Wednesday, January 28, 2015

The Red Carpet Stupid Question of All-Time

From TNT's Red Carpet arrival show for the SAG Awards. TNT correspondent/idiot Danielle Demsky interviewing Rashida Jones -- daughter of Peggy Lipton & Quincy Jones. Listen to what this airhead asks Rashida. Great job, TNT.

39 comments :

  1. Wasn't it last year that some outfit had youthful internet bloggers interview arrivals at the Emmys and it was painfully clear that they didn't know who half the actors were or why they were there?

    ReplyDelete
  2. As a rule I don't watch red carpet shows, although watching Matt Lauer's pained interviews at the Golden Gloves was like stopping to see a car wreck. However, I've seen a lot of hating over Maria Menounos's flubs on E! for the SAG awards.

    Maria's been desperate for a leap into the next realm - acting - much like Julianne Hough, without about the same level of success. Reminds me of Vanna White's attempt at acting. NBC's promo (below) didn't have her speak, only move, which she knew to due as a former model. Her acting was as wooden as the wheel they spin on the game show she wisely decided to stay with.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGK9j0gxjlw

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yikes. Tough to view and edit in this little box. Should have been "with about the same level" and "knew to do."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey, give her a break. How's she supposed to know Rashida's father is one of the most famous and influential musicians of the 20th Century? And that he's black? I mean, it's not like she's a reporter or anything.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well, as her character on The Office was once asked: "Wow, you're very exotic-looking. Was your dad a GI, "

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mulatto's can be light skinned, and can get a dark tan. It's not the interviewer's job to hold a light meter up to each interviewee to compare skin tones with the last time they were photographed.
    Time to brush up on your mixed races, Ken. Also, Quincy Jones hasn't done anything creatively significant in a looong time. His daughter hasn't achieved much beyond being his daughter.
    If anyone is looking silly, it's you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous- Oh my good God.Your first word made you look even sillier than the interviewer and then you continued...

    ReplyDelete
  8. "Quincy Jones hasn't done anything creatively significant in a looong time."...OK, do you live in Colorado by any chance? 'Cause you're high as a kite.

    ReplyDelete
  9. mmryan314 said...
    "Anonymous- Oh my good God.Your first word made you look even sillier than the interviewer and then you continued..."

    How so, Mmryan314? Follow through with a thought, and see if it works.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Okay anonymous- I don`t like internet chat rooms normally but I was a teacher so I`ll attempt to instruct. The term " mulatto" is considered to be a derogatory term used to describe children of black and white parents. I guess I haven`t actually heard the term used since the 1970`s so I was disturbed when I heard it.( Please research on the internet as to the reasons it is considered derogatory.)
    Quincy Jones is in his 80`s and still working and producing music. His daughter has worked on several successful programs and movies ever since she graduated from Harvard (:

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous, please tell us all the creatively significant things you've done in the past...oh, let's just say ever.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Maybe the interviewer got mixed up with "Quincy, M.E." and thought Jack Klugman was Rashida's father.

    ReplyDelete
  14. mmryan314, I thought you were assuming the role of a grammar cop, pointing out that anonymous erroneously inserted a grocer's apostrophe into the word. I've heard the word mulatto many times since the 1970s, and have never heard it is now verboten. Who decides when a word becomes derogatory? Is there an official summit where it is announced? In any event, commenting on anyone's tan seems completely ridiculous, no matter the ancestry.

    ReplyDelete
  15. mmryan314 said...

    "Okay anonymous- I don`t like internet chat rooms normally but I was a teacher so I`ll attempt to instruct. The term " mulatto" is considered to be a derogatory term used to describe children of black and white parents. I guess I haven`t actually heard the term used since the 1970`s so I was disturbed when I heard it.( Please research on the internet as to the reasons it is considered derogatory.)
    Quincy Jones is in his 80`s and still working and producing music. His daughter has worked on several successful programs and movies ever since she graduated from Harvard (:"

    Some consider it derogatory, and some don't. I've used the term to describe a person of mixed race on occasion, and the black folks I was talking to didn't remark that they were offended, and used the term themselves.

    Used to be Mexicans would be offended if you didn't describe them as "chicano," then years later, arbitrarily, they decided "chicano" was offensive. Used to be mulatto's would be upset if you called them "black," and would correct you by informing you they were "colored."

    It's political, it's not about science, and you as a teacher should know that, rather than flipping out your fan, and looking for support before you faint.

    As for me, I don't care. I'll keep saying "mulatto," because it implies a black and white racial admixture.

    You might want to keep calling them "black" for your political purposes.

    Have a party.

    Back to his daughter, I'm sure she's very nice and talented, but I never heard of her before that I can remember, and Quincy Jones is not making Bruno Mars lose any sleep. Many kids in their twenties don't even know who he is.

    He was relevant in his day, produced brilliant work, and now he's essentially retired.

    ReplyDelete
  16. With that level of ignorance, I'm not in the least surprise you want to remain anonymous.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ouch. Surely if your job was to interview people on the red carpet for a living it might be a good idea to research the people you're going to speak to... and not just rely on the voice in your ear.

    And reading the comments: Yikes.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Could all the people using the tag "Anonymous" pick a number, like "Anonymous 3". That way we'll know which Anonymous you are. Anonymous 1 could be the industry insider who doesn't want to reveal identity, Anonymous 2 could be the person at work who isn't supposed to blog on company time, and Anonymous 3 could be that person, like today, who always attacks and belittles Ken, no matter what he says. Generally, A3 seems to hate everyone in show biz, because A3 is either jealous or possibly failed when attempting to break into the field.

    Today, A3's witty repartee ("F#*k You") shows he or she is also an A-hole.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Ray Richmond (NOT Anonymous)1/29/2015 9:04 AM

    You stay classy, Anonymous. "Fuck You" reduces you to the level of sniveling schoolboy. You almost made a salient point or two, then went and blew it with your attitude. Oh, and the fact you'd never heard of Rashida Jones, who has carved out a significant career in film and TV over the past decade-plus. The fact that you'd never heard of her does not A. Mean she's insignificant and B. Mean the reporter shouldn't have known something about her lineage. And Quincy Jones is still a player. The reporter's ignorance is in fact indefensible. Just sayin. Put THAT in your mulatto pipe and smoke it, pal.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Canada, I'm the first anonymous posting about the term "mulatto."
    I don't know who anonymous 3 is, and I never say "fu$k you" to anyone in an arguement.

    I like Ken, but disagree with him once in a while.

    I don't know who the carpet girl is, but if she's an actress who's slumming to get some work, we should have a heart and not make it worse for her for a minor faux pas. If she's just some diprag actually aspiring to that horrible job, again, cut her some slack. She's not welcoming recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.

    She's hooking some soundbites from a bunch of godforsaken actors, for chrissakes!

    Lay off the poor thing! She looked nice, at least!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ray Richmond (NOT Anonymous) said...
    "You stay classy, Anonymous. "Fuck You" reduces you to the level of sniveling schoolboy."

    Ray, that wasn't me. See my prior post. I'll call myself "anonymous 1" from now on. I agree cursing at people is lame.

    Anonymous 1

    ReplyDelete
  22. cadavra said...
    "Hey, give her a break. How's she supposed to know Rashida's father is one of the most famous and influential musicians of the 20th Century? And that he's black? I mean, it's not like she's a reporter or anything."

    You know, one might suppose that Rashida would LIKE not having her professional identity attached to her dad's achievements. That's probably what happened in this case.

    -Anonymous 1

    ReplyDelete
  23. So who's to know it wasn't you who said "fuck you." Anonymous is anonymous and it will always be a coward's way to post, no matter what number you tack on. It's easy to be argumentative and inflammatory when you don't have the balls to identify yourself and choose to hide behind. Frankly, your unwillingness to sign a name negates the value of anything you might have to say and reduces you to nothing more than another troll, out to stir up trouble.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh, because it's SO much braver to sign your posts "Glenn." Yes, that makes ALL the difference. That tells us all about you.

    ReplyDelete
  25. "Mulatto" is an accurate, if somewhat creaky term. "Mulattoes" is the plural. Since it is derived from a Portuguese word for "mule", I would think "mixed marriage" might be a better way of putting it, among other terminology.

    Not that anyone mentioned it, but one needn't have parents of two different races to be of a "lighter" hue. I ought to know. As a matter of fact, there are African-based races that are fairer without any mixing of races. We're a rainbow...just a really brownish one.

    According to http://www.quincyjones.com/ last year, Jones finished a tour, produced/co-produced at least three albums and a documentary. In no wise would I consider that "essentially retired". I haven't been as busy and I'm thirty years younger!

    As for "significant", eye of the beholder I suppose, but I will happily retract my statement when I see anonymous' current productions and how they compare to either Jones. Rashida's credits don't match her Father's, but they are quite numerous and all have been achieved before the age of thirty.

    The interviewer should know better, which is why they have the jobs that they do (I hope). Information is their business and she came up short.

    As some previous posters have illustrated, it's good to do your homework.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Credits Rashida has doubtless achieved based largely on who her father is. Or was, when he mattered.

    Ask Ken's daughter how that works.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Ouch.

    Rashida's pause and answer "I'm ethnic", is really all we need to realize it was a faux pass (in my opinion).

    And, yes, if you're interviewing people, you should know a little bit about them, i.e. Rashida's father is black.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I've seen Rashida Jones in a few things and think she's reasonably talented and appealing. Quincy Jones will always be relevant to me.

    What bothers me is when reporters - whether hard news or the softest of red carpets - show their ignorance and lack of preparation. Don't say, "Hey, bring Rashida Jones over here" unless you know you can handle the interview. They get paid a lot and there are many occasions when I seem to know more about the people they interview than they do.

    I remember the late Joan Rivers talking with Robert Duvall outside the Oscars one year and saying it was a real shame he'd never won one, after a number of nominations. He pointed out in a gentlemanly fashion that he'd won Best Actor for "Tender Mercies" some years ago. No disrespect to Ms. Rivers, but that bothered me a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Rashida must have been promoting her new show "Black is The New Orange".

    NoShowBiz

    ReplyDelete
  30. To nitpick, the under-inflated balls help the offense, so it would have been better to joke that the Patriots only would have won 38-7.

    ReplyDelete
  31. oops, the previous comment was meant for the football post.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Ray (Still NOT Anonymous) Richmond1/29/2015 12:56 PM

    Anonymous, no matter WHICH Anonymous you are, it's lame and cowardly (as Glenn confirmed) to post without owning it in some way. Kind of invalidates it entirely in fact.

    ReplyDelete
  33. According to Wikipedia "Demski is a graduate in of the Walter Cronkite School at ASU". Oy vey.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Rashida Jones was also on The Office, and let's not forget her mom is Peggy Lipton. We "golden" oldies remember her from Mod Squad. Rashida was in a cute little movie with Andy Samburg a few years back also.
    Janice B.

    ReplyDelete
  35. The only thing interesting in this thread is the discussion of mulatto. mmryan is right, it is considered offensive, and has been for a long time in this country. You never hear it used on television, on news shows or entertainment shows. I think the best clue as to when a race designation is no longer acceptable is when people of that race no longer refer to themselves with it. When is the last time you heard someone say he/she is a mulatto?

    Orwell says he hears it all the time, which makes me wonder where he is from. A lot of Brits comment on this site. Is that where you are from Orwell? I wouldn't be too surprised if that term was still used in the UK (I don't mean that as a criticism, but I find it very interesting).

    ReplyDelete
  36. I read all your posts. I think I understand your points. I guess I don't like someone giving me racial advice as if they're the final arbiter of proper usage. In this racially confused and neurotic society, it's just ridiculous.
    I can call you black, then I can't. I can call you Afro-American, then it's suddenly considered rude.
    By the way, Brian Phillips, unless you're jet black, someone of another race has been having a swim in your dna pool. Just thought you'd want to know.
    The taking a name thing isn't worth doing, since I only chime in once in a while. The guy who made the cheap shot about Ken, and registering "anonymous 1" to do it, indicates this comments section isn't all truth and justice by a long shot. It's a place to chime in with opinions, and it works well enough.
    btw, to the registered "anonymous 1," sure a kid can get a leg up in the family business, but if he/she isn't any good at it, he/she'll be kicked to the curb with no lollipop. Ken's kid looks like she's doing just fine on her own. Also, there's so many more opportunities now than ever before for a writer, crying nepotism these days is just being a bitch.

    ReplyDelete
  37. forgot to sign, as if it matters...

    -Anonymous 1

    ReplyDelete
  38. Rashida Jones is as "black" as Halle Berry or Barack Obama (one black parent, one white parent). Although, she tends to present as a white ethnic (someone with a good tan) like Jennifer Beals. The tan comment was interesting because I haven't seen Jones look differently. If it were the middle of summer and Jones had in fact been on a "tropical vacation" with a noticeable tan, I think she might have responded differently (because black people do "tan").

    I think what struck me as unprepared on the interviewer's part was not knowing Jones was the daughter of Quincy Jones and Peggy Lipton. I tend to think knowing if a celebrity is the child of The Normals from Indiana or is second-generation Hollywood would be useful in any interview. "Cinderella" stories are a popular hook, so it would be useful to know that the hook wouldn't apply to, say, Jennifer Aniston or especially Gwyneth Paltrow. I just view it as knowing your job.

    ReplyDelete
  39. "I think what struck me as unprepared on the interviewer's part was not knowing Jones was the daughter of Quincy Jones and Peggy Lipton."

    I wouldn't be agreeing there. What does it matter from between who's knees she sprung? She had little or nothing to do with the success of Quincy Jones, or the Mod Squad girl, so what's the point of bringing it up in a short red carpet interview?
    She's allegedly there because of her talent and work ethic. Not because her dad is Quincy Jones. So who sired her should be irrelevant. Right?

    People like to talk about America being the first classless society. We broke from England primarily because of class issues. We didn't like it. Well... at least a lot of us didn't like it. Other's love it. They lean into it. One way of ensuring we're like shiddy ol' England (and England is a socially autistic shitpile) is having some faux butler announcing the presence of the daughter of Quincy Jones at red carpet events.

    Leave Quincy Jone's daughter alone!

    -Anonymous 1

    ReplyDelete

NOTE: Even though leaving a comment anonymously is an option here, we really discourage that. Please use a name using the Name/URL option. Invent one if you must. Be creative. Anonymous comments are subject to deletion. Thanks.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.