I think you and I on the same page with most of his "True Hollywood Story'.

It's true that staying close to the one that brought you to the dance is a factor, but I tend to think that it could be comedy in general, not necessarily raunch, that might be escorting you (and I thought that's what he was going for). Jackie's mostly known for martial arts and comedy here in the states (definitely his strong points), but the Eastern market sees more of his work like the historical dramas, the films he's produced and things like that.

However, we aren't talking about Jackie Chan or Eddie Murphy... talent goes hand in hand with discipline. Maybe raunch (Smokey, Beaumont, Ruby Rhod) and Detective Carter was/is his range. Jackie's been working from 1962 to present day, so Tucker just being in his late thirties could mean a return to some form in the future (after he pays his bills).

There may no problem at all... I can't indict him on being one of "those" actors just because some other actors wear bleeding hearts on their sleeves. He spoke to our good friend Mr. Toto at BH about the process and motivation for making his films, and did not mention politics. Perhaps one day he will, but then again, maybe he won't. If we can appreciate that, then we might just have to let Emilio be who Emilio is... not his father Martin, and not his brother Charlie.

There are probably a lot of "right of center" types in the business who keep their opinions to themselves... and not necessarily because of some "blacklist". They might just respect the audience enough to do that, plus they know we can think for ourselves. Ironically, that would mean we wouldn't hear from them directly on those subjects... but it might just show up and shine through in the quality of the projects they work on.

I think there are a lot of former liberals like you who made that same journey, krystyna... I was a black muslim until early '98 - and the way out of that storm is NOT pretty, either. Trust me, it's the reformed ones (like you and me) that liberal politicians fear most.

Chris Tucker's problems do not stem from any spiritual conversion. He made the Rush Hour sequels after backing away from the other R-rated roles. As the article pointed out, that resulted in at least 45 million dollars flowing into his new, "raunch-free" bank account. I remember hearing about the payday for part two and thinking about how that could help him boost his stock as an entertainer if he played his cards right. The payday for part three confirmed that.

You can look at his "Rush Hour" co-star's career choices to see an example of someone taking care of business the right way: Hong Kong to Hollywood (and back again), actor-producer, over 100 projects.

His problems stem from not being responsible with his earnings. The million-dollar tax bracket (like all of the other tax brackets) is ridiculous; however, if you want stay out of situations like this, pay your taxes. Fight to lower them (or in his case, raise them), but pay them and stay out of trouble! It could be two or twenty-two, but the movies you star in (or what they happen to be rated) won't make a bit of difference if you don't take care of that little detail.

As for returning to form... no need to look far for that. It seems that the "raunchy" Chris Tucker you're asking for (the one I remember from Friday, Jackie Brown, and the stand-up years before that) was there all along, dodging Big Worm (aka the IRS) and playing with his million-dollar emotions.

"Hangin in a chow line" - the most disputed lyric... of all of the "Good Times" lyrics.

I'm with you on the John Amos factor... I always wonder how the show would have been had the producers honored their commitment to keep the show's quality intact and he stayed with the cast (James didn't tolerate JJ acting like a goofball and "finding" things). Those were definitely the best episodes of the series.

Comment by Faustino:

"Having a father in the home seems kind of quaint for a sitcom set in the projects."

It only seems that way because of today's cultures and attitudes. As a survivor of the "war" on poverty myself, I can assure you that "Good Times" took place in an age when the black family was still... well... "in the process" of being altered (destroyed) by social programs. James knew he did not have the best education as a child (there were a few episodes about things like that), but he was always trying to keep his kids focused on getting out of there, which meant getting a better education and staying out of trouble. (And he wasn't afraid to use the belt when necessary!) He was the head of the household at all times, but he had a great wife in Florida, and loved and protected them all. I grew up without a father, but I knew friends who grew up with theirs and looking back, their behavior would reflect a positive male figure if there was one in the home... especially the girls. Respect!

John Amos (the actor who played James) and Esther Rolle were told that there would be no buffoonish behavior on the show before they agreed to sign on. As the J.J. character (and Dynomite) gained popularity, the writers began to favor them (JJ began to say Dy-No-Mite! on every episode the way Kramer would have to come through Jerry's door the same way every time on Seinfeld). After the producers and writers began to heavily favor the new direction (no fault to the actors of course; it's a producer's prerogative to do that), Amos left the show, and the James-less era began.

Rolle hoped the producers would make the J.J. character more responsible after James died, but they didn't. Instead, they had Florida meet, fall in love with, and ultimately marry a new character, Carl. Rolle felt that Florida would not move on so quickly (especially with an atheist, because Florida was VERY Christian), so she left, too. She returned for the final episodes, they acted like the "Carl" thing never happened, and they all got out of the projects.

Great character, great stories, great show!

-Special note to Hollywoodland: the link to Gylne Tider you provided leads to the wrong page. For the curious, here's the correct link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gylne_tider

Once I saw that this was a TV show about those guys in the red t-shirts meeting and interviewing stars from the past (they focus on the 80's the most), I was able to put this video into perspective. Some of them were obviously more game to do the lip synching part to go along with the promo, so they had fun with it. It's all about context and calibration to me, so let's calibrate:

Ronald Reagan----------+----------Oliver Stone.

Pick your own "I like his/her work but don't like his/her politics so I try to pretend like I don't know about it" for the midpoint (ex. Samuel L. Jackson). Halle Berry as Jinx=Hot. Halle Berry wearing Obama t-shirts=Hot Neutral. Halle Berry offering to clear Obama's pathway if he ever asks=Hotness Defeated.

A Gylne Tider video with celebs lip synching (but no politics) might be a peculiar scene, but it's neutral at the very least. Cancel out Glenn Close with Mickey Rourke, drive up the middle with Rick Schroder and Katarina Witt, hand off to Harding and Guttenberg (yes! The return!), and block with Faustino and Ribeiro. Leslie Nielson: quarterback. Nordberg: unavailable. The chick from Real Genius: absent. (Sighs...)

I will now second El Gordo's comments on Kali and Jean (raises glass in tribute).