Millions all over the world have been mourning John McLaughlin, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 89. Today, one of the comedy greats, Saturday Night Live"s Dana Carvey, shared his memories of the McLaughlin Group host in a tribute statement to TheWrap.
"He was an American original. Quick-witted and funny. I loved impersonating him on "SNL,"" Carvey told TheWrap today.
Carvey explained that it wasn"t difficult to impersonate McLaughlin due to his one-of-a-kind speech patterns. "His speaking rhythms were so quirky and musical that my impression didn"t have to be exaggerated much to get big laughs," Carvey added.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Days after missing his first episode in years, McLaughlin passed away from prostate cancer on Tuesday. On Sunday, the show opened with a note:
"Dear friends of The McLaughlin Group, Dr. McLaughlin here. As the panel"s recent absences attest, I am under the weather. The final issue of this episode has my voice, but please forgive me for its weaker than usual quality. Yet my spirit is strong and my dedication to this show remains absolute!"
Newly-named Brazilian Beach Volleyball Olympic team validates Rio 2016 berth
Jess Commons | Deputy Editor | 7 days ago
The Debrief: Zara Dampney, who represented Team GB in London 2012 fills us in on the bikinis, rigorous training schedules, leathery forearms and tips on getting sand out of EVERYWHERE.
If you have a look at the beach volleyball themed topics people are searching for on the old Google, theres a number of things that crop up. "Beach volleyball bikini for instance. Beach volleyball bums is another. Not forgetting of course, beach volleyball wardrobe malfunctions.
Sigh.
Hardly the stuff one would expect people to be searching about a serious Olympic sport no?
Each Olympics, the mainstream conversation around beach volleyball tends to drift off away from the important stuff. Away from the speed, agility and athletic ability of the players and more towards, well, bums.
What people are missing by engaging with this rhetoric though is a b****y fascinating sport filled with incredible athletes. Zara Dampney, who represented Team GB at London 2012, is one of them. Zara was lucky enough to grow up in Bournemouth (sand: key to beach volleyball, who knew?) and, after starting indoor volleyball when she was 12 or 13, moved onto beach volleyball about five years later.
The main difference between indoor volleyball (its an Olympic sport too, they wear different uniforms) and beach volleyball is pretty simple. Instead of six players, a beach volleyball team has just has two. Also, beach volleyball is played, duh, on a beach. In indoor volleyball you need much more specialized skills explains Zara. You might be a hitter, you might be a setter Whereas in beach volleyball because theres only two of you have to be more of a rounded player. Also, youve got to be able to jump in the sand. Thats one of the biggest things. Sorry Zara, Im out mate. I can barely walk in the sand.
Leading up to London 2012, Zaras training routine was gruelling. Wed get up, have breakfast, then usually have two sessions a day; one sand session and one physical session, either in the gym doing weights or cardio. Then, around that, wed have like psychology meetings or nutrition meetings, things like that.
Psychology meetings help beach volleyball players connect. Because of course, when youre working so closely with just one other person, you need to get inside each others heads. Dan Goodfellow, Tom Daleys synchronised diving partner famously moved into Toms house in order to sync up mentally with him. Zara and her teammate Shauna Mullin were no different. Youre in each others pockets really. Says Zara who is still, four years on, more like sisters with Shauna. You have to be able to get the best out of each other.
Food too, was an important part of the lead up. We were on a low fat diet but we could eat a lot because we were training a lot. Explains Zara. If we were trying to lean down, you know, to jump high, then we might cut down on things like carbs.
Just like any sport, theres always a risk of injury. Zara says shoulder injuries are common, just from the amount of hitting a player does. Backs are also dodgy areas. Most interesting though is what the ball has done to her forearms. Theyre like leather! She laughs. Compared to other peoples skin there its toughened up so much over the years.
Playing at 2012 was, of course, a dream for Zara and Shauna. They finished 17th not bad for a country that hasnt been represented in the sport since 1996. There was a lot of pressure being the home nation. Zara says. Were not used to playing in front of a home crowd. She says she enjoyed it though and thats the main thing.
People Zara meets are often incredulous about her chosen profession. They react with disbelief People are like Oh my G*d I didnt know you could play beach volleyball in this country! and Is that an actual job? Thats so weird!
The hot topic when it comes to beach volleyball this year is the bikini. Pictures from the Egypt / Germany game showed a stark difference in terms of bodily coverage with the Egyptian team in full hijab-style uniforms whilst Germany opted for the traditional bikini.
The uniform has long been a contentious issue. Up until 2011, female beach volleyball players were required to wear bikini bottoms that were no wider than 7cm at the hip. In fact, in 1999, Craig Carracher the former CEO of Volleyball Australia even said If we can show off these bodies at the same time as presenting our sport then we are going to do that. Cool guy.
These rules have now been relaxed but, while some players opt for long sleeve tops or one pieces, many are still happiest in a bikini. I prefer it. Shrugs Zara. At the end of the day its usually roasting hot, you dont want to be stuck in something thats massive. If you wear bigger stuff the sand just gets stuck in it anyways!
I know the majority of the players are comfortable in their bikinis. She says. So why do people get excited about beach volleyball uniforms specifically? I dont know its so weird. Its like pretty much the same size as what the runners on the track are wearing.
This year, at Rio, body shamers have taken a hit. When trolls attempted to body shame gymnast Alexa Moreno earlier this week, Twitter dealt with them swiftly. Are we finally coming to a point where we the world can, on a base level, view female athletes without succumbing to prejudices about how their bodies should look? I do think people are starting to realise that women are actually very aggressive when they play. Theyre competitive, its not really about what they wear and what their bodies are like, actually they just want to win!
Funding for Team GB volleyball is non-existent right now which is a shame because Zara thinks weve got some very talented players coming up. Theres definitely some athletes there. She says. Its just about time and resources that need to be pumped into them.
If you think beach volleyball is the sport for you though, beware. Youll be covered in sand for the rest of your life. Every pocket of every bag and in the shower. Zara laughs. In your hair, in your ear in your eyebrows. The sand get everywhere you just have to embrace it really!
Zara Dampney is a brand ambassador for Sweaty Betty.
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
10 Olympic Athletes To Follow On Social Media To Get Your #Rio2016 Fix
How Can Helen Skelton"s Olympic Outfits Shock Viewers When There Are Literally Men In Speedos Behind Her?
Athletes Are Getting Right In To Dating Apps In The Rio Olympic Village
Follow Jess on Twitter @Jess_Commons
Tags: Rio 2016
At work? With your gran?
You might want to think about the fact you"re about to read something that wouldn"t exactly get a PG rating
Before the world was stunned by news that Elvis Presley had died on August 16, 1977, a Memphis, Tennessee emergency room intern heard a hospital"s chief resident pronounce the tragic news.
The resident"s pronouncement came after Jerry DeVane, then an acting intern at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, worked in vain to give Presley chest compressions in an attempt to resuscitate him.
DeVane, now of Cleveland, recalled that hectic scene on the 39th anniversary of Presley"s death. This somber anniversary always prompts fans to flock to Memphis to remember the King of Rock n" Roll"s life and legacy.
In an interview with WTVC News in Chattanooga, DeVane said he had grown up in a town called Whitehaven, near Presley"s famous home, Graceland.
Elvis Whitney lights his candle during Graceland"s Elvis Candelight Vigil on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016 in Memphis, Tenn. (Nikki Boertman /The Commercial Appeal via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (Nikki Boertman)
DeVane said he was just ending his shift when he heard the call for a code in the emergency room. "When I entered the room it was absolutely packed with people," he said.
No one said the singer"s name; DeVane just knew he needed to act quickly.
"I kind of marched my way around the corner of the room and got to the other side of the gentleman who was doing CPR on Elvis," he said. "I didn"t know that at the time, and he seemed to be tiring so I asked him if I could take over for him."
As DeVane continued with the chest compressions he noticed an unusual piece of jewelry around the patient"s neck.
"The gold chain had the letters TCB on it with a lightening bolt."
It was Elvis" trademark insignia, which stood for "Taking Care of Business in a Flash."
DeVane also recalled the chief resident asking questions of the paramedics who had brought him in. When he asked where they had picked him up, the paramedics gave him a strange look and said, "Well, on Elvis Presley Boulevard."
DeVane said, "That"s when it kind of sunk in fully that we were resuscitating Elvis."
But after an hour, it was clear that "The King" was gone, DeVane said.
Presley was 42. The cause of his death remains in question, with the main suspects being an enlarged heart, a heart arrhythmia or a drug habit.
Martha Ross provides celebrity commentary for the Bay Area News Group. Follow her at twitter.com/marthajross.
Bella Hadid is climbing the ranks of the fashion world by gracing her third September cover this season as she stands alongside model Taylor Hill on the cover of FrenchVogue.
Hadid shared a photo of the cover Vogue Paris cover on her Instagram account on Saturday (Aug. 13, 2016) and is now offering a look at a few images from inside the issue, one of which features her #FreeingTheNipple a movement she describes as a new art form in the caption.
Another photo from the spread celebrates her freedom of self-expression and body empowerment.
Bellas older sister Gigi Hadid posed n**e for VogueParis back in February, serving face in not much more than a pair of heels and sparkly bangles. Bellas September issue deems her and Hill as Gnration Instagirls, cementing their social media influence on a global scale. The term Instagirls was dubbed in print in September of 2014 when Joan Smalls, Cara Delevingne, Karlie Kloss,and three other models were featured on an expanding cover ofVogue. Now, its Hadids turn to join theclub.
Before the world was stunned by news that Elvis Presley had died on August 16, 1977, a Memphis, Tennessee emergency room intern heard a hospital"s chief resident pronounce the tragic news.
The resident"s pronouncement came after Jerry DeVane, then an acting intern at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, worked in vain to give Presley chest compressions in an attempt to resuscitate him.
DeVane, now of Cleveland, recalled that hectic scene on the 39th anniversary of Presley"s death. This somber anniversary always prompts fans to flock to Memphis to remember the King of Rock n" Roll"s life and legacy.
In an interview with WTVC News in Chattanooga, DeVane said he had grown up in a town called Whitehaven, near Presley"s famous home, Graceland.
Elvis Whitney lights his candle during Graceland"s Elvis Candelight Vigil on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016 in Memphis, Tenn. (Nikki Boertman /The Commercial Appeal via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (Nikki Boertman)
DeVane said he was just ending his shift when he heard the call for a code in the emergency room. "When I entered the room it was absolutely packed with people," he said.
No one said the singer"s name; DeVane just knew he needed to act quickly.
"I kind of marched my way around the corner of the room and got to the other side of the gentleman who was doing CPR on Elvis," he said. "I didn"t know that at the time, and he seemed to be tiring so I asked him if I could take over for him."
As DeVane continued with the chest compressions he noticed an unusual piece of jewelry around the patient"s neck.
"The gold chain had the letters TCB on it with a lightening bolt."
It was Elvis" trademark insignia, which stood for "Taking Care of Business in a Flash."
DeVane also recalled the chief resident asking questions of the paramedics who had brought him in. When he asked where they had picked him up, the paramedics gave him a strange look and said, "Well, on Elvis Presley Boulevard."
DeVane said, "That"s when it kind of sunk in fully that we were resuscitating Elvis."
But after an hour, it was clear that "The King" was gone, DeVane said.
Presley was 42. The cause of his death remains in question, with the main suspects being an enlarged heart, a heart arrhythmia or a drug habit.
Martha Ross provides celebrity commentary for the Bay Area News Group. Follow her at twitter.com/marthajross.
Police in Brazil arrived at the Olympic Village on Wednesday to seize the passports of Ryan Lochte and Jimmy Feigen in an attempt to keep them in the country for further questioning about the robbery they claim occurred early Sunday.
A judge gave authorities the go ahead after doubts began to grow over the claims made by the swimmers in light of the surveillance video obtained by DailyMail.com earlier this week showing the group laughing and smiling as they returned to the Olympic Village.
Lochte"s mother later broke the news of the alleged robbery later that day while speaking with Fox Sports.
The athletes are now accused of lying about the incident after the publication of the video Tuesday led investigators to change their line of inquiry.
A formal request for their passports to be seized reveals that the two men will now be investigated for the false communication of a crime, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in jail in Brazil.
Records retrieved by investigators from the X-ray machine through which the athletes passed in the Village also showed that the men were carrying all the belongings which they had claimed in sworn statements to police had been stolen.
Lochte, 32, had already flown out of the country and is home in the US while Feigen"s whereabouts are still not known. Feigen, 26, had been in Rio all day Tuesday but it is unclear if he took a flight home before the judge"s order.
Questions: Ryan Lochte (with blond hair) is seen entering the Olympic Village as his teammate Jimmy Feigen (in blue) is seen holding what appears to be a phone or wallet in one hand as he pulls out something else from his other pocket. Gunnar Bentz (being searched) also appeared to have two things in his hand
Drop off: Feigen (in blue) then drops two items into the bin which could be both a phone and a wallet. Bentz meanwhile atill seems to be holding both a phone and a wallet in his hand while being searched (center)
More questions: Bentz (on right in foreground) is seen holding what appears to be a phone in one hand and a wallet in another as he walks out of frame
On the one hand: As Feigen (in blue shirt) is searched he can be seen on one side holding his credentials and what looks to be a phone or wallet
On the other hand: Feigen looks to be holding either a phone or wallet on the flip side of his credentials
Answers needed: A look at Lochte"s alleged actions in the early hours of Sunday
In the statement a public prosecutor said that the images from the surveillance video, along with "contradictory" statements made by the athletes to police, further reinforced investigators" doubt about the veracity of the athletes" claims they had been robbed.
It read: "One sees that the supposed victims arrived with their physical and psychological integrity intact, even playing with each other, showing that there wasn"t any psychological shock inherent to such alleged violence.
"The more than calm behavior of the athletes straight after the supposed violence, together with other details present in the inquiry, makes me believe that more investigations should be undertaken into the possible false communication of a crime."
Police also revealed that the surveillance footage, showing the swimmers arriving around 7am, was recorded more than three hours after the supposed robbery.
Lochte and Feigen, the only two of the group who have so far given statements to police, claimed they were so drunk they did not know exactly where they were robbed, nor what type of taxi they took to return to the athletes village.
Further confusion has been caused by Lochte and his team mates insistence that they left Club France at 4am a claim that emerged in court papers released today.
According to a statement made to police and cited by Judge Kayla Blank, the men said they picked up a cab from a nearby gas station.
However, speaking to DailyMail Online.com, manager Lucas Alves said he did not see Lochte or any of the other swimmers in surveillance footage when he reviewed it the following morning.
The police came and took all the video from that night, said Alves. But I looked at it before they came and you could not see any of the swimmers on it.
Ipiranga gas station sits on Avenida Borges de Medeiros, approximately 100 yards from the entrance to the Club France compound.
Club France is part of the French hospitality house - an effort to promote the country during the Olympics paid for by the country"s national delegation.
Blank, in her decision, noted that the mens claim to have left at 4am were also contradicted by the images at the location [Club France], which indicated a different time.
Warrant: The search and seizure warrant that has been issued in Brazil for Feigen and Lochte
Location:According to a statement made to police and cited by Judge Kayla Blank, the men said they picked up a cab from a nearby gas station (above)
Story not adding up:However, speaking to DailyMail Online.com, manager Lucas Alves (above) said he did not see Lochte or any of the other swimmers in surveillance footage
Rio highlight: Lochte with his sole medal from the games, the gold her won in the 4x200m freestyle relay
The US Olympic Committee refused to comment on the athletes" whereabouts but confirmed that Brazilian police were looking for the swimmers.
"Local police arrived at the Olympic Village this a.m. and asked to meet with Ryan Lochte and James Feigen and collect their passports in order to secure further testimony from the athletes," spokesman Patrick Sandusky said.
ROBBERY TIMELINE - WHAT WE KNOW (AND WHAT WE DON"T KNOW)
Saturday 11pm: Club France opens for special celebration
Sunday 2.25am: Lochte posts video of himself andBrazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira inside the club. They later leave the club, buy popcorn from a street vendor and go to hail a cab.
5am: Club France closes
Sunday 2.25am - 6.30am: Lochte claims that at some point in this window men pretending to be police officers rob them of their wallets while they are in a cab
Sunday 6.56am: Security footage records the four arriving at the athletes" village in a cheerful mood and laughing with one another.
Sunday afternoon: Lochte"s mother tells Fox Sports in an interview that her son was robbed earlier that day.The IOC meanwhile denies that a robbery took place.
Sunday night: Lochte is spotted by Billy Bush while walking down the beach and agrees to speak about the robbery in a segment videotaped by the NBC host using his iPhone.
Monday: IOC apologizes for the security lapse. Police say they are hunting the taxi driver.
Tuesday: DailyMail.com obtains the surveillance video of the men that shows them in the aftermath of the alleged robbery.
Tuesday afternoon: Lochte departs Rio and returns home to Florida.
Wednesday morning: Lochte and Jimmy Feigen"s passports are ordered to be seized by a judge. Investigators say in their report that all goods the men claimed were stolen were in their possession when they returned to the Village Sunday according to scans they obtained from the X-ray machine used by security.
Wednesday afternoon: The owner of the gas station where Lochte claims he caught a cab on Sunday tells DailyMail.com that video footage shows he was not there at any point on Sunday.
"The swim team moved out of the village after their competition ended, so we were not able to make the athletes available.
"Additionally, as part of our standard security protocol, we do not make athlete travel plans public and therefore cannot confirm the athletes" current location."
Sandusky said the US team would "continue to cooperate with Brazilian authorities."
Lochte"s lawyer, Jeff Ostrow, said he was surprised to learn about the ruling in an interview with TMZ on Wednesday.
"I have no information from Brazilian authorities that they want his passport," said Ostrow.
"Im shocked to hear that they would go to such measures in an effort to further investigate the incident as he has been nothing but cooperative with authorities, including sitting for a full interview with the Tourist Police, U.S. State Department, USOC Security, FBI, and anyone else that requested to be present."
Lochte meanwhile has been very clear about his plans for the day, writing on Twitter Tuesday: "My hair is going back to its normal color tomorrow."
Lochte detailed the violent interaction with the group of men who he claims robbed him and his teammates at gunpoint outside the Olympic Village earlier this week.
The swimming great said that the men, who were dressed like police officers, rushed his cab in the early morning hours of Sunday and demanded that he get on the ground.
Lochte said that he refused their orders at first, until one of the men pulled out a gun and held it to his head.
"I put my hands up, I was like "whatever,"" said Lochte, who added that the men took off with his wallet but did not take his cell phone or credentials.
Officials increased security following the violent incident while authorities are searching for the taxi driver who willingly pulled over prior to the attack.
"We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing just a police badge and they pulled us over," Lochte told NBC Newson Sunday.
"They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground they got down on the ground. I refused, I was like we didn"t do anything wrong, so I"m not getting down on the ground.
"And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, "Get down."
Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were also in the vehicle with Lochte and Feigen, all four celebrating the completion of an Olympic Games where they each took home a gold medal, at Club France.
Bentz spoke about the frightening attack on Twitter Sunday, writing: "We are all safe. Thank you for your love and support. P.s. the gold medal is safe."
Better days: Gunnar Bentz and Feigen at the US Swimming Trials in July after qualifying for the Olympics
Practice makes perfect: Jack Conger and Lochte at training camp just before the Olympics
Party:Lochte shared a video on Snapchat in the early hours of Sunday morning just before the alleged robbery at Club France with Jimmy Feigen (above)
Sneakerheads: Lochte showed off the expensive footwear being worn by the group Sunday, which was not taken in the alleged robbery (above)
The United States Olympic Committee confirmed the robbery took place Sunday, along with Lochte"s claim that it was carried out by fake police officers.
One of the swimmers also reported the crime to authorities shortly after the group was robbed.
"According to four members of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team (Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, Jimmy Feigen and Ryan Lochte), they left France House early Sunday morning in a taxi headed for the Olympic Village," USOC spokesperson Patrick Sandusky said in a statement.
"Their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers who demanded the athletes" money and other personal belongings. All four athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities."
That statement came after a spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee told members of the media that Lochte and his teammates were lying about the robbery on Sunday afternoon.
The IOC then backtracked on their denial that the incident took place, saying they do not know specifics of the situation.
Hands up: Lochte detailed what allegedly happened in an interview with NBC on Sunday
The incident was first reported byFox Sports, who spoke to the star swimmer"s mother.
Lochte"s mother, Ileana, told the network it was "terrifying" and she had rushed from her hotel to meet her son.
Team USA"s Jenn Suhr told Fox Sports "it definitely would have been terrifying" for Lochte and his teammates.
"I"m just glad they"re safe... when you"re in another country you don"t know of, it"s not the smartest idea to go places you"re unsure of," she said.
Lochte popped up on Snapchat just before the robbery at around 2am to post a video of heavily graffitied Rio sidewalk, possibly taken from a taxi.
He followed up with an obscure photo of four sets of feet, presumably one set of his own, with the message "6kdeep".
The caption, perhaps a reference to how much their smart footwear was collectively worth, could been seen by anyone following his movements on Snapchat.
The black shoes that two of the people in the shot were wearing appeared to be Adidas Yeezy Boost 350s, which are listed online as costing about $1,500.
None of those items were stolen either in the robbery.
Finally at 2:25am Lochte posted a video of himself and Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira inside a nightclub, panning around to show the crowd and light display.
Nate Parker"s Rape Case, Apology & "Birth Of A Nation" | Did Y"all See?
Splash News
When I first saw the words rape and Nate Parker in the same sentence I thought he was speaking on the Stanford rape case or some other infamous rape case. I figured since the story was being tweeted about, hed probably said something side-eye worthy. After all, it wouldnt have been the first time.
But when I clicked to see the ridiculous comments he made, not only did I find the comments I was looking for, I also noticed that the rape case folks were talking about, was Nates.
In case you missed it, over the weekend Ashley Monae wrote about a 1999 rape case against the actor, writer and director. But Ill summarize quickly. According to Variety, in 1999 Parker was a student and wrestler at Penn State University when he and his friend Jean Celestin were accused of raping a 20-year-old, fellow student in Parkersapartment. Both Parker and the woman acknowledged that they had consensual s*x with each other before. But the young woman said that, on the night of the assault, she was unconscious and did not consentto have s*x with either Parker or Celestin.
According to court documents, which I encourage you to read, Parker was eventually acquitted of the charges based on the fact that he and the alleged victim had had s*x on a previous occasion. Celestin though was found guilty and sentenced to 6-12 months in prison. The mandatory sentence for rape at the time was 3-6 years but the judge departed from that sentence because of the letters that were written on Celestins behalf, some of them from officials at the university.
Celeste applied for a retrial and in 2005, the case was thrown out because the young lady did not want to testify again.
The rape is troubling enough. But its what happened afterward that is also disturbing. In these same court documents, after they were accused, arrested and then released, the university took no action against Parker and Celestin except suspending them from the wrestling team. According to the alleged victims report, Parker and Celestin began an organized campaign to harass her.The two hired a private investigator who showed a photo of the young woman to students on campus, asking for information about her. In doing so, the private investigator exposed her identity to her peers and her alleged rape was publicized. As a result, the young woman became a target on campus and was no longer able to eat or socialize in public areas.
Not only that, she accused both Parker and Celestin of standing outside her classrooms and following her to her dorm. They enlisted the help of their friends to direct sexual epithets toward her as she matriculated throughout campus. Though she reported the incidents to the University and campus police, they took no action. After attempting suicide on at least two different occasions, the woman dropped out of school. She went on to sue the university and was awarded $17,500 in a settlement.
Parker and Celestin went on to write, direct, star in and produce an award-winning film that secured a huge budget from Fox Searchlight.
And I know yall read Parkers comments before, but I think theyre so interesting they bear repeating.
He told Variety:
Seventeen years ago, I experienced a very painful moment in my life. It resulted in it being litigated. I was cleared of it. Thats that. Seventeen years later, Im a filmmaker. I have a family. I have five beautiful daughters. I have a lovely wife. I get it. The reality is he took a long silence I cant relive 17 years ago. All I can do is be the best man I can be now. My life will be examined and put under the microscope in ways that it never has. There are numerous things that are surfacing, but Ive always been an open book. Im an advocate of justice. Im an older man. Ive matured a lot. Ive had many obstacles in my life. I grew up very poor. My father passed away. There are so many things that happened. At the same time, I am the man that I am. I am open to the scrutiny. I will never hide anything from my past.
And then, as a bit of a rationalization.
Look at it through the context of 17 years, he said. It was a very painful for everyone who went through it. What I learned through 17 years of growth and having children and having a wife and building a family is that we have to fight for whats right. We have to lead in love.
I cant be the only one who finds his comments odd. If I were accused of something I didnt do, I would say, vehemently, that I didnt do it. I mean, being cleared by this countrys justice system isnt all that telling. George Zimmerman was cleared. Darren Wilson was cleared. The Stanford swimmer, a rapist, was basically cleared. And while the aforementioned people all posessthe get-out-of-jail-free card that is Whiteness, the same privilege is often extended to men, regardless of race, when it comes to rape cases. The crime is just not taken or prosecuted seriously. There are thousands of rape kits that go untested. There are far too many judges who ignore mandatory sentencing mandates when it comes to sexual assault. Even police officers try to intimidate or insinuate to women reporting their rapesthat there was something theyd done to deserve their assault. h**l, some of the police officers are the ones raping these women.
Thats not enough.
Furthermore, Parker mentioned the number 17, five times as if the passage of time was a rationalization for something. Look at it through the context of 17 years. Im sorry what does that mean? Rape 17 years ago is still rape. Its affects dont have an expiration date. It affects people more than people may know or understand. In 2012, the alleged victim took her own life, at 30-years-old, leaving behind a son.In an interview withVariety,her brother Johnny said that he watched his sisters life slowly crumble after the 1999 incident. He placed quite a bit of blame on Penn States handling of the situation but also spoke about the justice system at that time.He may have litigated out of any kind of situation.My position is he got off on a technicalityI think by todays legal standards, a lot has changed with regards to universities and the laws in sexual assault, he said. I feel certain if this were to happen in 2016, the outcome would be different than it was. Courts are a lot stricter about this kind of things. You dont touch someone who is so intoxicatedperiod.
Parker mentions growth and maturity as if there was indeed something he needed to grow and mature from. He says hes an advocate of justice and believes in leading with love. But what does that mean in the context of the question at hand?
The part that tripped me out the most was I cant relive 17 years ago. All I can do is be the best man I can be now. What does that mean? If there were no crime committed, what exactly would he need to relive?
And then, I wonder how he and Celestin were able to move on as partners. By Parkers logic, since Celestin was found guilty, it must mean he did indeed rape the young woman. How was he able to continue working with a convicted rapist? But forget that. We know that at one point or another, Parker and this woman did have consensual s*x. Theyve both admitted that much. So Parker didnt have an issue with his current partner sleeping with the very same woman he had? All of it is just strange.
And Fox Searchlight knew Parkers comments were strange. Its the reason that theyve altered the way The Birth of a Nation is being promoted. They initially planned for Parker to speak at churches and colleges to drum up buzz for the film. Now, theyre taking a hold off approach. And Parker is no longer doing press for the film. Because while Parker said he is not ashamed of his past, he certainly didnt handle the questions well. And in the meantime, Fox is waiting. Waiting to see if people care about the rape and death of a woman from 17 years ago.
As for the victims brother, he believes the decision of whether or not the movie should be supported is up to the people. Johnny said, I dont think a rapist should be celebrated. Its really a cultural decision were making as a society to go to the theater and speak with our dollars and reward a sexual predator.
There was a third man who left the apartment after he realized what was going on. You can read his account of the evening below.
You can also read a conversation between Nate and the woman after the incident here. Again, very telling.
Veronica Wells is the culture editor for MadameNoire.com. She is also the author of the recently released bookBettah Days.
