Sunday, January 12, 2014

Out Spotlight

Today's Out Spotlight was a filmmaker, educator, poet and gay rights activist. He examined race and sexuality in his documentaries for which he received an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award.  Today's Out Spotlight is Marlon Riggs.

Marlon Riggs was born on February 3, 1957, to a military family, and spent most of his childhood living on different bases. At 11, his family moved to West Germany. He remained there until graduating from high school where he was student-body president.

Riggs attended Harvard, graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in history. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. After graduating, he joined the faculty.

In 1987, he released his first television film, “Ethnic Notions,” for which he received an Emmy Award. He followed this with “Tongues Tied,” the first televised documentary focusing on the black gay experience. During production, Riggs was diagnosed with HIV. Many of his poems about HIV were included in the documentary.

The critically acclaimed film sparked controversy. The religious right objected to the content of the movie and used it to protest public funding of sexually explicit art. Riggs became a leading advocate for independent television that would support controversial topics.

Riggs’s next project, “Color Adjustment,” focused on 40 years of prime-time representations of African-Americans. In 1991, the film received television’s highest honor, the Peabody Award. That same year, Riggs was recognized with the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 1994, Riggs began working on his last film, “Black Is…Black Ain’t.” During production, his health deteriorated. In the documentary, Riggs appears on screen from his hospital bed saying, “As long as I have work then I’m not going to die, ’cause work is a living spirit in me.”

Riggs died from AIDS-related complications on April 5, 1994. He is survived by his life partner, Jack Vincent. “Black Is…Black Ain’t” was completed posthumously by the co-producer and released in 1995.

 “Black men loving black men is THE revolutionary act.”

26 comments:

destiny said...

I never heard of Riggs before. So sad to read about another artist lost to AIDS, but also inspiring how motivated he was to work as long as he could.

OMG fiction about Jake in LA - Wrong again! said...

January 13, 2014

KATHMANDU: Hollywood actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Josh Brolin have arrived in Nepal to shoot a new film based on the Everest bestseller "Into Thin Air", a government official said on Monday.

prairiegirl said...

No I believe you are conjecturing prematurely. That is supposedly yesterday, Jan 12.

Jake and Maggie were tweeted about renting the after hours location on Friday the 10th.

Criminetleys, at least present a decent argument.

And if you're wanting to make the argument that Jake and Maggie couldn't have been in LA on Friday because Jake was in Nepal already, then you better put on a big bib and take up your fork and knife because you're going to have to eat your plate of NYC tweets that you've been beholding on and using to argue that's where he was on Friday.

You can't even keep track of where you're wanting Jake to be.

prairiegirl said...

Actually, the article just says they've "arrived", doesn't give a date.

I'm also not so positive it's 100% correct. I saw a couple of tweets that Josh may have been at the Golden Globes last night. So my jury is still out on that one.

prairiegirl said...

Hmmm. I wonder if Josh Brolin knows that he has officially entered JakeWorld? You know, now he's going to have to watch what he says to the press and he's going to need to hide where he's at on weekend breaks and days off so as not to give away Jake's private itinerary and possibly compromise what JakeCamp wants "out there" ?

: )

destiny said...

That trailer sure is strange. I can't tell whether it's something I'd want to see, I'll have to wait for the reviews.

nepalese said...

I'm also not so positive it's 100% correct. I saw a couple of tweets that Josh may have been at the Golden Globes last night. So my jury is still out on that one.

Please look at twitter timeline of @sameermdixit. He was on a flight with Josh Brolin to Nepal. Has photo of the two of them. Preceded GG ceremony.

tbh... said...

Jakeworld is a cakewalk compared to the deception Josh Brolin is used to regarding his own personal life. He's a pro at this.

in the meantime said...

Carol Anne Meehan ‏@CarolAnneCTV

#ottnews #ctvottawa Enemy- starring Jake Gyllenhaal leads pack with 10 nominations for Canadian Screen Awards. http://o.canada.com/entertainment/movies/canadian-screen-awards-2014/ …

Monday said...

I hate to change the subject. But have you guys noticed that Miss Miller is following Chris Fischer and visa versa on Instagram . Now these two just started following each other just recently. Jake and Miss Miller "broke up" and Chris is following her on instagram. I am not implying that chris and miss miller are an item. But why would you follow your friends ex girlfriend instagram account. And one more question why is Jake's mom still commenting on miss millers instagram account. Are Chris and Jake's mom just trying to be nice so she does not tell the press about her and jake's "relationship". I just wanted to add that I do read your blog almost everyday, and just do not understand why people come to your site to get you guys upset on issues regarding jake and austin. You guys keep up the good work on this blog !

they may be friends said...

But why would you follow your friends ex girlfriend instagram account.

you mean your friend's contract beard? Jake and ALyssa may be friends, who knows. Friendships happen regardless of contracts beginning and ending. Friends probably make the best beards. It sounds like when Reese and Jake's friendship soured, that's when the arrangement soured. Austin and Sophia were good friends, you could see it in their body language. Alyssa is absolutely under a non-disclosure agreement, she will never tell anyone about the "relationship."

More damage control said...

Chris and Miller probably just started following each other to make the fake relationship look more believable. There's snark all over the internet because nobody in their right mind believes this guy anymore.

PR might have thought the relationship looked more credible to have Chris and her follow each other since she supposedly met him when she and Jake were there for their photo op in Martha's Vineyard last July.

What PR is counting on is that everyone will loose track of when they started to become twitter pals. Because you see, three months from now, everyone will just assume they were following each other all along.

ohmeohmy! said...

I thought Jake and Alyssa met at cycle?

prairiegirl said...

My question is to Monday: what do you think is the significance of these Instagram observations?

the same old said...

There's snark all over the internet

that's a lie

prairiegirl said...

No, it is not a lie; that is this person's opinion.

Someone is trying to clog things up around here with irrelevant "observations". Someone is trying to cover up or distract from something going on in the background.

How come all of a sudden, someone (who sounds and has a very similar writing style to one April August of several months ago) is wanting to talk about Alyssa Miller and her Instagram goings on?

There's nothing going on right now in JakeWorld. All that's been discussed today is Josh Brolin, Jake and the Nepal arrival story.

Verrrry interesting.

a lie is a lie said...

Then the person would have to add "in my opinion"

ohmeoy said...

Oh please. Posters on this blog have been following Alyssa on instagram for months that's how you found out Naomi was following her.Must have annoyed you when you found out she still is and Chris is now too . Must have started around the time Chris was in NY spotted with Jake.
Why?Hmm?

just sayin said...



Monday noticed something he/she thought peculiar and was bringing it here for the file-away. Who cares if it hadn't already been discussed today? Are you the topic police??

This person said they support this blog, read every day and to keep up the good work. And you, Prairie Girl, immediately assumes they are a troll. You essentially imply that they are PR.

you'd have a lot more supportive posters here if you didn't try to immediately drive everyone away.

No wonder so many posters here don't post under a regular name.

prairiegirl said...

No, don't give me that, Just Sayin'. Let me show you something.


April August said...

On twitter the person name was Anita Flores and she said she saw them in Barnes and Nobel and they were making out . Maybe this relationship is real? But then I look on Miss Millers instagram and notice after Jake walking the dog, she starts posting pictures of her dog. I don't know I am really confused. Yesterday's pap pictures seem so fake. Look at the way they are holding hands . There hand grasp looks loose like they don't want to hold hands. And why is no one smiling if they are suppose to be in love.

July 14, 2013 at 4:41 PM



There are very few people who comment on this blog. There's us handful of regulars and then periodically we get some very sharp observations when lurkers are reacting to something.

Other than that, I'm sorry but the honest truth is Jake himself is the one who has chased off and turned off his fans.

I know when I see something out of the ordinary.

prairiegirl said...

Sorry folks for all of that. I am taking my yak off the blog now and keeping it off the record for the remainder of the evening.

Monday said...

All I am saying is that I find it weird that Chris just started following Miss Miller and Jake's mom cont to comment on Miss Millers account. Sorry for any confusion from my previous comment.

the real m said...

Chris is a chef. Like it or not the beard has contacts who will have parties, events that require the services of a chef. Business is business. Especially when the chef is well familiar with beards 1 through 4 and knows they are just employees of Jakes, so no hard feelings when the contract ends. Though I'm sure the latest beard expected a bigger career boost than she got.

the real m said...

Isn't Katmandu like a 20 or more hour flight? I think it's quite long whether from JFK or LAX. So he may still be on his way and the mags just touting arrival prematurely.

Methodical Muser said...

you'd have a lot more supportive posters here if you didn't try to immediately drive everyone away.

Oh, please. Put your crying towel away. It's Jake who chases people off all on his own. Years of mendacity, misogyny and never ending duplicity is what is doing him in. That is his "don't bother me kid" attitude. Look over at Data Lounge. Someone tried to introduce the topic of BREAKING NEWS: Jake Gyllenhaal is single yet AGAIN! on January 7, and six days later there is only one comment:
He just can't meet the right...girl.

LOL! I think that says it all.

destiny said...

Thanks Monday for your observations, I don't follow things so closely so I'm always grateful to people who bring up observations like that.