Second helping of crow for the news media, please ...

During this Thanksgiving season, we all will sit down to a good helping of turkey. The news media has started early by helping themself to a large serving of crow.

I notice that whenenver a movie comes out with a young popular African-American cast, the media is quick to report any little inncident that happens in the proximity of the screening of the film. If there is a shooting, fight, or riot, the media will make sure that it is breaking news. This usually happens within the first two weeks of the film's opening. This is the crucial time for any film because this is where the studio gages if the film is going to be a success or a bomb. If the movie is a bomb, the studios can go to the argument that African-American films do not sell and less are made. It is pure business. Usually the fear of being shot or hurt while seeing these types of films keep people away. Once the seed is planted, the sterotype is perpetuated and it becomes a thought in the mind of society.

One such case is the new 50 Cent movie, "Get Rich or Die Trying".

Based on an article from E! Online, Novemeber 11, 2005, a man was shot at "Fiddy Flick". According to the article, obviously written by someone without any deductive skills, reported that Shelton Flowers was shot while going to the multiplex during the film's opening weekend. For one thing, a multiplex means more than one screen. Could there be a chance he was there to see another film, say "Chicken Little"? Second he was shot at the concession stand after a fight in the bathroom. Not in the theatre. Where is the connection with the film? Unless his last words was "tell me how the film ends" or he was still holding a ticket stub for 50 Cent's film, there is no connection. 50 Cent was quoted on "The View" as saying, "I feel for the victim's family in this situation, but you know, these weren't kids. This was a 30-year-old man [who] had a dispute with three other guys." Even 50 Cent knew there was no connection. Based on this information, Lowes pulled the film from the theatre.

Flash forward to November 23, 2005.

Another article came out stating what I knew after the first article. Maybe they should have asked me to investigate this inncident. The fight was due to a "prison beef" and not related to the film. Oops.

The damage was already done. The hysteria was created and the film lost screen time, which translate to lost revenue.

To the news media this Thanksgiving season, enjoy your crow and I hope you choke on it.

Happy Thanksgiving.