TRANSCRIPT SHOW AIRING MARCH 27, 2011 Host: Roland Martin Guests: Panel 1: Janell Snowden, VH-1 News Host; Kevin Frazier, Correspondent, “Entertainment Tonight”; and Jawn Murray, Entertainment Reporter and Contributor, “The Tom Joyner Morning Show” Panel 2: Actors Vanessa Bell Calloway, Tichina Arnold and Tasha Smith; and Anthony Mark Hankins, Fashion Designer Panel 3: Actors Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Essence Atkins, Tatyana Ali and Wendy Davis Panel 4: Sonja Norwood, Talent Manager; Kenya More, Actor-Producer; and Mario Van Peebles and Bill Duke, Motion Picture Directors Ralph Johnson and Verdine White, Earth, Wind and Fire Comedians: Kim Whitley, Damon Williams, Buddy Lewis and J. Anthony Brown 1 TV One – Washington Watch K. Wills Transcripts Contact/Producer: Jay Feldman Story/Angle: “Washington Watch” – March 27, 2011 Show (HEAD- LINES ) MR. ROLAND MARTIN: Black Hollywood tops our agenda this week. I talked with actresses Vanessa Bell Calloway, Tichina Arnold, Tasha Smith, and fashion designer Anthony Mark Hankins about the image of African-American women in Hollywood. Plus, actresses Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Essence Atkins, Tatyana Ali, and Wendy Davis on how First Lady Michelle Obama is changing negative perceptions of Black women. Also, producers Sonja Norwood and Kenya Moore, along with directors Mario Van Peebles and Bill Duke, share how they are changing the game and getting their projects produced without going through traditional channels. No “Washington Watch” Hollywood special would be complete without some music. Ralph Johnson and Verdine White, co-founders of Earth, Wind and Fire, tell us about their new project. And they’ll leave you laughing – comedians Kim Whitley, Damon Williams, Buddy Lewis and J. Anthony Brown round out this special Hollywood edition. All that and more today on “Washington Watch.” (SEG- MENT 1 ) MR. MARTIN: Whenever I get a chance, I like to get out of the Capitol Hill studio. I can’t stand bein’ on that set! Just kidding. Today, I’m coming to you from Los Angeles, California. Tinseltown is one of the toughest places for African-Americans, but they’re not letting the odds keep them down. Here to talk about that and other 2 topics: Janell Snowden, my home girl, VH-1 news host; “Entertainment Tonight” correspondent and big-time golfer Kevin Frazier – MR. KEVIN FRAZIER: [Chuckles.] MR. MARTIN: -- not really, but I just said that – MR. FRAZIER: I’m glad you said that. MR. MARTIN: -- and entertainment reporter and Tom Joyner contributor Jawn Murray. Hey, folks. How are we doing? MS. JANELL SNOWDEN: Hey, good. MR. JAWN MURRAY: [Crosstalk.] MR. FRAZIER: Fantastic. Fantastic. MR. MARTIN: All right, then. Let’s – first thing off, a few weeks ago, [the] Oscars. Black folks [were] basically nonexistent. If it [weren’t] for Jennifer Hudson presenting and Halle Barry with the tribute to Lena Horne – MS. SNOWDEN: And Oprah. MR. MARTIN: -- you didn’t see anyb- -- Oprah as well – you – you didn’t see any of us. And so, what has it been like – discussions you’ve had with people about the lack of Black representation this year at the biggest entertainment ceremony, if you will? MS. SNOWDEN: I think recently we’ve had actors like Idris Elba and Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackey speak out and basically talk about the dearth of good Black roles and – and good, Black movies – which, of course, then brings about the 3 discussion of, you know, the need for more Black productions. I think it was definitely a huge oversight that there were no Black males represented. I mean I understand the heavyweights, Oprah, Halle and Jennifer; but come on. We’re much better represented than that, and you just did not see that at the Oscars. MR. FRAZIER: No. It was sad, and I – I think that the thing we have to look at is supporting the things that we care about. MS. SNOWDEN: Yeah. MR. FRAZIER: And we ha- -- you know, people turn their head[s] when “The Game” got a 7.7 rating on BET. MR. MARTIN: Absolutely! MR. FRAZIER: People turn their head[s] when a movie jumps out of the box office. That’s what we have to do. We have to empower people. And so we[‘ve] got to sit back and stop complaining and put our money where our mouth is. Don’t complain if you’re not willing to put your money down. MR. MARTIN: Right. MS. SNOWDEN: But then – MR. MURRAY: [Crosstalk]- -- MS. SNOWDEN: -- there’s the argument that those – that that money that you spend at the box office doesn’t translate to Oscars representation, because the people who are judging and the people who are voting are not us. MR. MURRAY: -- well, then Lion’s Gate has the – and I – I start with Lion’s Gate 4 because I’m talking about “For Colored Girls.” Regardless of what people think about Tyler Perry’s “For Colored Girls” is a – as an overall film, there are three actors in that movie, at least , that should’ve been nominated for their performances: Kimberly Elise, Anika Noni Rose, and Thandie Newton. And so we have to also, as filmmakers, challenge the studios to be responsible for making sure that the people who are voting members are getting the screeners and getting the assets that it takes to get our people and – and folks of color nominated at the Big Show. MR. MARTIN: I’m glad you brought up Tyler Perry, because here you[‘ve] got somebody who is doing exactly what we say we want Black folks in – MR. MURRAY: Yes. MR. MARTIN: -- Hollywood to do: owning product, controlling product, doing television shows, owning his own studio, providing opportunities; and it’s still not good enough. Folks are still hating. They – w- -- what do you make of that, where, all of a sudden, Tyler Perry’s now the villain – MR. MURRAY: Ugh! MR. MARTIN: -- in Hollywood, when it’s not like he green-lights movies at Universal – MR. MURRAY: Absolutely. MR. MARTIN: -- Sony – MS. SNOWDEN: Yeah. MR. MARTIN: -- and the rest of these places? 5 MR. FRAZIER: The whole thing is – is a m- -- is a really mixed-up, weird system, because if you ever come on the red carpet, you will notice – and just come to any red carpet – and we’ve all been there – MS. SNOWDEN: We live there. MR. FRAZIER: -- and you – and we live on the – MS. SNOWDEN: Yeah. MR. FRAZIER: -- red carpet – and you wait long and wide for someone that is in your peer group. MS. SNOWDEN: Yeah. MR. FRAZIER: And then when you finally see them, you’re so happy . MS. SNOWDEN: Yeah. MR. FRAZIER: You’re so excited. You’re – MR. MARTIN: I know. MR. FRAZIER: -- like – MR. MARTIN: I walked the red carpet. MR. FRAZIER: -- “Wow.” MR. MARTIN: Kevin was like – MS. SNOWDEN: [Crosstalk]. MR. MARTIN: -- “Roland! My dawg!” MR. FRAZIER: [Chuckles.] MR. MARTIN: How you doin’?” [Laughs.] 6 MS. SNOWDEN: [Crosstalk] – MR. FRAZIER: And it – and it’s a problem that, you know, there’s not that push, either. And the n- -- the Tyler Perry thing, I think, is because there’s not talk of what Tyler Perry’s doing. MS. SNOWDEN: Yeah. MR. FRAZIER: When you turn on the shows that we all – or, the channels that we all represent, you don’t see Tyler Perry’s stuff. MR. MURRAY: I think there’re – MS. SNOWDEN: And – MR. MURRY: -- two elements. One, whenever I tweet or say anything positive about Tyler Perry, I get the most horrendous hate mail possible. It’s – it’s really shocking. I mean you’ve been privy to some of it. The other – MR. FRAZIER: Yeah. MR. MURRAY: -- part of it is Suzanne de Passe put it best once at the American Black Film Festival: no matter what you think about Tyler Perry as a filmmaker, we have to celebrate the fact that he’s created this environment where Black people can work. So, instead of his peers – the other directors, the other filmmakers, the other Hollywood people – complaining about him, tap into this environment where you can get a project green-lit, where you can get meetings – MR. FRAZIER: Right. MR. MURRAY: -- where people are trying to duplicate his success. 7 MR. FRAZIER: Exactly. MR. MURRAY: If you claim you have a better product, well get your product done ! Stop complaining about him and put that energy towards doing your own thing. MS. SNOWDEN: Right. MR. MARTIN: He- -- here’s the way I view it. I view it that you have Spike. You have John Singleton. You have F. Gary Gray. You have Antoine Fuquah. I mean you have folks who do their own thing. I’m cool with that – Malcolm Lee and other – other folks. MR. FRAZIER: There’s a whole lot. MR. MARTIN: That’s fine. I just simply find it interesting that he becomes the villain of what’s – all that’s wrong with Hollywood, when here’s somebody who, first of all, cultivated his audience. MR. MURRAY: Yes. MR. MARTIN: He cultivated the audience before the big screen and worked his butt off in each of those markets to cultivate them, and they s- -- turn out when those movies [come] out. MS. SNOWDEN: Yes. MR. FRAZIER: I want to tell you something. I was there the night that they opened Tyler Perry Studios and walked with Tyler and Oprah and Sidney Poitier, and that moment forever changed my life, because I stood there, and I watched as these stars – these stars who should’ve been acknowledged long ago by Hollywood – were 8 acknowledged by this man, Tyler Perry. He threw an amazing dinner.