Comments on: Respecting Our Elders

By: Valerie

Valerie — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 05:25:15 +0000

I think it’s unfair that Jennifer Holliday has strived for years to accomplish a status of respectability; then have someone mimic her song and obtain emmys, awards, and recognition from the sweat of someone elses brow. I’m not hating, but Jennifer Hudson is not that great of a singer.Have you seen the American Idol rewinds? She’s no Belinda Doolittle!

By: Ngure

Ngure — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 07:59:17 +0000

I just read up a little on the whole Jennifer Holliday saga and it seems she just didn’t want a Cameo, she wanted to redo the whole Effie part. I loved Jennifer Hudson in the part of Effie. Loved her loved her loved her!!! I was peeved that Beyonce was being nominated and being proposed for Best Actress!!!! How? Effie was the main character in Dreamgirls.
I agree that we need to acknowledge that we stand on the achievements of giants, but the giants need to give way for others to do greater things. I think Jennifer Holliday is being immature to imagine that Effie cannot be played by someone else or that she should always feature in any Dreamgirls production. She did a good job in the original and Jennifer Hudson proved that she was equal to the task if not better. Jennifer Holliday should have been supportive of a more wide reaching dreamgirls instead of griping about how “she wasn’t even offered a cameo.” Immature. She rally shpild have been supportive of another actor in the lead.
And to digress, isn’t it odd that the two leads in dreamgirls share the same first name? So in the next remake, 20 years from now, we should await another Jennifer being born now? Maybe I should name my daughter Jennifer….

By: AmatureVoice

AmatureVoice — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 12:06:55 +0000

It must be nice to be young and have so much time to hate and envy show business folks their good fortune and talent.

The KEEPING IT REAL crowd does so much to embarrass Black Folk and to keep up looking like we didn’t deserve or respect the fruits of our people’s struggle for us.

Beyonce is nobody’s fool. Always well spoken and beautifully turned out. Always elegant and graceful. She is the product of a fiercely strong, proud and family unit.

The hate is only represented of a regression of grade school yard antics. The pretty girl who seemed to have everything, but was still nice to everyone.

If Beyonce did utter those words, it is only because she realizes what choice roll the part of Effie is. She is acknowledging what a great part it is. She is acknowledging that to play that part you have to be pretty talented yourself.

Apparently, she wasn’t hungry enough for it.

Beyonce has been in this business for a very long time. She is poised and prepared and business savvy enough to know her role was a small one compared to Jennifer’s and that playing the part of Deena wasn’t going to be the starring role.

So stop the hate. Behave like Jennifer and Beyonce. Be classy, poised and positive. Stop showing so much self-hate, jealousy and regret.

By: pselders

pselders — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 01:17:54 +0000

WOW!!!!!!
what a voice, what a voice!!….
she looks great and sounds simply fabulous!!!!….
although it is time for the next generation to get their piece of the dreamgirls pie….nothing can or will ever take away from Ms. Holiday’s spectacular show stopping orginal performance….I do hope, however, that she decides to give of her pure, raw and God given singing gifts beyond her past in dreamgirls…she has sooooo much more to offer the world….and with bated breath the world waits……

By: afrobella

afrobella — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 15:09:56 +0000

[...] while ago, I wrote about Jennifer Holliday and her legacy in Dreamgirls being deliberately eroded. Well Jennifer Hudson hasstronger opinions than I do. [...]

By: afrobella » Yay!

afrobella » Yay! — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 13:42:09 +0000

[...] It was more than I had hoped for. That sealed the deal for me, I’m a JHud fan for life! And now I’m FINALLY gonna have to go see Dreamgirls – I was out of the country when it opened, and I haven’t found the time to go see it yet. But I think a Sunday matinee sounds just about perfect this weekend! [...]

By: David@MakeupBeat

David@MakeupBeat — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 03:33:47 +0000

I’ve heard the reason the show wasn’t called the Supremes in the first place, was that Berry Gordy and Diana wouldn’t allow it. They at one time wanted to make their own story…don’t know if this is true or not.

By: Black Honey

Black Honey — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 08:04:42 +0000

Let’s stop harping on the fact the playing the character of Effie was the high point of Ms. Holiday’s career.

Just because someone is just a one hit wonder or only won one award doesn’t mean that their contribution to American popular culture is less significant. Ralph Ellison only published one novel. So did Harper Lee. Are we supposed not to take them seriously as artists because they weren’t as prolific as others? I don’t think so.

By: AuntieT

AuntieT — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 19:23:14 +0000

I read many blogs and just can’t understand all the negative energy directed as beyonce. she always seems to be a gracious, nice professional and i work in the entertainment business and have never heard differently. she’s also enviably focused and hard-working. given the way the business is now, she’s smart to make her money and build her career while folks are still interested.
as for jennifer hudson, singing one song very very well and making it memorable does not a career make. ooops, i meant jennifer holiday but truthfully they could both meditate on that.

By: Shameless Virgo

Shameless Virgo — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 21:22:57 +0000

Hey Bella!!

Love the website!!! I wanted to address the comment that you put in your article about Beyonce and the whole 20 pounds thing. As a member of the CGU, I was somewhat offended by the comment, that is until I read the actual article where the quote was taken from. I am by no means a stan for Beyonce, but I think the quote was taken out of context. Beyonce’ explained that she wished she could have played the role of Effie if only to sing the signature song. I don’t think she was in any way inferring that gaining the weight would all that was necessary to play the role. As a matter of fact, she talked about the director’s belief that she could even play Deena. Just wanted to throw it out there from my perspective.