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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 23, 2003)
April 23. 2003 ®l|e Portland ©bseruer Page B3 Focus Reid Addresses Media Image Former ‘Talk Soup’ host hopes to be an agent of social change ✓z A ctress-com ic Aisha T y 1er Lands t ..« j a Spot on ‘ Friends’ (AP) AishaTylerlooks at a reporter’s hand ex tended in greeting and de clines to shake. Is the new addition to “Friends” un friendly? No, just consider ate. “I have a cold,” she says apologetically, clutching a tis sue. It takes more than a minor bug to keep Tyler down, how ever. The actress and comedian is energetic, smart and, sniffles or not, a real stunner. Tyler, who begins a four- I week run on “Friends" starting I Thursday,April 24(8p.m. EST), J Aisha Tyler will have a four week run as a sexy paleontologist on ‘Friends.' The former ‘Talk Soup’ host is not the first non-white character on the hit NBC comedy, but she happens to be one o f the first ethnic love interests of lead characters Ross and Joey. time.” Given a shot as guest host, she drew such an overwhelming re ended last year but helped make her sponse from viewers that she was also happens to be among the traffic. a media darling: Esquire magazine hired full time. Witty AND sexy very few nonwhite love interests “I screeched over and practi deemed her one o f the "W omen We w hat’s not to like? Others appreci- — ’or faces, for that matter — to cally killed three people. And I Love" and Maxim listed heramong ated what she stood for as well, grace the popular NBC comedy. started banging on my car and it its “ Hot 100.” It also won her the “W hat’s wonderful is there are Ross (David Schwimmer) and was new and I was thinking I prob devotion of fans, including high people who would write in saying, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) compete for ably shouldn’t bang on my car,” school and college boys who write ‘It’s so great to see a smart, offbeat the attentions o f Tyler’s character, black woman on T V ,'” Tyler said a sexy paleontologist who shares “But I don’t think I set out to have R oss' s ^ passion ^ „ he for f c l dinosaurs, M „ w h,K girl. * * “ * •* » « « ’ « » « W ie e « a standard-bearer career. I just set friend on “Friends," Tyler points Lauren T ^ n d Gabrielle Union" Tyler has a sustained role in a show that’s been criticized for whitewash- ing multiethnic Manhattan. “The role w asn’t written particu- larly foran African-American. I think they were just trying to cast the right actress,” Tyler said. She nearly d id n 't survive hear ing the good news from her man- ager, delivered by cell phone while Tyler was driving in Los Angeles aS attractive IH White Culture, SO maybe OU,,° be t ny and communicate S G COUP f Or a black WO/MM who is h ’t Being an agent o f social change light ,o aPPeal,o blackandwhitemen- ture images carry weight. “Typically, black women are not seen as attractive in white culture, -------------------------------------------- ------------------- — ------------------ so maybe it’s a coup for a black she said. “It was the biggest thing such sweet nothings as “You’re woman who isn’t light to appeal to in the whole world." the funniest chick I’ve ever seen" black and white men,” she told Heart Bigger even than her job as the and offer to buy her a beer. & Soul magazine last year. “Maybe host o f E! Entertainment’s “Talk When Tyler tried out for “Talk it’s a coup for us that we start to be Soup." In 2 0 0 1, she became its first Soup,” she thought the show would seen as attractive — not as pretty female host. never hire a black woman. “I was for black girls, but just beautiful, The 11 -year-old comedy show just going to go in and have a fun period.” ~ Actress-comic Aisha Tyler on changing the perception of black women throughhermedlalmage (A P ) — B lac k “I ’m not sure black A m e ric a n s s h o u ld folks fully understand take control o f their the pow er that m edia image in the m edia, has in our life,” Reid actor T im jte id says. sa id W e d n e s d a y at R e id , 5 8, b e st M organ S tate U niver k n o w n fo r his TV sity. "W e are becom roles on "W K R P in ing who they portray C incinnati,” "Sim on us as being. W e’ve al & S im o n ” an d lowed ourselves to be Tim Reid "F ran k 's P lace,” has com e a collection o f sincecreated studios in V irginia negative statistics. Sim on says that produce m ovies, docum en dress like a gangster, and we do.” taries and television show s with Reid gave the keynote address more richly draw n black charac at the historically black university’s ters. first Communication Day. * * z WINGS $ i.” 4 WINGS 6 WINGS 12 WINGS $2.” 3 $4.49 $8.59 One coupon per customer per visit. Tax not Included Not valid with any other offer. Available at participating Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits restaurants only. 2 0 0 3 AFC ENTERPRISES, INC. MARTIN CLEANING SERVICE Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Commercial and Residencial Services J CARPET CLEANING ($25 each area) | Black-white gap narrows for TV viewers Nine of 20 top shows are equally watched by both African Americans and Caucasians (A P )— As networks add diver sity to their prime-time casts, blacks and whites share more favorite se ries than ever, an annual study o f viewing habits reports. Nine o f the top 20 series among black households also are favor ites among whites, the most over lap in at least 10 years, says the latest study ofblack viewing trends from ad-buying firm Initiative Me dia. Most are dramas such as ER, Law & Order, C Sl and Judging Amy, but M onday Night Football and 60 Minutes also made both lists. “ in the past there has always been a polarization; the top 20 lists L _ ______ r__ Cedric the Entertainer is the “Lunch Lady" in Fox's Cedric the Entertainer Presents, the most popular show in black households. * were very different," Initiative's Stacey Lynn Koerner said. “Now what w e’re seeing is there are more shows these ethnic groups have in common. One o f the reasons is the shows themselves are depicting multiethnic casts and multiethnic situations.” Though fewer shows feature predominantly black casts NBC and WB have none 51 o f last fall's series included ethnically di verse casts, up fromjust 13 in 1995, the study says. The study also show ed that blacks continue to watch more TV lhan any other demographic group, an average o f 76.8 hours a week — the most viewing in eight years — compared with 53.1 hours a week for whites. Black homes watch far more daytime, late-night, Saturday morning and cable programming. Fox’s Cedric the Entertainer Presents was last fall’s most popu lar series in black homes, followed by U PN ’s quartet o f M onday sitcoms, led by One on One and Girlfriends. Although the overall audience for those sitcoms was nearly 80% b lack , o th e r b lack -led se ries showed popularity among a more diverse audience. Cedric's audi ence was 52% black, compared with 39% for Bernie Mae and just 24% for A BC ’s Damon Way ans sitcom. M y Wife and Kids. • 2 A reas or more. 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