Beyonce is a cutie pie but she surely looks nothing like Etta. I wouldn't look to hard for any accuracy in any Hollywood biopics.
MeanRose
· 1 year ago
Hi Siditty
I have been reading your blog for awhile but had to comment on this. It does get tiring of usuing people who have no acting skills keep getting roles and there are hundreds of African American actress who can do different roles.
But prerpare to get madder because Beyonce is about to play Eartha Kitt as well.
That 15 lbs she gained is just the 15 she lost during her Dream Girls crash diet. That is her usual show biz weight, no where thick enough to play the part. Be is a naturally thick girl and has to work hard to keep up her show biz weight.
L.
· 1 year ago
You just made me think about this. Maybe Raven Symone could have played her. I don't know how gritty should could get (or if she'd even want to go there), but she's funny as hell. And since the Eartha Kitt news has been already been mentioned... Aboso-f*cking-lutely wrong! I think Journee Smollett* (Eve's Bayou) would be absolutely perfect as a young Eartha (at least as far as looks go). I even saw on a blog where someone suggested Tisha Campbell (Gina from 'Martin'), who is a trained actress, singer, and dancer. Seeing as though she's not a young newcomer (gotta love roles for women in Hollywood), I don't know if she has the market potential as Journee. But maybe she could play Eartha at the age right after Journee would play? At any rate, I don't know who could imitate that voice...
pic. of Journee (very pretty girl): http://i17.tinypic.com/4zjc58h.jpg
pic. of Tisha (very pretty woman): www.hartfeltpictures.com/stills/ large/20.jpg
And Eartha for comparison: www.roseburlingham.com/eartha02.jpg
Jazzy
· 1 year ago
You know I don't have a problem with people wanting to expand their horizons. Also, I truly like Beyonce's singing but the girl CAN NOT act. Somebody needs to sit her down and have a talk with her.
Winnowill
· 1 year ago
Preach, sister! Although I am a therapist now, this is my second career. I made my living as a professional actress for almost two decades, and I trained and studied for it, both here and abroad. There are so many incredibly gifted stage and film actresses of color out there who never get anywhere near a Hollywood soundstage for a high profile film because of this penchant for casting "names", even names who have no discernible acting talent, and the ridiculous idea of musical talent somehow equating to acting talent.
The age of the classic Hollywood "triple-threat" is long over. I almost died when I saw the cast list of The Secret Life of Bees. Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson? I can't even believe a genuinely trained actress like Sophie Okonedo got anywhere near the cast. And this is not to denigrate Queen Latifah, who I think is a genuinely natural and talented actor and who has now years of experience under her belt. Keys shows promise but needs serious study. And Hudson? Her Oscar win for Dreamgirls is going to go down in history as a WTF? Anika Noni Rose put both her and Beyonce to shame in Dreamgirls. It's too bad that a award-bait role, a huge ballad, and an enticing offscreen story (from American Idol also-ran to Hollywood newbie in a big, glittery Hollywood spectacle) trumped a genuinely nuanced and multifaceted performance, and her poorly-calibrated work in SATC and her one-note performance in SLoB are not good signs for her future.
Beyonce is just as mediocre, but Jennifer Hudson has one advantage over Beyonce. She doesn't have Beyonce's poorly enunicated, mealy-mouthed, country delivery, regardless of the role being played. Beyonce tries, but she needs to hole up with a dialect coach for several months to knock the Houston out of her mouth. And don't forget, I am a native Texan. I just had enough sense to know that to be able to work, I had to have an adaptable and regionless accent. If Beyonce wasn't a gorgeous celebrity, that voice would have knocked her out of contention for everything except perhaps her role in whatever that movie was about the gospel choir with that formerly-good-and-award-winning-actor-who-is-now-just-embarrassing.
Emeritus
· 1 year ago
i thought i had something to say but im just going to agree with winnowill. she said it ALL!
Beautifully.Conjured.Up
· 1 year ago
How can Beyonce's thick, country ass play Eartha Kitt?!
BTW, I agree with you Siditty about this post.
Siditty
· 1 year ago
beyonce is working hard to get that Oscar.
Sky,
The problem with that is she needs to learn how to act before she can get an oscar LOL
-----
Thanks Rox :)
-----
Beyonce is a cutie pie but she surely looks nothing like Etta. I wouldn't look to hard for any accuracy in any Hollywood biopics.
Beyonce is gorgeous, and she reps well for those of us with big thighs and bootys. She needs to dance and sing, but acting no way.
Etta was the woman back in the day, Beyonce ain't Etta.
-------
But prerpare to get madder because Beyonce is about to play Eartha Kitt as well.
GEESH, now Eartha is going to get jacked up too?
------
That 15 lbs she gained is just the 15 she lost during her Dream Girls crash diet. That is her usual show biz weight, no where thick enough to play the part. Be is a naturally thick girl and has to work hard to keep up her show biz weight.
That is what I was thinking. She got almost anorexic for Dream Girls trying to look like Diana.
-------
You just made me think about this. Maybe Raven Symone could have played her. I don't know how gritty should could get (or if she'd even want to go there), but she's funny as hell. And since the Eartha Kitt news has been already been mentioned... Aboso-f*cking-lutely wrong! I think Journee Smollett* (Eve's Bayou) would be absolutely perfect as a young Eartha (at least as far as looks go). I even saw on a blog where someone suggested Tisha Campbell (Gina from 'Martin'), who is a trained actress, singer, and dancer. Seeing as though she's not a young newcomer (gotta love roles for women in Hollywood), I don't know if she has the market potential as Journee. But maybe she could play Eartha at the age right after Journee would play? At any rate, I don't know who could imitate that voice...
Raven Simone would be a closer match to Etta. Even Tisha Campbell, hell at least she could act the part.
Journee would be awesome!!!!!
Siditty
· 1 year ago
You know I don't have a problem with people wanting to expand their horizons. Also, I truly like Beyonce's singing but the girl CAN NOT act. Somebody needs to sit her down and have a talk with her.
She needs an acting coach ASAP. She can't pull it off.
Imagine all those women who have been struggling for years and have all this schooling and extensive theatre resume watching Beyonce slaughter lines on the big screen.
-------
Winnowill,
I want to live your life, you are awesome. Therapist, Wiccan, Actress. My life is so boring. College student to working shrill to housewife/aspiring school teacher in suburbia. Not nearly as interesting.
There are so many incredibly gifted stage and film actresses of color out there who never get anywhere near a Hollywood soundstage for a high profile film because of this penchant for casting "names", even names who have no discernible acting talent, and the ridiculous idea of musical talent somehow equating to acting talent.
I don't get that. When I see Jill Scott, I say I love her songs, but I never said, damn she needs to act. Or Alicia Keyes. I still don't know what the hell is up with Beyonce, but people LOVE her. I actually like Jennifer Hudson in Dream Girls because next to Beyonce she was looking like she was acting. She as a complete amateur was better than Beyonce the great.
In terms of the Secret Life of Bees, I got mad as hell when I saw the previews because dammit it looks like it is much different than the book, and I was kind of embarrassed I read the book, as it seems it could have been an Oprah book club pick.
I couldn't do SATC on television, I sure couldn't do it on the big screen. Sarah Jessica Parker on the big screen could scare me.
She doesn't have Beyonce's poorly enunicated, mealy-mouthed, country delivery, regardless of the role being played. Beyonce tries, but she needs to hole up with a dialect coach for several months to knock the Houston out of her mouth. And don't forget, I am a native Texan.
For real, that ain't Houston, she has to be undercover East Texas Piney woods. I am a Texan and most people can't tell I am from Texas and I was born an hour from Houston. Hell my husband is from Houston and doesn't sound as country at all.
classical one
· 1 year ago
Etta was the woman back in the day, Beyonce ain't Etta.
Beyonce is a beautiful woman with a great body and that trumps about everything else in Hollywood. I'm sure Alicia Keys will do well too as she fits the mold.
digitalcoyote
· 1 year ago
I guess it's because she's (allegedly) a singer, lighter skinned (so she resembles Etta in a very general way), and not Halle Berry the producers think they're doing something positive.
Sometimes they try harder: JLo [with serious makeup help] as Selena and Lynn Whitfield as Josephine Baker (who was pretty damn cool once you got past the banana dance; eat your heart out Angelina Jolie).
But seriously, Miss Kitt is a thing unto herself. It'll go over as well as her bad imitation of Pam Grier for that Austin Powers movie.
L.
· 1 year ago
Siditty, the fact that you agreed with me made me really happy. I love casting people in real and made-up movies/tv shows. I'm such a lame. -------------------------------------------------
"She doesn't have Beyonce's poorly enunicated, mealy-mouthed, country delivery, regardless of the role being played. Beyonce tries, but she needs to hole up with a dialect coach for several months to knock the Houston out of her mouth. And don't forget, I am a native Texan."
Co-sign! I'm from the south and I have an accent that could, at times, rival Beyonce's. But going to school with a lot of east-coast, elite, rich-asses, I had to learn how to control it. My southern origins are still detectable because of the way I pronounce some vowels, but I think it's still appropriate for "proper" engagements. It's not that hard to do.
starkitty50
· 1 year ago
Jennifer Hudson was the star of Dreamgirls--even though I love Bey's singing, she either needs to give up acting or get a better acting coach. She seems so wooden on the big screen. She should really stick to singing and dancing.As for the Eartha Kit role, I could think of a dozen better Black actresses who could play Eartha Kitt
Siditty
· 1 year ago
Beyonce is a beautiful woman with a great body and that trumps about everything else in Hollywood. I'm sure Alicia Keys will do well too as she fits the mold.
Beyonce gives us big bootied women hope, of course a lot of people claim Beyonce is pretty, but her butt and thighs are huge and gross. I once had a coworker tell me she had a beautiful face because she looked so "unblack". Great for the black girls self esteem, especially for the black girl who obviously looks black LOL.
--------
Sometimes they try harder: JLo [with serious makeup help] as Selena and Lynn Whitfield as Josephine Baker (who was pretty damn cool once you got past the banana dance; eat your heart out Angelina Jolie).
Lynn Whitfield is very beautiful, and yet able to act. I know there has to be some other women out there.
In terms of JLo as Selena, she did a fairly good job. Selenas!!!!!
-------- Jennifer Hudson was the star of Dreamgirls--even though I love Bey's singing, she either needs to give up acting or get a better acting coach. She seems so wooden on the big screen. She should really stick to singing and dancing.As for the Eartha Kit role, I could think of a dozen better Black actresses who could play Eartha Kitt
Jennifer does need an acting coach, but I think there is hope for her yet.
Winnowill
· 1 year ago
"I want to live your life, you are awesome. Therapist, Wiccan, Actress. My life is so boring. College student to working shrill to housewife/aspiring school teacher in suburbia. Not nearly as interesting."
Sid, the intelligence, creativity and passion you express in this blog speaks volumes about you. Already, you have made an impact on people and made your life that much more fascinating just by sharing it with us. Don't underestimate that. And I have the feeling there's a whole lot of adventure left in you yet, it just needs an opportunity to be let loose!
And don't knock your career aspirations as a teacher. Despite the debacle going on in DISD right now, there is almost no more inspirational, powerful and transformative profession than that of teacher. I come from a long line of them and also teach occasionally myself. I wouldn't have had the life I've had without the extraordinary teachers and professors I've had along the way. You'll be touching lives in the same way soon enough, and that is a precious thing that you should cherish.
"For real, that ain't Houston, she has to be undercover East Texas Piney woods. I am a Texan and most people can't tell I am from Texas and I was born an hour from Houston. Hell my husband is from Houston and doesn't sound as country at all."
I'm from East Texas, right near the border with Arkansas. Now that is country! And I'm sorry, but Beyonce makes my family sound like RADA-trained Shakespeareans!
Felicity
· 1 year ago
It would be interesting to see the film, before I make any comment!
Siditty
· 1 year ago
Sid, the intelligence, creativity and passion you express in this blog speaks volumes about you. Already, you have made an impact on people and made your life that much more fascinating just by sharing it with us. Don't underestimate that. And I have the feeling there's a whole lot of adventure left in you yet, it just needs an opportunity to be let loose!
My husband has ensured my adventure days are over LOL But thanks for the compliments. It makes my head bigger than it already is.
And don't knock your career aspirations as a teacher. Despite the debacle going on in DISD right now, there is almost no more inspirational, powerful and transformative profession than that of teacher. I come from a long line of them and also teach occasionally myself. I wouldn't have had the life I've had without the extraordinary teachers and professors I've had along the way. You'll be touching lives in the same way soon enough, and that is a precious thing that you should cherish.
I knock it because I am picking the worst time in Dallas to become a teacher, but I am planning on teaching a high needs area (special education). My mom is excited, my great aunt is excited, as they are both teachers, but my father not so much, he thinks I need to go for money, and teaching is not where money is at. You can live on it, but I will never make six figures a year teaching LOL
I'm from East Texas, right near the border with Arkansas. Now that is country! And I'm sorry, but Beyonce makes my family sound like RADA-trained Shakespeareans!
Don't say you are from the Ark-La-Tex, and don't say you are from Texarkana :) My family would drive there for all the upscale shopping when we lived in Paris...TX. They had a mall and we didn't. We did have a Belk Jones though LOL
Winnowill
· 1 year ago
"Don't say you are from the Ark-La-Tex, and don't say you are from Texarkana :) My family would drive there for all the upscale shopping when we lived in Paris...TX. They had a mall and we didn't. We did have a Belk Jones though LOL"
Girl, I can't even claim Texarkana. Try Dekalb. We drove to New Boston for the shopping, if that tells you anything! LOL!
Siditty
· 1 year ago
You lived in the BIG CITY LOL. Paris was a metropolis compared to where you lived LOL
Anonymous
· 1 year ago
I'm so tired of Beyonce, it's ridiculous. She seems to be picking the same type of roles though. I wonder if she's unhappy she didn't get the Oscar buzz for Dreamgirls. Meh.
aprettyhatemachine
· 1 year ago
Wait who are the five "black" actresses in Hollywood?
All Comments
I have been reading your blog for awhile but had to comment on this. It does get tiring of usuing people who have no acting skills keep getting roles and there are hundreds of African American actress who can do different roles.
But prerpare to get madder because Beyonce is about to play Eartha Kitt as well.
http://www.tvoneblogs.com/thespin/2008/10/beyonce-to-play-eartha-kitt/
she'd even want to go there), but she's funny as hell. And since the Eartha Kitt news has been already been mentioned...
Aboso-f*cking-lutely wrong! I think Journee Smollett* (Eve's Bayou) would be absolutely perfect as a young Eartha (at least as far as looks go). I even saw on a blog where someone suggested Tisha Campbell (Gina from 'Martin'), who is a trained actress, singer, and dancer. Seeing as though she's not a young newcomer (gotta love roles for women in Hollywood), I don't know if she has the market potential as Journee. But maybe she could play Eartha at the age right after Journee would play? At any rate, I don't know who could imitate that voice...
pic. of Journee (very pretty girl):
http://i17.tinypic.com/4zjc58h.jpg
pic. of Tisha (very pretty woman):
www.hartfeltpictures.com/stills/
large/20.jpg
And Eartha for comparison:
www.roseburlingham.com/eartha02.jpg
The age of the classic Hollywood "triple-threat" is long over. I almost died when I saw the cast list of The Secret Life of Bees. Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson? I can't even believe a genuinely trained actress like Sophie Okonedo got anywhere near the cast. And this is not to denigrate Queen Latifah, who I think is a genuinely natural and talented actor and who has now years of experience under her belt. Keys shows promise but needs serious study. And Hudson? Her Oscar win for Dreamgirls is going to go down in history as a WTF? Anika Noni Rose put both her and Beyonce to shame in Dreamgirls. It's too bad that a award-bait role, a huge ballad, and an enticing offscreen story (from American Idol also-ran to Hollywood newbie in a big, glittery Hollywood spectacle) trumped a genuinely nuanced and multifaceted performance, and her poorly-calibrated work in SATC and her one-note performance in SLoB are not good signs for her future.
Beyonce is just as mediocre, but Jennifer Hudson has one advantage over Beyonce. She doesn't have Beyonce's poorly enunicated, mealy-mouthed, country delivery, regardless of the role being played. Beyonce tries, but she needs to hole up with a dialect coach for several months to knock the Houston out of her mouth. And don't forget, I am a native Texan. I just had enough sense to know that to be able to work, I had to have an adaptable and regionless accent. If Beyonce wasn't a gorgeous celebrity, that voice would have knocked her out of contention for everything except perhaps her role in whatever that movie was about the gospel choir with that formerly-good-and-award-winning-actor-who-is-now-just-embarrassing.
BTW, I agree with you Siditty about this post.
Sky,
The problem with that is she needs to learn how to act before she can get an oscar LOL
-----
Thanks Rox :)
-----
Beyonce is a cutie pie but she surely looks nothing like Etta. I wouldn't look to hard for any accuracy in any Hollywood biopics.
Beyonce is gorgeous, and she reps well for those of us with big thighs and bootys. She needs to dance and sing, but acting no way.
Etta was the woman back in the day, Beyonce ain't Etta.
-------
But prerpare to get madder because Beyonce is about to play Eartha Kitt as well.
GEESH, now Eartha is going to get jacked up too?
------
That 15 lbs she gained is just the 15 she lost during her Dream Girls crash diet. That is her usual show biz weight, no where thick enough to play the part. Be is a naturally thick girl and has to work hard to keep up her show biz weight.
That is what I was thinking. She got almost anorexic for Dream Girls trying to look like Diana.
-------
You just made me think about this. Maybe Raven Symone could have played her. I don't know how gritty should could get (or if
she'd even want to go there), but she's funny as hell. And since the Eartha Kitt news has been already been mentioned...
Aboso-f*cking-lutely wrong! I think Journee Smollett* (Eve's Bayou) would be absolutely perfect as a young Eartha (at least as far as looks go). I even saw on a blog where someone suggested Tisha Campbell (Gina from 'Martin'), who is a trained actress, singer, and dancer. Seeing as though she's not a young newcomer (gotta love roles for women in Hollywood), I don't know if she has the market potential as Journee. But maybe she could play Eartha at the age right after Journee would play? At any rate, I don't know who could imitate that voice...
Raven Simone would be a closer match to Etta. Even Tisha Campbell, hell at least she could act the part.
Journee would be awesome!!!!!
She needs an acting coach ASAP. She can't pull it off.
Imagine all those women who have been struggling for years and have all this schooling and extensive theatre resume watching Beyonce slaughter lines on the big screen.
-------
Winnowill,
I want to live your life, you are awesome. Therapist, Wiccan, Actress. My life is so boring. College student to working shrill to housewife/aspiring school teacher in suburbia. Not nearly as interesting.
There are so many incredibly gifted stage and film actresses of color out there who never get anywhere near a Hollywood soundstage for a high profile film because of this penchant for casting "names", even names who have no discernible acting talent, and the ridiculous idea of musical talent somehow equating to acting talent.
I don't get that. When I see Jill Scott, I say I love her songs, but I never said, damn she needs to act. Or Alicia Keyes. I still don't know what the hell is up with Beyonce, but people LOVE her. I actually like Jennifer Hudson in Dream Girls because next to Beyonce she was looking like she was acting. She as a complete amateur was better than Beyonce the great.
In terms of the Secret Life of Bees, I got mad as hell when I saw the previews because dammit it looks like it is much different than the book, and I was kind of embarrassed I read the book, as it seems it could have been an Oprah book club pick.
I couldn't do SATC on television, I sure couldn't do it on the big screen. Sarah Jessica Parker on the big screen could scare me.
She doesn't have Beyonce's poorly enunicated, mealy-mouthed, country delivery, regardless of the role being played. Beyonce tries, but she needs to hole up with a dialect coach for several months to knock the Houston out of her mouth. And don't forget, I am a native Texan.
For real, that ain't Houston, she has to be undercover East Texas Piney woods. I am a Texan and most people can't tell I am from Texas and I was born an hour from Houston. Hell my husband is from Houston and doesn't sound as country at all.
Beyonce is a beautiful woman with a great body and that trumps about everything else in Hollywood. I'm sure Alicia Keys will do well too as she fits the mold.
Sometimes they try harder: JLo [with serious makeup help] as Selena and Lynn Whitfield as Josephine Baker (who was pretty damn cool once you got past the banana dance; eat your heart out Angelina Jolie).
But seriously, Miss Kitt is a thing unto herself. It'll go over as well as her bad imitation of Pam Grier for that Austin Powers movie.
-------------------------------------------------
"She doesn't have Beyonce's poorly enunicated, mealy-mouthed, country delivery, regardless of the role being played. Beyonce tries, but she needs to hole up with a dialect coach for several months to knock the Houston out of her mouth. And don't forget, I am a native Texan."
Co-sign! I'm from the south and I have an accent that could, at times, rival Beyonce's. But going to school with a lot of east-coast, elite, rich-asses, I had to learn how to control it. My southern origins are still detectable because of the way I pronounce some vowels, but I think it's still appropriate for "proper" engagements. It's not that hard to do.
Beyonce gives us big bootied women hope, of course a lot of people claim Beyonce is pretty, but her butt and thighs are huge and gross. I once had a coworker tell me she had a beautiful face because she looked so "unblack". Great for the black girls self esteem, especially for the black girl who obviously looks black LOL.
--------
Sometimes they try harder: JLo [with serious makeup help] as Selena and Lynn Whitfield as Josephine Baker (who was pretty damn cool once you got past the banana dance; eat your heart out Angelina Jolie).
Lynn Whitfield is very beautiful, and yet able to act. I know there has to be some other women out there.
In terms of JLo as Selena, she did a fairly good job. Selenas!!!!!
--------
Jennifer Hudson was the star of Dreamgirls--even though I love Bey's singing, she either needs to give up acting or get a better acting coach. She seems so wooden on the big screen. She should really stick to singing and dancing.As for the Eartha Kit role, I could think of a dozen better Black actresses who could play Eartha Kitt
Jennifer does need an acting coach, but I think there is hope for her yet.
Sid, the intelligence, creativity and passion you express in this blog speaks volumes about you. Already, you have made an impact on people and made your life that much more fascinating just by sharing it with us. Don't underestimate that. And I have the feeling there's a whole lot of adventure left in you yet, it just needs an opportunity to be let loose!
And don't knock your career aspirations as a teacher. Despite the debacle going on in DISD right now, there is almost no more inspirational, powerful and transformative profession than that of teacher. I come from a long line of them and also teach occasionally myself. I wouldn't have had the life I've had without the extraordinary teachers and professors I've had along the way. You'll be touching lives in the same way soon enough, and that is a precious thing that you should cherish.
"For real, that ain't Houston, she has to be undercover East Texas Piney woods. I am a Texan and most people can't tell I am from Texas and I was born an hour from Houston. Hell my husband is from Houston and doesn't sound as country at all."
I'm from East Texas, right near the border with Arkansas. Now that is country! And I'm sorry, but Beyonce makes my family sound like RADA-trained Shakespeareans!
My husband has ensured my adventure days are over LOL But thanks for the compliments. It makes my head bigger than it already is.
And don't knock your career aspirations as a teacher. Despite the debacle going on in DISD right now, there is almost no more inspirational, powerful and transformative profession than that of teacher. I come from a long line of them and also teach occasionally myself. I wouldn't have had the life I've had without the extraordinary teachers and professors I've had along the way. You'll be touching lives in the same way soon enough, and that is a precious thing that you should cherish.
I knock it because I am picking the worst time in Dallas to become a teacher, but I am planning on teaching a high needs area (special education). My mom is excited, my great aunt is excited, as they are both teachers, but my father not so much, he thinks I need to go for money, and teaching is not where money is at. You can live on it, but I will never make six figures a year teaching LOL
I'm from East Texas, right near the border with Arkansas. Now that is country! And I'm sorry, but Beyonce makes my family sound like RADA-trained Shakespeareans!
Don't say you are from the Ark-La-Tex, and don't say you are from Texarkana :) My family would drive there for all the upscale shopping when we lived in Paris...TX. They had a mall and we didn't. We did have a Belk Jones though LOL
Girl, I can't even claim Texarkana. Try Dekalb. We drove to New Boston for the shopping, if that tells you anything! LOL!