Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Vibe Awards Ceremony Erupts into Ultraviolence

Condi Rice took over Foggy Bottom from Colin Powell. Barack Obama was overwhelmingly elected the fourth post-Reconstruction African-American Senator. Chris Tucker was making $20 million a pic in Tinseltown. Serena and Venus ruled women's tennis. Tiger Woods, uhm, scratch that, never mind, we can forget Tiger Woods.

Oprah's personal chef was raising money for children. Sure, Graydon Carter doesn't want to put African-Americans on the cover of Vanity Fair, but aside from that, for a second there, just a second, it was a cool time to be African-American; we, as a people, had finally sloughed off that Bunim-Murray inspired reputation of African-Americans as being congenitally violent image. Then the knucklehead rappers at The Vibe Awards bumrushed the afterparty. Swell.

Rolling Stone reports:

"Chaos erupts at awards show taping, one man stabbed Fighting broke out at last night's taping of the second annual Vibe Awards when an unidentified man approached Dr. Dre's table and punched him.

"The bodyguards of the rap impresario -- who was being summoned to the stage by Snoop Dogg and Quincy Jones to receive a lifetime achievement award -- pursued the attacker. Dozens of attendees near the stage then began brawling, taking swings and throwing chairs, and one twenty-six-year-old man was stabbed (he is currently in the hospital in stable condition)."

Oanmedia reports:

"A fight broke out at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, where the 2nd annual Vibe awards are now being taped to air Tuesday on UPN. The cause of the fight and the perpetrators are unknown at this time, but our sources say, 'Chairs were flying.'"



Above: A Rhodes scholar attending the Vibe Awards amplifies on the finer points of Federalist #10.

"Everyone has left. 50 Cent has left. Alicia Keys left, and in place of her scheduled performance, Tyra Banks threw together a fashion show with America?s Top Models ladies. The show is still going on, say our sources, but 'All these nobodies are introducing awards.'"

You have to wonder about the wisdom of remaining in a situation that 50 Cent deems to dangerous. That, and since when does a movable seat become an instrument of destruction? Despicable, yet vaguely creative.

"Update 8:30 P.M. PT: Tyra Banks, one of the show?s hosts, is leaving, even though the show still has about another hour to go. More news to come.

"Update 8:37 P.M. PT - MTV.com reports: During the course of the ceremony Suge Knight got onstage and yelled, "F--- the G-Unit," then allegedly threw insults at the rest of the audience."

"Shortly afterward a melee ensued; some witnesses say a man with G-Unit's entourage was stabbed, while others say no one was stabbed during the altercation. Members of the audience were maced."

Nothing spells some enchanted evening quite like being maced. Lieutenant Frank Fabrega told the LA Daily News, "My understanding is that it was somewhat chaotic in there."

Heard on the Vibe Message Boards:

"The only award show where the guests and presenters have to worry about being stabbed or shot. Disgusting."

"umm, have you heard of the source awards?"

The Corsair will never insult Bill Cosby ever again.

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