Source: WENN

Terrence is on his cool J after leaving BET’s “106 & Park.” After snagging a few movie roles and taking his hosting talents over to E!, Mr. Jenkins is feeling extra ambitious these days. In an interview with Ebony.com, the aspiring actor/media-mogul spelled out his ultimate career goal: to be a Will Smith-Ryan Seacrest hybrid. Check out a few snippets.

Why he took the E! gig right after the height of “Think Like a Man”

I think that Hollywood is this sort of hybrid now. You have incredible broadcasters like Oprah Winfrey who are now doing movies like The Butler. You have people that are building careers that don’t just have to fit in one lane. I want to be a trendsetter in that space. I look at a mentor of mine like Ryan Seacrest and the incredible amount of equity he’s been able to bring to the broadcasting arena, and the branding and the world that he’s been able to build around himself. I look at another mentor of mine, Will Smith – I call him the greatest actor alive right now – and I’m trying to merge the two. I have a long way to go, obviously. Those are some very big ambitions. But I’m shooting Think Like a Man 2 next year and I have two more film projects that’ll be coming out relatively soon. And I’ll be every day onE! News. Hopefully people just won’t get sick of me!

Why E! was a good move

They’re at the pulse of pop culture, and that’s where I’m at. I think that they’re excellent at what they do. They have a very great staff and amazing people that I get to work with. I think Giuliana Rancic is amazing, and they just get it. They’re a show on the rise and I’m happy to be a part of the program.

Whether he thinks America is starting to embrace diversity more on-air

I would hope so. And I just hope it leads to more. I called Michael and congratulated him, and obviously I’m very close with Steve. I hope it leads to more and more opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds – not just African-Americans, but Latinos and Asians. I hope that these new hires open up more and more opportunities so that TV looks more like America.

What motivates him

My mother. She and my stepfather moved from New York at a young age to build a more safe life for me in North Carolina. And I just watched them grow and work – they had five jobs – and just their drive and their hustle is what fuels me to this day. I come from humble starts. I went to an historically Black college where we’re always told that there’s limitation. And so I’m happy to represent for Black colleges. I’m happy to represent for my fraternity. We work hard, man. And we don’t stop, man, we don’t let up. As soon as I get in one door, I’m simultaneously working to be the best person in that door, open up doors for other people to walk in and opening up the next door for myself to walk through.

Are you excited to see what’s next for Terrence J?

Source: WENN

You know Bey can’t bring anything less than her A+ game without people coming up with all sorts of rumors about her, so when she stepped out in a very form-fitting Roberto Cavalli dress without her Spanx last week, naturally the half-inch of skin people saw around her mid-section had to mean she was pregnant again.

Umm or not.

You already know she’s not going to address the nonsense, but surprisingly Jay-Z did when E! News caught up with him at the NBA 2K13 release at the 40/40 Club in NYC.

When the host asked him boldly, “Are you having another baby?” He stammered, “Tonight? No.”

“Nine Months?” the host pushed.

“Not in nine months. Absolutely not.”

And because Jay knows the Bey baby thirst is so real, he added, “Not in one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight or nine months.”

So there you have it. Blue Ivy will not have a sibling until she’s at least 2 years old. Try not to get too upset.

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Image: NBC

It used to be folks in the African-American community would get excited just to see a black face on TV. While things have improved slightly, there still remains a dearth of positive black men on television. But now the airwaves have not one, but three African-American men on high-profile shows. Ex-106th & Park BET host Terrence J  (Jenkins) has replaced Ryan Seacrest as co-host of E! News. Former NFL player Michael Strahan was selected as co-host of the popular syndicated morning show Live!, replacing Regis Philbin and sitting alongside Kelly Ripa. Lastly, there’s The Steve Harvey Show.

African Americans are the largest minority segment of the U.S. television-viewing population. So will these additions lure more black viewers to their respective networks?

Media critic Paul Porter, co-founder of  Industry Ears, a nonprofit, non-partisan and independent organization focused on the impact media has on children and communities of color, isn’t optimistic.

“Black men as TV hosts is a strong positive,” he said. “Unfortunately many of these positive images don’t translate to the younger demographics where black male images consistently take a visual beating. Harvey’s, Terrence J’s and Strahan’s new positions are admirable. But unfortunately black America is tuned in for Love & Hip Hop.

“Since Harvey is the sole star it will take time to see if he can survive the test of time,” Porter added. “Strahan has been lucky enough to join a proven ratings winner. Terrence J on E! will be no ratings boost but a great career move for a young man who has talent,” said Porter.

In all likelihood, Harvey was hired because he already has a following, reaching millions of listeners to his radio program. But African Americans have strides to make. “There has only been one ‘Oprah,’” said Porter. “Blacks and daytime television are still a test market.”

Emmy- and NAACP Image Award-winning producer P. Frank Williams, who has produced shows for BET, TV One and other networks, predicts a rating increase. “I think Steve Harvey’s controversial and irreverent tone will be a ratings winner for NBC,” he said. “Same goes for Michael Strahan with Kelly Ripa. Strahan is charismatic and likable for people of all walks and races. Terrence Jenkins still has some proving to do since he has mainly honed his skills at BET Networks. Still, he has always appeared classy and smart. Plus, that nice job he did in Think Like a Man sure did boost his stock,” he speculated.

Usually a ratings jump is followed by increased advertising for networks and shows. Williams isn’t sure whether these new hosts will drive ad dollars, but money will ultimately do the talking. “Hopefully advertisers will see the light and realize how smart and attractive black men on TV means more money,” he said. “But we still live in a sometimes racially polarizing society where race matters more than talent to advertisers and, more importantly, to a lot of viewers in middle America,” says Williams.

Beyond ratings, Williams feels the additions will have a positive effect on the image of black men. “Anytime positive and smart black men represent on TV and film it’s a great thing for our little black boys and girls. We have plenty of chest pumping images of brothers grinding up against scantily clad women, so it’s refreshing and offers crucial balance. And for society in general, Steve Harvey, Michael Strahan and Terrence Jenkins are shining in more mainstream TV slots than we usually see,” he notes.

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Source: Indyhiphop.com

We didn’t think it would be long before Terrence J got a new gig but homie didn’t waste any time. Last night, Terrence appeared alongside Guiliana Rancic as a guest co-host on E! news and it’s possible that stint could lead to a full-time job.

Thursday night’s appearance was most likely a test run to see how the audience would respond to Mr. Jenkins, whose run as the co-host of “106 & Park” alongside Rocsi Diaz is coming to a close after seven years. Word is Terrence wants to focus on his acting career but landing another full-time position with a network like E! isn’t a bad look either. If he becomes a permanent fixture on the celebrity news spot, he’ll be following right in the footsteps of A.J. Calloway who found a new home on EXTRA TV when he was given the boot from 106 with Free back in the day.

More power to Terrence for making big moves as Rocsi gets her hustle on in other ways. Ahem.

Would you like to see Terrence on E! news?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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When Isaiah Mustafa rode onto our television screens on his white horse some of us were truly smitten.

For me? Eh… not so much.

Now, don’t get me wrong the brotha was funny. Those commercials had me dying laughing. But the sistas weren’t laughing so hard after Isaiah made comments about “good hair” last week on E! News.

Mustafa was talking to anchor, Giuliana Rancic about his show “Charlie’s Angels” when Rancic started asking him about his personal love life. Eventually she asked Mustafa what type of woman he was looking for. Mustafa said that he wanted a woman who was athletic, honest and someone who had “good hair”.

Doh!

No, no Isaiah!

I don’t know Mustafa personally- so I don’t know how in touch he is with black culture, but by now, (thanks to Chris Rock) even white people know that when it comes to black women, hair is a very sensitive subject.

Let me first start by saying I’m not mad at Mr. “I’m On a Horse”. Maybe he was joking, maybe he really does have a preference for a particular hair type. Whatever the case, I don’t have the time or energy to get mad at every person, black or white, who expresses a negative opinion about black women. If I chose to live that life I’d never be happy again.

Plus I don’t need to get angry. There were plenty of media outlets who had some words of their own for Mustafa. Chief among them was ESSENCE, who provided a platform for Isaiah’s apology, but not without expressing their severe disappointment first. And he did seem sincerely apologetic, ya’ll.

But I really don’t need an apology. From all of this I just hope Mustafa has learned that for black women hair, for better or worse, is more than just another physical feature. And I know India said we are not our hair. But the fact that she had to remind us of this fact, lets you know just how deep it can be for us.

A majority of black men, like Mustafa, have never felt the pressure from mainstream media, their jobs or their family to wear their hair a certain way for fear they’d be labeled unattractive or unemployable. And that’s why we’re so sensitive about it. For centuries, and even today, our hair and the way others perceive it has the ability to affect the way we feel about ourselves.

Is this right? No. Is it so? Definitely.

Whether you were feeling Mustafa or not, comments like his force black women to look at ourselves again and wonder if trivial choices such as the way we wear our hair make us desirable and appealing.

Again, I’m not mad at Mustafa. I accept my hair and myself. But this wasn’t always the case; and as a woman who had to work for this self-acceptance, I can understand why other women would be just a tad bit offended.

TNT’s show “HawthoRNe”, starring Jada Pinkett-Smith got the ax. Dang! The network confirmed the cancellation for E! News.  Head over there to read the full story.
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While one sister celebrates the impending arrival of a super baby, another is dealing with Miami Police. And she’s not playing any games.

Allegedly, sometime this weekend, Solange Knowles had a run-in with a police officer while in Miami, and according to her accounts, a gun was pulled on her for no apparent reason. She snapped off via Twitter:

“A police officer just pulled a weapon on me…I have done NOTHING illegal, against the law, or anything of the sort. I am simply tired of police using arrogance, ego and authority as a n offense. I’m only tweeting this to raise awareness. I could have left quietly, but I am sick & tired of this scenario being played over & over again.”

“The whole entire incident was about the fact that she was not allowed in a club. When she became abusive, she was pulled to the side. There was no mention of a gun. Considering it might be an internal investigation I can’t tell you much other than that.”