POP CULTURE: ASK MEN- TOP 10 MALE ENTOURAGES

EW DISNEY STAR ANIKA NONI ROSE TO HOST AFROPOP PUBLIC TELEVISION SERIES

Documentary Series on Contemporary African Diaspora Returns in October for Second Season

New York, NY (BlackNews.com) - Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, who recently made history by being cast as the first-ever African-American princess in Disney's The Princess and the Frog, has signed on to host the new season of AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange. An innovative documentary series on contemporary life, art and pop culture in the African Diaspora, AfroPoP's second season comes to public television in October 2009. The series is produced by the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), and co-presented by American Public Television (APT).

As the series host, Rose will introduce audiences to powerful stories about African boxers who journey across the Atlantic to match their skills against the best in global contests; a teenage girl who travels to Ghana and a Sierre Leonian ex-patriate who returns to his homeland, each hoping to dispel prevailing myths about the two continents; and, Hurricane Katrina victims who find themselves refugees in their own country.

In announcing Rose's hosting role on AfroPoP, NBPC Executive Director Jacquie Jones explained: "Anika's body of work reflects not only a strong connection to the African-American experience, but her recent work in Africa shows she shares a link to and insightful understanding of Black life in other parts of the world. At the same time, we were looking for a youthful voice who could express the great breadth of the Diaspora. She is a perfect fit for the series."

Film audiences will be reunited with Rose in November when she plays "Princess Tiana" in the animated, Disney musical feature opening in November. Her other recent acclaimed roles include secretary "Makutsi" in Anthony Minghella's HBO series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, "Lorrell Robinson" in the major motion picture Dreamgirls, and "Maggie" in the all-black cast of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof on Broadway. Rose won a Tony Award for her performance in Caroline, or Change.

To preview the series or for more information on the films or filmmakers, visit www.AfroPoP.tv

ABOUT THE FILMS:

The Fighting Spirit

Dir. George Amponsah

Boxing is show business with blood--a tough sport, which has always found its top competitors from the poorest neighborhoods. Bukom, a tiny district in Ghana's capital city of Accra, is one such locale. Grounded in a long cultural tradition of wrestling that over the years developed into boxing, the tiny fishing village trains young people to fight--and win. Bukom has produced up to five percent of the world's champion and Olympic medal boxers. The Fighting Spirit tells the story of three fighters from Bukom--two men and a woman--as they battle their way to the glittering rings of Europe and America to compete for the biggest prizes in the business. Viewers watch the athletes fight for respect and reward for their tribe and their home, and witness their triumphs and defeats in and out of the ring.

Black to Our Roots

Dir. Tre Whitlow

Living in a housing project in Atlanta, Georgia, 17-year-old Sylvia Dorsey is frustrated by the drug abuse and violence that surrounds her. Black To Our Roots is the inspirational story of the journey Sylvia takes to explore her ancestral home in Ghana in an attempt to escape the cycle of violence and poverty of her Atlanta neighborhood. In Africa, Sylvia confronts several challenges that test her patience and change her life forever. When she returns to the United States, will she be able to adjust to her old world as a new woman? This film is a testament to the power of change.

Desert Bayou

Dir. Alex LeMay

In the wake of one of the worst natural and humanitarian disasters ever to visit American shores, nearly 600 African Americans were airlifted to the almost entirely white state of Utah...without their knowledge. Desert Bayou seeks to examine whether two cultures can come together in a time of utter chaos, or whether their differences prove too great a challenge to overcome. In their own words evacuees of Hurricane Katrina, tell how they survived the storm of the century and out of the rubble ended up at a military installation in the deserts of Utah. With interviews from evacuees, political, military and religious leaders, community and social figures, the questions of race, politics and religion hurtle towards each other in this truly American story: a story of loss and reunion, of sorrow and rebirth, of anger and rejoicing, but most of all...a story of hope.

Moving to the Beat

Dir. Caleb Heymann/Abdul Fofanah

Moving to the Beat explores how youth in Africa and America are using hip hop music to communicate with one another and as a language for social change. The documentary follows Rebel Soulz, a hip hop group from Portland, Oregon, as they journey to Freetown, Sierra Leone to bring the radical roots of American hip hop to the motherland of Africa. In the process of collaborating and interacting with the local artists, the visitors confront their own stereotypes and fantasies of Africa while shattering the Sierra Leoneans perception of America as a "second heaven." The result is a deeply forged connection that transcends centuries of misunderstanding and separation, and becomes an inspiring call for people worldwide to transcend boundaries.

ABOUT NBPC

The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), a national, nonprofit media arts organization, is the leading provider of black programming on public television and the greatest resource for the training of black media professionals within the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). NBPC develops, produces and funds television and online programming about the black experience and, since its founding in 1979, has provided hundreds of broadcast hours documenting African American history, culture and experience to public television. For more on NBPC and its initiatives, visit www.nbpc.tv

ABOUT AMERICAN PUBLIC TELEVISION

With more than 10,000 hours of programming in its library, American Public Television (APT) has been a prime source of programming for the nation's public television stations for 47 years, distributing more than 300 new program titles per year. APT milestones include distribution of the first HD series on public television and the 2006 launch of Create(TM) - the TV channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. Known for its leadership in identifying innovative, worthwhile and viewer-friendly programming, APT has established a tradition of providing public television stations with program choices that strengthen and customize their schedules, such as: Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert, Winged Migration, Battlefield Britain, Globe Trekker, Rick Steves' Europe, Great Museums, Jacques Pépin: Fast Food My Way, America's Test Kitchen From Cook's Illustrated, Broadway: The Golden Age, Lidia's Family Table, California Dreamin' - The Songs of The Mamas & the Papas, Rosemary and Thyme, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, The Big Comfy Couch, Monarchy With David Starkey, and other prominent documentaries including AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange Program, dramatic series, how-to programs, children's series and classic movies. For more information about APT's programs and services, visit APTonline.org

POP CULTURE: TOP 10 IRRITATING CARTOON CHARACTERS OF ALL TIME

HERE’S A FUN LISTING FROM MY AMIGOS AT ASK MEN MAGAZINE: THE TOP 10 MOST IRRITATING CARTOON CHARACTERS OF ALL TIME. CHEERS & ENJOY

Top 10: Irritating Cartoon Characters

Even the coolest of cartoons had its lame-duck character. Here are 10 personalities who ruined our Saturday mornings.

By Ryan Murphy, Entertainment Correspondent

Page 1: Irritating cartoon characters

Robin from Batman is an irritating cartoon character

From the 1960s until the 1990s, Saturday mornings were synonymous with cartoons. Children from coast to coast knew they could park themselves in front of the TV with a bowl of Count Chocula in their laps and indulge in hours of mindless entertainment.

Mind you, it wasn’t always perfect. For every character you loved on a show there were literally dozens of irritating cartoon characters that you reviled. These animated annoyances were so incredibly awkward, meddlesome and arrogant that you wanted to take them by their scrawny little necks and give them a proper thrashing.

It’s with these supremely aggravating figures in mind that we proudly present our list of the top 10 most irritating cartoon characters to ever grace the small screen. Top off your bowl of cereal and tune in!

Number 10

Robin

Batman

Lame doesn’t even begin to describe what your life must be like when you spend your teenage years cruising around town with a 35-year-old man, wearing little more than a pair of green leotards. If he had served a better purpose it would have been one thing, but Robin’s primary duty was to get rescued by the Dark Knight while uttering idiotic lines like “Leaping lizards, Batman!” Thanks, but if our life is on the line, we’ll stick with Superman.

Number 9

Rocket J. Squirrel

The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show

We’ve always believed that squirrels are just rats with better PR, which is one of many reasons we detest Rocky the Flying Squirrel. We also hate his morally righteous attitude and his voice, which is so gratingly high-pitched that it sounds like he has been squeezing his nuts rather than hiding them.

Number 8

Boo-Boo Bear

The Yogi Bear Show

It’s appropriate that Boo-Boo is named after a mistake, because that’s precisely what William Hanna and Joseph Barbera made when they added this pint-sized cub to The Yogi Bear Show. A genuine wet blanket, this blue bow-tie-wearing bupkes always brought the action to a grinding halt, preventing his old pal Yogi from satisfying his carnal need for “pic-a-nic” baskets. And what was the deal with his painfully plodding cadence? If anyone actually thought as slowly as he talked they’d still be deciding what to have for breakfast yesterday. Suffice it to say, this Jellystone Park resident was -- and always will be -- duller than the average bear.

Other irritating cartoon characters who ruined your Saturday morning…

Page 2: Cartoon characters

Number 7

Newton

The Mighty Hercules

Easily the most inept superhero sidekick of all-time, Hercules’ little buddy was constantly getting nabbed by Daedalus and even his cat Dydo. No matter how you do the math, the bare-chested, girly sounding Newton was half boy, half horse and all annoying.

Number 6

Dennis Mitchell

Dennis the Menace

The very personification of annoyance, Dennis Mitchell was a devilish little imp whose mischievous spirit caused headaches for everyone around him. From the smudge of dirt on his nose to the well-worn slingshot protruding from his back pocket, this spawn of satan was less welcome than mono at a make-out party.

Number 5

Tweety Bird

Looney Tunes

We’ve never subscribed to the belief that something is adorable simply because it’s pathetically undersized, and that’s especially true with Tweety. This cloying yellow canary’s schtick can be boiled down to a single redundant plot, a tiresome catchphrase and a voice so sickly sweet that it could send a listener spiraling into a diabetic coma.

Number 4

Olive Oyl

Popeye

We like our cartoon characters to be voluptuous vixens like Jessica Rabbit, which is why we’ve always been disappointed by Olive Oyl, a one-dimensional beanpole with enormous feet and breasts that look like mosquito bites. In addition to having a face that could stop a clock, Olive Oyl was also constantly disrupting Popeye’s schedule by getting kidnapped and tied to railroad tracks. Just once we would have loved to have seen the crusty ‘ol sailor man leave her there and get on with his life.

The top three irritating cartoon characters…

Page 3: Cartoons

The Flinstones' Great Gazoo was a very annoying cartoon character

Number 3

Lucy van Pelt

A Boy Named Charlie Brown

A fuss-budget of the first degree, Lucy lived to torment others. Whether converting Linus’ beloved blankie into a kite or swiping the football away from Charlie Brown at the last possible moment, her thoughtless actions always left a path of heartache and destruction in their wake. As if that weren’t bad enough, Lucy was also the group’s resident know-it-all whose psychiatric advice would always leave her patients feeling more distressed than when they arrived. It’s no wonder that Schroeder constantly rejected her advances.

Number 2

Woody Woodpecker

The Woody Woodpecker Show

One of the industry’s original screwball characters, Woody Woodpecker was a cruel prankster with the kind of voice that would make you want to drive a lawn dart into your ears. When he wasn’t polluting the air with his sickening laughter, Woody was stealing from hapless victims and drilling his razor-sharp beak into the heads of innocent bystanders.

Number 1

The Great Gazoo

The Flintstones

It’s never a good sign when you need to introduce an annoying green alien to help reinvigorate your program. It’s especially troubling when your program is set in the Stone Age. That was precisely what happened on October 29, 1965, when producers of The Flintstones foisted The Great Gazoo on an unsuspecting public. This blatant Mr. Mxyzptlk knockoff was constantly showing up at the most inopportune of times and would literally add insult to injury when he would refer to Fred and Barney as a pair of “dumb-dumbs.” Not surprisingly, The Flintstones was canceled soon after The Great Gazoo’s first appearance, bringing an inglorious end to an otherwise classic cartoon.

toon in

Unfortunately for today’s cartoon aficionados, annoying characters aren’t limited to a single generation. Irritating sidekicks and meddlesome villains continue to pollute our screens and ruin promising shows.

POP CULTURE: ASK MEN- TOP 10 MALE DATING MYTHS

CHECK OUT THIS ENLIGHTENING ARTICLE FROM MIM FAMILIA AT ASKMEN.COM. THE TOPIC IS MALE DATING MYTHS. AFTERWARDS LEAVE YOUR COMMENT. ENJOY.

Great Male Survey: Dating Myths

The results of AM's Great Male Survey debunk some major myths that have held guys back in the dating world.

By Gary Jackson, Relationship Correspondent

Page 1: Top 10: Male Myths - Dating

Top 10 male myths about dating

Myths have sprung up about the nature of men for ages. Mainly spread by women, they paint a picture of a shallow little creature who is particularly scared of women who are "better" than him. If these rumors are believed by the very men they are about then we often stumble into situations like dating not really wanting to be there, and not knowing what to do when we are there.

Of course, some of these male myths are most definitely false, especially when it comes to dating. The Great Male Survey, carried out here at AM, aims to get to the root of the modern man, dispel the myths surrounding him and reveal the true, complex nature of guys and dating.

However, until women learn from the findings of the Great Male Survey, they'll continue to believe the stories they've made up about us when it comes to dating. Here, we look at the common male myths surrounding the controversial subject of dating.

Number 10

Men like younger women

Conventional wisdom suggests it's hardwired into men to go for younger women, that it's instinctive, and on that deep, animal level we're looking for a woman who has the best chance of giving us children. Of course, younger women are more likely to do this than older ones, however, it is by no means a hard-and-fast rule.

Then again, it's the younger women who make themselves more attractive. They're the ones hitting the clubs, dressed to impress. They're also the ones least likely to be locked into an established, long-term relationship. Maybe we're just taking our pick of what's on offer? We'll have to wait and see…

Number 9

Men hate chick flicks

Gentle humor and predictable, heart-warming endings: Why wouldn't guys like chick flicks? The fact is they're targeted at women. The stories they want to hear, the men they want date, the plucky, if slightly overweight, girl gets her happy ending -- and not a single gunfight, car chase or explosion throughout the entire thing.

However, do men "hate" them? Hate's a strong word. While guys don't walk into a bar and tell their buddies to check out the latest chick flick at the movies, most have sat down and made it through Bridget Jones' Diary. Some might have even liked it.

Number 8

Men are eager to cheat

Women have this firmly held belief that the only thing stopping us from falling into bed with their best friend, the hot barmaid or the nearest stranger is their constant, steely gaze upon us. When it comes to sex, myths have sprung up claiming men are ruled by the penis and not even relationships, promises or consequences are able to stop us from sleeping with someone else.

This could be true for some men, but it'd be rather harsh to judge us all by these standards. And maybe women shouldn't be so quick to propagate this myth. A recent poll found 40% of guys think dating should be exclusive, while just 33% of women agreed to that same statement.

Number 7

Men are intimidated by intelligence

The stereotype that men are looking for a blond bimbo girlfriend is a commonly held one. According to this myth, we men don't want a woman who can think for herself and actually hold an opinion or read the odd book or two. No, that would undermine our own intelligence. We just want a girl to look pretty and keep quiet.

Maybe it's our (almost) constant lusting over airhead models and actresses that makes this seem like a plausible myth. However, research suggests that 70% of us highly rate intelligence, with 50% ranking looks as being important. Of course, stick a guy in a bar with a super-smart, yet rough-looking, woman and a stunning, ditzy chick and these stats may just evaporate.

Number 6

Men are intimidated by success

Men tend to be competitive by nature. Throw a bunch together and before long, just like peacocks or stags, we'll be trying to find out who's the best; who can shoot the most hoops; who earns more, etc. At times, we can get close to whipping out a measuring stick just to see who's really the man amongst us.

So the myth perpetuates that this must-win attitude carries over to our dating. Apparently, we don't want to meet successful women because that would somehow make us less manly -- after all, we're supposed to look after the chick, right? In reality, just 6% of men would be concerned if their date earned more than them. However, the rest might change their minds when their date picks them up from their mom's house in her brand new BMW.

We hope to debunk a few more male myths about dating...

Page 2: Male Myths - Dating

Number 5

Men are scared of marriage

The Kryptonite of all men, allegedly, is the institution of marriage. It's the one thing that can send an otherwise functional guy in a happy relationship completely insane. Faced with the prospect of a wedding, a guy will chew off his own leg before going through with that long walk down the aisle.

This logic means that every married man on the planet was either tricked, coerced or bribed into settling down with the woman he loves. It's not even like women are that desperate to head down the aisle these days. In figures that would shock Jane Austin, just 18% of women say they are looking for marriage.

Number 4

Men want to be eternal bachelors

And who wouldn't? A constant stream of women looking to share your bed and as much beer and PlayStation as you can handle is the life of the real bachelor. A wife, kids, responsibility -- they just complicate an otherwise perfect bachelor life, no?

Well, apparently 85% of single men would like to find a partner. While guys do like the bachelor lifestyle, it doesn't always mean we want to be single forever. Just like women, we don't want to lose too much of our freedom, which is why we try to hang on to those little things that make us feel like we're one of the guys.

Number 3

Men aren't romantics

Given that 14% think sending flowers is a cliché, and 45% believe a woman should contribute toward the cost of the first date, it's no wonder this myth exists. Women have this notion that men are just simple, lumbering beasts with no concept of romance or how to woo the girl they want -- but, really, what is romance?

Usually, romance is seen as just another way for women to get free stuff out of the guy they're seeing. A bunch of flowers, an expensive bracelet, a surprise holiday: this is what women expect in exchange for spending time with them, and they dress it up as "romance." At the same time, they seem to forget the important things we do all the time like telling them they look great, opening doors and pulling out chairs. Is it chivalry or shiny things that classifies as romantic these days?

Number 2

Men only care about looks

A study found that one-third of men would not date an overweight woman, while 65% would happily get involved with a girl sporting large breasts. This is hardly surprising. If attraction happens within the first few seconds of seeing someone, the bulk of it is bound to be on looks, as it's all we've got to on.

However, 67% of men find self-confidence an attractive trait in prospective dates, while 53% rated sophistication a top priority. So, while being good-looking helps us notice women, maybe in reality we're a lot more selective than society gives us credit for?

Number 1

Men are scared of commitment

The biggest cliché in the dating book reads "men run a mile when asked to commit." The second a guy tries to maintain a little of his freedom to have his own life, interests and friends, he's accused of having "commitment issues." Apparently, having spent all the time and effort getting into a relationship, our next thought is to then escape it.

Men don't always want an easy, open arrangement and 72% would never date a girl they thought had "loose morals." It could be that there is some part of us that's hardwired to always seek new experiences and not get stuck in one place for too long. However, that doesn't mean we can't appreciate a real, committed relationship too.

the mysteries of men

Well, that's just some of the trash that gets thrown around about men on the street. Maybe some of it is true, maybe some is way off the mark. And regardless of the stats listed above, we're still not convinced.

However, AM's Great Male Survey will soon let us find out what the scores really are. Which could be cause for a lot more respect from women, but it could also take away a lot of our excuses for bad behavior…