Beyonce. He even helped raise her.

Both Rowland and Knowles — who still manages daughter Beyonce — called the split amicable. Both say they will always be family. Rowland is said to not yet have selected a new manager.

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NOSTALGIC: JAMES BROWN, MICHAEL JACKSON, AND PRINCE SHARE THE STAGE

Someone sent me this fun little nugget in soul music history and I thought I should share. Boy do I miss the old Michael, James was always funky, and Prince....there are no words for him in this clip.

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JACKSON GETS A THRILL OVER "THRILLER"

Michael Jackson's money troubles just continue to get deeper and deeper as he's now being sued by John Landis over unpaid profits for the "Thriller" video he co-wrote and directed in '83. Landis filed the suit last week in Los Angeles Superior Court.

According to Variety, the suit accuses Jackson of "fraudulent, malicious and opressive conduct" by failing to pay landis 50% of the net proceeds. This news comes on the heels of the announcement that was made Monday that the Nederlander Organization has obtained the rights to produce a musical version of "Thriller" with Jackson said to be heavily involved in the creative process.

I guess when it comes to Wacko Jacko, it's like Biggie said, mo money, mo problems. For old times sake, click the photo above to watch the video.

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COKER GETS TO SCRIBE "LOWRIDERS"

Fresh off the success of "Notorious," scribe Cheo Hodari Coker has been given the keys to write "Lowriders," a drama set in the world of low-riding cars for Universal and Imagine. Imagine's Brian Grazer is producing. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project is based on an idea by Grazer, who is known for exploring concepts, personalities and settings, even devoting a specialist to handle these intellectual and artistic endeavors. Grazer was intrigued by the low-riding culture, which sees mainly teens driving cars that can adjust or have adjusted their suspension system.

The film will shoot in California and will target the crowd that mostly drives around in these "Lowriders," Blacks and Latinos. Supposedly, Imagine and Universal execs went on a manhunt for a scribe who could write an authentic story and Coker fit the bill.

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"MEET THE BROWNS" GETS 80 MORE EPISODES

Tyler Perry's latest stageplay brought to the small screen, "Meet the Browns," has now been picked up by TBS for 80 more episodes. Recently, the show had a 10 episode test run and with 3.7 million viewers, TBS has decided to give the greenlight for more.

The full season of "Meet the Browns" is set to broadcast as a companion piece to "House of Payne" this coming summer.

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T.O. SCORES SOME REALITY TV POINTS

In more reality TV news, cause it seems like that's all there is these days, NFL baller and my former NFL crush Terrell Owens is getting his own reality show on VH1. The yet to be titled show is going to follow T.O. on his day to day life, which should probably be enough drama to fill a soap opera, and will feature his publicists.

The series is supposed to make it's debut this coming summer.

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SENATE SAYS YES TO DIGITAL DELAY

So the Senate has made one of it's first big decisions of the year that's going to effect millions of folks out in rural America. They've just approved a four month delay on the big change to HD. This is of course thanks to our new President Obama.

Obama was concerned that the older generation would have trouble converting and from what I've read a lot of those converter boxes aren't really all that they're cracked up to be. Plus the fund that was created to cover the cost of the boxes ($40) ran out and there would be 2.6 Million people without television if the change were to happen next month like it was originally planned.

Nice to see that folks are on their jobs...Bobby Digital! (now who remembers that?)

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IT'S JUST MY THEME MUSIC...

HAPPY TUESDAY!

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MTV GIVES "DADDY'S GIRLS" ANOTHER RUN

Good news for those Simmon's sisters, Vanessa and Angela, that we've all come to know and love. MTV just picked up their new spin off show "Daddy's Girls" for another season. The show has helped MTV gain an even bigger audience since their ratings were casually slipping in the fourth quarter of last year.

In more MTV news, they just greenlit there new version of "MTV Cribs," "Teen Cribs" for series status, ordering 20 episodes after a Jan. 17 special presentation of the reality lifestyle skein more than doubled the recent time-period average. I caught the episode of "Teen Cribs" with Keke Palmer and it was too cute to watch her show off her family pad and her car/speed buggy that she can't yet drive.

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OUT ON DVD TODAY

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OSCAR TRAILERS...

I've been meaning to post these since last week when it was announced. But here are the trailers for the two films that have black actresses nominated for an Oscar this year.

Above is "Doubt" which Viola Davis is nominated for an Oscar for Female Supporting Role.

And here's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," for which Taraji P. Henson is nominated for and Oscar for a Female Supporting Role as well.

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2009 SAG AWARDS

Black folks were live and in living color at the SAG Awards this weekend but left emptyhanded for the most part. James Earl Jones received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades in showbiz. Despite not winning any awards, we looked good! Click below for more pics...

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NONBLACK MOMENT OF THE DAY

In a nonblack moment of the day what in the world happened to Jessica Simpson. She's really been falling off as of lately and these pics really show just how much. She looks like a Waffle House (my fav restaurant) employee in this getup she's rocking here.

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THIS WEEKEND AT THE BOX OFFICE

Coming in at number one this weekend for the second time in the row is the from what I hear not so funny slapstick comedy "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" which brought in $21.5 Million to bring it's total to $64.8 Million.

In at #2 is a movie that I don't remember seeing even one trailer for, the latest installment in the Underworld series, "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" which brought in $20.7 Million. A great feat considering it had minimal advertising.

Falling down two slots is the Clint Eastwood gang wars film "Gran Torino" which brought in $16 Million, bringing it's grand total to $97.6 Million.

In fourth place is the doggy dog flick "Hotel for Dogs" which brought in $12.4 million. Bringing it's total to $37 million.

Rounding out the top five this week is the movie that I didn't quite make it to see this past weekend but shall see in the forthcoming days "Slumdog Millionaire" which brought in $10.6 Million which brings it's total to $55.9 Million. I'm guessing they've finally released it wide.

And dropping all the way to tenth place this week which has to be at least a 75% drop in sales is the suprisingly good film "Notorious" which brought in $5.7 million to bring it's total to $31.8 million. I'm wondering if the theaters dropped "Notorious" for "Slumdog Millionaire" considering their two very drastic changes in weekend business at the box office.

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2009 TRUMPET AWARDS

Check out pics below from the ultra classy annual Trumpet Awards that were held this past weekend in Atlanta. Attendees were the elusive Chris Tucker, Sherri Shepherd, Dick Gregory, and Miss Raven-Symone was honored.

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