Minstrel Show

A popular English beach, with minstrels or a Punch a Judy show to entertain you and a girl bringing round nice things to eat - and theres always the sand to dig !.

If nothing else, North Carolina's Little Brother has gathered around it a very loyal fan base, one that sees the trio of Phonte, Big Pooh and produced 9th Wonder as the logical heirs of the Native Tongues Posse (De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, etc.) with their positive focus, jazzy, soulful sound and an anti-mainstream attitude. In that respect, the hype around them is reminiscent of what first greeted Slum Village in the late '90s though they've been more consistent than their Detroit colleagues. Yet, however likable their last album, The Listening and their latest are, the group are still an acquired flavor. To some, they turn out feel good, intelligent hip-hop for a more mature set. For others, they make throwback music that's pleasant enough but lacks punch otherwise. Phonte and Pooh sound solid throughout and 9th Wonder's much lauded production, while great in moments, can also drift into anemia too. An excess of skits is also a gamble with listener patience though the album's conceptual focus is a refreshing quality. For those who enjoyed Common's Be, this is better realized but musically, lacks the same depth. --Oliver Wang

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Sony 2 cd set - super rare

The Waltons' nearly 10-year run on network television grew out of the popular, 1971 made-for-TV movie The Homecoming, which was derived from a Depression-era, rustic setting ("Walton's Mountain"), and characters based on Earl Hamner Jr.'s autobiographical novel Spencer's Mountain--itself the source for a very nice 1963 feature film starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara. That's a lot of entertainment sprouting from Hamner's prose. But something about his seminal story of family values, rugged independence, and big dreams amidst a hardscrabble existence captured the hearts of American audiences, many of whom personally recalled severe economic adversity in the 1930s. The Waltons: The Complete First Season collects those initial episodes from the series building on the strengths of the Homecoming pilot, which introduced the extended Walton clan led by a strong-willed mill owner, John (Andrew Duggan), and his equally resolute wife, Olivia (Patricia Neal). The Waltons recast those key roles (as well as a few others) with Ralph Waite and Michael Learned (yup, a female), but Richard Thomas carried over as oldest child John-Boy Walton, an aspiring writer whose cusp-of-manhood view informs the series. Will Geer (Seconds) replaced Edgar Bergen as Grandpa Walton, Ellen Corby remained as Grandma, and John and Olivia's large brood (seven kids in all) were filled out by largely unknown, young actors. The episodes, still delightful and touching, strong on production values and unusually tight and polished for primetime drama, tended to focus on creator Hamner's pet themes of self-sacrifice and heroic effort when the going got tough. Year 1 highlights include "The Carnival," in which the impoverished Waltons, who can't pay for tickets to see a circus performance, end up sheltering stranded carney folk. "The Typewriter" is a classic about John-Boy "borrowing" a museum's antique typewriter, only to have his sister Mary Ellen (Judy Norton) sell it as junk. "The Sinner" concerns the arrival of a fundamentalist minister on Walton's Mountain, finding comfort in the words of religious iconoclast John Walton after the clergyman makes a fool of himself with moonshine. That's Hamner himself providing touches of narration. During the long run of the multiple-award-winning The Waltons, there were many changes in casting and storylines. But this boxed set reveals a fine series in its pristine state. --Tom Keogh

All 24 episodes from the premiere season--including "The Foundling," "The Hunt," "The Love Story," "The Townie," and the two-part "An Easter Story"--are collected in a five-disc set. 21 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French. **24 episodes on 5 discs. 21 hrs.**

Director Spike Lee has never shied away from controversy, and with Bamboozled he tackles a thorny mix of racism and how images are bought and sold. A frustrated TV writer named Delacroix (Damon Wayans), unable to break his contract, tries to get fired by proposing a new minstrel show, complete with dancers in blackface. But the network loves the idea, and Delacroix hires two street performers (Savion Glover, who is truly the finest tap dancer since Fred Astaire, and Tommy Davidson) whose hunger for success and ignorance of history combine to make them accept the blackface. Despite protests, the show is a huge success--but gradually, the mental balance of everyone involved starts to crumble. As an argument, Bamboozled is incoherent--but how can racism be discussed rationally in the first place? Lee takes a much braver approach: Every time something seems to make sense or make a point, he complicates the situation. At one point, Delacroix goes to see his father, a standup comedian working at a small black club. Delacroix perceives his father as a broken failure. But his father's routine is full of articulate critiques of white hypocrisy, and the older man describes refusing to play the narrow movie roles that Hollywood had offered him, while Delacroix has convinced himself that his minstrel show is actually doing some social good. And what is the effect of the show itself? Lee obviously finds blackface abhorrent, but the minstrel routines are perversely fascinating and Glover's dancing, even when he mimics Amos and Andy-era routines, is outstanding. Most cuttingly, Lee points out parallels between minstrel and contemporary hip-hop personas. By the time it's over, Bamboozled won't have told you what to think, but you will have to think about these issues--and that alone is a remarkable accomplishment. --Bret Fetzer

Spike Lee directs this sizzling satire on race and racism within the modern media world. Starring Damon Wayons (Major Payne TV's In Living Color) and Jada Pinkett-Smith (Set It Off Scream 2 The Nutty Professor)Running Time: 136 min.System Requirements:Starring: Damon Wayans Jada Pinkett-Smith Michael Rapaport Tommy Davidson and Savion Glover. Directed By: Spike Lee. Running Time: 136 Min. Color. This film is presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 2000 Warner Home Video.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: R UPC: 794043519727

Photo Puzzle, A POPULAR ENGLISH BEACH. A popular English beach, with minstrels or a Punch a Judy show to entertain you and a girl bringing round nice things to eat - and theres always the sand to dig !. Chosen by Mary Evans. 10x14 Photo Puzzle with 252 pieces. Packed in black cardboard box of dimensions 5 5/8 x 7 5/8 x 1 1/5. Puzzle image 5x7 affixed to box top. Puzzle pieces printed on RA4 paper at 300 dpi. This item is shipped from our

"Literacy is the vehicle that moves the obstacles that block our potential." ∼ Flossie Turner LewisTHE AUTOBIOGRAPHYLITTLE HOT MAMA – The Flossie Turner Lewis Story is about a woman of strength, a single mother who raised five children, a black entertainer who performed on the carnival and chitlin circuits, in speakeasies and minstrel shows, and in the swank nightclubs of Miami’s Overtown where the Turner Family shared venues with other greats of the day. From the Deep South to Miami, Puerto Rico, and Los Angeles, Flossie lived her life as a performer, a mother, and a woman who could neither read nor write. That was until she decided at the age of 65 to learn how. Flossie’s story of personal courage, tenacity, and strong values propels the reader through eras of discrimination, broken families, and the itinerant lifestyle of a traveling black entertainment family during and after the Depression. It is both a time capsule of an America seldom written about and a testament to one woman’s triumph over adversity, poverty, and illiteracy.THE AUTHORSFLOSSIE TURNER LEWIS began delighting audiences with songs and dances when she was just two years old in 1935. Known by her stage name “Little Hot Mama,” she was the child of black show business stars Hot Papa and Dolly Turner. Flossie, along with her sister LuLu B. and brother Junior, traveled with their parents and performed as the Turner Family Revue. Her own show business career lasted for more than 40 years.A woman of strength and determination, Flossie raised five children on her own, despite the fact that she could not read or write for most of her life. With the support of the Fayetteville Urban Ministry, the United Way, and her local community, she was finally able to realize her lifelong dream of literacy and received a high school diploma at the age of 72.A motivating and inspiring personality, Flossie has lobbied Congress and addressed countless clubs and organizations on behalf of adult literacy programs. She has been featured in print articles, public service announcements, and on television and radio talk shows in her drive to promote the importance of literacy.A most unlikely partnership was born when Flossie Turner Lewis at the age of 69 accepted the National Award For Excellence as the Outstanding Student of 2002 at the National Literacy Conference and met writer Paula Meseroll. Their journey together to chronicle Flossie’s amazing, inspirational, and truly American life’s story took over eight years to write and reach publication as LITTLE HOT MAMA.Co-author PAULA MESEROLL is a public relations professional and an award-winning freelance writer and columnist whose work has appeared in newspapers and magazines, including "Syracuse University Magazine", "UB Today", "Central New Yorker Magazine", and "All Kids Considered". A summa cum laude graduate of Marywood University with a degree in communication arts/public relations, she is director of marketing and communications at Syracuse University.

"Literacy is the vehicle that moves the obstacles that block our potential." ? Flossie Turner LewisTHE AUTOBIOGRAPHYLITTLE HOT MAMA - The Flossie Turner Lewis Story is about a woman of strength, a single mother who raised five children, a black entertainer who performed on the carnival and chitlin circuits, in speakeasies and minstrel shows, and in the swank nightclubs of Miami's Overtown where the Turner Family shared venues with other greats of the day. From the Deep South to Miami, Puerto Rico, and Los Angeles, Flossie lived her life as a performer, a mother, and a woman who could neither read nor write. That was until she decided at the age of 65 to learn how. Flossie's story of personal courage, tenacity, and strong values propels the reader through eras of discrimination, broken families, and the itinerant lifestyle of a traveling black entertainment family during and after the Depression. It is both a time capsule of an America seldom written about and a testament to one woman's triumph over adversity, poverty, and illiteracy.THE AUTHORSFLOSSIE TURNER LEWIS began delighting audiences with songs and dances when she was just two years old in 1935. Known by her stage name "Little Hot Mama," she was the child of black show business stars Hot Papa and Dolly Turner. Flossie, along with her sister LuLu B. and brother Junior, traveled with their parents and performed as the Turner Family Revue. Her own show business career lasted for more than 40 years.A woman of strength and determination, Flossie raised five children on her own, despite the fact that she could not read or write for most of her life. With the support of the Fayetteville Urban Ministry, the United Way, and her local community, she was finally able to realize her lifelong dream of literacy and received a high school diploma at the age of 72.A motivating and inspiring personality, Flossie has lobbied Congress and addressed countless clubs and organizations on behalf of adult literacy programs. She has been featured in print articles, public service announcements, and on television and radio talk shows in her drive to promote the importance of literacy.A most unlikely partnership was born when Flossie Turner Lewis at the age of 69 accepted the National Award For Excellence as the Outstanding Student of 2002 at the National Literacy Conference and met writer Paula Meseroll. Their journey together to chronicle Flossie's amazing, inspirational, and truly American life's story took over eight years to write and reach publication as LITTLE HOT MAMA.Co-author PAULA MESEROLL is a public relations professional and an award-winning freelance writer and columnist whose work has appeared in newspapers and magazines, including "Syracuse University Magazine", "UB Today", "Central New Yorker Magazine", and "All Kids Considered". A summa cum laude graduate of Marywood University with a degree in communication arts/public relations, she is director of marketing and communications at Syracuse University.

For over two centuries, America has celebrated the very black culture it attempts to control and repress, and nowhere is this phenomenon more apparent than in the strange practice of blackface performance. Born of extreme racial and class conflicts, the blackface minstrel show sometimes usefully intensified them. Based on the appropriation of black dialect, music, and dance, minstrelsy at once applauded and lampooned black culture, ironically contributing to a "blackening of America." Drawing on recent research in cultural studies and social history, Eric Lott examines the role of the blackface minstrel show in the political struggles of the years leading up to the Civil War. Reading minstrel music, lyrics, jokes, burlesque skits, and illustrations in tandem with working-class racial ideologies and the sex/gender system, Love and Theft argues that blackface minstrelsy both embodied and disrupted the racial tendencies of its largely white, male, working-class audiences. Underwritten by envy as well as repulsion, sympathetic identification as well as fear--a dialectic of "love and theft"--the minstrel show continually transgressed the color line even as it enabled the formation of a self-consciously white working class. Lott exposes minstrelsy as a signifier for multiple breaches: the rift between high and low cultures, the commodification of the dispossessed by the empowered, the attraction mixed with guilt of whites caught in the act of cultural thievery.

Peter Goldman's debut novel is the first in a planned series starring an ex-cop turned PI named Max Christian. Max is not the prototypical private eye of detective fiction. There's nothing particularly heroic about him. His wife has left him and taken their son with her. He misses his lost past chasing murderers as an NYPD homicide detective. He's drinking too much. He's bedding too many women whose names he can never remember. He's having imaginary conversations with the ghost of Albert Camus, who nags him--in ghetto language--about his addiction to the drug called self-pity. But all that changes when an eight-foot-tall player for the Darktown Strutters--a touring black troupe mixing showtime basketball with blackface minstrel routines--is shot dead execution-style at Max's doorstep. More bodies pile up, and Max, to clear his own name, finds himself back in his past life, tracking a serial killer of black men. While his old NYPD partner Tina Falcone chases leads in New York, Max goes on the road with the Strutters, nominally as a player on their all-white opposition team and as bodyguard to their coke-addled owner Lou Schiff. His real purpose is catching the killer--a mission that leads him into a dangerous world in which drug deals and sudden death are routine business transactions and a brutal mob boss calls signals from the shadows. "The Last Minstrel Show" is first and foremost what its subtitle suggests: a detective story. But it's a whodunit with a serious subtext. It looks hard at the persistence of racism in "post-racial" America in the time of Barack Obama and Trayvon Martin. And it explores how masks have become a necessity of everyday life for everybody, not just the Strutter minstrelmen performing in blackface.