Posts Tagged ‘PBS’
Blank On Blank: Michael Jackson Speaking On Godliness (Video)
September 18, 2014
“My singing… I’ll just say it simple as possible: it’s just godly.”
– Michael Jackson
The legend of Michael Jackson lives, in all facets, through things like this interview; animated for and presented by PBS’ Blank On Blank series. And part of his legend, is the well-known quirkiness inherent in in-person interaction with the King Of Pop. Even before “Thriller,” MJJ had his rules… like don’t stare or look him directly in the eyes. The rule/directive for this interview: Michael only talks to his sister Janet. So the interviewer, John Pidgeon, had to ask his questions to then 13-year old Janet Jackson who then relayed them to Michael.
Still, we get great insight from the session. Check it out.
Posted in Animation, Celebrity, History, Series, Videos | 
Tags: Blank on Blank, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson Speaking On Godliness, PBS, PBS Digital Studios | 
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Sesame Street: Janelle Monae – “Power of Yet” (Video)
September 13, 2014
You just didn’t get it…yet…
– Janelle Monae, On The “Power of Yet”
Don’t you just love Janelle? If not, too bad. We do. And apparently the kids do. PBS and Sesame Street certainly had to love the work she put in for them on this!
If you believe in yourself, you’ll get there. That’s the power of yet. You might not be ready for outer space yet, but just work hard and keep your eye on the prize and you’ll get to where you want to be!
Posted in Celebrity, Dance, Education, R&B, Series, Soul, Television, Videos, Youth | Tags: Children's Television Workshop, Janelle Monae, PBS, Power of Yet, Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop | No Comments »
Blank On Blank: Ray Charles Speaking On Singing True (Video)
January 10, 2014
Interview by Joe Smith captured some gems in interviewing the late great Ray Charles during the writing of “Off the Record” (June 3, 1987).
“If somebody don’t like something that I do, that’s his or her prerogative. Just like it’s mine.”
– Ray Charles
Posted in Animation, Celebrity, History, Series, Soul, Videos | Tags: Blank on Blank, PBS, PBS Digital Studios, Ray Charles, Ray Charles on Singing True | No Comments »
Barry White Speaking On What He Knows Best: Making Love (Video)
January 10, 2014
Not sure if you remember where you were when The Maestro, Barry White, passed from this realm… but if you love good ‘love’ music, you gotta miss his music!
“When a man’s making love, the last thing he thinks about is war.”
– Barry White
That’s right. Check out the Blank on Blank by PBS animation of audio of an interview by Joe Smith, during the writing of Off the Record (April 3, 1987; Los Angeles, California, USA). Dope content. A lot to think about and enjoy in this one.
Posted in Animation, Celebrity, History, R&B, Series, Soul, Videos | Tags: Barry White, Barry White on Making Love, Blank on Blank, PBS, PBS Digital Studios | No Comments »
James Brown Knew How The World Worked (Video)
December 16, 2013
Another great PBS ‘Blank on Blank’ episode. This one features animation of an interview with the ‘hardest working man in show business’… the late great Soul Brother #1, James Brown! An artist known to speak on politics and civil rights, he also had a thing or two to say about late President Ronald Reagan. Watch. Very interesting.
Posted in Animation, Celebrity, History, Radio, Series, Videos | Tags: Blank on Blank, James Brown, James Brown on Conviction, PBS, PBS Digital Studios, Respect & Reagan | No Comments »
PBS’ Blank On Blank: Interview With Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong (Video)
December 14, 2013
Okay, so we’re hooked on PBS’ Blank on Blank series. Great animation built up around a 1964 radio interview with legendary jazz trumpeter/vocalist Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. Interviewed by Michael Aisner and James R. Stein. Originally aired on WNTH (Winnetka, Illinois).
“You’ve got to be good or as bad as the devil. … Even if we had two, three days off I still had to blow that horn a few hours to keep up the chops.”
– Louis Armstrong
Posted in Animation, Jazz, Series, Videos | Tags: Blank on Blank, Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, Louis Armstrong, Louis Armstrong on His Chops, PBS, PBS Digital Studios, Satchmo | No Comments »
PBS: ‘Blank on Blank’ Presents Wilt Chamberlain Sharing Some Tall Tales And Little Known Truths (Video)
December 13, 2013
“Today when you see someone close to my size… you think ‘dollar signs’…And they don’t think ‘circus freak’…”
– Wilt Chamberlain
Y’all know the stories about basketball legend and ladies’ man Wilt Chamberlain (yup, ladies love Wilt’s “stilt”)… obviously that ‘freak’ thing worked for him off-court, too (nah… it’s his sensitivity). Another great episode ‘Blank on Blank’ by PBS Digital Studios. Insightful while staying light and entertaining.
Posted in Animation, History, Sports, Television, Videos | Tags: PBS, PBS Digital Studios, Wilt Chamberlain, Wilt Chamberlain on Tall Tales | Blank on Blank | No Comments »
PBS: ‘Blank on Blank’ Presents Tupac On Life And Death (Video)
December 12, 2013
“I feel like a tragic hero in a Shakespeare play.”
– Tupac Shakur
Interviewed by Benjamin Svetkey in March 1994, the recording of Tupac’s candid comments was put to good use here; bringing life to the PBS ‘Blank on Blank’ animation. Something about the cartoon images moving, speaking in the video. Just watch and experience and learn from Tupac once more; no 3D technology required.
Posted in Animation, Hip-Hop, History, Television, Videos | Tags: Blank on Blank, PBS, PBS Digital Studios, Tupac Shakur, Tupac Shakur on Life and Death | No Comments »
PBS: See The Largest Racist Memorabilia Collection In The United States (Video)
November 12, 2013
Racist images in the Jim Crow era were used as propaganda to send messages that demeaned African Americans and legitimized violence against them. A visit to the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University in Michigan—home to the largest collection of racist memorabilia in the country—reveals racist memorabilia and messages in all forms, from kitchen utensils to postcards featuring images of public whippings. Among the museum’s collection is a row of caricatures—the Pickaninny, the Tom, the coon, the tragic mulatto, the Jezebel, the savage.
Every piece in the collection had a dual purpose: Reflect existing attitudes toward Black people AND shape future attitudes toward them.
Learn more in Making a Way Out of No Way, episode four of the six-part series, The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Episode four premieres on PBS this evening (November 12, 2013, 8-9 pm ET).
The Difference Between The Haves And The Have-Nots? Cal-Berkley Study Says… Morality (Video)
November 6, 2013
See? This is why money cannot buy happiness… because those who have money never feel they have enough OF ANYTHING. Astonishing clip above. PBS coverage of a research study that concludes that folks in high-end vehicles are in such a rush they’d nearly run a guy down in a crosswalk (when those worse off probably have more motivation to ‘not be late’ to wherever they are going)… that given opportunity, well-to-do study participants (more often than poorer participants) would take candy from kids… lie about test results reported via ‘honor system’… I mean, wow.
In a series of startling studies, psychologists at the University of California at Berkeley have found that “upper-class individuals behave more unethically than lower-class individuals.” Ongoing research is trying to find out what it is about wealth — or lack of it — that makes people behave they way they do.
– PBS
Check it out.
Posted in Human Interest, Science, Television, Vintage | Tags: Berkeley, immorality, morality, PBS, research, University of California, University of California at Berkeley, Wealth | No Comments »
PBS: Jimi Hendrix – Hear My Train A Comin’ (Documentary Preview)
October 26, 2013
PBS’ preview for its Jimi Hendrix documentary featuring archival performance footage and interviews with Hendrix and musicians on his showmanship. The film will be from PBS’ American Masters series. Director Bob Smeaton also mixes in Hendrix’s own commentary. The late rock icon Hendrix would have been 70 years old this year.
Posted in Film, History, Rock, Videos | Tags: American Masters, Hear My Train A Comin, Jimi Hendrix, PBS | No Comments »
Talib Kweli Speaks on Artistic Integrity With Tavis Smiley (Video)
May 21, 2013
Brooklyn’s own Talib Kweli sits down with Tavis Smiley on his PBS television show to discuss his latest LP “Prisoner of Conscious,” his artistic approach (and how it has changed), and more. In the above clip, Talib relates his firm stance on artistic integrity; holding that succumbing to every whim of his fans would actually betray them… in that doing so would mean he was not being a true artist. View the entire interview after the jump.
TALIB KWELI – PRISONER OF CONSCIOUS
– @ojones1
Posted in Album, Hip-Hop, Opinion, Television, Videos | Tags: PBS, Prisoner Of Conscious, TALIB KWELI, Tavis Smiley | No Comments »
Malcolm X: Make It Plain (Documentary)
May 19, 2013
Happy Birthday El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz! Thank you for teaching us to love ourselves. In honor of Malcolm X’s birthday today check out this 1994 PBS documentary entitled “Malcolm X: Make It Plain”
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Cover Story, Education, History, Human Interest, News, Politics, Videos | Tags: Documentary, El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, Malcolm X, Malcolm X: Make It Plain, PBS | No Comments »
Eyes on the Stars: Ronald McNair Lived His Dream (Video)
May 6, 2013
I have been a life-long admirer of NASA Mission Specialist Dr. Ronald McNair. “Eyes on the Stars” (above) is a great PBS StoryCorps short about him; narrated by his brother Carl.
‘On January 28, 1986, NASA Challenger mission STS-51-L ended in tragedy when the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after takeoff. On board was physicist Ronald E. McNair, who was the second African American to enter space. But first, he was a kid with big dreams in Lake City, South Carolina.’
– PBS StoryCorps
A real American hero, I often shared Dr. McNair’s story during Black History Month observances at my high school. A shame we no longer have a space program to speak of in the U.S. Dreams of space travel, and astronauts like Ronald McNair who made those dreams real, are what had youngsters nationwide studying hard in math and science classes. Because you weren’t going anywhere near a shuttle if you didn’t know math and science.
A generation of kids, dreaming…filled with hope…and working hard in school. That is the legacy of Dr. McNair and all those who dared to ‘boldly go where [few] have gone before.’
R.I.P. Dr. McNair, you were an inspiration for so many (including other Black boys from the south, like me).
Footage of Dr. McNair’s final moments (aboard the doomed shuttle Challenger) – headed for the stars – after the jump. I still get choked up watching the footage.
– @ojones1
Posted in History, Human Interest, Science, Videos | Tags: Eyes on the Stars, PBS, Ronald McNair, Story Corps | No Comments »
Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA Raps About Science (Video)
April 10, 2013
Now, this is edu-tainment (word to KRS-ONE)! Check it as the GZA shows his genius on PBS Television. How about that: GZA dropping science on Public Television! Yeah, I said it! But don’t take my word for it…
‘Rap legend GZA gives us a sneak peak of one of the songs from his new album, “Dark Matter.” The rapper has encouraged New York City public schools use Hip-Hop as a tool to teach science.’
– PBS Newshour
– @ojones1
Posted in Education, Hip-Hop, Human Interest, Television, Videos | Tags: Gza, PBS, Science, Wu Tang Clan's GZA Raps About Science, Wu-Tang | 1 Comment »
Slavery By Another Name (Documentary)
February 15, 2012
In case you missed the PBS documentary “Slavery By Another Name” when it aired Monday night February 13th, you can click on the link below to watch the whole thing from your computer. Read more about this powerful documentary after the jump below. The above video is just an insight into the making of the documentary, but the full 90 plus minute documentary can be viewed by clicking on the link below.
WATCH: SLAVERY BY ANOTHER NAME (90 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY)
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Cover Story, History, News, Videos | Tags: AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY, Black History Month, Documentary, PBS, Slavery, SLAVERY BY ANOTHER NAME, SOCIAL ISSUE | No Comments »
Ice-T Appears On Tavis Smiley (Video)
May 9, 2011
Posted in Cover Story, Hip-Hop, Videos | Tags: BOOKS, Ice T, Interview, PBS, Tavis Smiley | No Comments »
