First, he over enunciates every syllable like his life depended on it.

Second, he asks dumb questions and begs like a little bitch for Prince to come back on the show.

Third, what kind of name is Tavis? I hope he doesn't love his mother too much after that. Has she ever heard of the letter "r"...nigga, please...

Well, he seems to be a big Prince fan, so at least he's got that going for him.

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NOTE: The expression "nigga, please" is a quote from ODB of the Wu Tang Clan and is not meant to harm, offend, or otherwise unsettle any sensitive readers..

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[This message was edited Fri Feb 20 13:31:08 2004 by RupertZ]

all that aside, the show he had on bet before they gave him the boot was the last shining bit of decency on that network, believe it or not. i respect the cat, he's a good journalist.

mine!

RupertZ said:

i dont kno much bout this tavis guy, is he really tame ???

danielboon said:

Grrrr.....damn typos....oh well, he is tame, but no longer on this thread.

He's kinda geeky, but I really like his ethics. I listen to his radio show on NPR, and more often than not, I enjoy it.

He is from the south, that is why he has a quiet side. He is also and activist for the new civil rights movement; what little there is of it.

RupertZ said:

totally disagree...

tavis did a great job interviewing him. take it from a communications major with a 3.8 gpa. also, he was respectful of his guest and showed his support as a fan/peer in a very classy way...

It would have been nice to see someone who didn't wet his pants at the sight of the man conduct the interview with a little more objectivity.

We could have done without the exaggerations about the start and finish times of the recent club gigs.

And, would someone on his staff assume responsibility for ensuring before-hand that he can correctly pronounce "Melvoin" next time?

[The hard emphasis of last syllables of long words ending in "r" (e.g., coordinaTOR, direcTOR) is common among folks who are head-over-heels in love with the sound of their own oratory and trying hard to project how articulate they consider themselves to be.]

I just hope Leno waits until after the taping next Thursday to start pleasuring himself. At times, he can make Tavis look like a hater.

*****

Other than that, it was still cool to hear Prince chat and jam with Wendy. It'll be amusing to observe how he exploits the media to promote the upcoming album and tour. As well he should.

Rupert7 said:

Tavis is a professional communicator. Enunciation is fundamental to his job. More people should look into it.

Tavis shows love to most of his show's guests, particularly the black ones who have had longtime success. Prince happens to be such a guest. Maybe you don't see the difference between showing admiration and fawning; I don't think Tavis went overboard. He wasn't, say, Arsenio rolling all over the chair and kicking his legs.

But, then, Prince never actually sat down on the air with Arsenio.

Isn't it a shame that shows such as Tavis' and Arsenio's are so rare? Both men are good interviewers, have displayed astonishing work ethics and longevity through the years (particularly Tavis, whose hustle is legendary) and are regarded as good people by industry peers.

And, given Tavis' success on NPR and PBS, one can't help but wonder whether such shallow criticism of him is constructive or merely jealous.

And, hey, why not edit out that N-bomb on your next go-round?

Anxiety said:

i agree, his NPR show is awesome. it took me a while to get used to his style, but i like the fact that they discuss issues that don't always receive much coverage otherwise.

RupertZ said:

-----
Sorry Tavis was not conducting himself in a minstral enough of a manner for your taste.

ThreadBare said:[quote]

Rupert7 said:

First of all, he OVER enunciates. Of course enunciation is good, but overdoing is just obvious and irritating to listen to.

I agree that he is better than Arsenio, but that goes for every interviewer out there.

As far as teh "N-bomb" goes, if it is good enough for every rap song to use in a non-offensive way, then it is good enough for me in the light-hearted context that I used it in. Plus I said "Nigga" which is different than the N word with -er on the end.

I didn't know there were so many Tavis fans out there. I don't know anything about him except from the interview last night. If he is on PBS and NPR, then he probaby has more integrity than most of the network whores.

Anyway, I didn't say that he sucked, just that his delivery is annoying and he begged Prince too much at the end of the interview to come back some time. It certainly isn't his fault that he has a goofy name.

RupertZ said:

This coming from a man named RUPERT?

laurarichardson said:

Preach sister preach!

RupertZ said:

You think so? Try it on the street with some real "niggas" and see how it washes...

RupertZ said:

Does anyone else find it odd that the same person who takes a few digs at Tavis' use of the English language, creates a thread titled "That Tavis Smiley is annoying"? That Tavis as opposed to which other one?

RupertZ said:[quote]

ThreadBare said:

So what network carries your talk show? Cause the way you're talking, you must have something in the works. Put it up so we can break your style down. And the "N-bomb" is offensive. The way it is used in hip-hop is offensive. Saying that you use it because they do in a "non-offensive" way is
one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. And Tavis vs. Rupert....I'd go with Tavis any day of the week.

laurarichardson said:

I'm sayin!

How the fuck can you criticize someone for enunciating? What a stupid-ass thread. Trash can, please.

okaypimpn said:

Ditto. You should take that shit elsewhere.

awright, my turn!

RupertZ said:

how can somebody over-enunciate words? you either enunciate words or you don't, far as i'm concerned...


i'm black and i still find the word offensive, no matter what context it's used in. there's others, as you see, who feel the same way i do. you should mind your colloquialisms and contexts more carefully 'round here.

Well, I didn't know that so many people were offended by "nigga" in that context these days. It just seems so accepted in mainstream music. I was actually just quoting "O.D.B" from that clip they play on Howard Stern all the time when he says "Nigga please" at a press conference.

But it was a throwaway line and I probably won't use it again on here considering it offends so many people (and I can understand why). I actually think it is absurd that so many recording "artists" use "nigga" in their rap songs and they get so much play on the radio.

Oh well, I still think that Tavis was annoying on the show last night, but that's just me.

violator said:

I see people calling each other "nigga" on the street all the time and fights don't seem to erupt. It IS largely accepted as being non-offensive by many people.

But again, if offends even a few people here, then I won't use it again considering it wasn't essential to my point, and it matters little me whether or not I use it.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Wait a minute, Handclaps, you mean to tell me RupertZ is white and had the audacity to use the word "nigga"?!!!! And furthermore, tried to justify it?!!!! I wonder how many black people he's said that word to their face...since it's "good enough for him in the 'light-hearted' context." What a fuckin' idiot.

okaypimpn said:

i honestly dunno what race he is (quite frankly i don't care, either), i ain't thinkin about that at all. all i see are words on a screen, not somebody's racial background.

p.s. watch your tone, okaypimpn....you're on the verge of flamin the guy.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Well, that's the difference between you and I, Handclaps, I DO care what race he is because, quite frankly, he shouldn't be using that word if he's white. PERIOD. If I'm on the verge of flamin' him, then bring it.

P.S. Still love ya, Handclaps, but right is right and wrong is wrong. That's all it is to it.

RupertZ said:

And if it was played on Howard Stern then we all know it can't be racist right But really, I will give Rupert a little credit for backing off once he seen it actually bothered many of us. It's clear dude really didn't know there was anything wrong with a white dude using the term "nigga". There are a lot of young cats out there just like him who's main exposure to black folks is via Hip Hop Videos and sound bites. That's one of my biggest issues with the way MTV and other outlets promote that type of shit but that's another issue. Not excusing his use of the word but I think it came more from ignorance than hate.

Unlike some of you people (not all, but some), I don't see the world in black and white. I forget that many people are obsessed with shades of skin...oh well, I'm glad this is not one of my hangups.

Some of you need to go back and listen to "Race" form the Come album (if you can understand it).

And yes, I did back off from using the word in the future, because there is no reason to unneccesarily irritate or offend people. If I used any random word and it offended a relatively large number of people, I wouldn't use it any longer either if possible, just out of courtesy.

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[This message was edited Fri Feb 20 12:11:16 2004 by RupertZ]

RupertZ said:

Please. Let's be for real. That "not seeing color" shit is so played out now.

Anyway, I'm just curious, how could you have gone years without knowing that "nigga" is an offensive word when used by white people in America?

okaypimpn said:

Maybe he's from Iowa

okaypimpn said:

First off, I don't care what is "played out", but the truth is the truth (as Prince might say).

"nigga" is offensive to some people and not offensive to other people. I knew that in a nation 300 million people that someone could potentially be offended by it, but I didn't think that many people cared much about it either way. But apparently a significant minority of people do care (and were a bit offended), so I've learned something and won't use the word again on here unless it is clearly a direct quote.

In retrospect, it would have been more tactful to say "in the words of ODB, 'Nigga please'. ."

I really did think it was more acceptable than perhaps it apparently is. Did you ever see that bit on the Chris Rock show and the sketch about the cereal called "Nigga please"? It's kind of a dumb comedy bit, but it just points out the mainstream acceptability of that particular expression.

Oh well....
And if he imitates the best
I guess that's what I'll try 2 be
And I will let the rest dissolve with my guitar underneath the sea