Image Credit: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images; Bob Charlotte/PR PhotosBeing an upstanding citizen of the hip-hop community and being a member of the Republican party are two things that just don’t jibe. So yesterday (March 30) when Fox News announced that actor and veteran rapper LL Cool J would be on the Sarah Palin-hosted debut episode of Real American Stories this Thursday, I knew something fishy was up.
Sure enough, the Los Angeles Times has reported the man loved by ladies will not be on the show, nor did he ever plan on doing so. As the story goes, Fox News has an interview from 2008 LL gave for the network’s online project and planned to re-purpose it because his from-nothing-to-something story echoes the show’s theme.
Cool J, whose real name is James Todd Smith, immediately took to his Twitter page to clean up the mess.
“Fox lifted an old interview I gave in 2008 to someone else and are misrepresenting to the public in order to promote Sarah Palin’s Show,” he tweeted. “WOW.”
LL wasn’t available to comment, but his rep did pass along this statement: “Contrary to what was reported, LL Cool J was never scheduled to be a guest on Real American Stories with Sarah Palin this week. The show had planned to use an interview from 2008 that was being re-purposed without LL’s permission. This statement is not a reflection of any feelings LL has toward Fox News or Ms. Palin, whom he has never met, rather a clarification of what we have seen published in the media.”
The Times quoted a spokeswoman for the network who said, “Real American Stories features uplifting tales about overcoming adversity and we believe Mr. Smith’s interview fit that criteria. However, as it appears that Mr. Smith does not want to be associated with a program that could serve as an inspiration to others, we are cutting his interview from the special and wish him the best with his fledgling acting career.”
So that’s that. What do you guys think? Was Mrs. Alaska trying to pull the wool over our eyes? Or was this a just simple misunderstanding? By the way, did you catch that little jab at the end? The line about “his fledgling acting career”? As one of the leads on CBS’ NCIS: Los Angeles and an actor for more than a decade, LL’s far from being a rookie. Cheap shot alert!
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fledgling? off the chain Fox News. They’re just trying to help LL out, right? 30 yrs in the game, he needs no help from the likes of FOX News.
I wish Sarah Palin the best with her fledgling political career.
Amen to that, BR.
Oh, more than that, I think we should wish Sarah well in her fledgling career as a fascist.
You gave me a laugh… well said!
I would say that I wish you luck on fledgling career as a jackass moron but it seems you are well on your way and doing just fine.
I can not believe they said that!!! He was being very mature and responsible in responding to this situation and Fox news once again found a way to be immature about it! Another reason why I don’t watch that channel.
Ditto!
I really admrie Sarah Palin.Yet, I’m glad to have the final word that she is NOT running in 2012. . . Hubby once quipped (and I really agree) that she’d do SO much more good running for Oprah than president. I’m glad she sees her influence in a broader way than mere electoral politics.
Is Sarah Palin even a producer of the show? If not I don’t really think she’s to blame at all. Baby-hating liberal ladies will still find a reason to blame her, though.
Palin doesn’t have the brain cells to do something like that. It’s the Faux hacks that are responsible, although it wouldn’t surprise me if they showed it to her for approval — I mean, youbetchaing.
Also.
dlauthor sounds like a product of failed public schools.
How do you figure tamburlaine, I think you just don’t get it.
Yeah I’m not a big fan of Palin but I don’t think she had anything to do with scheduling LL Cool J on that show. Suggesting otherwise is the type of journalism that I’m fed up with.
Also, that shot at his “fledgling acting career” was low and uncalled for. Besides, he’s a working actor is he not?
Yep, all liberals just hate babies. People actually believe that. Keep up with the intelligent comments, please, Ben.
Not true. Some of us think they are delicious.
PALIN 2012 reported for racist remark. It’s called the White House because it’s painted white, not because only white men are supposed to live in it.
repukes are never to blame for anything!!!!
PAY ATTENTION YOU STUPID, LIBERAL TREE HUGER, PALIN IS THE QUEEN OF THE TEA BAG PARTY NOW SHE’S NOT A REPUBLICAN ANY MORE! SO BE PREPARED TO GET TEA BAGGED!
That’s funny…because on the news the other day, a spokesperson for the Tea Bag Party said that Palin is not a member of their party. So explain how she is the queen.
Baby-hating? What the hell are you talking about?
That was supposed to go under Ben’s comment, but I guess it got bumped.
Abortion. Or using liberals’ Orwellian tactics, “choice”.
Repubs love babies until they are born. Then they don’t even want to give them health care, food, shelter, education, etc.
Bam! Tripp, you crack me up.
It baffles me that righties get all offended if you generalize and call them homophobes and racists because many of them oppose gay marriage and civil rights, but seem to have no problem calling pro-choicers baby-haters.
Just remember, condoms are bad, sex education is bad, abortion is bad, but poor people need to stop having babies!
“then they don’t want to give them health care…” sounds like a liberal expecting everything to be given to them. Just keep in mind it is someone else’s money being used to “give” them these things. How about providing for yourself instead of looking to the government to “give” it to you.
”sounds like a liberal expecting everything to be given to them.” Because those d@#n stupid babies should be getting a job and EARNING whatever they get!!
No, the sorry parents that vote democrat so everyone else has to pay are the ones that should get a job and quit asking for the fruits of my labor. I’ll raise my kids, try raising your own.
Liberals don’t hate babies, just morons.
Liberals don’t hate babies, they just hate self reliance, self respect, and those of us who are able to get by without asking for government handouts.
Wouldn’t there be no liberal ladies LEFT if they were baby haters. they would be extinct soon. Am I RIGHT?
It is awful to characterize any group that way! Inflammatory language like ‘baby-haters’ increases the social divide between our parties. Perhaps if we stopped insulting one another (take a note, FOX) and started listening to what others had to say, we might broaden our understanding of social and economic matters facing our country. I am a Republican, but that doesn’t mean I discount the thoughts of anyone whose leanings are a little more ‘blue’ than mine . Yikes. Sorry to all the ‘liberal ladies’ out there for the mischaracterization.
Jennifer
Thanks for the common sense, respect and the reminder to us all to stop the madness of generalization.
Yes, thank you for a civilized, adult comment. Personal growth can’t happen unless you can have civilized discourse in the public arena. Politics in our country will continue to go nowhere until both sides can open their minds enough to respect and embrace the differences that make us unique yet united.
I am a liberal who also happens to be a pediatrician. Yep, I’ve dedicated my life to all of those babies that I hate. Thanks, Ben.
i agree, i think ll cool j want to promotes the ever growing divide in the country. if he really was being mature, he would of let it go and let people be inspired, instead of dividing us further!
Fledgling actor? Have they not seen “Deep Blue Sea?” Forget NCIS:LA. He survives the intelligent sharks! I’d like to see Palin and Beck fight super intelligent sharks and see how they fare.
I would gladly make that my first Pay-Per-View purchase, ever.
Besides the porn, you mean…
For the last time, Tamburlaine: stop accusing others of charging those Japanese schoolgirl she-male upskirt videos to your Comcast account. Be a good Republican and take responsibility for your own actions.
Wow. That lady needs to get over herself.
Yeah! LOL She was so stuck up in the article! Ha ha ha.
Honestly, is it possible for Faux News to issue a statement of any kind whatsoever that doesn’t make them sound like bitchy thirteen-year-olds? The shots may be cheap, but they sure make up for it with volume.
Faux news? wow you are really frickin’ clever! how long did it take you and your mom to come up with that one? real original. I bet your mom is proud. loser!
Yeah, that dig at LL was impossible to miss. Screw FOX News. They tried to pull one over on him and he caught them. Good for him.
Agreed. I’m glad he caught it. Could Miss Wasilla and Fox News be more ridiculous?
“Being a upstanding citizen of the hip-hop community and being a member of the Republican party are two things that just don’t jive.” LOL. No, that’s true. Rampant misogyny, drug culture, violence. Liberalism owns hip hop and its dysfunctionality.
Conservatism? How about racism, homophobia, and war…
Misogyny: women should all be married with kids
Drug culture: Rush L’s painkillers
violence: Sarah’s call to ‘reload’.
I’d say both sides of the fence have them.
Although hip-hoppers and the tea party at least share an affinity for certain parts of the vernacular beginning with the letter N — for different reasons, sure, but hey.
The point is using people , their image or name for your own purposes without their permission is the problem. Just like the party used rock/popular music (Heart’s Barracuda for instance) without the permission of the individual artist or group. For a party that esposes the importance of individual liberties and individual responsibility, they seem to forget about them when its fits their needs.
Well Said Jerry !
If LL Cool J does an interview with FOX NEWS, FOX NEWS owns that interview and is allowed use it on any of their programs. You can say thats not fair, but you can’t say they legally need his permission.
They can use the interview in other programming if the release he signed specifically said so. He owns the rights to use of his image and I am sure he wants to protect that.
She is NOT Mrs. Alaska and good for LL
This author needs a remedial vocab lesson. He means “jibe” where he uses “jive”.
GO LL Cool J, just makes me love ya even more for being man enough to expose the lies Palin & her followers stoke!!
Amen to that! Just one more reason for THIS Lady to Love Cool James.
1) Just because LLCJ doesn’t care to be on Sarah Palin’s show doesn’t mean he wouldn’t want to be “associated with” any show “that could serve as an inspiration to others.” Typical politic-speak.
2) Wishing him the best in his “fledgling acting career” is similarly a sad example of damning praise. But this is all typical of the “youbetcha” mentality.
i’m so glad you caught that first jab too. its so immature. “if you don’t like our show then you must hate trying to inspire people!!!”
This is typical of the way Sarah Palin operates. LL’s camp was totally respectful of Palin and Fox but they couldn’t address the issue in a professional manner and went with the cheap insults instead! They are really pathetic!
your mom is the one who is pathetic. Sarah Palin is an extremely intelligent and inspirational woman who should be a role model for anyone with half a brain (so I guess that leaves you out moron). She does not have to resort to cheap insults as she relies on the truth, something that a jackass like you would know nothing about. why don’t you go join the other kids at the school for the mentally challenged that you attend and go enjoy some pudding you retard.
I’ve reported all of your nasty comments. Here’s hoping you get the banhammer. (And just before you start in with the “stupid lib” comments, I am not a liberal.)
ruth – actually I would compare you to a nazi not a liberal since you obviously enjoy censoring the truth. have fun at your next book burning.
PALIN 2012, you say that Palin doesn’t resort to cheap insults, and you are inspired by her, but if that were the case, why are you using cheap insults by calling someone a retard. BTW, your noble saviour said retard was a word that no one should use (except Rush Limbaugh, or any Republican). You are the definition of brainwashed.
I love that LL has a “fledgling acting career”. I wonder how long it takes to get a legitimate acting career according to Fox? Not to say that all of LL’s movies have been gems, but he’s still been in the business for quite sometime. What a lame-ass attempt at provocation on Fox’s part (imagine that, huh).
Wow that’s a pretty cheap shot from Fox News… “fledgling career”. As for “program that could be inspiring to others”… I cringe at the thought of millions of Palins running around the country, looting Saks 5th with public funds, and then “losing” some of those outfits so she couldn’t return it and pay back. That’s just so embarrassing…