Bark + Bite

Michael's family situation is about to get ugly

Michael had somehow managed to push his purchased womb, who also goes by the title of his ex-wife Debbie Rowe, to the background and snag sole custody of the children from her. Debbie made a deal with the devil (ok Mike ain't a devil but the saying is still apt) and gave up ALL parental rights to her children. Reports had circulated that she WASN'T the biological mother of the two eldest children Prince Michael and Paris, but the babymama of two is willing and ready to submit to DNA tests to prove otherwise. *gulp*

And now that Katherine Jackson has been awarded temporary guardianship, Debbie has pulled a Keyshia Cole and changed her mind. Her main reason being that she doesn't want her children near Joe Jackson. Doh. Watch a reporter from the NBC station in Los Angeles talk about his conversation with Debbie Rowe.

I kind of don't blame her for not wanting the youngin's to be around Joe "Beatdown" Jackson, but she doesn't sound like much of a stable Mable herself. Either way, the kids lose.

Michael's nurse talks about Michael begging her for powerful sedative

This is the part where things get ugly and the truths begin to manifest. Michael was a great musician, but he was going through some things. Michael's nurse, Cherilynn Lee, sat down with the Associated Press and recounted an encounter she had with Michael in which he BEGGED her to get him an IV sedative to help him sleep.

She warned him, "Michael, the only problem with you taking this medication...the only problem is you're gonna take it and you're not gonna wake up." Watch her speak about the exchange.

Ciara can't remember the name of her favorite Michael Jackson song

I know Ciara's a little young (she was born in 1985) but for someone who claims that Michael was her INSPIRATION, and as someone who shed tears during a press conference over his influence in her life, it sure is odd that she can't remember the name of her favorite Michael Jackson song. And something as famous and iconic as "Billie Jean" at that! How the hell do you not remember the song "Billie Jean"?? It's not like someone asked her to name the collaboration between Michael Jackson and Eddie Murphy, "What's Up With You." Ciara, your MJ standom is being called into question.

Watch Ciara have a brain fart around 57 seconds in the video and listen to other stars reflect on their favorite MJ songs as they talk to TV Guide.

Maybe we should just chalk it up to Ciara having a tough year. She released 30 "first singles," gyrated her crotch and bent over for JT in "Love, Sex and Magic" and is still struggling with her latest project. At this point, I'm sure Ciara can barely remember the names of her own songs.

Apollo Theater remembers Michael

The Apollo Theater, mostly known for yanking off wack acts by hook, horn and the sandman, is honoring one of its most famous inductees: Michael Jackson. Since Michael's passing, fans have gathered at the theater to sing, dance, moonwalk and "chamon" all in the name of the King of Pop.

And now, amateur night is going to be dedicated to Michael. Watch.

If you're tired of MJ tributes already, too bad. Get used to it. Cause there's plenty more to come.

Praise Beysus! The 2009 BET Awards wanna be like Mike

'Twas three days after the King of Pop passed, and all through the house, celebrities paid tribute, he was bigger than Mickey Mouse.

The BET Awards had the unfortunate and burdensome task of being the first major celebrity gathering following the tragic and unexpected passing of Michael Jackson, which of course put pressure on BET to "HONOR HIM." God bless their hearts for trying but as the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day, and a tribute to a man like Michael Jackson sure enough can't be put together in three. 

That being said, the first half of the show was THOROUGHLY enjoyable. Jamie Foxx was pitch perfect in his monologue. He had us laughing but laughing in a cathartic, relieving way. His imitations of MJ in his "Beat It" attire were light and tone-correct.

His urging of the cameraman to focus on his cameltoe, excuse me "BOA CONSTRICTOR," was humorously uncomfortable in a Sasha Baron Cohen way. And while Jamie was a fine host for the bash, this man deserves some type of award because he was running a triathalon. He was a host, a presenter and he SANG THREE TIMES IN ONE NIGHT. Hot damn. Did BET cut him some overtime? I hope so.

Even though Jamie and the people at BET clearly hustled, they bit off far more than they could chew by proclaiming the event "A Tribute to Michael Jackson." The truth of the matter is,  you can't combine Soulja Boy and Young Money with a somber, deep tribute about the passing of Michael Jackson and have people walk away feeling good about it. What they should've done is put together a reel, with the celebrities talking about Michael, brought Janet out at the end, and closed the show with Ne-Yo and Jamie's rendition of "I'll Be There."

By trying to add the tribute to the show, even with the alotted additional 30 minutes, the show was bloated and overextended: It went over schedule by an HOUR! Half of the blame for that though was Don Cornelius and the O'Jays' nearly HALF HOUR segment! BET needs to set a time limit for these old folks. Don Cornelius' old ass didn't have a clue where he was or what he was saying. He just rambled on and on and no one at BET had the heart to show him the "Wrap it up" box.

Check out reviews of the performances after the jump.

Bark + Bite Podcast: Remembering Michael Jackson

This is a first for Bark + Bite: Podcasting! In the debut podcast, I talk all about Michael, the man, the legend and his music, with Dumont Walker of Walker-Sports. In talking about Michael's life, it felt cathartic, almost like letting go and reminiscing about a dear friend. And that's what Michael was for a lot of people: A dear, reliable presence in our lives. Writing about Michael allows for deep analysis and critical thinking, but talking about Michael and his life in conversation just feels like a release.

Pop open another tab in the browser and browse the web while you listen to the podcast, if you want. It's a two-parter. Enjoy.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Video coverage of Michael Jackson's death

Check out the latest video coverage on Michael's tragic passing.

Michael's 911 phone call:

Jump down below for more videos including tributes and reviews of Michael's life.

The King of Pop has left the building

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson himself, died yesterday around 2:00 pm Pacific Time. To say that I was shocked by the news was an understatement. It's all that I've been able to read and talk about and the tragedy of the whole situation is simply heart wrenching. That being said, anyone who has read this site or knows me personally, knows that I've gone hard at Michael in the past.

While I've always been a huge fan of his music, Michael Jackson the man disappointed and disturbed me on many levels. I don't know for sure if he really did molest any young boys, but I definitely feel like he likely acted inappropriately with them. And the  multiple plastic surgeries, in my view, were a staunch rejection of himself and his blackness. His tortured and mangled face acting as a mirror for his self-hatred. 

And let's face it, what everyone is mourning today is not the ghoulish, detached, Powder-like figure that lived and walked among us for the past ten years. The world is mourning the man who created "Thriller," "Off the Wall" and the little boy who touched our hearts with The Jackson 5. For what he gave us during those years, his life, his music and his presence are all worth celebrating.

Bark + Bite will be recording its first-ever podcast this weekend and it'll be about the death of Michael Jackson. The podcast will include a special guest and friend, Dumont Walker of Walker-Sports. Stay tuned for the podcast later this weekend.

Aubrey turns down MTV 'Shot at Love', cites artistic integrity

This is rich. Making the Band's 2nd biggest drama queen (Diddy was number 1) is now stating that she's an "artist first." Really?

When Aubrey got the boot from Danity Kane she continued on a tabloid/blogosphere promotional frenzy, posing for pics and saying quirky, cheeky things that she knew would be picked up. Then she posed butt-ass nekkid for Playboy. On the DK reunion show, Aubrey announced that she'd scored her own reality show. At first it sounded good: More trashy, wacky, bloggable reality TV. But as the details come out, it seems less and less promising. According to the details Aubrey has released so far, the show will chronicle her career in theater and stage. *snore*

Aubrey had a chance at being the next star of MTV's bisexual trash vehicle "A Shot At Love." Considering O'Day's repeated "I'm a bisexual" confessions, it seems like she was auditioning for the show from the get go. But alas, Aubrey said no to a "A Shot at Love" cause she's an artist first. Source: MTV News

"I didn't feel it was the right fit for me, 'cause I'm an artist first," she said. "Although I have fun at events and stuff, it's not really at all who I am as an artist."

Oh. The girl who posed for Playboy, befriended Jenna Jameson and is filming her own reality show is now all about her artistry. Can you smell what the contradiction is cooking?

More analysis on the Chrianna verdict

Great analysis from TV Guide and popsquire.com's Russell Wetanson.

HipHollywood was there and they give us the lowdown too.

I'm sure CourtTV is sad that this didn't get to play out in court. It would've been the biggest boom for them since the R. Kelly trial. Oh wait, Court TV is dead. Nevermind.