'American Idol' Bids Sanjaya Farewell
"American Idol" finally has said goodbye to its most talked-about contestant, 17-year-old Sanjaya Malakar. From the very beginning of the season, audiences could not help but wonder how Malakar, the show's first Asian-Indian American, made it through the competition with a vocal range that's been described as "horrendous" by judge Simon Cowell. But it was Cowell's televised frustrations toward Malakar that sparked initial rumors called the Indian Call Center Theory, suggesting voters from India were responsible for his continued presence. Read more.
Imus Inspires Nike Ad
Nike is putting its spin on the Don Imus controversy. In last Sunday's edition of The New York Times, the sports-apparel giant took out a full-page ad indirectly thanking Imus for bringing race relations and sexism to the forefront. Although the ad never mentions Imus' name, it implies it. Part of the ad reads, "Thank you, ignorance. Thank you for starting the conversation." Nike hopes the new ad will inspire continued conversation about race in America. Read more.
Latinos Celebrate Desegregation Stamp
Nearly 400 Latinos gathered at California's Chapman University in Orange Country to celebrate the 60-year-old desegregation case that helped change California public schools. The celebration was topped off with the unveiling of a 41-cent stamp commemorating the case. The stamp honors five Mexican-American men who sued for the right to send their children to school with other American children. The stamp recognizing Mendez vs. Westminster School District features two brown-skinned children, a boy and a girl, both reading a book with stars in the background symbolizing their right to equal education, reports LATimes.com.
BET Delivers Black Slackers Series
The first cable channel geared to blacks, Black Entertainment Television (BET), is premiering its first scripted series, "Somebodies," a sitcom about a group of black slackers. Until recently, the network has featured mostly music, but a lack in original shows struck growing criticism for the network to expand their programming horizons. Reginald Hudlin, BET's entertainment president said, "For years people have wanted BET to expand the range of its original programming and now we are doing it." Read more.
Menudo Reunites, Mirrors 'Idol' Style
The Puerto Rican boy band Menudo is making a comeback in the form of an "American Idol"-style reality show. Seven boys will be picked to film the series "The Road to Menudo," airing next month on MTV Tr3s, MTV's bilingual Latin American channel. Menudo, the same band that gave Ricky Martin his start, was one of the most popular boy bands of the 1980s and '90s. Read more.
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